PALFINGER News

PALFINGER: Innovative Lifting Solutions for Austria’s Rail Infrastructure

19.12.2022

As part of one of the biggest investments in its maintenance fleet, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is purchasing 56 new vehicles from Plasser & Theurer in a first installment. PALFINGER, the crane and lifting solutions specialist, is equipping 51 of them, to guarantee safety and reliability on the track.

Austria is the number 1 country for rail travel in the European Union. To maintain the cost-effectiveness and performance levels of all lines, ÖBB-Infrastruktur is updating its fleet of maintenance vehicles. 50 modern 4-axle high-performance electric tower wagons and track wagons with an innovative electric-hybrid drive are being purchased. The contract for building the vehicles was awarded to rail construction market leader Plasser & Theurer in the course of a Europe-wide tender. To equip the new fleet, Plasser & Theurer is relying on its trusted partner PALFINGER with its innovative and pioneering crane and lifting solutions.

Individual solutions for customized operations

As part of the investment in ÖBB’s fleet of maintenance vehicles, more than 100 innovative railway systems from PALFINGER will be deployed. The new vehicles will be used to maintain and repair overhead lines, to handle technical defects as well as storm damage and to conduct maintenance in tunnels – in other words, for tasks where fast, efficient and safe work is a priority. “In this connection, ÖBB chose the complete solution consisting of our proven PA 240 and PA 1002 access platforms which are specifically designed for railway work and the PFD 99 positioner which we have adapted to the ÖBB’s innovative requirements. In view of the increasingly demanding applications, we have also developed a new railway crane with greater lifting capacity, a wider outreach and a pivoting basket: the PKR 370,” explains Florian Renner, Area Sales Manager at PALFINGER RAILWAY.

The arm systems of the PKR 370 and the PA 240 access platform are also fitted with a safety bar. This guarantees safe maneuvering when parking in respect of the overhead lines. Another tailor-made innovation are the access platform baskets which can be lowered in the vehicle roof during transfer trips. This shortens set-up times, and thus speeding up deployment. The market leader for crane and lifting solutions once again proves that the customer’s work routines can be made easier and better with custom-made products.

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ABOUT PALFINGER AG

PALFINGER is an international technology and mechanical engineering company and the world’s leading producer and provider of innovative crane and lifting solutions. With around 12,700 employees (without contract workers), 30 manufacturing sites and a worldwide sales and service network of around 5,000 service points, PALFINGER creates added value from the challenges of its customers. PALFINGER is consistently continuing on its course as a provider of innovative, complete solutions that deliver increased efficiency and better operability, while leveraging the potential of digitalization along the entire production and value chain.

PALFINGER AG has been listed on the Vienna stock exchange since 1999, and in 2023 achieved record revenue of EUR 2.45 billion.

 

QUERIES TO

Katja Pötsch | Head of Public Relations & Executive Communication | PALFINGER AG
M +43 664 889 69 065  | k.poetsch@palfinger.com