COURSE LAYOUT
DAY 1 - The Strategic Role of Railway in Modern Economies
- Evolution of railways and transport policy.
- Rail’s role in national competitiveness and logistics.
- Public service obligations versus commercial objectives.
- Stakeholder landscape and governance models.
- Strategic challenges facing incumbent rail operators.
DAY 2 – Strategic Analysis and Competitive Positioning
- External environmental analysis (PESTEL).
- Industry structure and competitive forces.
- Customer segmentation and value propositions.
- Benchmarking against global peers.
- Defining strategic positioning choices.
DAY 3 – Corporate Strategy for Railway Organisations
- Vision, mission and long-term strategic intent.
- Portfolio strategy across passenger, freight and services.
- Make-or-buy and vertical integration decisions.
- Geographic expansion and internationalisation.
- Strategy alignment across subsidiaries and units.
DAY 4 – Business Models and Revenue Diversification
- Traditional versus emerging rail business models.
- Ancillary revenues and non-fare income.
- Transit-oriented development and real estate.
- Logistics, intermodal and value-added services.
- Monetising data and digital assets.
DAY 5 – Financial Strategy and Investment Planning
- Capital-intensive economics of railways.
- Investment appraisals and prioritisation.
- Funding models and public-private partnerships.
- Cost management & productivity levers.
- Linking strategy to financial performance.
DAY 6 - Customer-Centric Strategy & Service Innovation
- Understanding passenger and freight customer needs.
- Service design and experience management.
- Pricing yields management and revenue optimisation.
- Brand strategy for rail operators.
- Managing service quality and performance.
DAY 7 - Digital Transformation & Technology Strategy
- Digital disruption in the rail sector.
- Data-driven decision-making and analytics.
- Automation, AI and smart infrastructure.
- Cybersecurity and digital risk management.
- Building a digital transformation roadmap.
DAY 8 - Sustainability and ESG as Strategic Drivers
- Decarbonisation and climate commitments.
- Energy efficiency & alternative propulsion.
- Social value, inclusion and accessibility.
- ESG metrics and reporting.
- Turning sustainability into competitive advantage.
DAY 9 - Partnerships, Alliances and Ecosystem Strategy
- Working with governments and regulators.
- Strategic partnerships with logistics and mobility players.
- Private sector and investor engagement.
- Innovation ecosystems and startups.
- Managing alliances and joint ventures.
DAY 10 – Strategy Execution & Change Leadership
- From strategy to execution: operating models.
- KPIs, scorecards and performance management.
- Organisational design and capability building.
- Leading change in legacy organisations.
- Risk management and resilience planning.
DAY 11 – Future Scenarios and Strategic Road-Mapping
- Scenario planning for the rail industry.
- Disruption, uncertainty and resilience.
- Strategic options and trade-off analysis.
- Building a multi-year strategic roadmap.
- Executive reflections and action planning.
CASE-STUDY: Deutsche Bahn (DB) – Balancing Public Mandate and Global Ambition
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is Germany’s national railway company that represents one of the most complex and instructive examples of strategy and business development in the global rail sector. Wholly owned by the German Federal Government, DB operates across long-distance and regional passenger services, freight logistics, infrastructure management and international rail and logistics businesses. Its mandate combines public service obligations with strong commercial and financial performance.
Over the past two decades, DB has pursued an ambitious growth strategy centred on diversification and international expansion. Through its DB Schenker diversion, the company became one of the world’s largest logistics providers, competing directly with global freight forwarders. At the same time, DB invested heavily in high-speed passenger rail (ICE network), digitisation and infrastructure modernisation with Germany. This dual focus created strategic tension between capital-intensive, domestic rail operations and asset-light logistics activities.
In recent years, DB has faced four (4) mounting challenges:
- Rising infrastructure costs.
- Punctuality and service quality issues.
- Increased competition in liberalised European rail markets.
- A growing political pressure to deliver on climate and sustainability goals.
In response, DB initiated a strategic reset in four (4) main areas:
- Refocusing on its core business.
- Improving operational reliability.
- Divesting non-core assets.
- Aligning more closely with national climate and mobility services.
The case highlights four (4) critical questions around:
- Portfolio Strategy.
- The role of State-Owned Railways in Competitive Markets.
GROUPS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- How would a state-owned railway balance public service obligations with commercial performance?
- Was Deutsche Bahn’s international diversification strategy a success or a distraction?
- What strategic priorities should guide DB and similar railways over the next decade?
