At Railcare, several transport projects have been completed in 2021 on behalf of customers such as Infrakraft, LKAB, Aarsleff, Besab, NRC, Kaunis Iron and Leonhard Weiss. Railcare has worked with the latter throughout 2021 in a project that involved a total of three track replacements for the end customer Trafikverket. Railcare’s assignment for Leonhard Weiss was to successfully handle all transport by rail during the track replacements.
The track replacements took place on the sections Borås-Herrljunga (40 km), Gällivare-Harrträsk (10 km) and Varberg-Borås (80 km).
– The transports during these track replacements have been very successful. Despite several problems along the way, which always arise in projects like this, we have not had a single standstill. Despite unimaginable amounts of sleepers, every single one has arrived, enabling the work to be carried out completely according to plan. This is the result of a very good collaboration with Railcare, says Per-Erik Lindström at Leonhard Weiss.
Increased confidence
For Railcare, the work has consisted of machine and wagon transports, sleeper transports to and from the factory, as well as locomotives and personnel for replacements machines, ballast cleaner and ballast wagons. Thanks to a close collaboration with Leonhard Weiss, Railcare has received increased confidence in this project.
– In other projects, our main task is of course to find solutions for the transports, but in this project, we have also supported logistics and production explains Markus Thurén, Project Manager at Railcare and continues:
– It’s a complex system that should work, both on the open busy line and the closed line that we work on. However, thanks to transparency and dialogue throughout the project, we have together found solutions.
Incredible amounts
The quantities of locomotives, wagons, machines, and materials have been extensive. Approximately 2.5 kilometers of machines and wagons have been transported to and from the port of Trelleborg, of which almost 1.4 kilometers consisted of sleeper wagons. In total, about 200,000 sleepers have been transported from the factory in Vislanda to the track replacements, and about 180,000 used sleepers have been transported for destruction in Trollhättan.
For all these wagons and materials, everything from the depot area to prioritisation and coordination must work both between and on the current track replacement project. The result was successful; a transport project which was carried out according to plan without a single standstill.
– All Railcare’s employees have done a great job. They are always faced with challenges, but with an incredible attitude and problem-solving ability, the have solved everything that has arisen. They are our most important resource for being able to carry out such a successful project, says Markus Thurén.
Solution-oriented employees
The collaboration between Leonhard Weiss and Railcare goes back a long way.
– Railcare can assist with all transport solutions. Everything from logistics and production planning along with the personnel resources that our project requires. In addition, they have very knowledgeable and solution-oriented employees. This has meant that the collaboration has continued, says Per-Erik Lindström.
There remains work to be completed on the Varberg-Borås section which is expected to be open for traffic at end of July 2022. The Borås-Herrljunga section has been open for some time, and at Gällivare-Harrträsk the section has never been completely closed, as the work has been carried out at night.
Photo: Per-Erik Lindström, Leonhard Weiss
