German freight operator DB Cargo and six partners have joined forces in the DACFIT consortium to prepare for the deployment of the DAC digital coupling on European railways, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Europe is preparing to transition to digital couplings
Photo: DB

This ambitious project, scheduled to start in 2028, involves installing couplings on approximately 500,000 freight wagons.

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Consortium members, including engineering company k + v from Germany, railway transport research institutes from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, VPI European Rail Service (VERS), and the German Institute of Material Flows and Logistics (IML), will begin studying the condition of freight wagon fleets and wagon depots across Europe.

Assessing the technical condition of operational wagons, locomotives, and special rolling stock will be a key stage of the process.

VERS is responsible for analyzing 280 authorized wagon depots and mobile teams installing DAC couplings on rolling stock.

In turn, the IML Institute will organize the technological and logistical processes of transitioning to digital couplings.

Financial support for the project will be provided through a partnership with EU-Rail.

This ambitious project not only contributes to improving railway logistics in Europe but also opens up new prospects for enhancing the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the region’s transportation systems.

Photo: DB

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