The Institut fuer Schienenfahrzeuge IFS at Aachen Technical University, the Deutsche Bahn AG and Alcatel SEL AG started the first pilot project for automated driverless freight trains in Europe. The project named SST (automatic signal controlled rolling stock) aims at flexible and economic transportation of goods on public railway lines. This new concept for railway transportation allows dispatching of complete wagon loads to a destination without formation, coupling and decoupling with driverless operation. SST is compatible with conventional signalling and permits therefore mixed traffic between manually and automatically driven trains. Alcatel SEL's EUROLOOP system provides the necessary speed supervision, direction of travel and signal observation for automatic train protection. (A)
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