What DB Intermodal Services GmbH does

DB Intermodal Services GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, headquartered in Großbeeren, Germany, that provides transport-complementary services (transportergänzende Leistungen) for combined/intermodal transport, with a focus on maritime combined traffic. The company's portfolio spans five integrated service lines: Depot Services (empty and loaded container storage with 39,950 TEU capacity across 9 locations, plus container repair, cleaning, and maintenance — 55,000 containers repaired in 2022); Terminal Services (operation of a transshipment terminal in Kassel with 50,000-unit capacity and SOLAS weighing at Kassel, Kornwestheim, Nürnberg, and Ulm); Container Trading (sale and rental of 20ft, 40ft, 40ft HC and special-equipment containers at 9 locations); Trucking (a fleet of 148 tractors and 343 chassis performing 76,800 container deliveries); and Werklogistik (intra-plant container traffic for Volkswagen between Braunschweig and Wolfsburg). The company holds participations in 6 German and 2 foreign terminals and operates within DB Cargo Group's European combined-transport terminal network.

The business model is B2B and transaction-based, serving exclusively Geschäftskund:innen with a minimum order threshold of one freight wagon or container/swap body. Revenue streams derive from terminal transaction fees, depot transaction fees, trucking transaction fees, container hardware sales and rentals, and Werklogistik professional services. The company quotes customers directly, publishes a terminal-services fee schedule (effective 01.01.2026), and operates a sales-led motion through regional contact partners and an online transport-request form. Total disclosed revenue is €67.7 million and the workforce is distributed across the depot, trucking, Werklogistik, and terminal footprint. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is fundamentally physical-infrastructure-based intermodal logistics operating under the Deutsche Bahn brand and integrated with the DB Cargo rail network.

Name

DB Intermodal Services GmbH

Legal name

DB Intermodal Services GmbH

Website

https://db-intermodal-services.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DB Intermodal Services GmbH is a 100% Deutsche Bahn subsidiary providing B2B transport-complementary services — depot storage, terminal operations, trucking, container trading, and factory logistics — for combined/intermodal transport customers across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intermodal Logistics Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Transportation (48899), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Terminal Maintenance Facilities For Motor Freight Transport (4231), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Intermodal Equipment & Container/Chassis Pooling (Leasing/Management) (TLADAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intermodal Terminal Operations (Rail–Truck) (TLAJAFAA), Intermodal Drayage & Cartage (First/Last Mile) (TLADAFAC), Automotive Intermodal (Finished Vehicles/Parts via Intermodal) (TLADAFAL), Intermodal Terminal Value-Added Services (Cross-Dock, Transload, Stuffing/Stripping) (TLAJAFAL)

Keywords

• Intermodal transport services
• Container depot services
• Terminal transshipment operations
• Container trading logistics
• Factory logistics transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Terminal Services: Transshipment terminal operations including handling, SOLAS weighing (in Kassel, Kornwestheim, Nürnberg, and Ulm), storage of loading units, and provision of transport information.
2. Depot Services: Provision of empty and loaded container depots, container repair, cleaning, and maintenance services.
3. Trucking Services: Container delivery and collection between transshipment terminals, depots, and customers using company-owned trucks and chassis.
4. Container Trading: Sale and rental of sea containers in standard sizes (20ft, 40ft, 40ft HC) and special equipment at 9 locations.
5. Werklogistik (Factory Logistics): Transport services for inter-factory traffic, container transshipment at factories and terminals, and truck delivery of loading units to factories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DB Intermodal Services GmbH provides a comprehensive portfolio of transport-complementary services for combined/intermodal transport, operating as a wholly-owned Deutsche Bahn subsidiary. Its core offering comprises five integrated service lines: depot services (container storage, repair, cleaning and maintenance), terminal services (transshipment operations including SOLAS weighing), container trading (sale and rental of standard and special sea containers), factory/works logistics (intra-plant container transport), and trucking (container delivery and collection using a fleet of approximately 148 tractors and 343 chassis).

Product overview

DB Intermodal Services GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn offering a comprehensive intermodal transport service portfolio. The core offering comprises five integrated service lines: Depot Services (storage, repair, and maintenance of containers with 39,950 TEU capacity), Terminal Services (transshipment operations at Kassel and partner terminals), Container Trading (sale and rental of sea containers in standard and special sizes), Works Logistics (intra-plant transport for Volkswagen in Braunschweig and Wolfsburg), and Trucking (container delivery with a fleet of 148 tractors and 343 chassis). The company also holds participations in 6 German and 2 foreign terminals, and takes a steering role for DB Cargo Group's European combined transport terminals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Depot Services (Depotdienstleistungen) Provision of empty and loaded container depots across 9 locations in Germany with 39,950 TEU storage capacity. Includes container storage, repair, cleaning, and maintenance services, as well as provision of trading containers for individual customer needs.
• Terminal Services (Terminalleistungen) Operation of a transshipment terminal in Kassel with a handling capacity of 50,000 units. Includes agency functions, storage of loading units, provision of transport information, and SOLAS weighing services at Kassel, Kornwestheim, Nürnberg, and Ulm locations.
• Container Trading (Containerhandel) Sale and rental of sea containers in standard sizes (20ft, 40ft, and 40ft HC) as well as special equipment at 9 locations, enabling customers to purchase or rent containers for their individual transport requirements.
• Works Logistics (Werklogistik) Transport services for intra-plant traffic, including container transshipment at Volkswagen's Braunschweig plant and terminal, and delivery of loading units to plants by truck at Braunschweig and Wolfsburg sites.
• Trucking Container delivery and collection services using a fleet of approximately 148 tractors and 343 chassis, performing 76,800 container deliveries. Includes truck transport between transshipment terminals, depots, and customers, as well as cross-positioning between depots.

Quantifiable outcome

• 685,700 container handlings performed in 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Düsseldorfer Container Hafen (DCH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.
• Container Terminal Dortmund (CTD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.
• Container Terminal Köln (CTS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.
• Dörpener Umschlagterminal (DUK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.
• Roland Umschlagterminal BremenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.
• Terminal Singen (TSG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner terminal location in Germany where DB Intermodal Services offers its service portfolio through partnership.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DHL Freight: Deutsche Post DHL's road freight and intermodal logistics arm operating across Europe with road, rail and terminal services; broader incumbent with overlapping trucking and terminal handling, but on a much larger portfolio.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with substantial European overland transport and intermodal services across road and rail; competes indirectly with DBIS for the same shipper/forwarder customers arranging intermodal container movements.

Direct peers

• METRANS: HHLA-owned intermodal operator running continental container rail services with terminal, depot, and drayage operations across Germany and Central Europe; directly comparable to DBIS's combined-transport service portfolio.
• Hupac: Swiss-based intermodal operator running container shuttles across Germany and into European terminals; directly comparable to DBIS in maritime intermodal, terminal ops and intermodal equipment handling, with overlapping customer base among European shippers and forwarders.
• Kombiverkehr: Frankfurt-based intermodal operator providing container and trailer transport across Germany's combined transport network; competes head-to-head with DBIS's terminal services, depots, and trucking portfolio for German combined-transport volumes.
• TX Logistik: Mercitalia-owned rail logistics operator active in Germany and Italy running combined transport and intermodal services; comparable on intermodal terminal usage, first/last-mile trucking, and container handling.
• boxXpress: German container rail shuttle operator running ZARA/ZARN intermodal services with terminal- and ramp-adjacent operations; overlaps DBIS's terminal services and combined-transport trucking into and out of German rail-ramp nodes.

Emerging players

• Contargo: Germany-anchored inland container logistics provider focused on trimodal (inland waterway/road/rail) container depots and pre-/on-carriage; overlapping with DBIS on container depot storage, repair and first/last-mile container trucking.
• Eurogate: German container terminal operator with stakes in major seaport terminals and intermodal handling; comparable to DBIS on container transshipment, terminal operations, and intermodal container flow management.
• HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik): Port and intermodal terminal operator in Hamburg with container handling, terminal participations, and intermodal subsidiaries (METRANS, Unikai); overlaps with DBIS in container terminal operations, depot services, and intermodal logistics in Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DB Intermodal Services GmbH