Dutch go driverless
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefDutch infrastructure manager Prorail confirmed at this week's TEN-T Days conference in Rotterdam that it is planning to test automated operation of freight trains on the Betuweroute dedicated freight line, which links Rotterdam with the German border near Emmerich.
The trials, which have been requested by German Rail (DB) rail freight subsidiary DB Cargo, are due to begin next year, and a risk assessment is already under way. Trains will operate with a driver on board during the tests.
The Betuweroute is equipped with ETCS Level 2 and there is no interaction with passenger traffic, making it an ideal environment for such tests.
