Intramotev to Put Two Driverless Railcars Into Service on Missouri Line

Intramotev, a St. Louis company, will build two autonomous railcars and put them to work on a short line in Missouri under a $16.2 million federal grant. The company's TugVolt units will run on Columbia Terminal Railroad, a 21.4-mile line owned by the City of Columbia and operated by Columbia City Utilities between Centralia and Columbia.

The Federal Railroad Administration approved a test program that starts with remote switching at the Columbia terminal and moves in phases toward autonomous freight service over the whole mainline, including its public crossings. The grant also pays for track and infrastructure upgrades on the line. Intramotev said it will assemble both TugVolt units at its St. Louis plant.

Tim Luchini, Intramotev's chief executive, said the program is meant to show the technique on a working mainline. "Short lines keep America's small cities and rural communities connected to the freight network," Luchii said. "Autonomous railcars can help them serve more customers, more often, at lower cost."

Erin Keys, director of utilities for the City of Columbia, said the line has served as the city's connection to the national rail network for nearly 40 years. "This federal investment lets us modernize the railroad, strengthen service for our customers, and put Columbia at the forefront of rail innovation," Keys said. She said businesses served by the railroad account for hundreds of local jobs.

The work rests on a series of earlier steps. In April, Intramotev announced an agreement with ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, Austria's national railway. In June, U.S. Army Reserve soldiers trained on TugVolt technology during a planned assessment, which included a demonstration at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

The project addresses more than 600 short lines across the United States. Testing on the Columbia Terminal Railroad line begins under the Federal Railroad Administration-approved program.