The German state railway DB has announced the launch of the new construction site management strategy "Bauen im Takt" (Construction in Cycle) for mid-July 2024. Fixed time slots are planned for maintenance and modernisation projects. The strategy is intended to enable longer construction-free periods by 2026 through a 50% reduction in timetable changes and the bundling of several trades per time slot. As a first step, DB will be reorganising its maintenance management from mid-July 2024. Maintenance teams will carry out the necessary inspection and repair work on defined sections of track. The regular maintenance work is to be carried out during periods when there is little transport volume; a construction site-free phase is to follow after longer construction work. DB also intends to use the strategy for major expansion and modernisation projects in the coming years; longer time windows are planned for extensive construction work. The system takes into account the need to avoid simultaneous construction on a corridor and on important diversion routes. The predefined time windows enable reliable deployment planning for employees and machines. According to DB, construction machinery will be deployed in twice as many shifts in future, making it much more efficient than before.
