Grooved Rail Track System for Urban Rail Infrastructure

The increasing wear and complex maintenance of embedded track systems present significant infrastructural challenges for urban transport operators. To address this issue, voestalpine Railway Systems is introducing a new track system for tram and light rail networks that improves access to rail fastenings and extends the service life of urban track infrastructure.

Engineering Context
In urban rail transport, embedded tracks are subject to high mechanical loads from wheel-rail contact and overlying road traffic. The maintenance or replacement of conventional grooved rails typically requires deep and costly breaking up of the surrounding asphalt or concrete surface. This inevitably leads to long track closures and massive operational disruptions. At the same time, regulatory and operational requirements for reducing stray currents, noise, and vibrations in densely populated urban environments are increasing. A system that enables direct access to the rail fastening is therefore crucial for lowering life-cycle costs.

Technical Explanation
The system is based on the 65G1 grooved rail profile, which was designed with a widened rail head to accommodate modern wheel profiles and provide additional wear reserves. The geometry of this profile allows for complete ultrasonic testing extending down to the rail foot, thereby ensuring seamless condition monitoring during ongoing operations.

The structure utilizes a mechanical support point solution, where the rail is secured via permanently accessible tension clamps (G9 Clip). A rubber foot encapsulation is used for elastic support and vibration damping. Thanks to this modular design, the fastening unit remains accessible, allowing rail replacement to be carried out with only minimal intrusion into the road's surface layer.




Product Relevance
Through mechanical decoupling and the direct accessibility of the fastening points, the maintenance effort for tram network operators is significantly reduced. The system decreases direct wear between the wheel and the rail, leading to an extended operational service life of the entire track infrastructure.

Furthermore, the adjustable elasticity of the rubber mounting effectively dampens structure-borne noise and vibrations. The integrated stray current insulation protects surrounding underground utility lines from galvanic corrosion, which is a common occurrence with direct-current (DC) railways. The system's high degree of pre-assembly also shortens construction times and enables sections of the route to be quickly reopened to traffic following maintenance work.

Real-World Applications
The track system is designed for use in municipal tram and light rail networks where tracks are integrated flush with the road surface. In a pilot project in Graz, the technology was installed under real operating conditions. Continuous monitoring of the pilot operation validates the system design in terms of structural load, material wear, and the dynamic interaction between the rail vehicle and the embedded track.




Trade Fairs
The track system will be presented at the InnoTrans trade fair, taking place from September 22 to 25, 2026, in Berlin, at Booth No. 150 in Hall 21b.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement.

When designing grooved rail networks for DC railways, electrical insulation is essential to prevent stray current corrosion on adjacent underground pipelines. The new system's elastic rubber foot encapsulation meets these standard requirements through continuous electrical separation. Compared to standard grooved rails such as the Ri60N (60R1) or Ri59, the specially developed 65G1 profile offers a modified geometry designed for wider wheel tires and features optimized stress distribution in the rail head.

In the market environment for embedded track systems, there are continuously elastically supported systems, such as Corkelast EBS by edilon)(sedra or QTrack by Pandrol, which are primarily based on form-fitting polyurethane casting compounds. The voestalpine system differentiates itself from these approaches by combining continuous elasticity with punctual mechanical fastening. Because the G9 tension clamps remain accessible from above, this design enables rail replacement without the use of milling technology or extensive thermal melting of casting compounds, thereby significantly reducing the material required for repairs.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.voestalpine.com