{"id":309777,"date":"2025-10-31T19:11:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T09:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=67047"},"modified":"2025-10-31T19:11:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T09:11:23","slug":"ato-test-has-started-in-the-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=309777","title":{"rendered":"ATO test has started in the Netherlands"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>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.<\/p>\n

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Image: \u00a9 ProRail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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\u201d, commented Dutch State Secretary for Public Transport and the Environment Thierry Aartsen.<\/p>\n