SBB Cargo equips 80 per cent of freight wagons with telematics
SBB Cargo is moving further in improving the transport services. The vast majority of its wagons have been equipped with telematics. This allows the Swiss rail freight operator to provide customers with more precise information about moving their shipments and improve fleet maintenance.
SBB Cargo, the Swiss national rail freight operator, has achieved a new milestone in upgrading its fleet with new technologies. The company installed GPS trackers and various sensors on 80 per cent of its wagons. Small and little visible boxes on wagons provide many options for the operator and its customers. Telematics continuously records and transmits information about the location and movements of a wagon. This enables launching the electronic track-and-trace system with numerous online services for the customers. Moreover, sensors monitor the technical condition of wagon components and allow the operator to plan the maintenance works in advance.
Silent wagons
Besides making its wagons intelligent, SBB also implemented other innovations. The Swiss company did a lot to reduce noise generated by trains when running. First of all, it equipped its wagon fleet with K brake blocks made from composite materials. Then the operator started to purchase only new low-noise wagons. In 2020, there was implemented a ban on noisy freight wagons to run on the Swiss rail network. This measure forced even foreign railway undertakings to retrofit their fleet for operations in Switzerland. As for the future, SBB is also planning to equip its wagons with innovative silent bogies.