Technical faults often cause problems in rail traffic. Digitization is intended to help prevent this. Thousands of switches can now call the technician themselves.
Frankfurt / Main (dpa) - In the fight against switch disorders, Deutsche Bahn has completed a digital conversion project. Nationwide, sensors are now monitoring a total of 28,000 switches, as the company announced in Frankfurt am Main.
They register an increased power consumption, which can indicate defects. The goal is a repair before there are any faults. The railroad started work in 2016, and the last of the digital switches was connected to the system in Halle (Saale) at the end of May.
The data is collected on a diagnostic platform, which the technicians are informed automatically via SMS or email. These arrange preventive maintenance or replace the switch completely. Last year, 3600 potential defects were identified, it said.
Points are critical points in rail traffic - there are a total of 65,600 of them nationwide. Digital monitoring is carried out on heavily used routes or rail junctions with particularly heavy traffic. According to the company, the company invested around 66 million euros in the technology. Before the introduction of the new diagnostic system, the points were serviced in a fixed cycle, more or less frequently depending on the load.
By the end of the year, 18,000 point heaters are to be included in the digital monitoring. Other sensors should check the condition of the switch material, among other things. According to Deutsche Bahn, pilot projects are currently examining whether the technology is also suitable for monitoring level crossings and signal boxes.
The passenger association Pro Bahn welcomes the investments, but at the same time emphasizes that they are far from sufficient. "The retrofitting is long overdue, other countries are significantly further ahead with digitization," said Detlef Neuss, chairman of the association. Nevertheless, the step that has now been taken is important. "This will have a positive effect on delays, but it will not eliminate them," said Neuss. Because many other factors also caused problems - in addition to level crossings and signal boxes, for example, a lack of personnel.