TrenLab explores customer experience improvements through AI and railway maintenance optimization with four innovative startups

TrenLab, Renfe’s startup accelerator, is collaborating with four innovative startups to design systems that improve customer experience through Artificial Intelligence (AI), optimize railway maintenance processes, and explore the use of quantum computing to enhance operations. CYRACO, RTS, Turing Challenge, and Qcentroid were selected as winners of the four challenges posed in the sixth TrenLab call for proposals.

The four winning projects were officially presented during an event held at TheCUBE headquarters in Madrid, attended by Renfe executives — including President Álvaro Fernández Heredia and Director General of Innovation, Sustainability and Digital Transformation, Sonia Araujo — along with key figures from the startup ecosystem and innovation leaders from various companies.

More than 100 national and international startups submitted proposals to address one of the four challenges launched in this sixth edition of the TrenLab program, which has established itself as a leading accelerator for railway innovation.

Each selected startup will receive €50,000 to develop a pilot project based on the proposed technology. Over the next six months, they will work on their solutions with expert mentoring, specialized training, and access to Renfe’s business areas. Successful pilots may lead to contracts worth up to €1 million with the company.

The challenges and the winning startups:

CYRACO GmbH won the challenge “Automation and digitalization of railway maintenance.” Their solution involves an autonomous platform that leverages AI and Augmented Reality (AR) to improve maintenance efficiency. Focusing on remote inspections, the technology could reduce operational costs by up to 80% and increase process efficiency by 300%.
Robot Technology Solutions (RTS) triumphed in the challenge “Enhancing real-time customer information.” Their proposal includes virtual assistants integrated into mobile apps, WhatsApp, social media, and smart station devices, offering passengers real-time updates on schedules, delays, and alternative route suggestions.
Turing Challenge won the challenge “Reimagining customer assistance in stations.” The startup is developing a generative AI-powered virtual assistant designed to automate station service interactions, improving the passenger experience with Renfe.
Qcentroid was awarded the challenge “Operational efficiency through Quantum Computing.” The company will explore structured applications of quantum computing to optimize scheduling and routing, efficiently manage resources, cut costs, enhance cybersecurity, and improve the overall customer experience.

Since its launch, TrenLab has evaluated over 1,200 startups, accelerated 22 of them, and secured contracts worth €4.7 million with companies such as Visualfy, Greemko, AllRead, and Limmat Group. This open innovation ecosystem reinforces Renfe’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform transport and mobility.