DB Netz and Vossloh agreed to extend the cooperation for 2024 in the field of preventive rail maintenance with high-speed grinding by 1,000 km to at least 13,000 km.
The focus of the work will again be on the most heavily used lines of the German rail network, the so-called high-performance network.
“We expect passenger and freight traffic volumes to continue to rise in the coming years, and we are constantly upgrading our network in response. The size of the German high-performance network will almost triple to over 9,200 km by 2030. By means of prevention using HSG technology, for instance, we will further increase the reliability of our network,” Heike Junge-Latz, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Plant and Maintenance Management at DB Netz said.
The globally unique grinding process for preventive rail maintenance allows an operating speed of more than 80 km/h on mainline tracks. This allows Vossloh machines to “float along” with freight traffic at night, for example, making line closures obsolete. The grinding program can be individually adapted to the respective track condition. Under the current contract, for example, additional cross-sectional optimisation has been carried out on some sections of track.
In addition to the actual grinding work, DB Netz has also ordered the use of extensive digital measurement and analysis technology. During the crossing, important condition data is collected and evaluated in real time, and relevant information can be visualized in a web-based application, including concrete recommendations for action. This creates the basis for a transition from time-based to condition-based maintenance.
“The importance of preventive and condition-based maintenance measures cannot be overstated. They are a crucial step toward higher track availability, which in turn is a mandatory prerequisite for shifting more traffic to rail and thus supporting the achievement of ambitious climate protection targets,” Oliver Schuster, the CEO of Vossloh AG said.
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