Imagine this: The sensors of the highway would send you a message that a reduced function of the brake on the left rear wheel was detected during an automatic measurement. An inspection in the workshop is recommended and the whole thing is recorded in a detailed measurement report.
This is already possible on the rails and in use on numerous railroad lines in Europe. There is no question that railroads around the world should be user-friendly, efficient, competitive, easy to maintain, efficient and sustainable. Ongoing diagnostics and monitoring of the entire rail infrastructure – from the track bed to the rolling stock – is a key component of this.
We provide fully integrated rail solutions for all types of rail transport, including mixed, local, freight and high-speed services. As a result, rail companies and passengers experience effective planning and efficient routing. With our intelligent overall solutions, we guarantee maximum availability with the lowest life cycle costs. In this digitalization of rail infrastructure, we focus primarily on the switch as a “smart component” that acts proactively. In addition to turnouts, our comprehensive and most efficient infrastructure product and service portfolio naturally includes rails and their fastenings, signaling solutions, monitoring technologies, maintenance software and services. This is precisely why our voestalpine Railway Systems Group is the global market leader r railroad infrastructure system solutions with 160 years of experience.
In concrete terms, this means that line network operators or rail operators know the condition of the train sets, wagons, rails, switches and track bed perfectly and plan maintenance work weeks in advance. They have access to detailed key figures and images of the on-site situation and are therefore optimally prepared. This enables proactive maintenance, increases competitiveness and makes fast, safe rail travel such as Interrail adventures even more attractive.
Our versatile turnouts for passenger transport, the sustainable turnout systems for subway trains as well as suburban trains and streetcars or our powerful turnout system solutions for freight transport and the latest turnout technology for the world’s fastest railroads – they can all be equipped with sensors as intelligent turnouts. They transmit condition data to our zentrak software package in real time and enable greater efficiency, cost savings for rail operators and increased competitiveness through predictive maintenance.
Our many years of experience make the difference: we can design our rail and switch solutions to the highest quality for any rail profile and any track gauge, and we can also produce complete layouts to international standards. Equipped with battery-operated sensors, the point machine, the switch device, the track quality, the ballast condition, the switch frog or even the temperature are monitored and enable efficient remote diagnostics. And for those who want plug-and-play turnouts that look like something out of a child’s bedroom – they are pre-assembled by our experienced professionals and delivered just-in-time to the installation site.
It is precisely through these points that it becomes clear that the train with the interrailers continues to roll safely, whether the fixed rail infrastructure and also the rolling stock are fully intact for the planned speed or weight load, where and when what damage has occurred and how the risk of derailment can be further reduced.
Bridges are also essential for the prompt transportation of passengers and goods by rail. They ensure fast connections and often inspire rail travelers with unique views. However, bridges expand and contract due to traffic loads, weather conditions, temperature changes and the movement of the relevant equipment. These longitudinal movements of the primary bridge structure are absorbed by the rail expansion device (RED). To ensure that even particularly sensitive rail sections such as bridges can be passed safely and efficiently and that their availability can be ensured with lower maintenance costs, the focus is on seamless monitoring.
Up to around 3,000 different sensors for a wide variety of measuring points ensure safety and performance in the rail network worldwide. Our rail customers can select the ones that best suit their focus and requirements and thus monitor and measure the fixed rail infrastructure and/or a wide variety of trains. Real-time information for rolling stock supports operations as well as the planning and execution of maintenance work, which favors the requirements for reliability, safety and cost reduction in all areas.
The signaling technology is made visible by the yellow boxes in the track or also railroad houses along the tracks, worldwide. Hidden underneath are very robust, computer-based measuring systems and high-performance evaluation electronics from our own development and production. Various alarm limits and algorithms are used to generate alarms if, for example, hot brakes are detected on a wagon. This is the only way to act quickly before a fire breaks out on the train. Yellow boxes along the track signal to rail passengers that the route is monitored and safe. This strengthens the feeling of safety and trust in the rail operators.
All data from the entire signaling technology flows together in the intelligent diagnostics and monitoring system zentrak. It integrates hardware and software for
The software package detects impending disruptions at an early stage and enables them to be rectified before route availability is affected. With its various modules, which can be selected individually for each customer, zentrak enables maximum route availability while optimizing life cycle costs, thus helping to increase the profitability and competitiveness of rail and route operators.
zentrak is the digital answer to the increased requirements in rail transport worldwide, an intelligent ecosystem for rail systems and a smart twin of the rail infrastructure.
To date, railroad lines in 35 different countries around the world have been equipped with various zentrak modules. Customers include the majority of the world’s major railroad companies, the major freight railroads in North America, mine operators in Australia and South America and many more in all climate zones around the world. Major projects are planned for the calendar year 2025, including in South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Spain and the USA.
Maintenance and servicing on the rail network concerns wear and tear on the tongue, frog or stock sections of the rails or points, which could lead to derailments. Or the track bed shows signs of damage, regardless of its origin. Maintenance is also necessary on the rolling infrastructure, as defective wagon wheel bearings and overheated, blocked brakes pose a high safety risk for rail travel itself and can also impair the rail infrastructure.
Preventive, efficiently planned maintenance of the installed rail infrastructure and rolling stock can prevent consequential damage and ensure efficient processes for rail operators and comfort for rail passengers.
In our new brand and image campaign #FavoriteMoments, we show our contribution to a modern, sustainable life from the perspective of people. We focus on their individual favorite moments and the commitment of our employees that makes such moments possible. The specially composed song “All of these moments” accompanies the campaign and musically conveys our values, courage, community and our joy for the future and is authentically accompanied by pictures of our employees.
Die voestalpine ist ein weltweit führender Stahl- und Technologiekonzern mit kombinierter Werkstoff- und Verarbeitungskompetenz. Die global tätige Unternehmensgruppe verfügt über rund 500 Konzerngesellschaften und -standorte in mehr als 50 Ländern auf allen fünf Kontinenten. Sie notiert seit 1995 an der Wiener Börse. Mit ihren Premium-Produkt- und Systemlösungen zählt sie zu den führenden Partnern der Automobil- und Hausgeräteindustrie sowie der Luftfahrt- und Öl- & Gasindustrie und ist darüber hinaus Weltmarktführer bei Bahninfrastruktursystemen, bei Werkzeugstahl und Spezialprofilen. Die voestalpine bekennt sich zu den globalen Klimazielen und verfolgt mit greentec steel einen klaren Plan zur Dekarbonisierung der Stahlproduktion.