McCulloch Group has recently completed works on the high-profile project at Beaulieu Park in Chelmsford for our client Pod-Trak, through our trusted partner and principal contractor J Murphy and Sons.
Beaulieu Park Train Station will service a new district within Chelmsford and is part of a wider regeneration programme. The state of the art station will have three platforms and will be managed by Greater Anglia, serviced by their new fleet of trains, and operate services into London.
The Problem
In the first half of 2022, Pod-Trak contacted McCulloch to discuss the specifics of the project, hoping that our kit could provide an effective solution that would work within a number of restraints. Large sections of track had to be removed and installed as efficiently as possible, without the use of train haulage. With the opening of the brand new train station at Beaulieu Park receiving lots of press attention, Pod-Trak needed the removal and installation to happen quickly, to ensure that timescales were met and ample time was left to do the remaining formation works.
The Solution
Our solution to the problem was six panel lifters deployed to the site, carrying out the works over the course of six weekends. The size and agility of these machines meant that they could access the track straight through the NWR approved access gates, so there was no requirement for rail haulage. The use of McCulloch panel lifters also meant that:
- There was no isolation required for the removal of panels
- There was no POS requirement
- We could slue panels and sleepers, once installed
- Removal times varied from 60 – 70 minutes depending on the condition of ballasts
- Installation times were as low as 54 minutes for 300mm (4 x 75 metre panels)
The machinery was also substantially more cost-effective to comparative solutions.
“In terms of the benefits, the time saved in delivery was of significant benefit to the overall programme and delivered us accelerated removal and installation times. The work itself forms part of a wider new Station constitution. Track realignment works to support the new stations are being created by a series of track renewals on the current Mainlines.”
This article was originally published by McCulloch Group.