DB Cargo is advancing the digitalisation and automation of rail freight transport. A key development in this initiative is the automation of shunting operations in train formation yards, where freight trains are reconfigured by sorting and assembling wagons into new formations. Currently, shunting locomotives are primarily operated manually, but in the future, fully automated models will be introduced.
To bring this automation technology to series production, DB Cargo is working in collaboration with Bosch subsidiaries Bosch Engineering GmbH and ITK Engineering GmbH, alongside two additional industrial partners. This innovation is expected to enhance the efficiency of train assembly for onward transport, reinforcing the competitiveness of single-wagon transport and supporting the transition towards more environmentally sustainable rail freight.
“With the development of the fully automated push-pull locomotive, we are opening another chapter in the digitalisation and automation of rail freight transport. This creates greater profitability for DB Cargo and improves operational quality – and thus fully contributes to the DB Group’s S3 restructuring programme. Our customers will benefit from faster and more flexible handling of their transports,” Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Member of the Board of Management for Freight Transport at Deutsche Bahn AG and Chairwoman of the Board of Management at DB Cargo AG, said.
“With the first series development of a fully automated rail vehicle in the mainline railway sector, this project represents an important milestone on the road to automated train operation. Intelligent software is a core element for this automation step. We are pleased to contribute our expertise in software and systems development for rail vehicles,” Dr.-Ing. Frank Schmidt, Managing Director of ITK Engineering GmbH and Bosch Engineering GmbH, added.
The first steps towards deploying the fully automated locomotive have already been successfully tested with a prototype at the Munich North marshalling yard. Approval from the Federal Railway Authority is expected by the end of 2027, with full deployment at DB Cargo’s major train formation yards in Germany planned for 2028.
DB Cargo has commissioned Bosch Engineering GmbH and ITK Engineering GmbH, both subsidiaries of Robert Bosch GmbH, to develop the series-production version of the push-pull locomotive. Bosch Engineering is designing an automation unit for fully automated operation, incorporating sensors and algorithms for environmental detection. ITK Engineering is responsible for developing the operator workstation, which will manage driving orders and communicate with the locomotive. The partnership is set to continue until October 2027.
The Fully Automatic Push-Pull Locomotive project is supported by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) under the Future of Rail Freight Transport programme.
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