Deutsche Bahn (DB) is one of the world’s leading rail transport companies, committed to advancing digitalisation and sustainability in the mobility industry. Through its startup hub, DB mindbox, DB connects innovators with experts to co-develop solutions that enhance efficiency, customer experience, and environmental impact.

As part of its mission to become a fully circular company by 2040, DB Long Distance, a key provider of high-speed rail travel across Germany and Europe, sought to gain greater transparency into the environmental footprint of its trains. Therefore, together with DB Long Distance, it set out to find innovative solutions in the field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through the DB mindbox programme Long Distance Transport 2024. By integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into its strategy, DB aimed to uncover actionable insights to optimise sustainability across its fleet.

The Challenge

Determining the precise environmental impact of railway components remains a complex challenge. While DB’s sustainability efforts primarily focus on infrastructure, long-distance rail transport also plays a vital role in reducing emissions and advancing circularity.

To address this, DB Long Distance selected a specific use case: train seats. Though individual seats may not represent the highest environmental impact, they provide a structured entry point for evaluating the sustainability of various train components. Conducting a Total Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on first- and second-class seats would help DB identify key areas for environmental optimisation, setting the stage for future improvements across its trains.

The Solution

DB partnered with Minviro to conduct a comprehensive LCA of ICE train seats, covering their full life cycle from material sourcing to end-of-life disposal. The project evaluated key ecological factors such as CO₂ emissions, water consumption and land use, pinpointing opportunities for sustainability improvements.

The collaboration involved multiple enhancements to DB’s sustainability strategy:

• Sustainable Material Exploration: Minviro assessed alternative materials for seat upholstery, including wool, leather and synthetic fabrics, to identify more environmentally friendly options.
• Data Enrichment & Software Development: Minviro integrated primary data into its LCA software, XYCLE, improving result visualisation and enabling deeper insights into supply chain transparency.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: DB engaged a diverse team of specialists, including sustainability managers, product managers and customer experience experts, to ensure a well-rounded approach to environmental impact analysis.

By refining LCA methodologies and leveraging Minviro’s expertise, DB Long Distance gained a powerful tool to drive meaningful sustainability decisions across its operations.

The Results

The proof of concept (PoC) demonstrated that LCA is a crucial decision-making tool for DB’s long-term sustainability strategy. The study uncovered significant potential for CO₂ reductions and circularity improvements:

• Sustainable materials: There are notable differences in the environmental impacts of 1st class (leather) and 2nd class (flat-woven fabric or velour) seats. By switching to more sustainable materials, particularly in 2nd class, the carbon footprint can be reduced by up to six times - simply through changes in the supply chain.
• Circular economy: Repair, reuse and recycling strategies extend the lifespan of seats and help reduce resource consumption. These approaches are crucial for minimising waste and closing material loops.
• Lifetime optimisation: Better design and improved maintenance reduce the need for frequent replacements and support long-term use. This not only conserves resources but also lowers emissions across the product lifecycle.
• Data-driven impact: Our life cycle assessment (LCA) study empowered key material suppliers to engage with LCA on more sustainable solutions.

The study also highlighted the benefits of adopting sustainable materials, implementing repair and reuse strategies and optimising product longevity to minimise environmental impact. These insights are now shaping DB’s approach to future train component design and procurement strategies.

Conclusion & Future Outlook

Minviro’s LCA expertise provided DB with data-driven clarity on its environmental footprint, transforming sustainability ambitions into measurable results. Beyond evaluating train seats, the project has paved the way for broader life cycle assessments within DB Long Distance’s operations.

Looking ahead, DB aims to extend LCA methodologies to additional train components, integrating both environmental and economic evaluations to further strengthen its circular economy strategy. Through its continued focus on transparency, innovation and impact reduction, DB is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable rail travel.

"The collaboration with Minviro through the DB mindbox programme has enabled us to gain crucial insights into the environmental impact of our train components. By integrating LCA into our approach, we are making informed decisions that align with our sustainability goals and circular economy strategy."

Felix Gorissen, Strategic Consumer Experience Management & Project Lead, DB Fernverkehr AG