CWE Ltd – the independent supply, maintenance and logistics partner for the rail industry – has signed a major new contract with Network Rail to overhaul the draftgear assemblies of its Mk3 Autoballaster fleet.
The Mk3 Autoballasters are part of Network Rail’s material delivery fleet and are used to deliver ballast to worksites. They undergo scheduled 10-yearly maintenance which includes the requirement to overhaul the draftgear.
Each Mk3 Autoballaster rake consists of five wagons, with a set of draftgear composed of eight assemblies. In total, the project will see CWE overhaul 24 assembly sets at its Centre of Excellence for Rail, which is based at its facility in Crowle.
CWE was chosen as the preferred partner for the project thanks to its long history of providing one of the most comprehensive maintenance and overhaul services in the UK.
The contract win builds on CWE’s existing work with Network Rail, which has seen it manage ad hoc and planned outage support for Network Rail’s rail grinder fleet, overhauling multiple parts within the trains.
It also comes after the recent launch of CWE’s Centre of Excellence for Rail, which brings all of its market-leading capabilities together on one site, and its new hydraulic and mechanical buffer cell.
Nick Andrew, managing director at CWE, comments:
“Being appointed by Network Rail to work on this project is testament to our long-standing and proven track record of delivering major overhaul projects for the rail industry. This is an extremely important and significant win for CWE as we look to build on our ambition of being a strategic partner for the rail sector.
“Our maintenance, refurbishment and replacement capabilities for vital components are specifically designed to keep rolling stock on the tracks, both minimising downtime and reducing carbon emissions. By combining a depth of knowledge with lean production processes and a flexible, ‘can do’ attitude, we are able to deliver projects on time without ever compromising on quality.
“We are excited to see what the rest of the year will bring!”
