Intramotev, the technology company building autonomous freight railcars, will deploy its TugVolt technology on Missouri’s Columbia Terminal Railroad (COLT) as the technology partner on a $16.2 million federal grant.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced this week that it has selected the City of Columbia for a grant under its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program.
Tim Luchini, Intramotev’s CEO, says: “Short lines keep America’s small cities and rural communities connected to the freight network. Autonomous railcars can help them serve more customers, more often, at lower cost, and this program will show what that looks like on a working mainline.
“We’re proud to partner with the City of Columbia and COLT, and grateful to FRA for its support of this important milestone for the rail industry.”
Intramotev will deploy two TugVolt autonomous railcars on COLT’s 21.4-mile line between Centralia and Columbia, Missouri. Operations will advance in phases under an FRA-approved test program.
They begin with remote switching at COLT’s Columbia terminal and build to autonomous freight service across the full mainline and its public crossings. The grant also funds track and infrastructure upgrades for the railroad.
Erin Keys, utilities director, City of Columbia, says: “COLT has been Columbia’s link to the national rail network for nearly 40 years, and the businesses that depend on it support hundreds of local jobs. This federal investment lets us modernize the railroad, strengthen service for our customers, and put Columbia at the forefront of rail innovation.”
The project will produce a safety record that FRA and the more than 600 US short lines can use as a template for adopting autonomous railcars. Intramotev will build both TugVolt units at its St Louis facility.
COLT is a municipally owned short line operated by Columbia City Utilities.
The funding announcement comes in the midst of a busy year for Intramotev. In April, the company announced an agreement with ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, Austria’s national railway. In June, US Army Reserve soldiers trained on TugVolt technology during a planned technology assessment.
Main image courtesy of Dealroom.co
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