This has been the year where artificial intelligence automation has made big inroads into society in good ways and bad. You can add railroads to that list as self-driving railcars are incoming to Missouri soon.
I saw a press release today shared by Railway News revealing that “Federal Grant Supports Autonomous Freight Rail in Missouri”. If you dig into the details, you’ll see this is a $16.2 million dollar grant that is intended to bring the Columbia Terminal Railroad up to modern standards including the cutting-edge technology of autonomous railcars.
What is an autonomous railcar?
It is a self-powered, driverless freight vehicle equipped with its own electric motors, batteries, computers, and sensors that will be deployed by Intramotev. Their official site says this technology can eliminate the need for a locomotive and can be retrofitted to transform any railcar…