Germany Establishes Digital Railway Test Site

The Technical University Chemnitz and Deutsche Bahn will establish a digital railway test site to explore digitalisation and automation technologies for the rail sector under realistic conditions. The project would use federal funding.

The technologies the project wishes to test in the Ore Mountains region of Germany are signalling and train control technologies as well as solutions for better reception. The technologies in question relate to both on-board and trackside systems.

Germany’s first digital signal box on the EGB network in the Ore Mountains

© Deutsche Bahn AG | Kai Michael Neuhold

The Minister President of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, pointed out that the state government has been supportive of this research project for a long time. Consequently, Saxony would fund a co-ordinator, who would assist the TU Chemnitz in planning, controlling and implementing the local research infrastructure.

To establish a suitable research platform the federal government will provide up to 15 million euros, following all the relevant budgetary checks. There are three core areas of research:

• the establishment of 5G masts, supply media and further field elements along the Annaberg-Buchholz-Schwarzenberg railway line
• the modernisation and expansion of existing buildings along the route so they have working and operating rooms with the latest technology
• the acquisition and conversion of multiple units as test vehicles

Also read:

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• Deutsche Bahn Establishes Digital Railway Company
• Deutsche Bahn to Implement Germany’s Second Digital Interlocking
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