Wabtec Debuts New Rail Technology at Railway Interchange 2025
The ultimate mission of the ATG, Wabtec says, “is to de-risk innovation investments that deliver breakthrough solutions at scale.” The group operates like Boeing’s Phantom Works or Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.
Some of the concepts displayed by ATG include perception technology, such as Asset Inventory Management (AIM) and RailGhost; OneBot; and Pathfinder.
The intersection of AI and various sensing technologies using cameras, LiDAR, and radar “is a particularly fertile area for new product development with impacts across the industry,” said Wabtec’s ATG. It is leading to advanced safety detection solutions in trains and buses and is featured in a new Maintenance of Way prototype for improved productivity in rail-yard operations—a next-generation Spiker Vision, the first closed-loop AI solution that Wabtec says has garnered the interest of multiple Class I partners.
“The way we work is we don’t hold on to products; we make sure we train the business into receiving them and building them,” said Philip Moslener, Corporate VP – Advanced Technology at Wabtec. “This is because we’re a small group—roughly 80 engineers out of a 30,000-employee company. We make sure that when we do a project, we integrate engineers from the businesses and train them on the technology. That way they can move on. And this is how we spread the use of the technology.”
Moslener also talked about AIM, a system that allows for cameras to be put in the yard, which can then look at the railcars and identify them (location, number of car, type of car, etc.). “Tag readers exist outbound and inbound but inside the yard, it’s basically a black hole,” said Moslener. “This technology allows users to see if the railcar is on the wrong track or in the wrong order. Computer vision or perception systems is used as a technology to understand what you have in the yard so you can inform the yardmaster of any problems. AIM is one of those types of projects that we work on that uses the fundamental technology of perception systems.”
ATG is also exploring the application of automation technology in rail. RailGhost “rethinks and re-engineers” a path to navigating rail yards, Wabtec says. It introduces a platform for robotic and inspection capabilities that are seamlessly integrated, “unlocking new levels of safety, efficiency, and insights heretofore not possible.”
What sets RailGhost apart, Wabtec’s ATG says, is its unique low-profile design that enables automated movement throughout rail yards. It can travel on top of rails, go underneath railcars, and navigate through switches and grade crossings,“ providing unmatched mobility and comprehensive access to all areas of the yard.”
The ATG’s OneBot technology draws on the latest innovations in generative AI and large language models (LLM) and applies them to the customer-care function with the goal of enabling customers to use smart bots to troubleshoot problems, “resulting in quicker, less expensive outcomes,” the company noted. Given the technical and safety-related nature of rail systems, OneBot meets strict security controls with answers that are tested and curated by Wabtec’s expert engineers.
According to Wabtec’s ATG, OneBot users will feel as if they have their own personal Wabtec expert at their fingertips. A person can ask a question in simple, natural language and obtain a specific technical answer about complex products or machines, greatly improving the overall customer-service experience.
The use cases for “remote control” of locomotives is boundless, Wabtec says, and ATG showcased its early thinking in this exciting field. Teleoperations represents the future of human-centered train automation—the safe, logical next step for enhancing rail efficiency and service quality. By tightly integrating advanced remote command capabilities with transformative automation like Trip Optimizer and Positive Train Control (PTC), teleoperations “optimize personnel utilization while unlocking new levels of safe, reliable operations not possible through manual methods alone. Teleoperations is an investment in the modern rail workforce and a catalyst for improved profitability through simultaneous cost savings and new revenue opportunities,” the company said.
Wabtec and ATG say they have a “bold vision for autonomous trains,” including the development of future locomotives for shorter routes and more frequent, just-in-time payloads. “It’s time for truck-like service on rail, providing operators greater agility, flexibility, and visibility. And ATG is on the frontlines of creating the enabling technologies for this new generation of locomotives,” according to the company.
Wabtec’s new Pathfinder concept would use existing locomotives and equip them with new digital equipment and sensors for autonomous operation. The Pathfinder is scheduled to be tested with ENSCO this August at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC).
Additionally, Wabtec displayed a new dual fuel engine that allows customers to make the transition from diesel fuel to alternative fuels, including hydrogen, ethanol, methanol, and natural gas, in a measured and risk reduced manner, providing the railroad operational flexibility.
The engine will feature a low-pressure direct injection system, which, Wabtec says, is very flexible in that all fuel injection takes place within the combustion chamber, lessening potential impacts of an alternative fuel compared to low pressure port injection systems. It also allows for platforming of the engine components for both liquid and gaseous fuels.
