Alfred Pölinger
Vice President Marketing and Communication / Senior Vice President Marketing for Turnouts and Fixations at voestalpine Railway Systems, with expertise in intelligent turnout systems and predictive maintenance for railway infrastructure.
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APPEARANCES
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PODCASTS
Aug 6, 2026
Stefanie BrossinHOST
What do we mean by a turnout system today? What are the key components of that?
Alfred PölingerGUEST
The modern turnout system is an integrated combination of mechanical, mechatronic and digital elements.
Alfred PölingerGUEST
On the mechanical side, we are talking about switchblades, stock rails, crossings, plates, sleepers and fastening systems.
Alfred PölingerGUEST
Then you have mechatronic subsystems such as drives, detectors and locking systems for precise and secure operation.
Alfred PölingerGUEST
And increasingly, you also have digital monitoring through sensors and diagnostics.
Alfred PölingerGUEST
What matters today is not the individual part, but how all of them work together as one intelligent system.
Stefanie BrossinHOST
But what does that actually mean? And how have turnout systems evolved into becoming intelligent systems?
Alfred PölingerGUEST
Becoming intelligent means that the turnout no longer just performs a physical function.