Getzner Werkstoffe partners with “Tren Maya” project in Mexico for vibration protection on the railway

Getzner Werkstoffe's vibration protection services are being utilized in the “Tren Maya” project in Mexico. Werkstoffe's environmental compatibility and sustainability contributions are protecting local residents, a nature reserve and the railway superstructure, which has been designed to last for decades and has a positive effect on the maintenance costs of the line. “Tren Maya” is expected to be completed in 2024.

“Tren Maya” is one of Mexico’s largest ongoing infrastructure projects with international participation. The railway line, which will be over 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) long when complete, will pass various Mayan tourist sites as well as other cities and beaches. The project is currently in the final phase, with the first trains scheduled to start running in mid-2024.

"We can help to significantly minimize the impact on people and nature. Our solutions dampen railway-related vibrations and noise while also protecting the railway superstructure. This is a huge benefit for the local residents and the nature reserve in particular, but also for the operators,” said Juergen Rainalter, CEO of Getzner Werkstoffe.

Decades of durability in the nature reserve

In addition to freight transport, around 3 million people per year will be able to travel to 20 destinations by rail in an environmentally friendly way starting in mid-2024. As the route partly runs through a sensitive biosphere reserve, being able to access the historic Maya sites by rail is important. The “Tren Maya” railway line will be protected from excessive noise and vibrations.

“Even right from the planning phase, it was clear to us Getzner is an experienced and highly reliable project partner. The intensive dialogue with the experts from Getzner brings enormous benefits to the project, especially in terms of sustainability,” said General Director of Lumietri de México S.A. de C.V. Luis Váldes.

Damping noise and vibrations

Several vibration protection applications from Getzner are being installed on the “Tren Maya” line. One example is in Section 5, the economically important route from Tulum to Cancún that will also serve tourists, where under ballast mats and are designed to reduce the transmission of vibrations into the surrounding environment while simultaneously stabilizing the track bed.

“Our under ballast mats dampen railway-related vibrations and structure-borne noise, which is a great advantage for local residents and the nature reserve,” said Thomas Gamsjaeger, head of the rail division at Getzner.

Less maintenance and repair work

Getzner is installing special padded sleepers made of Sylomer, a proprietary polyurethane material, to provide special protection to the track superstructure in areas that are highly susceptible to wear. Under sleeper pads are mainly used to protect the ballast from being abraded too quickly. The elastic layer placed under the sleeper embeds the ballast to protect it.

“The under sleeper pads have a particularly strong effect in places that are highly susceptible to wear. Vibration protection extends the service life of the rail superstructure and other structures for decades, without losing any of its effectiveness. This also has a positive effect for operators over the long term: The track remains functional for longer, which means track maintenance – as well as the corresponding energy consumption and costs incurred – can be reduced,” Gamsjaeger said.

Improved carbon footprint

Using the efficient and durable under sleeper pads and under ballast mats for “Tren Maya” should increase the service life of the superstructure, minimize the maintenance costs and bring more sustainability into the overall system.

“Calculated over the lifetime of the line, we can achieve a much smaller carbon footprint this way than with conventional railway lines. This has already been proven in a study by Graz University of Technology,” Gamsjaeger said. The vibration protection is designed to be maintenance-free and function for decades without losing any of its effectiveness.

Reinforcement sought

The major “Tren Maya” project is an example of the strong global demand for sustainable vibration protection solutions as railway networks are expanded. “There are ever-increasing concerns for safety, sustainability and noise protection for both passenger transport and freight logistics. This development has given Getzner a strong first half of 2023, with more than 80 million euros (US$86 million) in turnover. Our business expectations remain optimistic, which is why we are looking for more passionate people to join our teams both at the group headquarters in Buers and at our international locations,” Rainalter said.