Swedish-Led Waterless Train Cleaning Technology Wins Top Sustainability Award

January 30, 2026 8:58am

The DREI-project's waterless train cleaning innovation wins France's top sustainability award, promising major water savings and future deployment in Europe.

Key details

• DREI-project won gold in the TGV 2025 CSR Challenge for sustainability.
• The project aims to develop a waterless exterior train cleaning system that could save up to 12 million liters of water annually.
• Aerowash's drywash technology, used in aviation, is adapted for railway application.
• Testing of a mobile washing system prototype in France is planned for spring 2026, followed by deployment at depots.

The DREI-project, focused on developing a completely waterless exterior train cleaning method, has earned the gold prize in the prestigious French TGV 2025 CSR Challenge for sustainability. Selected from 88 entries and 15 finalists, the project was commended for its innovative approach to significantly reducing resource consumption in railway maintenance, with potential annual water savings of up to 12 million liters.

This initiative adapts Aerowash's drywash technology, already commercially proven in the aviation sector, for railway use. The collaboration between Aerowash and the DREI-project began in fall 2025 under a framework agreement to develop and supply a mobile train washing system. Prototype testing is scheduled for France in spring 2026, followed by orders for multiple systems to be employed at train depots.

Aerowash CEO Niklas Adler expressed pride in the recognition, emphasizing that the award boosts the project's strategic importance within SNCF and lays the foundation for further development and rollout. The DREI-project’s success reflects a growing commitment to sustainable technologies in European rail transport.

This article was translated and synthesized from Swedish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.