Monday 14 Jul 2003
NETWORK RAIL LAUNCHES NEW MEASUREMENT TRAIN.
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National
Network Rail will officially launch its New Measurement Train this Friday at Euston station.
The train will dramatically increase Network Rail’s inspection capacity, providing valuable information to its engineers on asset condition. This increase in asset knowledge will better equip Network Rail’s engineers to make the decisions necessary to improve the nation’s infrastructure.
The train is able to travel at up to 125mph, which will allow it to slot in between timetabled trains on the high speed lines and so prevent any disruption to services.
Andrew McNaughton, Network Rail chief engineer, will give a presentation detailing the train’s capabilities, in the conference carriage of the train. There will be opportunity for questions before a tour of the train by Gary Sanford, head of innovation and examination.
Network Rail is investing heavily in new plant and technology that will help in its drive to improve the nation’s infrastructure that is in a fragile condition following years of under investment. In addition to this, Network Rail is completely revising how maintenance is undertaken. It is taking a far more hands on approach with the New Maintenance Programme currently being introduced across the network, which means that Network Rail engineers will be making the decisions as to what work will be carried out and when, shifting the risk and responsibility from contractors to itself.
Network Rail has already taken over complete responsibility for maintenance in the Reading area, and will do the same in the East Midlands and Wessex areas in the coming months. These moves will help Network Rail better appreciate the difficulties experienced by its contractors, making it a better informed and more intelligent client.
Attendees are asked to report to the Trade Reception opposite platform 12 at Euston Station for 10.00 on Friday 18 July.
For further information, and to RSVP, please contact: Steve Turner on 020 7557 8105.
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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