The e-coupler developed by Voith becomes standard for Digital Automated Couplers (DAC) in European rail freight transportation.
The e-coupler developed by Voith will be uniformly applied in FP5-TRANS4-R. This decision was made by the FP5-TRANS4M-R steering committee at the end of February 2024.
This approach has now been endorsed by the Programme Board of the European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP) in April 2024 and the EDDP Supervisory Board in July 2024. The Voith e-coupler design will eventually be the basis for interface standardization to establish a standard for European rail freight transport.
The e-coupler is the key component that ensures the power supply and data transmission in all wagons and locomotives of a digital freight train.
The selection is the result of a transparent process that started in autumn 2023 with the definition of selection criteria by an operators’ expert group and agreed by the coupler manufacturers.
The criteria were focused on technical aspects on one hand and acquisition and maintenance costs on the other hand. In a thorough four-month test campaign the e-couplers were tested in FP5-TRANS4M-R, the DAC4EU train and the manufacturer’s test benches.
The Voith solution particularly impressed the group of experts when it came to evaluating the costs.
The decision for an e-coupler design marks a major milestone towards the interoperability of the DAC in Europe.
The Voith e-coupler meets all specifications in terms of height and weight and can be easily retrofitted with just two screws. Thanks to the small number of components, the coupler is particularly low-wear and easy to maintain. This always ensures a reliable power and data connection.
Separating electrical coupling from mechanical coupling has the advantage that the e-coupler always moves at the same speed after its delayed release. This means that the e-coupler and contacts always remain well protected at impact speeds of up to 12 km/h.
The CargoFlex, Voith’s automatic freight coupler, is equipped with a simple mechanism that makes it possible to block the automatic forward movement of the e-coupler and the opening of the cover. Despite mechanical connection of the coupler locks, the e-coupler always remains securely in its retracted position and the cover remains firmly closed. This also enables interoperability with passenger couplers and shunting over the hump.
Concern over DAC implementation
Recently, seven rail freight associations from Germany, Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia signed new Memorandum on DAC in areas of competitiveness of railways, internal competition and operations, as well as doubts on business case at both macro- and micro-scale.
Implementing DAC requires a significant upfront investment in infrastructure, equipment, and technology. As railway companies face decreasing market share and profitability, the initial cost poses a barrier to adoption and will only be accepted if fairly distributed and clear economic benefits are demonstrated.
DAC will undoubtedly increase the rolling stock cost and without significant funding from EU and in particular Member State level, EU wide DAC uptake remains highly questionable. Lessons learnt from other projects such as ERTMS must be reflected in DAC, the document says.
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