The TEG is a permanent activity group within the Railway System Forum (RSF) that works on subjects such as track layout, track superstructure design, maintenance strategies/processes, track components and the general evolution of track-related technology. The TEG is currently chaired by Bernhard Knoll (ÖBB) with its secretary being Kurt Demeersseman (Infrabel).

The meeting took place on 26 and 27 September with 19 participants attending in-person in Stuttgart, Germany, at “DB Projekt Stuttgart”. The session was opened by Knoll, who welcomed the participants.

Subsequently, Franco Iacobini, the UIC Chair of the Infrastructure Subsystem Sector, offered some thoughts regarding the work carried out and a vision for the subsector, together with the Panel of Structural Experts (PoSE) group (see below for more details).
A technical visit was then also held in the afternoon of 26 September, which centred around the construction site “Stuttgart 21” at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof. This is a new underground station, whose future lines are perpendicular to the existing ones, going from the current 16 top lines, to 8 passing lines (like the metro (underground) line, the two existing suburban lines (S-Bahn) in the tunnels will be maintained and run under the future lines). The station’s main hall, which is also underground, will be located between the future lines and the surface level, with a roof supported by impressive, curved pillars that simultaneously allow solar or natural light to enter and which will help preserve the old station building behind it. The new station is planned to open in 2027.

The group’s ongoing work includes the following:
1. Generalities (news from the UIC Excellence in Standardisation Awards 2023)
2. Migration of UIC leaflets into IRSs (current situation on the new IRS 70701; IRS 70720; IRS 80864-5; IRS 80864-6; IRS 80865 and approval of the strategy to review the UIC Leaflets 716 and 721)
3. Review of existing IRSs every 5 years (decision regarding the strategy to review IRS 70712 and IRS 70713-1)
4. Exchange of experience in topics such as:

• Opt-ins 2025 (debating ideas or topics for new proposals for 2025)
• Ongoing projects – the current situation of the following projects:
  • RFID + AVRIS
  • ReRa-Rain (Heavy Rain)
  • Drones for Rail – Plain Track
  • ROB-Inspection
  • CO2 free
  • Mitig4Derail

Documents published since the last meeting:

• IRS 80864 4 - Technical specification for the supply of steel fishplates (E, F, D)
  https://shop.uic.org/fr/6-materiel-de-voie/14457-supply-of-steel-fish-plates.html

• IRS 70713 Recommendations for the design and use of prestressed monoblock concrete sleepers (E)
  https://shop.uic.org/fr/1-pose-et-entretien-de-la-voie/14385-recommendations-for-the-design-and-use-of-prestressed-monoblock-concrete-sleepers.html

• IRS 70719-1 (2nd edition) - Recommendations for the use of Under Ballast Mats (E)
  https://shop.uic.org/fr/707-installations-fixes-infrastructure-ferroviaire/14460-evaluation-on-catenary-static-quality-and-catenary-pantograph-dynamic-performance-9798.html

• IRS 70712-1 - Broken Rail Detection (BRD) - Guidelines and Recommendations for Use (E)
  https://shop.uic.org/fr/1-pose-et-entretien-de-la-voie/14501-track-noise-measurement-guidelines-a-methodology-to-measure-and-compare-noise-emissions-during-train-pass-bys.html

• IRS 70722 - Maintaining and improving earthworks and track bed layers (E)
  https://shop.uic.org/fr/2-pose-et-entretien-de-la-voie-suite/14502-maintaining-and-improving-earthworks-and-track-bed-layers.html

Report “Analysis of Existing Thermal Track Buckling Models and LTR Experimental Techniques - Case studies for buckling temperatures evaluated of ballasted railway tracks”
https://shop.uic.org/fr/autres-documents/14552-analysis-of-existing-thermal-track-buckling-models-and-ltr-experimental-techniques-case-studies-for-buckling-temperatures-evaluation-of-ballasted-railway-tracks.html

Report “Benchmark for UIC - Stabletrack Group - Information of European IMs”
https://shop.uic.org/fr/autres-documents/14553-benchmark-for-uic-stabletrack-group-information-of-european-ims.html