Showcasing Innovation in Rail Operations at the Swedish Transport Research Conference 2025

On 23 October 2025, researchers from RISE and Trafikverket presented their latest work on the FP1-MOTIONAL project at the Swedish Transport Research Conference held at Linköping University, Campus Norrköping.

The presentation, titled “Improved Traffic Flow in Railway Operations Using Connected Driver Advisory Systems (C-DAS), Optimisation and Machine Learning”, highlighted promising developments towards smarter, more efficient railway traffic management.

C-DAS technology connects traffic controllers and train drivers in real time, enabling smoother coordination, improved punctuality, reduced energy use, and better capacity utilisation. While Sweden has tested C-DAS in various settings since 2011, the ongoing research focuses on enhancing traffic control through automation, decision support, and intelligent handling of “mixed traffic” – trains with and without C-DAS.

Within the FP1-MOTIONAL project, RISE and Trafikverket have developed a Real-Time Traffic Plan (RTTP) Updater, which uses machine learning and mathematical optimisation to predict train runtimes and fine-tune operational timetables. Early results from the test area in the south-east of Sweden show highly accurate predictions (within 30 seconds) and very fast calculation times, with traffic controllers responding positively to the concept.

The next step will be to integrate these tools into Trafikverket’s operational systems for further testing and evaluation during spring 2026.

Link to the event page: Swedish transport research conference 2025 (STRC2025) – Linköping University