
iaf Salon
2025 you will find the iaf Salon in Hall Mitte, next to the entrance, in the conference area.
Programme
- Opening Ceremony, 20 May 2025
- Tuesday, 20 May 2025
- Wednesday, 21 May 2025
- Thursday, 22 May 2025
09:00
09:15
- Welcoming the participants by the moderator Manuel Bosch, publishing director DVV Media Group
- Statement Birgit Milius, VDEI-President, Head of the department rail operations and infrastructure, TU Berlin
- Statement Heike Junge-Latz, Board Member Anlagen- und lnstandhaltungsmanagement DB InfraGO AG
- Statement Marco Broglia - Vizepräsident CIFI Region Nord - CIFI - Gastland der iaf 2025
- Statement Detlef Berndt, Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn GmbH
Answering questions from journalists
Media representatives can obtain accreditation here: presse@iaf-messe.com. For press questions, please contact Regina Iglauer-Sander.
10:15
Moderation: Manuel Bosch
Greetings
- Birgit Milius, VDEI-President, Head of the department rail operations and infrastructure, TU Berlin
- Statement Angela Stähler, Mayor Münster
- Marco Broglia - Vizepräsident CIFI Region Nord - CIFI - Host Country iaf 2025
10:35
Marco Broglia - Vizepräsident CIFI Region Nord - CIFI - Gastland der iaf 2025
10:45
Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Altmann, VDEI Presidium and Head of the Committee Infrastructure, Fachbeauftragter Fahrbahn und ZfP-Prüfaufsicht DB InfraGO AG
11:00
Announcement winner 2025
Symbolic presentation of the prize (VDEI)
Short presentation of the award-winning work by the winner of the VDEI award
from 11:15
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Birgit Milius, honored guests and press representatives are invited on a guided tour through the indoor and outdoor area.
approx. 13:00 with lunch
12:00-12:30
Alejandro Giner, Sales & Product Manager, Pandrol
Presentation Language: German (Translation to Englisch available)
13:00-13:30
Lukas Wendling, Digital Business Development, Rhomberg Sersa Vossloh GmbH
Presentation Language: German (Interpretation to English will be available)
Predictive maintenance should increasingly aim to ensure that the existing system is used for as long as possible and sustainably - an important contribution to conserving gray energy. The focus here is on the quality and safety of the rail network, taking into account the overall costs and the substance of the facilities. Only consistent and continuous digitalization makes it possible to assess the condition of the infrastructure and forms the basis for the KAV (wear and tear indicator) to objectively assess the quality of the system.
In this context, we will be demonstrating our latest development for the precise and efficient inspection of tracks, faster than ever before, at our stand in the outdoor area.
14:00-15:00
Bernhard Antony, Plasser & Theurer
Benjamin Stuntner, tcm Track Machines Connected
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
15:00-16:00
David Buchbauer, Head of Technology Centre Purkersdorf, Franz Plasser, Vermietung von Bahnbaumaschinen
Andreas Theiss, COO, tmc
Discover how modular, high-precision measurement systems support efficient track inspection and create the basis for BIM planning. Learn about diverse measurement vehicle options, enriched data services, and how a single run can deliver all essentials for digital planning - cutting costs, boosting data availability, and making measurement runs more time-effective and safer for staff.
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
16:00-16:30
Roman Hauke, Plasser & Theurer
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
16:30-17:00
Christoph Kürschner, PRS Plasser Robel Services
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
17:00-17:20
Francesco Marangon – Institut für Eisenbahn-Infrastrukturdesign, TU Graz
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
09:15-09:45
ROBEL Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH und DB InfraGO AG
Presentation Language: German (translation to English available)
10:00-10:30
Torsten Bode, Co-Geschäftsführer RAILium Machine Management
Wheelsets are the Achilles heel of every rail vehicle and play a crucial role in safety and reliability during operation. The presentation highlights the challenges and risks that operators face in connection with wheelsets. And shows how predictive wheelset management not only increases safety, but also reduces operating costs and extends the service life of components. Innovative software solutions can help to optimize maintenance processes and maximize the availability of the vehicle fleet.
Presentation Language: German (translation to English available)
11:00-11:30
Richard Stock, Plasser & Theurer / Plasser American
Presentation Language: English (Translation to German available)
11:30-12:00
Johannes Neumayer, Speno
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English available)
12:00-12:30
Nicolas Demond, Head of Engineering ATW/EQC
The global trend in mobility reflects an increase in railway usage, placing significant pressure on railway operators to both expand networks and maintain existing lines. Stakeholders must achieve a delicate balance in their use of existing welding technologies. On one end of the scale, aluminothermic welding (ATW) offers a cost-effective and flexible solution. However, the process relies heavily on skilled welders, who are increasingly scarce due to a labour shortage in the railway industry. On the other end of the scale, there is flash butt welding (FBW). This provides high productivity but requires substantial capital expenditure (capex) and is only financially sustainable for large-scale projects.
Addressing these challenges, Pandrol has worked on technologies to automatise key steps of the ATW process. This retains the low capex advantage of ATW and enhances the welding efficiency and performance of traditional aluminothermic welding. The overarching goal is to assist railway networks and contractors in meeting their operational targets within realistic budget constraints.
Presentation Language: English
13:00-13:30
Christian Kilger, Thio Materials
The rail industry is striving for CO₂ reduction with durable, cost-effective infrastructure. Conventional sleepers made of cement cause high emissions. With Thiocrete, Thiotrack has developed an innovative sulphur concrete technology that makes cement superfluous. Thiocrete hardens through physical phase transition, is recyclable and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90 % over its life cycle. Thiocrete meets high technical standards, is durable, withstands extreme conditions and has been successfully tested in several countries. Field tests have shown that used sleepers can be fully recycled while retaining their properties. Thiocrete therefore offers an innovative solution for sustainable, future-proof railroad construction in Europe.
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English available)
14:00-14:30
Dr. Britta Lissinna, Sales Manager at ZÖLLNER Signal GmbH
Thousands of employees work on track construction sites every day and need to be warned of the dangers of train traffic on adjacent tracks. Dr. Lissinna, Head of Sales at ZÖLLNER Signal GmbH, will present solutions for the wide range of possible applications of automatic track warning systems (ATWS) and underline their crucial role in ensuring the safety of personnel on track construction sites and thus the availability of the rail network.
Präsentationssprache: German (Translation to English available)
15:00-15:30
Mathias Landgraf, CEO & founder, evias
Presentation Language: German (Translation to German available)
15:30-16:00
Dipl. Ing. Markus Buchner, Senior Product Manager, Plasser & Theurer
E³ technology has been synonymous with environmentally friendly track maintenance for ten years. The presentation highlights the path from the idea to series production, shows concrete, measurable benefits from the customer's perspective and explains how the technology has permanently changed the product portfolio and the industry.
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English available)
16:00-17:00
Robotics from the perspective of the infrastructure operator
Michael Reiter, ROBEL Rail Automation and Thijs Cloosterman, ProRail
Robotics und Automatisierung (Rail/Switch) from the POV of Construction Companies and Industry
Jeroen Mulder, VolkerRail and Michael Reiter, ROBEL Rail Automation
Technical status quo, homologation and next generation of work machines
Thomas Weis, ROBEL Rail Automation and Jeroen Smulders, ProRail
In this presentation, you will learn how robotics and automation can improve maintenance and operations in rail transportation. Digital transformation creates a better understanding of the infrastructure, enabling predictions of critical components and targeted planning of measures. Together, all parties involved can develop effective asset management strategies. Innovative applications such as fully automated welding of rails and switches to meet the increasing demands and shortage of skilled workers will be presented. Technical aspects of preventive maintenance of various materials and stationary maintenance concepts will be discussed. It is also emphasized that, in addition to further technological development, the design of tenders and contracts must be adapted to promote robot-assisted track maintenance. Overall, the solutions show how automation makes infrastructure more sustainable, reliable and future-proof.
17:00-17:20
Michael Höfler – Institut für Eisenbahn-Infrastrukturdesign, TU Graz
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
17:20-17:40 Uhr
Ferdinand Pospischil – Institut für Eisenbahn-Infrastrukturdesign, TU Graz
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
10:00
Lasse Hansen, Research Assistant at the Department of Rail Operations and Infrastructure with teaching duties
11:00
Giulia Besemer, Entwicklung und Innovation, Salcef Bau GmbH
Presentation Language: German (Translation to English is available)
11:45
Stefan Vonbun, Head of Superstructure Products, Rhomberg Sersa Bahntechnik GmbH
Presentation Language: English