Turnouts are critical infrastructure components where failures can cause delays and service disruption. Combining switch operation with continuous condition monitoring gives infrastructure operators earlier visibility of changes and anomalies, allowing maintenance and repair work to be planned according to asset condition rather than relying solely on reactive intervention.
The ECOSTAR 5.0’s modular construction is intended to reduce servicing and repair times, while its ability to operate independently of the interlocking technology employed broadens its application in modernisation and retrofit projects. Integrated with SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING, the system is designed to support more predictable operation and higher line availability.
zentrak SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING continuously monitors the condition of railway field elements, providing early identification of changes and anomalies to support predictive maintenance.
voestalpine Railway Systems will present two solutions designed to improve the efficiency and reliability of railway operations on high-speed lines at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin. The company will showcase its zentrak SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING (SCM) diagnostic system and the zentrak ECOSTAR 5.0 intelligent switch machine.
Used together as an intelligent switch drive system, the technologies are intended to provide more effective condition monitoring, support proactive maintenance planning and increase track availability.
The zentrak ECOSTAR 5.0 is the latest generation of voestalpine Railway Systems’ electro-hydraulic switch machine and has been designed around reliability, integration and maintainability.
Its modular design allows components to be replaced quickly, reducing servicing times and simplifying maintenance. The switch machine also uses a robust construction intended to support reliable operation under challenging environmental conditions.
voestalpine Railway Systems' zentrak ECOSTAR 5.0 electro-hydraulic switch machine is designed for reliability, modular maintenance and integration with digital condition monitoring.
According to voestalpine Railway Systems, the ECOSTAR 5.0 combines high reliability and availability with a durable design, modular maintenance and faster repairs. It is suitable for various turnout types and can be fully integrated with zentrak SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING for digital monitoring.
The switch machine can be used independently of the interlocking technology employed, making it suitable for modernisation and retrofit projects.
The second technology being presented, zentrak SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING, is designed to continuously monitor the condition of field elements and identify changes or anomalies at an early stage.
Turnout failures can result in delays and service disruption, making condition monitoring an important part of maintaining reliable railway operations. The SCM system is intended to support a shift from reactive towards predictive maintenance by providing operators with earlier information on the condition of their assets.
The system supports requirement-based maintenance and provides information that can be used to plan maintenance and repairs. voestalpine Railway Systems says this can contribute to more stable and predictable operation, higher line availability and optimised lifecycle costs for railway infrastructure and switch-setting systems.
Monitoring nodes can also be retrofitted as part of a modular deployment approach.
The ECOSTAR 5.0 and SWITCH CONDITION MONITORING systems are designed to operate together, with the switch machine providing operational data and SCM analysing that information to provide greater visibility of the condition of the switch drive.
This gives infrastructure operators a more comprehensive view of the equipment and provides information that can be used to plan maintenance activities.
voestalpine Railway Systems will present the technologies as part of its Digital Systems portfolio at InnoTrans 2026, which takes place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds from 22 to 25 September.
The company will exhibit in Hall 21b, Booth 150, where it will showcase its latest developments in digital system solutions as part of its 30th anniversary activities.
