The EIT Urban Mobility-funded project ARISE, developed and tested on the Zaragoza tram, was honored on Wednesday 7 October at the Global Light Rail Awards gala in London. The awards recognise the best tram and light rail projects and initiatives worldwide.
ARISE won first prize in the “Significant Safety Initiative” category, ahead of fellow nominees Nottingham Trams, RKH Qitarat, Keolis Hyderabad, Tram Operations Ltd, West Midlands Metro, IHF, Railway Assurance and Skoda. The project also received a “Highly Commended” mention in the “Team of the Year” category.
A European project funded by EIT Urban Mobility
ARISE (Advanced Rail Innovation for Safety and Efficiency) is funded by EIT Urban Mobility. It aims to develop AI-powered advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for trams, helping drivers react faster to hazards such as pedestrians, cyclists, or obstacles on the track. The project targets a 20% reduction in tram accidents and a 5% gain in network efficiency. The pilot cities were Zaragoza, Lisbon, and Antwerp.
The consortium also includes two universities, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and University College London (UCL), which scientifically validated the results. The other partners are the UPC research institute CARNET, Belgian technology company OTIV, and rail manufacturer CAF.
The ARISE project involved Zaragoza, along with two other selected cities, Lisbon and Antwerp, in developing a European pilot funded by the European Institute of Technology (EIT), part of the European Commission. The aim is to develop advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that make drivers’ work easier and improve journey safety.
The project also involved two universities, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and University College London (UCL), which scientifically validated the results. Other participants included the research institute CARNET, part of the UPC; the Belgian technology company OTIV; and the rail manufacturer CAF.
In Zaragoza, researchers installed systems on two tram units, consisting of a LiDAR set (to measure distance and movement) and cameras that monitored the front of the vehicles, with a display that alerted the driver to obstacles. These alerts also took the approach speed into account, to determine when an audible warning is needed so that the driver pays closer attention.
To analyse the results, between 14 and 16 January researchers from University College London worked alongside the drivers, analysing their response time with the system through a headset that measured their brain activity while driving. The scientists also interviewed the drivers to assess the system’s effectiveness.
Congratulations to the entire ARISE team, including the tram operators, drivers, universities, research institutes and industry partners, on this well-deserved recognition. This award confirms the value of European collaboration in making urban transport safer for drivers, passengers and all road users. We hope to see the solutions tested in Zaragoza and other pilot cities implemented more widely, and we look forward to continuing to work together on more innovative mobility projects that make our cities safer, more sustainable, and more liveable.
