One of the rail industry’s biggest track plant exhibitions takes place next month, with live demonstrations of new technology designed to deliver innovative, safe and efficient track renewals and enhancements across the network.
The National Track Plant Exhibition will take place at Long Marston, Stratford-upon-Avon, July 24-25, and will be open to anyone working in the railway industry.
Organised by Network Rail’s track delivery team, with support from the Rail Alliance and The Rail Engineer magazine, the event will feature practical demonstrations of track delivery methods, innovations and plant, as well as innovative track construction methods.
Steve Featherstone, programme director, track, said: “We now have over 100 suppliers, signed up to exhibit both on- and off-track plant and hand-held tools. There are also around a thousand registered attendees.
“We’re bringing in big, rail-mounted kit, which will allow our suppliers to stage large-scale demonstrations, such as live track renewals.
“In addition, AmeyCOLAS will be performing a live re-ballasting renewal, which demonstrates a method suitable for a large new type of work bank in control period five.
[pullquote]Our smaller suppliers often have good ideas, but don’t know how to get them into the industry, so this is a good event for them to attend as well.[/pullquote]
“There’ll even be a Network Rail heliport, where visitors can come and see our helicopter, and talk to its operators.
“However, for safety reasons, everyone who attends will need to wear full PPE – boots, hard hats, hi-vis trousers, jackets or vests – as there’ll be a lot of operational equipment on site.”
During the two-day exhibition, Babcock International Group will be co-ordinating an on-site renewal of 320 yards of track, using innovative equipment, methodologies and processes from a range of industry suppliers.
Steve Featherstone added: “Many of our senior track managers will be there, as will our suppliers and our product acceptance team, to explain how they’re working to get the right solutions for us in a cost-effective way.
“Our smaller suppliers often have good ideas, but don’t know how to get them into the industry, so this is a good event for them to attend as well.”
PPE is compulsory for visiting the exhibition, and must be consistent with Network Rail’s safety standards. To attend the national track plant exhibition register as a visitor on the exhibition website, www.nationalplantexhibition.com
