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Innovating Rail Adhesion Management
Challenge
Wheel–rail adhesion is a critical factor for safe and efficient railway operations. When adhesion is low, for example due to contamination or seasonal conditions, trains may experience reduced braking performance, increased stopping distances and wheel damage. These challenges become particularly relevant as European railways move towards more automated and digitally enabled operations, where accurate knowledge and effective management of braking performance are essential for safety and network capacity.
The solutions
Europe’s Rail (EU-Rail) has developed and demonstrated innovative adhesion management solutions to optimise braking performance under low-adhesion conditions.
Advanced Adhesion Management Solutions for Safer Rail Operations
The new adhesion management solution is designed to address low adhesion issues between the wheel and the rail, improving adhesion usage. The solution is intended to improve railway operations under severe conditions and is particularly suited for use with ATO/ETCS.
Maturity level
TRL 6-7 (the solution will be ready at the end of 2026)
Expected benefits
Good prospects, especially when combined with ATO under ETCS protection.
Who benefits
Railway operators
Final users
Adaptive Wheel-Slide Protection and Smart Sanding
The adaptive wheel slide protection and smart sander solution is designed to ensure safety and performances under degraded conditions while reducing Life Cycle Costs (LCC) by eliminating wheel lock occurrences. To improve line capacity, improved braking systems alone are not sufficient. Adhesion detection devices are also fundamental to achieving significant improvements in line capacity without compromising safety.
Maturity level
TRL 5-6 (the solution will be ready by the end of EU-Rail Wave2 at the end of 2028)
Expected benefits
Huge improvement in automatic driving operations for all vehicles equipped with the tool.
Who benefits
Railway operators
Suppliers
Final users
Conclusion
Better adhesion management supports safer and more reliable braking.
More accurate adhesion information can help optimise railway capacity.
These solutions contribute to the transition towards more automated and efficient rail operations.
Learn more about the project
FP2-R2DATO
To meet the increasing demand for transportation of both passengers and freight, FP2-R2DATO will take the advantages of digitalisation and automation to develop the next generation ATC and deliver scalable digital and automatic (up to autonomous) train operation (DATO) capabilities in order to enhance the capacity of the existing rail networks.