The invention relates to a method for automatic
autonomous control of a tamping
machine (C) for compacting the
ballast bed of a track in points (A, B), comprising a device for determining the position of the track laying
machine on the track, and comprising position detection of the actuators of the working units (La, Li, Ra, Ri, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23) of the tamping
machine (C). In order to automate the method: -
point data (ai,j, β, WP, t, L, n) of the point to be machined is first read into a control computer (27) of the tamping machine (C); - the control computer (27) subsequently generates exact positioning
instruction data (Pi) for the working units (La, Li, Ra, Ri, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23) at each railway sleeper (ai,j) to be tamped in the point region (1-51); and - the tamping machine (C), depending on its position in the point (A, B) and on the generated positioning
instruction data (Pi), actuates these positions with the working units (La, Li, Ra, Ri, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23) associated with each position and carries out the tamping process at the place of the actuated position fully automatically and autonomously.