Voith | RailFreight.com

Voith to run first-ever commercial DAC tests

Marco Raimondi — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:08:40 +0000

The project for Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) is taking an additional step with the first-ever commercial pilot in cooperation with a German local operator – Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn (WLE). After tests with two wagons, DAC manufacturer Voith will deliver more e-couplers to equip 13 wagons and one locomotive.
“The European pilot project DAC4EU has now commissioned coupler manufacturer Voith to supply a further 30 CargoFlex freight couplers and two CargoFlex hybrid couplers”, the manufacturer said. The rolling stock will be equipped by the end of year, while the tests with the first wagons have been going on since March.

Only automatic brake test for now

It was not specified on which route the test train will be running, but Voith did offer some details on the tests themselves. The wagons will be connected via the e-coupler, which will provide continuous power and data supply, which will enable automatic brake testing. “Further functions, including automatic detection of train length, wagon sequence and train integrity, are planned for later operation”, the company added.

Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn

WLE is part of Westfälische Verkehrsgesellschaft, a group managing various transport company in the Westphalia region, in northwestern Germany. The company owns and operates around 120 kilometres of network, moving around 1,4 million tonnes annually. Its main business revolves around limestone and cement. WLE also handles a service for the Warstein Brewery, taking its products to Munich and Hamburg.

WLE’s CsrgoFLEX wagon being equipped with Voith’s DAC. Image: © Voith

Digital Automatic Coupling trial to start in Sweden

Marco Raimondi — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:54:05 +0000

A two-year pilot project regarding Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) is starting in Sweden, aiming to test the device’s resistance under harsh weather conditions. The test train will be loaded with SSAB’s steel and will run 1,000 kilometres between the company’s mill in Luleå to its production site in Borlänge.
The initiatives involved the Swedish infrastructure manager Trafikveket, state-owned operator Green Cargo, the Lindholmen Science Park, Svensk Maskinprovning and DAC coupler manufacturers Voith and Dellner. Other than testing DAC under extremely cold temperatures, these trials will also assess its performance with heavy cargo, as the train will weigh 3,800 tonnes.

The tests will initially only include Voith and Dellner’s couplers, with the ones from Knorr-Bremse and Wabtec being implemented at a later stage. “The fact that we start this demo train with ‘only’ Dellner and Voith, is more a timing issue and couplers from the other suppliers will be mounted on the steel train during the project”, a representative from Lindholmen Science Park specified.

Digital Automatic Coupling

The DAC project remains a very relevant topic regarding European rail freight. With DAC, freight wagons could be coupled together automatically, speeding up operations and increasing safety, but would also create a digital connection throughout the train. This digital connection would allow for further automation of processes including automated brake tests.

Supporters of the initiative highlight the benefits automation and digitalisation can bring to the industry as a whole. Detractors of DAC, on the other hand, underline the uncertainties surrounding funding, financial benefits and the concreteness of the Digital component. Currently, Europe plans a large-scale deployment of DAC for 2030, but many view this timeline as very ambitious to say the least.

Voith’s e-coupler selected as the basis for Digital Automatic Couplers

Marco Raimondi — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:26:30 +0000

The FP5-TRANS4M-R steering committee, part of the European DAC Delivery Programme, selected the e-coupler developed by German company Voith to be “the basis for interface standardization of all digital automatic couplers (DAC)”. The e-coupler is the DAC component that will enable the power supply and data transmission throughout the freight train.
According to Voith, their coupler can be retrofitted “with just two screws”, making it low-wear and easy to maintain. Throughout a four-month phase, the e-coupler was tested in FP5-TRANS4M-R, the DAC4EU train and the Voith’s test benches. One of the features of this coupler is that the mechanical and electrical coupling components remain separate. This allows the e-coupler to always be protected at impact speeds of up to 12 km\h.

One of many necessary steps

Selecting an e-coupler is just one of the many steps necessary to ensure a continent-wide deployment of DAC. For example, the various industry players are urging the project leaders to create a comprehensive Cost-Benefit Analysis for the DAC migration of locomotives, which is still missing. This leads to uncertainties concerning the real costs of the whole project which, according to some, have been largely underestimated. Another key issue remains funding, with various industry players saying that it should come from the European Union and not be a burden for companies to bear.

More DAC tests are over, developments remain vague

Marco Raimondi — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:56:36 +0000

A consortium led by SBB Cargo recently submitted a report to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) on the DAC+ tests it has been running since March 2023. These tests focussed on the digital aspects of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) such as data transfer. The company said that the tests led to important developments, but a certain degree of uncertainty remains.
SBB Cargo stated that “the results make a significant contribution to the future of rail freight transport and to the Europe-wide introduction of” DAC. One of the key features of these tests was the study of two different data transmission systems to understand which one would fit better. However, no concrete conclusions on which system fits better were reached. “The tests are still running as part of the European DAC project, no comparative tests have yet been carried out”, a spokesperson from SBB Cargo pointed out.

The company also said that DAC will ensure train integrity which should enable quicker reports on which track is free and available. However, this step is only made possible with the deployment of ETCS Level 3, which is far from being implemented across the whole of Europe. The company also remained vague concerning possible areas of improvement shown during the tests. “These are prototypes and purely functional tests. This means that series development has not yet begun”, as the SBB Cargo spokesperson put it.

Fragmented opinions across the EU

What the future holds is also another somewhat unclear point. Regarding the next testing phase and its timeframe, SBB Cargo said: “That is currently open, depending on project development in Europe”. However, not everyone in the Old Continent is sold on DAC and the EU’s plan to implement it. Switzerland, with Austria and Germany, is the most vocal about the importance of an EU-wide DAC implementation. On the other hand, countries such as Poland and Czechia have often expressed their concerns about the technology, its test readiness and its costs.

DAC+ tests

Other than SBB Cargo, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the FOT, PJM, plc-tec and Voith participated in the DAC+ initiative. The DAC+ pilot train consisted of six container wagons and a covered wagon that acted as a locomotive. The ‘fake’ locomotive was also used to integrate the other wagons’ power supply as well as test and measurement devices. With no clear guidelines for the next steps and different degrees of commitment to the project across Europe, it seems that the story of DAC and its implementation will be a long one.

Also read: