Rail

The rail industry forms a huge arts of our modern transportation system, providing an efficient means of moving both people and goods across long distances. From minutely public transport to heavy-duty rail freight for produce and goods, our rail system is one of the most effective, demanding, and complex in the world.

Integral to the successful operation of our railway systems is a wide range of lifting equipment, used throughout every step of its infrastructure – from construction, maintenance, and repair.

The role of lifting equipment in the rail industry cannot be understated, utilised commonly for the following tasks:

• Track Maintenance & Construction: From laying new tracks to replacing and maintaining existing ones to ensure maximum efficiency and safety.
• Rolling Stock Maintenance: Trains require regular maintenance, and lifting equipment allows for the lifting of entire carriages or trains for inspection, repair, and component replacement.
• Infrastructure Development: The building of bridges, tunnels, stations, and depots.

THE IMPACT OF LIFTING EQUIPMENT IN RAIL

Utilising the right lifting equipment can only be classed as beneficial, assisting in all areas of the rail industry. Incorporating high-quality lifting equipment into railway processes:

• Increases Efficiency
• Improves Safety
• Delivers Precision & Accuracy
• Saves on Cost

WHAT TYPE OF LIFTING EQUIPMENT IS USED IN THE RAIL INDUSTRY?

Operators in the rail industry employ a wide variety of lifting equipment, with many types designed to cater for specific tasks. Here is a list of commonly used pieces of lifting equipment, and where they are most commonly deployed with the industry.

Cranes

Mobile Cranes: Versatile machinery that can be easily moved to different locations as and when required. Suitable for track maintenance and construction projects:

Overhead Cranes: Regularly seen in maintenance depots to lift and move heavy components such as engines and carriages.

Jacks

Hydraulic Jacks: Often utilised to lift sections of tracks or rolling stock. Preferred by many for their precision and easy usage.

Mechanical Jacks: Regularly kept as a back-up or for situations where a hydraulic jack isn’t a viable solution.

Hoists

Chain Blocks: Offering a controlled lifting solution, manual chain hoists are used for lifting heavy components during maintenance tasks.

Electric Chain Hoists: Providing a faster and more efficient lifting solution when compared to chain blocks, electric hoists are used widely in the rail sector, giving the sheer weight of components used.

Lifting Tables & Platform Trolleys

A common site in maintenance and repair shops, lifting tables and platforms come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, lifting anything from tools to entire vehicles to a convenient working height.

Furniture Movers

A simple but effective solutions, furniture movers are often used to transport heavy machinery around a workspace.

Height Safety Equipment

Harnesses: The king of apparatus when working at height, safety harnesses are deployed for those working on overhead railway powerlines.

Accessories: What use with a safety harness without all the necessary accessories such as karabiners, clips, fall arrest blocks and lanyards. The list goes on.

Forklift Trucks

A main stay of many an industry, the trust forklift truck is used daily to transport heavy pallets full of stock, components, tools. A wide range of forklift truck accessories is also available to make lifting those heavy and awkward items a breeze.

Pallet Trucks

Pallet Trucks are seen across all industries, including rail, to transport stock and components across factories, warehouses, and engineering facilities.