Fire & Ice

Ensuring that switches perform faultlessly even in the arctic circle or in the desert is quite literally critical to survival. In the north of Europe, for instance, tracks are exposed to extreme temperatures ranging from -50 to +60 °C. Vossloh already provides such a survival pack as part of its product range: Easyswitch. Integrated into the rail sleeper, this switch drive is well protected against wind and weather. Yet despite being designed to cope with extreme conditions, almost all components are real lightweights and can be exchanged in just 15 minutes. The most important freight train link in the whole of Scandinavia relies on Vossloh technology. Trains of several hundred metres in length, each weighing more than 8,000 tonnes and with an axle load of 30 tonnes, travel the “Iron Ore Line” several times a day.