Stockholm - Rail maintenance at high speed

In future, the tracks of the Stockholm metro will be maintained using high-speed grinding technology. A special machine developed by Vossloh will remove damage to the rails. This increases their service life and allows trains to run more quietly.

Strukton Rail AB, service provider for the maintenance of the Stockholm Tunnelbana rail network, and Vossloh have signed a contract on this. It is initially valid for two years from August and can be extended for a further six years.

High Speed Grinding (HSG) removes corrugations, slip waves and other signs of wear on the tracks. This preventive maintenance avoids major damage and the premature, costly replacement of rails. The HSG-city grinding machine developed by Vossloh is the fastest grinding machine for urban transport systems on the market.

“The HSG-city is already in use in many cities around the world,” says Jonas Ivenäs, Deputy Managing Director at Vossloh Rail Services Scandinavia. “I am very pleased that we can now also contribute to an improved ride experience and more cost-effective operation of the network in the Stockholm metro.”

The HSG-city grinding machine can be pulled or pushed along the tracks by a locomotive and grinds the rails while traveling at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. That makes it possible to “swim with the traffic” without interruptions in the timetable. In Stockholm, the HSG-city will be used at night during service breaks.