- Deutsche Bahn and Alstom have completed the first deployment of remote driving on a commuter train on a works track for the first time.
- The solution enables further digitalisation of depot movements significantly increasing their speed and efficiency.
- The technology could be deployed on both existing and newly-built trains.
Alstom recently demonstrated in Munich, Germany, in a project of Deutsche Bahn (DB) how the future of remote shunting operation can work: a commuter mainline train (“S-Bahn”) driven from a Remote Operation Centre, marking the first customer-operated test deployment of remote train driving on a commuter train in a real depot environment in Germany.
“This technology brings the driver’s desk to the operator in the control centre and streamlines every movement in the depot. We value the collaboration with Deutsche Bahn and their confidence to implement this test deployment with us”, says Aymeric Sarrazin, President Digital & Integrated Systems, Alstom.
Harmen van Zijderveld, DB Group Board Member for Regional Transport: “Shunting trains by remote control can reduce the workload for our employees and significantly speed up processes in our depots. In just four months, we have put the test system on the rails: from the local 5G network to the control centre and the technology in the train. This proves that technical innovations can also be realised with existing vehicles.”
Developed with an industrial perspective, the solution is connected with a remote workstation through a generic driving interface that can be applied to different train types. It enables further digitalisation of depot movements and uses a DB 5G campus network for test operations in Munich. With remote train driving, long walking distances for shunting staff can be reduced and shunting movements can be carried out more efficiently. The solution can technically be applied to both existing fleets and future newbuild trains, enabling operators to digitalise and enhance the value of their current assets while preparing for tomorrow’s operations.
To link the train to the Remote Operation Centre, Alstom employs a highly adaptable architecture that bridges legacy train control systems (TCMS) with a modern, standardised interface for remote operation. This gateway assimilates the train’s existing TCMS — acting like a ‘time capsule’ for older vehicles — and exposes the required control and status information through harmonised interfaces to the Remote Operation Centre. In the Munich test deployment, additional cameras and sensors installed on the train provide the remote operator with the situational awareness needed to perform shunting movements. This approach is applicable to multiple Alstom train series, including BR423, BR430, BR442, BR490 and BR1440, representing several hundred trains in Germany.
The demonstration with DB marks a significant step towards the possible development of a future prototype and sets a milestone for efficient and digitally enabled operations in depot environments.
Remote driving is set to make depot movements faster and more efficient by bringing digital control directly to the operator.
