DB Cargo Italia
DB Cargo Italia S.r.l., the Italian subsidiary of DB Cargo AG (Deutsche Bahn), provides B2B rail freight logistics across Italy and Europe. It offers single wagon, block train, exceptional transport, door-to-door, and shunting services to enterprise clients across nine industry verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMilan, Italy
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DB Cargo Italia does
DB Cargo Italia S.r.l. is the Italian operating subsidiary of DB Cargo AG, the rail freight division of state-owned Deutsche Bahn AG. Headquartered in Milan at Viale Vincenzo Lancetti 29, the company provides B2B rail freight transport services including single wagonload ("carro singolo"), block train ("treno blocco") with DBplantrain and DBflextrain sub-brands, exceptional transport for oversized and heavy consignments, door-to-door logistics via the Railport transshipment network, and shunting services at RFI stations Domo II and Brescia Fascio Merci. Operations are structured across multiple coordinated Italian entities (DB Cargo Italia S.r.l., DB Cargo Italia S.r.l. Produzione, DB Cargo Italia Services S.r.l., DB Cargo Italy S.r.l. soc. unipersonale, and DB Cargo Transa Full Load Solutions Italia S.r.l.) under a joint responsibility framework for shared customer systems.
The company operates from the largest European rail freight network — approximately 75,000 freight wagons across Germany, Europe, and Asia, with 12,000 freight railway stations covered across 29 European countries — and complements its physical services with a suite of free web-based digital eServices: Rail Access (network access point finder), Network (route overview), Planner (freight timetable), Wagon Catalogue (75,000-wagon digital catalogue), DIUM (European freight station directory), EcoTransIT World (environmental impact calculator per DIN EN 16258), and NHM Codes (harmonized goods classification). It serves nine industry verticals: Agriculture, Automotive, Building Materials, Consumer Goods, Chemicals, Waste, Intermodal, Pulp and Paper, and Steel, with vertical-specific expertise including DB Cargo BTT for Europe's largest chemicals logistics operation and Automotive RailNet for just-in-time/just-in-sequence component delivery.
The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales via dedicated account contact ([email protected]), with quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated through recurring block train and wagonload contracts (subscription-style recurring), transaction-based shunting and exceptional transport fees (with RNE-published tariffs at Italian RFI stations), and managed door-to-door logistics services. Distribution is anchored in Railport transshipment terminals that enable shippers without private sidings to access rail freight, supplemented by the eServices digital self-serve layer for transport planning. The company is privately held with no independent venture or private equity ownership — it is wholly owned by DB Cargo AG within the Deutsche Bahn Group.
DB Cargo Italia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DB Cargo Italia
- Legal name
- DB Cargo Italia S.r.l.
- Website
- https://it.dbcargo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- DB Cargo Italia S.r.l., the Italian subsidiary of DB Cargo AG (Deutsche Bahn), provides B2B rail freight logistics across Italy and Europe. It offers single wagon, block train, exceptional transport, door-to-door, and shunting services to enterprise clients across nine industry verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DB Cargo Italia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rail Freight Logistics
- NAICS
- Rail Transportation (482), Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (488210)
- SIC
- Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rail Consolidation & Deconsolidation (LCL/Groupage) (TLACADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Domestic Intermodal Rail-Truck (COFC/TOFC) (TLADAFAA), Intermodal Terminal Value-Added Services (Cross-Dock, Transload, Stuffing/Stripping) (TLAJAFAL)
Keywords
Where DB Cargo Italia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milan
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
DB Cargo Italia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Single Wagon Load Services: Flexible rail freight transport for individual wagons, integrating logistics services into customer processes. Offers high-frequency long-distance network with daily departures including Sundays and public holidays.
- Block Train Services: Dedicated direct trains for single customers from point A to point B. Options include DBplantrain (regular scheduled transport) and DBflextrain (short-term flexible transport).
- Exceptional Transport: Handling of bulky and heavy consignments including construction equipment, rails, and military transport. Manages license applications across different countries.
- Door-to-Door Logistics: Complete logistics solutions including first and last mile transport organization, wagon loading synchronized with production, and just-in-time delivery.
- Shunting Services: Railway shunting services at RFI stations (Domo II and Brescia Fascio Merci). Services described in RNE (Railway Network Europe) models with published tariffs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Shunting services at RFI Domo II station |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Shunting services at RFI Brescia Fascio Merci station |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
DB Cargo Italia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DB Cargo Italia provides rail freight transport and logistics services for industrial shippers in Italy and across Europe, operating single wagonload services with daily long-distance departures, dedicated block train solutions (DBplantrain for scheduled and DBflextrain for short-term flexible transport), exceptional/oversized cargo handling with cross-border licence management, door-to-door logistics via Railport transshipment points, and shunting services at Italian RFI stations. The offering is complemented by digital eServices tools for network access, freight planning, wagon selection, and environmental impact calculation.
Product overview
DB Cargo Italia operates as a rail freight transport provider offering a unified portfolio of core logistics services complemented by digital eService tools. The core offerings include Single Wagon (carro singolo) for flexible individual wagon shipments, Block Trains (treno blocco) for dedicated direct train services including DBplantrain and DBflextrain variants, Exceptional Transport for oversized cargo, Door-to-Door Logistics via Railports network, and Shunting services at Italian RFI stations. These core products are supplemented by a suite of free web-based eServices including Rail Access (network access point finder), Network (route overview), Planner (freight timetable), Wagon Catalogue (75,000 wagon database), DIUM (European freight station directory), EcoTransIT World (environmental impact calculator), and NHM Codes (harmonized goods classification). The company also serves multiple industry sectors including automotive, steel, chemicals, pulp and paper, building materials, consumer goods, agricultural products, intermodal, and waste disposal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DBplantrain: Regular transport of large volumes on fixed connections on fixed operating days and at fixed times for block train services.
- DBflextrain
Products and services
- Single Wagon (Carro Singolo) Rail Freight Service Flexible single wagonload rail freight for large and smaller volumes, integrating logistics services into customer processes using DB Cargo's European rail network with high-frequency long-distance connections and daily departures (including Sundays and public holidays). Targets enterprise industrial shippers with varied shipment sizes.
- Block Train (Treno Blocco) Service with DBplantrain and DBflextrain variants Dedicated direct trains for a single customer from point A to point B with high capacity for transporting cars, coal, steel, chemicals, and building materials. DBplantrain provides scheduled regular transport on fixed connections, days and times; DBflextrain provides short-term flexible transport with greatest ordering flexibility.
- Exceptional Transport (Trasporti Eccezionali) Specialised handling of bulky and heavy consignments including construction equipment, rails, and military transport, with simplified licence applications across different countries for shippers requiring oversized cargo movement.
- Door-to-Door Logistics via Railports Complete logistics solutions including transparency and cargo monitoring, direct wagon loading synchronised with production (365 days per year), precise on-time delivery, and first/last mile road transport organisation through the Railport transshipment network for shippers without private sidings.
- Shunting Services (Servizi di Manovra) at RFI Stations Railway shunting services provided at RFI stations of Domo II and Brescia Fascio Merci, with service descriptions and charges published in RNE (Railway Network Europe) reference models.
- DB Cargo eServices Digital Tools (Rail Access, Network, Planner, Wagon Catalogue, DIUM, EcoTransIT World, NHM Codes) Suite of free web-based digital planning tools enabling shippers to find rail network access points, view the DB Cargo network, plan freight journeys via an online timetable, browse approximately 75,000 freight wagons, access DIUM directories for 12,000 European freight stations, calculate CO2 emissions across transport modes, and download harmonised NHM goods codes.
Quantifiable outcome
- DB Cargo transports more than 1.5 million metric tonnes of waste every year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DB Cargo Italia
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
DB Cargo Italia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
DB Cargo Italia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International Union of Railways (UIC)coreDB Cargo utilizes the UIC's DIUM (Distancier International Uniform Marchandises) system - the official directory of European freight traffic points. The DIUM service provides standardized information on freight railway stations and loading points across 29 European countries, enabling international rail freight planning and distance calculations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DB Cargo Italia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SBB Cargo: Swiss national rail freight operator providing single wagon, block train, and combined transport services with comparable scale and digital customer tools. Operates on adjacent Alpine corridors that feed into the same Italy-Germany flows.
- Hupac: Swiss-based intermodal rail freight operator specializing in combined transport (road-rail) across Europe, including major terminals in Italy. Direct competitor in the intermodal/road-rail transfer space served by DB Cargo Italia's Railport network.
- ÖBB Rail Cargo Group: Austrian national rail freight operator with similar full-service portfolio (single wagon, block train, intermodal) and direct overlap on the Brenner Corridor between Italy and Central Europe. Comparable scale, similar enterprise sales model, and identical customer verticals.
- Lineas: Belgian private rail freight operator (formerly SNCB Logistics) providing single wagon, block trains, and intermodal services across Benelux and into France/Germany. Comparable enterprise customer mix and similar commercial approach as a privately-operated rail freight specialist.
- SNCF Fret (Rail Logistics Solutions): French national rail freight operator offering single wagon, block train, combined transport, and dangerous goods services. Closest continental European peer in scope, customer verticals, and integrated wagon fleet model.
- DB Cargo AG: Parent organization and sister operation of DB Cargo Italia; Deutsche Bahn's freight rail division operating across Germany and Europe. Closest functional peer given identical wagon fleet (~75,000), same eServices stack, and same multi-vertical customer approach.
- Mercitalia: Italian state-owned rail freight operator (Polo Logistica del Gruppo FS Italiane) providing block trains, single wagon, intermodal, and terminal services across Italy. Direct head-to-head competitor of DB Cargo Italia on domestic Italian rail freight and the same Brenner/Italy-Germany corridors.
- Captrain: European rail freight operator owned by NEX Logistics (SNCF subsidiary) with operations across Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Benelux, and the UK. Direct competitor on cross-border Italian corridors and offers similar single wagon, block train, and intermodal services.
Regional players
- PKP Cargo: Polish state-owned rail freight operator, the largest in Central/Eastern Europe with comparable block train and intermodal capabilities. Regional player relative to Italy but increasingly relevant on East-West flows that could feed into Italian corridors.
- CFL Logistics: Luxembourg-based rail freight operator providing single wagon, combined transport, and customs/logistics services with comparable niche European footprint. Smaller in scale but operates with similar multi-vertical industrial customer approach on shared corridors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DB Cargo Italia social profiles
Digital presenceDB Cargo Italia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DB Cargo Italia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
DB Cargo Italia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
DB Cargo Italia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DB Cargo Italia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DB Cargo Italia
What does DB Cargo Italia do?
DB Cargo Italia provides rail freight transport and logistics services for industrial shippers in Italy and across Europe, operating single wagonload services with daily long-distance departures, dedicated block train solutions (DBplantrain for scheduled and DBflextrain for short-term flexible transport), exceptional/oversized cargo handling with cross-border licence management, door-to-door logistics via Railport transshipment points, and shunting services at Italian RFI stations. The offering is complemented by digital eServices tools for network access, freight planning, wagon selection, and environmental impact calculation.
Is DB Cargo Italia a public or private company?
DB Cargo Italia is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DB Cargo Italia founded?
DB Cargo Italia was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is DB Cargo Italia based?
DB Cargo Italia is headquartered in Milan, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does DB Cargo Italia make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Single Wagon Load Services are the primary driver. The others are block Train Services, exceptional Transport, door-to-Door Logistics and shunting Services.
Who are DB Cargo Italia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SBB Cargo, Hupac, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, Lineas, SNCF Fret (Rail Logistics Solutions), DB Cargo AG, Mercitalia and Captrain. Regional players are PKP Cargo and CFL Logistics.
Does DB Cargo Italia have an API?
No public API is recorded for DB Cargo Italia.
What industry is DB Cargo Italia in?
DB Cargo Italia's product category is Rail Freight Logistics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACADAD, Rail Consolidation & Deconsolidation (LCL/Groupage), with a secondary code of TLADAFAA, Domestic Intermodal Rail-Truck (COFC/TOFC). Its NAICS code is 482 and its SIC code is 4011.