Starting today at Messa Berlin. Photo: Shutterstock The eyes of the global rail and transportation industry are on Berlin today, September 22nd.
InnoTrans 2026, one of the world's most important exhibitions for transportation and rail technologies, opens today at Messe Berlin and will run until September 25, with more than 3,100 exhibitors and 180 world premieres.
And this time, the main message is clear: artificial intelligence and robotics are no longer just a vision for the future. They are actually entering trains, track maintenance, energy management, and even the passenger experience.
According to InnoTrans, this year's innovations span railways, track infrastructure, public transport, train interiors, and tunneling technologies.
One of the main focuses will be using AI and robotics to inspect trains and infrastructure.
Downer, for example, will present a system that combines drones, LiDAR, lasers, and optical sensors, with artificial intelligence and machine learning used to identify anomalies and damage to vehicles and infrastructure.
Knorr-Bremse will present a driver assistance system that integrates real-time traffic data from trains further down the route, with the aim of reducing unnecessary stops and saving energy. According to the company, trials have recorded an average energy saving of more than 10%.
Alternative propulsion technologies also occupy a central place.
China's CRRC is introducing a 2,000-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell hybrid locomotive, which combines high-performance fuel cells with propulsion batteries.
The locomotive also includes a smart driving platform based on Deep Learning, a 360-degree environmental recognition system, and data integration from multiple sensors.
This year, no less than 113 vehicles from 17 countries will be displayed in the exhibition's outdoor areas and tracks, including high-speed trains, locomotives with alternative propulsion systems, and new concepts for night trains.
One of the most intriguing displays comes from the passenger experience.
The Panarooma concept, developed in collaboration with several companies including Siemens Mobility, presents a vision for the future train restaurant.
The concept combines autonomous service robots, AI-based personalization, and different areas tailored to passenger needs.
Food service is also taking on a futuristic twist: dishes are supposed to reach passengers directly using integrated conveyor systems and robots.
InnoTrans is paying special attention to AI and robotics this year.
For the first time at the exhibition, dedicated robotics tours will take professional visitors among companies presenting various robotic solutions for the world of transportation.
At the same time, dedicated AI tours are taking place, alongside the AI Mobility Lab complex.
The official opening ceremony is taking place today between 10:00 and 11:30 in Berlin, and more than a thousand senior representatives from the worlds of transportation, industry, science and government are expected to participate.
Among the participants and speakers: European Union Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, German Federal Minister of Transport Steffen Bilger, Alstom CEO Martin Sion, Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter, Škoda Group CEO and Chairman Petr Novotny, and California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri.
InnoTrans 2026 is taking place this year for the 15th time and brings together under one roof what may become part of the daily transportation experience around the world in just a few years.
If the trends being showcased in Berlin this morning are any indication, the future of rail is no longer about higher speeds. It is going to be smarter, more automated, and much more based on artificial intelligence and roboti