Plasser & Theurer: Machine - Ballast bed cleaning: Overview

Face-lift for high-speed lines
Rehabilitation of the first high-speed lines in Germany

Almost 35 years have passed since the first high-speed railway lines were opened in Germany at the beginning of June 1991. So it’s time to start renewing this infrastructure that is subjected to large loads. In June 2019, this work was started and is planned to be carried out over the next five years.

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Fast through the night
Ballast cleaning on world-famous high-speed line

On the high-speed line LGV Sud-Est (Ligne à grande vitesse Sud-Est) between Paris and Lyon renewal of the entire ballast bed has been carried out since 2009. Plasser & Theurer machines have been playing a crucial role in this major construction project.

Cleaning ballast quickly and efficiently

The ballast bed distributes the loads of the trains uniformly onto the track substructure and assures a firm, unshifting position of the sleepers. To withstand these dynamic impacts the ballast bed has to be very elastic. The good function depends on the depth of the ballast bed, the size of the ballast stones and the degree of fouling.
Fouling occurs under normal operational loads. This causes the edges of the ballast stones to break off, settlement of the stones and friction processes.

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