Deutsche Post DHL and DB to deploy 800 Packstations at German train stations
Deutsche Post DHL and the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn plan to set up around 800 new DHL Packstation parcel terminals at train stations a
Foto: DB AG / Oliver Lang
ll over Germany by the end of 2023, opening them up to deliveries by other carriers.
Thanks to the new service, customers will be able to pick up and send their parcels at train stations while on the move. Most of the self-service machines will be up and running this year.
The first DHL/DB Packstation was installed at the Leipzig central station benefitting up to 135,000 people who travel there every day. The use of the Packstation is particularly environmentally friendly as delivery drivers avoid additional routes by bundling the deliveries and the pickup of the shipments.
New Click & Collect service open to online shops and retailers
Moreover, from the end of 2022, DB’s Smart City initiative will start a new Click & Collect service as part of which customers will be able to pick up or return ordered goods at train stations from a wide range of suppliers, regardless of delivery and opening hours.
The Click & Collect service will be integrated into the ordering process of the various providers. This means that, for the first time, online shops and retailers can deliver orders to the Packstation independently of the delivery company.
For this, Deutsche Post DHL has allocated up to one third of the compartment capacities at the respective machines to DB. The new service is easily recognisable by a new co-branding of the Packstations.
Smart City | DB is working on solutions for a sustainable city and wants to simplify the everyday lives of travellers and city dwellers through intelligent and environmentally friendly offers.
Packstations at train stations save time and travel for customers
Bernd Koch, CEO of DB Station & Service AG, said: “Train stations as central hubs in the middle of the city are ideal locations for the new Packstations. With the new Click & Collect service “Box – the pickup station”, we are making our train stations even more attractive for our guests. Our customers can conveniently receive shipments from different providers on their daily routes and thus save time and travel. Our clear goal: With modern train stations and innovative services, we will help travellers choose the climate-friendly train as a means of transport even more often.”
Holger Bartels, responsible for Deutsche Post DHL’s retail network and the Packstation network in Germany, explained: “Many millions of people in Germany use the Packstation and appreciate this flexible service for sending and receiving their parcels around the clock. And the more Packstations can be reached by foot or at the transition to local and long-distance transport, the better it is for the sustainability of our service. We are therefore pleased to provide our customers with hundreds of additional Packstations at attractive and central locations through the new cooperation.”
In some regions, there are already a few Packstations at train stations, and both partners have had good experience with those. This cooperation will be further intensified with immediate effect.
Targeting 15,000 Packstations
Last year, Deutsche Post DHL Group announced plans to increase the number of currently more than 9,000 Packstations to around 15,000 machines by the end of 2023. The DHL Packstation is very popular with customers because it is accessible around the clock and easy to use.
In addition, Packstations are usually located in central places of daily life, such as supermarkets, on company premises or in residential areas so customers can combine parcel collection and shipping with their everyday errands without detours.
Customers can register for the free service via www.dhl.de/packstation. Returns and all other prepaid shipments can also be sent via the Packstation without registration.
Source: Deutsche Post DHL Group