Ballast management machines

The ballast needed for a functioning track network is an important capital asset. Enormous investment costs for substantial quantities of ballast make cost-efficient management of the raw material essential.

Economical distribution of ballast over the complete network is a big source of potential savings. On the one hand, many sections of track have far too much ballast in relation to the standard profile, which could be picked up. On the other hand, the insertion of new ballast in areas lacking ballast requires additional expenditure.

A uniform ballast bed also improves the durability of the track geometry, whereas irregular ballast increases the risk of buckling and too much ballast may hinder proper drainage. Also track renewal from wood to concrete sleepers can generate a surplus of Ballast.

Conventional methods of ballast manipulation, i.e. loading, transporting, distributing, picking up and removal of excess ballast, require a lot of time, staff and resources. Economic management in this way is not possible.