TrackForward Managing Director Marc Schmerbach spoke with RAILTALKS \u2013 the network of more than 45 partners for the rail sector of tomorrow \u2013 about intelligent maintenance, current practices among railway operators, and the future of data-driven fleet management.
How can data analytics help operate trains more efficiently and safely? What role do algorithms play in maintenance \u2013 and how do you convince experienced practitioners of digital solutions? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n Track Forward is working to improve maintenance and safety in rail transport through data and smart technology. Could you explain how your approach helps railway operators keep trains running smoothly? <\/em><\/p>\n\n Yes, absolutely. At its core, we help operators make smarter decisions based on data they already have \u2013 especially in maintenance. Wheelsets are a good example. They are among the most expensive and safety-critical components of a vehicle. If maintenance is scheduled too late, this can lead to failures. If action is taken too early or based on incorrect specifications, material and money are wasted. Our software solution \u201cWheelSense\u201d analyzes regular measurement data and shows when maintenance is required and which vehicle-specific specifications should be followed. This helps avoid unnecessary downtime, extend the service life of components, and ultimately increase vehicle availability. <\/p>\n\n Introducing new data-based solutions is certainly not always easy. How do you convince stakeholders to trust algorithmic recommendations instead of relying solely on traditional methods? <\/em><\/p>\n\n That is an important point \u2013 trust is not built through PowerPoint slides, but through real results. That is why we involve stakeholders from the very beginning: we show transparently how our algorithms work, allow users to help shape decisions, and integrate their know-how. We do not rely on overly complex approaches, but on pragmatic solutions that work in practice. Because in the end, it is not the algorithms themselves that make the difference \u2013 but the way their results are embedded into everyday work so that they lead to real process improvements. <\/p>\n\n Can you give an example where your solution has really helped a railway operator \u2013 for example, by avoiding problems or saving money?<\/em><\/p>\n\n A good example is our collaboration with Railpool, one of the largest locomotive leasing companies in Europe. There, we introduced a digital solution that helps keep better track of wheelset condition and enables proactive action. This means fewer surprises, more targeted planning, and, as a result, increased availability. It shows how practical and effective our technology already is in real-world use. <\/p>\n\n What developments at Track Forward are you currently most excited about \u2013 and what inspires you about the projects that are coming up?<\/em><\/p>\n\n Over the past few years, we have delivered many exciting projects for a wide range of customers. Developing our own products, however, is still a relatively young but highly promising part of our work. I am particularly looking forward to expanding this path further in the coming years. Our goal is to support fleet management and maintenance not just in isolated areas, but holistically with data-driven approaches, enabling smarter and more efficient processes. WheelSense is only the beginning and can be applied to many other topics as well. <\/p>\n\n What personally motivates you to work on using technology to make rail systems better and more future-proof?<\/em><\/p>\n\n I find it exciting to use technology to reduce complexity and build systems that do not overwhelm users, but provide them with concrete support. When our products make tasks easier, more transparent, or faster to solve, that is the best motivation for me. To me, innovation is not about appearing as futuristic as possible, but about creating real added value that can be felt in operational processes. <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_nectar_blocks_hide_post_title":false,"_nectar_blocks_transparent_header_effect":false,"_nectar_blocks_transparent_header_effect_color":"light","_nectar_blocks_header_animation":false,"_nectar_blocks_header_animation_delay":0,"_nectar_blocks_header_animation_effect":"fade","_nectar_blocks_page_css":"","_nectar_blocks_page_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1232","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-unkategorisiert"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1232"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1234,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1232\/revisions\/1234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trackforward.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}