Development by Graz University of Technology to reduce disruptions in the railway network

Insulated joint systems are crucial for safe railway operation, but are susceptible to faults. The newly developed insulated joint is intended to extend service life and reduce maintenance and repair costs.

2026-02-05

(Press-News.org) Insulated joints are little known, but many railway lines could not be used without them. They divide the rail network into electrically separated sections and register when a train enters and leaves a section. Only when the section is free again the next train is allowed to enter. Around 33,000 insulated joints are currently installed in Austria, but they wear out quickly on heavily used lines. Together with ÖBB and Martin Schienentechnik, Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) has now developed a prototype for significantly more robust insulated joints using improved materials and new geometries. According to current research findings, they should have at least twice as long a service life and therefore significantly reduce failures and damage.

Consideration of the overall system “In a project like this, it is important for us to look not just at the individual components, but at the entire system – from the load exerted by the vehicles to the transmission of forces to the substructure”, says Ferdinand Pospischil from the Institute of Railway Infrastructure Design at TU Graz. “In the Research Cluster Railway Systems, we have experts from all relevant fields working together at TU Graz. This enabled us to develop an insulating joint prototype that lasted much longer in simulation and did not show a negative impact on the other track components.”

On the way to the solution, the researchers first identified weak points in the network using data from track measurement cars. The team then carried out measurements on defective insulated joints locally in order to understand the forces acting there and the interactions between the train, track superstructure and subsoil. From this database, they developed a digital twin with which they could virtually design and test prototypes.

Promising initial tests The resulting prototype had to prove itself in tests on the track. The initial results show that it causes much lower stresses in the material. The forces that occur are better distributed, which makes the entire system more stable and should at least double the service life of the new insulating joints compared to the previous ones. The prototype therefore promises fewer delays, lower maintenance costs and a more reliable rail network.

“On busy lines, some insulating joints wear out very quickly; every train axle puts fresh stress on them,” says Stefan Marschnig from the Institute of Railway Engineering and Transport Economics at TU Graz. “According to the latest research findings, our newly developed insulated joint system should last significantly longer and cause less damage to other track components. At the same time, we made sure that the insulating joint could be produced at an acceptable cost.”

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Large study shows scaling startups risk increasing gender gaps

2026-02-05

When startups scale quickly, founders often make hurried hiring decisions that unintentionally disadvantage women, according to new study from the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden. The study shows how the pressures of rapid growth increase the likelihood that founders rely on mental shortcuts and make biased decisions. Drawing on large‑scale Swedish data, the study shows that scaling—when companies hire far more people than their usual growth trend would predict—puts pressure on founders to decide swiftly, which increases the use of mental shortcuts. These ...

Scientists find a black hole spewing more energy than the Death Star

2026-02-05

A supermassive black hole with a case of cosmic indigestion has been burping out the remains of a shredded star for four years — and it’s still going strong, new research led by a University of Oregon astrophysicist shows. Already, the jet shooting out of the black hole is a contender for one of the brightest, most energetic things ever detected in the universe. Scientists have now collected enough data on the unusual occurrence to predict that the stream of radio waves belching from the black hole will keep increasing exponentially before peaking in 2027. “This is really unusual,” said Yvette Cendes, an ...

A rapid evolutionary process provides Sudanese Copts with resistance to malaria

2026-02-05

An international study investigating the genomic diversity of the Sudanese population reveals that the Copts originating in Egypt –who settled in the country between the seventh and eleventh centuries– have acquired a genetic variant that protects them from contracting malaria. “The acquisition of this variant has taken place very quickly, in just 1,500 years, after a group of Copts mixed with Sudanese populations with sub-Saharan characteristics”, explains David Comas, principal investigator at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE: CSIC-Pompeu Fabra University) and a full ...

Humidity-resistant hydrogen sensor can improve safety in large-scale clean energy

2026-02-05

Hydrogen plays an important role in society’s energy transition. For the technology to be used on a broad scale, effective hydrogen sensors are required to prevent the formation of flammable oxyhydrogen gas when hydrogen is mixed with air. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, can present a compact sensor that can be manufactured on a large scale and is well suited to the humid environments where hydrogen is to be found. Unlike today’s sensors, the new sensor performs better the more humid it gets. Image: Chalmers University of Technology | Mia Halleröd Palmgren Wherever ...

Breathing in the past: How museums can use biomolecular archaeology to bring ancient scents to life

2026-02-05

Recent advances in biomolecular archaeology have revealed that ancient objects can retain the molecular fingerprints of past aromatic practices. These molecules provide unprecedented insight into ancient perfumery, medicine, ritual, and daily life. In a new publication, an interdisciplinary research team led by archaeo-chemist Barbara Huber (Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Tübingen), shows how museums can use this molecular evidence to engage audiences with the sensory worlds of the past. The team combined their expertise to create a new workflow ...

Dementia research must include voices of those with lived experience

2026-02-05

A new Canadian study has found that people living with dementia (PLWD) are often excluded from research due to assumptions of incapacity and variations in institutional processes. The authors argue that with rights-based, supported approaches, PLWD can participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives. “To ignore the PLWD from research is to exclude a critical piece of information that may affect research outcomes,” says Jim Mann, an advocate living with dementia and co-researcher in the study. The study, based on interviews with dementia researchers across Canada, reveals how a range ...

Natto your average food

2026-02-05

Supersulfide molecules, metabolites from plants that are important in cellular metabolism, are attracting attention in the medical and nutritional fields for their potential in supporting health and disease prevention. Natto, a Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with the Bacillus subtilis var. natto microorganism, is rich in these molecules. However, the mechanism by which they are produced during fermentation has remained unclear. To better understand this complex process, a research group led by Professor Hideshi Ihara at Osaka Metropolitan University’s ...

Family dinners may reduce substance-use risk for many adolescents

2026-02-05

A new study from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine finds that regular family dinners may help prevent substance use for a majority of U.S. adolescents, but suggests that the strategy is not effective for youth who have experienced significant childhood adversity. The findings provide important insights for practitioners looking to help families prevent substance use, as well as for researchers aiming to develop interventions that better account for adolescents’ unique experiences. For the study, ...

Kumamoto University Professor Kazuya Yamagata receives 2025 Erwin von Bälz Prize (Second Prize)

2026-02-05

Kumamoto University announced that Professor Kazuya Yamagata, of the Faculty of Life Sciences (Department of Pathophysiological Biochemistry), has been awarded Second Prize at the 62nd (FY2025) Erwin von Bälz Prize, a prestigious international medical award recognizing outstanding research that advances collaboration between Japan and Germany. Established in 1964, the Erwin von Bälz Prize is a long-standing and highly respected medical award that honors exceptional research achievements in medicine each year. It aims to promote academic exchange ...

Sustainable electrosynthesis of ethylamine at an industrial scale

2026-02-05

From dyes to pharmaceuticals to emulsifiers - ethylamine (EA) is a versatile component used in many industries. The downside of EA is that its production is terribly complicated and energy intensive. However, it is not a simple task to simplify EA production in a way that can also be scaled up to industrial levels. Researchers at Tohoku University's WPI-AIMR may have found an answer to this problem. Rare earth Eu atoms were modified on Cu2O nanoneedles to produce a catalyst (Eu-Cu2O) that can increase the efficiency of ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

No association between COVID-vaccine and decrease in childbirth

AI enabled stethoscope demonstrated to be twice as efficient at detecting valvular heart disease in the clinic