Business profile


On track to add extra value


Rail Professional finds out how Polypipe’s range of rail cable protection and drainage solutions are bringing time, cost and safety benefits to trackside and station refurbishment projects around the country


W


hen a refurbishment project falls behind schedule in today’s rail industry, a whole host


of problems can arise. With trackside cases in particular, there is likely to be a financial penalty, not to mention a small army of delayed commuters venting their frustration into the social media sphere. Safety, ease and speed of installation are vitally important elements of all projects, whether an ambitious renovation project or small-scale refurbishment. In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift from more traditional materials such as concrete and clay towards HDPE and PVC, as more and more civil engineers recognise the range of benefits that high quality plastics can bring to a project. The lightweight, durable nature of plastic makes it quicker and easier to install than heavier traditional materials and can be delivered to site in greater volumes than traditional equivalents, for added cost and environmental efficiency. One manufacturer, Polypipe, has its own state-of-the-art fabrications facility, giving it the ability to create bespoke, cost effective solutions which meet the exact requirements of the individual project.


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Dr Jason Shingleton, marketing and development director at Polypipe, explains the benefits of this. ‘Involving a manufacturer at the early design stage enables products and system features to be engineered in to accommodate specific obstacles or to aid ease of handling in hard to reach areas like steep embankments. These factors can all contribute to returning the tracks or station premises to full working order faster. The installer benefits from having a bespoke system without the bespoke price tag.’


Time also plays a crucial factor when it comes to addressing trackside theft, an all too common occurrence that is costing the industry millions of pounds every year. With Network Rail reporting that instances of interference with equipment and theft now constitute 46 per cent of all criminal damage incidents, compared to 29 per cent in 2011 (Network Rail’s Criminal Damage Report 2010-11), it poses the question: what more can be done to deter theft on the lines? ‘One option is to use a plastic cable protection system such as Polypipe’s twin wall Ridgiduct range,’ says Shingleton. ‘The Ridgiduct cable protection system is specifically engineered to provide a light,


yet robust alternative to conventional cable protection, offering a stiff yet flexible structure, good impact resistance even at low temperatures, and availability in a wide range of sizes and angles.’ The benefits of Ridgiduct cable protection were demonstrated in the recent redevelopment of Loughborough railway station in Leicestershire. Polypipe’s Ridgiduct cable protection was used to provide robust protection for the station‘s street lighting cables, plus the CCTV, ticket machines and power cables.


The Loughborough development saw


the Polypipe team deliver far more than cable protection solutions. Working closely with the main contractor, Ringway, Polypipe also designed and installed a water management system using its popular Polystorm modular cell system and Ridgidrain surface water drainage pipes to ensure a modern, bespoke drainage system as part of the refurbishment of the site. The Polystorm modular cells were used for four separate attenuation and soakaway structures under the station car park and landscaped areas. The structures were installed utilising Polystorm-R, Polystorm-Xtra and Polystorm Lite modular cells according to


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