28. August 2025, 09:25 o'Clock
Article: Sweet stop: Cologne's first honey vending machine at DB Cargo
Eight bee colonies at the Gremberg marshalling yard supply up to 600 kilos of honey a year - to be bought fresh directly on site.
Since March 2024, eight unusual "employees" have been working right next to the tracks of the Cologne-Gremberg marshalling yard, one of the most important freight transport hubs in North Rhine-Westphalia: Bee colonies. They are part of a sustainability project that shows how DB Cargo can utilise unused space at the site in an ecologically valuable way.
The project was initiated by Onur Bozna, known in social media as the "harbour beekeeper" for his work with bees in unusual places such as harbour and industrial areas. During an inspection with site manager Torsten Luxen, the best places were selected between allotment gardens, lime tree avenues and pioneer plants - one colony is located directly in front of the main building.
DB Cargo delivers the first honey directly from the beehive to the vending machines.
For the company, this means no restrictions on operations, but a clear benefit for the sustainability profile. The bees help to pollinate the surrounding vegetation and the honey production creates a regional product with high symbolic value for DB Cargo.
At the height of the season, each colony contains up to 90,000 bees. Depending on the weather, between 200 and 600 kilograms of honey are harvested each year - 460 kilograms in 2024. The honey is sold at Cologne's weekly markets and directly at the site via Cologne's first honey vending machine at DB Cargo in Rather Straße 1c. For many colleagues, it has become an integral part of the break-time culture.
Freshly filled: The honey vending machine at DB Cargo Cologne-Gremberg offers early and summer honey from its own production.
"Our bees work quietly in the background - just like many processes at Cargo that are barely noticeable from the outside. But you can see and taste the results," says Bozna. The project emphasises that logistics areas can create added value not only economically, but also ecologically.
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