AI, Robots and Hydrogen: What’s New at InnoTrans 2026

AI is moving out of the background and onto trains, tracks and workshops. At InnoTrans 2026, more than 3,100 exhibitors will bring 180 world premieres to Berlin, including automated inspection systems, a hydrogen-hybrid locomotive, robotic onboard catering, and a fully digital tamping machine.

Artificial intelligence has been discussed as the future of rail for years. At InnoTrans 2026, visitors will get a much clearer idea of what that future actually looks like.

The fair, taking place in Berlin from 22 to 25 September, will host more than 3,100 exhibitors and 180 world premieres. According to the InnoTrans World Innovation Guide, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence run through many of this year’s new products, and they are no longer limited to data analysis behind the scenes. AI is now being used to inspect trains and infrastructure, manage energy consumption, automate maintenance and even rethink what happens inside a restaurant car.

"The 180 world premieres impressively demonstrate the pace at which the rail industry is driving innovation," said InnoTrans Director Kerstin Schulz.

"It is particularly exciting to see that artificial intelligence is increasingly being applied in very specific ways – from inspection and energy-efficient operation to the passenger experience."

Downer Uses AI to Inspect Trains and Infrastructure

Australian company Downer is showing how inspection work can be automated almost from beginning to end. Together with Future Maintenance Technologies, the company has developed a system combining drones with LiDAR, laser and optical sensors. AI and machine learning then analyse the collected data and look for anomalies in vehicles and infrastructure.

The process extends from data collection through to reporting, reducing the amount of manual inspection work needed. For railway maintenance teams, it means that defects can be detected sooner and large quantities of infrastructure data can be processed without having inspectors physically examine every asset one by one.

Knorr-Bremse Says LEADER Flow Cut Energy Use by Over 10%

Not every digital innovation at InnoTrans is about replacing manual work. Knorr-Bremse will present LEADER Flow, a driver assistance system that uses real-time traffic information from trains further ahead on the route.

That extra information allows the system to anticipate how traffic is moving and advise drivers accordingly. If a train ahead is slowing down, for example, another service can adjust its speed earlier rather than accelerating only to brake again later.

According to Knorr-Bremse, tests produced average energy savings of more than 10%, which makes the system an example of digitalisation being used for a very practical purpose: avoiding unnecessary stops and using less traction energy without changing the railway infrastructure itself.

CRRC Brings a 2,000-kW Hydrogen Hybrid Locomotive

Alternative propulsion will be another major theme in Berlin. Chinese manufacturer CRRC is bringing a 2,000-kW hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive that combines fuel cells with traction batteries.

The locomotive also comes with an intelligent driving platform based on deep learning. A combination of sensors provides 360-degree monitoring of the surrounding environment, with data from several sources brought together by the onboard system.

The vehicle basically brings two of the fair’s biggest themes together in one product: new propulsion technology and increasingly automated train operation.

Robots Could Soon Be Serving Dinner on Trains

AI and robotics are also making their way into passenger interiors. The Panarooma concept, developed by zweigrad together with Bucher, Siemens Mobility, Lantal and Probatec, imagines a restaurant car where food can reach passengers through integrated delivery lanes and autonomous service robots. The concept also includes different experience zones and AI-based personalisation intended to adapt the onboard environment to individual passengers.

It sounds considerably more futuristic than the traditional dining car, but that is exactly the point. Panarooma is being presented as an attempt to rethink how catering could work aboard future trains where space, staffing and operating costs all matter. The concept will make its public debut at InnoTrans 2026.

Six Innovation Tours Will Take Visitors Around the Fair

Most of the 180 innovations will be found in the Railway Technology segment, but the premieres stretch across the entire exhibition. Railway Infrastructure, Interiors, Public Transport and Tunnel Construction will all be represented in the World Innovation Guide.

InnoTrans will also organise six World Innovation Tours for trade visitors and media representatives who want a more structured look at the new technologies.