The international research project IN2TRACK3 deals with novel research approaches for a sustainable, low-maintenance and affordable railroad infrastructure. In the Work Package 1, led by Virtual Vehicle, the cost drivers crossings and switches are highlighted and technical improvements are developed. The team of experts met in Graz at the invitation of Virtual Vehicle for a technical status and planning meeting on the 23rd of March 2023.

The European railway industry faces great challenges in need for increased network capacity as the result of higher customer demands. Ageing infrastructure assets require efficient and sustainable interventions to maintain and improve current levels of performance. To meet these demands and increase the operational performance of the railway infrastructure assets, innovation is needed to enable a step-change in reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) and also to optimise asset capital and Life Cycle Cost (LCC).

IN2TRACK3 will develop physical as well as digital technology and methodology demonstrators for the Track, Switches & Crossings and Bridges & Tunnel assets. The project is led by Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration Agency, the consortium consists of 27 expert partners originating from 11 European countries.

More informations about IN2TRACK3

Picture: Michael Schmeja (Virtual Vehicle Research Center), Michael Sehner (Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH), Pernilla Edlund (Trafikverket), Phil Winship (Network Rail), Werner Daves (Materials Center Leoben), Henrik Vilhelmson (Chalmers University of Technology), Christian Ebner (Voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH), Björn Pålsson (Chalmers University of Technology), Sebastian Gapp (Materials Center Leoben), Andreas Trausmuth (AC2T research GmbH)

Not at the picture: Nicole Dörr (AC2T research GmbH), Kamil Sazgetdinov (Virtual Vehicle Research Center)

This project has received funding from the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 101012456.
The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Shift2Rail JU members other than the Union.
In Austria the project was also funded by the program “Mobilität der Zukunft” of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK) as well as by the Province Styria (Land Steiermark) and the Styrian Business Promotion Agency (SFG).