Among the nine major Flagship Projects (FPs) funded by Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), FP2-R2DATO plays a key role in the digital transformation of Europe’s railways. Its mission is to implement automatic train operation (ATO) on mainline lines, aiming to boost network capacity and lower operational costs. The acronym “R2DATO” stands for rail to digital and automated up to autonomous train operation, highlighting its ambition to deliver scalable solutions that can enable Grade of Automation 4 (GoA–4), enabling fully driverless trains by 2030. Grade of Automation 4 (GoA–4) means that the train operation is fully unattended including setting a train in motion, driving and stopping the train, opening and closing the doors and operation in the event of disruptions. This technology was illustrated by two major recent demonstration activities: one in the Czech Republic and the other in the Netherlands.
Demonstration 1: Paving the way for fully Automated Train Operation in a regional line
The technical enablers supporting these innovations are being validated through eight demonstrators, including a regional demonstrator, which aims to showcase ATO functionality up to GoA4 in full operation, incorporating both onboard and trackside systems. A key focus is proving that components from various suppliers, such as obstacle detection sensors, perception systems, the automatic driving module and train positioning units can function interchangeably within the same operational environment.
On 11 September 2025, AŽD Praha hosted a group of experts on the 24-kilometer test track between Dolní Bousov and the Kopidlno test line in Czech Republic. (....)