FP1 and FP2

FP1 and FP2 presented various virtual demos throughout the event.

FP3

• 3D Printing to Future-Proof Railway Components: With industrial 3D printing, railway operators are driving the development of a digital inventory to provide spare parts on demand, strengthen supply chain resilience, and sustainably reduce costs. The focus also includes applications using flame-retardant polymers and elastomers. In this way, obsolescence cases are future-proofed – based on certified processes in accordance with DIN EN ISO/ASTM 52920, from digitalization through to the quality-assured production of ready-to-use components.
• Augmented Reality on railway maintenance: How can XR and AI support railway maintenance? Visitors used an XR application to inspect the cabling of a point machine and verify that cables are connected to the correct pins. By taking a picture of the equipment, the system provides AI-based feedback on whether the connections are correct.
• Digital Twin Virtual Reality experience: An holistic Digital Twin platform managed miscellaneous railway assets including stations, bridges and earthworks. Visitors explored the CEMBOX Digital Twins integrated into a virtual reality environment, providing real-time visualization, predictive analytics, and simulation capabilities through a web-based platform. The demonstration included a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) toolbox which has been deployed on the Huertas de Mateo Bridge (HSL Madrid-Valencia, Spain) to analyse pot bearing lifespan; an early warning system developed for the Briones earthwork in La Rioja (Conventional railway line, Spain), targeting multi-soil earthwork monitoring to increase resilience against landslides; an energy efficiency toolbox deployed at the Maria Zambrano in Málaga (Spain), coordinating train operation, intelligent lighting and renewable energy generation.

FP4             

• Railways as the energy hubs of tomorrow: This physical demonstrator connected rail infrastructure and energy use. A compact energy hub, powered by the railway, stores and flexibly deploys energy. The model made the concept tangible and showed how existing infrastructure can be better utilised.
• Electro-Mechanical Braking: transforming railway performance: This demonstrator showcased an Electro-Mechanical Brake (EMB) integrated into a traditional Tread Brake Unit (TBU). Visitors could observe the system up close and learn how EMB technology can be incorporated into a conventional TBU railway brake system. A video showed the components at the system test bench and at the ATLAS roller dig undergoing test.
• The future of sustainable HVAC configuration: CustomAir is a digital HVAC configurator that enables users to compare system options based on air quality, CO₂ lifecycle emissions, Total Cost of Ownership, and system availability. It integrates natural refrigerants and energy-efficient components – defined and used in WPs 18 and 19 of FP4 – Rail4Earth- to build tailored sustainability-driven solutions adapted to specific train operating and climate conditions.
• Woodflow – Sustainable and lightweight railway interiors: Anew bio-based material innovation for railway interiors with Woodflow, a design-to-manufacturing process that turns timber into a lightweight, high-performance composite. The demonstrator presented material samples in different sizes alongside visuals of a train interior mock-up, showing real-world applications in rail design. Visitors could handle the samples to feel their texture, weight, and strength, and understand how Woodflow enables more sustainable, circular, and comfortable railway interiors.
• Improving Air Quality on board: One could discover technologies that improve air quality in the railway sector and immerse themselves in an experience where innovation met performance. It included exploring a first setup integrating a PEPA-F™ filter equipped with micro-sensors and a screen displaying system performance, and a second setup featuring LED sanitisation lighting, a handrail with a sanitising coating and an air quality micro-sensor as well as an interactive dashboard showing air quality. Through a compelling visual demonstration, the efectiveness of filtration was showcased, where one could directly compare air quality differences using a smoke test. The demonstration allowed to handle physical components, interact with expert, see the explicative videos and discover real-world applications/demonstrations implemented onboard trains. It was an immersive, visual, and interactive experience to understand the solutions that will enhance passenger protection (viruses, bacteria, fine particles, etc.) and support healthier mobility for the resilient transport of tomorrow.

FP5

• Towards full digital freight train operations: An up-close look at the Digital Automatic Coupler (DAC), including the electrical coupler and central computing unit

 FA7

• Rail-Pod 3D model: A sustainable, battery-electric rail vehicle designed to serve rural branch lines with maximum efficiency and inclusivity. In its largest configuration, the vehicle measures 16.7 meters in length with a maximum mass of 32 tonnes, driven by a battery electric traction system powering two single-axle bogies.

SYSTEM PILLAR

• Real-Time Railway Digital Twin: A live railway test site synchronised with a digital model, enabling real-time visualisation, testing and automation of railway operations.
  Today: Railway suppliers rely on isolated systems, with fragmented data formats and mostly manual information exchange.
  Future: A shared digital language through the extended ERA-ontology, enabling seamless data exchange and connected railway systems.