Swiss federal railway company SBB has tested a new autopilot system on trains for the first time in Switzerland. The tests were carried out for three nights on the Bern-Olten line on double-decker trains carrying no passengers.
The system features automatic accelerating and braking and allows a train to run at an optimum speed for saving energy. The system is similar to the autopilot function in a car or plane, and does not mean that trains would operate without a driver, the company stated.
The autopilot tests are part of a wider SmartRail 4.0 digitization programme which aims to “increase the capacity and safety of the Swiss rail network while making savings”.
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