The modified locomotive was fitted at DB Cargo’s Cologne-Gremberg facility with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Remote Train Operation (RTO) systems. During the trial, it will operate under automated control while a driver remains onboard, supported by a central remote monitoring and control team.
The trial will include various wagon types and loading scenarios, from heavy bulk wagons to partially filled tankers. It also marks the first time ATO and RTO technologies will be tested in combination on open-access rail infrastructure.
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The project is part of Germany’s federally funded “Future Rail Freight Transport” programme, which supports the development and early market deployment of innovative rail technologies. It has received €18.86 million in government funding.
According to Germany’s Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, the project aims to modernise rail freight while addressing staff shortages and demographic shifts in the sector.
“Automated operation reduces strain on employees and creates future-proof jobs,” he said.
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The initiative is being carried out in partnership with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Hitachi, and Remoot. The chosen Betuwe route, linking the Port of Rotterdam to the German border, is one of Europe’s busiest and most advanced freight corridors.
DB Cargo’s broader strategy includes increasing rail freight’s share in the logistics market by advancing automation and digitalisation—steps seen as essential to shifting goods from road to rail and reducing carbon emissions.
