Norman Weik focuses on the development of innovative approaches to the planning and management of user-oriented and efficient railway systems. His research interests lie at the intersection of mathematical modeling and engineering applications.
After studying mathematics and physics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Weik worked as a research assistant at RWTH Aachen University from 2015 to 2019, where he received his Ph.D. on the topic of capacity and infrastructure availability in railway networks. He then joined the German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the Institute of Transport Systems in Braunschweig, where he focused on the interface between railway operations and technology. In 2023, Norman Weik was appointed Professor for Design and Operation or Rail Transport Systems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
How did you become who you are?
Norman Weik: It was a combination of chance events and deliberate choices. A key moment was when I had the opportunity to sneak in on mathematics lectures in Karlsruhe in my final High School year. This set me on the path to studying science and engineering.
Later, during my doctoral studies, I bridged the gap between theory and practice by applying graph and network theory concepts to model uncertainties in transportation processes. This led me to the railway sector, which fascinated me with its interplay of vehicles, infrastructure, and operations control –a complex system with numerous components and interacting levels of planning and uncertainty.
Over the years, I've developed a genuine appreciation for the railway domain. Maintaining a benevolent yet critical distance helps to clearly identify and address challenges.
What is your first research project at TUM?
The current focus is on rail service planning, with the aim of better predicting how the quality and robustness of a timetable might evolve. The central question is what infrastructure measures – such as new lines – are needed to ensure stable and reliable operations in the long term. We're integrating three traditionally separate areas: network and infrastructure planning; service and route planning (including route design, scheduling, and train coordination); and operations management, which ensures that planned concepts are robustly implemented in daily practice.
An important aspect of several current projects is to link these three areas through integrated modeling approaches and feedback loops. As early as in the network planning phase, it is necessary to consider which timetable concepts will be feasible in the future and how stable they can be under operational uncertainties. This is the only way to design a sustainable and future-proof railway system.
Deutsche Bahn is not often associated with reliability and innovation. Where do you see the biggest challenges and concrete potential to change this?
The railway industry is often perceived as slow and lacking in innovation, but that's not the reality. True, patience is often required, but "impossible" is a rare word here. Compared to the automotive industry, the requirements are sometimes quite different: we move huge amounts of people and goods with low friction and high resource efficiency. This requires a strong safety culture and collective safety mechanisms. For example, signaling technology ensures that no signal can turn green if it would endanger another train or road users (e.g., at level crossings).
One challenge is overcoming the legacy of national systems: ICE trains traveling to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam still require up to eight different train control systems. Europe is working to harmonize with a single system called ETCS, a necessary but lengthy process. In addition, we face the challenge of replacing old, sometimes century-old signaling technology with digital systems to face today’s challenges and to create a future-oriented infrastructure. In addition to upgrading aging infrastructure, modern AI- or optimization-based approaches are crucial for increased operational reliability. Such algorithms are already being used for scheduling, delay prediction, and decision support (e.g., determining which trains should wait). However, ensuring non-discriminatory access to the infrastructure is critical. The network operator manages the network and controls operations, while different providers such as the Munich S-Bahn, DB Fernverkehr, Flixtrain, Agilis or the Bayerische Regiobahn use it. To ensure that no operator is discriminated in planning or operations by black-box algorithms, special algorithms and new validation techniques are needed to guarantee acceptance and application.
What is your view of the public's criticism of Deutsche Bahn?
Criticism is justified because the timetable represents the public promise of the railway service quality and the current lack thereof is glaringly obvious. What bothers me, however, is the harshness with which the blame is often laid broadly, especially on employees who usually have no influence on structural issues.
In my role, I see it as my responsibility to create understanding – not to defend shortcomings, but to explain them and to point out possible perspectives: If we want punctual trains with higher frequency and better accessibility, we need investment. It is not possible to achieve both immediately and simultaneously.
How do you put your theoretical models into practice? Do you work directly with industrial partners?
We work in two main areas: railway engineering and transport planning and optimization. Our current focus is on timetable and operational optimization, where we are developing models and algorithms to improve forecasts and understand system behavior, including the impact of technological innovations. This cannot be solved purely theoretically, so we combine data-driven and model-based approaches. Collaboration with partners such as Deutsche Bahn is crucial to ensure the applicability of our methods and to jointly develop practical solutions. In the future, we also want to focus more on technical topics such as maintenance optimization or automation, especially in cooperation with other chairs and industry partners.
Besides research and practical application, teaching is also a central part of your role. Do you put more emphasis on theory or practice?
We need a mix. For example, in my introduction to railway operations, I explain basic concepts and encourage students to observe what they've learned on their next train ride. Visits to interlocking and marshalling yards also help them understand the processes and scales involved. I'm very grateful to our regional partners for facilitating and supporting such opportunities.
My goal is to educate engineers with interface skills: to understand the railway system, to work with methodological approaches, and to collaborate with specialists from other disciplines. This is why I see great potential in interdisciplinary programs such as our Master in Transportation Systems.
What changes do you hope for in the future?
I hope that planning decisions will become less emotional and more rational. We should plan more multimodally: choosing the best mode –or combination– for each task, rather than thinking in terms of "highway or railway".
Rail is indispensable in this regard. Its energy efficiency makes it ideal for transporting large volumes and connecting regional and interregional cities. A flight like Munich-Nuremberg is no longer necessary - it is faster and more sustainable by train. Without public transport and rail, many aspects of urban mobility and freight transport are simply not sustainable.