Robel Gleiskraftwagen

Spring is here again! It's getting warmer, the days are longer, flowers are coming out and, of course, rail maintenance work starts. I have no idea what exactly DB Netz Instandsetzung (Network Maintenance) was doing here in Aachen's central station, but it's something interesting to take pictures of so I'm not complaining.

Robel is an austrian company that produces all sorts of maintenance-of-way equipment, including this "Gleiskraftwagen", which the official homepage creatively translates as "work vehicle". It's classified as Schwerkleinwagen (heavy small vehicle), which means that it has to comply with federal regulations only "to the extent necessary to perform it's function", but on the other hand has quite a few restrictions on it's operation. I have no idea which ones precisely, it varies by type.

Here it is sitting on the track that connects the central station to the small depot where, among other things, the class 643.2 Bombardier Talent DMUs for the Euregiobahn service are stored.

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