A ground-breaking global autonomous train development project taking place in Finland is moving on to its test phase. The aim of the initiative is to create completely new railway transportation services which could double the amount of freight moved by rail.

Led by the Finnish railway transport, logistics and infrastructure company Proxion, in conjunction with around 20 partners, the project has produced a low-emission transportation concept for large industrial enterprises. In the future, the aim is to eventually bring autonomous passenger traffic to the rails.

The autonomous train initiative received a funding decision in June and is now preparing for a pilot phase where the software and equipment of the autonomous train will be tested, simulated and test-driven.

The project is a significant leap towards the transportation of the future, and Proxion is leading the way in developing the usability and agility of all rail transport.

The strict environmental targets set by the European Union (EU) are in favour of developing electric modes of transport, and railway transport is the most energy efficient way to transport goods by land.

Reijo Viinonen, Proxion’s autonomous train initiative project manager, said: “The innovative development of rail transport is therefore in a key position, as the goals are to develop transportation that is lower in emissions and to achieve better rail utilisation.”

The piloting of Proxion’s utonomous train concept will begin later this year and it is expected to be operational by 2023.