NGT CARGO - A market-driven concept for more sustainable freight transport on rail

Abstract

Greenhouse gas emissions from the freight transportation sector must be significantly reduced in line with the European Union’s commitments. Shifting freight transportation from carbon-intensive modes such as air and road to more environmentally friendly modes, such as rail, can be an effective means of accomplishing this goal. In order to compete with the flexibility, speed and price of current road transportation, rail freight needs to apply new technologies and strategies such as automation, energy-dense batteries and virtual coupling between trains. NGT CARGO is a high speed freight train concept, the individual cars of which are capable of independent autonomous travel for short distances and which, as a complete train with locomotives, is capable of high speed platooning operations together with other appropriately equipped passenger and freight trains. With this concept, the capabilities and capacities of rail freight transportation can be expanded while maximizing the utilization of existing infrastructure.