Vossloh's goal is to establish circular economy not as an add-on but as a structural principle of industrial value creation. Implementation takes place throughout the entire life cycle: from product development and material selection to manufacturing, service, recycling, and regulatory compliance for sustainability performance. The circular approaches of the business units are presented below using examples from the value chain, with a focus on sustainable rail infrastructure.
Product design and development: circular design in railway technology
Vossloh takes eco-design principles into account right from the design phase, focusing on material efficiency, modularity, ease of disassembly, and recyclability. Ecodesign is one of seven group-wide sustainability initiatives and is systematically integrated into the company-wide innovation process. Products are analyzed throughout their entire life cycle in order to quantify their ecological footprint and reduce it in a targeted manner.
Vossloh, for example, develops recyclable rail fastening systems whose components are optimized in terms of weight and emissions and can be separated for recycling – a model for sustainable rail components.
The Engineered Polymer Pad (EPP) is an elastic sleeper pad that reduces ballast wear, extends maintenance intervals, and improves track alignment. The thermoplastic composition consists almost entirely of recycled plastics and can be completely recycled at the end of its service life. Production is carried out exclusively using solar power – without fossil fuels.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is used for every customer-specific turnout to simulate environmental impacts right from the design phase. In addition to integrated planning with virtual installation simulations, BIM-based digital twins also enable digital monitoring of turnouts, maintenance forecasts, and training for employees.
Use of materials: Secondary raw materials and material substitution for a circular economy in the rail industry
Primary resources should be replaced by alternative or circular materials. The sustainable composite material Engineered Polymer Sleeper (EPS) is made exclusively from secondary raw materials in industrial quality. The proprietary material mix amalentic gives EPS consistently good properties throughout its entire service life: a low coefficient of thermal expansion, high lateral track stability, and stable gauge.
Vossloh manufactures crossings made of manganese steel with up to 90% recycled content. A return system and complex cutting and casting processes ensure high-quality recycling. This enables Vossloh to achieve an unprecedented material cycle for manganese. Target: 50% of cast components at the Outreau plant to be made from recycled manganese.
Production: Energy efficiency and internal material cycles
Manufacturing at Vossloh is geared toward resource efficiency and closed-loop recycling – a key element of sustainable rail infrastructure. Process water is reused several times in Vossloh's sleeper plants, both in the United States and in Australia. Cement and concrete residues flow into downstream recycling processes. The use of energy-efficient processes and green electricity sources is steadily increasing.
Use and maintenance: Optimizing service life through digital maintenance
Condition-based maintenance significantly extends the service life of infrastructure – a key element of the circular economy in the rail sector.
With High Speed Grinding (HSG), Vossloh established preventive maintenance during ongoing operations in the early 2000s. With a grinding speed of up to 80 km/h, HSG not only repairs rail defects such as head checks or corrugations, but also reliably prevents defects from reoccurring, thereby extending the service life of rails by up to 100%. In the smart configuration stage, integrated sensors collect data on the condition of the rails for subsequent processing as required – also at speeds of up to 60 km/h.
Sensors also enable real-time monitoring and data-based maintenance of the turnouts – for maximum resource efficiency.
Reuse and reconditioning: remanufacturing for resource conservation
The reuse of components is a key element of Vossloh's sustainability strategy.
Vossloh offers systematic reconditioning of used turnouts. The integration of STG strengthens the "Availability as a Service" expertise in the Northern Europe region. The one-stop-shop approach combines manufacturing, service, and recycling in a closed process chain.
Individual components of the rail fastening systems can also be replaced as needed – in line with the principles of circular economy.
Recycling and recovery: closing cycles, improving environmental performance
Vossloh ensures that grinding dust and metal abrasion are not sent to landfill but used as additives in slag production (downcycling).
All business units are working on ensuring that their products can be disassembled for recycling. The French companies published an EPD for an SNCF turnout – an internationally recognized environmental declaration covering CO₂, resource consumption, and health impacts.
Verification and EU taxonomy: making circularity measurable
Vossloh reports comprehensively in accordance with the EU taxonomy. In 2024, 100% of sales were taxonomy-eligible, 67% were taxonomy-aligned (target: "Transition to a Circular Economy").
All projects are systematically reviewed based on Do No Significant Harm criteria (e.g., resource efficiency, biodiversity, water consumption).
Consistent implementation of the circular economy makes Vossloh an industry leader – ecologically, technologically, and in terms of regulatory compliance.