TugVolt autonomous wagons to be trialled on Missouri railway

USA: Two of Intramotev’s TugVolt battery-powered autonomous wagons are to be trialed on the 35 km Columbia Terminal Railroad, which runs between Centralia and Columbia in Missouri. The Federal Railroad Administration-approved test programme will begin with remote shunting at COLT’s Columbia terminal, and progress to autonomous freight services along the full main line, which includes public crossings. This will produce a safety record that FRA and the more than 600 other US short lines can use as a template for adopting autonomous wagons.

The test programme, along with track and infrastructure upgrades, is being backed by a $16.2m FRA Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements programme grant to the city of Columbia, which owns COLT through Columbia City Utilities.

‘Short lines keep America’s small cities and rural communities connected to the freight network’, said Intramotev’s CEO Tim Luchini on October 23. ‘Autonomous railcars can help them serve more customers, more often, at lower cost, and this programme will show what that looks like on a working main line. We’re proud to partner with the city of Columbia and COLT, and grateful to FRA for its support of this important milestone for the rail industry.’

Erin Keys, the Columbia municipality’s Utilities Director, said ‘this federal investment lets us modernise the railroad, strengthen service for our customers, and put Columbia at the forefront of rail innovation’.

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