Testing of Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) to Begin in 2026 with Up to 100 Trains, EU-RAIL Confirms

The published report from Europe’s Rail (EU-RAIL) on the first wave of interest in testing the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) indicates that up to 100 trains will be tested between 2026 and 2028. All functionalities and investment benefits of the DAC are to be verified under various conditions.

RAILTARGET has received an email from Europe’s Rail (EU-RAIL) pointing to the published report from the first wave of interest in testing the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC). The goal is to test the digital coupler between 2026 and 2028. According to the report, up to one hundred trains will be tested in various operational, logistical, and geographical conditions.

First and foremost, RAILTARGET, after reviewing the material, must state that the shift towards realistic thinking in European structures did not come out of nowhere. Railway carriers, especially in Central European countries, have long highlighted the problems arising from the methodology of preparing for DAC implementation and ignoring operational and economic risks. Instead of prototypes, the phase of real operational testing is coming. A significant contribution to this game change is the letter from the President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce to the EU Commissioner for Transport in January 2023, in which, based on discussions in the Czech transport sector and for the sake of maintaining competitiveness, he strongly demanded DAC testing in real railway operations. The letter is attached at the end of the article.

Furthermore, the report states that the coupler should be tested with all functionalities, including the energy and data system, train composition detection, train integrity and length detection, automatic brake testing, and automatic uncoupling from the locomotive using a button on the side of the wagon. The real operational testing also aims to verify the investment assumptions for DAC, its costs and benefits, and to determine how to remotely address technical problems, update firmware, and test cross-border operations.

The EU-RAIL launched a survey in January. There was an information session for 140 interested parties and a series of bilateral meetings. They gathered technical information about the rolling stock, operational information about routes, and questions about staff involvement and their expertise. So far, 48 entities, including railway carriers, vehicle operators, customers, suppliers, workshops, testing facilities, manufacturers, associations, and institutions, have shown interest.

Routes, testing methods, and the types of cargo to be transported, including delivery to various operations, were reported. In the Czech Republic, coal transportation will be tested in the Moravian-Silesian Region, and iron ore transport from the Ukrainian border through Slovakia to the Czech Republic.

Regarding the rolling stock, a great variety is expected. Locomotives from all major manufacturers on the European railway market and smaller companies' shunting locomotives of various ages are represented. In this phase, EU-RAIL is convinced that most locomotives have the necessary space for DAC installation. Various wagon owners (both owned and leased) are represented, leading to different operational contexts.

Subjects have also reported various operational situations suitable for testing: sidings of various sizes (from single-track to extensive siding networks in chemical, energy, automotive, or steel operations and ports), railway stations using their own wagons for local use, specialized local infrastructures, crane loading and unloading procedures with strong magnets (impact on electronic devices), tipping unloading, rapid heating of frozen bulk cargo, permanent exposure to a heat source (e.g., waiting near blast furnaces).

In terms of transported cargo, very heavy loads with iron ore, salt transport, dusty environments, cement, coke, and coal dust will be tested. Some subjects are considering testing DAC functionality over long periods of non-operation and resistance to vandalism.

In conclusion, a total of 9,000 trains per year are expected to be deployed on 36 routes, with 95 locomotives, 1,600 wagons, and 700 employees involved in the testing.

Source: EU-RAIL; RAILTARGET