InnoTrans turns 30 next week with AI’s first hall of its own

InnoTrans returns to Berlin from next week, marking 30 years since the show first opened its doors. What began as a largely regional gathering now fills 200,000 square metres across five segments, from railway technology and infrastructure to public transport, interiors and tunnel construction, under the banner ‘Mobility on a global scale’ . This year the organisers have given artificial intelligence (AI) a hall of its own, put infrastructure back at the centre of the Rail Leaders’ Summit and signalled where the show is heading next, with InnoTrans Asia due to launch in Singapore in 2027. Ahead of the event, Global Railway Review asked InnoTrans director Kerstin Schulz what the 2026 edition says about the direction of rail.

InnoTrans turns 30 this edition and the opening title is ‘Mobility on a global scale’. What has changed most about who and what comes to Berlin, and what does the 2026 show say about where rail is heading?

Thirty years ago we welcomed exactly 172 exhibitors to Berlin, most of them from the surrounding region. Today we are talking about more than 3,000 companies from every continent and more than 170,000 trade visitors. The rail industry has become more international and interconnected and InnoTrans reflects that. Major rail projects are no longer conceived within national borders alone, which is precisely why we chose ‘Mobility on a global scale’ as the theme for our opening event. It captures a fundamental shift across the mobility sector and that trend will continue next year with the launch of InnoTrans Asia.

The AI Mobility Lab moves into a dedicated hall this year, alongside the AI on Track Hackathon and guided AI tours. Why has AI earned that much space and what will a practitioner see there that they cannot see elsewhere?

Artificial intelligence will be one of the defining topics of InnoTrans 2026, and there is no reason the rail industry should differ from other industrial sectors in this respect. Our role is always to bring the relevant stakeholders together as effectively as possible: engineers and software developers, operators and legislators alike. If you look at the programme of our Dialogue Forums, you will see that AI is not confined to a single segment. It is becoming relevant across the entire rail ecosystem and it is far more than a passing trend.

Major rail projects are no longer conceived within national borders alone, which is precisely why we chose Mobility on a global scale as the theme”

Kerstin Schulz, Director, InnoTrans

More than 200 new exhibitors are registered, many from China and India. InnoTrans Asia debuts in Singapore in 2027. How is the show globalising and what does that shift mean for a European visitor?

Internationality has always been one of InnoTrans’ defining features and in 2026 it reaches further still. This is not only about Asia. We are seeing a strong presence from the United States, and with the launch of the African European Industry Dialogue on Railways we are adding an important African dimension, while delegations will also attend from South America and Australia. InnoTrans has become a global platform and Berlin remains the industry’s central meeting place. InnoTrans Asia should be seen as a complementary event and we look forward to its premiere in September 2027. Many exhibitors who have booked stands there tell us they value a familiar, trusted format that helps them enter the Asia-Pacific market.

The Rail Leaders’ Summit theme is High-Performance Railways for the Future, Strong Infrastructure in Challenging Times. Why was that framing chosen for this edition?

The Rail Leaders’ Summit is organised jointly by Deutsche Bahn, the German Federal Ministry for Transport and Messe Berlin. It is a high-level forum that brings together the CEOs and director generals of transport companies alongside transport ministers from around the world. For the first time, InnoTrans will also host the founding of ENIM, a new European infrastructure association. At the same time, exhibitor numbers in the Railway Infrastructure and Tunnel Construction segments have grown by around five per cent . Both developments underline how important infrastructure has become for the global rail industry.

AI is not confined to a single segment. It is becoming relevant across the entire rail ecosystem and it is far more than a passing trend”

Kerstin Schulz, Director, InnoTrans

Across the five segments and the Convention forums, what are the two or three things you would tell a senior operator or infrastructure manager not to miss?

There are always so many highlights that even four exhibition days are hardly enough. I would start with the World Innovation Guide, which brings together this year’s world premieres in one place. The Anniversary Night, InnoTrans goes Asia, will mark our 30th anniversary and build the bridge to InnoTrans Asia in Singapore. I would also make time for the InnoTrans Convention programme and the Speakers’ Corner. Personally, I am looking forward to the AI on Track Hackathon, where more than 50 programmers from around the world will work together on real industry challenges.

For someone planning four days at a 200,000 square metre show, how should they approach it to get real value, and what is the one thing you most want visitors to take away from InnoTrans 2026?

Preparation is essential. The InnoTrans app and our networking platform, InnoTrans Plus, are valuable planning tools, and our guided thematic tours, covering AI, interiors and this year’s world premieres, help visitors navigate the exhibition efficiently. Most importantly, I hope visitors will leave Berlin with fresh ideas, new perspectives and useful business relationships. That is why I would like every employee in a rail company to have the opportunity to experience InnoTrans in person at least once.

Global Railway Review’s Editor Ian Westcott and Assistant Editor Gabriel Higgins will be on the ground at InnoTrans 22-25 September. Download the InnoTrans app on the App Store or Google Play to connect with us in Berlin.