The path to a fully decarbonised rail sector holds significant potential for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). By focusing on long-term strategies, collaboration, and choosing the right system partners, rail OEMs can achieve operational excellence and cost efficiencies while supporting a decarbonised future. Here, Chris Showering, Product Management and Marketing Head for Rail at IMI, explains.
Rail has solidified its reputation as one of the most sustainable and efficient modes of transport, offering lower emissions, higher passenger and cargo capacity, and greater cost-effectiveness compared to road or air alternatives. However, as the sector pushes towards electrification and decarbonisation, OEMs must balance these ambitions with economic challenges, including escalating costs and operational complexities.
Aligning solutions to industry needs
OEMs in the rail sector face numerous challenges, including reducing downtime, achieving long-term reliability, and meeting rigorous safety requirements in harsh operating conditions such as extreme temperatures and intense vibrations. Specifying the right systems, backed by robust engineering expertise, is critical to overcoming these hurdles.
Take pneumatic controls as one example. For decades, the use of compressed air systems has been essential to rail operations, powering functions such as braking, coupling, external doors, and suspension. These systems have demonstrated reliability under diverse and demanding conditions—from icy winters in Northern China to the blistering heat of Australia’s outback. Selecting components and systems that meet such operational demands is central to long-term success.
The cost conundrum
With pressure mounting from rising energy prices, labour costs, and maintenance demands, many rail OEMs are reevaluating their approach to cost control. One of the most effective strategies is to adopt a total cost of ownership (TCO) approach. This means prioritising the lifetime cost of a component or system—not just its upfront price.
For instance, single-supplier strategies and multi-year maintenance contracts can prove pivotal in managing costs over time. By working with trusted suppliers who provide quality solutions certified to international standards, OEMs can reduce maintenance frequency, prevent downtime, and meet compliance requirements with confidence.
Multi-year maintenance contracts, for example allows costs to be spread over several years, helping to remove the need for a large upfront outlay. For end users, they can benefit from the reassurance and confidence that future maintenance commitments are catered for and costed, enabling them to see increased rolling stock reliability and reduced downtime.
At the same time the OEM enjoys a long-term maintenance partnership with the customer, knowing that they have specified quality product solutions that will deliver superior service standards over their lifespan, which can be maintained less frequently and with lower overall cost implications.
Value driven partnerships
Collaboration between OEMs and experienced supply partners can further reduce systems’ complexity, procurement timelines, and maintenance challenges. A partner with a global footprint, for example, ensures compliance with international safety and quality standards a benefit which is particularly valuable in a rail sector that often operates across multiple territories.
Beyond operational efficiency, close collaboration creates additional value in early-stage product development. By involving engineering experts in the design phase, OEMs can benefit from truly bespoke systems for their precise application requirements, cutting lead times and improving system outcomes for end users.
This advantage is further reinforced through local support for OEMs who can tap into solution engineering expertise in local markets. Designed to unpick specific customer challenges, the partnership between OEM and an IMI solution engineer can make inroads into system delivery timescales and provide the best solution.
Get behind the move to electric.
Finally, as the rail sector follows the automotive industry to embrace the sustainability, operational and energy saving benefits provided by electrical solutions, rail OEMs need to ensure they are partnered with a solution provider that understands the move towards full electrification.
Switzerland has achieved electrification for approximately 99% of its rail network, but other nations, including the UK—with only around 38% electrification—have significant progress to make. For OEMs, this presents an opportunity to lead by innovation, aligning their solutions with the sustainability goals of operators transitioning to electric.
It is essential for OEMs to choose technology partners with proven expertise in electrified systems. Beyond supplying hardware, such collaborations can offer critical guidance on integrating advanced solutions into existing rail infrastructure, focusing on energy savings, reduced emissions, and compliance with stringent environmental standards.
The shift toward decarbonisation in rail brings tangible challenges but also long-term rewards. By adopting a clear focus on cost control, building strong supply partnerships, and aligning with electrification trends, OEMs can stay competitive while driving sustainability in one of the most eco-friendly transport sectors.
Whether it’s specifying high-quality pneumatic systems or supporting the move to fully electric networks, taking a strategic, forward-thinking approach will enable OEMs to deliver reliability, cost performance, and environmental benefits for years to come. It’s not just about meeting today’s challenges; it’s about unlocking tomorrow’s opportunities.
