DB Cargo Uses Artificial Intelligence for Maintenance

The Future of Maintenance is Digital α DB Cargo Uses Camera Bridges for Digital Diagnostics of Freight Cars α Software with Artificial Intelligence Assists Wagon Masters and Offers New Opportunities for Cargo Customers α Bavaria’s Digital Minister Judith Gerlach Launches Nationwide Practical Operations.

(Mainz/Nuremberg) Everyone is talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and DB is now using it in the tough operational everyday life of rail freight transport. With the help of a camera bridge that visually captures passing freight trains from all sides, damages can be detected early, and even cargo can be scanned. In the future, the images will be analyzed by an AI application, providing insights into the condition of the wagons and cargo. This helps to repair freight cars more efficiently and quickly, thus bringing more goods onto the climate-friendly rail. The analysis of bulk goods is also made possible. For example, industrial raw materials such as metal or scrap can be identified and sorted more quickly.

Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Member of the Executive Board for Freight Transport at Deutsche Bahn, and Judith Gerlach, Bavarian State Minister for Digital Affairs, today launched the nationwide practical operations for AI applications in rail freight transport at the Nuremberg marshalling yard.

Showcasing Artificial Intelligence in Practice

Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, DB Executive Board Member for Freight Transport: “Rail freight transport is a proven logistics method, with which we already save seven million tons of CO2 every year. Artificial Intelligence will now be an integral part of our operational processes. It helps us bring more freight cars and thus more cargo onto the climate-friendly rail.”

Judith Gerlach, Bavarian State Minister for Digital Affairs: “It is very important to me to show where Artificial Intelligence finds practical application and how it specifically supports people, as here in freight wagon diagnostics. AI is also a great opportunity for our companies in Bavaria when used correctly. This makes it clear what always holds true: AI supports humans; it does not replace them. AI is there for humans, not the other way around.”

A Total of 20 Camera Bridges in Operation

The first camera bridge at a marshalling yard started test operations in 2017 at the Nuremberg marshalling yard. Meanwhile, a total of 13 camera bridges are in operation in Nuremberg and seven other DB Cargo locations, which are gradually being equipped with the new AI technology. With up to 10,000 wagon passings daily, they capture up to 300,000 high-resolution images every day. After the pilot operation of the AI software in rail freight transport for photo evaluation was successfully launched, it is now being used at DB Cargo locations nationwide. For example, the AI provides insights into the condition of the brake shoes. The camera technology also creates an additional perspective from above. The automatic scrap sorting recognition is currently being tested with the first customer from the steel industry, thus supporting DB Cargo’s customers from the steel industry in the future.

The camera bridge at the Nuremberg marshalling yard allows for careful analysis of the freight car on the screen. Employees of the maintenance commissioning will be gradually supported by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods. This has led to the emergence of a new, attractive profession, the Digital Diagnostician. The wagon masters, who take care of the inspection of the freight cars on-site at the tracks, are also expected to be relieved in the future. So far, the inspection of the freight train takes more than an hour, depending on its length.

This is How the Camera Bridge Works

A camera set captures high-resolution images of individual freight cars from above and both sides. A specially developed AI software assists in the precise, weather- and daylight-independent assessment of the freight cars. An artificial intelligence learns to increasingly recognize damages automatically. This project development was also funded by the Federal Program Future Rail Freight Transport of the BMDV (Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport).

Photo: © DB Cargo