Report on the large-scale worksite on the Brenner

Ing. Werner Baltram

Dipl.-Ing. Robert Huber

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Summary

Description of line section

The Brenner section is the core of the 2,200km long railway axis Berlin–Palermo (TEN project No. 1). Every day, the Austrian section of the Brenner line is used by around 240 commuter trains and main-line trains carrying up to 5,000 passengers.

Initial situation

Due to this high frequency the double-track mountain line with gradients up to 25‰ is subject to substantial loads. Smaller track maintenance jobs are carried out on an ongoing basis. The last major overhaul of the 32 kilometre line on the Austrian side of the border took place some 30 years ago.

In early 2009, a feasibility study was carried out with the aim of providing an interdisciplinary solution that would include all the systems of this line section and ensure a targeted deployment of labour and machinery so that in the next ten or more years following completion of that work only scheduled maintenance would be required.

Courses of action identified

The feasibility study identified three comprehensive blocks of action to be taken:

Block 1: renewal of a total of 32km of railway track in combination with general subsoil improvement over a distance of 5km and various drainage measures over a distance of 20km (new deep drainage and rehabilitation of numerous ducts or culverts);

Block 2: rehabilitation of 3 tunnel vaults including the implementation of safety precautions for these tunnels (Jodok Tunnel 480m, Stafflach Tunnel 283m, Mühltal Tunnel 871m);

Block 3: renewal of two bridges and one support wall (Vikarbach Bridge, 20m span, steel bearing structure with continuous ballast bed – rail-borne supply of material to work site; Sill Bridge, 20m span, support structures with sectional girders in concrete – built under temporary bridges, hydraulic lift).

In addition, power supply has been improved for the whole line section and cyclical inspections and maintenance operations have been scheduled.

Decision-making process

Following the analysis of these results, several implementation variants were studied for different framework conditions (ranging from work distributed over several years to complete service interruptions of up to three months). The objective was to avoid several years of major restrictions for freight and passenger transport.

Finally in 2012 the so-called 1-3-6 variant was chosen, i.e. one month of complete track possession in August 2012, three months of restricted service on alternating single-track sections in June, July and September 2012 and complete track possessions for another six weekends.

Public relations

Immediately after conclusion of the feasibility study a comprehensive PR campaign was launched.

Preparation of work site

Rail-mounted transport was required to supply the entire work site with human resources (HR), materials and machines. Key elements of site preparation thus included operational measures accompanying construction (allocation of train paths for logistic travels, train sets for transport runs) as well as a sophisticated logistics concept (deployment of maintenance locomotives: approx. 32,000 hrs; transport of 64 km of rails, 53,000 sleepers, 60,000 t of ballast [half of it recycled], 20,000 t of rehabilitation material, 80,000 t of spoil, 7,000 t of used materials).

Implementation – deployment of HR and machines

 Maintenance locomotives:

Site management by Produktion GmbH assisted by RTS: Ø 16 tractive units deployed per day

Logistic challenge: ensuring shift changes on time for workers (including engine drivers) distributed over 32 line kilometres.

Days of deployment for large maintenance machines:

HR deployment – 3 shifts 7 days a week:

350 employees deployed on average during the main construction phase (up to 400 employees) including:

An average of 35 employees driving work trains (60 employees at most);

An average of 60 lookout men (80 employees at most).

Due to unforeseeable capacity bottlenecks in train assistants and lookout men, additional workers from own departments and outside firms had to be recruited.

ÖBB employees were roughly 160,000hrs on site during the main construction period totalling roughly 100 employees per year.

Non-plannable unusual occurrences

Rock falls, mud flows, floods and landslides following several extraordinarily intense rainfall (minimal delay, as crews could temporarily use available maintenance devices);

Derailment of a work train unit (welding and bolting machine) on 12 August 2012; rescue and remedial action lasted five days, delays in construction progress reduced to one day through short-term adjustments in logistics and work organisation;

Service interruption between Brenner/Brennero and Gossensass/Colle Isarco.

Success factors

Long lead time, clear assignment of responsibilities, precise workflow planning, infrastructure-wide support, active public relations including an ombudsoffice, committed employees.