Harshkumar Bajpeyee, Managing Director, SCHWIHAG India Pvt Ltd, says reliable track and switch infrastructure lets rail networks absorb the festive surge safely.
Predictable infrastructure protects capacity when demand peaks
A single switch failure at a busy junction can delay every train behind it, while well-maintained track and working switches give controllers the flexibility to reroute around congestion. Network Rail’s Christmas 2025 renewal at Hanslope Junction in the UK, handling up to 500 trains a day, shows the value of planning ahead.
Predicting failure before it happens
Recent innovation centres on predictive maintenance, sensor-based monitoring and digital twins, moving railways from fixing equipment after failure to acting on condition. Germany’s Digital Switch 2 project, for instance, monitors switches continuously so emerging problems are caught before they fail during peak season.
Interoperability across networks
Interoperability is crucial since a freight train may cross several networks in one journey, covering track gauge, signalling and operating rules. In Europe, common technical standards and the European Rail Traffic Management System support cross-border operations, though ERTMS deployment remains uneven. Even so, interoperability turns separate networks into a more continuous freight corridor.
Cutting unplanned downtime
Lower maintenance costs matter, but the greater goal is lower unplanned downtime, since every train path is valuable in the festive season. Condition-based maintenance directs resources to the highest-risk assets, so critical switches can be inspected before the peak, giving greater track availability and predictable freight capacity.
