Editing DB Cargo (section)

{{Short description|Division of Deutsche Bahn and an international transport and logistics company.}}
{{COI|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox company|
 |name          = DB Cargo AG
 |type          = [[Privately held company]]
 |logo          = [[File:DB-Logo-data.svg|75px]]
 |trade_name    = DB Cargo
 |founded       = {{start date|2009}}
 |hq_location   = [[Mainz]], [[Rhineland-Palatinate]], [[Germany]]
 |industry      = [[Logistics]]
 |products      = [[Rail Transport]]<br /> [[Maintenance, repair and operations|Maintenance]]
 |revenue       = [[Euro|€]]4.5 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]]
 |num_employees = 29,525 (2019)
 |key_people    = {{Interlanguage link|Sigrid Nikutta|de}}, [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]]
 |parent        = [[Deutsche Bahn]]
 |subsid        = 20 worldwide, including freight and contract logistics
 |homepage      = {{URL|https://www.dbcargo.com}}
}}

'''DB Cargo''' ({{IPA|de|deːbeː ˈkaʁɡo}}; previously known as '''Railion''' and '''DB Schenker Rail''') is an international [[transport]] and [[logistics]] [[company]]. It is responsible for all of the [[rail freight transport]] activities of the German railway company [[Deutsche Bahn]] (the DB Group) both inside Germany and on a global level.<ref>{{Cite web |language = de |url = https://ir.deutschebahn.com/fileadmin/Deutsch/2019/Berichte/IB19_d_web_02.pdf |title = Integrierter Bericht 2019 – Deutschland braucht eine Starke schiene. |publisher = Deutsche Bahn |access-date = 15 April 2020 |pages = 188–189}}</ref> DB Cargo has a registered office in [[Mainz]] and a further administrative office in [[Frankfurt|Frankfurt am Main]].<ref>{{Cite web |language = de |first = Ralf |last = Heidenreich |url = https://www.wiesbadener-kurier.de/wirtschaft/mainz-db-cargo-will-talfahrt-stoppen-und-2020-wieder-wachsen_18951723 |title = DB Cargo will Talfahrt stoppen und 2020 wieder wachsen. |publisher = Wiesbadener Kurier |date = 27 July 2018 |access-date = 13 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |language = de |first = Maike |last = Hessedenz |title = DB Cargo wieder vereint in Mainz |newspaper = Allgemeine Zeitung |date = 20 March 2020 |page = 9}}</ref>

The company was founded as ''DB Cargo AG'' on 1 January 1999 under the second stage of liberalisation reform of the [[Rail transport in Germany|German railway]] system (Bahnreform) underway around this time. Initial operations were primarily focused on the rail freight market within Germany; however, during early 2000, the company was reorganised under the ''Railion'' holding company as part of a merger between DB Cargo and the Dutch state-owned rail company [[Nederlandse Spoorwegen|Nederlanse Spoorwegen]]'s rail freight operations. This new structure was designed for the cooperation, and incorporation, of future partnerships with other rail freight companies; between 2004 and 2009, Railion expanded its operations into [[Italy]], [[Switzerland]], and [[Poland]], typically via acquisitions. Following the acquisition of [[Schenker AG]] in the early 2000s, the company was restructured again and adopted the ''DB Schenker Rail'' branding. During 2016, to indicate its core focus on rail freight transportation, the company was once more rebranded as ''DB Cargo AG''; this naming scheme has been progressively replicated across the majority of its international subsidiaries as well.

The services provided by DB Cargo include both [[Unit train|block train]] and single [[Wagonload freight|wagonload]] transport services, the latter of which have been abandoned by many of the company's rivals.<ref>{{Cite web |language = de |url = https://www.forschungsinformationssystem.de/servlet/is/8789/ |title = Intramodaler Wettbewerb im Schienengüterverkehr. |publisher = Forschungsinformationssystem |date = 13 March 2019 |access-date = 14 January 2020}}</ref> Based on the number of kilometres travelled, DB Cargo is the [[market leader]] in both Germany and Europe, although its transport services have been in decline for several years.<ref>{{Cite web |language = de |first = Christian |last = Ebner |url = https://www.aachener-zeitung.de/wirtschaft/deutsche-bahn-transportleistung-der-db-cargo-seit-jahren-ruecklaeufig_aid-39182319 |title = Deutsche Bahn: Transportleistung der DB Cargo seit Jahren rückläufig. |publisher = Aachener Zeitung |date = 2 June 2019 |access-date = 15 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |language = de |first = Timon |last = Heinrici |url = https://www.dvz.de/rubriken/land/schiene/detail/news/die-staerksten-wettbewerber-der-db-im-gueterverkehr.html |title = Die stärksten Wettbewerber der DB im Güterverkehr |publisher = Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung (DVZ) |date = 15 October 2019 |access-date = 1 October 2020}}</ref> Seeking to reverse this decline, a more flexible price structure was adopted alongside various cost-cutting measures in 2016. During the early 2020s, major global events such as the [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] [[pandemic]] and the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]] have challenged the company and driven changes. Within the context of the battle against [[climate change]], however, the role of DB Cargo is also thought to be increasingly important,<ref>{{cite news |language = de |first = Matthias |last = Arnold |title = Ach du meine Güter! Warum der Anteil des Gesamtgüterverkehrs auf der Schiene seit Jahren bei 19 Prozent stagniert. |publisher = Rhein-Zeitung |date = 28 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |language = de |first = Dorothee |last = Torebko |url = https://www.moz.de/artikel-ansicht/dg/0/1/1785364/ |title = DB Cargo: Güterbahn ist aus dem Takt. |publisher = Märkische Oderzeitung |date = 18 February 2020 |access-date = 15 April 2020}}</ref> as the company offers transport options that are entirely [[Carbon neutrality|carbon neutral]].<ref>{{cite web |language = de |url = https://www.verkehrsrundschau.de/nachrichten/db-cargo-steigert-anteil-co2-freier-befoerderungen-2033287.html |title = DB Cargo steigert Anteil CO2-freier Beförderungen. |publisher = Verkehrsrundschau |date = 14 November 2017 |access-date = 13 January 2020}}</ref> However, the company has been criticised for a lack of investment into both its [[rolling stock]] and infrastructure, and thus constraining its performance. In late 2019, Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta took on the role of [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of DB Cargo.<ref>{{Cite news |language = de |url = https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/2019-11/sigrid-nikutta-bvg-deutsche-bahn-wechsel-vorstandsvorsitz |title = Sigrid Nikutta: BVG-Chefin ab Januar für Güterverkehr der Deutschen Bahn zuständig. |newspaper = Die Zeit |publisher = Zeit Online |date = 8 November 2019 |access-date = 8 January 2020 |last1 = Heflik |first1 = Katharina }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |language = de |first = Kevin P. |last = Hoffmann |url = https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/von-der-bvg-zur-deutschen-bahn-sigrid-nikutta-hat-eine-harte-mission/25637892.html |title = Von der BVG zur Deutschen Bahn: Sigrid Nikutta hat eine harte Mission. |publisher = Der Tagesspiegel |date = 13 March 2020 |access-date = 15 April 2020}}</ref>