Apr 25, 2025
The future of railway transport: Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences signs cooperation agreement with the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research (DZSF)
Professor Regine Gerike, Dean of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Professor Eckhard Roll, Director of the DZSF, and Professor Angela Rösen-Wolff, Vice-Rector Research at TU Dresden, signed the “Agreement on joint railway-related training” between the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences and the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research.
The “Friedrich List” Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden and the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research (DSZF) are joining forces to promote early-career researchers in the field of railway transport. With this objective in mind, the two partners have signed an agreement on cooperation in teaching and research.
Joining forces to secure young talent for rail transport
The “Agreement on joint railway-related training” comprises a series of measures to promote early-career researchers in railway research. The focus is on joint supervision of doctoral students. They will benefit from interdisciplinary expertise, a strong research network, and access to research infrastructure for their doctoral studies. Interdisciplinary continuing education programs and targeted career support are part of the package of measures designed to provide doctoral students with optimal support on their career path in the rail transport sector.
Creating synergies, pooling resources
Prof. Regine Gerike at the signing of the contract in the Railway Operations Laboratory of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
In addition to promoting doctoral students, the cooperation partners have agreed on expanded collaboration in the areas of study and teaching. This will include supervising student research projects, arranging and supervising internships, and integrating expert lectures, teaching sessions, and conferences. Moreover, the partners intend to strengthen the joint use and development of research infrastructure such as the Integrated Railway Laboratory of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, the ETCS laboratories of both institutions, and the Cyber Security Laboratory of the DZSF. In addition to closer cooperation in the areas of data collection and data exchange, the institutions also intend to take a joint approach when it comes to finding and applying for third-party funded projects.
Professor Regine Gerike, Dean of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, welcomes the agreement:
“The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research is another strong partner in our network of expertise. This cooperation also sends a signal to the railway world: Dresden is where tomorrow's rail transport experts are being trained.”
The parties to the agreement see the potential in the different structures, tasks, and resources of their institutions. Complementary contributions will enable synergies in the advancement of early-career researchers in railway research as well as joint research projects in the future.
In his speech, Prof. Eckhard Roll is optimistic about future collaboration with the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.
Prof. Eckhard Roll, Director of the DZSF, emphasizes the importance of the future cooperation:
“The training and promotion of young scientists is essential in order to meet the diverse requirements placed on rail transport today and in the future. With TU Dresden, we have a reliable partner at our side.”
A strong alliance for rail transport research
TU Dresden | Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences
The “Friedrich List” Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden is the only faculty in Germany dedicated to transport and traffic sciences and boasts internationally recognized expertise in sustainable mobility. It is a pioneer in the development of systemic solutions for the design of safe, efficient and sustainable transport systems in keeping with technical, economic, ecological and social criteria. In the field of railways, five core professorships at the faculty cover the topics of infrastructure, vehicles, drives, railway operations, and control and safety technology in research and teaching.
German Centre for Rail Traffic Research (DZSF)
The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research at the Federal Railway Authority (DZSF) is a research institution within the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and is based in Dresden. The DZSF's task is to provide science-based policy advice for rail transport decision makers. As an interdisciplinary institution, the DZSF addresses current issues relevant to the federal government as well as medium and long-term research topics. The aim is to accelerate the application of major innovations and strengthen rail as a sustainable mode of transport. The DZSF is committed to promoting early-career researchers.