On 20 May 2026, members of the Europe’s Rail JU-funded XCROSS project met with experts from MÁV, Hungary’s national railway company, at Evopro’s offices in Budapest, alongside TRA 2026 (Transport Research Arena).
The meeting provided an opportunity to present the progress and results achieved so far within XCROSS and to gather valuable feedback from an experienced railway operator on real operational needs and constraints. The discussions were particularly rich and will support the XCROSS technical team in refining its developments and priorities for the next project phases. The exchanges were followed by a dedicated technical session among project partners to consolidate the key takeaways and next steps.
Many thanks to our partner Evopro for hosting such a great and highly productive meeting!
Addressing a key challenge: Switches & Crossings durability and maintenance quality
Switches & crossings (S&C) are critical assets, yet they often suffer from premature wear, while inspection practices may rely on limited or inconsistent tools and documentation. Maintenance and repair quality can vary between sites and teams, which may affect asset lifespan and long-term performance.
XCROSS solutions developed so far
XCROSS is developing an integrated set of tools to improve inspection, monitoring and repair quality, including:
- Condition monitoring sensors to detect turnout deterioration and support a move beyond periodic inspection cycles.
- 3D laser scanning methods to enable more accurate and consistent inspections, with improved digital record keeping.
- An augmented reality (AR) visualisation tool to guide welding and grinding repairs and improve repair quality.
- 3D‑printed support/visualisation tools to assist on-site repairs and contribute to longer asset life
Outlook: upcoming work in the second half of 2026
In the coming months, XCROSS will further investigate wheel–rail interaction and load transfer effects, including:
- axle load measurements
- crossing acceleration measurements
- wheel profile measurements.
More updates will follow soon.