DB E.C.O. North America Inc.

We are #hiring! Join us as a Junior Commercial Project Controller and collaborate with our Bid Managers and Commercial Project Controller to support project proposal developments. In this role, you will partner with project management to provide commercial and financial support, ensuring the accuracy of cost, pricing calculations, and project budgets. You will be part of our finance and administration team. Ideal candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance, 2-5 years of related work experience, and excellent time management skills. The ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet critical deadlines is essential. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off, and well-being support. #WeAreHiring Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ebtXqBVc

Last week, our colleague Paul Lewis participated at the first conference of German and American Mayors in New York City. This event brought mayors and experts together, from both sides of the Atlantic, to discuss challenges cities currently face. During the panel discussion on “Infrastructure and Urban Transportation Planning,” Paul highlighted that the U.S. and Germany encounter similar issues in urban and intercity rail. He mentioned that Deutsche Bahn addresses these challenges with a focus on three key areas, highlighting the importance of a strategic and holistic approach to tackling rail issues. 1) Integrated planning: Coordinating how passengers and freight use regional networks and developing operational efficiency. 2) Setting broad goals: Rail can simultaneously address climate, equity, and economic objectives with wide political support. 3) Optimizing current systems: Focusing on improving existing operations before investing in expensive infrastructure. Thank you Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C., for organizing this event and the opportunity to participate; we look forward to the next conference.

What are lessons the US can learn from international peers? And what can the US teach the world? In the third "Track is Back" event, this time hosted by the Österreichische Botschaft Washington (Austrian Embassy Washington D.C.), Paul Lewis, represented DB E.C.O. North America by sharing insights from our work in the US and abroad. The panel focused on sustainability in rail and featured Paul as well as Lucy Andre, Thomas Blechinger, and David Connell, and was moderated by Art Guzzetti. Paul shared best practices from the US and Germany, highlighting strategies like expanding rail networks, investing in electric trains, and enhancing services. Speakers also discussed the importance of using policies, incentives, and public awareness to promote rail use. A special thank you to Ambassador Petra Scheebauer, Ambassador of Austria to the United States for her warm welcome and the opportunity to gather and exchange ideas.

This week, our Vice President for Technical Consulting Yoav Hagler took part in a panel discussion on “Corridor Development Strategies” at the American Public Transportation Association Rail Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Participants discussed the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, focusing on the investment in America’s passenger rail network and the necessary steps to implement these transformative visions. Yoav highlighted DB E.C.O. North America's support for Utah Transit Authority’s in developing their future strategic service plan. Many thanks to Chad Edison for the warm welcome and exceptional moderation.

This week on the High Speed Rail Alliance webinar, our colleague Paul Lewis discussed global best practices that could help transit agencies more efficiently complete rail projects at lower costs. Paul identified three key drivers affecting the cost and timeline of a project: project governance, process, and standards. With these factors in mind, he offered ten recommendations for delivering cost- and time-effective projects. https://lnkd.in/e5kRQDgC

Last week, we had the honor of leading an excursion for participants from the United States and Canada focused on “Exploring Germany’s Net Zero Emission Initiatives.” The trip showcased Deutsche Bahn’s commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2040 and attendees learned about innovative approaches and techniques aimed at revolutionizing net zero emission rail services. This trip included in-depth discussions, site visits, and exclusive in-person tours, culminating in a fruitful transatlantic knowledge exchange. Are you interested in learning more about the future of sustainable rail? Contact us! https://lnkd.in/eCRx9UBY

This week, our colleague Thomas Meinl had the honor of presenting at the annual US High Speed Rail Association Conference in Washington, D.C. Thomas shared our team's work in supporting the California High-Speed Rail Authority as they design the interior of their future high-speed trains. The innovative design will cater to diverse needs, offering various seating zones and amenities that set a new benchmark for high-speed rail travel. Discussing general success factors of rolling stock procurements, Thomas highlighted the critical role that interior design typically plays in providing an extraordinary travel experience for passengers. He emphasized the importance of understanding and collaborating with the customer base, and drawing design inspiration from global best practices. Conducting extensive research, stakeholder, and community involvement can be based on detailed design efforts upfront before even engaging with OEMs. This includes developing high-quality visualizations and 1:1 mockups, conducting practical user testing, and iterating design concepts based on feedback. Once initial designs and user testing efforts are completed, a buyer can then work closely with OEMs to further refine and bring the design vision to life. This proactive and comprehensive groundwork results in highly informed rolling stock buyers, leading to more successful project outcomes, fewer change requests, on-time delivery, and better collaboration between buyer and OEMs. Please reach out to us if you want to learn more! https://db-eco.us/en/

Thank you for having us at the Railway Interior Innovation Summit, hosted by RedCabin in Montreal. Our colleague Svenja Leister, and partners Matthias Fischer, neomind, Frank Banko, WSP, hosted a working group on “Creating excitement for High-Speed Rail in the U.S. - How to make it real for future riders?” where they drew from the vision for the future California High-Speed Rail onboard experience to collectively brainstorm strategies to engage and excite future passengers in the lead-up to initial operations. We already look forward to next year's summit! #rail #innovation #design  https://lnkd.in/gAaWR5Uy

How Deutsche Bahn's lights-out strategy is helping to meet climate neutrality goals: The new energy-saving mode for their platform displays optimizes energy consumption while keeping passengers up to date on train schedules and alerts. During breaks in service, the backlight deactivates while real-time data continues to be fed to the display. When there is a notification, the display activates to alert passengers, then goes back to sleep about 15 minutes after the train’s departure. A single display running on energy-saver mode can save up to 720kWh per year - equivalent to the combined annual usage of an electric stove and refrigerator. Small, yet impactful steps like these are helping Deutsche Bahn in cutting down on annual CO2 emissions, further transforming Germany's train stations into modern mobility hubs. Currently, 36% of displays across Germany are equipped with the energy-saving mode, a figure that is steadily rising. #sustainability #infrastructure #mobility #innovation

Congratulations to Stadler US on their Guinness World Record title for the furthest distance achieved by a hydrogen-powered passenger train without refueling! DB E.C.O. North America is proud to work with Stadler US. #ZeroEmissions #FLIRTH2RecordHolder