Adaptable Solutions from Aquarius Rail

Specialists in the design and manufacture of innovative highway- based road rail vehicles, trailers, and attachments

Aquarius Railroad Technologies provide safe and efficient transport solutions for track maintenance across the UK and around the world.

Innovation in the blood

Continually driven by problem-solving, Aquarius has developed a range of niche products, which offer the perfect solution for a wide range of reactive or scheduled track maintenance tasks, such as:

• Cable pulling (power, communication and optical fibre).

• OLE isolation.

• Track asset scanning/data gathering.

• Asset management.

• Seasonal treatment (autumn leaf fall).

• Weed spraying.

• Trackside graffiti removal.

• Transport of personnel and materials.

Crushed autumn leaves on the railhead, before autumn seasonal treatment

Making leaf mulch a thing of the past on Devon’s railways

Each autumn, thousands of tonnes of leaves fall onto tracks. Crushed leaves contaminate the railhead reducing the train’s braking efficiency and decreasing traction when setting off. Likened to ‘ice on the roads’ this can lead to significant train delays.

Aquarius is helping Network Rail keep train services running this autumn, with the adapted R2R 4x4. The vehicle, known as the ‘Sand Rover’, is being deployed on Devon’s branch lines following successful trials which saw an average reduction of 80 per cent in delays as a result of leaf fall on the tracks.

The Sand Rover applies a citrus-based treatment to the track. Sweeps leaf mulch off the rails with wire brushes, and finally coats the rails with dry sand which helps trains to grip.

During autumn 2020 Network Rail trialled the use of a Sand Rover on the Tarka line, resulting in an 87 per cent reduction in delays caused by fallen leaves when compared with previous autumn seasons.

Last autumn, Network Rail widened the scope of the trial and the Sand Rover was also put to work on the Dartmoor line, with the equipment working in each area on alternate nights.

The lines, specifically chosen owing to their locations, both experience a high volume of leaf fall and are not accessible by the rail head treatment trains (RHTTs).

Simple and safe

Available to purchase or hire vehicles, trailers and attachments are designed to:

• Improve Health and Safety.

• Save Time and Money.

• Maximise Productivity.

‘Available for across the UK, we are proud to report that the Sand Rover can access even the hardest to reach areas of track.’

Scott Harrison, Managing Director, Aquarius Railroad Technologies