Since 2021, Miguel Guerrero has been Head of Tamping Technology in Bochum and travelling throughout Germany. Nowadays, he often works on the Unimat 09-16/4S. He fondly remembers when he first started out at Plasser and Theurer and his first jobs on the tamping machines, which have developed rapidly since then: “There used to be the 09-231, which I learnt on, THE plain-line tamping machine. And when the 3X arrived, it was like, 'Wow, what a machine that is!' Everyone wanted to be on it. And new machines are being developed all the time, it's crazy what's happening.”
The job fascinated him for several reasons: “There’s always something new. You have technical things, for example repairing the machine, and then of course tamping. When I see what a track looks like when we're done tamping it, that's great, of course, and has always appealed to me.” However, as an old hand he can’t help but notice that it is sometimes difficult to get young people interested in the profession, even in Germany: “In the end, our working hours are somewhat unappealing for many young people. A 20-year-old doesn't want to be walking around on tracks at weekends.”
Track safety is key
When it comes to track, one aspect is clearly the top priority for Miguel’s daily work with his team: safety. It is necessary to be particularly careful during night shifts: “If we’re tamping somewhere at night, for example, the adjacent track often still has traffic on it. You end up there very quickly, and by the time you hear the train, it's usually already too late. That’s extremely dangerous. You have to be really careful, and we also have to look out for one other.”
Especially when it comes to safety, implicit trust and mutual understanding within the team are crucial. The same applies to work efficiency: “It’s impossible without a team. We need to get along. Everything has to run smoothly so that we can manage worksites properly.” His colleague Markus de Winter has a similar view: “Without each other, we're all nothing out here. If we don't work well together, it won't work and the worksite will never be done. And it's important that everyone knows where they belong.”
Markus is one of the few machine operators who obviously doesn't mind working night shifts: “In terms of working hours, I actually prefer to work nights. It's a bit quieter, and I feel more comfortable. The hardest thing for me on the job is the weather. I don't like it when it gets so warm.”
Important for the railway system
And how do the two machine operators feel about the fact that their work is mostly done in secret and they rarely receive public recognition for it? “We're tamping at night and our fellow travellers are back on treated tracks the next day, which is a nice feeling. Even if we're usually under the radar and don't really stand out,” says Miguel modestly.
Although much of their work is done behind the scenes, it is good for Markus to know that they make an indispensable contribution as machine operators, day or night: “No trains would be running without us. So we’re important for the railway system. And hopefully it will stay that way until I retire at some point.”
