Plasser & Theurer will produce 56 low-emission high-performance maintenance vehicles for BB by 2027, in series production with the existing team in Linz. Additional shifts or employees are not necessary for this, said marketing director Johann Dumser to the ON news.
The order includes a second contract that includes an option for a further 46 vehicles by 2037. Plasser & Theurer is pleased that that would almost double the current order volume. “With this innovation project, we also have good global opportunities for follow-up orders,” says Dumser. “This is important for Austria as a location and especially Upper Austria.” According to Dumser, the BB will get four different vehicle types, all of which are prototypes, in which the modular construction with an ecological drive results in a unique combination. For example, cranes can be attached to the railway vehicle, as can complete workshop equipment.
The BB are modernizing their 30-year-old fleet with the new high-performance maintenance vehicles. The new vehicles are used for assembly work as well as for inspection and maintenance work, for example when a tree falls on an overhead contact line and it has to be repaired quickly, or a mudslide spills or destroys the tracks. Specifically, there are 50 four-axle high-performance electric tower cars and superstructure cars with an innovative electric hybrid drive as well as six control cars that can be used on existing and future new lines. With the acquisition, the BB fleet is to be standardized, this would save costs and facilitate the training of the railcar drivers, it said.
KO drive was crucial
A major reason for awarding the contract to the Linz-based company is the largely emission-free drive, says Dumser. The vehicles with battery power or power from the overhead line and – as a backup – with a diesel generator are climate-friendly and fit for future technologies such as the ETCS train protection system and for new lines such as the Semmering Base Tunnel and Koralm Railway. The new cars are to be used on the Koralm Railway as early as 2023.
The rail vehicles are equipped in such a way that they can later also run on hydrogen technology, says Dumser.
The responsible director of the BB-Infrastruktur, Franz Bauer, and Plasser – & – Theurer managing director Johannes Max-Theurer emphasized the ecological technology that makes it easier for the BB to achieve the climate goals, as well as the efficient, safe work on the systems and thus the reliable provision of the rail infrastructure.
Order is a milestone
The order is a “milestone in the decades of cooperation for the success of the rail system in Austria and worldwide,” said Johannes Max-Theurer, CEO of Plasser & Theurer. That contributes to the achievement of the climate goals of the railway. (uru)
Franz Bauer (l.), Chairman of BB-Infrastruktur AG and Johannes Max-Theurer, CEO of Plasser & Theurer
Photo: Place theurer (OON)
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
