{"id":129278,"date":"2024-09-19T08:35:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T22:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railexpress.com.au\/?p=117449"},"modified":"2024-09-19T08:35:34","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T22:35:34","slug":"no-strain-for-strail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=129278","title":{"rendered":"No strain for STRAIL"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The STRAIL system allows easy access for hi-rail machines for both maintenance and emergency vehicles. Images: strail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

STRAIL is seeking to improve safety in tunnels for maintenance teams and emergency egresses with its rubberised track crossings.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Phoenix has been managing Kraiburg STRAIL<\/a>\u2019s rubberised crossing systems for level crossings<\/a> across Australia and New Zealand for almost 35 years, now it\u2019s expanding to support the region\u2019s growing tunnel industry.<\/p>\n

The organisation is working closely with KiwiRail on the City Rail Link project to ensure emergency egresses are as safe as possible.<\/p>\n

Director and civil engineer Andrew Roseman said that tunnels have parallel walkways that can be accessed by maintenance workers or passengers in the instance of an emergency.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn set locations along the tunnel, our rubber crossings are placed to allow users to safely cross the track,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is pretty simple; it stops people tripping over the track in what is often an emergency\u00a0situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roseman said the company\u2019s experience across level crossings in Australia and New Zealand means it is better prepared to support these exciting new projects \u2013 level crossings installed across Australia in the early 2000s are still in operation today.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the organisations we work with are confident with our offering based on the work we have done previously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur products have been tested to European standards and our track crossing systems have been rolled out across a number of tunnels around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

How it works<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Trains are a critical transport option for people with disabilities. However, when evacuating a train a wheelchair user will be unable to get over the tracks. That\u2019s where STRAIL\u2019s level crossing systems come into play. The track crossing system is designed to make access within tunnels as safe as possible. Phoenix works with designers to understand where it\u2019s best placed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rail is also a tripping hazard for people trying to get out in an emergency or for workers. Installing this system makes it\u00a0safer,\u201d Roseman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rubber used in the STRAIL system is anti-slip, making it safer for those who walk across and use it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

STRAIL is developed in Germany and is customisable to suit the needs of individual\u00a0networks. It\u2019s been installed across multiple gauges and even on tracks with dual gauge or gauntlet track.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if the tunnel has different widths throughout, we can find a rubber solution that can fit that specific part of the network,\u201d Roseman said.<\/p>\n

The STRAIL level crossing system is made of recycled rubber core and is encased in a fire-retardant material to allow it to withstand high heat and the lowest smoke emission standards, adding to its safety credentials for tunnel applications.<\/p>\n

Roseman said the products have tested to European industry standards for fire classification, as well as ASTM (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials).<\/p>\n

While the STRAIL level crossing system allows tunnels to be safer for those exiting or in an emergency, it can also be used to enhance hi-rail access for maintenance teams and emergency vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been progressively installing hi-rail pads across Melbourne\u2019s network and are beginning to roll it out in other states as well,\u201d Roseman said. \u201cNow the network has safe and controlled access points to get on and off the track with minimal need for costly traffic management.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pads are simple to remove to allow maintenance works to be completed on the rail. They can be pulled out to allow tamping machines and track inspections along the\u00a0network.<\/p>\n

Aside from the safety aspect, the system is also a win for sustainability, Roseman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen asphalt is used it has to be removed and then more asphalt installed after track maintenance work is completed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn operator may hold back its maintenance in these areas so it does not have to remove the asphalt, whereas the rubber pads can be taken out easily and reinstalled quickly, also minimising shutdown time for a network.\u201d<\/p>\n

STRAIL has also developed noise walls along tunnels. These noise walls are used to minimise sound pollution in the tunnel to make the journey more pleasurable for\u00a0passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt not only makes the noise more bearable for passengers, it minimises noise and vibrations making its way into the ground around the tunnel which can potentially damage infrastructure and buildings nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working with stakeholders<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Phoenix has worked closely with KiwiRail and Auckland CRL to help deliver this project. Roseman said that the company worked closely with engineers to provide solutions for the track crossings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat these tunnels needed was quite unique and we hadn\u2019t provided rubber crossings for something like this before,\u201d he\u00a0said. \u201cWe worked with the engineers to find a way to deliver a system that would work for its specific needs. The engineers saw the work we had done on other tunnels and appreciated the experience we had would be beneficial in setting up this system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roseman said these relationships were beneficial as a level of trust had already been\u00a0established.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe provide technical assistance on site as well, particularly with these bespoke installations. This, I believe, is the benefit of the work that we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are engineers first, so we have the technical expertise in construction to help deliver these massive infrastructure projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roseman said the team at Phoenix has an appreciation for the challenges Australia\u2019s rail industry faces. The many gauges operating across the country and different operating systems can create headaches but the organisation has worked to manage these\u00a0complexities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the tracks are over 100 years old and with different sleeper profiles it can introduce huge amounts of variability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where our experience as engineers and working across a range of networks becomes invaluable.\u00a0 <\/span>Coupled with the international experience STRAIL provides from its base in Germany supplying rubberised level crossings since 1976, we have that maturity and understanding\u00a0required.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have worked across the country, including from the Pilbara, putting our rubberised crossings in some of the harshest environments and they have stood up to those challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can really say we continue to be leaders in this space, working from heavy\u00a0haul through to tunnels and everything in between.<\/p>\n

The post No strain for STRAIL<\/a> appeared first on Rail Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"
The STRAIL system allows easy access for hi-rail machines for both maintenance and emergency vehicles. Images: strail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

STRAIL is seeking to improve safety in tunnels for maintenance teams and emergency egresses with its rubberised track crossings. Phoenix \u2026 <\/p>\n

The post No strain for STRAIL<\/a> appeared first on Rail Express<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165,13464,11499,163,319],"tags":[10376],"class_list":["post-129278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-infrastructure","category-products-resources","category-products-technology","category-rail-industry-news-australia-new-zealand","category-railway-crossings","tag-rail-express"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t