Knorr-Bremse's Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC)

Knorr-Bremse’s 'FreightLink' DAC for freight cars and 'HybridLink' for locomotives are paving the way for the upgrade of rail freight transportation into the digital age. First, because they are automating the train coupling process, which is currently still manual. And second, because their electrical interfaces will enable the automation and digitalization of the entire rail freight transportation sector. This is why Knorr-Bremse regards these new center buffer couplers as an integral part of the Digital Freight Train (DFT) . This in turn is part of a much broader concept for making rail freight operations faster, more flexible, and easier to organize by using digital solutions.

Knorr-Bremse is a member of the “European DAC Delivery Programme” (EDDP) and a founding member of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail) – a public-private partnership between the European Union and the rail industry. As such, the company is playing a key role in the development of and impending migration to the DAC. The retrofitting program, involving up to 500,000 freight cars and 21,000 locomotives throughout the European Union, is due to start mid-decade. Thanks to its extensive product and industrialization expertise, backed up by a highly responsive local service network, Knorr-Bremse is positioning itself as a leading supplier of DAC and DFT applications.