TRIESTE – The first concrete results are in for T4RAIL IT-SI, the Italian-Slovenian cross-border project aimed at improving safety, operational efficiency and interoperability in rail traffic.
The project runs along one of the most strategic logistics corridors in south-central Europe. At the end of December, the first field tests were successfully completed, marking a key milestone in the project’s implementation path. The trials were initially carried out at Villa Opicina station (Trieste), a key node for rail links between Italy and Slovenia and for access to Northern Adriatic ports. Here, onboard a stationary locomotive, drivers from partners RCC SI, RCC IT and SŽ-Tovorni promet simulated operational communications with traffic controllers in Villa Opicina and Sežana, using the Translate4Rail digital tool in a real—albeit controlled—railway environment.
Further tests were conducted at Udine Parco station, another crucial hub for regional and international freight traffic. In this case, drivers from partner InRail interacted with traffic controllers in Nova Gorica, testing the platform in a different operational setting and thereby broadening the range of use cases for the system.
The testing phase enabled partners to assess both the tool’s technical features (speech recognition and standardised message handling) and operator interaction in a safe, controlled environment. The data and feedback collected during the trials will now be analysed to refine the system and prepare the next testing stages, which will involve progressively more complex operational scenarios.
The T4RAIL IT-SI project and Translate4Rail
T4RAIL IT-SI was launched with the aim of reducing critical issues related to cross-border rail communications, one of the most sensitive factors for safety and the smooth flow of train operations. At European level, the presence of different languages and national operating procedures can represent a risk factor, especially in high-traffic contexts linked to port logistics and TEN-T corridors.
Translate4Rail is a digital tool designed to support communication between train drivers and traffic controllers through speech recognition, translation and the selection of so-called PDMs (Predefined Messages), i.e. standardised operational messages. The goal is to ensure that critical information is transmitted clearly, unambiguously and in a way that is fully understood, reducing the scope for human error.
RCC SI, RCC IT and SŽ-Tovorni promet
RCC SI and RCC IT are the Slovenian and Italian Rail Control Centres, i.e. the rail traffic coordination centres that manage traffic flows on the two sides of the border. Their role is central in ensuring operational continuity along cross-border lines, especially for freight trains to and from the ports of Trieste, Monfalcone, Koper and the industrial hinterland.
SŽ-Tovorni promet is the freight division of the Slovenian Railways, one of the main cargo rail operators in the area, heavily involved in international and intermodal traffic. The participation of these players ensures the project is tested directly by those working on the ground every day.
