Europe's first driverless train makes debut in Czechia

Europe’s first autonomous train of its kind has completed over 1,000 miles of passenger transport on an open rail line in northern Czechia, its developer confirmed Tuesday. The development has captured the attention of international media, including British outlet the Daily Mail, Yahoo, and France 24.

The train, affectionately named Edita, operates on the 24-kilometer Kopidlno–Dolní Bousov line on the eastern edge of Central Bohemia. It runs on a previously abandoned regional route restored by AŽD after its 2016 purchase.

Edita is the first driverless train in Europe in an open environment with level crossings where animals might get in the way.

“The train runs autonomously, it is equipped with systems that enable us to control its traction, brakes, and speed,” Michal Novák, a railway developer at AŽD, is quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

“It is also equipped with a device that detects objects and recognises...obstacles and reacts accordingly,” he added.

The train has been running sparingly since its launch, as AŽD uses the route primarily to test new technologies in real-world conditions. The line, once used for transporting sugar beets, was abandoned in 2010 before AŽD bought it and transformed it into a modern testing ground for autonomous rail systems.

“The object detector currently consists of...3D spatial scenes using laser beams, a stereo camera that compiles a depth map, a thermal camera for displaying infrared thermal radiation of objects, and an HD camera,” said Vítězslav Landsfeld, head of the autonomous train project at AŽD, in a press release.

Since April, Edita has operated with supervision, as Czech law currently requires a driver on board. Each journey includes a conductor and technical staff collecting system performance data.

During a test run, the train slowed after detecting a hare on the track and informed the crew. On another occasion, it stopped for a herd of sheep. “There are systems where autonomous vehicles operate, but these are mostly on special tracks that are closed off... such as underground or transfers between airport terminals,” said Novák.

“These have been in place for quite some time and work well in Europe, but I only know of one project in Australia that operates in such an open landscape.”

AŽD invested CZK 320 million in the project, with around one-third financed by EU funds.

“When people started talking about unmanned drones, no one believed it either, and now they already exist,” said AŽD CEO Zdeněk Chrdle. “Autonomous cars are currently being tested, so why couldn't there be autonomous trains on wide tracks? After all, it's easier than a car. At least in that you know exactly where the train is going and what awaits it on the track.”