Siemens and DB Test Fully Automated Mireo on Open Rail Network

A Siemens Mireo has shown how far fully automated rail operation has already come in Germany. In the AutomatedTrain project, the train was able to prepare itself for service, leave the depot without a driver, detect obstacles on the route and return for automated stabling.

Siemens Mobility, Deutsche Bahn and partners from industry and research have tested technologies that allow a train to prepare for service, run without a driver and carry out stabling operations automatically. For the project, Siemens Mobility integrated the new systems into a Mireo train. The demonstrator was then used to show that several tasks normally carried out by railway staff can be handled automatically.

Mireo Can Prepare Itself and Leave the Depot Driverless

According to Siemens Mobility, the automated process begins before the train even enters service. After receiving a start command, the Mireo prepares itself for operation and performs the required self-tests. It can then leave the depot without a driver and travel towards its starting station.

During the journey, the train uses onboard systems to monitor the railway ahead. It can detect obstacles on the track and respond automatically rather than relying on a driver to identify the hazard. The same approach is used at the end of operation, when the train can carry out automated stabling.

Marc Ludwig, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, said the tests showed that automation is possible beyond closed metro systems.

"AutomatedTrain demonstrates that fully automated driving in open rail systems is feasible. Together with our partners, we have developed the decisive technologies and successfully demonstrated them with our Mireo train," he said.

"This creates the technological foundation for the next generation of rail transport and marks a significant step forward in bringing automation to the railway."

ETCS, ATO and Sensors Work Together

The system does not rely on one piece of technology. Fully automated operation is based on the interaction between Automatic Train Operation (ATO), the European Train Control System (ETCS), vehicle control systems and technology that monitors the train’s surroundings. A digital map and high-precision localisation help the train determine its position, while onboard sensors monitor the track ahead.

If an obstacle is detected, the system can react without waiting for human intervention, which is important for open railway networks, which are more complex than isolated metro lines and have to deal with a wider range of operating conditions.

AVVO Handles Safety-Critical Functions

One of the central technologies developed for the project is AVVO, or Advanced Vital Vehicle Operation. The platform links the systems needed for automated operation and takes over selected safety-critical functions.

AVVO can control vehicle preparation, direction of travel and braking. It also monitors the train while it is moving and can place the vehicle into a safe state if a fault occurs. The system also provides secure communication between the train and the control centre.

In practice, AVVO acts as the layer that brings the individual automated functions together and makes sure they operate safely as one system.

AutomatedTrain Also Prepares the Ground for Approval

The project was not limited to testing the train itself. Siemens Mobility and its partners also worked on the technical requirements and system architecture that could eventually be used for future fully automated railways.

That work is intended to support the next stages of development, including standardisation and eventual approval of automated train technologies. Proving that a system works technically is only one part of bringing it into regular railway operation. Common standards, safety requirements and certification will also be needed before fully automated trains can be deployed more widely.

Driverless Trains Could Help During Staff Shortages

Johannes Steiniger, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, linked the project to one of the challenges facing the rail sector: a shortage of skilled staff.

"What we are seeing here is the future of mobility," he said, adding, "Driverless train services offer opportunities, particularly in times of a skills shortage, to continue to operate rail routes reliably in the future and to deploy trains more flexibly."

The project was funded as part of the German Government’s economic stimulus programme and was also co-financed by the European Union through the German Recovery and Resilience Plan.