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Engineering consultancy Sweco has signed a framework contract with ProRail to replace the train detection system on the entire Port railroad line. Over 4 lots, 900 sections are to be replaced. Sweco is carrying out the exploration phase for all lots and, for lot 1, also the plan elaboration and realization phase. This assignment is the first large-scale application of a new type of axle counter in the Netherlands.
The Rotterdam Harbour Railway, part of the Betuweroute, is a more than 50 km long freight railroad line between Barendrecht Vork and Maasvlakte. The lifetime of the current train detection system ends in 2024. ProRail's objective is a robust and future-proof new detection system based on a new type of axle counter from system supplier Thales under the name GAST-NL. This type has already been applied in the Netherlands on projects in Zwolle and Groningen, but will be rolled out on a large scale for the first time on the Rotterdam Port railroad line - where freight transport takes place. Customization, taking into account exceptional logistics processes of freight transport, makes it an interesting project.
Erik ter Brake, project manager of the Rail Department at Sweco Netherlands: 'This is a challenging assignment for us, at an extremely interesting project location. We are greatly looking forward to applying our rail expertise here. We are extra proud that we won, since we had to create a plan of action as a team, in the middle of the corona crisis with everyone working from home. Everyone will remember this tender later, in terms of working conditions and certainly the joy when we heard we had won!
Sweco and ProRail have now started the project together. The goal is for Lot 1's new detection system to be installed by the end of 2022.
