UNIFE Director General visited AŽD, key topics: ETCS and autonomous railways

The Director General of UNIFE appreciated the long-standing and active membership of AŽD in the UNIFE and UNISIG organizations and emphasized the importance of its contribution to the development of the ETCS. "We perceive that the decision of the Czech Republic to move very quickly to the exclusive operation of ETCS brings not only positives but also some negatives. AŽD now has unique experience in ETCS and it would be good to share this experience with other railways," said Enno Wiebe.

The CEO of AŽD Zdeněk Chrdle confirmed the strategic commitment of the company to the development of ERTMS/ETCS and autonomous train operation. "Active participation of AŽD in UNIFE and UNISIG underlines our efforts for technological development of the European railway industry. At the same time, we strive for equal business opportunities for all European manufacturers of railway technologies, including AŽD," said Zdeněk Chrdle.

The visit of the Director General of UNIFE also included a tour of the AŽD research and development laboratories and test tracks. On the Plum railways (Čížkovice - Obrnice), Enno Wiebe got acquainted with the latest technologies for railway traffic control and appreciated the unique position of AŽD as a manufacturer of signalling technology, especially ETCS, railway infrastructure manager and railway transport operator. According to him, this combination makes AŽD a completely unique entity in the European railway system.

The next part of the programme took place at Kopidlnka, i.e. on the AŽD Kopidlno - Dolní Bousov experimental line, where Enno Wiebe got acquainted with the highly modern Dětenice Competence Centre and the innovative project of operating an autonomous train on the whole line. During a practical demonstration, he had the opportunity to test some key technologies directly in the EDITA (Experimental Rail Vehicle for Innovative Technologies of AŽD) vehicle, which will be part of the upcoming commercial operation of the autonomous railway. This autonomous operation will be launched at Kopidlnka on 5 April 2025.

"I was impressed by the technological innovations and comprehensive approach of AŽD. Their ability to integrate the production of signalling technology, management of railway infrastructure and operation of railway transport is truly unique and inspiring," said Enno Wiebe at the end of his visit.

The visit of the Director General of UNIFE confirms the growing importance of AŽD as a key player in the field of digitalization and automation of European railway transport.