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But there are completely different ideas for electrification out there. Polish start-up Nevomo has developed an electromagnetic propulsion system. It's retrofitted onto existing track by fitting a thick aluminium cable into an enclosure that runs between the rails. This generates a magnetic field strong enough to propel freight wagons fitted with magnets. "We eliminate locomotives completely," says Ben Paczek, founder and chief executive. "Each wagon becomes independent. They can also operate in groups." A key benefit of the technology, says Mr Paczek, is that it allows operators to bring freight wagons to a stop very quickly – and, as a consequence, that means they could, in principle, safely put lots of independently moving wagons relatively close together on one stretch of rail, increasing the density of freight transportation in a particular area. Nevomo hopes to launch working implementations of its technology at a steel plant in Bremen, Germany, and at a port in India next year. These will be relatively small in scale, each covering track distances of less than 1km (0.6 miles). But Mr Paczek hopes to see bigger installations in the future. "In a quite conservative environment like rail, we need to demonstrate it properly first." It would be possible to automate the motion of electromagnetically-propelled wagons, he adds – though initially they will be controlled remotely by human operators.
