Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin

Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin GmbH (RBB) is a German railway infrastructure and railway transport company with operating sites in the federal states of Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. Its registered headquarters is in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Saxony-Anhalt. RBB is a subsidiary of Captrain Deutschland GmbH and was formed on 1 January 2005 through the merger of the former Connex freight transport companies Rail Cargo Berlin GmbH (RCB) and Regiobahn Bitterfeld GmbH. The company traces its operational roots to the industrial railways of the Bitterfeld, Delitzsch and Wolfen area. On 1 July 1995, the merger of three former works railways created a 193-kilometre network of industrial freight railways. By 2002 the network had shrunk to 70 kilometres, of which 25 kilometres served public traffic. In 2021, 38 kilometres of public-traffic railway infrastructure were available as a service facility. RBB owns several diesel locomotives and describes itself on its website as a "specialist for works railway logistics". It also offers training in wagon technology and for railway operating staff. RBB's business is closely tied to industrial customers. At the end of June 2020 it took over the works railway traffic at the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau, for which four additional vehicles and 19 employees were required. In mid-July 2024, Captrain Deutschland announced that Hörseltalbahn GmbH would be merged into RBB, which would also take over the management of the enlarged company. As part of the Captrain Deutschland group, RBB operates within the wider SNCF logistics and rail freight ecosystem, focusing on industrial siding operations, regional freight transport and railway infrastructure services rather than long-distance passenger services.

The origins of Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin lie in the industrial railways of the Bitterfeld, Delitzsch and Wolfen area in central Germany. On 1 July 1995, the merger of three former works railways created a 193-kilometre network of industrial freight railways. This network served the chemical and industrial sites of the region, which had historically been among the most important industrial centres in eastern Germany. By 2002, the network had been reduced to 70 kilometres, of which 25 kilometres served public traffic. This reduction reflected the broader restructuring of eastern German industry after reunification and the decline of some traditional industrial customers. On 1 January 2005, Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin GmbH (RBB) was formed through the merger of the former Connex freight transport companies Rail Cargo Berlin GmbH (RCB) and Regiobahn Bitterfeld GmbH. The new company became a subsidiary of Captrain Deutschland GmbH, the German rail freight arm of the French SNCF group's logistics division. RBB combined railway infrastructure operation with railway transport services, with operating sites in Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, and its headquarters in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. In 2021, 38 kilometres of public-traffic railway infrastructure were available as a service facility. The company owns several diesel locomotives and describes itself as a "specialist for works railway logistics". It also offers training in wagon technology and for railway operating staff, reflecting its role as both an operator and a maintainer of industrial rail systems. At the end of June 2020, RBB took over the works railway traffic at the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau. This contract required four additional vehicles and 19 employees, demonstrating RBB's ability to scale its operations for major industrial customers. In mid-July 2024, Captrain Deutschland announced that Hörseltalbahn GmbH would be merged into RBB. RBB would also take over the management of the enlarged company, further consolidating Captrain's regional rail activities in eastern Germany under the RBB brand.

• Merger of three former works railways creates a 193-kilometre industrial freight railway network in the Bitterfeld/Delitzsch/Wolfen area.

• Network reduced to 70 kilometres, of which 25 kilometres serve public traffic.

• Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin GmbH formed from the merger of Rail Cargo Berlin GmbH and Regiobahn Bitterfeld GmbH, as a subsidiary of Captrain Deutschland GmbH.

• RBB takes over works railway traffic at the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau, adding four vehicles and 19 employees.

• 38 kilometres of public-traffic railway infrastructure available as a service facility.

• Captrain Deutschland announces merger of Hörseltalbahn GmbH into RBB, with RBB taking over management of the enlarged company.

Specialist for works railway logistics and industrial rail infrastructure within the Captrain Deutschland group.

• Works railway logistics

  Operation and management of industrial railway systems for factories and industrial sites.

• Railway infrastructure operation

  Provision of public-traffic railway infrastructure as a service facility.

• Rail freight transport

  Freight transport services on the German rail network.

• Training services

  Training in wagon technology and for railway operating staff.

1. 1Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Regiobahn Bitterfeld Berlin – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Captrain Deutschland – RBB pagecaptrain.de