ITALY: FS Group has concluded trials to validate ATO functionality on ETCS-equipped infrastructure as part of the EU-backed FP2-R2DATO project. The tests took place in February and March at the San Donato test ring in Bologna, concluding with a final demonstration for European railway stakeholders.
The tests took place at the San Donato test ring in Bologna, a former freight yard turned which has been rebuilt by FS Group to act as a proving ground for vehicle approval and advanced experimentation. With its ETCS Level 2 wayside infrastructure, the facility allows for 24/7 testing on a 5.7 km long ring.
A Blues tri-mode multiple-unit manufactured by Hitachi and provided by Trenitalia was equipped with GoA4 (Grade of Automation 4) equipment to facilitate automated operation. The train was used to test the integration of automation modules with onboard and trackside subsystems, alongside sensor-based obstacle detection.
Three key features
During the demonstration day on March 17, three key features were presented: automatic driving, remote driving, and obstacle detection, with representatives from the European railway sector and EU institutions in attendance. Remote driving allows a trained operator to control the train from a distance, replicating the functions of a driver’s cab. Automatic driving under ETCS verified the integration between the automation equipment and the onboard/trackside subsystems, while obstacle detection used sensors to identify objects or people on the track and enabled the brakes to be applied without manual intervention when necessary.
The trials form part of Work Package 39 within FP2-R2DATO, one of the current workstreams within the portfolio managed by Europe’s Rail, the EU’s railway research joint undertaking. Subtask 39.2, led by Italian rail infrastructure manager RFI with contributions from Trenitalia and Hitachi, aimed to demonstrate Digital ATO technology on ETCS-fitted lines and deliver scalable automation up to GoA4, contributing to the project’s wider goal of enhancing capacity and punctuality on existing networks.
About R2DATO
The FP2-R2DATO project (Rail to Digital and Automated Train Operation) is a €160.8 million initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme and managed by Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking. It brings together 77 partners from across the railway sector, including infrastructure managers, railway companies, and industry leaders, with a 42-month duration and 350 deliverables. The project aims to accelerate the digital transformation of Europe’s rail system, developing next-generation ATC and delivering scalable automation capabilities up to GoA4 to enhance capacity and punctuality on existing networks.
With 350 deliverables and over 400 people involved, Europe’s Rail says R2DATO is the largest project in the programme’s Innovation Pillar.
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