THE DAC4EU pilot project to demonstrate, test and prove the digital automatic coupler (DAC) for rail freight operation in Europe has concluded after six years of laboratory and cross-border testing.
At a final event on June 2 at Lippstadt in Germany the DAC4EU consortium and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) presented the results of the research programme, which concluded that DAC is no longer an experimental concept but is ready for implementation in real-world service.
At present wagons in Europe are predominantly coupled manually using the classic screw coupling, a process that has hardly changed in over 100 years. The DAC4EU project tested several DAC systems that operated in typical operating conditions in marshalling yards, on cross-border routes and on ferry services.
The insights gained from the DAC4EU project successfully provided the technical data needed for a Europe-wide standardised rollout and will now be incorporated into further European and national programmes for the introduction of DAC.
The project has been carried out by the DAC4EU consortium on behalf of BMV. Participating partners include the consortium leader German Rail (DB), DB Cargo, SBB Cargo, Rail Cargo Austria, Ermewa, GATX Rail Europe, and VTG Rail Europe.
“Our goal is to shift more freight traffic to rail,” says German federal transport minister, Patrick Schnieder.
“DAC makes coupling safer and more efficient, and opens up new possibilities for increased rail performance.”
