International rail projects
Article: Why DB Systel relies on Open Source for strategic collaboration
09/2024 – Open Source software has become a must for any modern company. Anyone who operates a website, offers an app or even just uses servers is most likely using software components under Open Source licences. Many years ago, therefore, DB Systel decided to professionalise its use of Open Source.
DB Systel is working with other rail companies to create joint, open solutions that bring long-term reductions in day-to-day operating expenses in the rail sector. However, this is just one part of our strategy to use Open Source to promote collaboration and efficiency within Deutsche Bahn and beyond. Open source is fuelled by the same motivation that drives us: to network, work on interdisciplinary projects, share knowledge and create something together for the benefit of all.
Deutsche Bahn's Open Source strategy
Open source components tend to operate under the radar. In servers and services, they take care of often extremely complex tasks that almost every application needs, and have thus become established as the norm in many cases. As Open Source has been used in IT practice for a long time, Deutsche Bahn decided some years ago to take a strategic approach and, among other things, published the Open Source Manifesto. This is because collaboration and standardisation, which are integral to Open Source, promote innovation and create synergies.
"We are committed to doing Open Source and doing it right," says Max Mehl about DB Systel's Open Source strategy (link only accessible for DB employees). Max Mehl and his colleague Cornelius Schuhmacher are responsible for all aspects of Open Source: "We take a strategic approach, establish the right framework and also understand that we are in a process of evolution: from simply using Open Source to contributing to Open Source to helping to shape it – right now we are moving to a whole new level."
Collective development and participation
The systematic use of Open Source promotes collaboration and efficiency: "You look at what is already out there. This makes economic sense. You don't have to reinvent the wheel," explains Max Mehl. Sharing is the other side of this – publishing further developments as a 'contribution' for others. "It is important to do this in a structured way, especially in the Open Source sector," explains Max Mehl.
This is not purely about generosity. This approach also has practical benefits: "If we are benefiting from an Open Source project and continue to develop it internally, it makes sense to share this publicly," explains Max Mehl: "It reduces maintenance effort. While we make internal changes, the main software often continues to evolve regardless. This would require us to keep integrating our feature within the software developed by the community. And that is incredibly time consuming in the long run." It therefore makes sense to pass your changes 'up' to the main project straight away. "We are making life easier for ourselves while also helping others."
Open solutions for rail operations
The day-to-day work of the two Open Source managers is extremely varied. There are, for example, many different licence models for Open Source. Understanding these licences and complying with the resulting obligations is one of the challenges of working with Open Source every day. Max Mehl and Cornelius Schumacher advise teams, draft guidelines and provide information for implementation teams, but above all promote the co-operative "sharing approach" of Open Source. To this end, DB Systel is involved in various organisations, such as the Linux Foundation and Bitkom. Advancing these partnerships is part of the work of Max Mehl and Cornelius Schumacher.
The OpenRail Association, in particular, is a good example of the potential offered by Open Source collaboration. Deutsche Bahn has joined forces with other rail companies to advance projects together: "We see many areas where Open Source brings significant technical and economic advantages. After all, we sometimes have very specific processes and challenges to face. There is often no software that I can buy ready made from the market," reports Max Mehl. "This is something the other rail companies also experience. There is a lot of in-house development and it is always worth considering working together on this wherever possible."
Intercompany, cross-border rail software development
"In many areas, we rail companies are not in competition." For example, a joint Open Source project is currently being developed to plan the migration to digital wagon couplers for freight transport: "There is no added business value in one rail company doing something worse or better than the other," explains Max Mehl, emphasising the reasons for the collaboration. The French SNCF, for example, has already openly developed the "Open Source Railway Designer" for timetable and capacity planning, while the Swiss SBB has published its "Network Graphics Editor" for long-term planning of the rail network as an Open Source project.
"It saves everyone resources and makes it easier when we work together. This often leads to more successful IT projects," says the Open Source representative. There can also be other advantages to publishing your own code: "For example, we may have a great idea for a process, data standard or software standard. If we implement this as Open Source, we may be able to create a de facto standard with comparatively little effort. When other companies from the sector collaborate and contribute their own expertise, it's a win-win."
Open Source gives DB Systel the opportunity to implement our networked, partnership-based way of working beyond the boundaries of DB Systel and Deutsche Bahn. We can thus achieve more together than we could individually.
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