Pandrol’s Fastclip FE fastening system has been chosen as the preferred fastening for Trafikverket’s 20-year framework agreement with Swedish producers of concrete ties.
Pandrol worked collaboratively with concrete tie manufacturers Strangbetong Rail AB and Abetong AB in responding to a Trafikverket (TRV) national procurement exercise relating to concrete ties for Sweden’s railways. The tender included delivery of pre-assembled fastening systems and under tie pads. The contract will cover typical annual volumes of around 400,000 ties.
Fastclip FE is the latest evolution of Pandrol’s elastic rail fastening system. It is a value engineered variant of the Fastclip system and can be used in all applications where Fastclip FC is currently used. The development of the FE system responds to commercial pressures to continually drive down costs within the railway industry, and achieves significant overall cost savings for railway operators and infrastructure contractors, without any compromise to the performance of the assembly. The new design reduces the working profile of the system whilst enhancing performance and functionality.
Fastclip is an economical fastening designed as a total system in which all components are delivered to site pre-assembled on the concrete tie. Once the ties are laid and the rail installed, the clip is simply pushed onto the rail by means of a simple drive action. This switch on-switch off capability encourages mechanisation of the installation and extraction processes for both renewals and maintenance. Pandrol’s Rosenqvist machinery provides an accelerated installation capability of up to 70 ties per minute.
In addition to the fastening systems, Pandrol will also be supplying Under Tie Pads. These are tailor-made resilient systems designed to reduce track maintenance, increase the quality of the track and provide vibration mitigation by fixing elastic elements to the bottom surface of the ties. Pandrol’s Under Tie Pads are proven to reduce of rail corrugation, especially in tight radius curves, extending the grinding interval by at least a factor of two, while also providing vibration Insulation up to 15 dB(v).
Wayne Peacock, Managing Director in the EMEA region, said;
“We are delighted to have secured this contract. We have a long history of working with Trafikverket and the Pandrol team placed customer focus at the heart of its efforts, engaging positively with the tie makers to build alliances. Our bid was built on a recognition of TRV’s environmental goals and will deliver value for money, sustained product quality, and a high level of product support to demonstrate that Pandrol continues to be the best choice of fastening supplier.”
