Welcome to our latest Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) update. It is time to follow up on our fall report citing of the European DAC Delivery Programmes’ (EDDP) blueprint winner, the Scharfenberg design.

We are happy to announce that in early 2022, both shunting yard tests and test drives were continued in several German shunting yards and on the German railway network. The goal was to achieve optimal performance measurements under real conditions and scenarios on the DB railway network.

Following these encouraging results, we had the occasion to celebrate with the principal participants—all EDDP contributors, the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Austrian Railways and the Austrian Ministries of Transport and Environment—as trains equipped with Scharfenberg Design DAC from Voit und Dellner arrived in Vienna, Austria after further winter testing. These tests results are fundamental as they are now used for further optimizing and improving the EDDP’s DAC design.

Subsequently, the test train was sent to Switzerland through Germany for more testing at various Swiss shunting yards and the Gothard panorama route / basis tunnel. The train’s upcoming journey to DB Manheim, Germany is expected to involve the addition of another 12 wagons, including two new wagon types for further testing. Multiple site-testing gives shunting yard staff experience with DAC for a future operational switch to the new coupling system.

As was done with DAC, to further stress the importance of test performance, a demonstrator train was equipped partwise with yet another automatization component: EP light brakes. We will continue briefing you on this process as we expect to see more scheduled long-train test drives early this summer in the Czech Republic, France and Poland.

DAC facilitates higher transport efficiency with its automated coupling of air, power and data lines while it enables digitalization, thus cutting costs by replacing the manual coupling of trains in rail freight transport. With DAC, European rail transport achieves a higher transparency and competitiveness while better securing the achievement of our environmental goals.

We look forward to keeping you updated on DAC’s future developments – #railcarleasingmadeeasier.