As a leading rail industry specialist, IMME provides tailored solutions for rail technology and railway infrastructure. Focal points of our services include:

Regulatory Navigation
Legal advice in administrative processes with approval bodies and authorities, ensuring compliance with national laws and EU regulations.

Approval and Certification
Legal support with public oversight or permitting bodies, such as German Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt), in national and European Union legal issues, among them ECM certification, first time operation, declarations of conformity, TSI.

Public Procurement
Advice and representation in public procurement proceedings and on German or European Union public subsidies.

Project Development
Drafting agreements for technology transfers, i.a. with legal focus on intellectual property, licensing, and technology development.

Contracts
Contractual agreements for railway companies, railway transport companies, manufacturers of rail vehicles and logistics, both internationally and nationally.

Strategic Collaboration
Structuring and establishing Joint Ventures, overseeing legal aspects of cooperation and partnership agreements. Support as legal project coordinator.

International M&A Projects
Legal coverage of the entire process, like due diligence, contract negotiations and drafts of the contracts, formation of the new companies.

Railroad
IMME advises on and conducts permitting processes to establish new and connecting private railroads or railway closure.

Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC)

DAC is a European Union initiative aimed to improve rail freight transport through the development and implementation of a standardised automatic coupling system for freight wagons. By replacing manual coupling with an automatic system, DAC is expected to:

• Increase safety for railway personnel
• Improve operational efficiency
• Enhance capacity
• Reduce environmental impact

DAC milestones achieved:

• Development of DAC prototype designs
• Successful testing of prototypes
• Selection of Scharfenberg / Latch-Type design
• Operational testing across Europe
• Ongoing optimization for broader implementation

Already available with IMME:

While DAC is still in its development stages, IMME can already assist with:

• Understanding and interpreting evolving DAC regulations.
• Developing DAC-specific contract templates and provisions.
• Identifying potential legal and business risks associated with DAC implementation.
• Advising on DAC-related procurement procedures and strategies.
• Developing internal compliance systems for DAC-related activities.