Rail sector digitalisation: Smart safety technology for rail infrastructure

Digitalisation is also making rapid advances within railway equipment supply companies. In addition to digital communication solutions for rolling stock, rail infrastructure also needs to be digitalised in order to meet the growing need for efficiency, safety and convenience. Innovative technologies developed by Pintsch are setting the course for digital safety and control solutions in the field of rail infrastructure.

The increasing urbanisation of Western society is also driving the need to utilise resources more efficiently and protect the climate. The relevance of zero-emission modes of transport is also increasing at an ever-faster pace. Railway transportation in particular continues to grow in popularity and is reaching record levels in Germany. In 2018, some 2.6 billion passengers took advantage of the wide range of rail services that Deutsche Bahn AG has to offer.1 In order to boost the efficiency of the existing infrastructure, despite the increasing traffic volumes, and to ensure smooth, safe rail services in a sustainable manner, rail infrastructure requires consistent modernisation. Within this process, it is essential to focus in particular on digitalising safety and control systems. The German federal government also wants to further the modernisation of the railway network and intends to invest some 86 billion euros in maintaining existing rail infrastructure over the next ten years – the largest project of its kind to date. An efficient, high-quality rail network also forms a sound basis for active climate protection going forward.

As a leading specialist for rail infrastructure, the Schaltbau subsidiary Pintsch has developed modern, safety-related products and services for the railway sector since 1843. With its state-of-the-art safety and control solutions, Pintsch currently provides the railway infrastructure with digitalised, forward-looking technology. For example, its new level crossing equipment will interact with digital signalling systems via Ethernet, its internet platforms will provide diagnostics data for infrastructure components, and its modern axle counting technology will transmit digital control information. Pintsch also offers solutions for integrating external components into in-house digitalisation solutions and communicates via higher-level diagnostics systems. In addition to Deutsche Bahn AG, Pintsch’s expertise is being increasingly appreciated by international customers.

True to its slogan “SMART SOLUTIONS FOR POWER AND MOBILITY“, as a major technology partner, the Schaltbau Group ensures that smart e-mobility concepts can be implemented efficiently, quickly and in line with the specific needs of its customers.

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1Deutsche Bahn, Annual report 2018