HomeRail NewsEstimated £1.6m savings by centralising storage of High Output machines' spares

Estimated £1.6m savings by centralising storage of High Output machines’ spares

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Network Rail estimates it will save up to £1.6 million by centralising the storage of its High Output machines’ spare parts.

Spares for such machines as the ballast cleaning and track renewal system trains will be moved to the newly opened warehouse at the High Output operations base near Sandiacre, Nottingham.

Strategic spares were previously stored on the High Output fleet of specialist track maintenance machines and travelled with them around the country.

Moving the spares to a central facility makes it easier for teams to locate the parts they need at the right time. Better storage conditions will also prevent spares needing to be scrapped or overhauled ready for use and, with less needed, result in the significant one-off saving. Further savings are expected to follow.


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Simon McColgan is the High Output plant business support manager in Network Rail’s Route Services function – which supplies Network Rail’s route businesses with critical services from a national team.

He said: “Each ballast cleaning system held its own set of strategic spares, so they were on sites across the country, sometimes for up to 10 years.

“This made it difficult to track down spares when they were needed. It also meant that many of the spares deteriorated over time and needed an overhaul, and many were no longer in a fit condition to be used on the plant.

“Looking after our assets by housing them in this specially built facility reduces costs and means we can find what we need much more quickly.”


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