Traffic causes 25 % of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. However, only 0.4 % of these emissions can be attributed to railways. There are two reasons for this: most railway traffic in Europe has been electrified, and railways are the only mode of transport which has been continuously lowering CO₂ emissions since 1982. It is therefore necessary to vigorously promote railways if the EU is to achieve its climate targets.

Sustainable and safe

At the same time, the opportunity to drastically improve traffic safety also presents itself. Between 2011 and 2015, per one billion passenger-kilometres, 38 people died in motorcycle accidents, 2.7 were killed in car accidents, but only 0.1 died in railway accidents. In view of these facts, it is all the more interesting to note that only 7 % of passenger traffic and 11 % of freight traffic is rail traffic. It is high time to invigorate railways in Europe.

Innovative and cost-efficient

Plasser & Theurer has been making railways more cost-efficient, and hence more attractive, for decades. That is why we wholeheartedly support the initiatives behind this special Year of the Rail. In addition, we are developing technologies and services to make operating railway infrastructure even more sustainable.

We launched the first machines with hybrid drive technology onto the market. More recently, we introduced the world to the Automatic Track Machine Oscillator known as ATMO: a rail grinding machine whose innovative technology helps to keep noise in cities to a minimum. The services we offer, such as our machine upgrades, are also note­worthy: we take machines that have been in operation for more than 20 years and make them state-of-the-art, which saves on valuable resources.