Autonomous freight railcar builder Intramotev this week said it will provide its technology for a federally funded project to run robotic locomotives on Missouri’s Columbia Terminal Railroad (COLT).
Specifically, Saint Louis, Missouri-based Intramotev will serve 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.
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 project’s goal is to produce a safety record that FRA and the more than 600 U.S. short lines can use as a template for adopting autonomous railcars.
“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,” said Tim Luchini, Intramotev’s CEO.
