To facilitate this collaborative effort, Wabtec and Deutsche Bahn will establish a joint Steering Committee responsible for overseeing various projects to improve the reliability, availability, and overall life cycle of Wabtec equipment utilised on Deutsche Bahn trains.
Key focus areas for the Committee will include door systems, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and brakes. Through joint efforts, the companies will work together on designing, testing, and implementing product enhancements, as well as exploring the possibilities of integrating cutting-edge technologies in the future.
Distributed Power System: A collaboration project of Wabtec, DB and Alstom
One of the ongoing projects since 2017, where Wabtec collaborates with DB and Alstom, is the application of Distributed Power System (DPS) on DB Cargo trains on its Alstom TRAXX AC3 locomotives. DPS uses radio to link locomotives that can be distributed along the train instead of just at its front. The locomotive driver of the first locomotive remotely controls all the other locomotives along the train, sending traction and braking commands.
From a rolling stock point of view, this setup saves the wear and tear of the locomotives and wagons. From a rail freight carrier point of view, longer trains can be assembled, decreasing transportation costs per wagon. In addition, with locomotives distributed across the train, the pneumatic braking system is loaded faster, leading to safer and more optimised operation through its faster commissioning time. Wabtec also provides a security system to keep the train performing normally in case of lost radio communication.
With DPS, trains with up to 85 wagons and up to 1.5 km long can be operated, infrastructure permitting. The current UIC limit is 750 meters, although much of European infrastructure does not allow even this length of freight trains. DPS is commonly used, for example, by Class 1 railroads in the US, significantly increasing the profitability of every train it uses DPS and decreasing crew needs when railroads face staff shortages.
The collaboration project is co-funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation Program, Shift2Rail, as project FR8RAIL 4.
