Stadler Rail’s decade-long relationship with imc shows how trusted partnerships can support scalable testing, faster problem-solving and continuous innovation.
As rail testing requirements expand beyond traditional certification, close collaboration between operators and measurement specialists is becoming increasingly important. imc Test & Measurement has 30 years’ experience manufacturing solutions for the rail industry, and has been providing data acquisition solutions to Stadler Rail for over a decade, helping it to carry out prototype testing, homologation/certification and rail vehicle monitoring.
Railway-News spoke to Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal – Stadler Rail’s Rhine Valley manufacturing and testing centre in Switzerland, about the centre’s partnership with imc.
Testing Centre Overview
Railway-News: Please start by telling us more about your testing centre and the work you undertake?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
This was set up ten years ago to enable Stadler Rail to start doing testing in-house, as we’d previously outsourced all our certification testing. We began with one guy doing fatigue tests, and over time we added more of the fields that were needed to homologate our trains. We’re still adding these, and continue to rely on outsourcing for some tests, but are growing our capabilities.
The Driver for In-House Testing
RN: What was the main driver for Stadler setting up an in-house testing centre?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
It’s a way to save, as outsourcing testing can be quite expensive. But it also adds flexibility. We found another benefit was that in-house testing enabled us to build internal know-how over time, and improve our engineering capabilities, which in turn improved our vehicles.
Current Testing Capabilities
RN: What tests do you currently have the capability to undertake at the centre?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
Currently we can carry out around 90% of the required tests in terms of scope, but in terms of capacity we’re only at two thirds. That said, the range of tests we cover in-house is already very broad.
This includes breaking, acoustic and torsional oscillation testing on wheelsets to demonstrate there are no fatigue issues, as well as weighing and lighting. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing is a major area they’re currently expanding, but it takes significant time and effort to build the necessary in-house expertise.
Stadler Rheintal is also carrying out aerodynamic tests to reduce the overall power consumption of trains. What’s important is that this testing goes beyond meeting homologation requirements and uses the data to validate internal models and identify opportunities for optimisation.
Why the Partnership Has Lasted
RN: Why do you think this partnership has lasted so long and what made you choose to continue working with them when you took on the role?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
When I joined five years ago, we only had a few imc devices in place, so it would have been easy to change to a different supplier. However, we really liked the quality of their solutions, so I didn’t want to change. Today across all our fields we heavily rely on imc – it’s our main supplier of measurement devices. The whole collaboration with imc introduces possibilities which I don’t think would be possible with other suppliers.
The Value of Long-Term Relationships
RN: I presume a benefit of working with a single measurement supplier long-term is that they understand your needs in detail?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
There are benefits, but it’s also a balance. It’s generally healthy to maintain some level of challenge between suppliers and not become overly dependent on a single partner. That said, our long-term relationship with imc reflects the level of trust we’ve built. We never felt the need to introduce a second supplier or run parallel systems simply to avoid dependency. Instead, we chose to rely on one partner because we’re confident in the quality of their products and very satisfied with the collaboration.
Scalability and System Design
RN: So how has imc solutions supported the growth of your testing centre in practical terms; scalability for example?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
Scalability is actually very easy for us to achieve. We mainly use a single imc product line, the CRONOSflex. The system is built around a base unit, to which different amplifiers can be added depending on what needs to be measured. These modules simply click together to form a rack that includes exactly the measurement channels required for each test.
The systems can also be distributed spatially by connecting modules via cables, which is essential when testing trains that can be up to 200 metres long. In some cases, they even connect multiple trains, creating measurement setups spanning up to around 500 metres. Across that distance, all modules need to work together reliably, with measurement points spread over a very large area.
As the number of measurement positions grows, it’s easy to scale the system by adding additional amplifiers or channels where needed. Importantly, the same amplifiers can be used across different test fields. That means separate products for different applications are not needed, which makes resource usage far more efficient.
Precision and Decision-Making
RN: How have imc’s devices influenced confidence in results and the speed of decision-making?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
Our testing centre is required to be extremely precise. Different standards and regulations define strict limits within which values must be provided. imc’s measurement devices have proven to be even more precise than those requirements demand. In that sense, we’re actually slightly over-specified, but in my view that’s exactly the right approach. We shouldn’t just meet the minimum standards required for homologation, we should aim for the highest possible measurement quality. That’s something we clearly see reflected in imc’s systems: the precision targets they set for themselves are very high, and consistently achieved. For us, this ultimately means we can deliver measurement data with a very high level of accuracy, which directly strengthens confidence in the results.
Working Relationship Benefits
RN: Are there particular benefits to your working relationship with imc?
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
Definitely. If we run into a problem, we can always go to our direct contact there and he comes back with a solution quickly. That might be something practical, like realising we need an additional amplifier to complete a measurement because we’re short on channels, an issue with a device, or the need for rapid calibration because a test has taken longer than expected. In all cases, he provides fast, flexible support. We really value that, especially when we’re moving into new testing fields. We’ll discuss our requirements and if there’s something suitable in imc’s portfolio, he brings in the right experts, comes on site to explain the solution, or even lends us equipment to test for a certain period.
Collaborative Development
Stadler Rheintal has experienced imc’s collaborative development approach first-hand, and it has been very positive. There are several examples where the testing centre was able to test new sensors or solutions early on, give direct feedback on what worked and what didn’t, and then see those solutions adapted to better fit requirements. In some cases, that development work is still ongoing, but the end result is a sensor or device that fits needs extremely well.
This hasn’t just been limited to hardware. Similar experiences have occurred on the software side, for example in acoustic measurements, where post-processing was initially complex. Rather than trying to integrate third-party tools, Stadler Rheintal worked directly with the experts to develop a customised solution that aligned with their devices, software environment and the standards they needed to fulfil.
Gian Spescha, Head of Measurement and Testing at Stadler Rheintal, said:
What we really value is this willingness to adapt and refine solutions based on real testing feedback. Whether it’s sensors, software or broader customer solutions, that level of collaboration – and the fact that ideas often flow both ways – is something we appreciate greatly.