today 142
today 142
The railway is booming. After the challenges of recent years, the railway system is advancing globally. This can be attributed, in particular, to its significance as a sustainable transport system. However, this success also has its downsides: railways in many places are confronted with the challenge of having to handle more train traffic with existing infrastructure. As is the case with many other industries, the lack of skilled staff has hit the rail hard. Measures which promise success are urgently needed.
New-line construction projects take time and can only counteract capacity bottlenecks in the long term. This is where new technologies provide help faster. In this sense, many railways are counting on increasing digitalization to provide solutions. However, it appears that there is currently a problem delaying the implementation of innovations and slowing down the progress of the railway: professions such as train drivers or track workers are on a list of professions with shortages. In addition to a lack of trainees and apprentices, many railways will soon have large-scale retirements. In the English railway industry, more than 50,000 employees are expected to retire by 2030. Only 5% of employees in the sector are under 25. Deutsche Bahn has referred to the combination of a shortage of skilled staff and demographic change as a “core risk” for today's society.
It is a multi-faceted problem: on the one hand, new workers should be integrated into the labour market and trained as quickly as possible. On the other hand, it is necessary to increase the demand for training and to make the profession attractive. This is why Plasser & Theurer is trying out different ways to reduce the impact of this shortage of skilled workers on our customers and on us. Specifically, these initiatives can be classified into four groups.
Digitalization increases efficiency and reduces interfaces
There are many advantages to digitalizing processes between various maintenance activities: it reduces interfaces and saves time and resources. One example is networking between pre-measuring and performing construction. This pre-measuring work is still often done manually. At the same time, trained staff and the track possession needed for work are often missing. Thanks to digitalization, the process becomes much easier. Use of modern track inspection vehicles, such as the EM100VT or EM120VT, make it possible to record the absolute track geometry at speeds up to 100 km/h. As a result, track inspection vehicles can record the relevant track section in comparable quality faster and with less staff. Plus, directly transferring the measuring data to the back office and back to the track maintenance machine prevents needless travel and guarantees process reliability.
Automation to reduce staff costs
New sensors and camera systems are very helpful for track maintenance machine operators’ work. Where several people interacting with each other was necessary years ago, today’s new systems and innovative algorithms allow information to be pooled in a central place on the machine and processes to be automated. As a result, the number of operators required can be reduced, or the working environment in this central area can be systematically improved. A good example of that sort of implementation is the Plasser TampingAssistant. Its camera and laser technology capture the track and turnout environment at the front of the tamping machine. They recognize the different track components with the help of innovative image recognition algorithms. Based on this suggestion, the machine aligns the work units fully automatically. As a result, the number of staff needed on a universal tamping machine can go from three to two people, and the workload also goes down.
Create an attractive workplace
It is very difficult to find suitable staff willing to frequently work weekends and nights. By creating a safe, attractive working environment, it is possible to attract more newcomers to work for the rail system and, in particular, in track maintenance. Around ten years ago, Plasser & Theurer set a new standard for track maintenance machines by introducing the first E³ machine. The drive system as well as the design and ergonomics of the cabs were re-engineered. Using electrical energy to power the machine significantly reduces its pollutant and noise emissions. When combined with soundproofed cabs, the result is an attractive workspace protected from potentially damaging effects outside. The screens and controls are arranged in the cab in such a way that information is displayed in a structured way, creating a pleasant working environment. Taken together, the idea is to make operation of a track maintenance machine as simple and attractive as possible.
Faster integration thanks to modern training methods
New simulators and training options, such as virtual reality glasses, offer the possibility of training under extremely realistic conditions without having to use an actual track maintenance machine. This also prevents the risk of operating errors or damage to the infrastructure. New operators or career changers train in a safe environment with supervision from experienced instructors. They practise operating the machines and performing various work sequences step by step. The use of simulators reduces the time needed for training, allowing skilled staff to begin working in operations much faster.
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