Missouri Gets $16.2 Million for Autonomous Railcars

Columbia, Missouri, received a $16.2 million Federal Railroad Administration grant to upgrade its municipally owned Columbia Terminal Railroad and introduce autonomous freight service with St. Louis-based Intramotev. The project will deploy two battery-powered TugVolt railcars, retrofitted with motors and sensors, on the 21.4-mile line between Columbia and Centralia; grant funds will also support track and safety improvements. Under an FRA-approved, three-year test program, operations are expected to start with remote switching and progress toward autonomous service across the route, including public crossings. Partners say the project will generate safety and operating data that could help other short-line railroads assess the technology, while Columbia officials say existing employees will be trained to operate the system and infrastructure work may create jobs.