Innovative Rail Technology Making Trackwork Safer
19 April 2019
New trackwork
technology developed by one of
John Holland’s long-term
rail
employees is set to make track stripping safer and more efficient.
John Holland’s Peter Baker, together with local supplier Richard Hill,
developed the “rail springer” technology, an excavator attachment that
makes the traditionally labour-intensive and high-risk process of track
stripping much safer and up to five times faster.
The innovation has already proved to have been successful on several of
the
Victorian Government’s
level crossing removal projects, including
those located at Camp Road, Campbellfield and Skye Road, Frankston
delivered as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project’s (LXRP) North
Western Program Alliance – an alliance between LXRP,
KBR,
Metro Trains
Melbourne and
John Holland.
The
rail springer is currently in use on LXRP’s $232 million Reservoir
Level Crossing Removal Project which, when completed, will see the
construction of an elevated rail
bridge over High Street, Reservoir, in
Melbourne’s north.
The ground-breaking equipment releases rail from timber sleepers and
because it is fully machine operated, eliminates any risk of injury. In
addition to its safety benefits, the rail springer significantly
increases production capacity, making the track stripping process up to
five times faster.
John Holland’s Executive General Manager – Rail, Steve Butcher, said he
is proud the rail team is delivering industry-leading technology that
makes work safer for rail employees and more efficient for customers
including LXRP.
“Developing solutions to complex challenges is what we at John Holland
pride ourselves on. It’s fantastic our rail team is at the forefront
with pioneering technology that will transform how our industry works
for the better,” Mr Butcher said.
John Holland rail general superintendent Peter Baker, a 30-year veteran
of the rail industry and a John Holland employee for 16 years, said the
springer attachment was relatively easy to use.
“The springer is designed to attach to an excavator via a quick hitch,
the hi-rail excavator then moves along the track typically stopping at
three sleeper intervals,” Mr Baker said.
“At each stop, the attachment protrudes down and clamps onto the rail,
lifting the rail upwards at a variable height lift of up to 150
millimetres.
“As part of the process, the rail anchors are then readily available to
be removed from the rail since they are not constrained within the
ballast area.”
The rail springer allows a single operator to complete one kilometre of
track stripping per hour, in comparison to the traditional method which
has a production rate of around 200 metres per hour.
--ENDS--
Source: John Holland - www.johnholland.com.au
Contact: N/A
External Links: N/A
Recent news by: John Holland