The Digital Freight Train.

At present, whenever a freight train is assembled anywhere in Europe, the process is like something out of a history book. Switchyard personnel latch screw couplings to train draw hooks and connect up pneumatic brake hoses. Then the brake inspector walks up and down the train testing every single brake to ensure they’re all working flawlessly. Meanwhile, the marshaling team checks loading doors or mounts end-of-train devices in their brackets.

Once digitized and automated by the Digital Freight Train, the whole train composition and preparation stage will be much, much faster. Automatic coupling will replace labor-intensive manual coupling procedures. Remote-controlled train functions will make a major contribution to optimizing processes, helping to save enormous amounts of time.

Only an intelligent, automation-enabled freight car can support smart, automated train operating processes. With its Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC) , Knorr-Bremse is ready to supply the key enabler for this transformation.

Digital train monitoring will now supervise train integrity in real time, as well as the status of the braking system. It will also help to avoid flat spots. Smart tracking services will monitor the positions of the individual freight cars, as well as the goods they’re carrying. Geofence applications and mileage counters – right down to individual freight car level – are other possible options. The end result? Intelligent, intermodal fleet operations in which individual freight consignments will automatically find the fastest routes to their destinations.

Only in very rare cases does a freight train travel all the way to its destination in its original configuration. Indeed, it isn’t expected to. More often than not, freight cars or entire train sections are decoupled and then recoupled to another freight train. Similarly, each train picks up freight cars from other trains, based on the routing of the individual cars.

As at the train composition stage, this is where opportunities for greater efficiency can be leveraged to optimize the many shunting and parking processes. Smart services will monitor the exact position of each car and its cargo in real time, reliably tracking them between stations. Meanwhile, operators will always be aware of the current availability of their freight cars. Suitable sensor systems will also be used to detect cargo-critical impacts during shunting operations, providing proof if necessary.

But even the most innovative Digital Freight Train would miss its purpose if it failed to impress rail operators with best-in-class availability. This is why the fully integrated products and systems Knorr-Bremse has developed for the DFT are also designed to be exceptionally serviceable, with comprehensive wear monitoring functions. Smart services enable operators to manage fleets, assets and maintenance at every level.

As a strategic service partner with a local presence around the world, Knorr-Bremse's service specialist RailServices will also offer services for the Digital Freight Train. Comprehensive preparations and developments are already underway to actively accompany the paradigm shift in operation and post-market.