rail travel — Researchers across Europe are deploying advanced automation in rail transport, making it smarter, cleaner and more reliable for passengers and freight.
- rail travel — Researchers across Europe are deploying advanced automation in rail transport, making it smarter, cleaner and more reliable for passengers and freight.
Close to the beautiful coastline of Oslo, Norway, a bright blue tram rolls smoothly along the tracks of a local depot. At first glance, it looks like any other tram, but a careful observer will notice one crucial difference: there is no driver.
This tram is operated remotely using cutting-edge technologies developed under an EU-funded research initiative called FP2-R2DATO. Supported by Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), the initiative runs until the end of May 2026. It brings together rail companies and engineering experts from 10 EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland.
The project aims to revolutionise train travel, enhancing capacity and efficiency through increased digitalisation and automation. According to Eurostat, there are over 200,000 km of rail tracks in the EU, including around 8,550 km of high-speed lines, highlighting the vast potential for improvement.
“To meet the increasing demand from both passengers and freight transport, digitalisation is key,” said Bettina Dötsch, a senior project manager with Hitachi Rail in Germany. She emphasised that digital solutions are preferable to constructing new lines, which can have significant environmental impacts.
The FP2-R2DATO team is testing technologies that could transform European travel, including remotely operated and fully autonomous trains. Equipped with sensors, cameras and innovative systems, these trains can be safely controlled from a distance by an operator in an office. “Remote operation can be used for moving trains in and out of depots, limiting walking distances for drivers, saving time and making the process more efficient,” Dötsch explained.
Remote driving has already been successfully tested in Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, laying the groundwork for future fully autonomous operations. The next phase involves testing fully autonomous trains with a perception system dubbed the “eyes of the train,” which scans the environment and detects hazards.
These technologies are currently being trialled in secure depot environments, marking the first step towards large-scale deployment. Partners successfully conducted trials of remote and autonomous operations on commercial tracks in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in September 2025.
“Once the technology is mature and approved, it could be used in various automated and autonomous operations, from urban public transport to long-distance trains and freight transport,” Dötsch stated.
One of the project’s primary goals is to harmonise operations across Europe, which would significantly benefit passengers by enabling smoother journeys across borders. Currently, each European country has its own signalling system, complicating long-distance travel. “We want a common architecture and integrated infrastructure to enable seamless cross-border travel,” said Cédric Gallais, a senior manager at SNCF, France’s national state-owned railway company, which coordinates the FP2-R2DATO research.
The same digital platforms that enable automation also create a common language of technical and operational standards, fostering interoperability within European railways. The FP2-R2DATO team is also working to increase network capacity through Moving Block technology, which allows trains to travel closer together by continuously monitoring their positions.
Traditionally, tracks are divided into fixed sections, limiting the number of trains that can operate simultaneously. “The goal is to open up these blocks and allow for more flexible operations,” explained Dötsch. This innovative approach creates a safe zone that moves with each train and is recalculated dynamically by sensors and computers.
Additionally, researchers are testing geolocation on a train in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, aiming to see how satellite positioning can enhance rail safety systems, in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
Support from EU-Rail has been crucial for the FP2-R2DATO initiative. As a European public-private partnership, EU-Rail coordinates rail research projects and aligns them with key EU transport policies, including climate neutrality goals and substantial cuts in transport emissions by 2050.
This partnership aims to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple it by 2050, developing the necessary digital tools to make trains faster, safer and more efficient across borders. “EU-Rail’s goal is to drive innovation and address the challenges that European rails face today and in the future,” Dötsch added.
Thanks to the ongoing research, the future of rail transport in Europe looks promising. “We are building a smarter way of mobility. European railways will undergo a major transformation in the next 10 years,” Dötsch remarked, with Gallais echoing her sentiments: “This research can greatly advance the rail industry in Europe and make it very competitive.”
These innovations are expected to enhance efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, reducing energy consumption while increasing capacity. “If we succeed, passengers will have more trains to choose from,” Gallais concluded, offering a vision of a more interconnected and accessible rail network across Europe.
