{"id":551540,"date":"2026-09-25T18:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T08:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=74545"},"modified":"2026-09-25T18:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T08:30:09","slug":"rail-innovation-in-focus-at-innotrans-always-seek-a-business-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=551540","title":{"rendered":"Rail innovation in focus at Innotrans: \u201cAlways seek a business case\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rail freight industry has had its say during an innovation panel discussion at Innotrans. A large variety of speakers, among which were ERFA President Maciej G\u0142adyga, ERA Executive Director Oana Gherghinescu and Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking Executive Director Giorgio Travaini. All shared their views on the path forward.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>There is no shortage of rail innovation ideas. That much becomes clear when walking around the many halls at Innotrans in Berlin. Still, choices have to be made, since not everything can be tested or implemented at once.<\/p>\n

The key principle to follow is that innovation must make running trains more economical, according to G\u0142adyga, speaking on behalf of the rail freight industry. \u201cSometimes there are questions about this\u201d, he said, \u201clike in the case of DAC\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Digital Automatic Coupler remains one of the main technologies around which the rail sector is expected to innovate. However, the benefits are not always so clear. \u201cAn intermodal train moving from point A to point B without any shunting operations does not benefit from this technology\u201d explained G\u0142adyga.<\/p>\n

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The Digital Automatic Coupler being showcased at the EU-Rail stand at Innotrans 2026. Image: \u00a9 Dennis van der Laan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Financial concerns<\/h2>\n

\u201cRail must change, but we cannot be left alone with the bill\u201d, the ERFA president added. Widespread implementation of DAC is expected to cost many billions of euros. The rail freight industry cannot carry the burden of such high initial capital expenditures. \u201cIt is difficult to deal with the cost of investments, because the return on investment is far away\u201d, G\u0142adyga elaborated. The benefits are too far off to justify the short-term expenses, especially in a sector with thin profit margins.<\/p>\n

ERFA also pointed towards the implementation of traffic management system ERTMS. It was supposed to harmonise and simplify the European rail system, but three decades on, the results are nowhere in sight. \u201cAlways seek a business case\u201d, G\u0142adyga said. \u201cWe hope to stop talking to each other and start talking to the clients. They want fast, easy and cheap transport.\u201d<\/p>\n