Events
Smart Rail Via Vindobona - International Conference
The first Smart Rail Via Vindobona conference was held in the ceremonial hall of the Vienna Technical University.
The conference was moderated by Prof. Bernhard Rüge, who was the organizer. The conference was opened by a presentation by Ing. Rudolf Franz Heide on the importance of the Dresden - Prague - Vienna railway line. This was followed by a number of interesting contributions on the strategy for the development of railway infrastructure from the conference partners, i.e. the Czech Railway Administration, ÖBB Infra, DB InfraGO and guests from the Swiss Confederation. On the second day, it was the turn of a visit to the Semmering base tunnel as well as to the ÖBB Nightjet train maintenance hall.
The second conference will take place on 27/28 January 2026 in Prague.
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Telematics applications in relation to railway capacity and operational efficiency
On 9 April 2024, the second workshop of the "Smart Via Vindobona" series focused on telematic applications in relation to capacity and operational efficiency of railways, organised in cooperation with the technical universities in Dresden and Vienna, took place in the Masaryk Lounge at Prague Dejvice railway station.
Use of virtual balises for automated lubrication of sidings: telematics project and experience from field tests in the Erzgebirgsbahn catchment area
Speakers: Prof. Dr-Ing. Prof. Dr. Oliver Michler, TU Dresden, Institute of Transport Telematics, Department of "Information Technology for Transport Systems".
Lubrication is used on railway vehicles to reduce wear and tear on the wheels and rails, and also to reduce noise in the form of the typical grinding sounds. A siding is a small flange attached to the side of the wheels that mechanically supports the track and also serves as a derailment protection. Particularly on railway lines with frequent and sharp curves, such as the Erzgebirge railway, lubrication of the bogie offers advantageous material and ecological aspects of use. Although mobile lubrication systems (on the driving vehicle) outweigh stationary infrastructure systems (directly on the line) in terms of efficiency and cost, they are usually operated manually. This paper presents an approach to an automated solution in the form of a hardware-software-telematics-in-the-loop (HSTiL) process within the PiLoNav research project. The content ranges from an approach to signal processing as an acoustic system, through laboratory experiments with telematics components, to experiences from field tests on the Erzgebirge railway.
Impact of capacity increase on noise immissions according to the European prediction model
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Maly, TU Vienna, Co-author: Kirisits Christian / Ziviltechnikerbüro Dr. Kirisits and Medical University of Vienna
Electrified rail transport is considered as an extremely sustainable form of mobility and is therefore becoming more and more widespread at national and European level. However, with the associated increase in capacity, special attention needs to be paid to the impact on noise emissions, so that acceptance by neighbouring residents is not negatively affected, but also so that the capacity of the line is not limited by immission limits. Modern forecasting models make it possible to analyse in detail in advance the relationship between changes in traffic and the resulting average immissions. The presentation therefore deals with various aspects such as changes resulting from the conversion of freight cars or the importance of high voltage sources in high-speed transport. The calculation method introduced by Directive 2002/49/EC on environmental noise, which is mandatory throughout Europe for strategic noise mapping, will be used. As this method also symbolises the state of the art in Austria, the use of which is required for detailed noise studies and legally binding immission forecasts, the limits of this method will also be discussed.
Impact of vehicle layout on capacity and operational efficiency
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Rüger, TU Vienna
The design of the vehicle layout with regard to the positioning of doors, seats and luggage compartments as well as the dimensions of the boarding area have a significant impact on the transfer time of passengers and thus on the overall station dwell time and the actual seat availability. In an unfavourably designed layout, up to 20 % of seats are de facto unusable, which can lead to a corresponding reduction in seating capacity. In addition, longer stopping times lead to longer station occupation times and longer train intervals, which reduces line capacity. Longer stopping times also increase energy requirements due to the need for higher travel speeds. In local transport, 'unpopular' vehicle spaces are particularly important, as they invariably lead to lower utilisation and therefore reduced passenger capacity. A number of positive operational effects can be achieved by appropriate vehicle layout design, both in local and long-distance transport.
Charging infrastructure for battery-powered vehicles
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Steffen Röhlig HTW Dresden
The use of battery electric multiple units (BEMUs) requires the installation of charging infrastructure outside of already electrified railway lines. For the charging process, it makes sense to use the overhead line/current collector interface for energy transfer. In addition to a short section of overhead line, a charging station is required to provide power. In Germany, a system has been developed and tested that can also be used for AC 25 kV 50 Hz and can be installed in a relatively short time with little interference to the railway infrastructure.
Development and maintenance of infrastructure
On 31 October 2023, a workshop entitled "Smart Via Vindobona", focused on the development and maintenance of infrastructure, was held in the Masaryk Lounge at Prague Dejvice railway station, under the auspices of the Dean, Prof. Ondrej Pribyl, in cooperation with Deutsche Bahn Netze and the Technical University of Vienna and Graz. The keynote speaker was Univ. Prof. Peter Veit from TU Graz. The development projects in each country and the vision of a joint platform of universities and infrastructure managers of our countries were presented.
Affordable traction power for rail
On 15 December 2022, a workshop was held in the Knights' Hall of the Railway Administration in Prague under the auspices of the Dean of the CTU FTS and the Director General of the Railway Administration.
Prof. Ing. Ondřej Přibyl, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Transport, CTU in Prague, gave the opening speech at the workshop. He welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of discussing the availability of traction electricity for the railway sector.
Ing. Aleš Krejčí, Deputy Director-General for Economy, Správa železnic, also gave opening remarks. He focused on the economic aspects of ensuring available electrical energy for the railway.
Ing. Petr Třešňák, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, discussed the availability of electric energy for the railway in 2023. He addressed the project within the THÉTA program, measures for the railway transport sector, and the decarbonization of the sector. He also raised questions for discussion regarding project outputs, necessary inputs, barriers to ensuring energy availability, and the sufficiency of current measures.
Ing. Luboš Knížek, Head of the Department of Concepts and International Cooperation on Railways, Ministry of Transport, spoke on the electrification of railway transport. His presentation covered the development of electric traction, modernization of conversion, and simple electrification projects. He also detailed further activities such as the NIP TSI ENE and support for developing electric traction.
Ing. Jaromír Hrubý, Director of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Energy, Správa železnic, focused on the availability of electricity from the perspective of the power supply infrastructure manager. He discussed the current electricity market, the structure of SŽ's points of consumption and delivery, types of electricity consumption in the railway, criteria for the availability of electricity supply, and strategies for ensuring electricity supply for the railway.
Libor Slavík, Head of the Energy Department, České dráhy, presented on the availability of electric energy for trains in the Czech Republic. His presentation included an introduction to the company, the number of vehicles, modernization of the vehicle fleet, energy consumption, and the TEE purchasing model. He also provided a summary and conclusion with key considerations for the future of electricity supply for the railway.
Mgr. Jakub Jirousek, Department of Price Regulation in Electricity, Energy Regulatory Office, discussed the competence of the ERÚ and the specifics of price regulation for customers providing railway transport services. He covered topics such as the Energy Act, the situation in electricity markets, measures against the growth of the regulated part of electricity prices, price decisions for electricity, and the component of the price for supporting electricity for railway transport.
Ing. Petr Boček, TTC Controls s.r.o., gave a presentation on the ongoing measurement of electric traction vehicle consumption. He discussed the vehicle's electric meter and its ecosystem, the benefits of the measurement ecosystem for users, and the Driver Assistance System (DAS).
Ing. Jiří Pohl, Siemens Mobility s.r.o., spoke on the sustainable price of electric energy for the railway. His presentation addressed the initial situation of energy resources in the EU, the EU ETS emission allowances system, discrimination against electric traction, the influence of the EU ETS market price on the market price of electricity, and the removal of discrimination against electric traction. He also discussed EU ETS emission allowances, costs, and revenues, and proposed changes to Act No. 383/2012.
Ing. Petr Moravec, SVOD Bohemia, z.s., introduced the Association of Passenger Carriers and its view on the issues.
On the basis of the stimulating presentations, a discussion took place and a common interest in organizing workshops on partial topics in the next period was declared.