10 Top Autonomous Train Companies and Startups to Watch in 2026

Executive Summary: Which are the Top 10 Autonomous Train Companies?

1. Pennsy Digital (US): Develops AI-powered IoT sensors that monitor rail assets, predict heat-related risks, and detect bridge impacts for proactive maintenance.
2. Rail Labs (India): Offers autonomous inspection and wheel analytics using ultrasonic flaw detection and predictive AI tools for safer rail operations.
3. Autonomous Intermodal (US): Provides self-driving rail and terminal systems integrating ECP braking, AI logistics, and automated container handling.
4. RailEvo (Italy): Builds on-demand autonomous rail taxis using renewable energy to enable nonstop travel on underused single-track lines.
5. Sahay AI (US): Makes an AI-based rail inspection system with laser imaging and geotagging for real-time defect detection and downtime prediction.
6. Praedico (Netherlands): Develops an AI-driven asset management platform with tamping prediction, satellite monitoring, and digital twin modeling.
7. HisWay Labs (South Africa): Manufactures solar-powered IoT sensors that track train length and monitor track integrity to prevent derailment.
8. Shanghai Tianlian Huishi Technology (Taiwan): Offers autonomous undercar robots with computer vision and motion control for subway inspection.
9. SSR-TEC (Austria): Provides an automated rail cleaner with HEPA filtration and adaptive wheels for conductor rail maintenance in logistics systems.
10. RAYHAWK (Canada): Builds a computer vision-based autonomous gantry system for safe and efficient railcar loading and latch control.

Global Startup Heat Map highlights Emerging Autonomous Rail Companies to Watch

Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 7M+ startups, 20K+ technology trends, and 150M+ patents, news articles & market reports, we identified 10 autonomous companies in rail.

The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights emerging autonomous rail startups you should watch in 2026, as well as the geo-distribution of 260+ startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research.

According to our data, we observe high startup activity in the USA and India, followed by the UK. The top 5 Startup Hubs for autonomous rail are San Francisco, London, Los Angeles, New York City, and Bangalore.

Discover Emerging Autonomous Train Companies to Watch in 2026

We hand-picked startups to showcase in this report by filtering for their technology, founding year, location, funding, and other metrics. These emerging autonomous rail startups work on solutions ranging from wireless sensors, IoT rail sensing, and autonomous railcars to smart rail networks and automated conductor rail cleaning.

1. Pennsy Digital

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
• Use For: Asset Performance Monitoring

Pennsy Digital develops wireless IoT sensors for rail performance insights. Its MG105 sensor enables real‑time rail asset monitoring. Another sensor, WS360, monitors the health of machines and components. Similarly, the PS210 sensor facilitates distance measurement in dusty environments.

These sensors feature AI to predict rail temperature to manage heat-related track slow orders effectively. They also monitor culvert performance to prevent possible washouts.

Further, the sensors track brake status and protect the wheels. Rail operators receive alerts if vehicles or other non-train impacts strike bridges. This allows remote load monitoring to support efficient load balancing.

2. Rail Labs

• Founding Year: 2024
• Location: Bengaluru, India
• Use For: Railway Inspection

Rail Labs offers AI and industrial IoT (IIoT) tools, Arista and ChakrVue, for preventive maintenance for railways.

Arista incorporates ultrasonic flaw detection and AI-driven vision analysis to autonomously identify internal defects and surface anomalies. It also replaces labor-intensive inspections while reducing manual errors and maintenance costs.

ChakrVue further collects train data to manage wheel shelling. It comes with a centralized shell analytical tool (SAT) for predictive analytics. This allows proactive maintenance of wheels while improving lifespan and rail safety.

3. Autonomous Intermodal

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Houston, Texas, USA
• Use For: Autonomous Rail Intermodal Systems

Autonomous Intermodal provides autonomous rail intermodal systems for freight transportation. Its rail logistics platform, RAILS, combines double-stack wellcars with electro-pneumatic (ECP) braking, autonomous traction, and integrated security. The platform also features telematics-based health monitoring for safe train operations.

Another platform, ROADS, is an autonomous yard and terminal drayage system. It features self-driving tractors paired with adjustable-length chassis that automatically match multiple container sizes. This enables automated container handling while raising or lowering landing pads, operating security doors, and powering brakes, lights, or safety systems.

Further, its AI-powered control platform, IRIS, integrates waybills, scheduling, container tracking, estimated time of arrival (ETA) updates, and safety monitoring. It supports real-time data capture and communication.

4. RailEvo

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Rovereto, Italy
• Use For: Non-Stop Rail Transportation

RailEvo builds autonomous railway taxis. The rail taxis convert underused single‑track lines into continuous double‑track networks. This facilitates on‑demand and continuous transport along multiple routes.

The railway taxis provide fast travel without intermediate stops. They generate renewable energy from photovoltaics and wind sources. This makes them less energy-intensive than electric cars. This way, the startup reduces emissions, road congestion, and pollution.

5. Sahay AI

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Use For: Real-Time Track Monitoring

Sahay AI provides autonomous railway track inspections. It deploys AI to track line health on a satellite map, detect defects in real time, and also monitors the track surroundings.

Further, the startup offers LARR-E hardware to automate rail inspections. It incorporates mountable precision sensors, laser imaging, and geotagging for fault detection. This allows rail operators to identify defects early and plan preventive maintenance.

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6. Praedico

• Founding Year: 2023
• Location: Amersfoort, Netherlands
• Use For: Smart Rail Networks

Praedico develops an AI-powered rail asset management platform. Using machine learning (ML) algorithms, the platform predicts the need for track renewals in advance. This enables rail operators to manage maintenance proactively.

The platform also features a tamping prediction model to identify track areas that require maintenance. This facilitates the precise targeting of tamping operations. The integrated satellite imagery tool monitors rail networks, detects changes, and assesses damage.

Moreover, the platform highlights suspended tracks from active tracks for safety precautions. It tracks worker availability and allows planners to assign nearby staff to tasks.

The startup also creates a real-time digital twin of the rail network for rail modeling and scenario planning. This allows rail operators, maintenance teams, and asset managers to take data-driven decisions.

7. HisWay Labs

• Founding Year: 2018
• Location: Western Cape, South Africa
• Use For: IoT-powered Rail Sensing

HisWay Labs develops an IoT-based rail sensor, TrackView. It monitors train position using railway tracks as the sensing medium. The startup deploys multiple sensors to measure train length and confirm rail integrity.

This provides railway operators with real-time information on track conditions. It also reduces the risk of derailments by facilitating timely intervention and maintenance. Moreover, the sensors are solar-powered, thus eliminating extensive trackside cabling.

8. Shanghai Tianlian Huishi Technology

• Founding Year: 2018
• Location: Taipei City, Taiwan
• Use For: Railway Inspection Robot

Shanghai Tianlian Huishi Technology provides undercar inspection robots for subways. The startup combines AI, image recognition, computer vision, and precise motion control to automate rail inspection.

The robots operate autonomously and provide multi-angle close-range detection. They identify changes in components like common bolt loosening, anti-loosening wire breaking, slight spurting, orbital flaws, and fastener defects. This allows subway operators to prevent equipment failures.

9. SSR-TEC

• Founding Year: 2022
• Location: Linz, Austria
• Use For: Automated Conductor Rail Cleaning

SSR-TEC automates conductor rail cleaning for intralogistics operations. Its Matrix X4 is a vacuum cleaner equipped with a high-hazard dust class (class H) filter system for dirt removal. In addition, its high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter captures dust without releasing particles back into the environment.

Matrix X4’s suction head adjusts to fit different carrier rails and is suitable for cleaning various rail types. It features interchangeable and flexible wheels to adapt to different carrier rails. This enables operators to clean multiple busbar types without changing equipment. It also prevents conductor rail malfunctions caused by impaired conductivity due to dirt, dust, and other deposits.

10. RAYHAWK

• Founding Year: 2021
• Location: Saskatoon, Canada
• Use For: Autonomous Railcar Loading
• Funding: Raised USD 3 million in financing led by Emmertech

RAYHAWK develops an autonomous gantry-based system that automates railcar loading. It deploys computer vision to detect the state of each railcar’s latches and lids. It utilizes object tracking to detect a moving latch and applies motion control algorithms to open the latches and lids. This speeds up railcar preparation processes.

Moreover, the system disables movement in operator zones to prevent workplace accidents. This way, it reduces manual labour and the risk of injury during live loading.

Discover All Emerging Rail Startups

The rail startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Rail Innovation Reportfor a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company in 2025!