Robel’s ral grinding robot from Robel and FANUC. Source: Ronald Dros/LinkedIn
Savenkova Ekaterina, Editorial Contributor to International Projects of ROLLINGSTOCK Agency
Germany: A prototype rail repair robot has been jointly developed by Robel Rail Automation, a subsidiary of German holding Robel, and Japanese robotics company FANUC. The unit is designed for localised restoration of rail geometry, including on switches and crossings.
The prototype is housed in two ISO containers mounted on a flat car. Power is provided by a hybrid system combining a diesel generator and batteries. In operation, a jib arm equipped with dual manipulators extends from one container to scan rails for defects before milling, welding and grinding the damaged section.
Robel’s ral grinding robot from Robel and FANUC. Source: Robel
The robot is claimed to operate in all weather conditions and potentially under single-operator control. Track work can be carried out without blocking the adjacent line. It is said to deliver higher speed and quality than manual methods.
Field trials on mainline tracks in the Netherlands have been under way since 2024. Future development will extend the working range to 7 m and add switch geometry adjustment capability.