GATX and Nevomo will collaborate on developing and testing Nevomo's MagRail technology, drawing inspiration from hyperloop technology. As part of the partnership, the MagRail Booster, a linear motor propulsion system that can retrofit existing railcars, will be installed on conventional freight wagons supplied by GATX Rail Europe and tested on rail infrastructure equipped with the MagRail system's trackside devices.
The cooperation between the two companies will allow for testing on Nevomo's test track in Nowa Sarzyna using conventional freight wagons and further development of the new functionality of the MagRail system. The MagRail Booster technology extends existing railway lines' capacity and increases rail transport efficiency. The Booster has been developed to improve existing rail services allowing traffic automation and infrastructure electrification with higher flexibility, greater capacity, and enhanced dynamics.
The potential applications of the MagRail Booster with retrofitted rolling stock for freight are currently being evaluated by major European railways, such as increasing loading limits on inclines or quicker re-acceleration of freight trains after being passed by faster passenger trains. Moreover, the MagRail Booster allows railway traffic in non-electrified tunnels and under low-clearance bridges. It is an excellent solution that allows railway operators and infrastructure managers to improve their daily business.
One of the key advantages of the MagRail Booster system is that single Booster wagons can operate independently without being connected to the locomotive, which offers new possibilities for applications in which wagons can be organised into small groups instead of full trainsets. This feature is particularly useful in "last miles" areas, such as cargo terminals and industrial facilities, where high flexibility and movement automation is highly desirable.
Nevomo's MagRail technology has already been highly appreciated by major European railway industry players, confirmed by several agreements, including Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Duisport, and SNCF.
The first 1:5 demo version of MagRail Nevomo was presented in 2019. Successful mid-size tests were conducted in December 2020. Last year, Nevomo completed the construction of the full-scale test track in Nowa Sarzyna in Poland, which is Europe's longest track for testing passive magnetic levitation. The first tests already began and will now be extended to the MagRail Booster tests with the conventional freight wagons on MagRail infrastructure.
The technology created by Nevomo is the missing link between the existing railway infrastructure and the brand-new digital railway systems. Its rapid, successful deployment and use on Europe's rail network could not only bring significant benefits to operators and rail infrastructure managers.
To learn more about the new innovative solutions, see the video explanation.
