RAIL CoLAB and MEDWAY
Freight Laboratory Train
João Fernandes (RAIL CoLAB) and Carlos Vasconcelos (MEDWAY) signed an agreement to develop a Freight Laboratory Train on May 22nd, 2025, in Entroncamento. The protocol was presented in a public ceremony during this year's edition of the Portugal Railway Summit, organized by the Portuguese Railway Platform Cluster Association (PFP), which took place at the National Railway Museum. The barebones wagon, provided by MEDWAY, was already displayed at the summit. During the event, João Fernandes briefly exchanged views with the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, reinforcing the strategic relevance of the project.
The Freight Laboratory Train is a RAIL CoLAB project through which a freight wagon will be equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and remote monitoring equipment. This purpose-developed car will be able to be attached to various freight trains, allowing continuous analysis of axle and wheelset performance, coupling behaviour, and breaking action. When deployed, the lab will also be capable of performing wayside infrastructure monitoring.
MEDWAY and PFP have been associated members of RAIL CoLAB since its creation in 2022.
