Railway companies want to offer their customers a clean vehicle, but often there is no time to clean them thoroughly. It’s not always easy to just take a train out of service for a wash. DiBO Project(s) worked out a solution together with NedTrain: a high speed train washing installation (HS-TWI).
As part of the NS Groep, NedTrain is specialized in servicing trains. It is thereby a top priority in order to provide the 1.2 million travelers from the NS clean trains. But how do you get it done without taking the vehicles out of circulation? NedTrain asked several companies through market consultation a proposition to tackle this problem.
The contract was eventually assigned to DiBO Project(s). The solution is a HiSpeed-TWI: a train washing installation that can wash locomotives and carriages at high speed (up to 20 km/h). The washer is placed on a shunting track, a dead end where trains still get a reasonable speed on the way to their parking spot or vice versa to the station. After a successful test case in Zwolle, DiBO Project(s) placed the first HS-TWI in Enschede last summer. In the beginning of this year the train washer was put into service. Later similar installations will follow throughout the Netherlands from which the second one will be placed next July in The Hague.
The HS-TWI in Enschede is positioned so that the trains pass twice both morning and evening. Due to the higher speed, the washes are less intense, but that is compensated by cleaning the vehicles up to four times a day, without any loss of time!
TAG-READING
With tag-reading, the type of vehicle is detected, the swivel angle of the brushes (four on each side) is determined and the wash cycle is started automatically without the driver should get off or perform any other act. After the detection, the train passes along a pre-spray arch, after which the train unit is washed with pure water. For incoming trains detergent is used on the way up, then immediately followed by clean water and drying-aid product on the way back. The HS-TWI is equipped with rail sensors, which make it possible to follow the speed of the trains and, if necessary, to intervene. The entire system can be monitored remotely for status updates/wash production and service.
The DiBO Project(s) team managed to assemble the whole installation in one day. Quite a performance, that could only be achieved by a faultless preparation. The technical equipment has been pre-assembled and installed on site in a prefabricated container.
