Essex rail safety specialist, FirstClass Safety & Control, has been contracted by several Rail operators to maintain Depot Protection & Safety systems at key rolling stock depots.
The contract awards follow FirstClass Safety’s growth in the Rail sector and demonstrate their commitment to product support and exemplary service levels.
All the Depots have Framework Contracts in place for regular maintenance visits, where the safety systems and associated equipment are checked and tested for correct operation and physical damage to ensure optimal performance. FirstClass Safety engineers speak to the operators to ensure they are happy with the system’s performance and a report is issued detailing all findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
Five of the depots have also taken additional comfort by having a 24/7 emergency support contract. These support contracts also utilise the remote dial-in access facility. This allows a FirstClass Safety engineer to gain access remotely and support the depot-based teams with resolutions to the queries and issues, thereby reducing equipment down-time.
Contracts:
Hitachi
Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Plant – Maintenance contract on the Test House Protection system
Craigentinny Depot – Maintenance contract for the FirstClass Safety Depot Protection System plus 24/7 Remote Access support
C2C
East Ham Depot – 3 Year Maintenance and 24/7 Emergency support contract – 3rd Party “Obsolete” Depot Protection System
Engie/Alstom
Ilford Depot – Multi-Year Maintenance and 24/7 Support contract on the FirstClass Safety Depot Protection System installed as part of the Crossrail upgrade works.
Siemens
Ardwick – Multi-Year Maintenance and 24/7 Support contract – PLC based 3rd party Locally Operated Points system (LOPS) following lack of support from the OEM.
York – Multi-Year Maintenance and 24/7 Support contract – PLC based 3rd party Locally Operated Points system (LOPS) following lack of support from the OEM.
Siemens Kingsheath – Multi-Year Maintenance and 24/7 Support contract – PLC based 3rd party Locally Operated Points system (LOPS) following lack of support from the OEM.
The breadth of skills and knowledge possessed by FirstClass Safety’s team of engineers has allowed the company to offer tailored maintenance packages as well as to take on equipment from other manufacturers, without compromising on quality, service or reliability.
“Our engineers know the equipment and systems inside-out, so can help to ensure maximum reliability. And in the rare event of a fault developing, a FirstClass Safety engineer can respond rapidly to rectify the problem and minimise potentially costly and disruptive downtime. Anything that undermines the ability to maintain trains efficiently and on schedule can impact on reliability and punctuality. These issues are always important, but never more so than when franchises are under such scrutiny as in the current COVID-19 world.”
This article was originally published by FirstClass Safety & Control.
