The 50 local and national dignitaries were invited to ride on a Stadler diesel-electric GTW train operated by Arriva Netherlands. The train is designed to accelerate and brake automatically based on the journey profile provided by ATO trackside. It operates at Grade of Automation 2 (GoA 2) under the supervision of a train protection system and a driver.
Testing in the Groningen area started in October 2019 and is being undertaken in three phases. The current phase 2 involves passengers travelling on the ATO train in order to evaluate the human factors of ATO operation. The project will also assess the potential to increase capacity, save energy, train stopping precision, punctuality, speed, safety and comfort.
The general public will be invited to ride on the ATO train later this week.
