The first phase of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project in Kuala Lumpur was recently completed. Here Pandrol developed and delivered the fastening systems for the 51 km Sungai Buloh to Kajang Line.
The line starts at Sungai Buloh, located to the north-west of Kuala Lumpur and runs through the city centre of Malaysia’s capital city before ending in Kajang, a fast-developing town to the south-east of the city.
Following a competitive tendering process, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) worked with Pandrol to propose compliant and cost effective solutions to the client. Pandrol’s technical team recommended its VIPA DRS fastening system for the mainline areas while its Vanguard system is used in specific areas. Both systems are designed to control of rail roll on curves, but the lower dynamic stiffness that the Pandrol Vanguard system provides an even greater level of attenuation of transmitted vibrations.
The completed KVMRT Metro features:
• 51 km of track
• 400,000 passenger per day
• 80 km/h designed maximum speed
• Rail type 60E1 (mainline) EN 50E1 (depot)
The VIPA DRS fastening system is well proven in many metro projects worldwide. It offers a low vertical dynamic stiffness that leads to good levels of vibration isolation, and the proven technology of the Pandrol e-Clip. The baseplate system is easy to maintain and provides vertical and lateral adjustment capability.
As this was the first deployment of Vanguard in Malaysia, the Pandrol technical team supported the local team on-site with demonstrations on how to install and maintain this fastener.
The completed project will serve a local population estimated at 1.2 million people and is expected to carry approximately 400,000 passengers on four-car driverless trains, each with a capacity of 1200 people.
By its nature, metro tracks in tunnels or on viaducts can be more complex to install than ballast track on an open site. Pandrol’s technical team can advise on different construction methods, such as top-down wet pour, use of embedded blocks or sleepers, or pre-cast plinths or slabs. Pandrol products can offer a wide range of stiffnesses and adjustment capabilities.
Andy Slowe, product support engineer
“The VIPA DRS offers low vertical stiffness and is ideally suited to applications where this level of track support resilience is required.”
Through its joint venture company Railtech Alu Singen, Pandrol worked with MHI to develop and design the third rail system ensuring all interfaces, including rolling stock, track works, power supply and civil works, were considered.
The system supplied by Pandrol focused on coextruded rail technology which has two key benefits when applied to conductor rail solutions. Firstly, 100% of the stainless-steel strip is efficient, meaning it can be fully worn down to 0mm without any monitoring. A further benefit of the coextruded process is that there is no delamination of stainless-steel strip even if it becomes partially worn. These benefits add lifetime value to the railway through reliability and maintenance savings.
Pandrol takes pride in its history, expertise and commitment to quality. All components supplied are tested in in-house testing facilities and in external laboratories for specific test requirements. All tests are performed in accordance to Third Rail System technical specification, calculation notes results and international standards. To ensure a smooth and efficient installation, Pandrol supported the project by delivering installation, maintenance training and supervision on site.
