SPECIAL EDITION
RAILTEX/INFRARAIL
2022 SHOW REVIEW
TENSOREX C+: Spring Automatic Tensioning Device
RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY´S AND FUTURE CHALLENGES
Our Expertise for Railway and Tramway: - Railway Catenary Systems - Tensioning - Insulation technology - Power supply - Safety equipment
Bonding Connectors
Insulators
Safety Equipment
Catenary Clamps
Droppers
Mosdorfer Rail Ltd. 2 – 4 Orgreave Place, Orgreave Sheffield S13 9LU, South Yorkshire, UK Phone: +44 114 3878370 E-Mail: OrdersRailUK@mosdorfer.com
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shows joining forces
3,000 130 3days exhibitors attendees
Welcome to Rail Business Daily's Railtex/Infrarail show review
The focus for Railtex/Infrarail this year was clear: greener and sustainable product solutions, decarbonisation and digitalisation
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lympia London played host to the show between 10-12 May — where the full potential of the railway was brought to life. The UK’s number one event for the rail industry brought together a total of 3,707 industry professionals, with 130 exhibiting companies from 14 countries, including the UK, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Olaf Freier, Railtex/Infrarail Portfolio Director, on behalf of organiser, Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, said: “More than 3,700 attendees from management, engineering, planning and technical design backgrounds came to the iconic buildings at Olympia London to create meaningful collaborations and form the future of railway. "We are proud to be a part of this again and to support the rail industry’s progress in the modern, post-pandemic world.” Exhibitors agreed the event provided the perfect opportunity to reconnect with existing customers in person, while also creating the chance to meet new ones.
We are proud to be a part of this again and to support the rail industry’s progress in the modern, post-pandemic world Olaf Freier: Railtex/Infrarail Portfolio Director. Many said they enjoyed being able to show customers their new products face-to-face again, instead of via a screen. Beyond the main exhibition The event also offered a rich supporting programme, including keynote speakers from leading industry names, technical seminars, project updates and Q&A sessions covering current topics for the railway industry. The programme included two conferences: The Future Focus Conference and Unlocking
Innovation, two recurring features organised by the exhibition’s main show partner RIA – the Railway Industry Association. In addition to the conference programme, RIA’s Meet the Buyer programme once again offered networking opportunities to participants. Furthermore, the product demonstrations and the on-track display were popular features of this edition. Once again, Rail Business Daily's Eagle Lab gave first-time exhibitors an affordable way to exhibit by offering a huge 50 per cent off stand prices in a designated area, which also came with expert support to allow them to successfully promote their business. Looking ahead to 2023 Many exhibitors at this year’s show have already signed up to exhibit again at the show in 2023. The next edition of Railtex/Infraril to 'The next exhibition will take place from 9-11 May 2023 at the NEC, in Birmingham. See you there!
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A business founded on sustainability
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s part of the support backbone and service supplier for the rail sector, Cabel UK took the opportunity to engage in one of the main events involving the UK rail industry. Showcasing our expertise which sprouts from 70 years' knowledge in manufacturing of alternators, being part of the Mecc Alte group. This allows us to grow our understanding in the design aspects and apply this in servicing, overhauling and remanufacturing of old rotating equipment. The core of our business revolves around sustainability and a true recycle economy. Giving new breath to old equipment, such as alternators, traction motors or pumps, allows multiple life cycles of existing machines, and extending the re-use of precious resources. With the world coming together to fight for a more sustainable life on our planet, we at Cabel UK are proud that our business is founded on this concept. Providing the opportunity for rail operators to overhaul or refurbish the old alternator or motor fitted on their vehicles not only allows savings on investment but also helps them achieve their sustainability goals and get closer
to a net zero carbon footprint. At Railtex/Infrarail 2022, we were delighted to meet customers, partners and as well as other key players in the industry. Having an opportunity to connect with new leads and potentially extend our support to more rail operators, and outspread our notion for a circular greener economy.
We look forward to future events and taking part in Railtex/Infrarail again. Contact us
Visit: www.cabeluk.com Email: info@cabeluk.com Call: 01572 755168
Working relentlessly to deliver growth for infrastructure businesses
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Contact Market Infra
Visit: marketinfra.co.uk Contact Tom Hudson: tom.hudson@marketinfra.co.uk Call: 07921 841183 railbusinessdaily.com
arket Infra exists to help infrastructure businesses achieve sustained growth – and in the last five years alone has successfully secured £1 billion of growth for companies in the UK. Its specialists are involved in all aspects of pre-tender activities, ranging from market analysis, bid strategy, management and contract negotiation. In addition, it also undertakes project management activities to support clients throughout the delivery of contracts and frameworks. The Sheffield-based company was set up in 2016 and works across every aspect of today’s rail environment. Managing Director, Tom Hudson, said: “Clients tell us they like to work with us because we recognise that delivering growth requires a unique set of skills. “Our experts are on hand to advise on market strategy, business development and improvement, external funding, project / contract management, and
resourcing to ensure we tailor the best solution to your needs. “We are proud of our client successes and will continue to work relentlessly to deliver an excellent service, promoting a positive client experience. “We are able to draw on many years of knowledge and success to add value to your team, creating success and positively improving the bottom line.” The team at Market Infra recognises that delivering business growth and certainty requires a strategic approach, harnessing the skills and specialist knowledge during every phase of a project. Market Infra’s team enjoyed seeing many old friends and new faces at what was its busiest Railtex/Infrarail so far. Tom added: “Railtex is always a perfect opportunity for us to showcase our services to potential clients and strengthen existing connections. “We look forward to continuing to work with our valued existing clients in 2022 and we hope to build on our new connections made at the show this year.” Show Review 2022 | 5
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Offering a very logical, simple and effective process which is unrivalled Ken Cleal, Mike Talbot and Alistair Wilsden were proud to take to the STAUFF stand during the recent Railtex/InfraRail expo held at London’s Olympia
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he team head up a larger rail section working out of STAUFF UK headquarters based in the heart of the South Yorkshire industrial city of Sheffield. A major contributing factor to the success of the company, within the rail vehicle sector, is the STAUFF Line process which was highlighted on the stand. Although a very logical, simple and effective process it is unrivalled by other manufacturing suppliers, and although established in the rail sector it can be applied across various and numerous industries. As Ken Cleal, Head of UK Production and Global Product Manager – Tube and Tube Manipulations, explained: “We have streamlined and developed over a number of years how STAUFF provide product to the rail vehicle manufacturers. “The majority of companies still supplied in piece part format, leaving the rail vehicle OEM the massive task to store, assemble, fit and test products,but STAUFF streamline the whole process, therefore vastly reduced inventory, reduced administration costs but also hugely decreasing installation times at line-side, again highlighting a cost saving benefit.” Following three days on the stand Ken proudly stated: “We know the process works and even more so after this amazing show, when we have
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had visits from both new to the industry and experienced engineers who wanted to know more about the process [STAUFF Line] and how they can apply it to their assembly lines. “Our offering to the industry is not just a supply of quality product, it reaches much further than that: we discuss the clients' needs with them, help them source the relevant products, in compliance with all of the highest rolling stock requirements such as
EN45545-2 HL3 and ISO15540, and mainly but not solely from the STAUFF range, and put together a plug and play kit that is tested with full traceability, single source supply, ready to install.” STAUFF Line is a proven process, presenting in kit form a tested and ready for immediate installation solution bringing OEMs reduced logistic, production, inventory and administration costs.
railbusinessdaily.com
We look to the future by investing in the present
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ISA is an Italian company which specialises in the design and production of seats and interior items for railway. The technical and manufacturing expertise have matured over the years thanks to a solid working relationship born in the 1970s with leading companies in the sector. Today FISA is a company leader in this field in the global railway market. The Railtex/Infrarail show gave FISA the
opportunity to showcase its manufacturing and also the chance to network. Luca Giantin, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We have been in the UK market for five years now and have reached a significant share of the passenger seats market in the UK. “We have a showroom in Derby, it is our base for the UK operations and we have some very significant upcoming projects. “The UK railway market is so unique in terms of complexity of relations and so we were keen
to be at Railtex/Infrarail. “We exhibited examples of our manufacturing, but it was also important to be at Railtex to show the market that we are here and we are committed to the UK.” Contact FISA
Visit: www.fisaitaly.com Email: Luca Giantin: L.Giantin@fisaitaly.com Call: +39 0432 986 071
Demonstrating some of the most innovative tools in the market
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tlas Copco is the leading manufacturer of innovative to o l i n g a n d a s s e m b l y s o l uti o n s . Whether you manufacture, assemble, maintain or repair rolling stock – we can add value. Our tools and assembly solutions are centred around traceabilit y, qualit y control, operator guidance and errorproofing. Exploring opportunities using tightening data will enable our customers to improve ef ficiency and costs and ultimately make smarter decisions within their operations. Our product portfolio consists of an extensive range of electric, pneumatic and cordless assembly tools supported by industry-leading controllers and software, guaranteed to enhance quality assurance. At Railtex/Infrarail, the team at the Atlas Copco stand demonstrated some of the most innovative tools in the market from the SRB HA smart battery nutrunner with torque ranges up to 4000Nm to the Tensor IxB range of electric and battery tooling railbusinessdaily.com
with integrated controllers, for enhanced flexibility. Our SQS3 operator guidance software demonstrated at the show, integrates into your production process providing process control and error-proofing, which works seamlessly with data collection software ToolsNet8, to analyse your tightening data. Our data-driven solutions are supporting our customers with their digitalisation goals by applying advanced analytics and machine learning to production data which will enable faster decisions around preventive maintenance, which ultimately reduces risk of tool downtime and associated costs. To complete our range, and to meet the demands of our fabrication and maintenance customers, our market leading pneumatic grinders, sanders, drills, chipping hammers and riveting s y s te m , d e l i v e r h i g h p ro d u c t i v i t y and reliability in the hardest working conditions.
Contact Atlas Copco
Visit: www.atlascopco.co.uk/tools Email: toolsuk_info@atlascopco.com Call: 0845 601 0001 Show Review 2022 | 7
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Huge interest for HR Kilns's latest innovation products
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R Kilns Ltd trading as HR Fibreglass specialises in GRP/FRP. We are a leading supplier of moulded and pultruded gratings, pultruded profiles, stair treads, step covers, anti-slip sheets, GRP handrails, platforms and walkways, GRP fencing, manhole covers, embankment steps and LOC platforms. We now have the capabilities to offer full design, CAD drawings, manufacturing and installation to meet the short possession times for most of the projects. HR Kilns exhibited some of our latest innovation products at Railtex/infrarail 2022. We had a lot
of interest in our new hinged GRP anti-trespass panels complete with a GRP mesh walkway for the maintenance team to walk across. HR Fibreglass supply both standard and fireretardant anti-trespass panels both having full Network Rail product acceptance. As well as being extremely durable and highly resistant to corrosion, our panels offer many advantages over other similar products. Their lightweight construction means they are quick and simple to install as each panel weighs approximately 25kg. We also had a lot of enquiries regarding our GRP Embankment Steps and Landings. The
big advantage over steel and concrete is the speed of installation on site, these can be installed in days instead of weeks, without the needs for any heavy machinery on site. The exhibition was a great show, we had a lot more visitors and more enquiries than we anticipated, roll on next year. Contact us
Visit: www.hrfibreglass.co.uk Email: sales@hrkilns.com Call: 01695 557711
Show gives Diamond Rail Services opportunity to expand further into the South of England
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iamond Rail Services is a specialist delivery partner for all your rail needs. The growing team has a wealth of experience, not only in engineering, logistics and project management but also customer service delivery in the railway industry. This experience underpins the ever growing range of service offers, developed to address both current and future challenges facing the railway industry. At RailTex/Infrarail, Diamond Rail exhibited with partner DTS to showcase the combined offering to the industry covering reverse engineering capabilities and parts manufacturing. Diamond works with many suppliers to create a turnkey approach to customer requirements. This is the first time the company has exhibited at Railtex/Infrarail and particularly with it being at Olympia London, the team were able to meet customers from TOCs and maintainers that they would not usually have easy access to. With such a strong network in the North of England, this was a great opportunity to expand further into the South for them. With a list of leads and new contacts, Diamond and DTS are sure they will be busy with enquiries and growing relationships in the months to come.
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Contact Diamond Rail
Visit: www.diamondrail.co.uk Email: info@diamondrail.co.uk Call: 0114 257 7950 railbusinessdaily.com
Mallatite Rail Divison joins forces with VMS Rail
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ailtex/Infrarail 2022 was the perfect opportunity to showcase the NEW Mallatite Rail division and inform the industry of our innovative signals and new state-of-the-art production facilities. VMS Rail will trade as Mallatite Rail within the transport and technology division. Mallatite Rail has retained the people, processes and products from VMS Rail and you can also expect to receive the same superior quality from our products and high levels of customer service from our people. Infrastructure through innovation has always been at the core of Mallatite Limited. The addition of VMS Rail provides Mallatite Limited with the opportunity to connect infrastructure within the rail industry and develop existing/new products and technology within the sector. The team are now fully operational in our new North East premises bringing with us a combined 140 years of industry experience. We are looking forward to welcoming new and existing customers, understanding industry challenges, and solving problems with our technology. We received positive feedback in relation to our compact colour light signal, specifically
developed for Birmingham New Street Station, and our CARI which solved another project challenge at Liverpool Lime Street. The CARI has now also been used at Manchester Piccadilly, and Kings Cross Station, allowing both standard and miniature indications to be displayed in one unit. A selection of our industry leading signals that we demonstrated at Railtex included: The Compact Colour Light Signal – A MKII signal which includes a wide or narrow beam option and the ability to select from three intensity settings for either long range (800 metres) medium range (400 metres) or short range (200 metres) readability. This is available in a 600mm x 600mm standard size housing or as seen at the exhibition, the compact enclosure developed for tunnels and areas with spatial constraints in a 400mm x 400mm enclosure. The Combined Alphanumeric Route Indicator (CARI), a single enclosure 600mm x 600mm with the ability to display both standard (250 metre readability) or miniature (100 metre readability) indications. These can display up to 20 aspects in one unit and can be deployed where spatial constraints preclude the installation of separate SARI and MARI indicators.
Contact Mallatite
Visit: www.mallatite.co.uk Email: Claire.thompson@mallatite.co.uk Call: 0191 933 1740
Rexel aligned with rail at Railtex/Infrarail 2022
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ervice and achieving cost-effective efficiency have never been more important to the rail sector, so this year at Railtex 2022, Rexel’s focus was firmly on the solutions we provide alongside reliable consistent product supply. We recognise that our service plays a key part in your achievement of your service targets. If you missed our stand, we showcased our SmartStock solution with a live demo of a vending unit which enables products to be available where and when needed, scanned and auto-replenished by Rexel, reducing deliveries, collections and the risk of shortages. The intelligent system which can also be set up as an on-site stores or van stock, also offers complete control, compliance and asset management. It was great to meet with contacts old and new — our stand visitors represented the whole rail spectrum, and we were delighted to present the latest innovations to apprentices who are the future of the industry, right through to the senior supply chain contacts. Rexel holds a number of national rail contracts and we have more than 15 years’ experience in sourcing materials for many high-profile projects. Our full service offer also includes sourcing PADS approved products with access to the portal for regular enquiries and material supply consolidation which is a speciality. Our rail customers work closely with over 70 per cent of our 200-strong branch network, so, whether you are responsible for planned and reactive maintenance regimes, involved in major infrastructure, property projects or part of the rail supply chain, we are here to support you right across the UK. Rexel UK had an exceptional show at Railtex and we hope to see you in 2023. About Rexel UK: We are a national electrical and site supplies distributor operating a global service from a network of more than 200 branches and over £100 million in stock. railbusinessdaily.com
Contact Rexel UK
Visit: www.rexel.co.uk Email: customer.connect@rexel.co.uk Call: 0333 400 7917 and ask to speak to the rail team. Show Review 2022 | 9
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Leading the way with high-quality digital display solutions to transportation organisations around the world
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or over 40 years, GDS Technology Ltd has led the way in the design, development and manufacture of high quality digital display solutions. The GDS Group has provided solutions to many transportation authorities worldwide, for rail and metro stations, platforms and airports. Today GDS has the widest deployment of all-weather TFT displays worldwide, with more than 10,000+ units installed in over 500+ stations and terminals. Our all-weather robust displays are designed from the ground up to be of excellent quality and to offer extremely low maintenance, and provide protection from rain, snow, high/low temperatures and brake dust. We operate a flexible design philosophy, offering embedded PCs, wireless connectivity and full diagnostics. For on-board systems, GDS Technology provides units with excellent graphics capability, a long life and very low downtime. We provide TCO display solutions for HMI, CCTV, infotainment, passenger information and dynamic route maps, based on TFT, E-ink (e-paper) and LED technology. We understand the need to balance environmental and operating life requirements with overall design costs, and work to the lowest long-term cost of ownership. Our Strategy: To offer a cost-effective solution, deliver on time, whilst providing the highest standard of aftercare service. We do this by maintaining and building upon our ethos of promoting honesty, integrity and openness throughout all of our business activities. Contact GDS Technology Ltd Our Mission: We combine our expertise with our customers’ requirements to provide the highest quality digital display technology and solutions, to innovate and provide the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for the display industry.
Visit: www.gdstechnology.co.uk Email: sales@gdstechnology.co.uk Call: 01793 498020
GDS TECHNOLOGY
Innovative digital display solutions for transportation
Concourse
PIDS
Advertising
Wayfinding & Help
eInk Low Power
Ribbon Display
Design | Manufacture | Installation | Maintenance | Consultancy sales@gdstechnology.co.uk
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+44 1793 498020
www.gdstechnology.co.uk
railbusinessdaily.com
Showcasing an innovative range of building materials for sustainable methods of construction
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ailtex was a great opportunity for Scott Parnell — the UK’s leading rail merchant — to showcase its range of innovative building materials. Alongside its range of standard materials supplied into the sector, Scott Parnell offers a range of products which provide more sustainable methods of construction. Technocrete foundation material always attracts attention. The two-part mixture, weighing just 1.8kg is strong enough to replace 80kg of traditional materials and offers a carbon saving of 75 per cent in comparison too. The TDS400 drainage system display, a product made from recycled plastic, had running water demonstrating how the panel can quickly whip away surface water preventing track flooding. FlexMSE vegetated retaining walls brought the display to life showing how projects can build infrastructure with green alternatives and add biodiversity into urban areas too. This impressive system can be used to build culverts, headwalls, acoustic barriers, retaining walls or used as scour protection, water ways or for embankment stabilisation. Arcosystem has been displayed since it was first introduced into the UK sector from Europe in 2016, and it still impresses as much today as when it was first approved. Arcosystem is the most versatile yet simple elevated troughing route on the market and builds using around 40 per cent less raw material than traditional routes as it installs at six metre post centres and has a simple post-bracket-trough system. Touchsafe Palisade fencing and GRP ballast boards offer a new solution which removes concrete and steel from our sites. A very impressive range of products which can reduce carbon consumption in your projects, improve installation efficiencies and reduce manual handing in the workforce.
Contact Scott Parnell
Visit: www.scottparnell.com Email: rail@scottparnell.com Call: 0208 8055797
RailSense demonstrates advanced sensing capabilities for rail infrastructure assets
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nnovation across the rail industry is at an all-time high, and none more so than the aptly named “internet of trains’ (IoT)”, which greatly impacts the reliability and safety of railway infrastructure. Condition-based monitoring prevents delays resulting from track and other rail infrastructure failures, optimising maintenance efficiency and costs, as well as improves passenger satisfaction. Leveraging platforms and sensors for IoT-enabled advanced analytics allows railway operators to find data-driven solutions to improve rail operations efficiency. The team at RailSense were showcasing their developments in this space, building upon their original VoidSense track void monitoring solution (used on UK and European rail networks) to incorporate the new MultiSense solution. This gives operators the ability to set up an array of sensors to measure temperature, humidity and moisture, tilt, three axis accelerometers, giros, magnetometers, isolated voltage or current sensors. These sensors are connected to a single hub and can be mixed and matched to suit the application. This opens up possibilities for monitoring other rail infrastructure assets including bridges, towers, cranes and lineside cabinets, with warning alerts as well as scheduled measurements – all remotely without the need for trackside intervention. MultiSense nodes connect via a low power radio link to the MultiSense Hub. The Hub stores the measurements from the remote nodes and forwards them to the RailSense Cloud and Analytics Dashboard. The Hub contains a Hi-gain cellular antenna and can be pole mounted to provide extended coverage even in low signal level areas. railbusinessdaily.com
Contact RailSense Solutions Ltd
Visit: www.railsense.co.uk Email: sales@railsense.co.uk Call: 01243 372207 Show Review 2022 | 11
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Safety is not something that should be taken lightly
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eveko Markings develops, manufactures, and distributes horizontal markings in any size, material, colour or form that meet the requirements of the segments that we serve. Our main focus is for areas of application where our products are required to perform under strict performance, durability and safety standards, decorative requirements or under demanding circumstances. We provide guidance and safe travel for all road and pavement users, to improve the flow of traffic, assisting the visually impaired and offer decorative and aesthetic properties. Safety is not something that should be taken lightly, especially in regard to public transport. Here you want to use not only permanent, durable markings, but also markings with anti-slip properties. We offer a full range of products that provides a skid-resistant surface that prevents the markings from becoming slippery, offering the level of safety you’d expect from premium markings.
Contact us
Visit: www.geveko-markings.co.uk Email: sales@gevekomarkings.co.uk Call: 01963 362640
Secure operations – no downtime
Roxtec cable, pipe and conduit seals protect your rail assets from water damage, fire, smoke, rodents, vibration and electromagnetic interference. o Certified and engineered solutions o Simple to design, specify, install and maintain o Built-in spare capacity for the future
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roxtec.com
railbusinessdaily.com
Workforce and recruitment solutions
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s one of the leading suppliers of contingent labour and recruitment solutions in the industry, Ganymede Solutions partners with a wide range of companies serving all aspects of the infrastructure and rolling stock sectors across the UK. As such, we were excited to be back exhibiting at Railtex/Infrarail this year. As employers currently find themselves in the midst of the worst skills shortage in decades, it was great to hear the openness of organisations to discuss their difficulties with attracting and retaining talent in the sector. In turn, this allowed us to demonstrate how our various offerings, such as our permanent and contract recruitment solutions and innovative workforce management systems, can provide a lasting solution to these challenges. In regards to addressing this labour shortage, the impact of Railtex was twofold. We were not only able to converse with clients and business about their recruitment strategies, but the opportunity was also there to provide career advice to apprentices and graduates, supporting the collective effort to welcome and encourage new talent to the industry. Finally, Railtex 2022 provided unique opportunities to understand new technologies in the sector. Chris James, Client Relationship Manager, said: “The overall atmosphere of Railtex was refreshingly positive, supportive and allowed some great businesses to showcase their innovations as well as discuss the current challenges and pains in the industry. "If there was one key take away, it is that collaboration and working together as an industry will help us achieve more. "Once again, Railtex has proved a worthwhile and valuable event for Ganymede and we look forwarding to returning next year." In the meantime, if you are looking for a partner to support and navigate your business growth through the current skills shortage and beyond, please get in touch.
Contact Ganymede Solutions
Visit: www.ganymedesolutions.co.uk Email: info@ganymedesolutions.co.uk Call: 0333 011 2048
Presenting the very latest innovations in wheelset machining, maintenance and fleet management
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ILES-SIMMONS-HEGENSCHEIDT GmbH (NSH Group) along with its railway-spec ialised subsidiar y H EG E N S C H E I DT- M F D, th i s ye a r again took the opportunity to present their latest innovations in wheelset machining, maintenance, and, above all, fleet management at the Railtex/ Infrarail exhibition in London. The NSH Group is an international machine tool group with six manufacturing subsidiaries and various sales and service locations on six continents. The business activities focus on research, development, manufacturing and sales of machine tools with the aim of producing products of the highest quality, innovation and energy efficiency. As one of the 30 largest machine tool manufacturers in the world, NSH operates besides the railway industry also in the machine building, automotive, aviation and tool and die industries. Railtex, as major industr y meeting point, is since many years a fixed date railbusinessdaily.com
in the exhibition calendar of NSH and HEGENSCHEIDT-MFD. The core focus of this year’s presence laid on the coordinated capabilities for wheelset maintenance and management HEGENSCHEIDT-MFD offers. Starting with the wheelset diagnosis system ARGUS®; through the underfloor wheelset re-profiling machines U2000-400, which are now available in a patented doubletandem version for simultaneous machining of two bogies; to HEGENSCHEIDT’S new software Total Wheelset Management (TWM). TWM enables fleet operators to efficiently manage, plan, track, document and analyse the measurement and maintenance activities of each and every wheelset and bogie of small, middle and large size fleets over all depots and maintenance shops — a real innovation for wheelset maintenance management that revolutionises existing planning and maintenance management processes and improves them massively in terms of efficiency.
Contact NILES-SIMMONSHEGENSCHEIDT GmbH (NSH Group)
Visit: www.hegenscheidt-mfd.com Email: marketing.nsi@nshgroup.com Call: +49 (0) 2431 86-0 Show Review 2022 | 13
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Getting back on track with Commend UK – Railtex/Infrarail 2022
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ommend UK has been a key player in the rail industry for decades with its innovative security solutions and products, such as its famous round help points located in over 300 stations throughout the UK. At Railtex/Infrarail this year, Commend UK chose to demonstrate some of their newest, innovative technologies and solutions for the industry including their popular CommendAi. CommendAi is a cloud-based video and audio service for evidence-based safety, designed to empower environments. When connected to any existing IP camera, CommendAi runs Computer Vision AI and Audio Biometrics to detect public safety threats such as people on track, unattended items/bags, antisocial behaviour, overcrowding and even keyword detection. These alerts are centrally managed and can be sent directly to first responders, security teams and any other stakeholders. The CommendAi surveillance engine can also be used to ethically locate missing people, suspects, vehicle number plates and incidents such as vandalism. CommendAi event statistics can be used to improve safety, security and customer experience as well as drive efficiencies and understand trends by which it learns and adapts. Marketing Executive Abbie Barker said: “After nearly two whole years of no events, the Commend UK team were very excited to be back in action exhibiting again. "Overall, we felt that our experience at Railtex/Infrarail was a positive one, complete by meeting lots of new and existing customers and getting to showcase our latest technologies for the rail market. "We are very much looking forward to next year."
Contact Commend UK
Visit: www.commend.co.uk Email: sales@commend.co.uk Call: 01279 872020
Premier Rail Pits launches revolutionary new cover
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remier Rail Pits, specialists in prefabricated steel inspection and maintenance pits, launched a revolutionary new pit cover at Railtex/Infrarail 2022. The Premier Hinged Cover (patent No. E2—886747-B1) is an air operated fall restraint made up of individual banks of 2.5m steel mesh panels. Each panel is operated by pneumatic cylinders connected to a central control box for an easy one person operation. The stairs of the pit are covered by individual sections which are manually lifted, and have the additional benefit of acting as a hand rail for ingress and egress. Pit covers are becoming increasingly common in 14 | Show Review 2022
workshops across the UK, following health and safety guidelines, and in some countries, it is a legal requirement. Premier Pits offers a wide variety of options to cater for health and safety around the pit, however retrofitting covers, such as retractable covers, can require extensive groundworks to form storage areas for the cover, or, if this is not possible, the pit length must be reduced, meaning a loss of working space. The Premier Hinged Cover enables clients to protect their staff with minimal disruption whilst keeping the maximum working space. Premier Pits Managing Director Mel Burrell said: “The Premier Hinged Cover is a versatile fall restraint
that can be fitted to any new Premier Pit, or to existing pits, whether they are steel, concrete or brick. “There is no requirement for a storage cassette, meaning that a pit of any length can be covered with minimal working space lost. "This offers a quick and easy solution to protect your staff from accidents in the workshop.” A video for the Premier Hinged Cover can be viewed at https://youtu.be/UDNS-yPhyGY. Contact us
Visit: www.premierpits.com/railpits Email: info@premierpits.com Call: 01775 821 222 railbusinessdaily.com
Showcasing new products, capabilities, and carbon reduction/sustainability
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ver the three days of InfraRail/Railtex, the Anderton team enjoyed meeting up with existing customers and new contacts from across the industry where they discussed new products, capabilities, and carbon reduction/ sustainability, as well as introducing new members of the team to existing customers. Through being part of the Ibstock group, Anderton was able to promote Ibstock's ESG plan through to 2030, which includes reducing absolute carbon by 40 per cent, increasing the senior leadership team’s female representation to 40 per cent and embedding circular economy principles into the business. The team also discussed how Anderton is looking to further reduce the carbon in the products they manufacture. New product designs and capabilities were highlighted, including the ‘Eco’ trough, our UK-manufactured lighter weight concrete trough system currently being trialled that reduces carbon by up 40 per cent and the weight of a C/1/9 trough to under 25kg. Capabilities come in the form of bespoke precast as an alternative to casting products on site, reducing material waste, labour costs, and time
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spent trackside making it the more cost effective, safer and sustainable option. What is more, Anderton is now able to produce products up to 10t in weight, from single units to multiples. Recent examples include signal and barrier bases, parapet copings and access stairs.
Contact us
Visit: www.andertonconcrete.co.uk Email: sales@andertonconcrete.co.uk Call: 0333 234 3434
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RUGGED MOBILE Systems and NEXCOM — the ideal partners for any on-train computing project
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UGGED MOBILE Systems is a specialist provider of robust computing hardware. The company has been a partner and UK distributor for NEXCOM Inc for 15 years. NEXCOM is a world leader in the design and manufacture of mobile computing platforms that include an extensive range of solutions specifically developed and certified for use on rolling stock. At Railtex/Infrarail 2022, RUGGED MOBILE Systems presented a substantial portfolio of robust computing products for on and off rail applications, to both visitors and other exhibitors. These included NEXCOM rail approved systems such as the aROK 5510 19" 2U Rackmount AI Intelligent Railway Computer which supports high powered NVIDIA AI GPUs modules, closely coupled with Intel i7 9th Generation and Xeon CPUs, providing up to 128GB RAM. Also presented were the NEXCOM nROK7251 and nROK7252 Series systems with Intel 9th Generation Intel i7 and Xeon CPUs, up to 64GB RAM and user accessible storage bays to meet large data storage requirements. These systems can support up to eight PoE ports, are ‘5G ready’ with option to support up
to four LTE/5G modules with eight externally accessible SIM cards to maximise connectivity and throughput. Several other rail approved (EN-50155) and EN-45545-, systems from NEXCOM were also presented. With this wealth of rail focused computing products and experience, alongside a proven configuration and customisation service, RUGGED MOBILE Systems and NEXCOM are ideal partners for any on-train computing project.
For off train/trackside maintenance activities, RUGGED MOBILE Systems was able to demonstrate its range of rugged Android and Windows tablets and handhelds from Getac, Panasonic, Handheld, Juniper Systems and more. If you didn't catch RUGGED MOBILE Systems at Railtex/Infrarail, but have an interest in rail approved/rolling stock or general rugged computing hardware please email: Sales@ rm-systems.co.uk or call us on +44(0)1691 900 222 to discuss your requirements.
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After hours networking
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Integrated solutions for the design, planning, and operation of sustainable railways
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TAP eTrax™️ is an integrated solution utilised by railway operators, owners, and engineering consultants for the design, planning, and operation of efficient, reliable and sustainable railways, metros, high-speed rail, freightheavy rail, light rails, and signalling systems. Traditionally, engineering departments utilise multiple software solutions, with single databases and archaic user interfaces for their various engineering and operation objectives. eTraX™️, as the only software on the market, is built on a fully centralised and integrated digital twin platform, the blueprint of the electrical network, for all engineering and operation stages of the power system. The integrated design solution enables the creation, configuration, customization, and management of the electrical system model; core modeling tools to quickly and easily create three-phase and one-phase AC and DC network GIS presentations and one-line diagrams.
Built-in engineering libraries include components used to model and store technical characteristics of rolling stock, locomotives, traction rectifiers, track, insulators and more. Analyse, evaluate and monitor innovations and technologies utilise to increase energy efficiency, optimise substation capacity and improve train performance in AC and DC rail systems. The integration of traction eSCADA facilitates real-time predictive simulation, sequence-of events-playback for root cause and effect analysis, load forecasting based on proposed timetables, and switch-ordermanagement with power flow-based switch plan validation. eTraX™️ is thoroughly verified and validated, benchmarked against system measurements and global standards, designed and developed under the ETAP high-impact quality assurance program. Learn why global key players such as L&T, Parsons, Network Rail, Bombardier Transportation, Siemens, and Atkins trust ETAP with their traction power design, planning, and operation.
Contact ETAP eTrax™️
Visit: www.etap.com/etrax Email: europe@etap.com Call: +443300 580920
DeconX's economic and ecological solution for the rail industry
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or more than three decades now, DeconX S.r.l. has been providing innovative solutions for recycling and the reuse of materials. For the Italian railway companies, we have to date taken over and recycled more than 12 million old concrete sleepers. Therefore, we have not only disposed of an old superfluous waste product, but created new materials for the steel and concrete industry from it again. The aggregates we produce by recycling these concrete sleepers are all of the best quality. The rebars and plates that are in the sleepers can be delivered to steel factories without any problems as they are free of any impurities. The gravel produced from the railway sleepers can also be directly reused. In most cases, it is bought by companies such as quarries, which can sell it on to their customers as a high-quality building material. It is also very valuable for the concrete industry, as it can be reused as a component for a new concrete mixture. Currently, this crushed aggregate can make up 35 - 65 per cent of the 18 | Show Review 2022
new concrete blend. At the moment we are also trying in partnership with another company to develop a process that can treat this crushed gravel in such a way that it can make up 100 per cent of the new concrete mix. So, in the next few months, we could supply enough material for a new railway sleeper by recycling an old one using our self-developed recycling machinery. As our machines are all mobile and easily transportable, we also make a positive contribution to the environmental balance because we come to the sleepers and they no longer have to be transported. In addition, we produce economical materials for the circular economy. From old concrete sleepers to new steel and gravel in less than eight seconds. Innovative processing by DeconX. Contact DeconX S.r.l.
Visit: www.deconx.it/en Email: Maximin Mair: m.mair@deconx.it Call: +39/3466387925 railbusinessdaily.com
Introducing the Network-Rail approved WhisWall noise barrier that’s only one metre high
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RAMM Barrier Acoustic Systems is an acoustic solutions specialist for rail infrastructure with nearly three decades of experience providing design and supply to full installation. Clients include Network Rail, HS1, TfL, East West Rail Phase 2, Crossrail and HS2. GRAMM is fully accredited to install on UK rail projects, supporting clients and consultants with our unique solutions including the Network Rail-approved WhisWall low level barrier that’s only one-metre high; POLYSoundBlok polymer barrier; and SilentRail acoustic and anti buckling track coating. Our experts were on hand at Railtex/Infrarail at stand G58 to show visitors the WhisWall. WhisWall is a Network Rail-approved low-level barrier that is as effective as a 3m high normal noise barrier. Main features are rapid installation, low carbon, long life, and it still allows views for the passengers and residents alongside the track. Visitors were able to discover how this system benefits their projects and reduces carbon, in line with Project SPEED.
WHIS®wall
Contact GRAMM Barrier Acoustic Systems
Visit: www.grammbarriers.com Email: info@grammbarriers.com Call: 01323 872243
CONCRETESoundBlok®
OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE:
The rail industry’s best kept secret...
Acoustic Noise
Barrier Specialists E: info@grammbarriers.com
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T: 01323 872243
• Network Rail Approved
WhisWall ® low level noise diffracting barrier • SilentRail Coating (Acoustic and Thermal) • POLYSoundBlok ®Acoustic Barrier • CONCRETESoundBlok®
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Railtex/Infrarail
Work safer and smarter with AIVR
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ounded in 2017, One Big Circle has grown quickly into a trusted technology SME providing intelligent video solutions to customers across UK rail and internationally. The company solves real-world industry problems in challenging environments, fusing new technology in video, IOT, Cloud and AI, and provides end-to-end solutions, allowing users to dramatically improve operational efficiency and safety. The innovative product suite AIVR (Automated Intelligent Video Review) consists of lightweight rapidly deployable vehicle-borne cameras that capture video and telemetry whilst on the move, automatically transmitting all data to the cloud in rapid time for secure online access. As exhibited at Railtex/Infrarail 2022, the AIVR product range consists of intelligent video capability including OLE imagery, thermal imagery and line scanning footage used to inspect the condition of tracks. With machine learning and AI built into the AIVR platform, users see what they need to see the most, including detection of graffiti, signals, ballast bags, scrap rail and people. Now, with over 400,000 miles of video available, and an open and collaborative approach to data, over 2,000 AIVR users have instant and secure online access to up-to-date critical lineside imagery and can use the suite of AIVR digital tools to locate, measure, share, report and more. It is estimated that for every hour a user reviews AIVR footage online, they save an eight-hour site visit or cab ride. This significantly helps reduce the number of ‘boots on ballast’, therefore reducing risk of lifeendangerment, and making our railways safer every day, whilst resulting in large time and cost savings, and contributing to a sustainable future and a greener environment.
Contact us
Visit: www.aivr.video Email: info@onebigcircle.co.uk Call: 0845 838 7178
Yellow Rail – developing innovative design solutions to help solve clients’ problems
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ellow Rail delivers ser vices to the passenger and freight sectors including engineering design, bogie overhaul/repair, wagon/train maintenance, train modification/ refurbishment, material supply services and specialist wheel lathe products and services. During our recent visit to Railtex/Infrarail, we wanted to focus on promoting our Engineering Design Services along with our Wheel Lathe System technology and supporting services – two exciting areas of our business portfolio that have changed considerably over the past few years. Engineering Design Services Our dedicated engineering design team delivers design modifications and enhancements to passenger and freight rolling stock, using the latest Solid Works CAD systems and modelling solutions, from our design office in Pride Park, Derby. In addition to design services, we can offer complementary installation services therefore 20 | Show Review 2022
offering a full turnkey solution to our clients, that optimises design for installation and maintainability. Our objective is to develop innovative design solutions that solve our clients problems and exceed their expectations both in terms of quality, cost and timescale. Yellow Rail is approved under BS EN ISO9001:2015 by RIQC to undertake development and design work on rolling stock. Mobile Wheel Lathe Services In March, Yellow Rail had a world first, with the Mobile Wheel Lathe services team completing our first fully laden (100t) wagon lift and wheel re-profile on a VTG hopper wagon. The mobile wheel re-profiling service (MWRS) was able to deploy to the wagon and reprofile the defective wheels and return to service, avoiding an expensive offload and lift to conduct a wheelset exchange. The service is now demonstrating its value across freight, heritage and specialist vehicles such as OTMs. The vision of AA wheel turning is becoming a reality.
Contact Yellow Rail
Visit: www.yellow-group.com Email: michelle.sillett@yellowrail.org.uk Call: 01332 470214 railbusinessdaily.com
Re-flow Field Management Software makes their rail debut
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e -f l o w i s a n a w a r d - w i n n i n g field management software pr ovider ba sed in E xeter, Devon. Aiming to unite the office and remote sites , their c omprehen sive s ystem brings all crucial field management functionalities under one umbrella. Including digital job sheets, task scheduling, asset management, digital forms, team communication and more, Re-flow is actively streamlining the field operations of over 100 infrastructure firms nationwide. Having firmly established themselves within the highways sector over the past several years, the Re-flow team have now turned their sights to rail, debuting their software to the rail sector for the first time at Railtex/Infrarail. After identifying many of the problems facing their current clients to also be present in rail, including issues with efficiency, profitability, siloed systems and HSE compliance, the team believes their software’s capabilities can be of great benefits to rail businesses nationwide. During their time at the show, the team
has been hard at work demonstrating their software's capabilities to prospective clients, reconnecting with old contacts and collecting valuable feedback. One crucial aspect that drives Re-flow’s development is the feedback from their user s, th ere fo re sp eak ing w ith rail industr y professionals and gathering insights will undoubt fully be an
invaluable asset, allowing their team to build an increasingly robust piece of field management software for rail. Contact us
Visit: www.re-flow.co.uk Email: sales@re-flow.co.uk Call: 01392 574002
Mike SURVEY CONSULTANCY LTD Chartered Land and Engineering Surveyors
HÜBNER with multiple technology solutions for Railway vehicles, generating benefits to passengers and vehicle performance. www.hubner-group.com railbusinessdaily.com
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Designing and building some of the most advanced test benches in the world
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impro is an Italian company, based in Brandizzo (TO), which has been working in the special production and testing equipment field for 35 years, focusing on the automotive and railway sectors. Over the years, Simpro has designed and built important test benches for various customers. Among these, we can mention the Experimental Dynamics Centre in Florence, erected for the FS Italian Group, an industrial complex intended for research and certification activities for vehicles and rolling stock subsystems; in France, a specific centre used for testing and trying out railway and tramway pantographs; in Italy, a roller rig to study the adhesion between rail and wheel for the R&D Department of Wabtec Faiveley. The development of systems aimed at research activities has also led Simpro to the construction of a test bench to study the pantographcatenary behaviour for the University of Huddersfield in the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network. This bench boasts innovative solutions and performances which place it among the most advanced benches in the world. It allows dynamic tests to be performed at speeds of up to 400 km/h on different types of pantographs for conventional and high-speed lines. It can reproduce situations that the pantograph may encounter during operation, including the train movement. The Simpro stand, the only one at the Railtex/Infrarail exhibition to present high-tech test systems for the railway industry, attracted the interest of many visitors.
Contact us
Visit: www.simpro.it Email: sales@simpronet.com Call: +39 0119179311
Tailored solutions for train communication networks When it comes to onboard networking systems, we provide solutions to streamline our customers' implementations. We aim at optimising rolling stock's onboard network design, management and maintenance. To do this, our solutions ensure simple implementations of the most common demands. With dedicated tools you can reduce the time to set up the network, detecting networkmisconnections and mis-configurations. The VDS Rail equipment is maintenancefree, designed with RAMS principles in mind, considering the good engineering practices applied for rolling stock apparatus. The solutions we propose reduce the total life cycle costing from design to maintenance. Our networking solutions are easily upgradable: we can increase the total number of ports available in a very simple way with a fast network reconfiguration.
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e design and manufacture high technology devices for today's and tomorrow's rolling stock vehicles in Italy. The company has a wide range of switches, routers, HMI devices and railway monitors. 22 | Show Review 2022
With over 40 years of experience, it has been running more than 110 projects in 22 countries worldwide. Our new 10 GbE train switch is a good example of our capabilities.
Contact us
Visit: www.vdsrail.com Email: info@vdsrail.com Call: +39 055 7350210 - 7350273 railbusinessdaily.com
RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE & ROLLING STOCK SOLUTIONS
High Performance Low Smoke, Low Toxicity Elastomer Components and Materials
An extensive range of unique elastomer materials for Surface, Sub-Surface, Tunnel and Rolling Stock applications - tested & approved to EN45545-2 and many other certifications, including LUL S1085 compliance.
• 50°/60°/70° Shore EPDM • Vamac® • Medium Density Silicone Sponge • Pure Neoprene Sponge • 40 to 60° Shore Silicone • 70° Shore Natural Rubber visit: j-flex.com
for more information, visit our website:
j-flex.com > markets > rail & mass transit or call us on +44 (0)1777 712 400
Rubber Products
Get on track with Elite interlocking blocks and barriers
British made
Workforce protection barriers avoiding all line closures with adjacent line open
Rockfall prevention with our multi-purpose Jersey barriers
Hoarding stabilisation utilising Elite Duo interlocking blocks
Large ballast bays with walls constructed from our Legato interlocking blocks
Large scale embankment retention using the versatile Legato blocks
Workforce safety refuges built from Elite Duo blocks
Everywhere on rail networks Elite products are seen in use For more information phone 01952 588 885 or browse www.eliteprecast.co.uk or email sales@eliteprecast.co.uk
KM 642263 BS EN 1917 & BS 5911-3
KM 658166 BS 5911-6
Suppliers to 2012 London Olympics, 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and approved suppliers to Tideway, Crossrail and HS2 (fully compliant transport)