The handover of the funding decision for the "BrainTrain JuLiA" project by Transport Minister Ina Brandis took place on 22.12.2021 in bright weather in Jülich at the train station/loading ramp.
On a route of around 10 kilometers - between Jülich and Linnich - the project is researching intelligent solutions for self-driving trains: from partially automated (i.e. with an operator on board) to fully autonomous. The state government is supporting this development, with real-world operation starting from Jülich in 2024/25. In total, the state will provide 2.5 million euros for autonomous driving on rail in 2021. The initial funding will now enable the Rurtalbahn and its project partners to purchase and convert a rail vehicle for trial and test operations.
Prof. Christian Schindler (IFS), Prof. Niels Nießen (VIA), as well as Prof. Dirk Abel and Dr. Rene Zweigel (both IRT) from RWTH Aachen were present at the handover. For more information, please read the press release, which you can find here.