On Thursday, 29th January, Alstom collaborated with German train operator Deutsche Bahn to demonstrate the remote operation of a commuter train.

The demonstration, carried out within the confines of a maintenance depot at Munich in Germany, was designed to show how digitising movements within a depot could significantly increase their speed and efficiency. The technology is suitable for installation on both new and existing trains, and heralds the future of carrying out shunting remotely.

An S-Bahn commuter mainline train was used for the demonstration. It was driven from a remote operation centre and was the first time in Germany that a commuter train had been driven remotely in a real depot environment.

A generic driving interface, suitable for installation on different types of trains, connects the train to a remote workstation. It reduces the need for staff to walk long distances and enables shunting movements to be carried out more efficiently.

The train is linked to the remote operation centre by bridging legacy train control systems (TCMS) with a modern, standardised interface for remote operation, which emulates the train’s existing TCMS. The train used in the demonstration was fitted with extra cameras and sensors so that the remote operator was aware of the train’s situation whilst carrying out shunting movements.

Many types of Alstom trains, including several hundred in Germany, are suitable for deploying remote operation. The successful demonstration of the system paves the way towards towards development of a prototype, and marks the future for digital operations in depot environments.

Aymeric Sarrazin, President Digital & Integrated Systems, Alstom, commented that the technology brings the driver’s desk to the operator in the control centre and streamlines every movement in the depot. Alstom values Deutsche Bahn’s collaboration and its confidence in implementing this test deployment.

Alstom also has experience in remote technology through its remote diagnostic system for predictive maintenance, which it is deploying in new Avelia Horizon double-decker TGV high-speed trains being built for French train operator SNCF. In the UK, Celsa Steel in Cardiff already use remotely-controlled shunting locomotives, provided by GB Railfreight., 

“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.”

Harmen van Zijderveld, DB Group Board Member for Regional Transport