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FP2 – R2DATO - Project Outputs

Cost of railway capacity expansions in Norway as input to evaluation of Economic Feasibility of Automatic Train Operation

Jun 10, 2026

Output type:

This paper compares the economic feasibility of traditional rail infrastructure investments and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) as solutions to improve rail capacity, punctuality, and efficiency. Using a KPI-based framework applied to Norwegian case studies, it finds that infrastructure projects are generally more cost-effective for significant capacity increases, while ATO offers better value for improving punctuality and operational efficiency, especially on busy corridors. The study concludes that infrastructure and ATO should be considered complementary approaches, with infrastructure enabling capacity growth and ATO enhancing reliability and performance.

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