AŽD's autonomous train runs with passengers

On 4 April 2025, AŽD in cooperation with the Správa železnic (the Czech infrastructure manager) in the presence of the Minister of Transport demonstrated to the public on the Kopidlno - Dolní Bousov line its 100 % technological readiness for the start of regular operation of the first railway autonomous line with passengers on a line in open landscapes in Europe, which is operated by a vehicle of Czech origin.

The Kopidlno - Dolní Bousov line (23.991 km long) is operationally controlled by the dispatcher of Správa železnic from the Kopidlno station with a backup control centre in the Dětenice Competence Centre of AŽD. The autonomous train consists of EDITA 811.111 diesel railcar (Experimental Rail Vehicle for Innovative Technologies of AŽD), which was created by modernization of the 810.111 railcar.

Passengers are transported in the Class 010 (BDtax) trailer car, which has undergone an extensive refurbishment: it is equipped with displays showing online transmissions from cameras and lidar sensors on EDITA, which scan the surroundings in detail, measure distances and map the terrain. This allows passengers to see in real time the data necessary for the autonomous operation of the control systems, which are evaluated by the moving train as it moves.

Autonomous trains are not new to the world; passengers are familiar with them, for example, from airport terminals or urban transport systems, where they move in enclosed corridors protected by fences or tunnels. However, the deployment of autonomous trains in open landscapes, where level crossings are located and traffic can be affected by unexpected situations, is a breakthrough innovation in Europe. This project demonstrates that autonomous driving technology can meet the challenges of normal rail traffic even in unprotected environments.

Zdeněk Chrdle, AŽD General Director, explains: "The operation of the autonomous railway line in the open countryside was preceded by years of intensive development, innovations and significant investments in Czech technologies developed in our Technika division, but also by cooperation with Správa železnic in order to fully secure the entire operated railway by connecting Kopidlno and Dolní Bousov terminals by data. This means that both the EDITA vehicle and the infrastructure of the railway line are equipped with a number of highly sophisticated systems with artificial intelligence and the ability to learn in DIGITAL 4.0."

The entire system is still in the process of being improved, while intensive work is also underway in the legislative area with the aim of achieving the codification of autonomous railway operation in the Czech Republic as a possible mode of operation.

In 2025, a train equipped with autonomous systems with passengers will run on the Kopidlno - Dolní Bousov line on the following weekend and holiday dates: 3 - 4 May, 31 May - 1 June, 1 - 6 July, 4 - 10 August, 6 - 7 September, 4 - 5 October. The dates are subject to change, so it is advisable to check the website www.kopidlnka.cz.

AŽD