MATISA: Track rehabilitation made easy

MATISA, one of the world’s leading providers of equipment and services for the rail industry, is celebrating 80 years in business in 2025.

A pioneer in rail, offering an extensive range of solutions focused on its three core areas of maintenance, renewal and construction of track networks, the Swiss company sees the milestone as a symbol of its resilience and evolution.

Dr Simone Amorosi, Product Director at MATISA Matériel Industriel S.A., said: “Since 1945, MATISA has continuously adapted to the changing needs of rail operators worldwide.

“Our legacy is rooted in Swiss engineering precision, reliability, and field-proven performance.”

Although MATISA has a rich history, Amorosi said its mindset is future-oriented.

“We are embracing digitalisation, automation, and sustainability while preserving our fundamental values: performance, simplicity, and customer focus,” he said. “From mechanisation to data-driven operations, MATISA has grown from a trusted supplier into a solution partner for railway infrastructure.”

Matisa in Australia

MATISA Australia Pty Ltd was set up in 2018 to assist Australian customers with direct service.

Its local technicians and engineers are factory trained and fully qualified to carry out inspections, maintenance and repairs to all MATISA components.

MATISA Australia offers a range of machines tailored to the Australian market and its various gauge requirements, and the team based here works closely with the head office in Switzerland to give feedback on the specific needs of local networks.

Managing director of MATISA Australia, Alfie Hunziker, said the company has had great success in Australia so far and is ready to expand its presence further.

It hopes to do this with the promotion of inline mechanised track renewal and ballast cleaning across the Australian rail networks. MATISA manufactures high quality machinery specifically tailored for such operations such as two impressive track renewal trains, the P 95 and the P 190, and its high output ballast cleaning and screening machine, the C 75, all of which are new to the market Down Under.

“MATISA has been operating since 1945, so the designs of our track renewal and ballast cleaning machines are well established, but with constant improvements being made,” Hunziker said.

“We are interested in new work methods, new ways of approaching things, and we have the technology and the machinery to do this.”

The P 95

One of the company’s flagship products, MATISA’s P 95 high-performance track renewal train, can replace sleepers and rail simultaneously and quickly.

The incorporation of a double sled enables the execution of multiple obstacle jumps within a single worksite.

“This also allows for cut-in and cut-out times that are simply unthinkable for MATISA’s competitors,” said Hunziker. “In less than 30 minutes, the P 95 can be deployed or withdrawn from a worksite.”

Sleeper management is achieved through linear movements, allowing for efficient and fast removal and placement. For operating on curves, the machine uses dynamic and static guides to carefully guide new sleepers through the workgroup.

Franck Martinet, Sales Product Manager at MATISA, said: “Our machine is substantially faster than conventional methods of track and sleeper replacement.

“Once set up, the P 95 will do about 1200 metres a day of complete track renewal.

“It’s a true technological feat and a testament to MATISA’s expertise.”

The P 190

The P 190 track renewal train is a more compact version of the P 95 and is designed for sites of small to medium length.

The P 190 comprises two wagons and one working group, and has been tried and tested on heavy haul and conventional lines around the globe.

“Despite being shorter than the P 95, the P 190 concedes nothing in matters of reliability, durability, flexibility, quality of work or accuracy,” said Martinet.

“The proven reliability of the P 190 is based on 50 years of design and manufacturing experience.”

The C 75

The C 75 is a high-performance ballast cleaning and screening machine, specifically designed for continuous ballast bed treatment.

It is made up of two double powered bogie units, which are connected by a drawbar and a single bogie trailer.

Martinet said a lot of work has gone into the machine’s design, with engineers perfecting all aspects from assembly to maintenance to replacing parts.

“These machines are very durable – they last for at least 25 years,” he said.

“They are also compact, which makes it easier to maintain them and reduces the number of staff needed.”

Safe and efficient

Hunziker said MATISA’s machines can increase the productivity and efficiency of work sites, lowering the overall cost of projects and infrastructure while making them safer for workers.

“When you are doing conventional track removal work, there is a lot of ancillary machinery that’s required,” he said. “You have excavators, you have sleeper extracting machines, and you have an operator sitting in each of those machines.

“With MATISA’s machines, the ancillary machinery and extra workforce costs can be drastically reduced – and more mechanisation and less manual handling also means fewer people in the firing line of heavy machinery.”

The heavy haul market

Hunziker said many heavy haul networks were built back in the 1970s, and the time has come for major track renewals.

“We see huge potential there for utilising our fully mechanised systems,” he said.

“Heavy haul networks are extremely heavily used, as the name suggests – the axle loads running over these networks are massive.

“Safety is paramount, you want a system where you can reduce personnel involvement on the ground and still deliver a high quality and durable track that will ensure the future safe passage of trains.”

The speed at which machines like the P 95 can operate also makes a big difference in an industry where time is most definitely money.

“Each ore train is worth a substantial amount of money in net income for these mining companies,” he said.

“Any machinery that can be easily and swiftly set up and works efficiently obviously helps their business model of getting as many trains down the track as they can.

“Plus the mining industry is often at the forefront of new technology, so why shouldn’t they consider new work methods for track renewal?”

Sensitive sites

Hunziker explained that in Australia, many rail networks run through culturally and environmentally sensitive sites such as national parks and heritage sites.

“Working with conventional methods, you have people coming in from the side of the track, disturbing the environment around the track.

“There are also certain environments where conventional methods become very difficult. You might have deep sandstone cuttings in the environment, or you might have very high berms, with the track sitting on three or four metres of ballast.

“We work using what is called a continuous process, so you’re working in one line along the track – starting at the beginning and ending at the end – allowing our customers to avoid many of those challenges.”

Customer service

Martinet said that far from just supplying machines, MATISA is with its Australian customers every step of the way.

“We provide everything from online documentation with information about every aspect of the machines, to maintenance, spare parts and a helpline our customers can call for advice,” he said.

“When we deliver the machines we can provide training to crews, and we can also provide refresher courses if, for example, a customer has experienced staff turnover.”

In addition, MATISA has connectivity to its machines (subject to each customer’s approval), so the team can detect issues and remotely update software when necessary.

“This is another level of checks and assistance for the customer,” said Martinet.

“The customer decides what we can see and how much involvement/control we have.”

Predictive maintenance

MATISA’s machines come equipped with sensors that can track multiple data points and send alerts reminding customers to carry out maintenance or replace parts at a certain point.

“If you say you want a reminder before you hit 100 kilometres travelled, for example, you can program that in,” he said.

Amorosi added that MATISA views its products not just as a machine but as a service platform.

“Our LCM (Life Cycle Management) model includes maintenance plans compliant with local standards and regulations, retrofitting capabilities, and digital diagnostics,” he said.

“Through predictive analytics, we help clients anticipate maintenance needs, reduce unplanned downtime, and optimise spare parts use.

“This maximises fleet availability while lowering total cost of ownership.”

Sustainability

Amorosi said “sustainability is not an add-on” for MATISA, it’s a design principle.

“We integrate optimised diesel powertrains to reduce emissions, and our machines are lighter and more compact than those of competitors, leading to lower energy consumption,” he said.

“We also focus on recycling systems, predictive maintenance to extend machine life, and digital tools to minimise unnecessary interventions.

“For us, sustainability means not only reducing carbon footprint, but also extending asset life and optimising total cost of ownership.”

Research and design

Amorosi said research and design (R&D) is a cornerstone of MATISA’s long-term competitiveness.

“We invest continuously in innovation, mechanical, digital, and procedural,” he said.

“Many of our innovations are protected by patents. These innovations accelerate our capacity to test, validate, and iterate.

“Beyond product features, R&D at MATISA supports new business models too, such as modular retrofitting and data-driven maintenance contracts.”

Vision for MATISA

Amorosi said MATISA sees itself evolving into a global enabler of intelligent, sustainable infrastructure renewal.

“We will continue to lead the market in track renewal and maintenance, but with a sharper focus on digital integration, energy efficiency, and lifecycle optimisation,” he said.

“Whether through smarter tamping, rail-only renewal, or embedded systems, our goal is to support infrastructure managers in doing more with less, more performance, more availability, less impact.