With combined strength

Deutsche Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH has a new name: The partner company of Plasser & Theurer, founded in 1960, has been merged with the Robel Business Unit Service & Customer Service from Freilassing. Under the name Plasser Robel Services GmbH (PRS), the new company has been offering comprehensive services for rail-bound railroad construction machines and vehicles since January 1, 2022. Almost nothing will change for customers; locations and offers will continue to exist under the new name. The new company is the seventh addition to the Freilassing-based Robel Holding, which is only a few years old. The core company is and remains Robel Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH. In 2019, Robel North America Corporation, Robel France SAS and the Breisach-based specialist for measurement technology and electric drives Vogel & Plötscher were added. In 2020, Robel Holding founded another sales office, Robel China in Shanghai, and acquired a stake in Schweerbau International GmbH & Co. KG, which develops technologies for rail surface treatment. The maintenance, modernization and spare parts market for machines from Plasser & Theurer and Robel is combined in the new wholly-owned subsidiary PRS. PRS Managing Director Karl Oberreiter was previously both the last head of Deutsche Plasser and at the same time head of Robel’s Service and Customer Service division. The new company has around 250 employees.

Three locations
The new company PRS is represented at three locations in Germany: Munich, Opladen and Freilassing. At the company’s headquarters in Munich, Deutsche Plasser had concentrated its rapid spare parts service and consulting as well as the reconditioning of tamping and other units. This will be maintained. The service workshop for all work on large machines is located in Leverkusen-Opladen, in the “Bahnstadt” district on the site of the DB repair plant, which was closed in 2003. In September 2010, the three-track, 6000-square-meter hall of Deutsche Plasser was opened on a large area. From inspections during the winter break to complex accident repairs, everything is done professionally here. A major advantage is the access to the original design documents of the partners Plasser & Theurer and Robel. In Freilassing, on the other hand, machines and components are also maintained, overhauled and modernized, most recently increasingly track vehicles and ballast ploughs. The Freilassing plant also specializes in wheelsets, bogies and their all-round renewal. Irrespective of this, the entire Robel range will continue to be developed, designed and produced in Freilassing.

Largest service organization
The Germans Plasser and Robel were already traditionally very well connected and were also linked for a good part of their history. This is now being intensified and emphasized in service, maintenance and customer service by the new company. What’s more, the merger of Deutsche Plasser and the Robel Business Unit Service & Customer Service has created the largest service organization in the Plasser & Theurer Group. In view of the global activities of the companies involved, this is certainly significant. The catchment area: For rail-bound vehicles and machines from Plasser & Theurer, it is Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well as individual major customers in Belgium and Luxembourg; for Robel products, it is the whole world – regardless of the service issue. In fact, complete railroad construction machines from half of Europe can often be found in Opladen. The situation is very similar for components and assemblies in Munich and Freilassing. PRS now looks after them for the entire life of the machine.

All-round service
Original parts are used for spare and wear parts. All come from Plasser & Theurer, Robel or their certified suppliers. This means that they correspond exactly to the respective manufacturer’s specifications in terms of material and design. PRS stocks all frequently required parts and, thanks to its own spare parts logistics, ensures the availability of track maintenance machines – worldwide and often within one day. Sometimes troubleshooting is even possible over the phone, or at least an initial fault diagnosis. Around 30 service technicians are on standby and can be reached daily via a hotline. If necessary, they also drive directly to the construction site with a well-equipped vehicle and the required spare parts. Planned deadline work, where modernization is also possible, is somewhat more relaxed. A retrofit takes eight to ten months. The machine is then technically up to date, runs on new or refurbished wheelsets, has an emission-optimized drive, a new or overhauled control system or a completely new hydraulic and pneumatic system – without new approval and ready for use again straight away. Everyday work and the working environment are tough for tamping units, and the tamping tines and overall unit in particular require increased attention. If something does break, brand-new original units are available as well as refurbished replacements – including a warranty for up to 500,000 stuffings. Where possible, PRS also offers many services for machines from other manufacturers. And if a machine has to be returned to the factory despite an upcoming job or if there is more to do than expected, there are even rental and used machines available. This is also what service with combined forces can look like.