SNCF Launches High-Speed Railway Automated Inspection Train Project

Recently, the French infrastructure management company SNCF Network officially announced the “Mobile Autonomous Railway Safety (Mars) LGV” project. This five - year project aims to develop an autonomous inspection vehicle for safety checks on high - speed lines (LGV) every morning before they open to traffic. Currently, this crucial task is undertaken by standard TGV high - speed trains, which run empty at a maximum speed of 220 km/h. Approximately 20 trains are needed daily, with an annual mileage of around 2 million kilometers.

The traditional inspection method brings huge pressure in terms of cost and energy consumption. SNCF Network stated that the new Mars LGV unmanned battery - powered vehicle can complete high - speed line inspections at only one - third of the cost, while the energy consumption is only one - twentieth of that of the TGV. In the future, a batch of autonomous inspection vehicles will be deployed at strategic locations of the French high - speed network. They will be remotely monitored by a control center, which can receive data in real - time from sensors such as cameras, radars, and lidars on the vehicles. SNCF Network said that these inspection vehicles can detect obstacles on the tracks and faults in the surrounding environment of the high - speed lines, and quickly identify areas that need attention.

According to the Mars LGV project schedule, the prototype design will be carried out in 2025 - 2026, and the manufacturing and delivery of the prototype vehicle will be completed in 2027. Trials and field tests will be carried out in 2028 - 2029, and SNCF Network plans to complete the tests and verify the prototype vehicle by mid - 2029. The project brings together six partners, including battery supplier Forsee Power, signal supplier Compagnie des Signaux, technical research institute IRT Railenium, track maintenance machinery manufacturer Socofer France, artificial intelligence developer Spirops, and SA SNCF DTIPG, the innovative technology management department of the SNCF Group. The Mars LGV project has received strong support from the French government and is funded by BPI France, the French public investment bank.

As the project progresses, this autonomous inspection vehicle is expected to bring a new transformation to the safety inspection of French high - speed lines. While improving inspection efficiency and accuracy, it will achieve significant cost control, energy conservation, and emission reduction, helping the management of French railway infrastructure to move to a new level of intelligence and efficiency.