RAIL

Practical Legal Solutions

In our focus area of the railway industry, namely rail vehicle technology, railway infrastructure, and transport logistics, we advise and represent our international clients in the development and implementation of their strategic objectives.

Focal points of our services include:

Approval and Certification
Legal support in working with public supervisory or regulatory authorities, such as the Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt) on national and EU
legal issues, including ECM certification, initial commissioning, declarations of conformity, and 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 transport logistics service providers, 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
Representation in permitting processes to establish new private railroads or closure of private railroads in Germany

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