Railroad station maintenance now customized

Railroad stations require regular maintenance. This also applies to 45 stations in Gelderland. Nowadays, this is customized work, because these structures are designed under architecture. For the glass maintenance of these train stations, Rutten Group was contracted. This Nijmegen-based company is active in consultancy and maintenance of real estate, infra and rail infrastructure. Especially the difficult obstacles, complex issues and difficult repairs are a challenge for the firm. 

"We do not rest until we have found the best solution," states project manager Wouter Berkhout. Sometimes standard painting work, but usually there is a complex problem and the company is asked to help think of a custom solution. For example for Putten train station where a guide dog's paw was stuck in the Stabag grid of a traverse over the track. Berkhout: "We then proposed covering the entire structure with a plastic anti-slip stair plate, with guide dog markings according to ProRail standards. And although we sometimes engage specialized companies, we usually carry out the work ourselves, including here."

Glass repair stations
Train stations used to be built by default. Now they are designed under architecture, making each property unique. Glass repairs require figuring out which glass comes from where, who built the building and so on. In addition, the materials are also becoming heavier, such as 120 kg windows. To move these, the company previously had to hire separate equipment. "We have now found a party that designs a special vehicle for us. That makes us pioneers," Berkhout says. "And thanks to our agreements with glass suppliers throughout the Netherlands, we can move quickly and repair almost anything within a week. Years ago, we set up a 24-hour breakdown service to be able to immediately secure broken glass or install an emergency seal."

Safety first
In all operations, safety is paramount. Besides being SCC-certified, all employees, whether permanently employed or not, have a digital safety passport, a requirement of ProRail. Because of the associated training, every employee is exactly informed about ProRail's safety requirements. Only with such a passport may someone work on a ProRail site.  

Sustainability high on the agenda
"Our company is distinctive in terms of sustainability. We provide our clients with energy-saving solutions. For example, we have developed a revolutionary climate-control film with a solar control effect. Energy-saving in the summer because the heat stays outside. Moreover, this foil can be applied on the inside, which has many advantages, especially in the railroad world," Berkhout concludes.