On track to become service champion

Mr Oberreiter, how does the cooperation with Plasser & Theurer work, and what benefits do you see for your customers?

As a service partner, we are the eyes and ears of the manufacturer Plasser & Theurer. From the point machines are delivered, we look after them in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands throughout their life cycles. Therefore, we know from practical experience how the machines perform. In view of this, the continuous, regular dialogue between PRS and Plasser & Theurer is an important factor that we take seriously.

How has the market responded to this change?

In a positive manner throughout. The majority of our customers regarded this alliance as the right decision. They consider it highly beneficial that they now have one contact for the machines of both brands.

In what way does the new organization deliver real added value for your customers?

Our six business areas cover all service offerings. Therefore, we have become a true one-stop-shop for the machines by Plasser & Theurer and Robel. PRS ensures the supply of original spare parts and provides customer support directly at the worksite, especially with regard to warranty issues. The Opladen and Freilassing sites carry out machine servicing, revisions, repairs, and retrofit; the Munich site is responsible for the reconditioning of tamping units. In addition, Freilassing is also our centre of excellence for the reconditioning of wheelsets and bogies; here we are also developing our multi-brand area. A new addition is our uptime service.

Where do you see the advantages of PRS against the competition?

If we compare ourselves with workshops, then our biggest strength is of course our comprehensive expertise. We are the only full-service provider on the market. For companies that carry out a large amount of servicing work themselves, we are increasingly becoming an important partner in order to increase availability. Companies also make increased use of our massively expanded testing competence. In addition, we see opportunities for growth in the area of long-term service contracts.

Do you see any services that are in particular demand?

There are currently three key areas: increasing availability, upgrades, and retrofits. The machines have to be operational in order to generate revenue. Therefore, our complete packages with which we guarantee availability of over 90% are of great interest. With retrofits on machines that have been in operation for 15 years or more, these will be back on the track within six to eight months. The cost is about 60% of the price for a new machine, and, above all, the approval remains.

Recently, you have started to offer your uptime service. What does that mean?

Usually, more comprehensive servicing work is offered in winter. In order to become more flexible and also make use of other times of the year, we now offer new or used machines for hire as a replacement during the servicing period. We regard this as a big opportunity for giving our customers more room for manoeuvre in their planning.

You are operating from three sites. How well does the cooperation work?

If you restructure existing entities, you need to retain the performance level first and foremost. Our staff at all three sites have taken on the challenge and provided excellent solutions. We are very proud of this. The processes are working really smoothly, and we are building on that.

​The digitalization of track maintenance machines has forged ahead in recent years. What does this mean for PRS?

It is a huge opportunity for us. One trendsetting tool is Plasser Datamatic, which enables remote diagnostics and remote servicing. There is also Big Data, which will provide the basis allowing us to service individual machines more efficiently in future.

The subject of sustainability is also becoming more and more important for many companies working in the railway. How do you see this within PRS?

No question, this topic has an impact. In the area of retrofits, we already make use of the possibilities of upgrading existing machines for maximum environmental acceptability. Doubling the service life of a machine with a retrofit alone is a huge sustainability benefit. With new machine purchases, we can see that it is important to find the right time. Of course, they have big cost implications. If, for example, you look at our E³ machines, we are definitely on the right track with these. But we cannot say for sure when our customers will make the big switch.

You currently have 30 job vacancies. How many staff do you employ at the moment, and how do you perceive the situation with regard to recruiting new staff?

We currently have about 250 employees. The job vacancies are primarily for service engineers and the Opladen maintenance workshop. We are all aware of the current situation: it is not easy to find the right people. However, I am convinced that we will succeed. We offer secure jobs in a growing industry, we are working in an area that contributes hugely to sustainability, and we deal with machines that have a certain cult factor.

And finally, let’s take a look at the future: what should PRS look like in five years?

We want to become the champion of services! In our market, everyone should think of Plasser Robel Services for their projects as a matter of course.

Thank you for your time.