Subway and Commuter Rail: Setting The Course For The Future
Every day, suburban and underground trains safely transport hundreds of millions of people to their destinations.
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How do low-noise, low-vibration, and maintenance-friendly track systems contribute to efficient and sustainable urban mobility? Robert Demal, Vice President – Product Management Fixations and system expert for metro systems at voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH , discusses current and future track solutions.
Mr. Demal, what does it mean for voestalpine Railway Systems to be a systems provider – especially in the area of turnout systems?
Robert Demal, Vice President at voestalpine Railway Systems said:
"Switches are generally designed as prototypes , as the specific requirements vary considerably depending on the customer and application. Our systems approach gives us a deep understanding of both the individual components and their interactions within the overall system. This allows us to tailor the switch system precisely to the individual needs of our customers, configure the components accordingly, and optimally control their interaction."
How exactly do railway operators benefit from a holistic systems approach compared to individual solutions?
At voestalpine Railway Systems, we offer our customers integrated system solutions from a single source , providing them with the benefit of a central contact person who oversees and coordinates the entire project – from planning to commissioning . The turnout components can be pre-assembled as a functionally tested system and installed on schedule according to a just-in-time concept . Furthermore, we handle the system-specific integration and coordination of the turnouts with other signaling components such as drives, monitoring , and diagnostic systems . This eliminates time-consuming coordination processes with multiple project stakeholders for our customers . At the same time, we ensure high system availability and minimize operational downtime. The entire process – from turnout design and system integration to installation – is consistently quality-assured and functionally optimized.
What are the biggest challenges in the metro sector – and how do you address them with an integrated systems approach?
Urban rail lines typically lack redundancy in the form of sidings. A failure of individual track sections therefore leads directly to significant disruptions in traffic flow, which can negatively impact operational stability and the operator’s public image. Against this backdrop, both the service life of track and switch components and the efficiency of maintenance measures are becoming increasingly important. Particularly in subway systems, ever-longer operating hours coupled with shorter maintenance windows necessitate a highly optimized maintenance strategy. Added to this is the increasing strain caused by high train frequencies – 90-second headways are not uncommon in urban metropolitan areas – which significantly increases the demands on resilience and system availability.
Targeted , condition-based maintenance and the use of durable, high-strength components are therefore essential. In the specific application of concrete track superstructures – as frequently used in metro systems – minimizing noise and vibration emissions is also a key objective. Effective damping of noise and vibrations can be achieved through the systematic coordination of rails, fastening systems, and switch components, as well as the targeted selection of a system with reduced stiffness. Furthermore, stressed elements such as switch blades and frogs are specifically designed to withstand the high dynamic loads encountered in inner-city operation.
These measures make a crucial contribution to increasing plant availability, reducing operational disruptions, and thus ensuring efficient, reliable, and user-friendly urban rail transport.
What role do digital solutions and condition monitoring play in a holistic switch system?
In recent years, we have seen a clear trend towards real-time condition monitoring, driven by continuously rising passenger numbers and increasing train frequencies . Continuous condition monitoring is becoming increasingly important , particularly for turnouts, which consist of numerous mechanical and electromechanical components and a high number of potentially wear-prone parts. Traditional, interval-based maintenance strategies are increasingly reaching their limits under today’s operational conditions – especially with regard to shorter maintenance windows and the need for high system availability.
By implementing sensor-based monitoring systems and data-driven diagnostic technologies, maintenance needs can be identified as required and maintenance planning can be optimized. This enables targeted, resource-efficient maintenance measures , reduces unplanned downtime , and significantly contributes to operational reliability and extends the service life of track switches.
What other trends do you see in the future of turnout systems – especially in the context of system solutions?
In addition to real-time condition monitoring, sustainability and the lowest possible CO₂ footprint for our products are increasingly in demand. We are already reviewing our current and future research projects for sustainability aspects and are working to further reduce the CO₂ footprint of our products over their entire lifespan. Developing components with extended technical lifespans and increased availability significantly reduces the CO₂ footprint , as maintenance and replacement cycles can be reduced and resources used more efficiently.
In addition , we are investigating the potential of circular economy approaches , in particular the reuse and recycling of components , to further reduce material use and emissions throughout the entire product life cycle.
These measures contribute to continuously improving the overall ecological balance of our systems.
How does voestalpine Railway Systems support railway operators in their transformation towards sustainable and digital infrastructure?
In most cases, we develop our products and system solutions in close collaboration with our customers. Specific application conditions and operational challenges are integrated into the development process early on to ensure that our solutions are optimally tailored to the respective application scenarios.
We are always on – site as quickly as possible when needed and provide direct technical support . Continuous, transparent communication and the best possible support are the foundation for a sustainable, partnership-oriented collaboration with measurable added value for both sides.
About the expert
Robert Demal has been connected to the railway since childhood and has incorporated this passion into his career. Today , as Vice President Product Management Fixations and as a systems expert for metro systems at voestalpine Railway Systems in Zeltweg , he supports customers in finding the ideal system solutions for their requirements. Robert Demal has been working for voestalpine since 2014.
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