- EQOS Energie wins another major contract from ÖBB for the “Linz Central Station West Side” project
- After the east side of the station, the west section will now also be prepared for connection to the four-track western line.
- The EUR 9 million project includes installation of 30 kilometres of catenary line, 180 new poles and 55 metric tons of fittings.
The four-track expansion of the west side of the Linz railway station is one of the largest construction projects of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG in Upper Austria and an important milestone for a continuous four-track western line from Vienna to Salzburg. From 2010 to 2018, the east side of the station had already been expanded to four tracks. The section with an approximate length of two kilometres at the western head of the station will be converted from two to four tracks in order to provide a connection to the four-track western line – one of the busiest sections of the ÖBB rail network.
Large demanding ÖBB contract for EQOS Energie
EQOS Energie Österreich GmbH was commissioned by ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG with the technical equipment of the catenary lines and with mast construction. The contract volume is about EUR 9 million. “In total, the project includes the installation of 30 kilometres of catenary lines, which requires the installation of 30 kilometres of main and return conductors, the construction of 180 new masts and the installation of 55 metric tons of fittings. Furthermore, undergrounding work will be performed in the entire area,” said Bernhard Schuller, head of the profit center Catenary Systems Austria in EQOS Energie’s Railway Technology division. “Decisive in the selection of EQOS Energie were our reliable concepts for deadline adherence, the availability of special equipment required for the project work and the know-how of our employees,” Schuller added. “We were already able to demonstrate our expertise to our customer during the expansion of the eastern section of the station. Naturally, the trust that ÖBB continues to place in our work makes us very happy. We now benefit from the experience of the past project as far as the tight work plan and schedule are concerned. We are already very familiar with the location, conditions and processes, which means we can implement the commission even more efficiently,” Carsten Kuhle, the responsible managing director for railway technology at EQOS Energie, added.
A highly motivated team of specialists
“The project team consists of roughly 10 people, including seven catenary line fitters who will have to perform the work primarily at night and on weekends in order to avoid disruptions of the station’s operation as much as possible,” Schuller described the procedural details. “Due to the tightly scheduled time windows that we have available for the rerouting stages, i.e. shifting the catenary line from the main track to the newly constructed track, the work must be done quickly and precisely. This can only be accomplished with our highly motivated team of specialists, who are 100% dependable.”
Photo: ÖBB.