Smart Rail Connectivity Campus

What Smart Rail Connectivity Campus does

Smart Rail Connectivity Campus (SRCC) is a non-profit registered association (e.V.) founded in 2019 and headquartered in Annaberg-Buchholz, Saxony, Germany, that operates a unique 25km digital railway test field between Annaberg-Buchholz and Schwarzenberg. The campus is co-initiated by the city of Annaberg-Buchholz and Technische Universität Chemnitz and provides an open research, development, testing, and authorization platform for intelligent rail transport (Smart Rail) technologies.

SRCC's core infrastructure includes one of Europe's most modern 5G networks (public and private) along the test route, a mobile FRMCS test network operated by DB InfraGo AG, fiber optic sensing capabilities for virtualized balise localization (VdFOS project), the HyLight4Rail hyperspectral LIDAR sensor, the SmartWindow visual passenger information system, and a first-of-its-kind 50Hz charging station for battery-electric trains at Annaberg-Buchholz Süd. The campus is a node within the Deutsches Zentrum Mobilität der Zukunft (DZM) network of 5 German mobility research locations and has overseen 24 WIR! innovation projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

SRCC operates on a public-grant funding model rather than a commercial pricing structure, with revenue drawn from BMBF's WIR! program, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMV), and the Free State of Saxony. The organization serves railway infrastructure operators, train manufacturers (Siemens Mobility, Thales, Alstom), technology suppliers (Vodafone, Frauscher, Boldyn, Smart Mobile Labs), research institutions (TU Chemnitz, DLR, Fraunhofer ENAS), public transport operators, regional SMEs, and educational institutions. Engagement is delivered through the SRCC e.V. membership association, research project collaborations, the biennial Digital Rail Convention, the annual Smart Rail Enquete, and exhibition presence at InnoTrans and IT-TRANS.

Name

Smart Rail Connectivity Campus

Legal name

Smart Rail Connectivity Campus e.V.

Website

https://smart-rail-campus.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SRCC is a non-profit German research campus in Annaberg-Buchholz that operates a 25km digital railway test field with 5G, FRMCS, and sensor infrastructure, serving railway operators, manufacturers, and universities through government-funded collaborative research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Railway Research and Testing Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882), Commuter Rail Systems (485112), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Signaling & Train Control Infrastructure (Interlockings, ETCS/CBTC Wayside) (TLAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Rail Network Operations Control (OCC/Control Centers) (THAIABAE), DSRC / IEEE 802.11p V2X Infrastructure (TLAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Railway research services
• Digital rail testing
• 5G rail connectivity
• Rail innovation campus
• Transport research infrastructure

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smart Rail Connectivity Campus (SRCC) is a research and innovation campus operating a 25 km digital railway test field between Annaberg-Buchholz and Schwarzenberg in Saxony, Germany. It provides a real-world environment for developing, testing, and validating next-generation rail technologies including 5G mobile communications, FRMCS, fiber optic sensing, battery-electric charging, autonomous driving, and passenger information systems.

Product overview

The Smart Rail Connectivity Campus (SRCC) is a research and innovation center for intelligent rail transport, located in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany. It is not a traditional product company but rather a collaborative research campus that provides infrastructure and testing capabilities. The SRCC offers access to test tracks, 5G testing infrastructure, and serves as a platform for industry, research, and public sector collaboration in rail technology development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Rail Convention: Biennial multi-day specialist conference for digitalization and mobility in rail transport, held in Annaberg-Buchholz
• Smart Rail Enquete
• Digitales Testfeld Bahn Erzgebirge

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Stadt Annaberg-BuchholzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The city of Annaberg-Buchholz is the co-initiator of the Smart Rail Connectivity Campus and provides the campus building at the Unterer Bahnhof (lower railway station). The partnership includes the provision of office, workshop, and creative spaces as well as laboratory areas in the renovated northern head building of the Unteren Bahnhofs.
• Technische Universität ChemnitzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019TU Chemnitz is the co-initiator and primary scientific partner of SRCC. The university leads research activities across multiple domains including communication technology, sensor technology, and human-technology interaction. SRCC is part of TU Chemnitz's Deutsches Zentrum Mobilität der Zukunft (DZM) initiative.
• DB RegioNetz Verkehrs GmbH / Infrastruktur GmbH ErzgebirgsbahncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the railway infrastructure of the test track between Annaberg-Buchholz and Schwarzenberg. Provides access to the 25km test line for research and testing activities.
• DB InfraGO AG - Digitale Schiene DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the FRMCS test network and digital control and safety technology testing facilities at Scheibenberg. Partner in digital rail Germany initiative.
• Deutsches Zentrum Mobilität der Zukunft (DZM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRCC is a location within the DZM research initiative, a nationwide cooperation network of 5 mobility research locations (Annaberg-Buchholz, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Minden, Munich). DZM receives approximately 322.55 million euros in federal funding (2021-2024).
• Rail.ScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRail.S is a rail industry network/association that collaborates with SRCC, including joint exhibition presence at InnoTrans. Rail.S connects rail industry companies in the region.
• VodafonecoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipped the 5G infrastructure along the test track on behalf of TU Chemnitz. Partner in 5G research applications for rail including remote train operation and real-time video transmission testing.
• Boldyn NetworksmajorTechnology or IntegrationSuccessfully tested 5G real-time video transmission on the challenging test route between Annaberg-Buchholz and Schwarzenberg. Partner in connectivity research.
• Siemens Mobility GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor rail industry partner participating in conferences, demonstrations, and panel discussions at SRCC events. Collaborates on digital rail technologies.
• Thales GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner demonstrating autonomous rail technologies (Lucy driverless train) and rail safety technologies at SRCC events and test activities.
• Alstom Deutschland GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented first battery-electric train (BEMU) at SRCC events. Partner in alternative propulsion research for non-electrified rail routes.
• Frauscher SensortechnikmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartner providing sensor technology for the digital test field, including fiber optic sensing applications in the VdFOS project.
• CANCOM Austria (formerly K-Businesscom AG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual co-organizer of the Smart Rail Enquete business trip event, bringing together rail infrastructure, industry, and research professionals.
• Smart Mobile Labs AGmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartner demonstrating 5G-based remote train operation and real-time communication technologies for rail applications.
• Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in SRCC conferences and demonstrates remote train operation control stand from DLR Braunschweig, showcasing 5G laboratory work for rail applications.
• DB Energie GmbHmajorTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the development and operation of the 50Hz charging station for battery-electric trains at Annaberg-Buchholz Süd.
• RailInnoHUB SN-CZmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border initiative connecting Saxon and Czech SMEs and rail industry actors for innovation and networking, funded through Interreg program.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Erzgebirge GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development agency supporting SRCC's innovation network and SME engagement activities.
• Fraunhofer-Institut für Elektronische Nanosysteme Chemnitz (ENAS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in HyLight4Rail hyperspectral LIDAR project, contributing microtechnology expertise.
• Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau (WHZ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MINT education activities including student lab visits and educational programs for children.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board, UK): UK rail industry body funding research, standards, and safety; comparable in the role of bridging research, regulation, and industry for digital rail adoption.
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) — Institute of Transportation Systems: Germany's national aerospace and transport research center with extensive rail automation, remote driving, and 5G laboratory work; comparable as a publicly funded rail-research body, though broader in scope than SRCC's campus model.
• Shift2Rail / Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking: EU public-private partnership funding rail research and innovation; comparable as a coordinating entity channeling public funds into rail digitalization projects where SRCC is a candidate testbed.

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer IOSB-AST: Fraunhofer institute focused on autonomous systems and rail automation testing in Germany; comparable as a research-to-test-bed institution serving rail industry digitalization programs.
• RWTH Aachen — Institute of Rail Vehicles and Transport Systems: Leading German university institute for rail vehicle engineering, testing, and certification; comparable in combining research, real-world testing, and industry partnerships around intelligent rail technologies.
• TU Braunschweig — Institute for Transportation Systems: Operates research and test activities for rail and road transportation including ETCS and autonomous driving; peer through DLR partnership overlap and shared focus on rail digitalization research.
• ÖVG — Österreichische Verkehrswissenschaftliche Gesellschaft: Austrian transport science society that co-organizes the Smart Rail Enquete with SRCC; comparable as a research and convening organization focused on digital rail and a natural cross-border peer.
• Railenium (France): French rail research and test institute (IRT) backed by SNCF, Alstom, and others; directly comparable as a European rail innovation testbed with industry consortium funding and real-world infrastructure.

Others

• CER — Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies: European rail industry association representing operators and infrastructure managers; comparable as an ecosystem connector, though more policy- than test-focused.
• Alstom / Siemens Mobility R&D divisions: Major OEMs that operate proprietary test facilities and partner with SRCC; relevant as adjacent peers whose in-house labs both compete with and complement SRCC's open testbed model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61554587148632
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-rail-connectivity-campus

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 Smart Rail Connectivity Campus