Whistleblowing at DB

In order for your report to be handled and investigated appropriately, it is important that the report is as specific as possible. It would be helpful if you consider the five W-Questions in your report.

Describe the situation and consider the following:

• What happened?
• Where did the incident take place?
• When was the incident? If possible, state the period, date and time.
• Why and how often did it happen?
• Who was involved? Who is affected?

Before submitting a report, please check carefully whether the information you wish to provide is correct. Please identify mere assumptions or your own conclusions as such. You can also submit a report without concrete evidence. The report will be checked and investigated further if there are sufficient grounds for suspicion.

It is helpful if you are available to answer questions for the responsible DB employees. This is also possible if you wish to submit an anonymous report; you are welcome to use the secured postbox via the Online Whistleblowing System BKMS® (Business Keeper Monitoring System®).

We would also like to point out that the intentional or grossly negligent making of false accusations can have consequences under criminal and civil law.

You can submit reports either by stating your name or anonymously. The following reporting channels exist within the DB Group:  

• The Online Whistleblowing System BKMS® offers anonymous, web-based access for submitting whistleblowing reports and is available in twenty-two languages at any time. By setting up a secured postbox in the whistleblowing system, it is also possible to communicate anonymously with the responsible DB employees. The tool is managed by an independent operator. The data is stored on protected servers in Germany. The content of the reports is processed exclusively by specially trained DB employees who are obliged to maintain confidentiality.
• You also have the option of contacting us by telephone, e-mail, post or in person using the contact options listed above. For a personal appointment, please make an appointment in advance by telephone or e-mail.
• In addition to the above-mentioned options, our lawyers of trust (see above) are available to you for reports to the Compliance Reporting Office. These are independent lawyers who work in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart. You can contact them confidentially at any time - even anonymously.

You can report any suspicion of a possible violation of legal regulations - for example fraud, embezzlement or corruption offences - that has a link to the DB Group. Examples include potential violations by DB's business partners, including serious risks and human rights and environmental violations by direct and indirect suppliers, as well as reports of possible violations committed by DB Group employees.

Please note that customer complaints about DB products or services are not handled by the responsible reporting offices; these do not qualify as whistleblower reports.

The whistleblowing system is basically open to everyone, i.e., people outside the DB Group can also report potential violations linked to DB Group.

Yes, the protection of whistleblowers and the confidential treatment of your report is of great importance to Deutsche Bahn. The content of the reports is handled exclusively by specially trained DB employees who are obliged to maintain confidentiality. All reports are treated confidentially and in compliance with data protection regulations. Reports can also be submitted anonymously.

Upon receipt of your report, it will first be checked for conclusiveness or validity, i.e., it will be examined whether there are sufficient concrete, comprehensible indications of a violation of the law and whether a link to the DB Group is recognizable. If this is the case, further steps are taken to clarify the facts. If whistleblowers leave contact details or set up a secured postbox for a report via the BKMS® Online Whistleblowing System, you will receive a confirmation of receipt.