Intelligent and efficient driving: The LEADER Flow driver assistance system achieves double-digit percentage energy savings on freight trains – shown here in test operation with the dynamic timetable from cn-mobility. | © Knorr-Bremse
- LEADER Flow driver assistance system reduces energy consumption and costs for rail operators and helps increase reliability and punctuality
- Six-month pilot test with major European freight train operator shows energy savings of 20-30% at peak and 10.2% on average with potential for further reduction
- Innovative business model: Performance-based billing of energy cost savings is attractive for customers and Knorr-Bremse
- LEADER Flow makes an important contribution to helping operators achieve sustainability goals
Knorr-Bremse is pushing ahead with its range of digital solutions: The LEADER Flow driver assistance system supports train drivers in daily operation with intelligent driving recommendations. By choosing the ideal speed and anticipatory acceleration and braking, rail operators achieve three key goals for train operations: higher energy efficiency, improved economics and more stable, reliable and punctual operation. LEADER Flow will initially be offered for freight trains and will also be available for passenger trains in the future.
Matthäus Englbrecht, Chief Technology Officer at Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems: “With our wide range of digital and data-based solutions, we are helping to increase connectivity, sustainability, cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency on the rails. LEADER Flow also meets these requirements: The driver assistance system is another important step in supporting our customers in cost optimisation, improved fleet planning and increased performance in rail freight and passenger transport.”
Martin Ertl, Vice President Portfolio and Innovation Management at Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems: “With LEADER Flow, we are setting new standards: In particular, the further improved quality of the driving recommendations delivers maximum precision and further increased energy optimisation in anticipatory driving. At the same time, LEADER Flow relies on an innovative, partnership-based business model: By participating in the energy savings achieved by our customers on a performance-oriented basis, both sides benefit from the economic success. So-called benefit sharing strengthens cooperation and helps to make long-term innovations more attractive and bring them to market more quickly.”
LEADER Flow is based on the LEADER driver assistance system, which has been in use on around 650 locomotives at Germany’s largest rail freight operator since 2018 and has already noticeably reduced their energy consumption on average for the year. With LEADER Flow, Knorr-Bremse is now taking a big step further: The new system uses a spectrum of data sources to optimise routing in real time. Among other things, comprehensive train models, live traffic data, the electronic timetable, as well as geodata and location information (GNSS) are included in the digital route forecast. With its intuitive user interface, LEADER Flow can be operated as a stand-alone solution via app on a tablet or integrated into existing systems in the cockpit.
Energy savings in the double-digit percentage range
After a good two years of development, LEADER Flow has been tested for six months on locomotives of a major European freight operator in the German rail network: As the results show, 89% of train drivers with the LEADER Flow app installed controlled their train in a more energy-efficient way than the comparison group without a driver assistance system. On average, the energy savings achieved when driving recommendations were implemented amounted to 10.2% – at the peak, even between 20 and 30%.
The system enables this leap in efficiency through a sophisticated algorithm that recommends targeted interventions in the driving style of the train drivers. In this way, the system helps to avoid unnecessary braking, downtime and acceleration phases and to make more efficient use of intelligent rolling and buffer times. The “Traffic Flow Mode” ensures maximum flexibility in driving planning, depending on whether the focus is on energy consumption, travel time or punctuality. Attractive for customers: The costs and license fees of LEADER Flow are amortised for operators from the first use. This is because billing is carried out without initial costs purely performance-based along the energy actually saved by the operator.
LEADER Flow with an international perspective
The market launch of LEADER Flow is initially planned for German freight transport and is to be expanded to other European markets and platforms in the medium term. The long-term goal is to offer the driver assistance system in global rail markets for energy and trip optimisation and to establish the innovative solution as the standard for energy-efficient and high-performance rail driving.
Global portfolio of intelligent solutions
LEADER Flow is an important building block in Knorr-Bremse’s global portfolio of intelligent driver assistance systems for rail transport. While in Europe the focus is on optimising fuel consumption and operating efficiency, Knorr-Bremse offers other LEADER products such as AutoPilot and AutoControl in railway regions with the AAR (Association of American Railroads) standard, such as North and South America and Australia. In accordance with local regulations and customer needs, these solutions focus primarily on automated driving for heavy haul freight trains to support drivers, improve operational efficiency, and realise fuel savings.
