Shunting Yard Automation with the new Full Digital Freight Train (FDFT) Preparator

In order to achieve the EUs Green Deal and our climate goals, railway operators and industry have come together to revolutionize rail freight transportation with the new Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC). The DAC is set to replace the obsolete buffer and chain couplers used in freight wagons today, enabling the digitalization of our railways and improving their efficiency. More importantly, however, the DAC acts as an enabler for new innovations and technologies, such as the “Full Digital Freight Train (FDFT) Preparator” presented here. It allows yards to automate the last steps in the train formation, namely the train preparation, by braking wagons to a standstill, filling their batteries and brake reservoirs, and ultimately completing a fully automated brake test, entirely without a locomotive. This makes single wagonload transportation more efficient, cheaper, and safer.

This video was made within the projects DACIO, funded by the Austrian ministry BMK and the Austrian FFG, and FP5-TRANS4M-R, supported by EU-Rail. Co-Funded by the EU. Author’s views do not necessarily reflect EU/EU-Rail JU’s position who can’t be held responsible.