Getzner Werkstoffe nominated for State Award for Innovation 2023

The new under sleeper pads were developed to improve the stability of railway tracks. In addition to safety, modern railway operators, for economic reasons, give the highest priority to operating a railway line as trouble-free as possible. Delays or even closures due to track faults have a negative impact on punctuality and the railway's image. "It's not just about safety and reliability, the ecological footprint can also be reduced - the new under sleeper pad contributes to both the smooth operation and environmental compatibility of railway lines," explains Chief Executive Officer Jürgen Rainalter. With the special elastoplastic under sleeper pad, the research and development team at Getzner has found a way to significantly increase the safety and thus the availability of railway lines. Thanks to the product innovation, the track remains intact for a longer time, the need for maintenance and consequently the resources required, as well as the costs for maintaining the track, can be reduced.

Railway tracks are continuously welded nowadays. They provide a much more comfortable ride at significantly lower maintenance costs. However, especially in summer, due to high temperatures, rails create longitudinal forces that can cause the track to buckle - these are known as track buckling or sun kinks and represent a high safety risk. The rails tend to expand when heated. However, as the longitudinal expansion in the superstructure is limited, the force can increase to such an extent that the track threatens to buckle laterally.

In parts of Great Britain, for example, rail traffic on the main railway lines along the English east coast and into the Midlands had to be completely suspended in July 2022 due to the heatwave at the time. The new under sleeper pads from Getzner were designed precisely for such cases: "The elastoplastic layer enables better interlocking between the underside of the sleeper and the upper layer of the ballast - we increase the so-called lateral track resistance by up to 100 percent compared to the standard railway superstructure. The padded sleepers resist the lateral forces of the rails, which significantly reduces the risk of track deformation," emphasises Harald Loy, Head of Research & Development at Getzner. Studies by the University of Innsbruck confirm the effectiveness of the new under sleeper pads. 

Two track operators are already successfully using the innovative under sleeper pads. "A new customer has already placed a very large order after the first test installation," emphasises Chief Executive Officer Jürgen Rainalter: "In the past, he repeatedly struggled with sun kinks, which led to speed restrictions, to costly maintenance measures, and on very hot days to the complete suspension of train traffic. We are able to solve this problem in the long term with our under sleeper pads." More safety and punctuality together with a reduced ecological footprint are generating keen interests among railway companies including in Austria, Switzerland and the UK.

Research and development has a top priority at Getzner. "We can try new things and have the full support of the management in doing so. It is particularly important to our research team that we use our solutions to advance the sustainability of railway lines and also enable economic benefits," emphasises Head of Research & Development Harald Loy.