The SET4FUTURE Innovation Award was presented for the fifth time by Rail.S e.V. in Leipzig on June 6, 2024. The award recognizes innovative products, technologies, solutions and business models that have the potential to be future drivers and thus make a significant contribution to the mobility transition. "We received a total of nine applications from Germany and Austria this year, more than ever before," explains Rail.S Managing Director Dirk-Ulrich Krüger and is very positive about this year's record number of applicants.

Award winners and their projects

1st place: innovative charging station for battery trains - Rail Power Systems GmbH and F&S Prozessautomation GmbH

With the scientific support of the Chair of Electric Railways, the two companies succeeded in developing a new type of charging station for battery-powered trains on non-electrified lines. The innovative feature here is the possibility of charging at 50 Hz national grid frequency instead of the previous 16.7 Hz railroad frequency, which makes the complex and cost-intensive frequency conversion superfluous. This is made possible by a simple software update on the vehicle. Compactness, accessibility, flexibility and high efficiency require comparatively less investment and reduce ongoing operating costs.

2nd place: new transhipment technology in combined freight transport - CargoBeamer AG

The winners have succeeded in developing an intelligent and efficient system for transferring goods from road to rail. With a new technical approach, non-craneable units can now be loaded for the first time, which accounts for around 95 percent of transportation by road. The loading and unloading time has also been significantly accelerated, allowing up to 72 semi-trailers to be handled in 20 minutes. This is nine times faster than with conventional technology and has great potential for reducing greenhouse gases.

3rd place: Railway infrastructure planning with the 360° multi-sensor platform - DB Bahnbau Group and DB Engineering & Consulting

With the 360° multi-sensor platform, the two cooperation partners have created a modern and digital option for surveying the existing railroad infrastructure and its surroundings. The multi-sensor platform carries a large number of sensors and measurement technologies on a track vehicle, allowing high-resolution and three-dimensional images of the surroundings and track to be taken. For example, a GNSS, several laser scanners and a georadar are used for this purpose. With the new platform, it is possible to scan the infrastructure at speeds of up to 80 km/h without significantly disrupting rail operations.