Young talents for long-term projects

Richard was already enthusiastic about technology at school. He enjoys physics and math. He completed his Abitur at the sports high school in Dresden.  

During the fall break, he completed a voluntary internship at ENSO. After these two weeks, it was clear to him that he wanted to study electrical engineering and definitely dual study. He finds this combination of theory and practice very exciting.  

So he enters dual studies in electrical engineering on the Internet and lands directly on the website of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The KIA course is presented there and there is also a comprehensive overview of all cooperating practice partners. Richard finds Deutsche Bahn attractive, applies and receives direct feedback, including an invitation to an interview.  

The apprenticeship starts in September. A first meeting to get to know all the rail students took place in Fulda. Richard met his fellow students there for the first time, with whom he will study in Zittau. Deutsche Bahn makes it possible for him to take part in the HSZG preliminary courses (3 weeks before the start of studies). In retrospect, Richard feels that a refresher course in math, electrical engineering and physics was very supportive. He spends the entire first six months at the university and gains a lot of theoretical knowledge. Initially, he lived in student accommodation, but soon moved into his own apartment, which was easy to find in Zittau and also attractively priced. Richard has a decisive advantage over direct students. He receives a training allowance from the company throughout his studies and is financially independent.  

Richard feels at home in Zittau. Thanks to the Come In weeks at the university, he already knows students from the higher semesters. He knows where to find a contact person if he has a problem. He copes well with the fixed schedule for KIA students. The transition from A-levels to university is easy for him. He quickly develops his own time management skills. After the first semester, the four-week rotation between the university and the company begins. The subject matter at the university is very condensed, but he has a four-week break from his studies during the practical period and can relax and catch up on any material he hasn't understood. During the training period, he works 38 hours a week full-time at Deutsche Bahn. Richard works from 6:30 a.m. until the early afternoon and still has plenty of free time, which he often spends at the Leipzig lake district in the summer. He rents an AirBnB apartment in Leipzig with fellow students for the duration of his training. A temporary shared flat.  

He feels well prepared for the skilled worker examination. Job-specific training at the university and practical training at the company are well coordinated during the apprenticeship.  

The training phase passes quickly and after 2 ½ years Richard is an electronics technician for industrial engineering. The time in the main course of study flies by just as quickly, and the practical assignments in the company are now only during the periods when there are no lectures and during the practical semester.  

He worked in maintenance for four and a half years. He is looking for another exciting field for his thesis. He switched to project planning. There he became part of the major project - the new Dresden - Prague line - and found his topic: "Analysis of the border transition in an ETCS simulation environment using the planned full tunnel variant of the new Dresden - Prague line" 

ETCS is a new train control system that is now being introduced in Europe. Each country previously had its own system. The challenge is to ensure that the system also works across borders. In the Czech Republic, this system has yet to be developed.  

For the first time, there will also be cooperation with the research department of the German Center for Rail Transport Research (DZSF) as part of the thesis. The DZSF will provide a simulation tool that can be used to display and evaluate the influence of parameters.  

There are many challenges in this large-scale project. Not only technical issues, such as superstructure, track, overhead line and control and safety technology, but also issues of structural cooperation and cross-border operation need to be clarified. Many individual solutions have to be found. The technical challenges in the project are enormous. After all, construction is also being carried out on existing lines, which means that many closures are necessary. The Elbe Valley bottleneck is to be removed, as it does not allow high speeds, causes noise pollution and the capacity for freight traffic has already been reached. A new tunnel is therefore to be built. The project is still in the planning phase. The concrete goal is a journey time between Dresden and Prague of around one hour. The preliminary planning is to be completed internally soon, followed by the test run within the railroad. Parliament will deal with this in around 2025, so that design planning, planning approval and implementation planning can then follow. Finally, construction is expected to begin in 2032. 

A long planning period for a major project. This is why Deutsche Bahn is also actively looking for young talent to plan and supervise long-term projects. According to project manager Michael Menschner, KIA students have the advantage that they know how the railroad company works, because a company like this is very complex and interlinked, so it usually takes a long time to get used to it after graduation. That's not the case with the KIAs. They know what to expect. Deutsche Bahn offers every KIA student a permanent employment contract at the end of their studies. There are many opportunities to enter the world of work at DB. Even during their studies, students get a feel for the area that suits them best.  

Richard is looking forward to the diploma phase. And if everything goes according to plan, he will be supporting the project for some time to come.