Voestalpine Railway Systems, a subsidiary of the Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine AG, has announced the conclusion of framework contracts worth about 470 million euros for the Rail Baltica project.
According to the company, the agreements represent the largest portfolio of framework contracts in its history and cover the supply of high-tech switches and digital monitoring systems for the cross-border railway corridor connecting Northern and Central Europe.
Up to 1000 switches will be placed up
Under the contracts, Voestalpine Railway Systems will supply up to 1,000 high-speed and standard switches, including integrated digital monitoring technology, for a fully electrified railway network. Production will be carried out at the company's facilities in Lithuania and Latvia, and deliveries of the first prototypes are scheduled for 2027. The high-speed switches are designed for train speeds up to 300 km/h.
Digital monitoring to support preventive maintenance
The arrows will be equipped with digital diagnostic systems designed to simplify maintenance work and reduce the risk of malfunctions.
According to the company, each high-speed switch can be equipped with approximately 40 sensors that continuously collect operational and environmental data, including weather conditions and switch characteristics. The data will be transmitted in real time to the analysis software, which will identify and resolve maintenance requirements at an early stage.
Rail Baltica is one of Europe's largest railway infrastructure projects aimed at integrating the Baltic States into the trans—European railway network through a high-speed rail link between Helsinki and Warsaw. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are participating in the project, while Finland will be connected indirectly through the transport corridor.
