Modern and safe railway infrastructure is the key factor for the development of the rail transport system. The infrastructure manager has to provide train traffic in the best and safest conditions, while the railway industry, that manufactures track equipment, has to be always active in the research and development of reliable, safe and efficient products aimed to increase the use of infrastructure, as well as the capacity of railway lines to adapt to heavy traffic.
The current trend for the European railways and not only regarding the development of urban, conventional and high-speed railway transport is that the supplying industry must guarantee full railway equipment solutions. Thus, the demand for complete solutions is increasing. Consequently, demands include much more performing equipment and turnouts.
The railway industry is ready to answer to a wide range of demands coming from infrastructure managers.
voestalpine VAE APCAROM is one of the best known companies dealing with the production of turnouts. Among the turnouts the company manufactures for tram transport systems, the company provides a performing solution, ConCross – fully assembled factory turnouts on “Plug and Play” concrete precast elements. The system is modular with slab-track switches, integrated track circuits, electrically insulated against currents and with continuous elastic support, preset drive systems and drainage boxes, whose installation is optional.
The system has various advantages ranging from rapid installation, the significant reduction of traffic interruption, high precision and stability and the possibility of replacing subassemblies. Other advantages of this system include noise reduction and longer life expectancy. All materials used are recyclable.
Another innovative concept proposed by voestalpine VAE APCAROM is that of rail hardening using welding. The technology provides clear advantages such as reduced maintenance costs and increased life expectancy. At present, voestalpine VAE APCAROM applies this procedure for manufacturing the turnouts supplied for the vast tram network in St. Petersburg.
We are still in the range of tram infrastructure turnouts and we talk about the technology delivered by another famous profile company. Vossloh Cogifer’s technology of turnouts for urban traffic provides two concepts for the production of turnouts. The first concept includes a rail welded construction where the spares are mechanically processed. The second concept is based on the mono-block construction of rails. Features include the mono-block switch, two main components, continuous processing without welding and easy maintenance.
The company believes that mono-block switches have to be used for current lines, while welded switches have to be used only near depots (in case financial constraints don’t permit the use of mono-block structures as well).
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