Germany: The freight operator has finished the first leg of the GoA2 locomotive testing. It took several years to test this Class 296 shunting diesel locomotive at the Munich North station. The locomotive was equipped with an onboard automation system by German Railergy.
The system is now set to be improved in collaboration with Bosch. One of its subsidiaries, Bosch Engineering, will be responsible for developing an automation unit with sensors, while another, ITK Engineering, will create a workstation for the locomotive remote control.
The certification process for this technology by Germany’s Federal Railway Authority (EBA) is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The first locomotives, equipped with the system, will then enter service at major marshalling yards starting in 2028.
The project to develop an unmanned hump locomotive has been underway in Germany since 2020. The country’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has allocated €7 mln in funding for the initiative.
