The message that under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of transport, now intensively working on the Digital Automatic clutch (DAK) for freight wagons research, comes at an appropriate time. For it is only at the beginning of June, DB Cargo, has noted that the freight railroad wants to strengthen the single wagon traffic. The Problem here is that This classical Form of delivery of individual wagons or groups of Wagons by the consignor to the consignee is expensive, because the trains have to be laboriously assembled in the Marshalling yards. Much hand work is still necessary, because of the traditional screw couplings, there are so similar since one and a half centuries.
Significantly cheaper the transportation of whole trains from a single car, the move your freight non-stop from point A to point B is. But if I want the goods transport on the road with its flexible trucks a compelling offer to provide, the only with the modernization and automation of the single wagon traffic.
The 13-million Euro research project on “DAK-Demonstrator” is supposed to be a step in this direction. Except for the Deutsche Bahn DB Cargo and SBB Cargo (Switzerland) and Rail Cargo Austria (Austria), as well as the freight wagon operators Ermewa, GATX Rail Europe and VTG in the project, which is equipped by the German Ministry of transport, € 13 million are involved.
testing the daily use in marshalling yards
First Digital Automatic couplings of the four manufacturers tested in twelve wagons from DB Cargo, GATX. With the Tests, a Type of coupling to be selected, the car then in a Forschungszug from 24 goods of the project partner will be used. He will operate in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and other countries of Europe and, in particular, in daily use in rail yards to be tested.
With the DAK goods to be coupled to the car mechanically, and at the same time, the connection of power, data and compressed air pipes is manufactured without the heavy physical work involved, otherwise, when Maneuvering (including the by climbing under the buffers in the so-called “Berne room”, in order to lay the strap over the hook and Hand the spindle until a slight tension should be screwed up). “A Revolution for the transport of goods by Rail – and a huge relief for the employees,” says Sabina Jeschke, in the DB management Board responsible for the digitisation and technology, the Vision of a Europe-wide introduction of the Digital Automatic coupling.
That freight cars have not been converted in greater numbers on a modern clutch, is the sheer volume of vehicles and the cost. At the end of the nineties, the Railways and Knorr-Bremse have worked on cars in the framework of the project “Innovative goods” (IGW) ever been to an automatic coupling for freight, which should be compatible to the existing screw couplings.
