The assumption of this topic, is that each static infrastructure (for rail, road, etc.) has an equivalent “moving infrastructure” unique carrier. Αnother element is the transport of people and goods from door to door without changing the “moving infrastructure” vessel (sometimes also referred as POD), through the use of a standardised vessel for the different needs of passengers and goods.

The project stemming from this topic shall contribute to deliver the expected outcomes and the R&I work should cover:

Work-stream 1:

• Technology assessment for passenger and freight transport for an automated multimodal mobility system in the form of a rail-based system of “moving infrastructure” vessel and carrier
• Hazard analysis of multimodal mobility systems incl. determination of relevant standards and legal needs and constraints for the autonomous operation of a railway with a “moving infrastructure” system, with recommendations
• Socio-Economical evaluation of such multimodal mobility system, incl. Use Case Studies
• Development of (a) business case/s including a CBA for the different stakeholders and for the different use cases
• Evaluation (economical and technical) feasibility of envisaged operational procedures

Work–stream 2:

• Technical Concept for Pod, vehicle design including the Coupling System, Operation System
• Design variants of the vessel as e.g. commuter, business, education, freight, etc.
• Development of a sample vessel for one use case at least through validation in virtual environment
• Concept development for vessel equipment e.g. Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Automation

The “moving infrastructure” vessels shall have standardised dimensions and mechanical interfaces and, if applicable, electrical interfaces. Depending on the application, they are designed for the transport of people and / or goods and include all the necessary facilities or equipment. In case of passengers’ transport, they should also include facilities for communication and passenger information, ticket recognition and / or autonomous payment systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, safety and emergency systems, diagnostic equipment and autonomous repair processes, as well as flexible interior equipment. The passenger Pod could also offer the ability for long distance travelling at night.

In addition, there is a need to define all relevant systems for operating a fully autonomous transport system, such as operating system, energy supply, information and auxiliary systems.

Work-stream 3:

• Definition and development of a standardized coupling system, which is essential for safe loading and unloading of the “moving infrastructure” vessels from the “moving infrastructure” Carrier and for securing them on the different transport platforms
• Concept for the handling, loading/unloading technologies
• Development of a “moving infrastructure” carrier for rail with technical validation where achievable

The “moving infrastructure” Carrier contains all functionalities that are necessary for transport on existing rail networks, such as running gear, energy supply and drive units, devices for autonomous driving (sensor technology, communication technology, vehicle control, etc.), braking devices as well as global and local transport coordination which should be adapted to all climate and adverse weather conditions (e. g. snow and cold temperature in winter).