In 2007 the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) was engaged in building the first phase of its huge new high-speed network. This comprised more than 12,000 km of passenger dedicated lines (PDLs). One of the new lines – the KJ13/14 project – linked the central Chinese cities of Wuhan and Hefei, over a distance of 360 km.
The operator had ambitious plans for a service that would initially run at speeds of 250 km/hr, significantly reducing travel times, with a future design operating speed of 300 km/hr. Unusually, a capability to run occasional lower speed trains with an axle load of 25 tonnes on the same tracks was also required. A series of tenders were issued to find the supplier who would deliver high specification components for the line within the strict time and cost limits that applied. As a result of the competitive bidding process the majority of the line, which is ballasted track, was built with concrete sleepers fitted with Pandrol Fastclip fastenings.
The central part of the Wuhan-Hefei line crosses the remote Dabieshan mountains through a series of four tunnels with a total length of 37 km. For continuity, it was clearly desirable to use similar fastenings on the slab track that would be installed through these tunnels, and Pandrol Fastclip baseplates were chosen as the fastening system for these slab sections, based on overall cost benefit.
The Pandrol Fastclip baseplate can easily be applied to the selected CRTS3 wet-pour top-down method of slab track construction using pre-cast sleepers. The system features a resilient baseplate that adapts the advantages of the Fastclip system to slab track applications. It is an ideal product for non-ballasted track forms – on metros and main lines as well as high speed lines – offering high levels of vertical and lateral adjustment that can be quickly and easily implemented.
“The Pandrol Fastclip baseplates continue to perform well to this day, as do the Pandrol Fastclip sleepers installed on the ballasted track sections.”
The line opened in April 2009 and has operated successfully since then. Pandrol carried out track tests under CH2 trains operating at 250 km/hr in June 2009 that confirmed the successful operating performance of the fastenings. The Pandrol Fastclip baseplates continue to perform well to this day, as do the Pandrol Fastclip sleepers installed on the ballasted track sections.
