photo: Archiv/Railway
Other technological innovations in the world of rail freight transport did not take long. After composite brake shoes and the expansion of GPS systems, here comes another goal. Automatic coupling device.
The 18th of September’s memorandum was signed by the representatives of rail freight, which aimed to introduce these automatic coupling devices by 2030. For rail freight, this is literally a revolution. The main benefit of this digitization is the possibility of assembling longer and heavier trains. The capacity of marshalling yards would also increase by up to 40 %. The number of the wagon´s services would triple. Another beneficial function of the automatic coupling device could be, for example, the automatic testing of pneumatic-electric brakes.
The EU is implementing a program for the automatic coupling device project under the protection of Shift2Rail. Its main task is to determine the implementation and financing process. The cost of this digitization is tentatively estimated at 6.5-8 billion euros.
The impulse for this modernization was the initiative of companies DB, ÖBB and SBB, in a cooperation with companies Ermewa, GATX, VTG. This initiative is supported by the Rail Freight Forward Coalition, which brings together the following companies: BLS Cargo, ČD Cargo, CFL Cargo, DB Cargo, Green Cargo, Lineas, LTE, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, Ost-West Logistik, PKP Cargo, RENFE Mercancías, SBB Cargo, Fret SNCF, Mercitalia Rail and ZSSK Cargo and industry associations CER, CIT, ERFA, FTE, UIC, UIP and VDV.