UK rail freight operator GB Railfreight (GBRf) has signed a new agreement with Wabtec for the maintenance of intermodal wagons.
The contract is for ten years and includes maintenance work at the GBRf Maintenance Centre in Peterborough.
In a first for the UK rail freight sector, Wabtec will introduce its state-of-the-art KinetiX system, a high-speed, laser-guided imaging technology capable of capturing 20,000 images per second. This revolutionary innovation will enable pit stop-style inspections and servicing (very fast, planned and standardized interventions) for GBRf’s entire fleet of 585 FEA intermodal wagons, generating major improvements in maintenance efficiency and accuracy.
“This agreement represents a major step forward in how we care for and manage our fleet of wagons. By integrating Wabtec’s KinetiX technology into our operations, we gain unprecedented insight into asset health, enabling us to make smarter, data-driven decisions about intermodal wagon maintenance,” said Liam Day, Asset Director at GB Railfreight.
Using the high-precision, data-rich information generated by KinetiX, GBRf and Wabtec will adopt a proactive “pit stop” maintenance regime. By assessing wagons based on their calculated life cycle, the two companies will reduce operational failures, strengthen the resilience of the wagon fleet, and provide an even higher level of reliability for customers and the rail network as a whole.
The FEA intermodal wagons are manufactured by Greenbrier and ordered by Porterbrook for lease to the rail freight operator. The contract was signed in 2021, and the last 60′ FEA-G double intermodal railcars were delivered in August 2023. The railcars are used to transport containers and, together with 50 JNA-X covered railcars, support the transport of construction materials.
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