Schaeffler develops high-speed rail wheelset bearings for 400 km/h and longer maintenance intervals
Schaeffler is developing a series of high-performance wheelset bearings for high-speed trains that target speeds of 400 km/h and more while more than doubling maintenance intervals.
- 400 km/h and more
- up to 360 km/h
- 405 km/h
- more than twice that of comparable steel bearings
What Happened
Schaeffler is developing a series of new high-performance wheelset bearings specifically for high-speed rail service, which it says set new standards for speed, availability and cost-effectiveness. The Motion Technology company's engineers are not only targeting regular speeds of up to 360 km/h: new cylindrical roller bearings with optimised friction behaviour, an innovative rolling element design and, prospectively, ceramic rolling elements allow maintenance intervals more than twice as long as those of current bogies. That, Schaeffler says, noticeably lowers total cost of ownership for rail operators. The company is showing the technology at InnoTrans 2026 in Hall 21, Stand 430.
- Cylindrical roller bearings designed for 400 km/h and more
- Regular service speeds of up to 360 km/h in view
- Hybrid version with ceramic rolling elements to extend maintenance intervals and cut lifecycle costs
- Friction-optimised bearing interior design that lowers grease temperature and extends service life
- Maintenance intervals more than twice as long as with current bogies, lowering operators' total cost of ownership
“With the new high-performance wheelset bearings, we underline our competence as an engineering partner for high-speed trains. We combine our decades of expertise in rolling bearing technology with detailed simulation, solid validation and global manufacturing competence. This creates solutions that not only meet the highest technical requirements but also offer rail operators measurable economic advantages over the entire life of a train.”
405km/h
Recorded by Siemens Mobility Velaro Novo test carrier with an ICE-S on the Leipzig - Erfurt route
- Hybrid bearings: typically more than twice that of comparable steel bearings
- More than twice as long as with current bogies
Schaeffler's scope covers extensive simulations, friction analyses, lubricating grease investigations and test-bench trials. The competence centre and lead plant for the company's European wheelset bearings is in Brasov, Romania, and production of the ceramic rolling elements draws on Schaeffler's long-standing expertise with the extremely high quality requirements of the aerospace and wind industries. Siemens Mobility developed the Velaro Novo consistently for economical operation over the whole lifecycle, and its switch to internally located wheelset bearings is what enables significantly improved aerodynamics and weight reduction. Because grease service life limits how long a rolling bearing lasts between two maintenance jobs, Schaeffler is betting on hybrid bearings with ceramic rolling elements.
“Our goal is a bearing for the highest speeds with particularly low friction. A friction-optimised bearing interior design helps lower the grease temperature and further extend service life. The development and use of ceramic rolling elements is the next logical step. With the high-performance cylindrical roller bearings, we make a significant contribution to increasing train availability and sustainably reducing lifecycle costs.”
Previously from Schaeffler Group
Schaeffler has also been using InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin to show rail hardware: earlier coverage described axlebox generators, the modular ITRS on-board power system and electromechanical actuators that the company says can automate freight wagons. Those items focused on freight applications, while today's announcement covers high-speed passenger train bearings at the same trade fair.
- Schaeffler shows axlebox generators and actuators for automated freight wagons at InnoTrans 2026
- Schaeffler presents technologies for automating freight wagons at InnoTrans 2026
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Schaeffler Group's official releases.
Why this matters
The bearings matter to rail operators, whose fleet availability and lifecycle costs depend on how often trains need workshop visits. Schaeffler says hybrid bearings with ceramic rolling elements can more than double grease service life compared with comparable steel bearings. Siemens Mobility is the close development partner, and Schaeffler's Brasov plant in Romania is the lead plant for its European wheelset bearings.
Terms in This Story
- Wheelset bearing
- The bearing assembly that supports a rail vehicle's axle (wheelset) where it meets the bogie or underframe.
- Cylindrical roller bearing
- A rolling bearing that uses cylindrical rollers rather than balls to carry loads.
- Hybrid bearing
- A rolling bearing in which the rolling elements are made of ceramic while the bearing rings remain steel.
- Total cost of ownership
- The full cost of owning and operating an asset over its entire life, including maintenance and downtime.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.