£2.2 million for Keltbray’s latest road-rail vehicles 21 May 2013

Electrification services specialist Keltbray Aspire, which serves the rail industry, has spent £2.2 million on new road-rail vehicles – the biggest vehicle investment in the rail electrification industry for nearly a decade.

The acquisition brings Keltbray's road-rail fleet to 85 vehicles, with the new arrivals comprising five new LRB 17 road-rail vehicles from Swedish SRS Sjölanders, based on Volvo FE rigids.

Keltbray Aspire managing director David Godley says the new vehicles will be deployed on the firm's biggest ever contract, secured last year, to provide the power supply upgrade for Network Rail on the west coast main line.

"Our current fleet is at maximum utilisation, and so these new machines will help reduce the need for us to hire in extra capacity at peak times," explains Godley.

"These vehicles are also more flexible," he continues. "They have a 10-metre reach and provide our linesmen with a safe working environment, utilising in basket electric and pneumatic tool facilitation."

"The vehicles supplied to Keltbray are key to reducing transport time and increasing working time," comments SRS Sjölanders managing director Peter Sundström.

"They are more user-friendly and have a number of new features, including improved lighting and tool box storage, a state of the art control system and new safety systems to the access platforms, comprising overload protection and protection from fouling the adjacent lines," he explains.

"They can also facilitate additional equipment, such as pantographs and wire lifters, have colour displays that make it easier to position the vehicles and access platforms, while the chassis has a higher level of comfort for drivers and passengers."

The new vehicles are currently being registered and will be fully operational by the end of May.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
SRS Rail System Ltd
Volvo Group UK Ltd

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