The railway industry in Germany is essentially coined by the cooperation of system houses and a broad small and medium-sized supplying and system industry.

Three efficient system houses emerged from the enormous concentration process within the railway industry in the 90ies: Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens. These three enterprises deliver vehicles and products to railways all over the world. All of them are able to provide turnkey railway systems.

However, the success of the railway industry in Germany is also based on the small and medium-sized supplying industry which has developed to one of the most productive and innovative industrial sectors in Germany over the last years. Small and medium-sized enterprises have contributed a great deal to the improved competitiveness by their increasing productivity and reduced costs. But the small and medium-sized enterprises are also unique in Germany because of their diversity: everything that is needed for manufacturing railway systems is available in this country in leading-edge technology.

The German Association of the Railway Industry understands itself as a constructive mediator between the interests of system houses and the supplying industry.