Swiss rail operator SBB is testing a new autopilot system on some of its trains, but it’s not planning to go the way of all the companies testing driverless cars.
The system leaves the engineer in the cab, able to over-ride the system, but the automated system would control acceleration and braking systems to allow the trains to run at optimum speed with minimum energy.
The tests so far were carried out over three nights on a busy line, using trains with no passengers on board, but in future it will be applied to in-service trains. It’s part of an initiative called SmartRail 4.0, whose goal is to “increase the capacity and safety of the Swiss rail network while making savings.”
