On 7 May 2025, Ljubljana hosted the inaugural Slovenian DAC Forum, a collaborative initiative by SEESARI, the Institute of Transport and Traffic Ljubljana, and the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Slovenia. The event marked a significant milestone in advancing the digital transformation of rail freight, with a strong focus on the deployment of Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) – a new standard for automated and digital coupling of freight wagons that significantly enhances safety, efficiency, and interoperability across the European rail network.
The forum brought together key stakeholders from Slovenia’s rail sector, including freight railway undertakings, the infrastructure manager, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, as well as international guests – notably Libor Lochman, DAC Ambassador, and Jens Engelmann, Programme Manager within the European DAC Delivery Programme (EDDP).
Peter Verlič, Chairman of SEESARI, opened the event by emphasising the importance of regional cooperation in innovation and research projects related to DAC. Aleksandar Dobrijević, Slovenia’s national DAC contact point, played a central role in organising the forum and moderating discussions, especially regarding the national implementation strategy.
The introductory presentation provided an overview of the current state of DAC development at the European level, followed by discussions focused on the specific characteristics and challenges of the Slovenian rail freight system.
A part of the forum was also the presentation of the Rail4Regions project, which promotes the use of innovative solutions to strengthen regional rail transport. The DAC technology aligns closely with the objectives of Rail4Regions, as it enables more efficient, interoperable, and future-ready freight operations, especially across regional and cross-border networks.
The first Slovenian DAC Forum was very well received, with high levels of engagement from all participants – reflecting a shared understanding of the urgency and importance of close cooperation to ensure timely preparedness for the digital transformation of rail freight transport.