Bosch Engineering AutomatedTrain

In the research and development project AutomatedTrain, which forms part of the sector initiative "Digitale Schiene Deutschland" (Digital Rail Germany) headed up by DB InfraGO, Bosch Engineering, together with nine project partners, is paving the way for fully automated rail transportation of the future. Smart sensor technology will allow trains to recognize their surroundings and automatically react to any obstacles. With the goal of testing fully automated train dispatching and stabling operations as well as the automated preparation and shutdown of trains by 2026, AutomatedTrain is providing important impulses for the railway sector.

In the AutomatedTrain project, Bosch Engineering, together with other project partners, is developing a multimodal sensor system for the robust monitoring of the rail vehicle. Sensor technology, maps, and localization are combined for environmental perception to reliably detect obstacles.

Train equipment

Bosch Engineering is equipping both project vehicles (Alstom BR 430 of the Stuttgart S-Bahn and Mireo from Siemens Mobility) with radar and ultrasonic sensors along with a multipurpose camera for surround sensing. The test vehicle of the Alstom series 430 of the Stuttgart S-Bahn is operating in the Stuttgart S-Bahn network since March 2026 with the integrated surround sensors and will collect data in a real operational environment during test runs. The environmental perception system is being conducted in "shadow mode," meaning that the electronic systems of the surround sensors record and combine data but do not actively intervene in the driving functions. The train driver retains full control over the vehicle at all times. This process allows valuable data to be collected in a real operational environment, which can then be used to further optimize the environmental perception, obstacle detection and automation functions.

Automated train sensor set — Source: Digitale Schiene Deutschland; Alstom Transport Deutschland GmbH; Siemens Mobility GmbH

The implementation on the test vehicle BR 430 takes place in three stages:

Stage 1: Setup of the surround sensing and obstacle detection system including hardware and software on a static mock-up in the laboratory for initial tests in August 2024.
Stage 2: Construction of a dynamic mock-up on the track in the test area of the rail transport company Havelländische Eisenbahn in Berlin-Spandau (HVLE). It replicates the identical setup of the future perception and localization sensor technology of the later test vehicle (BR 430). From October 2024, object detection scenarios could thus be tested in the HVLE test environment.
Stage 3: After the integration of the AutomatedTrain system into the BR 430 vehicle, test drives began in the real operational environment in March 2026 on the Stuttgart S-Bahn network, for the purpose of testing and validating obstacle detection.

In parallel, on the second test vehicle, the Mireo from Siemens Mobility, fully automated train dispatching and stabling operations, as well as the automated preparation and shutdown of the train, are being tested at the test and validation center in Wegberg-Wildenrath. Both test vehicles are equipped with virtually identical hardware but different software solutions, thus allowing the data from both systems to be compared in order to further optimize the automation solutions.

Expertise from Bosch Engineering

Bosch Engineering contributes extensive expertise in the areas of surround sensing and autonomous driving to the project, which encompasses everything from concept development and engineering to function validation and volume production. On the hardware and software side, the company can also draw on robust, cutting-edge Bosch sensor technology from the automotive sector. Paired with its long-standing experience in the development and industrialization of assistance systems for surround sensing in the railway sector, Bosch Engineering creates solutions that are tailored to railway-specific installation conditions, system availability requirements, and safety standards.

Development of the surround sensing system

A key aspect of Bosch Engineering's work involves the development of the surround sensing system for assistance and automation application as well as the implementation of software for safe and reliable obstacle detection. Bosch Engineering pursues a modular and scalable approach to the implementation. The modular approach makes it possible to implement future and more advanced requirements for the assistance system without fundamental adaptations. Scalable means that automation functions are initially implemented for low speeds at an early stage but can then be ramped up for higher speeds.

AuomatedTrain obstacle detection — Source: DB InfraGO AG

AutomatedTrain opens new perspectives for rail traffic

The cooperation project AutomatedTrain, led by DB InfraGO AG, gives Bosch Engineering the opportunity to collaborate with renowned partners in developing a system suitable for general approval and thus play a key role in shaping and advancing automation in railway transportation. With AutomatedTrain, the project sends decisive impulses for the further development of the railway sector and clearly demonstrates how technological innovations form the basis for series-ready products and future deployment in operational use. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is supporting the project with around 42.6 million euros.
The results of the project will be presented at the InnoTrans international trade fair for rail and transport technology in September 2026, among other events.