Core competenciesTRACK

Normal, metre gauge and rack railway lines, Track equipment, Spur track, Drainage, Profile

TRACK

The railway track, with the contact line and signalling, constitutes the central element of railway technology. Usually composed of rails, sleepers and ballast – but increasingly often also built on concrete slabs – tracks call for skills and know-how that are both transverse and specific, involving the whole range of rail system technology sectors plus mastery of phasing and planning civil works. Indeed, laying or renewing track requires both mastery of heavy construction methods and a result that is accurate to the millimetre. Furthermore, this work is mainly done either under railway operation or without trains running but within very strict time slots and with limited time.

GESTE, drawing on solid experience and excellent technical and operating knowledge, supports railway network managers in planning and implementing their track construction or renewal projects throughout the project's life, from calculating the route to overseeing construction work and its handover. Our experts also provide support in defining the maintenance and renewal strategy, by carrying out audit and inspection assignments for tracks, points and crossings.

Domains of activity

  • High-speed railway lines
  • Intercity railway lines
  • Normal or metre gauge regional lines
  • Rack railway lines
  • Tram-train and tramways
  • Metro lines
  • Rail and bus stations, depots and garages
  • Junctions, level crossings and rail/road sections
  • Industrial and branch line networks

Systems and equipment

  • Normal, metre gauge and rack railway lines
  • Railway tracks on slab or ballast
  • Garage or depot track
  • Industrial connections and lines
  • Points and crossings
  • Railway infrastructure
  • Drainage
  • Level crossings and road and pedestrian crossings
  • Layout

Services

CONSULTING ENGINEERING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT OR ASSISTANCE TO THE PROJECT LEADER

  • Audits on existing infrastructures
  • Needs analysis
  • Technical studies and railway layout studies
  • Definition of operation and maintenance concepts
  • Funding quotes and requests
  • Preparation of files for the investigation or plan approval procedure (PAP)
  • Drafting and managing tenders
  • Multidisciplinary phasing and planning of works
  • Piloting multidisciplinary projects
  • Monitoring execution and general and local works management
  • Commissioning and handover testing
  • Life cycle management for railway assets

 

TRACK INSPECTION AND MONITORING

  • Inspection visits for all railway installations
  • Drafting a report for each object inspected, with a description of its condition, any work to be carried out, estimated cost, and the degree of urgency and planning
  • Monitoring the execution of urgent work and planning future work
  • Proposing a regeneration plan for railway installations, optimising investment costs and asset management over time

 

EXPERTISES

  • Targeted expertise, for example in diagnosing the condition of specific components, or in analysing particular faults found in certain installations
  • Support in defining operation and maintenance concepts

Measurement software and tools

TOPORAIL

  • GESTE, in collaboration with its partners, calculates its track layouts with Toporail® software, developed and maintained by Swiss Federal Railways.

 

BENTLEY OPEN RAIL DESIGNER

  • GESTE has great experience with the Open Rail Designer software, a 3D modelling tool for railway installations (tracks, railway infrastructure, drainage, superstructure, platforms, contact line, etc.). OpenRail Designer allows comprehensive rail route studies, including dynamic calculations. In addition, it is part of a 3D environment compatible with BIM.

 

BIM

  • GESTE integrates its track profiles into BIM models, which allow true 3D processing of all the layers making up the railway but also all the rail infrastructure and equipment.

 

 OUTILS DE MESURES

  • GESTE has the tools necessary to inspect and survey railways (rules for measuring gauge, slope, safety ratings at points and crossings, for normal and metric gauge).

References