Success on a plate for TPA

28 March 2024

Work is drawing to a close on a sleeper renewal project that has involved weekly use of a UTAS (universal track access system) and road plates supplied by the Rapid Rail Access division of specialist temporary access solutions supplier TPA, part of the Vp group.

Contractor Specialist Engineering Services (SES) has been renewing hundreds of timber sleepers, as well as recovering scrap rail, from multiple tracks of the Scottish Central Mainline at Stirling Middle Junction since last summer.

The UTAS and three steel road plates supplied through TPA sister company Groundforce Shorco, were required by SES as there was no permanent road rail access point (RRAP) to enable the on/off tracking of their road rail vehicle (RRV), a 28-tonne wheeled excavator. In addition, the road plates helped to protect the troughing.

The works are predominantly Saturday night shifts, usually between 11pm and 9am, although SES typically have to wait for overhead isolations and line closures and therefore do not get on track until about 2am. They are then clear by 7am on average, having replaced approximately ten sleepers.

Dave McNee Lift Planner (Scotland) with SES, said: “Although the works have been pretty straightforward, every Saturday night can be different, but TPA have always been ready, especially when sometimes there have been last-minute works and I need a UTAS RRAP and road plates. It’s never an issue to get these at short notice.”

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