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UEEIV: 10th Railway Talk
25/06/2025 @ 17:00 - 19:00
UEEIV
10th Railway Talk
Track Maintenance
Presentations
Utilising automation in track maintenance – Dr. Fabian Hansmann, Plasser & Theurer
Demand in the rail sector is increasing worldwide. In Belgium, passenger transport is forecast to grow by 9% and freight transport by 62% between 2012 and 2030. ÖBB plans to double the capacity of its main lines by 2040. Greater infrastructure availability is essential, while long diversions and rail replacement services must be minimized.
With track possessions becoming shorter and a shortage of qualified staff, infrastructure managers and contractors face major challenges. Progressive automation of track maintenance machines offers a solution. Digital products support operating staff, reduce interfaces, create process reliability, and increase the output achieved. Familiarization times and training requirements for operation go down. In addition, staff can now monitor and carry out several maintenance tasks simultaneously.
Automated/robot-supported rail and switch maintenance – Dr. Michael Reiter, Robel Rail Automation
In order to cope with the required growth in rail traffic in the coming years, it is essential to further increase the availability of the railway infrastructure. With shorter maintenance windows and a shrinking workforce of skilled rail welders, infrastructure managers are under pressure to maintain reliability and reduce life cycle management costs.
An advanced robotic welding system is now proving that the future of railway maintenance is smart, efficient and fully automated.
Switches are one of the most maintenance intensive components of railway infrastructure. They take a beating from constant train traffic, and when they fail they cause major disruption. Traditional maintenance methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and dependent on a workforce that is increasingly hard to find.
Discussion