DB Cargo has started testing Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on the freight-dedicated Betuwe Line in the Netherlands. The test will last for a year.
ATO is a technology that allows the locomotive to accelerate, brake and stop independently. DB Cargo is testing a locomotive that will pull a number of wagons without a commercial load. The test includes both GoA2 and GoA4, which means that semi-autonomous driving with a train driver on-board as well as fully autonomous driving with distance supervision will be examined.
Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail says that (semi-)autonomous trains provide a number of tangible benefits. For example, on certain corridors, GoA4 could boost capacity by 20 to 30%. Energy use could decline by up to 15%, depending on the route and payload. Operational costs could shrink by 20%, thanks to more predictable driving behaviour and fewer unplanned stoppages.
“Thanks to innovative technologies, we’re making the railways safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. With this pilot, we’re demonstrating that autonomous driving with freight trains isn’t a matter of tomorrow, but is already a reality today. This is how we’re preparing the railways for the future”, commented Dutch State Secretary for Public Transport and the Environment Thierry Aartsen.