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Show success for Faro
A contract secured during Infrarail 2012 underlines the important role that this event plays in exhibitor-to- exhibitor business. Coventry-based Faro Technologies UK made a late decision to take part in the show, aiming to seek new customers for its portable measurement and imaging systems. The move was rewarded when ICEE Managed Services, also exhibiting, agreed to acquire one of its FaroArm systems. The company says that the FaroArm is the world’s best-selling measurement arm, meeting the high accuracy demands posed by development and production.
Infrarail welcomes Eurotunnel
Making its Infrarail debut was the Infrastructure Division of Groupe Eurotunnel. Best known as the operator of the Channel Tunnel infrastructure and of the car and lorry shuttles that run through it, the company also manages the rail networks in the three French sea ports of Dunkerque, Le Havre and Nantes Saint Nazaire as well as that of the river port at Rouen. Together, these account for more than 2,000 km of track and over 1,100 sets of points, with the Dunkerque system by far the largest. The ports business is in addition to Eurotunnel’s central role – maintaining the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel, which it has done for the last 18 years. This comprises 200 km of the most heavily used track in the world, two 50 km running tunnels plus a service tunnel of similar length, 254 km of overhead catenary and the terminals at Coquelles and Folkestone. Added to this are equipment rooms, data transmission, power supply and ventilation systems, plus all other fixed assets of this complex network. Maintenance is mainly done by Eurotunnel’s own staff, with outside contractors only brought in for specialised areas such as security systems. So why exhibit at Infrarail? First, the expertise and
Marking the FaroArm deal at Infrarail were Faro’s Andrew Tagg (right) with Chris Arnold (centre) and Shane Thomas of ICEE.
technical know-how Eurotunnel has acquired means it can offer its services to third parties. Its capabilities include track maintenance and renewal, maintenance of catenary, signalling and ventilation systems, management of high- voltage substations, plus traction provision and maintenance of works trains in the UK and France. Second, as the company’s M&E and Building Services Leader Kenny Marshall told us, participation in the show was also about supplier engagement. “We spend some €226 million annually,” he explained, “and only 21% of that is with UK companies. In all, we have around 1,700 suppliers and only 30% of those are in based the UK. Therefore we are keen to see if companies on this side of the Channel can effectively compete to provide some of the products and services we need.”
GGR Rail lifts award
The winner in the ‘Plant and Equipment’ category at the Infrarail Awards was GGR Rail, which supplies restricted access lifting equipment and mini spider cranes for the rail industry. Its Unic spider cranes have full Network Rail Product Acceptance, leading to their deployment on projects ranging from signalling and electrification work to station upgrades and level crossing inspection. Featured on the company’s stand was one of its most popular compact cranes, the Unic URW-094, the 2 tonne capacity Galizia G20 pick and carry crane and the best- selling MRT4 vacuum lifter. GGR Rail says that the latest addition to the Unic range, the URW-1006, is the world’s strongest spider crane. Unveiled in April, the new machine has a lifting capacity of 10 tonnes, with a 30.7 metre lifting height and a 24.3 metre working radius – but still only measures 2 metres wide.
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GGR Rail Unic spider crane in use during crashdeck construction at Edinburgh Waverley station.
INFRARAIL 2012 SHOW REVIEW 11
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