📋 Tender Overview
Maintenance of tunnel drainage is highly automated
Significant reduction in track closures
Start in the Granitztaltunnel along the new Koralmbahn
Video view: The new hydrojet in use - YouTube
(St. Paul im Lavanttal, Vienna, October 20, 2025) - With commitment and innovative strength, OBB ensures the greatest possible availability of the railway infrastructure in Austria. An impressive example is the new Hydrojet with its advanced cleaning system for drainage pipes in railway tunnels. Today, OBB and contractor FCC Austria presented the innovative system in St. Paul im Lavanttal near the Koralm Tunnel.
Even higher availability of the infrastructure
The Hydrojet includes a new, partially remote-controlled and automated flushing system, the Modular Drainage Flushing System Railway (MDB02). This system simplifies the maintenance effort of railway tunnels and reduces the associated track closures. This leads to greater availability of the rail infrastructure for our customers. Judith Engel, CEO of OBB-Infrastructure AG: With growing traffic volumes and more tunnels, the need for cleaning increases, while maintenance times shrink. This is where the remote-controlled, automated modular drainage flushing system Bahn MDB02 comes in: It cleans during operation, which means that only a few, short track closures are necessary for the transport of the system.
Revolution in railway tunnel cleaning
In order for the installed drainage systems, the so-called tunnel drainage systems, to function permanently and reliably, they must be maintained regularly. Many tunnel structures are affected by mineral deposits, which lead to a progressive narrowing of the drainage pipes and to increased mountain water pressure. In order to remove these deposits, extensive cleaning with multiple track closures per year was previously necessary.
A new chapter now begins with the MDB02: tunnel cleaning will not only be automated and more efficient, it will be fundamentally revolutionized. In the future, maintenance work can be carried out regularly and during continuous rail traffic. This happens safely, flexibly and without interrupting operations. Country Manager Florian Scheibe, FCC Austria: Our many years of experience in industrial and special cleaning as well as close cooperation with the OBB enabled a practical, automated solution. Findings from the operation of the previous machine were specifically incorporated into the further development and significantly improved the MDB02.
Efficient and remotely controlled
When flushing drainage, the state-of-the-art cleaning system is positioned directly above the central flushing shaft in the tunnel and enables remote-controlled flushing of all drainage in both tunnels. The flushing nozzle, equipped with an integrated camera, is also threaded from the maintenance base. Thanks to the new technology, significantly more meters can be cleaned in one pass - instead of around 150 meters, for example, over 2,000 meters are now possible in the Granitztal tunnel. After the flushing process has been completed, the MDB02 is transported to the next location during a break in operation. Regular rail operations can continue during the flushing. In addition to remote-controlled operation, it is possible to flush from the track. This allows for flexible use, for example with short flushing times.
The increase in efficiency is particularly relevant given the imminent commissioning of large infrastructure projects such as the Koralm Tunnel, the Granitztal Tunnel and later the Semmering Base Tunnel. In total, this adds around 750 kilometers of drainage every year that need to be maintained. The current conventional dishwashing will generally continue in the existing network. The MDB02 also opens up possible uses in existing tunnel systems - and of course in future new construction projects.
With this innovative system, OBB combines the necessary tunnel maintenance with greater availability of the route - a clear advantage for all customers, from passengers to railway companies to the loading industry.
Inquiry notes:
FCC - Service for the Future
FCC Austria waste service AG is one of the leading companies in the area of waste management and environmental services. It is represented at 17 locations throughout Austria and offers tailor-made and sustainable total waste disposal solutions for municipalities, industry, businesses and private households. With a clear focus on the environmentally friendly recycling and treatment of various types of waste, state-of-the-art collection and container systems as well as its own facilities, FCC Austria not only ensures efficient resource conservation, but also an active contribution to environmental protection.
FCC Austria Waste Service AG
Country Communication & Marketing
Telephone: +43 664 454 04 01
nina.steinlechner@fcc-group.at
www.fcc-group.at
