The Werdohl-based rail technology company has opened a new production facility for railroad switches in the south-eastern Australian city of Bendigo. According to Vossloh, the plant manufactures switches and components for rail projects in the south and east of Australia. The country on the fifth continent has extensive plans to expand and build new rail links.
Werdohl/Bendigo - More than 100 guests from politics and industry attended the opening event on Friday, April 4. The Premier of the Australian state of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, joined Vossloh representatives to cut the ribbon for the symbolic opening of the new plant, which will produce up to 200 switches per year. "With this plant, we are setting a global benchmark for precision, automation and sustainability in switch production," said Jan Furnivall, the Vossloh manager responsible for operations, in a company press release.
According to the company, the new plant, which cost around €13.9 million, has modern machinery with a high capacity. This could be used to supply major Australian projects, including possible high-speed lines, the statement continues. Vossloh employs around 60 people in Bendigo, who have been taken over from a discontinued plant at the Castlemaine site, the company announced. Should additional construction projects or orders arise in Australia, this number could be doubled.
1600 kilometer long freight railway line
Vossloh is involved in many major rail projects in Australia and has repeatedly received major orders from Down Under in recent years. Vossloh is also involved in the "Inland Rail" project, in which a rail corridor some 1600 kilometers long is to be built for freight traffic between Melbourne and Brisbane at a cost of billions, and is supplying 1.3 million rail ties. Australia intends to use the rail route to cope with the estimated 75 percent increase in national freight volumes by 2031.
According to Vossloh, it is the market leader in Australia in both switch manufacturing and the production of concrete sleepers for railroad tracks. The company supplies all metro and regional railroads in the country as well as all mining companies.
In addition to modern production technology, the new plant in Bendigo is equipped with a solar plant that can generate up to 228 kilowatts peak under ideal conditions. Vossloh is also focusing on energy-efficient technologies at the other end of the world.
