More highlights than ever before from the global rail industry at InnoTrans 2018

Credit: InnoTrans 2016

The future is on the move at InnoTrans 2018, with the Cityjet six-car electric multiple unit, the DB Regio train of ideas, and a hybrid shunting locomotive from China.

For the first time, exhibitor numbers at this leading international trade fair for transport technology exceed 3,000, from 61 countries, breaking all previous records. The list of rolling stock, innovations and products making their international debut is equally impressive: From 18 to 21 September 2018, international trade visitors to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds will be able to see 155 vehicles on display, as well as more than 400 innovations – 146 of them on show for the first time anywhere in the world.

Two products are making their world-debut on the Exhibition Grounds: The latest generation trains for S-Bahn Berlin from the Siemens/Stadler manufacturing consortium and the DE 18 from Vossloh Locomotives. The manufacturer reports that the various EcoPlus settings enable this locomotive to cut exhaust emissions by half with only a slight reduction in performance.

CAF and Shift2Rail will be presenting their virtual train coupling concept for the first time, Bochumer Verein Verkehrstechnik from Germany will showcase an aluminium hybrid wheel with a 50kg weight reduction for use on high-speed trains, and Ultra Fog Ltd. from the UK will showcase a high-pressure water mist sprinkler system for rail vehicles.

High-tech products for improving safety

Also making their first international appearance are “Guide-Me” from Austria, an audiovisual assistance system that makes public transport safer for travellers and particularly for the disabled. The Turkish manufacturer Yapi Merkezi is presenting five world premieres featuring monitoring, control and communication systems for railways. The Spanish company Revenga Smart Solutions is presenting its cyber-attack protection system for the rail industry for the first time in Berlin. Specialists from Slovenia are exhibiting a 3D system for identifying obstacles, for use in critical areas such as rail crossings, tunnels and bridges. There are also advanced safety innovations, for example from South Korea (smart safety management system for railway stations) and from Germany. Continental AG has adapted the sensor technology to help prevent accidents on urban light-rail systems that is already being used in the automotive sector.

Just a few clicks away from success

Apps for the transport sector in some two dozen variations are widely featured at this year’s InnoTrans. Among those making their first international appearance are a real-time passenger information system from CN-Consult/Germany, the mobile ticket vending app tixiPass (France) and the smartphone app from the VisiWeb neo passenger information system produced by the Swiss company Ruf Telematik AG. This app enables train conductors to record live announcements to passengers and broadcast them in the passenger compartment or through external loudspeakers.