ARTE project pioneers the automation of regional trains
September 26, 2024 | Press event on 23th September 2024 in Salzgitter
ARTE project pioneers the automation of regional trains
The use of driverless trains is becoming increasingly realistic thanks to advances in sensor technology and connectivity.
Credit:
ALSTOM SA Die Paten
The ARTE project aims to revolutionise the rail network by introducing automated train operation (ATO) with the help of the European Train Control System (ETCS).
The demonstration presented on 23 September focused on existing railway lines and ensures a seamless transition to modernised operations.
ARTE is a joint project of DLR, Alstom, LNVG and TU Berlin with financial support from the federal government and the state of Lower Saxony.
The ARTE project aims to show how accompanied, automated train operation can be realised in today's rail network by retrofitting the vehicles. Camera systems for obstacle detection are required for automated driving, and instead of the trackside ETCS equipment, a suitable image recognition system processes the existing railway signals. Today, a delegation from the international press in Salzgitter was able to cover a few kilometres in autonomous mode, i.e. without the intervention of a driver. They were also able to observe the remote control system (RTO) using a tablet. RTO serves as a fallback solution to regain manual control of a train without a driver on board.
Remote Train Operation
Thanks to RTO (Remote Train Operation) systems, operators can control trains remotely. Either from the depot or from a special remote control station, they can then take control of the train and drive it to the next station. In the case of RTO, the ARTE project offers a very simple solution - a tablet that is connected to the train control system.
The operators therefore always see the live feed from the camera in front of the train, so that the RTO operator has the same view as an engine driver on the train. They can brake and accelerate the train - remotely.
DLR is supporting this by analysing and evaluating the results on an actor-specific basis in order to define new roles and tasks for the operators as well as opportunities for their training. The objectives of TU Berlin are to develop and test a simple and flexible mobile remote control system and to ensure that the safety requirements are met and the approval of the assessment bodies is obtained.
ARTE - Pioneering automated regional trains
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