Rail automation news
News about railway and urban transport automation projects and technology.
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Metro Report InternationalWashington metro reinstates automatic train operation after 15 year hiatus
USA: Automatic train operation has resumed on the Washington DC metro after a 15 year gap. ATO was installed when the metro opened in 1976, but it was turned off following a fatal collision in June 2009. This was caused by a track circuit failure that ...
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NewsNS and CAF test train automation technology
NETHERLANDS: National operator NS and CAF have completed a programme of tests for automated operations. The tests had two objectives. First was to evaluate the benefits that could be derived from using GoA2 in terms of energy efficiency, punctuality and capacity. Termed ATO Endurance, the test ...
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Metro Report InternationalRobot cleaners deployed at Singapore metro stations
SINGAPORE: Metro operator SMRT Trains has deployed 89 autonomous cleaning robots at its stations. Supplier Simpple says the robots increase the speed and efficiency of strenuous and repetitive work, freeing staff to undertake more complex tasks. Simpple said the tight labour market and ageing workforce in ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless London Underground trains are not viable, study finds
UK: The previous government’s proposal for the possible conversion of London Underground lines to driverless operation will not be taken any further, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed. Conversion to driverless operation is regularly suggested by politicians and commentators, often in the belief that this ...
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Metro Report InternationalAutonomous battery LRV tested in Indonesia
INDONESIA: Test running of a domestically developed, battery-powered, autonomous light rail vehicle began in Solo on November 6. The LRV was designed and built by PT Inka and its AI-enhanced control equipment was developed by the Bandung Institute of Technology in a project started in 2021 ...
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NewsKRRI to extend research on autonomous train operation
SOUTH KOREA: Korea Railroad Research Institute is preparing to extend its R&D programme which aims to introduce direct train-to-train communication and position reporting to replace centralised traffic control. As part of its 33·1bn won programme, which started in 2016 and runs until the end of this ...
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NewsNvidia partnership spurs Hitachi Rail’s condition monitoring drive
INNOTRANS: Backed by a partnership with processor specialist Nvidia, Hitachi Rail has launched its HMAX condition monitoring suite, which has a strong focus on using revenue-earning vehicles to collect data and edge computing to process it rapidly. Nick Kingsley spoke with Hitachi Rail’s Koji Agatsuma when the product was launched at InnoTrans.
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Metro Report InternationalTram assist suite developed as the next step toward automation
INNOTRANS: Bosch Engineering is presenting its latest collision warning system which enables light rail vehicle manufacturers and operators to select specific functions according to their individual requirements. The tram forward assist system element of the suite warns of impending head-on collisions and detects both road signs and ...
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NewsAlstom demonstrates retrofitted remote-controlled train
GERMANY: Another step towards automation of main line rail operations was taken on September 23 when Alstom demonstrated a remotely-controlled diesel multiple-unit near Salzgitter. Developed under the Autonomous Regional Train Evolution project, the train ‘was able to travel a few kilometres in autonomous mode, meaning without ...
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NewsSignaling X launched to harmonise main line and urban rail data management
INNOTRANS: Ahead of the opening of the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin, Siemens Mobility launched the latest iteration of digitalisation programme on September 23, branded Signaling X.
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Metro Report InternationalIndian domestically-designed driverless metro train production begins
INDIA: BEML has begun production of a prototype 5RS-DM driverless metro trainset for the city of Bengaluru. In August 2023 BEML beat ‘stiff global competition’ to win a Rs31·77bn contract to supply operator Bangalore Metro Rail Corp Ltd — which retains the former name of the ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless tram begins passenger-carrying test runs
RUSSIA: A tram converted for driverless operation has begun passenger-carrying test running on Route 10 in Moskva. Operator Moskva Metro and the Centre for Electric Transport & Driverless Technologies have fitted the PK TS 71-911EM Lvyonok singe-section tram with six cameras and four lidar and three ...
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Metro Report InternationalObstacle detection technology testing on the Berlin S-Bahn
GERMANY: An obstacle detection system is to be tested in regular daily service on the Berlin S-Bahn under various weather and operating conditions.
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NewsAutonomous high speed line inspection vehicle on test
ITALY: A prototype 200 km/h Unmanned Railway Vehicle designed to carry out automated inspection of high speed lines is undergoing trials at the Bologna San Donato test track. The URV is designed to undertake inspection, monitoring, analysis and mapping of railway infrastructure ...
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NewsAutomated wagon inspection to make rail freight more competitive
GERMANY: The Digital Inspection by Machine Intelligence project has been launched to automate and accelerate the manual wagon inspection process which need to be undertaken before an intermodal train can leave a terminal. The aim is to use sensors, cameras and AI to make wagon and ...
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Metro Report InternationalMadrid metro Line 6 to go driverless
SPAIN: Metro de Madrid has announced more details of its plans for the automation of the 23·5 km, 28-station circular Line 6, which is the busiest on the network with an average of 618 000 passengers on weekdays. Work on the €129m project is scheduled to ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless tram operation demonstrated in depot
FINLAND: The driverless movement of a tram around the Tampere tramway’s depot has been demonstrated, with Škoda Group saying its ’marks a significant step towards full autonomy’. The Škoda ForCity Smart Artic X34 tram was set tasks remotely. It then moved around the depot ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless tram scheduled to carry first passengers in September
RUSSIA: Moskva’s first driverless tram is to begin carrying passengers in September, the city’s Department of Transport has announced. On July 15 operator Moskva Metro reported that the tram was currently on test without passengers on Route 10, adding that it had already covered 400 km ...
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Metro Report InternationalHamburger Hochbahn signs €2·8bn deal for CBTC and trains offering a ‘completely new experience’
GERMANY: Hamburg city transport operator Hamburger Hochbahn has signed a €2·8bn framework agreement for Alstom to supply up to 374 metro trainsets and communications-based train control equipment. The deal announced on July 10 covers up to 120 DT6-A driverless trainsets for GoA4 unattended automatic operation on ...
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NewsHumanoid robot to maintain Japanese railway infrastructure
JAPAN: A giant humanoid robot capable of undertaking tasks such as painting lineside structures, cutting back vegetation, lifting heavy objects and performing simple maintenance of overhead electrification equipment has been unveiled by developer Jinki Ittai Corp and West Japan Railway. The robot has two 12·2 m ...