Train operator NS using AI app to cut strain on electricity grid

Train operator NS is hoping to ease the strain on the overloaded Dutch electricity network by using smart apps to cut the amount of power it consumes.

Drivers have been given tablets to measure how their trains use electricity and look for opportunities to cut waste, especially when accelerating and braking.

The company estimates it can reduce its total demand by between 5% and 6%, the equivalent of the electricity consumed by a provincial city such as Leeuwarden.

NS’ fully electrified network accounts for 1% of total demand on the Dutch power grid, which is struggling to keep up with energy usage.

In Utrecht, the Netherlands’ fourth largest city, existing households are unable to connect to the network or add extra voltage for a heat pump or household battery for six months, after grid operator Tennet said it had reached maximum capacity.

Train driver Martijn de Jong told NOS the tablet used artificial intelligence to show him where he could save power by using more efficient driving and braking techniques.

The app also provides detailed information on the weight of the train, including passengers, and the wind direction.

“No two journeys are the same”, De Jong said. “In summer the air is slightly lighter than in winter, so there is less resistance and we notice that. The driver can use all that information to apply the power a little earlier or even a little later, so we can save electricity”.