In Central Bohemia, a modest regional railway has become the focus of international attention with the launch of Europe’s first autonomous passenger train operating in open conditions. The train, known as Edita, has already completed more than 1,000 miles of passenger service on the 24-kilometre stretch between Kopidlno and Dolní Bousov, according to its developer AŽD. The achievement has been reported widely by international outlets, including the Daily Mail, Yahoo, and France 24.

The line itself has a remarkable history. Once used to carry sugar beets, it was abandoned in 2010 and left dormant until AŽD purchased it in 2016. Since then, the company has transformed the route into a testing ground for new railway technologies, culminating in the introduction of Edita as the first driverless train to run in an open environment with level crossings, where unexpected obstacles such as vehicles, animals or people may appear.

Michal Novák, a developer at AŽD, explained that the train is capable of managing its traction, braking, and speed entirely on its own. The autonomous system relies on a sophisticated combination of sensors and cameras that allow it to detect and respond to objects on the line. Vítězslav Landsfeld, who heads the autonomous train project, described the onboard technology as a fusion of laser mapping, stereo vision, thermal imaging, and high-definition video monitoring. During trial operations, the system proved its responsiveness when Edita slowed down after detecting a hare and later came to a full stop for a herd of sheep.

Despite its autonomy, the train does not yet run without human supervision. Czech law requires a driver to be present in the cab, and each journey is accompanied by a conductor and technical staff who collect detailed performance data. For now, Edita is used sparingly as AŽD focuses on refining the system under real-world conditions.

Although autonomous rail vehicles are not new in Europe—metro lines and airport shuttles have operated without drivers for years—these are limited to closed, controlled environments. What makes Edita unique is its deployment on a conventional regional line exposed to the unpredictability of the open landscape. Beyond Europe, only a handful of similar projects exist, with one notable example in Australia.

The project has required significant investment, with AŽD spending around CZK 320 million, a third of which came from European Union funds. For the company’s leadership, however, the step into autonomous rail transport is a natural evolution. “When people first spoke of unmanned drones, few believed they would ever take off, and yet today they are common,” said AŽD CEO Zdeněk Chrdle. “Autonomous cars are already being tested, so why shouldn’t autonomous trains follow? In many ways, it is even easier than cars, since a train’s path is fixed and its route is clearly defined.”

Source: https://www.expats.cz/
Author: CzechTrade Australia