Network Rail unveils its 'workshop-on-wheels'

Mobile maintenance train enters service this week

Network Rail is set to introduce the first of a new fleet of engineering trains which should speed up maintenance activities across the rail system.

A total of eight mobile maintenance trains (MMTs) will be based at locations around the country, providing a ‘workshop on wheels’ for track workers as they carry out repairs, renewals and upgrades to Britain’s 20,000-mile rail network.

Each train will have a workshop, two built-in 2t cranes to move heavy equipment, multiple power points (400V, 110V, hydraulic and pneumatic) and will be able carry all the tools and supplies that track staff need, alongside a welfare area with kitchen and toilet.

The MMT’s key feature is a large, extendable work area that allows access to the track below, provides cover, floodlighting and – crucially – protection from passing trains.

As a result, the MMTs will reduce the amount of disruption maintenance work usually causes, as workers will able to repair a section of track without having to close the railway next to it. This will limit disruption during the day when workers carry out repairs, while allowing better use of the railway at night for freight trains.

Neal Lawson, Network Rail’s maintenance director, said: “Many tasks on the railway can only be carried out when the railway is closed to traffic – but with passenger numbers growing and demand for freight increasing at record levels, the need to keep the railway open round-the-clock is greater than ever before.

“These new trains mean our frontline staff can complete a wide range of maintenance and repairs more quickly and efficiently, reducing the need for costly and disruptive closures of the tracks.”

Teams will be able to board the MMT at a depot and be taken directly to the work site. In the safety of the work unit they can make repairs on a section of track or, using a slow ‘creep’ mode, be able to make rolling repairs.

Corey White, an MMT supervisor based in Darlington, said: “These new trains will make a massive difference to my team. We can get on the train at the depot with all the kit we need for a job and head straight to site. My favourite feature is the all-round lighting, which means we get pretty much perfect working conditions whatever the weather or time of day.”

The MMTs have been manufactured by German railway construction and engineering firm Robel, and will be delivered to Network Rail over the next 12 months. The first one to arrive will be based in Darlington and will enter service this week. The second (based at Paddock Wood in Kent) is arriving in October and the third (based at Derby) in December. The remaining five will be stationed at Woking, Retford, Romford, Peterborough and Horsham.

The fleet will be operated and maintained by Colas Rail under a three-year deal.