News & Updates from Rail4Future

Rail transport is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient means of transport. ÖBB is consistently pursuing the path to sustainable mobility. This is the only way to achieve the goals of the "European Green Deal": Reduction of emissions by 90% by 2050.

Messwagen EM100VT Plasser & Theurer

Plasser & Theurer: "Digital Twin" as the basis for modern plant management

The specialist for track construction machinery has equipped an EM100VT measurement vehicle with specially developed equipment in the Rail4Future project, in Area 2, "Reliable Railway Tracks," in collaboration with ÖBB and JOANNEUM RESEARCH. This system provides the data for "Condition Monitoring with Smart Assets."

Full article Plasser & Theurer

Insights into the Future Railway Infrastructure

A crucial element in the field of digitalization is the monitoring of the condition of the railway infrastructure using "smart assets."

Article and video (German) Smart Turnout

TÜV AUSTRIA: Digital monitoring of steel bridges with RISE

Many steel bridges have been in operation for 100 years or more. In the Rail4Future project, research on the reliability of these structures is conducted in Area 3, Reliable Bridges and Tunnels. TÜV AUSTRIA, in collaboration with TU Graz, AIT, and ÖBB, has developed the RISE system – a monitoring system based on acoustic emissions for the condition monitoring of steel bridges.

Full article TÜV AUSTRIA

JOANNEUM RESEARCH: Predictive Maintenance of the Future with "Smart Assets"

Dr. Stefan Grebien explains how condition monitoring algorithms could be used to detect wear in the track and switch area at an early stage and before mechanical damage occurs and sees potential for efficiency, particularly in the area of maintenance.

Full article JOANNEUM RESEARCH

voestalpine - Green and competitive into the future

voestalpine Railway Systems wants to lead the railway sector into the green and comepetitive future.

voestalpine is one of the world's leading steel and technology conglomerates, and a global market leader in railway infrastructure systems. Through its subsidiary, voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH, the company contributes components, system expertise, simulation, and digitalization capabilities to the Rail4Future consortium. Dr. Stephan Scheriau provides insights into current research, his project experiences, and the potential through digitalization. He oversees the "Reliable Railway Tracks" division within Rail4Future.

Full article voestalpine

Wiener Linien: Reliable Infrastructure and Digitalization

Wiener Linien are involved in the Rail4Future project in the areas of "Simulation platform for the railway system" and "Reliable Infrastructure". As infrastructure operators, they provide research institutions with data to create a simulation model for predicting the condition of a steel bridge.

Full article Wiener Linien

ÖBB: High Tech paves the way to the future of bridges

Railway traffic on steel bridges over a period of up to 100 years inevitably leads to material fatigue. To better understand these processes, bridge constructions are tested at a one-to-one scale until failure. At the ÖBB Bridge Factory in St. Pölten, a large-scale experiment took place on the dismantled structure of the Pinka River bridge, in collaboration with partners HBK, TÜV AUSTRIA, AIT, FCP/VCE/Strucinspect, Schimetta, and TU Graz.

Full article ÖBB

 

 

Visualisation bridge

VRVis: Digitisation for rail transport with visual computing

The Centre for Virtual Reality and Visualisation (VRVis) is developing interaction and visualisation techniques for digital twins of railway infrastructure for the Rail4Future project. The results of simulations are to be quickly recorded visually and thus made comparable for the users.

Full article VRVis (German)

Presentation Dashboard Track Simulation on Demo Day

R4F - Demo Day: Researchers show railway in "Digital Twin"

The latest scientific advances from the R4F project were presented on 15 March at Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH in Graz. At a demo day, researchers and business partners met to exchange ideas about the future of railway infrastructure on the computer.

Full article R4F-Demo Day (German)

Aufnahme vom Stream

Rail4Future: We collaborate in researching the railways of the future

Without railways, the climate goals cannot be achieved. After all, the infrastructure is facing enormous challenges. A consortium of science & industry shows us the paths that lead to a climate-friendly future. Here you can find the recording of the event and also welcoming messages to the consortium.

Retrospective of event on 15 March 2022 (German)

Crystals

VRVis and ÖBB awarded ICT Digital Jewels for project Rail4Future

In the Rail4Future project, ÖBB, in cooperation with VRVis, is focusing on the digitalization of sustainable rail transport. This has now been recognized with the ICT Digital Jewels award.

Full article VRVis: ICT Digital Jewels Award (German)