Reimagining rail: On track innovation with Intramotev
From left is Mary Lamie, executive vice president of multimodal enterprises for Bi-State Development, as she talks with Intramotev CEO Tim Luchini.
Discussion, tour and demo emphasized how St. Louis innovator is strengthening the region’s role in multimodal logistics
More than two dozen regional leaders, freight and logistics experts, real estate development and transportation professionals and college students toured Intramotev’s headquarters and production facility on June 8 as part of FreightWeekSTL 2026, which is being hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway.
The event, which wrapped up Innovation Day, highlighted how Intramotev’s autonomous, battery-powered rail technologies are transforming freight movement.
As a St. Louis-based innovator, the company is strengthening the region’s position as a leading multimodal logistics hub where more efficient, flexible and sustainable supply chain solutions are being developed. CEO and Co-founder Tim Luchini demonstrated an autonomous vehicle in motion, shared recent milestones and outlined how these innovations enhance efficiency, safety and flexibility across the rail industry.
The event kicked off with a discussion moderated by Mary Lamie, executive vice president of multimodal enterprises for Bi-State Development, during which Luchini emphasized the company’s rapid progress and real-world impact. The company’s autonomous rail vehicles are designed to operate independently across existing rail infrastructure and can also pull multiple rail cars, providing flexible solutions for a range of freight movements.
Intramotev has reached significant milestones, including moving 350,000 tons of material last year—roughly equivalent to 12,000 container loads—demonstrating that customers are actively relying on the company’s technology in daily operations. Luchini also highlighted ongoing expansion, including new domestic deployments and international growth, noting the company will be the first to deploy this technology in the European ecosystem.
“First and foremost, those are real miles we’ve been running, real tons we’ve been moving and real customers we’re delivering for,” said Luchini. “The most important thing for us as a business is making sure we’re creating value for our customers.”
Applications span a range of industries, from plants and mines to rail operators, with customers such as Watco using the technology to move materials more efficiently between locations in the St. Louis region. They also just signed a contract with R. J. Corman to deploy TugVolt technology along the company’s Memphis line in Kentucky.
Intramotev’s momentum has been supported by strong backing, with $30 million raised from local partners and national investors on both coasts who Luchini said are learning that the St. Louis region is a good place to be doing business and a good place to grow a business. He added that the region’s multimodal advantages are a key reason Intramotev is located here.
In addition to advancing new technologies, Intramotev is helping build the region’s future workforce through partnerships with local universities and hands-on internship opportunities. Students are given the opportunity to work on complex engineering challenges, with many transitioning into full-time roles as the company grows.
FreightWeekSTL guests take advantage of the opportunity to watch an Intramotev demonstration.
Looking ahead, Luchini emphasized the importance of efficiency as energy costs rise and highlighted continued growth and investment in St. Louis. “Our projections show us continuing to double our workforce, continuing to double the amount of contracts and deployments, and continuing to build out the manufacturing capacity right here,” Luchini said. He added that the company’s growth pipeline includes contracts and backlog representing hundreds of vehicles to be deployed.
Artificial intelligence is another key driver behind the company’s innovation. “We were using AI before it was cool,” said Luchini. “We were using it for machine learning algorithms for detecting avoidance on our vehicles. Now it’s core to what we’re trying to accomplish, because what a human can do really well is being flexible and adaptable. What the AI systems do is, they do the boring stuff over and over and over again, every single day and never get bored. So, we need both of those things in the future, and our product is going to lean into that.”
Following the discussion, attendees toured the manufacturing space, where Intramotev’s Director of Engineering, Chas Prebil, showcased key stations, dashboards and live displays while outlining manufacturing processes, testing, capacity and operational efficiencies.
Luchini also demonstrated an autonomous vehicle in motion, showcasing how the technology operates safely and efficiently along a defined rail path. Attendees observed the system’s responsiveness under controlled conditions, including geofenced speed limits and onboard safety features such as an emergency stop mechanism that allows operators to immediately halt the vehicle if needed.
The demonstration also highlighted how the battery-powered system integrates with existing rail infrastructure to support more efficient freight movement and reduce reliance on traditional trucking.
“Events like this underscore the importance of innovation and collaboration in advancing the freight industry,” added Lamie, who heads the St. Louis Regional Freightway. “We’re proud to showcase companies like Intramotev that are improving efficiency, flexibility and reliability across the supply chain, while reinforcing the St. Louis region’s role as a leader in multimodal logistics.”
To learn more about FreightWeekSTL and to register for any of the remaining sessions or events or access content already released, visit www.FreightWeekSTL.com.
Photos courtesy of St. Louis Regional Freightway.
About St. Louis Regional Freightway
Established as the St. Louis region’s authority for coordinating support for industrial businesses and the logistics infrastructure they depend on, the St. Louis Regional Freightway (the Freightway) provides site selection and business assistance to manufacturing, logistics and multimodal transportation companies and their service providers. As an enterprise of Bi-State Development, the Freightway partners with public sector and private industry businesses to advocate for infrastructure development that supports the movement of freight, leads initiatives to grow the region’s talent pool, and plays a critical role in marketing the region as a world-class manufacturing and distribution cluster within the City of St. Louis and seven adjacent counties in Missouri and Illinois. To learn more, visit TheFreightway.com.
