en.Wedoany.com Reported - voestalpine Railway Systems has secured a major order worth approximately €470 million to supply high-tech switches and digital monitoring systems for the European high-speed rail project Rail Baltica. This is the largest single order the company has ever received, further solidifying its position as a leading global provider of railway infrastructure system solutions.
Under the framework agreement, voestalpine will deliver up to 1,000 high-speed and standard-speed switches equipped with fully digital monitoring technology for this fully electrified railway line. The products will be manufactured at voestalpine's plants in Lithuania and Latvia, with the first prototypes scheduled for delivery in 2027.
Herbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG, stated that as the market leader for complete railway infrastructure systems worldwide, the company is delighted to make a significant contribution to the European flagship project Rail Baltica through these deliveries.
The high-speed switches produced by voestalpine Railway Systems are designed for speeds of up to 300 km/h. These intelligent switches are equipped with diagnostic instruments, functioning as an "onboard computer" for the switch, which simplifies maintenance processes and prevents failures. A single high-speed switch can be fitted with approximately 40 sensors to collect various data, including weather conditions and switch wear. This data is transmitted in real-time to analysis software, enabling early initiation of necessary maintenance measures.
Franz Kainersdorfer, member of the voestalpine AG Board and head of the Metal Engineering division, stated that the company can offer customers a comprehensive product portfolio, covering everything from the planning and design of track and switch systems to the final monitoring of the railway line.
As the market leader for complete railway infrastructure systems worldwide, voestalpine Railway Systems is also a leading supplier of standardized signaling technology (EULYNX). Its monitoring systems are already widely used by major mixed-traffic railway companies globally, major freight railways in North America, and mining railways in Australia and South America. Additionally, more projects have been implemented in countries such as South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Spain, and the United States.
Rail Baltica is a cross-border new-build project connecting the Baltic states with the European rail network, encompassing five EU member states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. It creates a high-capacity north-south link between Helsinki and Warsaw. This project is historic, as it will reconnect Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the European standard-gauge rail network for the first time since World War II, fully integrating them into the EU railway system.
