Video: ProRail delighted by first tests with self-driving train

Earlier this month ProRail performed its first tests with travelers on a self-driving train, and with great success, the rail manager said.

For five days, around 60 travelers per day rode the train running on Automatic Train Operation (ATO) between Groningen and Buitenpost and reported their experiences. The rail manager also researched the technology, the acceleration and braking systems, punctuality, energy consumption, and stopping in exactly the right place.

"The tests went very well," Rik van den Band, ATO project manager at ProRail said. "We ware very happy with the enthusiastic participation of dozens of travelers. Research agency TNO is now processing all responses."

The experiment was done in cooperation with Arriva, the province of Groningen, and ATO developer Stadler. According to ProRail, ATO offers exciting possibilities for safely running more trains closer together, in order to cope with the ever growing number of train travelers.