In our last update on the DAC, we promised to inform you about the pending decision on which DAC type will win the race. We are happy to announce that there is a winner!

Over the past several months, three DAC types from four manufacturers were rigorously tested by the DAC4EU consortium. The results from these tests were collected, consolidated and submitted to the European DAC Delivery program (EDDP) under Shift2Rail. In mid-September, the Programme Board made its decision, opting for the Scharfenberg Coupling Type. The Schwab and SA3 designs were both eliminated.

The decision was confirmed by the EDDP’s Supervisory Board. Johann Feindert, CEO at GATX Rail Europe and member of the EDDP Board said, “It’s been a long road and we’re happy to have reached this milestone after an extensive period of testing. We are convinced that the best design has won the race. Now we are looking forward to working alongside all manufacturers, including newly joined Knorr-Bremse, to get the Scharfenberg design from prototype to serial production.”

The next step in the EDDP is to collaborate with the industry to make the Scharfenberg Coupling Type market ready.

In the meantime, the DAC4EU demonstrator train started its test runs in phase 2a with the Scharfenberg coupling type. Phase 2a tests consist of test runs on the operational network of Deutsche Bahn and its shunting yards. By the end of the year, the demonstrator train will be fully loaded and scaled up to 24 wagons. This demonstrator train will then run on the operational network trough Austria and Switzerland for substantial winter testing. Our colleagues from GATX Rail Europe have contributed six newly built LPG railcars for the demonstrator train and are, of course, active participants in the consortium, supporting the consortium with approvals for the demonstrator train.

If you are just joining our updates on the introduction of the DAC, get the full picture here:

• Why we need DAC,
• The start of DAC4EU in 2020,
• Digital coupling prototypes that have been tested rigorously,
• The demonstrator train and
• The European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP),which is enabled by Shift2Rail

The introduction of the DAC will enable efficient, competitive, and transparent rail freight transport in Europe. It is also a prerequisite to meet the environmental goals in the European transport sector. GATX experts are actively involved in making this initiative become a reality, and we’ll keep you posted along the way.