Future of the railway: Digital Rail Convention inspires in Annaberg-Buchholz!

Future of the railway: Digital Rail Convention inspires in Annaberg-Buchholz!

The fourth Digital Rail Convention (DRC) took place in Annaberg-Buchholz from September 17th to 20th, 2025. This important event was organized by the Smart Rail Connectivity Campus (SRCC) in collaboration with the Chemnitz University of Technology and the city of Annaberg-Buchholz. The target groups were both specialist audiences and schoolchildren, who were addressed through a wide range of offerings. The opening speech was given by Regina Kraushaar, the Saxon State Minister, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier, Rector of Chemnitz University of Technology, and Rolf Schmidt, the Mayor of Annaberg-Buchholz.

As part of the event there was a keynote speech by Antje Schröder and Dr. Guido Rumpel from Siemens Mobility GmbH. She spoke about the vision of the future of rail and the current state of technology. A total of 19 workstreams and six lectures were presented that dealt with the latest research results in rail transport. Chemnitz University of Technology actively participated in these initiatives.

Diverse projects at Chemnitz University of Technology

Chemnitz University of Technology presented several outstanding projects, including the 5GRacom project in collaboration with DB InfraGO and the Chair of Communications Engineering, as well as the ALTRAINAV project, which aims at alternative train navigation. Another notable project was the development of a user interface for the remote operation of automated trains, known as the DZM project AuDiBaF.

A highlight of the DRC was the so-called “DemoDay” at the Annaberg-Buchholz lower train station. Numerous research projects and technology demonstrations on sustainable mobility were presented here. Chemnitz University of Technology also took part in several exhibitor stands. These included, among others, the German Center for Future Mobility at the Annaberg-Buchholz location, the AuDiBaF and AuBBi projects for automated environmental monitoring, and a real-time video connection with the 5G research infrastructure.

Educational offerings and public relations

Another important aspect of the DRC was the first “PublicDay” on September 20, 2025. This coincided with the nationwide Rail Day and the 200th anniversary of the railway in Europe. On this day, various activities took place at Annaberg-Buchholz Süd train station. These included a research train from the DZSF, the MINT container from EuropeDirect Erzgebirge and the EscapeTrain game from the SRCC and Chemnitz University of Technology.

A special event block was the “PublicDay4Kids”, which was aimed specifically at school classes in grades 8 to 12. This event took place on September 19th and offered students the opportunity to experience automated driving and virtual worlds up close. Student lectures, experiments and practical MINT stands were intended to arouse enthusiasm for MINT topics far away from the regular curricula.

Overall, the Digital Rail Convention 2025 offered a comprehensive platform for the exchange of digital and automated developments in rail transport, which are crucial for the future of mobility. Instructions for submitting conference papers have already been published and interested parties are invited to submit their abstracts by January 31, 2025.

These are just a few of the many facets that made up DRC 2025 and were a valuable experience for those involved. Further information can be found on the relevant websites that accompany the DRC: TU Chemnitz, Smart Rail Campus and BMV.