A ground-breaking project by Network Rail to significantly reduce disruption caused by renewals work reached a major milestone as engineers replaced a set of points within record-time.

Last weekend (25/26 October 2009), engineers were able to demonstrate that a set of points could be replaced within 21 hours, rather than a whole weekend, in trials of a new design of wagon that allows pre-constructed track panels to be brought directly to site and slotted quickly into place.

Network Rail’s new fleet of tilting wagons, used for the first time this weekend at a renewals site at Bamfurlong, Lancashire, are able to tilt their loads so that the pre-constructed panels of track, which are normally too wide to be carried by rail, can be transported directly to site. When the wagons arrive, the decks are moved back to a horizontal position for the panels to be unloaded and slotted quickly into place.

This milestone forms part of Network Rail’s modular switches and crossings programme which is targeted on eight hour windows to renew a set of points, significantly reducing disruption at weekends.

The project focuses on carrying out as much of the construction work as possible away from the track to limit line closure times. Points are fully constructed and tested in factory conditions before being taken to site in modular panels to be installed quickly. Being factory built also improves their reliability and durability.

Simon Kirby, Network Rail’s director for infrastructure investment, said: “Our aim is to renew the railway without passengers realising we have even been there, the only indication being smoother and more reliable journeys.

“The introduction of new technology like our tilting wagons, and the development of better ways of working, will enable us to do more of our work at night, to help keep more of the network open at weekends when passengers want to travel.”

Network Rail has ordered 26 tilting wagons in total from Kirow, a German plant manufacturer.

The track panels used to replace points have a bearer (sleeper) length of up to 3.7metres, which is too long to fit within the network’s W6a gauge. The wagons’ decks can tilt their loads up to an angle of approximately 60 degrees enabling the panels to fit within the width of the railway.

The wagons’ decks are 22.5m long. This length is sufficient for the majority of the switches and crossings on the network. For longer panels, the deck can be extended to allow panels of up to 26.5m to be carried.

As part of the renewals work at Bamfurlong, three crossovers (points) are being installed in total, two using modular methods, one using conventional. Around 500 yards of plain line will also be replaced.