The project introduced new motorised switches between London Paddington and Stockley Bridge to facilitate safer faster isolations of the overhead line equipment in the area. Prior to the works taking place the provision of isolations was a slow and hazardous process for the isolation team with line blocks being required to gain access to a number of the OLE switches.
On many occasions the line block may not be available for various reasons meaning isolations could not be provided and planned works cancelled. The scope was to upgrade and enhance existing switches where possible and to replace any others entirely. This upgrade would take this section of line
up to the standard of the new electrification on the Great Western beyond Milepost 12 ¼. Working closely with Balfour Beatty, Pod-Trak delivered the scope over three key phases.
Christmas Blockade 2019
All works to 13 Morris Line Switches including electrical testing and section proving from 10 MP (Hayes) to 12 MP (Stockley). The works also included the installation of a new switched overlap.
January – November 2020
Works through this period were delivered utilising weekend and midweek access to complete works to 18 Morris Line Switches including all electrical testing and section proving from 5MP (Ealing) to 10 MP (Hayes).
Christmas Blockade 2020
An extremely challenging scope to deliver works at the approach to London Paddington Station. A new switched overlap was installed along with works to 6 Morris Line Switches and 5 Driescher Switches from 0 MP (Paddington) to 2 MP (Westbourne Park). Key methodology stages included installation of
temporary jumpers to render the switch out of use, removal of existing equipment, installation of new switching including position indication switches, install MOS unit, manually test the operation, electrically test and confirm electrical operation and section prove for Entry Into Service.
Pod-Trak was contracted to deliver all ETE associated to the Kent Package 1 conductor Rail Renewals and Insulator Pot Replacement Project.
The conductor rail renewals were undertaken within the surrounding coastal areas including Bexhill, West Marina and Cooden Beach. The extensive Insulator Pot replacement programme was undertaken in very busy London Terminus Stations such as Cannon Street and Charing Cross.
All ETE Skilled staff, On Track Plant and tooling were supplied by Pod-Trak Ltd. Working from AFC designs our ETE teams delivered numerous conductor rail renewals to time, budget and NWR specification. The team worked closely with the local Network Rail Maintenance ensuring requirements were successfully met.
The Conductor rail renewals included all associated ETE IE: DC positive cabling and Hook Switches at TP Hut Locations. New 1000sqmm Al cables were made to measure on site prior to connection. Pod-Trak also provided the MMA7 Arc welders to enable the designed lengths of conductor rail to be formed. All conductor rail ramp end terminations were formed on site with the Hydraulic Rail Bender (Ramper) and all scrap rail was cleared leaving a clean, safe and snag free site.
Cooden beach saw 2km of new conductor rail and associated ETE installed in one weekend possession.
The insulator pot replacement programme saw 1000s of old ceramic pots replaced with new Rehau Insulators and fixings. These sensitive sites had to be completed within particular possessions minimising disruption to these busy London hubs.
Pod-Trak was contracted to undertake all the ETE works associated to the High Output TRS & Ballast Cleaner footprint.
Network Rail‘s High Output are an extremely dedicated team where time is of the essence. Renewing up to 700m of track with the Track Renewal System (TRS) machine and/or Ballast Cleaner (BC) within as little as a 6-hour mid-week possession maintaining a high level of quality and safety.
The ETE Divisions scope of work was to comprehensively prep each site prior to the core works. This would include upgrading non-compliant ETE such as sub-standard DC jumper cables, negative bonding and advance plates, sub-station feeds and hook switches. The conductor rail would be inspected, any old welds would be either cut out and re-welded or fish plated until post renewal. The core works demanded a military style approach by the ETE team. The existing ETE had to be removed and stored as quickly as it was safely possible in readiness for re-installation. This would include conductor rail and insulator removal, DC negative and positive cable disconnections, guard boarding and shrouding.
Once the TRS and/or BC had completed its programme the Dynamic Track Stabilisation (DTS) would prep the new track prior to tamping the DTS exerts a vertical downward force on the track, while also vibrating it side to side.
This helps to settle the ballast and increases track stability. Following behind the tamper the ETE teams would install the new insulator pots to the sleeper ends and assist the RRVs in relocating
the recovered conductor rail while gauging it for correct height and lateral position. The associated DC positive and negative cabling would be reconnected and tested as per the approved ITP torque
and Ductor low resistance tested. All connections would be cross-checked with the disconnection form and verified prior to energisation.
Pod-Trak supplied all the distribution staff (Level As) for Sub-Station Rack Outs. This omitted the need for strapmen which gained valuable time at the start and end of the possessions.
All above works were installed to programme, specification and budget.
Pod-Trak was contracted to supply, install and commission all the ETE within and beyond the project footprint.
Purley is a very busy outer London hub linking Brighton and the South Coast to London. The Renewals were one of the largest undertaken in the south with such short delivery timescales.
17-point ends and extensive plain line renewals were installed and commissioned within a 10-day Christmas / New Year Blockade.
All ETE Materials, Tooling, Plant and Labour was supplied by Pod-Trak.
Within a 10 day blockade the Pod-Trak ETE teams delivered all ETE associated to the project. This included installation of all the Rehau conductor rail insulator pots and fixings, new and recovered conductor rail (which included MMA7 Manual Arc Welding), 1000sqmm Al DC Positive cabling, 800sqmm Al reinforcing Negative cabling, S&C small negative bonding (240sqmm Ali), 7 No Track Disconnector (TD) units, timber protection (guard) boarding and Rehau Plastic shrouding.
The works required in-depth planning and multi discipline integration for delivery. Working closely with the S&T, P Way and Thermit welding teams was key to project completion.
The Final core works following conductor rail welding was to manually form each high and low speed conductor rail ramp ends. This was undertaken on-site at location using the hydraulic rail bender (Ramper).
Following core works, ITP completion and verification the site was Live section proved by Pod-Trak.
All above works were installed to programme, design specification and budget.
Pod-Trak were contracted to supply, install and commission all the ETE associated to the CP5 plain line renewals.
CP5 plain line renewals stretched across the South West form Dorset to Greater London, Pod-Trak’s ETE division supported the renewals by installing and commissioning all the associated ETE for each site.
All ETE Materials, Tooling, Labour and Plant were provided by Pod-Trak. The works included the removal of the conductor rail and associated Negative and Positive Electrical Track Equipment.
Following the track renewals Pod-Trak installed new Rehau Insulator Supports to the sleeper ends and reinstated the conductor rail. New and/or recovered DC negative and Positive cables were connected and tested.
Due to the existing Conductor rail and associated ETE being reinstated a detailed survey was undertaken at each site to highlight any sub-standard parts of the railway that needed renewing.
Pod-Trak was contracted to supply, install and commission all the ETE within and beyond the project footprint.
Purley is a very busy outer London hub linking Brighton and the South Coast to London. The Renewals were one of the largest undertaken in the south with such short delivery timescales.
17-point ends and extensive plain line renewals were installed and commissioned within a 10-day Christmas / New Year Blockade. All ETE Materials, Tooling, Plant and Labour was supplied by
Pod-Trak.
Within a 10 day blockade the Pod-Trak ETE teams delivered all ETE associated to the project. This included installation of all the Rehau conductor rail insulator pots and fixings, new and recovered conductor rail (which included MMA7 Manual Arc Welding), 1000sqmm Al DC Positive cabling, 800sqmm Al reinforcing Negative cabling, S&C small negative bonding (240sqmm Ali), 7 No Track Disconnector (TD) units, timber protection (guard) boarding and Rehau Plastic shrouding.
The works required in-depth planning and multi discipline integration for delivery. Working closely with the S&T, P Way and Thermit welding teams was key to project completion.
The Final core works following conductor rail welding was to manually form each high and low speed conductor rail ramp ends. This was undertaken on-site at location using the hydraulic rail
bender (Ramper). Following core works, ITP completion and verification the site was Live section proved by Pod-Trak.
All above works were installed to programme, design specification and budget.
Pod-Trak was contracted to supply and install all the ETE associated to the Arun Valley re-signalling project.
The Arun Valley re-signalling project was an 18-mile upgrade of the ageing signalling system which even included the almost extinct semaphore signals.
To facilitate the upgrade various aspects of the ETE configuration required modification and/or renewal.
The works included extensive negative bonding enhancements, replacement and alterations. This would include upgrading and bringing the existing DC 150sqmm and 240sqmm aluminium Sub-station and TP
Hut negative return cables up to standard by replacing them with 800sqmm Aluminium cables.
Existing 6mm negative advance plates (Bus Bars) were renewed with the current standard 10mm thick plates. New DC traction negative cables were installed throughout the section consisting of rail to Rail and Track to track bonding. S&C layouts were reinforced with 800sqmm cables affectively surround (Boxing in) the turnouts providing robust traction return supporting the S&C small bonding.
New signals were installed and commissioned throughout the project. Most of these signals were situated adjacent to the conductor rail. At each of these locations doubled timber guardboarding would have to be installed protecting the signal phone user and NwrR teams undertaking maintenance.
In addition to the DC negative bonding works the project required conductor rail modifications to facilitate level crossing alterations and axle counter installations.
The 18-mile site had to be commissioned in 1 x 52 hour possession, although many of the bonds were pre-installed and “Bagged and Tagged” the task had to be planned in a military style with precise timing.
All above works were installed to programme, design specification and budget.
