System Engineer, Plasser & Theurer, Austria

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Olja Barbir

Olja Barbir graduated from TU Wien, Vienna in 2022. Her doctoral thesis deals with the topic of the development of condition-based tamping.

Since 2021, she is a System Engineer at Plasser & Theurer.

Head of CEDEX Track Box, CEDEX, Spain

Dr. Jose Estaire

Jose Estaire works at the Labortorio de Geotecnia – CEDEX as a senior consultant in geotechnical engineering and was also assistant professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid since 2000 to 2017. Currently, he is the responsible of the CEDEX Track Box, a testing facility in which 1:1 scale models of railway track sections can be studied.

He was one of the members of CEN-SC7-PT6 (the final drafting committee of Second Generation Eurocode 7) and was also the convenor of the committee that drafted UIC guidelines relative to design and maintenance of earthworks (UIC IRS 70719 and 70722).

Senior Vice President Railway Division, Getzner Werkstoffe, Austria

Thomas Gamsjäger

Thomas Gamsjäger joined Getzner Werkstoffe in 2010 as a Product Manager for Industrial applications and he developed the application floating floors in rail cars to the major industrial application within Getzner. 

2017 he took over the lead of this business segment as Senior Vice President of Industry Division. After five years he was assigned as Senior Vice President of the Railway Division beginning of 2022, the biggest business segment at Getzner Werkstoffe. 

Since that time, he is responsible for Product Management, Product Development and Marketing & Communications for the complete Railway business at Getzner. He and his team are mainly responsible for creating and developing the benefits Vibration Isolation, Superstructure Protection and Noise Reduction by bringing in elastic solutions into Railway superstructure, like Under Sleeper Pads, Under Ballast Mats, Mass Spring Systems, Rail Pads and Baseplate Pads.

Founder & CEO, Hürlimann Railtec AG, Switzerland

Adrian Hürlimann

Adrian Hürlimann is the owner and CEO at Hürlimann Railtec AG. He has a diploma in wood and building protection. 

Hürlimann Railtec AG is a young and innovative sister company of Hürlimann Bautenschutz AG. It first bonded ballast in 2014 using an inhouse innovation The company has a globally patented system for ballast bonding

FCP – Head of Geotechnics, Fritsch, Chiara & Partner ZT GmbH, Austria

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Fritz Kopf

Fritz Kopf is head of department: Geotechnics and Natural hazards, expert for soil mechanics, dynamic compaction and vibration at FCP Fritsch, Chiari & Partner ZT GmbH.

He studied at the Vienna University of Technology and has a PhD in Civil Engineering.

Head of Infrastructure Management Metro, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Germany

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Uwe Kutscher

Uwe Kutscher studied at the Technische Fachhoschule Berlin and is a Dipl.-Ing. in Civil Engineering and Traffic Route Construction.

He works at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), where he is head ot department traffic route construction for the subway.

Head of Track Construction, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Austria

Dr. Christoph Kuttelwascher

Christoph Kuttelwascher is team leader at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG – SAE – Fahrwegtechnik Gleisbau – Technik und Qualität (track technology and track construction – technology and quality)

His team “Track Construction – Technology and Quality” is responsible for the technical approval of:

track construction machines and the quality assurance of materials and working methods. They create the starting point for the construction of safe railway facilities with modern, economical track construction methods.

SNCF Direction Technique du Reseau; Maintenance Voie LGV, France

Marc Ledet

Marc Ledet is an expert in track geometry and vehicle / track interaction. He works at SNCF Résau where he is responsible for the maintenance and regeneration policies for SNCF Réseau’s high-speed network.

He joined SNCF in 1985, and after in-house training, he managed various maintenance and works structures. In 1993, he managed a track and civil engineering maintenance Unit for part of the new North high-speed line. In 2002, he joined SNCF’s Industrial and Engineering Department to help implement best practice on HSL. He contributed to the development and deployment of absolute tamping method, use of DTS, improvement of rail quality and use of high-speed measurement train (IRIS 320) to improve the durability of interventions.

Senior Engineer, Trafikverket, Sweden

Martin Li

Martin Li works as a Senior engineer at Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) and is responsible for track dynamics, vehicle-track interaction, track geometry quality and other related track issues.

He studied Structural dynamics, Solid mechanics, Finite element method and holds a Ph.D. in engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Structural Mechanics Göteborg, Sweden.

Consultant MRS Logistics & Chairman IHHA, Brazil

Antonio Merheb

Antonio Merheb is Chairman of the International Heavy Haul Association, currently working as consultant at MRS Logistics, a Heavy Haul railroad operator located in southeast Brazil. 

PhD in Transportation Infrastructure at the Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo. Graduated as a civil engineer with a concentration in geotechnics. Graduate Certificate in Railroad Engineering – University of Delaware.

Antonio is responsible for strategy and planning of the track components, a position he has held for the past 9 years. He acts in the railway area mainly in themes related to the development and innovation of materials and railway systems. Focus on the best track design and maintenance, assisting in the adoption of technologies to minimize costs and promote high reliability systems.

Specialist for Track Analysis and maintenance, DB Netz AG, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Sophie Nottbeck

After studying civil engineering at TUM (2012), Sophie Nottbeck obtained the qualification of construction supervisor railroad at Deutsche Bahn Netz AG and worked in this position in the period 01.01.2013 to 01.10.2015. 

Since 01.12.2014 until 31.03.2021, she has been employed as a research assistant at the Chair of Road, Railway and Airfield Construction at TUM. In October 2020, she successfully completed her PhD on “Experimental and theoretical investigations for the optimization of the dynamic track stabilizer (DTS) with a view to improving track stability”.

Sophie Nottbeck is the specialist for track analysis and maintenance procedures at Deutsche Bahn Netz AG since 2020. 

Senior Manager Consulting and Knowledge Management, Global Rail Group, Austria

Dr.-Ing. Andreas Oberhauser

Andreas Oberhauser has more than 14 years of experience at Wiener Linien, where he held leading positions such as Head of the Department of Infrastructure Inspection. From 2011 he was responsible for the inspection of bridges, tunnels and stations, and was the Head of Permanent Way from 2018 onwards. Andreas is also a lecturer at the TU Wien and FH St.Pölten on railway maintenance.  

He joined Global Rail Group at the end of 2021. Since 2022 he is a member auf Global Rail Group as Senior Manager Consulting and Knowledge Management.

Head of R&D Project Development, Adif, Spain

Miguel Rodriguez Plaza

Miguel Rodrigues Plaza is Head of R&D Project Development at Adif. Currently he is responsible of R&D Project Development Department throughout Business Strategy Directorate at Spanish state-owned railway infrastructure manager, ADIF. 20 years in R&D managing railway research projects.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and a master’s degree in engineering Geology. 

Academic Director, TU Munich Chair of Traffic, Engineering, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Walter Stahl

Walter Stahl is Academic Director Chair of Traffic, Engineering: Prüfamt für Verkehrswegebau (State Audit agency for Traffic Infrastructure Construction).

He has studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University Munich.

Dr. Stahl is member in several committees of national and international organizations for standards for railway track and railway vehicles.

Director GR Media, Global Rail Group, Germany

Detlev Suchanek

Detlev Suchanek is Director GR Media, a division of Global Rail Group.  He is the founder of the predecessor company of today’s Global Rail Media in 2017

He has more than 40 years of experience in the B2B media business and in the rail and public transport industry. From 1990 to 2017, he managed the Technology and Transport Division of the international DVV Media Group. 

Detlev is responsible for curating the knowledge base, for media material and for media services.

Technical Manager, Infrabel, Belgium

Nevenka Vandenbossche

Nevenka Vandenbossche is a construction engineer at Infrabel, where she is the technical manager for various railway products. 

The following products fall under her expertise: level crossing panels (both rubber and concrete), plastic sleepers, insulating joints and concrete products. Developing the technical- and quality requirements of these products is her responsibility. Vandenbossche is also a member of the UIC Group Polymeric Composite Sleepers (WG 16).

Deputy Director Track, Adif, Spain

David Villalmanzo

David Villalmanzo is a Civil Engineer graduated in the Polytechnic University of Madrid in 1999, working in RENFE and later in Adif since 2002. His domain of work is linked to Maintenance & Operations on the Infrastructure & Track domains, in different posts until 2015 when he became Deputy Director Track in 2015.

Since 2020, he is Responsible of the Management Area for R+D+i Strategic Partnerships at ADIF, including the coordination of activities in Europe’s Rail JU for the entity.

Formerly a member of the Track Experts Group (TEG) within the UIC Rail System Forum. Also was an Infrastructure Senior Advisor detached by ADIF in UIC between 2017 and 2020.  In 2021 he was appointed as Chairman of the TTI Sector – UIC Rail System Forum.

Head of Plasser & Theurer Technology Centre, Austria

Dipl.-Ing. Bernhard Antony

Bernhard Antony completed his civil engineering studies at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna in 2015. In his master’s thesis, he dealt with the vibrations of the Dynamic Track Stabilizer and their influence on buildings in the near field of the tracks.

He joined Plasser & Theurer as a project manager in 2016. He was responsible for research projects on track superstructure. In November 2019 he became head of the P&T Technology Centre.

Academic Director, TU Munich Chair of Traffic, Engineering, Germany

Dr.-Ing. Walter Stahl

Walter Stahl is Academic Director Chair of Traffic, Engineering: Prüfamt für Verkehrswegebau (State Audit agency for Traffic Infrastructure Construction).

He has studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University Munich.

Dr. Stahl is member in several committees of national and international organizations for standards for railway track and railway vehicles.

Deputy Director Track, Adif, Spain

David Villalmanzo

David Villalmanzo is a Civil Engineer graduated in the Polytechnic University of Madrid in 1999, working in RENFE and later in Adif since 2002. His domain of work is linked to Maintenance & Operations on the Infrastructure & Track domains, in different posts until 2015 when he became Deputy Director Track in 2015.

Since 2020, he is Responsible of the Management Area for R+D+i Strategic Partnerships at ADIF, including the coordination of activities in Europe’s Rail JU for the entity.

Formerly a member of the Track Experts Group (TEG) within the UIC Rail System Forum. Also was an Infrastructure Senior Advisor detached by ADIF in UIC between 2017 and 2020.  In 2021 he was appointed as Chairman of the TTI Sector – UIC Rail System Forum.

SNCF, Directeur Adjoint Normalisation, France

Laurent Schmitt