DB, Alstom Test Remote Depot Driving for Commuter Trains

Deutsche Bahn and Alstom have completed the first customer-operated test of remote driving on a commuter train in a real depot environment in Germany. The trial, carried out in Munich, involved remotely shunting an S-Bahn train from a Remote Operation Centre on a works track.

The deployment demonstrates how depot movements can be digitalised to improve speed and operational efficiency. Instead of being physically onboard, the operator controls the train from a remote workstation, reducing walking distances for shunting staff and accelerating routine depot processes.




The system uses a DB 5G campus network to link the train with the Remote Operation Centre. Alstom’s architecture connects existing Train Control and Management Systems (TCMS) to a standardised remote-driving interface, allowing legacy vehicles to be integrated without fundamental redesign. In the Munich test, additional cameras and sensors were installed on the train to provide the remote operator with real-time situational awareness.




The solution was developed with an industrial rollout in mind and is designed to be applicable to both existing fleets and future newbuild trains. According to the project partners, the technology can be deployed across multiple Alstom commuter train series, including BR423, BR430, BR442, BR490 and BR1440, covering several hundred vehicles in Germany.

The trial marks a milestone toward more efficient, digitally enabled depot operations and provides a technical foundation for future prototype development in remote train driving.

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