The success of any innovation must be judged by whether it increases the productivity of rail freight transport. The TIS concept of the “innovative freight wagon” will guide the sector towards marketable solutions.

Innovative wagon design with modular design and lightweight con­struction concepts. The flat wagon will have a modular design in order to ensure it can be used flexibly throughout its service life. Both the flat wagon and the superstructure will take advantage of lightweight design principles. In the future, however, there will still be many areas where freight wagons with conventional designs offer specific advantages, e.g. due to their higher payload.

The innovations described above will ensure that the freight wagons of the future are low-noise, lightweight, long-running, and logistics-en­abled. However, the fifth “L” is of central importance: Life-cycle-cost-oriented. Innovations will only be adopted by the market if they are economically viable. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and other effects of these innovations, various parties involved in TIS have launched demonstrator projects. The interim results of the demonstrator projects initiated and supervised by TIS are a positive signal for the future – as is the welcoming attitude to innovation that is now widespread in the sector.