ÖBB Infrastructure Executive Board Member Judith Engel and Florian Scheibe, FCC Country Manager Austria, stand in front of the Hydrojet.
(St. Paul im Lavanttal, Vienna, 20. October 2025) – ÖBB is dedicated to ensuring the greatest possible availability of Austrian railway infrastructure through innovative strength. An impressive example of this is the new Hydrojet with its advanced cleaning system for drainage pipes in railway tunnels. Today, ÖBB and contractor FCC Austria presented the innovative system in St. Paul im Lavanttal near the Koralm Tunnel.
Even greater infrastructure availability! The Hydrojet incorporates the new MDB02 Modular Drainage Flushing System for Railways, which is partially remote-controlled and automated. This system makes it easier to maintain railway tunnels and reduces the need for track closures. This increases the availability of railway infrastructure for our customers.
Judith Engel, Member of the Executive Board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, says: 'With growing traffic volumes and more tunnels, cleaning requirements are increasing while maintenance times are shrinking. This is where the remote-controlled, automated MDB02 modular railway drainage flushing system comes in: it cleans during operation, meaning that only a few short track closures are necessary for transportation.'
A revolution in railway tunnel cleaningTo ensure that tunnel drainage systems function reliably and continuously, they must be serviced regularly. Mineral deposits affect many tunnel structures, leading to a progressive narrowing of the drainage pipes and increased mountain water pressure. Until now, removing these deposits required time-consuming cleaning operations with multiple track closures per year.
The MDB02 marks the beginning of a new chapter: not only is tunnel cleaning becoming automated and more efficient, it is also undergoing a fundamental revolution. In the future, maintenance work can be carried out on a regular basis while rail traffic continues to run. This is done safely, flexibly and without interrupting operations.
Country Manager Florian Scheibe, FCC Austria: ‘Our many years of experience in industrial and specialised cleaning, as well as our close cooperation with ÖBB, have enabled us to develop a practical, automated solution. Findings from operating the previous machine were specifically incorporated into further developing the MDB02, significantly improving it.’
Efficient and remote-controlledDuring drainage flushing, the state-of-the-art cleaning system is positioned directly above the central flushing shaft in the tunnel. This enables all drains in both tubes to be flushed remotely. The flushing nozzle, equipped with an integrated camera, is also threaded in from the maintenance base. Thanks to the new technology, significantly more metres can be cleaned in a single pass – instead of around 150 metres as was previously possible, over 2,000 metres can now be cleaned in the Granitztal Tunnel, for example. Once the flushing process is complete, the MDB02 is transported to the next location during an operational break. Regular rail operations can continue during flushing. In addition to remote-controlled operation, flushing can also be performed from the track. This allows for flexible use, for example in cases where flushing times are short.
The increase in efficiency is particularly relevant in view of the imminent commissioning of major infrastructure projects such as the Koralm Tunnel, the Granitztal Tunnel and the Semmering Base Tunnel later on. These projects will add a total of around 750 kilometres of drainage systems that will require maintenance each year. Conventional flushing will continue to be used in the existing network. However, the MDB02 can also be used in existing tunnel systems, as well as in new construction projects.
This innovative system enables ÖBB to combine necessary tunnel maintenance with increased route availability – a clear advantage for all customers, including passengers, railway companies and the shipping industry.
Further information:FCC – Service for the FutureFCC Austria Abfall Service AG is one of the leading companies in the field of waste management and environmental services. It has 17 locations throughout Austria and offers tailor-made and sustainable comprehensive waste disposal solutions for municipalities, industry, commerce and private households. With a clear focus on environmentally friendly recycling and treatment of a wide variety of waste types, state-of-the-art collection and container systems, and its own facilities, FCC Austria not only ensures efficient resource conservation, but also actively contributes to environmental protection.FCC Austria Abfall Service AGCountry Communication & Marketing
Phone: +43 664 454 04 01nina.steinlechner@fcc-group.atwww.fcc-group.at