Rail News Home Internet-Digital October 2016 Rail News: Internet-Digital At InnoTrans 2016, held Sept. 20-23 in Berlin, 12 U.S.-based railway supply companies showcased their goods and services at the USA Pavilion.Photo – REMSA By Michael PopkeInnoTrans 2016 — the world’s largest biennial international showcase for transport technology —
set a new record by attracting nearly 3,000 exhibitors from 60 countries to Germany’s Berlin Exhibition Grounds in late September. What’s more, 144,470 visitors from more than 140 countries walked the 1.2 million square feet of floor space at the biennial event, and an outdoor display featured 127 vehicles. “You hear about how big it is, but until you actually go, it’s hard to have perspective,” said Tim Francis, vice president of marketing for
Herzog Railroad Services Inc., who experienced InnoTrans for the first time. “I still don’t think I saw the whole thing, because it’s just so big.” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at InnoTrans, which is why the
Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA),
Railway Supply Institute and
Railway Systems Suppliers Inc. (RSSI) sponsored the USA Pavilion. The three industry associations also sponsored it in 2014 and 2012. “The exclusive USA Pavilion allows U.S.-based railway supply companies and organizations a unique opportunity to highlight their goods and services at InnoTrans," said REMSA Executive Director David Tennent. This year, 12 organizations took advantage of that opportunity: AIC Rail, Emerson Process Management-TopWorx, Herzog, IEM Corp., Loram Maintenance of Way Inc., Railway Interchange, Rocla Concrete Tie Inc., ROV Railway Industry, ThermOmegaTech Inc., TransCore, Transportation Technology Center Inc. and Williams-Hayward Protective Coatings Inc.For example, Herzog showcased its array of maintenance-of-way equipment, including the Automated Conveyer Train (A.C.T.). The A.C.T.'s entire consist (15 cars minimum) can unload in a curve of up to 13 degrees with a super elevation of up to five inches. Each car within the consist can carry 97 tons of material up to five inches in diameter and as small as a particle of sand.“The international market holds great promise for North American railroad suppliers, and the USA Pavilion showcases companies interested in marketing their products globally,” said RSSI Executive Director Mike Drudy.There was plenty of showcasing outside the USA Pavilion, as well.
GE Transportation, in collaboration with Intel Corp., introduced a “superbrain” platform solution for locomotives that transforms them into mobile data headquarters and interacts with GE’s existing GoLINC platform.The outdoor display at InnoTrans 2016 featured 127 vehicles. Photo – REMSA
The company also announced a partnership with Amsted Rail that combines technologies for rail-car monitoring; debuted the first-ever European digital pilot with DB Cargo, Europe’s largest rail operator; and showcased a series of locomotive modernization products designed for aging fleets.
“Today, even with incredibly intelligent and reliable locomotives, railroads still experience hundreds of thousands of unexpected operational delays each year, costing the industry billions of dollars," said Peter Thomas, chief commercial officer for GE Transportation — Digital Solutions. "[At InnoTrans,] we had customers visit from all over the world, and they were incredibly interested in learning more about digital solutions. Our goal is to enable a train, through the use of sensors, to continuously gather data about itself and its environment, making the train ‘aware’ so a railroad can make better decisions.”