TSA strengthens ÖBB Infrastructure’s winter operation with 14 high-performance motors for snow blowers

Tailor-made drive technology for Austria’s winter operations
How quickly an electric motor project can move from contract award to delivery is demonstrated by one of the most recent orders secured by Traktionssysteme Austria (TSA).

In July 2024, TSA – the world market leader in the development and production of electromechanical drive systems for rolling stock and commercial road vehicles, headquartered in Wiener Neudorf, Austria – was awarded the contract by Plasser & Theurer to develop 14 powerful and compact TME 42-32-4 electric motors. By March 2025, the first units had already been delivered.

The new vehicle fleet is currently undergoing final assembly at Plasser & Theurer. The snow blowers will soon enter regular maintenance operations, strengthening winter service capabilities across Austria’s rail network.
The motors are used in hydraulic power packs installed in the new generation Plasser MultiCrafter 15.4 E³, a further development of the proven OBW 100 overhead line maintenance vehicle series. The vehicles are equipped with a snow-clearing attachment specially developed for ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. The objective is to ensure reliable and safe winter operations on Austria’s most important railway lines.

“With this order, we are setting a new milestone in our collaboration with Plasser & Theurer,” emphasizes Robert Tencl, CEO of TSA. “Our goal was to develop a motor that delivers exceptional performance despite its compact design, while withstanding the extreme weather conditions of winter operations.
The TME 42-32-4 meets these requirements precisely.”

Compact powerhouses – engineered for ice, snow and maximum loads
The TME 42-32-4 was specifically designed to operate under the harshest environmental conditions. Snow, ice, sleet and extreme sub-zero temperatures pose no challenge to the drive system.

With a continuous output of 360 kW and a peak output of up to 575 kW, the motor combines substantial power reserves with low weight and compact dimensions. Its watertight electrical design reliably prevents snow and moisture ingress.

“Our motors must not only be powerful, but also operate reliably under the toughest conditions,” explains Johannes Mensdorff-Pouilly, Head of Sales at TSA. “ÖBB expects absolute reliability – whether at minus 25 degrees Celsius, in a snowstorm or freezing rain. That is exactly what we developed the TME 42-32-4 for.”
The project’s requirements in terms of weight and performance were demanding, as was the timeline: only a few months elapsed between contract award in July 2024 and delivery of the first motor in March 2025.

“The tight schedule was a real challenge,” Mensdorff-Pouilly adds. “But this agility and solution-oriented expertise are precisely what define TSA.”

Long-standing partnership with Plasser & Theurer – a key contribution to rail safety
TSA and Plasser & Theurer have worked closely together since 2015. To date, more than 200 motors and generators have been delivered to the Linz-based track maintenance machinery manufacturer. The current project marks another expansion of this successful partnership – and at the same time represents a unique special application. The TME 42-32-4 was specifically tailored to meet the demands of snow-clearing operations.

For ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, the new snow-clearing vehicles represent a significant gain in reliability and track safety. An efficient and robust winter service is essential to maintaining punctual rail operations, particularly on heavily used Alpine routes.

“This cooperation once again demonstrates how important trust, technological expertise and reliability are in our industry,” says Robert Tencl. “Together with Plasser & Theurer and ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, we are proud to contribute to safe and winter-resilient rail operations in Austria.”