Smart Train Wins the “VCÖ Mobility Award 2023”

The Smart Train by Mercitalia Intermodal (a company of the FS Group’s Logistics Hub), developed in collaboration with PJM, has won Austria’s “VCÖ Mobility Award 2023” — the country’s largest competition for climate-friendly mobility and sustainable freight transport, held in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Environment and ÖBB.

 

The Smart Train, made up of wagons from Mercitalia Intermodal, was tested together with TX Logistik (also part of the FS Group’s Logistics Hub) on one of their commercial routes. The project proved that digital technologies are no longer just a future vision—they can be integrated into the day-to-day operations of rail freight transport.

 

This pilot train was fully equipped with digital technology, from automated brake testing to real-time monitoring of train running parameters and wagon status. This results in better asset preservation, reduced transit times, less component wear, and shorter maintenance times, as onboard monitoring provides workshops with early fault data, speeding up repairs.

 

Innovative projects like Mercitalia’s Smart Train contribute to building an environmentally friendly transport system and play a crucial role in the green and energy transition by offering less energy-intensive and more sustainable solutions—both environmentally and economically.

 

This technology is also compatible with innovations developed under Spoke 4 of MOST – Italy’s National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, integrating data and information with platforms featuring new train inspection and diagnostic technologies, as well as automation for last-mile operations.