In recent years, the European Union has intensified efforts to promote freight transport by rail, with the goal of reducing road congestion, lowering CO2 emissions and improving logistics efficiency on a continental scale. However, for railways to truly represent a competitive alternative to road transport, several challenges must be addressed, including the use of outdated rolling stock and the need for more advanced traffic management technologies, especially at terminals, where the shunting and handling operations have a significant impact on overall transport times. In this evolving context, an innovative approach is proposed, combining a low-cost satellite positioning system with the introduction of a new freight train concept featuring distributed power, remote diagnostics and electro-pneumatic braking.