Innovation Award for automated brake testing system

The brake testing system is the best digital project and was honoured with the Innovation Award 2024. The coveted award was presented by Barbara Eibinger-Miedl, member of the Styrian government, and Christoph Ludwig, Managing Director of SFG.

Renowned jury members, including Sabine Hertlitschka from Infineon Technologies and representatives from institutions such as the Austrian Patent Office, the Institute of Industrial Science and AWS, determined the most outstanding projects in the categories of sustainability and digitalization in a two-stage selection process. The assessment criteria included innovation content, overall economic effect and market opportunities.

The award was combined with a personal visit from the Provincial Councillor for Economic Affairs, who not only showed great interest in the automatic brake test, but was also impressed by the entire PJM service portfolio, the headqaurters and the technical equipment. Provincial Councillor Eibinger-Miedl warmly congratulated and emphasised: "Mobility in particular is a field of strength in Styria and PJM is one of the innovation companies." Günter Petschnig was delighted with the award. "We have a great team and a great network with our partners such as SBB Cargo. We have had massive investments for  developing the automatic brake test and further innovations, and we keep drive forward new technologies. The award is a great pleasure for us!"

 

Photos: With courtesy of SFG / Oliver Wolf 

TRANSWAGGON includes automatic brake testing and digital monitoring as equipment option

Together with PJM, the TRANSWAGGON Group is making a key contribution to the automation and digitalization of rail freight transport in Europe. Wagon rental customers save time and increase safety in operation by equipping their wagons with automatic brake testing. Many other digital monitoring features are available for TRANSWAGGON customers. In addition, the energy self-sufficient and powerful WaggonTracker system can be expanded with customer-specific systems. The integration of automatic brake testing and monitoring functions into the TRANSWAGGON Group's equipment portfolio is a logical step.

"The automatic brake test saves time and increases safety during operation. It eliminates the need for a  time-consuming walk around the entire train. Train preparation can therefore be carried out more quickly and safely," says Bertram Wieloch, CTO and member of the TRANSWAGGON Group's Executive Board.

This is not the first cooperation between the TRANSWAGGON Group and the Austrian system specialist PJM. In the past, around 500 wagons were equipped with the so called LoadMonitor, an automatic load weight monitoring system, on behalf of Mercer Holz. The system analyses the load weight during the loading process and visually indicates the maximum load capacity. Since then, one of Europe's largest timber logistics companies has benefited from a better capacity utilization, avoids overloading thanks to the precise data and appreciates completely paperless documentation.

Media release

Photo: With courtesy of TRANSWAGGON Group

Photo_1-klein

FS Logistics Business Unit continues fleet upgrade with PJM’s smart train portfolio

Combining transport efficiency with safety is an important requirement for Mercitalia Intermodal in daily intermodal transport. The Italian wagon operator has therefore been focusing on digital monitoring functionalities and automated processes for several years. The transformation of the existing fleet into Smart Train freight wagons is being systematically implemented. This year, at least another 180 wagons will be modernized, while around 200 wagons - mainly of the T3000 type - have been upgraded in the past two years. Mercitalia Intermodal began upgrading its freight wagon fleet back in 2017.

The benefits of the Smart Train functions are far-reaching: shorter delivery times thanks to automated processes in the track environment, predictive maintenance logic and condition-based maintenance models reduce costs while increasing reliability, efficiency and the general safety of rail transport.

Media release

PJM-Smart-Train-Mercitalia2-klein

1 year in 1 minute: The PJM review 2023

Our teams worked on 90 projects, we grew and fully automated a process for the first time in the history of rail transport. A short video portrait of our numerous activities this year.

2nd award for the "Smart Train" from Mercitalia Intermodal

2nd award for the "Smart Train" from Mercitalia Intermodal

The smartest goods train in Europe has been honoured for the second time. Following the Austrian Mobility Award 2023, which was presented to Günter Petschnig and Christoph Lorenzutti in Vienna in September, Mercitalia Intermodal - Polo Logistica Group FS was honoured as "Logistico dell'Anno 2023" in Italy. The goods train is equipped with a wide range of monitoring and automation functions based on PJM's WaggonTracker system.  Congratulations!

Details & all functions of Europes most intelligent goods train 

Artikel Auszeichnung (in italienischer Sprache)

_SGP0364klein

VTG relies on automation of brake testing with PJM

VTG, Europe's leading private operator of freight wagons, will offer PJM's automatic brake testing system as a project-related equipment option. VTG is thus consistently pursuing its digitalisation strategy in order to achieve further increases in efficiency in the handling of freight trains.

Automatic brake testing is a crucial factor in the preparation of freight trains, as it is obligatory to check the brakes each time a change is made to the wagon configuration or the wagon is stationary for more than 24 hours. Hence, the potential savings for railway companies in this time-consuming process are high, both in terms of human labour and costs.

Since 2017, the technology developed by PJM and SBB Cargo has been successfully tested in pilot freight trains. Based on this extensive testing, VTG will make this system available as an equipment option. The expansion of the equipment portfolio with the automatic brake test system supports the integration of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) and represents another important step in the digitalisation strategy of both companies.

Media release

 

 

PJM-ABP-VTG4klein

PJM at Railway Forum Berlin: presentation & Styrian event

The Railway Forum Berlin is Europe’s leading management conference of the railway industry. The industry get-together is taking place for the 8th time. This year, PJM will again present technological innovations in digital rail freight transport. There are several opportunities for you to see our digital solution around the WaggonTracker system live in Berlin:

  • Visit us at the joint ACStyria stand, stand C 10.
  • Short lecture by CEO Günter Petschnig: "Automation and digitalisation in intermodal transport", Thursday, 7 September, at 11.00 a.m. on the Exhibition Stage
  • Styria Coffee-Break: networking meeting with coffee and wine from the region, Wednesday, 6 September, 12:50, also at the ACStyria joint stand, stand C 10

Railway Forum Berlin, 6 - 7 September 2023

We look forward to your visit!

Invitation Styrian coffee break & wine taste: https://pjm.co.at/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACStyria-Berlin-2023-Web-neu_b.pdf

RailwayForum-PJM-744x400-linkedin-EN

New video: Automated brake test in operation

Automated brake testing is a crucial technology when it comes to modernising rail transport. The most important advantages are obvious:


- The time saved on a 500 m long freight train is close to 40 minutes
- Realisation of one-person operation
- Faster turnaround times due to faster handling


Check out how the automated brake test works in operational use in our brand-new short clip.

Be up to date with our periodical newsletter

PJ Messtechnik GmbH
PJ Monitoring GmbH

Waagner-Biro-Straße 125
8020 Graz
Austria

Tel.: +43 316 228454
Fax: +43 316 228454-15
[email protected]

© 2025 PJ Messtechnik, PJ Monitoring. All rights reserved

WordPress Cookie Plugin by Real Cookie Banner