voestalpine Railway Systems Delivers Next Generation Axle Counting Technology

Voestalpine Railway Systems provides an integrated train detection architecture designed to enhance network capacity and system reliability. This approach addresses the increasing operational demands placed on modern railway infrastructure by replacing trackside components with centralized processing systems.

Centralized Processing and Environmental Resilience
Train detection requires continuous operation under highly diverse environmental conditions. The integration of the UniAS wheel sensor and the AXM module establishes a system architecture that minimizes field-exposed electronics, transferring core computational tasks to secure indoor environments. This design reduces field failures and lowers long-term maintenance overhead across transit networks.

The trackside UniAS wheel sensor utilizes specific evaluation algorithms to ensure reliable wheel detection across various rolling stock profiles, ranging from light rail transit to high-speed passenger trains. Built with an IP68 ingress protection rating, the sensor withstands dust exposure and prolonged water immersion. It maintains operational continuity within a temperature spectrum of –40 °C to +85 °C, mitigating climate-induced signaling disruptions.

Modular Configuration and Interface Compatibility
The AXM module serves as the central processing unit within the UniAC[2] axle counting system. It relies on a single, multipurpose module type that can be configured to execute all required system roles based on specific deployment parameters. This hardware standardization reduces spare parts inventory, simplifies logistics, and lowers overall lifecycle support costs.

Each AXM module processes data for up to four distinct counting sections, allowing signaling engineers to implement either centralized or decentralized network layouts. This scalability makes the platform suitable for both small station environments and extensive mainline rail networks. The system connects to higher-level signaling infrastructure via multiple safe interface methodologies, including protocol-based communication, optocouplers, and traditional relays. These options facilitate integration with interlocking installations, level crossing control systems, and European Train Control System (ETCS) infrastructure.




Functional Safety and Electromagnetic Immunity
The combined system operates within a framework certified to CENELEC SIL4, representing the highest functional safety level defined for railway signaling applications. To maintain signal integrity in environments with high electromagnetic activity, such as electrified rail lines and heavy-haul freight corridors, the connection between the trackside UniAS sensors and the indoor AXM modules employs a 20-mA current loop interface. This configuration provides high immunity to electromagnetic interference.

Physical installation is streamlined by a modular mounting clamp that secures the sensor directly to standard rail profiles without requiring extensive civil engineering or track drilling. The digital architecture is designed to support evolving industry communication frameworks, incorporating the EULYNX SCI-TDS safe communication protocol alongside EULYNX interfaces for diagnostic, maintenance, and secure system operations.

Additional Context: Technical Specifications and Competitive Benchmarking
Axle counting systems are increasingly replacing traditional track circuits due to their immunity to poor ballast resistance and variable rail head conditions. While conventional track circuits require physical isolation of rail joints, electronic axle counters like the UniAC[2] utilize magnetic wheel detectors to track axle counts into and out of designated blocks.

In comparison to standard industry solutions, the voestalpine UniAC[2] system matches the maximum safety requirement of CENELEC SIL4 validation found in leading modern rail networks. The environmental resilience profile features an IP68 ingress protection rating and an operational temperature range from –40 °C to +85 °C, which exceeds older legacy standards that often limit trackside sensor tolerance to +70 °C.

Furthermore, while older axle counting systems depend on proprietary interfaces or analog frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation, this architecture utilizes a 20-mA current loop for robust signal transmission. A key differentiator is the direct integration capability with EULYNX SCI-TDS, SMI, SDI, and SSI standardized interfaces. By decoupling the trackside hardware from proprietary interlocking mechanisms, this digital framework directly mirrors current European rail initiatives focused on cross-vendor interoperability and modular railway infrastructure design.

Edited by Evgeny Churilov, Induportals Media - Adapted by AI.

www.voestalpine.com