DB Cargo Italia

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.

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

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

• Rail freight transport
• Block train services
• Single wagonload logistics
• Multimodal door-to-door logistics
• Industrial logistics solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. Exceptional Transport: Handling of bulky and heavy consignments including construction equipment, rails, and military transport. Manages license applications across different countries.
4. Door-to-Door Logistics: Complete logistics solutions including first and last mile transport organization, wagon loading synchronized with production, and just-in-time delivery.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Union of Railways (UIC)coreTechnology or IntegrationDB 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/DBCargoItalia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/db-cargo-italia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dbcargoitalia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Cargo Italia