SWIETELSKY – RTS: Patented tool protects switch hearts during construction work on the railway

The RTS (Rail Transport Services) from SWIETELSKY has made significant progress in construction operations in railway construction with the development of a visual switch heart manufacturing display (WHSTA). This innovative system provides a simple yet effective solution to largely prevent damage to movable switch hearts during construction work.

A solution for a long-standing problem

Movable switch hearts are essential for safe and efficient train traffic on high-speed lines. They allow speeds of over 160 km/h when crossing switches. At the same time, they are one of the most sensitive and expensive components in railway infrastructure. In construction operations, these hearts are particularly vulnerable to damage and are not protected by the control of the signal box – a risk that can lead to high repair costs and construction delays in the event of damage.

“In past projects, there were repeatedly avoidable damages to the hearts. These damages are a major problem every time due to their complex aftercare, both for us as a construction company and for the infrastructure operators,” explains Thomas Moik, developer of the WHSTA at RTS.

Safe construction operations through visual display

The WHSTA was developed to solve exactly this problem. The system indicates with a red light signal whether a switch or the movable heart can be safely traversed. If the signal is red, it means: Stop! The switch may only be used – with the consent of the infrastructure operator – when the strand is not illuminated in red.

“With this system, we have created a simple yet effective safety measure that largely curtails damage to the hearts and thus secures the construction process. The system operates autonomously with photovoltaic modules and is therefore independent of the public power supply,” Thomas Moik further explains.

Successful deployment on the Riedbahn

The first deployment of the WHSTA took place during the general renovation of the Riedbahn between Mannheim and Frankfurt. In the section between Mannheim and Bürstadt, the systems were successfully used from July 2024 after a test run last January. “The results speak for themselves: Damage to the hearts has decreased significantly, and the construction measures could be implemented as planned. This confirms the effectiveness of the WHSTA,” affirm the two managing directors of RTS, Matthias Schauer and Karl Kirchberger.

The WHSTA marks an important step towards a more economical and smoother construction operation. By reducing damage, not only are costs lowered, but the collaboration between construction companies and infrastructure operators is also optimized.

A look into the future

The WHSTA has the potential to be used in numerous construction projects both domestically and abroad in the future. “We are convinced that this system solves a long-standing problem in a simple way and hope that it will be applied widely. The success on the Riedbahn shows that we are on the right track,” Moik concludes.