NEVOMO, Poland, has unveiled its MagRail Booster to the public for the first time at the Trako International Railway Fair taking place in Gdansk, Poland, this week.
MagRail Booster is a retrofit solution for existing freight wagons that uses electromagnetic propulsion with a linear motor to allow each wagon to move independently without a locomotive.
The announcement comes two weeks after Nevomo successfully tested its MagRail technology, which allows railway vehicles to levitate magnetically on conventional lines, and is intended to boost operational frequency, capacity and automation.
Tests underway on Nevomo’s test track in Nowa Sarzyna, Poland, have already demonstrated that wagons retrofitted with MagRail Booster can move on conventional infrastructure at up to 160km/h.
Nevomo says these retrofitted freight wagons can operate in both full trains and as individual units, and can also autonomously couple and uncouple with other wagons.
The MagRail Booster system has been developed under a partnership between Nevomo and wagon leasing company GATX Rail Europe announced in May.
The company has also entered into cooperation agreements with French National Railways (SNCF) and Italian Rail Network (RFI) to explore the potential of MagRail Booster for both passenger and freight transport.
In particular, Nevomo says the MagRail Booster could improve capacity on the Paris commuter network by offering higher acceleration and precise de-acceleration of existing trains. The first commercial deployment of MagRail Booster technology is already planned for 2024-25, starting with freight applications.
“With MagRail Booster, we are innovating to enable railways to easily adapt and grow faster in rapidly evolving digital age, bringing measurable benefits to infrastructure managers, operators, and their customers,” says Nevomo product management director and co-founder, Mr Kacper Koniarski.
