ČD Cargo: DISAF Project (DIgital SAfety First) successfully continues

Since March this year, an intensive testing operation of the new application for engine drivers has been taking place. It informs them via tablet about the current track conditions at the points of travel of their train. Engine drivers will soon receive a long-awaited tool that combines information from tabular timetables and digitized track conditions tables issued by the Správa Železnic.

"ČD Cargo has launched a pilot verification operation of a new digital engine-driver's aid, which should help all our engine drivers by the end of this year. Our project builds on the digitization of Správa Železnic trackside tables and together we strive for greater safety of railway operations," said Tomáš Tóth, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČD Cargo. Subsequently, České Dráhy engine drivers should also be involved in the project.

The biggest benefit of the application for drivers is that they are shown up-to-date track conditions tables. Another huge advantage of the application is that if the engine driver has not been on any of the routes for a long time, he can prepare for the ride in simulation mode before driving. In this mode, the engine-driver's application will guide the entire route and show him all the major changes on the track.

To some extent, the ČD Cargo application could be compared to car navigation. The main difference, however, is that the application does not tell the engine-driver where to go, but there are visible the most important data from the entire track, about which the driver must know.

"I trust the Eltris application and I also believe its benefits for us as an engine-driver," adds Tomáš Kaša, who has been driving for ČD Cargo as an engine-driver for ten years.  

The trend of electronification and digitization affect almost all parts of the railway sector. Instead of papers, the time of electronization of data occurs. Paper forms of documents are intended only as a necessary backup. All railway Western companies follow this trend and ČD Cargo is not an exception. The DISAF project and Eltris applications are major milestones leading to the modernization, digitization, and increased safety of line operations.