Applications
Optimize any type of rail service
Dynamic Coupling (DC) technology is suitable for optimizatation of different aspects of rail transport: energy consumption, time to destination, service, frequency, etc.
Several examples of how different rail services can gain from using DC include:
Parcel / Logistics
Dynamic coupling can be used for urban and inter-cities parcels transport, making it much cheaper and more efficient. Today’s rail usage is not optimized for parcel delivery, since parcel trains consume track time and have the lowest priority in the railway network, the service is expensive and with extremely low frequency.
Using DTS technology a parcels train or wagon can move across the railways network without consuming track time, by coupling and uncoupling, at speed, with already scheduled trains in the network. This way, parcels cars/trains can easily piggyback to a running passenger or freight train, using the same slot and decoupling before target destination.
Dedicated parcel train can be a regular train or a smaller, battery based EMU (autonomous or not). Once coupled to the scheduled train, it can re-charge its battery before decoupling and running independently again.One such small EMU can replace between 10 to 15 delivery trucks, reducing substantially the amount of consumed energy, CO2 emissions and costs.
Removing these trucks from the road will improve road congestion, increase people’s productivity and indirect carbon emissions.
Freight
Less than 20% of the freight in EU is moved by rail today, even though it is the most efficient mean of transportation.. Freight trains receive a small number of slots on the shared line, so the optimization is focused on providing point- to- point full length trains. As a result, delivery time is long and service is limited to specific destinations only. A study done by DelftU shows that the main limitation for freight is service frequency.
Using DTS dynamic coupling, freight trains/wagons can be dynamically coupled and decoupled along the route. Today’s long freight trains assembled for days, constrained by global shipping delays at ports will no longer be necessary. Rail operators will be able to provide much better frequency for their freight services. Providing ‘many- to- many’ services, increasing frequency to specific destinations as shown in the following video will make freight rail transport much more efficient.
Passengers
According to latest polls most passengers would now prefer to travel by train than by other means of transportation, however today less than 10% of the total travel (measured in passenger kilometres) are done by rail.
The main reason for that is the lack of service and time to destination.
Most lines are composed of many stations in which the trains must stop, making the journey long and exhausting. The energy consumption of the entire train deceleration, stopping and accelerating again is enormous.
With Dynamic Coupling system, trains do not have to stop or deccelerate to pick-up passengers or let them step down at stations. Instead, a direct train departing from an intermediate station can be ‘picked up’ and coupled on the run with another express or inter-city train. Passenger trains with dynamic coupling system will consume less energy, require less maintenance, and reduce noise pollution.
Providing a very good alternative to cars, using DTS technology will encourage passengers’ shift from private cars to rail.
Once shared rail lines are used more efficiently by employing DTS technology, rail providers will be able to add new stations at locations unserved today due to existing capacity restrictions.
