
Turnouts are heavily used and safety-critical components of railway infrastructure. Traditionally, the decision to maintain or renew them is based on visual inspections by qualified personnel. "Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics and conditions in the railway system to optimize maintenance practices", explains Ing. Gerald Lobner, project manager at Plasser & Theurer, regarding the task for the researchers within the Rail4Future project.
EM100VT measuring vehicle with special equipment
For this purpose, the EM100VT measuring vehicle from Plasser & Theurer has been equipped with a line camera system operating in the near-infrared wavelength range and vibration sensors from Hottinger Brüel & Kjaer GmbH (HBK). These are connected with highly precise time and spatial data via a GNSS sensor and the PTP-v2 protocol.
To protect the cameras and sensors, Plasser & Theurer designed special housings to effectively shield them from environmental influences. The subsequent integration and synchronization of the various measuring systems on the measuring vehicle, particularly due to the high data rate of the cameras, posed a significant challenge for the researchers. A new synchronization module had to be developed to ensure the efficient storage and processing of the data without losing important information.
Efficiency potential for turnout inspection and rail maintenance
"The integration of highly precise time and spatial data through GNSS sensors and the PTP-v2 protocol has enabled us to create a very detailed data foundation for evaluation and monitoring", says Ing. Lobner. The data obtained would significantly contribute to the development of improved wheel-rail calculation models, thus "increasing the efficiency and accuracy of turnout inspection and rail maintenance".
Exchange of know-how between industry and research
Close collaboration with key partners such as the ÖBB research department and JOANNEUM RESEARCH has proven to be "very productive." The exchange of know-how between industry and research was "crucial in overcoming technical challenges and developing innovative solutions," says Ing. Lobner, noting a "significant advancement in the precise capture and analysis of railway infrastructure data".
Plasser & Theurer
The Austrian family-owned company is considered a global technology leader in track construction machinery. Its product range includes machines and systems for new construction, as well as for the renovation and maintenance of tracks and overhead lines. Founded in 1953, the company employs 6,000 people, about one-third of whom are based in Austria. With 22 international partner companies, Plasser & Theurer has an export rate of 93%, delivering 17,700 large machines to 110 countries.


Gerald Lobner has been with Plasser & Theurer since 2014. As a project manager in the Technology & Innovation department, he drives technological developments in the field of track construction and maintenance and coordinates research funding projects with the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as the central point of contact.