News - PJM EN

PJM congratulates Innofreight on winning the ERCI Innovation Award for the InnoBogie

Innofreight was honoured by the ERCI (European Railway Clusters Initiative) with the highly sought-after 2026 Innovation Award in the “Best Large Company” category for its newly developed InnoBogie bogie. As a long-standing partner that contributed to this project, the PJM Group would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations on this milestone.

The innovative power of the InnoBogie is rooted in PJM's robust engineering expertise. PJM’s experts provided the Innofreight team with intensive support and implemented all the steps necessary for the bogie’s certification. The requirements for the bogie frame were demanding: fully automated manufacturing and a design capable of withstanding highly dynamic loads over a 40-year period.

The PJM engineering team solved this challenge using state-of-the-art simulation methods. Standard loads were supplemented with results from multi-body simulations (MBS), and welds were evaluated according to the notched stress concept. This high level of predictive accuracy formed the basis for the safe approval of the lightweight design.

The InnoBogie stands out as an intelligent lightweight design offering 250 kg more payload per bogie, reduced wear and lower energy consumption and noise emissions. The 1,000th InnoBogie has recently been installed. PJM is proud to have made a decisive contribution to the successful approval of this forward-looking product as a development partner.

We are delighted that this prestigious award has gone to pioneering railway technology from Styria for the second time - after all, PJM itself had the honour of receiving this renowned award a few years ago.

From left to right: Wolfgang Konrad (PJ Messtechnik), Hartmut Maier (Innofreight), and Bernhard Mittelbach (ACstyria)

Photo: ACstyria

General / News - 10/07/2026

A strong showing at the record-breaking trade fair: The PJM Group showcased its combined expertise at InnoTrans 2026

Seven companies, one joint exhibition: The entire PJM Group was present at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin from 22 to 25 September. At this leading international trade fair, the group showcased its comprehensive range of services for the rail industry - including digitalisation and automation in rail freight transport, as well as the testing, engineering, and certification of rail vehicles.

InnoTrans 2026 celebrated its 30th anniversary with record numbers: Around 175,000 trade visitors from over 120 countries and 3,190 exhibitors from 59 countries gathered at the exhibition grounds, which covered approximately 200,000 square metres and were fully booked. Key topics included digitalisation, automation, and cybersecurity.

Combined expertise in rail vehicles

Together, the seven companies of the PJM Group cover a broad spectrum:

Testing, engineering, approval, and certification
form the technical foundation for the development and safe operation of rail vehicles.
Digitalization and automation
complement the portfolio with solutions specifically designed for modern rail freight transport.
Collaboration within the group
enables streamlined processes and pooled expertise - even for complex, international rail projects.

Photo 2

Over the course of four days, attendees had the opportunity to meet PJM experts in person to discuss testing, engineering, regulatory approval, certification and the digitisation and automation of rail freight transport.

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The ACstyria Mobility Cluster and PJM hosted the popular “Sparkling & Chocolate” networking event at InnoTrans for the third time. Guests enjoyed Styrian specialities and inspiring conversations about the future of the rail industry.

Photo: Martin Joch (PJ Messtechnik), Bernhard Mittelbach (ACstyria Mobility Cluster), and Lutz Hübner (ERCI)

PJM-ACstyria-Networking-Event-Sparkling-Chocolate

General / News - 10/01/2026

Expertise and Precision on the Rails: A Profile of Lina Popetschnigg in "Steirerin"

In its “Women and Technology” series, the monthly magazine Steirerin in cooperation with the Industriellenvereinigung Steiermark highlights inspiring educational and career paths of women in technical professions. The current issue spotlights Lina Popetschnigg, a test engineer and head of the Acoustics Department at PJ Messtechnik (PJM).

A graduate in electrical engineering and sound engineering, she combines expertise in mathematics and physics with a strong practical focus. At PJM, she is responsible for the acoustics testing division. Her responsibilities include conducting standard-compliant sound measurements as part of the approval process for new rail vehicles - such as determining pass-by noise levels or ensuring compliance with specific noise limits for freight cars, locomotives, and passenger trains.

In addition, she contributes her expertise to the research and testing of measurement wheel sets: Here, precisely prepared wheel sets record the interaction forces between the wheel and the rail while the train is in motion, in order to thoroughly test and optimize operational safety.

Full article (in German)

Photo: Martin Schönbauer

PJM-Messtechnik-Pruefbereich-Akustik-Lina-Popetschnigg

News / Presseberichte - 09/07/2026

The PJM Group Celebrates Milestone Anniversary: 20 Years of Global System Solutions for Rail Transport

What began two decades ago as a specialized engineering office in Austria has evolved into an established player in the international railway industry. With around 90 employees and a clear commitment to being "100% Made in Austria," the PJM Group currently implements complex rail projects in over 30 countries across six continents. The secret to its success lies in the seamless interplay of testing/measurement technology, engineering, digitalization & automation, approval, and certification - all driven by several specialized companies.

The Foundation: Precision, Simulation, and Approval

The cornerstone was laid in 2006 with the founding of PJ Messtechnik GmbH. As an accredited testing body, it covers seven specialized testing areas, ranging from vehicle dynamics and brake testing to fatigue strength and aerodynamics. Furthermore, PJ Messtechnik is the only testing facility for rail vehicles in Austria accredited in the fields of aerodynamics and pantographs. To efficiently complement real-world test runs, the company relies on high-end engineering and complex multi-body simulations (MBS).

RCC Railway Competence and Certification GmbH, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, acts as an accredited conformity assessment body. It takes on key roles such as Notified Body (NoBo), Designated Body (DeBo), and Assessment Body (AsBo) to minimize bureaucratic hurdles for clients.

PJ Motion GmbH rounds off this business unit by serving as the central point of contact for managing and coordinating complex authorization and approval processes.

Innovation in Freight Transport: The "Smart Train”

With the spin-off of PJ Monitoring GmbH, the group successfully transitioned into a manufacturing enterprise focused on digitalization and automation. Its WaggonTracker system brings intelligence to rail freight transport: featuring automated brake testing, continuous brake monitoring, real-time load weight monitoring, and derailment diagnosis, it makes rail transport safer, more efficient, and ready to tackle the ongoing shortage of skilled labor.

Targeted Expansion and New Specializations

To respond even more flexibly to specific market demands, the group has continuously expanded its capabilities in recent years. For instance, recent startups like EMC Rail Services GmbH ensure the faultless operation of electronic components through EMC testing (Electromagnetic Compatibility). Meanwhile, Infratrack Solutions GmbH operates a test track independent of the public network for comprehensive system tests, and PJM Swiss GmbH provides local, on-site support for the entire portfolio in the Swiss market.

Award-Winning Innovation from Austria

Whether high-speed trains in France or infrastructure projects in the Baltics - PJM is now active in over half of all European nations and worldwide. Despite this global reach, research, development, production, and administration remain fully centralized in Austria. This innovative strength has already been recognized at the highest level, winning awards such as the 2024 Innovation Prize and the 2023 Austrian State Prize for Digitalization.

General / News - 07/06/2026

The new Koralm Tunnel is here! PJM was already in action for test and measurement runs.

December 12 is a big day: the Koralm Tunnel is officially open, bringing Graz and Klagenfurt much closer together! We congratulate everyone involved on this milestone, which will strengthen Austria's position in international freight and passenger transport in the long term.

We have also already been in action in the tunnel: our team carried out important test and measurement runs in advance to collect essential data for technical conformity and approval. The video provides a brief insight into this.

We are delighted to have been part of the success story of this high-performance corridor and look forward to our future assignments on this extraordinary route!

General / News - 12/12/2025

Double future momentum: PJM sets the tone at important industry meetings

The PJM team was represented at two major rail transport events in Aachen and Vienna, hence making a contribution to the most important future topics in the industry: digitalization, efficiency, and coping with rising demand.

IRSA Aachen: Focus on infrastructure and digitalization

The 5th International Railway Symposium Aachen (IRSA) took place from November 19 to 20. The renowned forum, which brought together around 250 international experts, focused on the effects of climate change and the mobility transition on the rail system.

Matthias Zelinka (PJ Messtechnik) enriched the discussion with an exciting presentation on a simulation model for the interaction between pantographs and overhead lines.

VPI Vienna: Freight transport of the future

At the same time, an information event organized by VPI Austria (an Association of Private Freight Wagon Interested Parties) in Vienna also addressed the challenges in rail transport and logistics.

For almost 100 participants from Austria and abroad, there were numerous presentations, one of which was given by Günter Petschnig (CEO PJ Monitoring). He showed how digital train functions enhance rail freight’s safety and cost-effictiveness, attractiveness and sustainability.

General / News - 11/28/2025

INFRATRACK – a new company in the PJM Group

PJM und Boom Software utilising the connecting railway of a decommissioned coal-fired power station as a test site for innovations in the rail industry. This purpose has led to the foundation of the joint venture INFRATRACK Solutions.

The two railway specialists Boom Software AG and PJ Messtechnik GmbH have taken over the connecting railway line at the Mellach Verbund power plant site. This cooperation will allow the existing rail infrastructure of the decommissioned coal-fired power plant to be used more intensively, particularly for testing purposes.

Located in the immediate vicinity of Graz and the new Koralmbahn railway line, as well as the two Styrian companies, the site will be home to innovations and further developments in the railway sector, particularly in the fields of measurement and testing technology and software.

The optimally located and equipped connecting railway line provides an ideal environment for testing rail vehicles and components. The range of activities extends from physical asset inspections to sensor- and software-based testing.

Image:
The new company's managing directors Andreas Schaller (left) and Martin Joch (right)

Press release

General / News / Presseberichte - 11/13/2025

All about digital rail freight & with a new look - our new website is online!

The time has come: PJ Monitoring now has a new design and its own web address!

Our website has been completely redesigned – it is modern, clearly structured, and contains all the information that is important to our customers and all those who want to know more on smart freight trains.

Whether you're looking for insights into our services, current projects, or interesting facts about our work – everything is now up to date and just a few clicks away.

Take a look now: www.pjmonitoring.com

General / News / Waggon Tracker - 10/20/2025

Innofreight developed a highly innovative bogie design PJM carried out structural analysis, laboratory tests and dynamic track tests

PJ Messtechnik, an accredited test center in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17025, was commissioned by Innofreight to carry out all the necessary steps for the approval of the innovative Y25 bogie. Innofreight develops freight wagons, containers and unloading systems and operates 22,000 containers and 3,500 wagons in 20 countries. The Y25 bogie completes the extensive portfolio of the Austrian freight wagon specialist.

The specifications for the new bogie were demanding: the bogie frame was to be manufactured fully automatically and designed to withstand the highly dynamic loads over 5 decades. Due to the expertise of the PJM team, the task was solvable. The structural analysis was carried out using the latest simulation and assessment methods. On the one hand, the standard loads were extended by the results of MBS simulations. On the other hand, the weld seam assessment was carried out using the effective notch stress concept to improve the prediction accuracy and thus enable lightweight construction.

PJ Messtechnik implemented the entire validation program in accordance with EN 13749 on the fully developed bogie frame:

Structural analysis
Static and fatigue laboratory tests at the Institute for Structural Durability and Railway Technology at Graz University of Technology
Track tests under extreme conditions to validate the design loads

The result:

The bogie frame is manufactured 100% by welding robots.
The weight has been reduced by 25% compared to conventional designs, while at the same time increasing durability. As a result, the load capacity can be increased by 500 kg in future, which means lower costs and greater efficiency combined with greater robustness.
Further advantages include less wear on the wheelsets and better braking performance.

Short video about the project

Press release

General / News / Presseberichte - 10/03/2025

Railway Forum 2025: Key topic of digitalization – PJM presented solutions

From September 2 to 4, 2025, the 9th Railway Forum Berlin took place at the Estrel Congress Center. With 1,700 participants on site, 1,000 virtual guests, over 180 exhibitors, and 120 speakers, the organizers described the conference as the most successful railway conference in Europe to date. The PJM Group presented ideas on digitalization and its other areas of expertise at the event.

The forum offered a varied program of keynotes, workshops, panels, a gala evening, and factory tours. The content focused on digitalization, AI applications, infrastructure monitoring, sustainability, and new technologies in railway operations.

Digital train functions for rail freight transport

Digitalization was also the key topic addressed by Günter Petschnig, Managing Director of PJ Monitoring, in a “deep dive” presentation at the event. His presentation, “Digital train functions: Greater safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in rail freight transport,” sparked a lively dialogue among the participants. It became clear that the industry is suffering from cost pressure, a shortage of skilled workers, and high maintenance costs due to unplanned repairs, among other things. PJ Monitoring has been driving digitalization and automation forward with WaggonTracker for almost two decades. The aim is to increase reliability and predictability, shorten delivery times, make train preparation more efficient, thereby achieving significant cost advantages and increasing safety.

The success of this approach is demonstrated by the intelligent freight train, which was implemented in collaboration with the Italian company Logistix in its intermodal fleet and is now successfully in operation. It features real-time analysis of brakes and kingpins, load weight monitoring, and IDDS derailment diagnosis. The WaggonTracker is compatible with screw couplings and DAC.

Support with approval and integration

PJ Motion, which has extensive expertise in authorisation and requirements management and is particularly involved in the integration of the automated brake test – a key element of the WaggonTracker – was also on site. The specialists at PJ Motion provide support for vehicle integration (including change management), operational integration (e.g., adaptation of the railway undertaking's safety management systems), and integration into the maintenance system (support for ECM 1–4 functions). PJ Motion is thus laying the foundations for the safe and smooth introduction of the new technology.

Testing expertise at the highest level

The third partner to present itself at the Railway Forum was PJ Messtechnik – an accredited testing center in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 for vehicle dynamics, fatigue strength, brakes, acoustics, aerodynamics, and pantograph (the only testing laboratory in Austria in this field). The company is also a proven specialist in engineering for rail transport. PJ Messtechnik thus rounds off the group's range of services and ensures the necessary testing reliability for new systems and vehicles.

Participation not only provided technical insights, but also direct access to decision-makers and a wide range of networking opportunities.

General / News / Waggon Tracker - 09/15/2025