Australia: The rail operator Arc Infrastructure has unveiled in Perth a prototype of a second-generation autonomous railcar system developed by US start-up Parallel Systems.
The battery-powered unmanned vehicle, dubbed Hiivr Rail, can operate as a single car or as a trainset. The operator plans to use it to deliver containers from the port to intermodal freight terminals. The Hiivr Rails are said to be fast and have no harmful emissions.
Trials on Arc Infrastructure’s main lines, scheduled for 2024, will verify the integration of the vehicles with its train control systems. Hiivr Rail could be assembled locally at the Bellevue Railcar Assembly Facility.
Parallel Systems had previously agreed to test the technology on the routes of the US operator Genesee & Wyoming.
