The German railway company ‘Deutsche Bahn’ still works with Windows 3.11 from 1993. This is evident from a job advertisement in which they are looking for an IT specialist who can work with the old operating system. The advertisement was met with so much ridicule that it has since been removed, reports the German newspaper ‘Bild’.
The job advertisement was placed by Siemens Mobility, which produces trains for Deutsche Bahn. “As trains and rail infrastructure have a lifespan of 30 years or more, our customers continue to use proven systems that are industry standard. We are responsible for maintenance and system support throughout the entire life cycle,” the company said.
Or in plain language: the German railways still rely partly on old technology. Both companies emphasize that the safety of staff and passengers is also guaranteed with the old systems. And that the most modern materials and systems are also used.
Lack of punctuality
The news is remarkable because the German railways are suffering from a lack of punctuality. Last year, one in three long-distance trains did not run on time.
It is not uncommon that old software and technologies are still used in companies. Unfortunately, this can lead to major and difficult to solve problems. For example, in November 2015, thousands of passengers were stranded at Orly Airport in Paris because a computer running Windows 3.1 failed. The software from 1992 was used to provide pilots with information about visibility on the runway.
Technicians
It took a while to solve the problems because there were only three technicians who could handle the old system. And according to the union, they sometimes even had to turn to eBay for parts.
Windows 3.11 has not been supported by the manufacturer since 2001.
Railroads looking for more than 2,000 new employees
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