Rail industry calls for DAC to be tested and funded 11/07/23
< Retour à la liste
Author: Lukasz Kuś 2023/07/11
Nine industry organizations bringing together railway companies and intermodal operators issued a joint position on the development and implementation of a uniform and competitive digital automatic coupler (DAC) standard in European railways, which will replace the currently used museum technologies that reduce the competitiveness of rail transport.
photo: Rail Cargo GroupFreight railroads in America, Asia and South Africa have used automatic coupling technology for many years. Meanwhile, in Europe, techniques developed in the 19th century are still used, which requires the employment of a large number of people, slows down the process of forming trains, reduces the capacity of railway lines and reduces the competitiveness of railway transport. This is particularly felt by the intermodal industry, which competes directly with flexible and relatively cheap road transport. The lack of an automatic coupler is one of the brakes on increasing the share of rail in freight transport in Europe.
The solution to these problems will be the introduction of the DAC standard in Europe, which will enable not only the automation of the train formation process, but also the transfer of information between wagons, which will allow for the large-scale introduction of telematics and other digital tools in rail transport. Advanced testing of the selected DAC technology is currently underway.
Read also:In Austria, a train with a digital automatic coupler was tested
Some rail carriers have recently expressed concerns that the new standard will be introduced after insufficiently thorough testing, and that its introduction will be associated with high costs and will not improve the competitiveness of rail transport, and may even worsen it, especially in the case of small companies.
These concerns were repeated in the position paper signed by industry organizations: CER, AERL, UIRR, EAL, Fed EC Rail, UIP, UITP and UNIFE. The open letter noted that the rail and intermodal industry supports the introduction of a uniform DAC standard in Europe. However, it was emphasized that this must be preceded by appropriate testing of the technology on a large scale in various climatic conditions. It was also indicated that due to the high cost of DAC implementation, estimated at EUR 13 billion, a financing mechanism for this investment should be prepared, which should be introduced on a non-discriminatory basis. There was also a call for the adoption of a law regulating the implementation of DAC technology.
— Intermodal rail transport requires and wants modernization and development in order to improve the capacity, punctuality and reliability of infrastructure. Therefore, the development of the DAC is also highly anticipated and the sector statement is supported. However, it must be ensured that any advanced bid will pay for itself in proportion to its cost, warned UIRR President Ralf-Charley Schultze.