PJM und Boom Software utilising the feeder line of a decommissioned coal-fired power station
The new joint venture, INFRATRACK Solutions, will focus on activating the railway as a test site for innovations in the rail industry.
pjm.co.at
The two railway specialists Boom Software AG and PJ Messtechnik GmbH have taken over the feeder line at the Mellach Verbund power plant site. This cooperation will allow the existing rail infrastructure of the decommissioned coal-fired power plant to be used more intensively, particularly for testing purposes.
Located in the immediate vicinity of Graz and the new Koralmbahn railway line, as well as the two Styrian companies, the site will be home to innovations and further developments in the railway sector, particularly in the fields of measurement and testing technology and software.
The optimally located and equipped connecting railway line provides an ideal environment for testing rail vehicles and components. The range of activities extends from physical asset inspections to sensor- and software-based testing.
This purpose has led to the foundation of the joint venture INFRATRACK Solutions GmbH. The new company‘s managing directors are Andreas Schaller and Martin Joch.
The location on the main line and the infrastructure were both convincing. The most important points are:
→ The railway line is fully electrified (overhead line) and suitable for heavy vehicles.
→ A large hall (previously used as a defrosting hall) is equipped with a roof work platform and a crane.
→ Different sections of track, such as a curve with a radius of 150 metres.
→ The site is fenced throughout and manned 24/7.
These conditions make the site ideal for various tests on rail vehicles and railway systems. Thefocus is on:
→ Equipping vehicles with measurement technology (instrumentation)
→ Commissioning of rail vehicles
→ Static tests
→ Acoustic measurements and EMC measurements
→ Testing and optimisation of the interaction between sensor technology and software under real operating conditions
→ Further development and automation of digital processes in the depot
Andreas Schaller, the CEO of Boom Software AG and the managing director of INFRATRACK Solutions GmbH, explains: ‚Finding modern test environments and test tracks for rail vehicles in Austria has long been a growing challenge, but we can now offer a solution. Thanks to its connection to the main transport route, full electrification, and the capacity to roll in vehicles of all weight classes, Mellach is the ideal location for us and for our customers.‘
Martin Joch, the CEO of PJ Messtechnik GmbH and INFRATRACK Solutions GmbH, believes that the new company is a win-win situation for everyone: “It‘s a triple win: the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power plant is being used to innovate and further develop eco-friendly mobility solutions.
This test environment will strengthen the Austrian railway industry.”
With almost 50 years of combined experience, Boom Software and PJ Messtechnik are leading companies in the digitalisation and automation of the railway sector. Due to the establishment of the joint venture, experience is combined and pooled.
At a glance
INFRATRACK Solutions GmbH
INFRATRACK Solutions GmbH, a joint venture, was founded in July 2025 by Boom Software AG and PJ Messtechnik GmbH in Graz. Its portfolio includes a specially equipped test track at the Mellach site, which is a partially decommissioned power plant. Vehicles are also fitted with measurement technology on site, where both physical and software-based tests are carried out.
Boom Software AG
For over 30 years, Boom Software AG has specialised in providing integrated software solutions for the railway sector, public transport, industrial maintenance, and production management.
Around 100 employees at the company‘s locations in Leibnitz and Graz (Austria) and Oldenburg (Germany) develop scalable, process- and user-oriented solutions that meet today‘s requirements and can be flexibly adapted to future developments and individual customer needs.
Boom Rail Solutions digitalises key railway processes, with a particular focus on holistic asset and maintenance management, and operational processes inside and outside the depot. The clear objective is to maximise vehicle availability and minimise downtime between decommissioning and recommissioning, while ensuring compliance with all relevant standards.
Companies that rely on Boom‘s solutions include ÖBB, Steiermarkbahn, Siemens Mobility Austria, Innofreight, Deutsche Bahn, Northrail, Stadtwerke Bonn, and the municipal transport companies in Tallinn and Warsaw.
PJ Messtechnik GmbH
PJ Messtechnik is an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing laboratory that conducts rail vehicle approval tests worldwide and specialises in engineering. Its six test areas are running behavior, strength, brakes, acoustics, aerodynamics and pantographs. In the latter area, it is the only testing laboratory in Austria. Recent projects include the new Nightjet generation for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the Rhaetian Railway, Canada‘s Mountaineer passenger train, the TILO regional railway, Berlin‘s S-Bahn and the underground railways in Riyadh, Chicago and London.
The Austrian rail systems specialist is a renowned partner for international projects, together with the other companies in the PJ Monitoring GmbH group.
PJ Monitoring GmbH is a technology leader in the automation and digitalisation of rail freight transport thanks to an extensive portfolio of smart train functionalities.
PJ Motion GmbH specialises in the authorisation and requirements management of rail-bound vehicles.
Around 90 employees at the Graz site ensure that everything is ‚100% Made in Austria‘. All R&D, hardware and software development, and production and administration are based exclusively in Austria.
www.pjm.co.
