Service equipment for railway applications
From pump station to data management - we keep your depot running

Vogelsang is a leading provider of wastewater management systems for passenger trains. In fact, we are the main supplier for Deutsche Bahn, the number 1 local and national train service in Germany. Leading companies like ÖBB and Irish Rail have come to rely on Vogelsang for our expertise for passenger train.

Vogelsang offers a wide range of solutions to provide the optimal configuration for your project, from the smallest system to the largest European train treatment facility in Dresden-Reick: Network systems, stand-alone systems, mobile units, interior cleaning supply units, service automation and remote monitoring.

Supply and disposal with Vogelsang—Systematic solutions
Systems for railway operation

Intercity passenger transportation is a time-critical business—punctuality is a selling point for potential passengers. The disposal of wastewater from on-board toilet tanks and refilling with fresh water therefore has to be done quickly, reliably, and safe. Vogelsang’s supply and disposal systems for railway are therefore not only designed for high performance, but also ensure reliable operation.

Perfectly coordinated technology not only makes operation easier, it also reduces potential downtimes.

In the railway sector in particular, many individual components must interact to guarantee economical operation. As a result, Vogelsang offers a range of individual products for single-station and multiple-station systems.

The heart of our railway vacuum wastewater disposal system
Double pump station VacUnit

As the inventors of the elastomer-coated rotary lobe pump, Vogelsang reached a new milestone in pumping technology for viscous media as early as the 1970s. This technology makes the rotary lobe pumps used in disposal systems for railway companies self-priming up to a head of nine meters, which is space-saving and cost-efficient, as it eliminates the need for vacuum tanks and separate vacuum and wastewater pumps. The VacUnit vacuum pumping station ensures trouble-free operation, and boosts capacity as required: It provides enough pumping power for simultaneous operation of multiple connected TUnits.

Wastewater disposal and fresh water filling with the TUnit
Water supply and disposal station TUnit

The Vogelsang supply columns for fresh water filling are as compact in design as they are flexible. The hoses on the TUnits provide a wide working radius and are equipped with an automatic hose retraction device. For protection against freezing temperatures, the hoses are also drained automatically after use. To prevent stagnation in the fresh water line, automatic hygienic rinsing can be offered as an optional extra to be carried out at preset intervals. Optional extras like fully automatic programming of the fill quantity, a signal system, or an additional hose for cleaning the waste tank allow the system to be customized to meet specific needs.

Mobile supply and disposal solutions by Vogelsang
Mobile solution MobileUnit

It often makes sense to use mobile versions instead of stationary wastewater disposal systems. For maximum flexibility, Vogelsang offers self-propelled vehicles or trailers for this application. In addition to the proven Vogelsang VX rotary lobe pump for draining the railwaycar toilet tanks, both also contain a wastewater transport tank with a capacity of up to 2600 liters depending on the version. Besides the conventional disposal solutions, there are additional versions for Bioreactor toilet systems. There are also versions with additional flushing water tanks. If all you need is to be able to move the pump unit from place to place, a hand cart like the MobileUnit Eco is ideal for direct vacuum extraction and pumping of wastewater into the sewage system.

All mobile supply and disposal systems by Vogelsang are mounted on base vehicles from respected manufacturers, to ensure that they retain their mobile flexibility throughout their long lifetimes.

On-site access to everything required for cleaning the inside of trains

Public passenger transport companies must ensure uncompromising cleanliness in their vehicles not just for hygiene reasons but also in order to keep up with growing competition. However, cost pressure is becoming greater and greater, meaning that cleaning services have to be adapted to ever tighter timeframes. By setting up Vogelsang CleanUnits in railway service depots and bus depots, passenger transportation companies reduce the legwork for their staff responsible for cleaning inside the vehicles and provide direct access to water and cleaning supplies.

Train cleaning solutions developed by Vogelsang
Interior cleaning cabinet CleanUnit

Complete train services need clean interiors; as a result, interior cleaning must be fast and efficient.

Vogelsang cleaning cabinets complete the service portfolio with highly organized water supply and disposal units. Vogelsang cleaning cabinets provide hot and cold water and a supply of cleaning agent. Cleaning and disinfectant solutions are automatically mixed with tap water to the correct working concentration. Automated dispensing of ready-to-use solutions is also available.

The cabinets are equipped with wash basins to clean the equipment, a tap water outlet, and an automated dispensing system for cleaning solutions. All cleaning cabinets are made of protective stainless steel and include a heating system to ensure operation at low temperatures. Optional lighting and additional shelves for cleaning equipment and locking doors can be integrated.

Choose between our standard compact and comfort designs, or request a customized solution.

Data management and online monitoring for economical operation

Running a railway track company efficiently means knowing where the company's cars are located at all times. The status of maintenance, service, and supply stations in railway depots needs to be monitored and displayed centrally in order to be able to respond to any anomalies. The Vogelsang data management systems UICScan and VEBSys allow passenger cars to be identified at important inspection points, and the cars' data to be captured live together with the data from railway depot facilities of all kinds and reported centrally.

Scanner gates for identifying passenger cars
UICScan: Identification for railway applications

Economically minded railway track companies can save the cost of developing their own identification system for passenger cars by using the legally prescribed UIC numbers. These are located at the car body and can be detected by a scanner set up next to the track. Identification devices with powerful camera systems and computers, like Vogelsang's UICScan gates, are naturally also designed for nighttime operation.

This not only tells the company where each of its cars is located, it also allows it to distinguish its cars from those of other companies at the train station entrance or before entering washing facilities. This is because the system records other relevant data apart from the vehicle number, such as date and time, speed, and the customer rail company. The results are processed as soon as the train passes the scanning station and are transmitted to the central data management system, such as Vogelsang's VEBSys. The services utilized can then be billed easily to the relevant customer.

The deployment of UICScan systems generally poses no problems and requires no conversion work on vehicles.

Online monitoring of facility data in the railway depot
Online monitory system VEBSys

In order to be able to sensibly coordinate the many activities and applications in a railway depot and to be able to respond immediately to any problems that arise, the operator of a railway depot first needs to have them all in full view. The digital monitoring system plays the same role for the efficient operation of railway facilities that the signal towers play for the actual railway traffic itself. Whether it's the signaling system, the brake testing facilities, washing facilities, or water supply and wastewater disposal  —everything has to work according to plan.

Advanced web-based systems for data management collect the relevant information and document the real-time operating status of the facilities in a railway service depot. Vogelsang's highly compatible VEBSys features high data quality. It doesn't just transmit the data of all the Vogelsang installations in the railway depot, such as the VacUnit vacuum pump stations or TUnit. the user-friendly VEBSys fault indication system also allows the user to view the status of compressors, heaters, and washing facilities supplied by third parties. Different modules are available for inspection and control, depending on the facility connected. They act as early warning systems or fault indicators, preventing incorrect operation of the connected facilities, while at the same time restricting access to the system itself when necessary. The group of authorized users is defined in advance, so the smooth operation of the depot's facilities is doubly protected.