Modern track maintenance in Brazil at Belo Horizonte Metro
The mechanization of track maintenance represents an important step forward for metro operations in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where the line is currently expanding. With the Plasser 08-16 Split Head tamping machine, Metrô BH has been able to carry out railway maintenance interventions with higher productivity, improved track geometry control, and greater reliability in maintenance parameters. This directly impacts track availability for train operations, reducing operational restrictions and improving the passenger experience.
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Length of the line
Two machines in one
The Plasser 08-16 Split Head tamping machine stands out for its versatility and productivity in railway maintenance. The machine is equipped with a tamping unit capable of working on both plain-line track and turnouts, allowing precise geometric corrections on different sections of the track. The 3rd-rail lifting unit uniformly lifts the turnout structure and supports the split head tamping unit during turnout tamping.
As a compact machine adapted for passenger railway systems, the 08-16 Split Head is especially suitable for complex track layouts, ensuring improved alignment, levelling, and track stability with greater agility and reliability. The machine is currently being used for maintenance activities on Metrô BH Line 1, which is 29.7 km long, as well as for the construction of Line 2, which will have a total length of 10.5 km.
State-of-the-art onboard systems
The Plasser IntelligentControl (P-IC) system supports maintenance routines by quickly and accurately identifying potential failures and system alarms, enabling faster and more precise diagnostics for technical teams. Plasser Datamatic enhances operational and maintenance control by allowing remote monitoring of parameters such as working hours, fuel consumption, and machine performance.
In practice, these technologies increase machine reliability, reduce downtime, and improve maintenance predictability. For metro operations with short maintenance windows, having a machine with this level of onboard intelligence makes a significant difference in the quality and efficiency of track maintenance.
We operate in an extremely challenging maintenance environment, with short night-time maintenance windows and high demands for track availability. The decision to choose Plasser equipment was based precisely on the combination of productivity, onboard technology, and operational reliability. Today we are able to perform maintenance work with much greater efficiency, precision, and safety, extending maintenance cycles and delivering a more comfortable, reliable railway for passengers.
Roberto Fischer – Superintendent of Operation and Maintenance at Metrô BH
The functions of the 08-16 Split Head tamping machine greatly facilitate our maintenance routines on both plain-line track and turnouts. Before this machine began operating at Metrô BH, turnout maintenance was carried out manually. Today the process is mechanized, bringing much more safety and reliability to our track maintenance activities. We have achieved positive results on the line and in terms of machine availability thanks to the state-of-the-art onboard technology.
Robson Daniel – Lead Maintenance Operations Technician at Metrô BH
The 08-16 Split Head tamping machine is ideal for passenger railway operations because it can work on both plain-line track and turnouts, while the 3rd-rail lifting unit supports turnout tamping. It is also a more compact machine, capable of operating on tighter radii and in sharper curves.
Marlon Ruela – Senior Track Machine Technician at Plasser do Brasil
One of the aspects that impressed me most about the 08-16 Split Head tamping machine was its level of digitalization and onboard intelligence. Datamatic and P-IC represent a major leap forward in the way this type of machine is operated and maintained, while also making operation more intuitive. The machine also introduced important ergonomic improvements, providing greater comfort for operators.
Luiz Gripp – Senior Maintenance Analyst at Metrô BH
Project data
| Project description | Tamping of plain-line track and turnouts in a passenger railway system |
| Country of operation | Brazil |
| Line | Line 1 and Line 2 (under construction) |
| Length of the line | 29.7 km on Line 1 |
| Company | Metrô BH |
| Infrastructure manager | Metrô de Belo Horizonte |
| Machine in operation | Plasser 08-16 Split Head tamping machine |
| Field of application | |
| Working mode |
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