Garic Rail has been instrumental in the successful completion of a major railway re-engineering project on the Eastern line at Bedford station.
The division which was officially launched just 18 months ago provided bespoke welfare products and services to ensure over 80 operatives, working in shifts across two weekends, had the facilities they needed to keep everything running smoothly.
7 point ends were being removed along with 7 panels and 450m of plain line all whilst an adjacent line remained working throughout.
Ash Andrews of Garic Rail explains: “The site available was not only compact but just 20m from the track and also very close to overhead power lines. Our mobile welfare and office units are ideal for track-side locations as many of them are towable and do not need loader cranes to lift them into place. We also have stackable options so we were able to recommend a two storey solution to maximise the limited space available and ensure sufficient facilities were provided for the required for the number of users.
“We were able to respond very quickly once the order had been placed because we have depots strategically placed across the country as well as our own logistics and installation teams. We don’t have to rely on third party transport or fitters for example.”
Garic Rail’s team visited Bedford station to discuss the client’s requirements and to survey the space available. The design team then prepared three options with 3D to-scale drawings for consideration. The 1,500 sq ft configuration chosen had five office accommodation cabins; four male and two female toilets and showers; a canteen; waste; water and tool storage tanks; tower lights and generators to power the entire set up.
On-going support was also provided in-line with the four hour service level agreements which included Garic’s servicing teams ensuring all the units were cleaned, water and fuel was replenished and all waste was removed. A team of fitters remained on stand-by should they be needed.
Ash Andrews concludes: “All of our rail team has personal track safety training and some of our management previously worked in rail so we are fully aware of the implications of working in these highly safety conscious environments. We know we have to be able to provide a safe and fully comprehensive service, it’s not just about having reliable and innovative products, it’s about understanding the challenges our clients have to overcome day-to-day.
“For example our hire products are available on shorter one week terms because if they are to be used just for a few days it is not cost-effective to have to hire a toilet for two or four weeks because that’s the minimum hire period offered.
“Our client has won considerable recognition for its efficient and innovative track renewal methods and for setting best safety practices and we were extremely pleased to be playing our part in that, even if it was a relatively small supporting role.”
