FRANCE: The MONITOR project has been launched to support the development of digital freight trains by combining radio communication between wagons with brake and bogie monitoring sensors and automated brake testing. The aim is to reduce the risks of derailments and untimely brake applications and to reduce train preparation time.
The 3½ year project was launched on February 17 by Wabtec, national freight operator Fret SNCF and regional operator Régie des Transports des Bouches du Rhône.
It is the first innovation project under France’s Rail Freight of the Future programme, and is being funded by the national government.
The project ‘has the potential to transform the development of rail freight in Europe’, said Lilian Leroux, President of Wabtec Global Transit & Freight Europe. ‘We are delighted to bring our experience of innovative railway technologies to develop fully digitalised freight train operations.’
Frédéric Delorme, President of Rail Logistics Europe at SNCF, said the project would be ‘an essential brick in preparing the autonomous freight train of tomorrow’, and operator would be sharing its operating expertise and testing the equipment in real-world conditions. ‘Digitalisation of freight represents a major opportunity for rail operators in terms of operating safety, productivity, the attractiveness of our profession and improving working conditions.’
