SET unveils ActiGlide at InnoTrans 2026, rethinking the wheel–rail interface
New ActiGlide system with Truemotion technology independently controls each wheel to address longstanding compromises in conventional railway bogie and wheelset design.
Berlin, 22 September 2026 - SET has today officially unveiled ActiGlide with Truemotion technology at InnoTrans 2026. ActiGlide presents a new approach to controlling movement at the wheel–rail interface, delivering unprecedented benefits to ride experience, efficiency and reduction of wear.
ActiGlide is the first major release from SET’s innovation department, established to explore how intelligent engineering and new technology can improve the future of transport and infrastructure.
Conventional railway wheelsets use conical wheels connected by a fixed axle. While this established design has underpinned rail transport for generations, it also creates an inherent compromise between low-speed curving and high-speed stability. The resulting forces at the wheel–rail interface cause wheel and rail wear, rolling contact fatigue, noise and reduced ride quality. For the last 200 years many solutions have been sought but invariably resulting in treating symptoms rather than cause.
ActiGlide is designed to address these limitations as a connected system, at the cause, rather than treating individual symptoms. Its Truemotion technology combines five core innovations:
l Individual wheel control, with each wheel independently driven (ORBIT);
l In-wheel magnetic propulsion and regenerative braking (POWER);
l Active wheel guidance that continuously monitors wheel position relative to the rail head (PILOT);
l Advanced real-time control and data capture (LOGIC); and
l Optimised suspension and the potential for continuous low-floor vehicle design. (FLEX)
By precisely controlling torque at each wheel and actively guiding the wheelset towards the centre of the track, ActiGlide delivers a step-change in wheel /rail interface performance and control to provide a more efficient and comfortable ride experience for operators and passengers. Its design intelligently reduces creep forces, flange contact, wear and noise while improving stability, ride and adhesion performance.
SET Chairman Martin Whitley said: “ActiGlide has the potential to fundamentally change how we think about vehicle movement on the railway. We believe there is a significant opportunity here, not only to improve performance but to create a platform for the next generation of rail vehicles. We’ve carefully designed ActiGlide as a flexible alternative to traditional bogie design that I am hopeful will become the basis of further railway innovations both in terms of movement systems but also many other manufacturing considerations now common limitations have finally been removed”.
“Our launch at InnoTrans is about opening up that opportunity to the industry. We want to engage with organisations who share our ambition and can help us accelerate ActiGlide through its next stages of development and towards deployment.”
ActiGlide builds on more than two decades of research and testing. Earlier stages included dynamometer testing, more than 2,000 km of operation using Wheelmotor technology on the UK Blackpool tramway, further development supported by RSSB and UK universities, and demonstration of the wider system under its former ActiWheel name.
The programme was restarted in 2025 and has since been further developed and rebranded as ActiGlide. The current development roadmap anticipates progressing software and hardware certification in 2027, followed by production-version development and testing, trial operation in one or more railway systems and future availability for fleet rollout and new-build integration.
The development also represents a broader evolution of SET’s engineering mission. Alongside its work to protect and extend the life of existing technology, SET is investing in innovation designed to anticipate future challenges and create new value for transport and infrastructure.
SET Managing Director Nick Andrew said: “SET has always been about protecting value and solving problems through technology and engineering. That means ensuring proven technology isn’t lost to obsolescence, but it also means looking ahead and investing in better solutions for the future. ActiGlide is a natural extension of that mission and an important step in how we use our expertise to support the future of transport and infrastructure.
“The ActiGlide project is now moving into the next major phase of real-world testing utilising the prototype unit, fitted with ActiGlide, based in the Midlands, UK. The team is seeking expressions of interest from visionary organisations to support and accelerate ActiGlide towards deployment.”
See ActiGlide at InnoTrans: ActiGlide will be on display throughout InnoTrans 2026, from 22 to 25 September, at Hall 18, Stand 670.