Strukton Railinfra and Keyrail Sign Contract for Maintenance and Management of Betuweroute
25 October 2007 11:18
Keyrail and Strukton Railinfra recently signed a contract for the maintenance and management of Betuweroute. The contract will take effect from the 1st of January 2008 and will run until the 1st of January 2011. Although initially a three-year agreement, the contract will come under review in 2010, and if it is deemed that targets have been met in terms of cost reduction and increased performance, the contract will be extended to run until 2013. The agreement covers the entire Betuweroute – the new freight railway line from the port of Rotterdam to the European hinterland.
This is the first time in the Netherlands that the management and maintenance of rail infrastructure has been put up to European tender. Importantly, the underlying idea in the contract is that customer and contractor set out to reach an alliance. They do so by sharing responsibilities both as to cost and as to profit. Together, the parties aim at the highest possible availability, reliability and safety against the lowest possible cost. Strukton Railinfra recognises this form of cooperation, which allows the company to contribute its expertise and innovative power in a contract that aims at one common goal: rail transport as a reliable and attractive alternative for transporters.
RAILWAY MONITORING AND INSPECTION FOR CONDITION-BASED MAINTENANCE
The contract is founded on condition-based maintenance. This means that the contractor will base its smart and efficient maintenance activities mainly on inspection values. Strukton Railinfra has developed several monitoring and inspection techniques aiming at finding defects before they lead to possible failures. This approach goes well with the policy desired by Keyrail.
Five parties tendered for the contract. Keyrail selected Strukton Railinfra not only because they submitted the most efficient proposal, but also because of the positive and passionate attitude that Strukton Railinfra shows. Both parties take this as a good beginning for a fruitful and effective cooperation that will lead to optimal availability of the Betuweroute for carriers and shipping companies.
Strukton Railinfra is currently working on mobilising the organisation to make sure that there will be a full maintenance and management organisation by the 1st of January 2008. Strukton Railinfra, already responsible for 50% of track maintenance of in the Netherlands, has therefore seen its activities in that country increase. This implies that there are plenty of good opportunities for new staff.
Strukton Railinfra itself has built a major part of the Betuweroute: 144km of track and 104km of catenary. In addition, Strukton Railinfra installed ERTMS along the route.
For more information on this company:
Strukton Railinfra - Rail Infrastructure Maintenance and (Re)Construction
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