From remote-controlled trains to hydrogen locomotives: 6 InnoTrans innovations that could change rail travel. By Iuliia Tore / Sep 25, 2026 / 3 minutes of reading Table of Contents A train in the Netherlands controlled from Berlin, a Chinese metro packed with artificial intelligence and a regional train capable of traveling 273 kilometres without overhead electricity are among the technologies on show at InnoTrans 2026. The Berlin transport exhibition is hosting a record 3,170 exhibitors from 59 countries between September 22 and 25, alongside 180 world premieres and 113 railway vehicles from 17 countries. Artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous operation and alternatives to diesel propulsion dominate this year's exhibition, showing how quickly experimental rail technologies are moving toward real passenger and freight operations. A train was controlled from 696 kilometres away. Belgian technology company OTIV staged one of the exhibition's most unusual demonstrations by remotely controlling a train at Kijfhoek freight yard in the Netherlands from its stand at InnoTrans in Berlin. The operator was approximately 696 kilometres from the train, using live onboard camera feeds and a wireless connection to control the vehicle remotely. The technology is aimed initially at operations such as depots and shunting yards, where remote driving could allow staff to control vehicles without being physically inside every train. OTIV is also developing driver-assistance and autonomous rail technologies. China's CRRC, meanwhile, unveiled its VELLINK SmartMetro platform. The manufacturer says lightweight materials and integrated systems reduce vehicle weight by around 18% compared with conventional urban trains while lowering overall energy consumption by more than 10%. The train incorporates AI into vehicle control and condition monitoring, allowing systems to analyse equipment and infrastructure data and potentially identify maintenance problems before failures occur. Hydrogen moves from experiment to full-size trains. CRRC is also showing a 2,000kW hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid locomotive from its VELFORCE platform. The locomotive uses a 400kW dual-stack fuel-cell system and can be refuelled with hydrogen in around 15 to 20 minutes. CRRC says its hydrogen utilisation rate exceeds 98%, while onboard deep-learning systems combine information from multiple sensors to provide a 360-degree view around the locomotive. Stadler is presenting another hydrogen milestone: what InnoTrans describes as the world's first hydrogen-powered train designed for narrow-gauge railway lines. The technology is particularly relevant to regions where replacing diesel trains with conventional electric units would require expensive installation of overhead wires. Italian regions are among the first customers for Stadler's hydrogen narrow-gauge platform. CAF's battery train travels 273km without overhead power. Spanish manufacturer CAF is showing a production Civity battery-electric Class 557 being prepared for Germany's Rhein-Ruhr network. During tests at Wildenrath in August, the train travelled 273 kilometres exclusively on battery power using standard production lithium-titanate traction batteries. Battery trains can draw electricity normally on electrified sections and then continue through unelectrified stretches without switching to diesel, potentially avoiding the enormous cost of installing overhead power along every kilometre of a regional railway. CAF says data from the test will feed into future battery-electric projects as operators increasingly look for ways to eliminate diesel from partially electrified networks. Robots are moving onto the railway itself. System7 Rail Holding is presenting an automated continuous-action tamping system designed to work on two sleepers simultaneously. Tamping machines pack and reposition ballast beneath railway tracks, an essential but traditionally labour-intensive part of maintaining track geometry. Other exhibitors are showing autonomous rail taxis, unmanned vehicles and AI-based infrastructure inspection systems. Together, the technologies suggest that the future of rail is likely to involve more than faster trains. The biggest changes may come from how trains are powered, controlled, monitored and maintained - and several of the systems on display in Berlin are already moving beyond the prototype stage. Iuliia is the editor-in-chief and oversees all editorial content.She was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Iuliia is passionate about all aspects of travel and tourism and holds a Master's degree in International Tourism Management.Iuliia Tore lives for two houses in Kharkiv and in Valencia, Spain, and loves spending time outdoors. Work aside, she has a passion for travel, painting, arts, food, and culture.

Rail supplier news from Hitachi Rail and OTIV. Hitachi Rail has signed an agreement with Swiss Federal Railways SBB to implement Hitachi's advanced digital signaling technology across the Swiss rail network. A contract value was not disclosed in Hitachi Rail's press release. The agreement is part of a larger, 1.5 billion euros project SBB is undertaking that will replace 80% of its existing interlocking system with Hitachi Rail's latest generation of digital interlocking and radio block centers. Using smart object controllers, the technology will mesh with EULYNX, a European signaling standardization initiative, Hitachi Rail officials said. The framework contract covers an initial 10-year period, with three options for an additional five years each. The contract also includes 25 years of maintenance and support for the supplier systems. OTIV, a Belgium-based technology startup, has received an investment of 9 million euros from Miles Ahead, SHIFT Invest and Finindus. The investment will accelerate OTIV's mission to expand AI-driven trains in the United States and shift traffic from road to rail, OTIV officials said in a press release. OTIV offers a three-step solution to convert freight- and passenger-rail operations from assisted driving to teleoperation and fully autonomous operation with existing U.S. customers. By automating trains, the startup aims increase sustainability, productivity, reliability and safety across the rail industry, OTIV officials said.