Fastline signs Scotland Stoneblower contract
25/04/2006
Fastline Ltd will operate a Network Rail Stoneblower in Scotland after being awarded a two-year
contract worth approximately £0.4 million per annum. The contract win complements the London North
Eastern (LNE) territory Stoneblower contract, which Fastline announced last week. The contract win further consolidates Fastline’s Stoneblower operations, with the company securing Stoneblower operations in Scotland and the LNE. The LNE contract for four Stoneblowers provides two-year income of £1.6 million per annum. Both contracts have the potential for one-year extensions. Fastline Managing Director Mike Houghton said: “The award of this second Stoneblower contract is
excellent news, enabling us to operate Stoneblowers in two key areas, Scotland and the LNE. “I am delighted that Network Rail has the confidence in our skill and expertise to award a second
contract in quick succession. Fastline has extensive experience in reliably and safely managing
Stoneblowers and all other types of OTM machinery. “We have a clear commitment to support Network Rail in achieving its efficiency targets while at the
same time delivering the safest and most effective services and solutions.” Fastline will start to operate the Scotland Stoneblower in June, while the LNE contract starts this
month. Fastline will operate LNE Stoneblowers on the Great Northern and North Eastern lines in April,
and by June on the East Midlands line. Fastline will also manage a fourth Stoneblower, which will float
between the Midlands and North Eastern lines. Stoneblowers are used to maintain track levels, where conventional tamping is not a suitable
approach. After measuring the track level, Stoneblowers automatically fill any dips in the ballast bed
with the appropriate amount of small stones, creating a level surface for the sleepers to sit upon. Other major Fastline contract wins include the multi-million pound on-track machine (OTM) contract
signed with Network Rail at the end of 2005. The three-year national OTM contract announced in December 2005, for tampers, regulators and dynamic track stabilisers, amounts to £22 million per
annum. Work on the OTM contract begins this month (April). Fastline Ltd is a subsidiary of Jarvis plc, and has four separate business divisions – OTM, small plant, freight and transport solutions. In OTM, Fastline supplies, operates and maintains track machinery and renewals trains. Together with sister company Jarvis Rail, Fastline has a strong record in innovation having developed and introduced new technology such as the Mole, Slinger and the Accutrack methodology for track renewals, and the Super Tamper. Ends For more information contact Diane Mangan on 01904 713032 or diane.mangan@jarvis-uk.com
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