In 2010, Vossloh Cogifer won the tender call for the supply of Swedish National Railways (Trafikverket) with more than 7000 Integrated Actuation Mechanisms for Points and Crossings. In June 2013, these mechanisms, mostly the solutions developed by Vossloh Cogifer, Easyswap and Easyswitch-R, were officially accredited by the Swedish authority. Currently, the application of the systems is under way on the Swedish network. In June 2014 Vossloh Cogifer organised a workshop with the purpose of presenting the installation of these points and crossings in the extreme north of Sweden. The workshop was organised in Kiruna, a city 145 km above the Arctic Circle.
Easyswitch-R is part of a new generation of Points and Crossings promoted by Vossloh Cogifer. Such types of hydro-electric mechanisms allow movement, locking and controlling of all parts of the switch blades and swing noses – in the size of a hollow sleeper. All the parts which compose the Integrated Mechanism, are protected by a highly resistant metallic hollow sleeper.
With Easyswitch-R, Vossloh Cogifer conceived a solution which makes it possible to feed the needs of any configuration of points and crossings. Each hollow sleeper has its own power plant and hydraulic circuit which brings a flexible answer to points and crossings with specific geometries.
After a trial period between 2011 and 2013 in areas well-known by Trafikverket for their tough operating conditions, Vossloh Cogifer’s Integrated Mechanisms have been ratified by the Swedish National Railways. The first points and crossings to be equipped with Easyswitch-R are located on a traffic line which is used by different types of trains. 83% of these are cargo trains, intended mainly to convoying iron-ore around the Arctic Circle, from Kiruna to Narvik, in Norway. Extreme weather conditions are found in that area, with temperatures down to -35°C (50% of the time without ever defrost), and snow almost 65% of the time (representing a total of more than two tonnes per month). The second reference line with points and crossings equipped with Easyswitch-R can be found in the South of Sweden, in the suburbs of Stockholm. It registers a very dense flow of passengers with almost 2000 trains a month. Weather conditions are also very harsh there, with approximately 15% of the time without defrost, and rain 50% of the time.
At the end of the trial period in 2013, the Swedish Transportation Agency, Transport Styrelsen, has given an unlimited accreditation to Trafikverket, in order to operate points and crossings which already use Vossloh Cogifer’s Integrated Mechanisms. Since evaluation, approval and accreditation have been successfully obtained, Vossloh Cogifer is now able to provide hundreds of Integrated Mechanism orders, placed by Trafikverket. These purchase orders are related to a frame contract forecasting 7,000 Easyswitch-Rs which will be installed on roughly 1,200 points and crossings of the Swedish National Railways.
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