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Digital Coupling Boosts Rail Capacity

DB Cargo Transasia

2023-07-21

导读：Digital automatic coupling is a key step towards decarbonising the transport sector.

Digital automatic coupling is a key step towards decarbonising the transport sector.

▶ Video: Digital coupling boosts rail capacity

When it comes to freight transport, digitalization has a whole grab bag of benefits to offer. It makes transport easier and more efficient. Even smaller-scale technical innovations like digital automatic coupling (DAC) can make a difference. June 2020 saw the beginning of a pilot project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure to demonstrate, test and approve digital automatic coupling for rail freight transport.

Now introduction of DAC is a step closer. Consisting of 24 freight wagons, the first train equipped with the modern coupling system has set off on a test journey of several months across Europe.

DAC at the heart of freight transport digitization

Railway companies and associations from all over Europe are committed to the introduction of Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) in European freight transport. In a joint letter to the EU Commission, they state that automation and digitization are the key to the competitiveness and long-term success of environmentally friendly rail freight transport. The letter is signed by railway companies such as Deutsche Bahn, the Swiss SBB and the Austrian ÖBB, as well as freight wagon leasing companies such as GATX and VTG.

Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, DB Board Member for Digitalization and Technology, and Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Board Member for Freight Transport and Chairwoman of the Board of Management of DB Cargo AG, welcome the European railways' push to introduce DAC in order to achieve more traffic and additional capacity on climate-friendly rail. The new system standard enables the long-awaited acceleration in Europe's rail freight transport.

From left to right: Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing, Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, DB Board Member for Digitization and Technology, and Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Board Member for Freight Transport.

"This coupling is a revolution, the future belongs to it," said Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, DB Board Member for Digitalization and Technology. "The DAC makes freight wagons smart and fast: when coupling, but also when driving. With this technology, not only can more freight wagons travel on the rails, it also enables a densification of rail traffic that benefits everyone."

The technology also makes the "hitherto hard" work at freight yards easier, as Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Board Member for Freight Transport, emphasized: "Around 70,000 times a day, our employees in shunting operations have to balance the coupling brackets, which weigh up to 30 kilograms, at shoulder height in order to couple trains. The new coupling fundamentally changes rail freight transport and gives us the speed we need to save the climate."

Manual screw couplings are on the fast track to obsolescence

Digital couplers are replacing the screw couplers used in rail freight transport for over 100 years. Coupling and decoupling trains is purely manual with the old couplers.

First, a shackle weighing some 20 kg is connected to the hook of the adjacent wagon. Digital automatic coupling automatically couples freight wagons together mechanically allowing for power, data and compressed air lines to be connected end-to-end along the entire length of the train. This cuts down on the manual labor railway employees need to perform. First and foremost, however, DAC makes train formation much quicker. Every day, DB Cargo alone links up some 54,000 wagons in Germany. Counting all of Europe, the daily figure comes to about 400,000 wagon couplings in rail freight operations.

Digital freight train completes test run with flying colours

10,000 kilometers through seven European countries with stops at 25 marshalling yards: The test run of the test train with 40 prototypes of the Digital Automatic Coupling on board was a success all along the line. The DAC was tested under various challenging weather conditions and altitudes in operation and proved its practicality. The next step is now to evaluate the data obtained and to achieve series production readiness for the new standard for freight trains in the coming months.

Key European project

The DAC4EU consortium (Digital Automatic Coupling for Europe) is the organization behind the testing of the DAC. It is comprised of seven partners under the leadership of DB AG, including DB Cargo as well as five other companies: the Swiss and Austrian freight railways SBB Cargo and Rail Cargo Austria, also the wagon keepers Ermewa, GATX Rail Europe and VTG.

The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is providing EUR 13 million in financing for the project. More information can be found on the project website at www.dac4.eu. The EU transport ministers also plumped for the technology in a statement in Berlin touting DAC as a key project for the European rail freight sector.

The European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP) will tackle all other issues involved with preparing to deploy DAC jointly in the sector at European level, such as technical specifications, business cases and migration planning.

About DBCE & DBCT

Since 2008 DB Cargo Eurasia GmbH (DBCE) has been working in the Eurasian Corridor. After a reorganization in 2018, DBCE becomes the specialist for Eurasian container traffic by rail within DB group. To be closer to the Chinese market, DB Cargo Transasia (DBCT) was established in 2021 with 100% shares by DBCE. DBCE forms the network of DB Cargo structures on the eastern EU-border and fills the rail traffic within DB network with volume to and from Asia. Transcontinental connections from Europe to China now offer customers the efficient and competitive alternatives to time-consuming ocean carriage and expensive air freight.

What advantages will you enjoy as a customer of DB Cargo Eurasia:

The experience and know-how of the “pioneer” operator of block trains between China and Europe since 2008
Resources, infrastructure and know-how of DB as the biggest rail provider in Europe
Tailored transport solutions (pre-/on-carriage, container stuffing, reefer container transports and more)
Established offices in Germany, Poland, Russia and China in order to accelerate your direct contact service in timely manner
Rendering neutral services to forwarding companies
Our service offer includes terminal-terminal, door-door and door-terminal delivery

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DB Cargo Transasia

德铁货运欧亚公司DB Cargo Eurasia (DBCE) 成立于2008年，是德铁集团在欧亚走廊的集装箱铁路运输专家。DB Cargo Transasia (DBCT) 是DBCE全资子公司，为往来亚洲的货物提供服务。总部位于上海。

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DB Cargo Transasia 德铁货运欧亚公司DB Cargo Eurasia (DBCE) 成立于2008年，是德铁集团在欧亚走廊的集装箱铁路运输专家。DB Cargo Transasia (DBCT) 是DBCE全资子公司，为往来亚洲的货物提供服务。总部位于上海。

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