October 04' - as supplied and printed in RailStaff magazine

HoldFast will be again exhibiting the award winning HoldFast crossing platform, designed and proven the world over to dramatically improve road and rail safety; reduce road and rail maintenance; extend crossing life span; and reduce road and rail costs and disruption.

The simple solutions are often the best and, time and time again, contractors find the ease and simplicity of the HoldFast system incomparable to other more complicated systems.

APPLICATIONS
HoldFast’s staff will be please to discuss your future requirements for all crossing situations.

• Highway crossings
Full depth rubber, high antiskid characteristics and its integrated road / rail design are just a few of the reasons why this has become the popular choice for locations ranging from inner cities to ports.

• Pedestrian and cycle crossings
Simple to install, hard wearing and designed to prevent any panel gapping, The Holdfast pedestrian crossing is specified by councils, The London Underground and national rail networks.

• Track access points (T.A.P’s)
To date, over eighty five single track, 25 metre long crossings have been used at Road Rail Access Points (RRAPs) in single, double and treble arrangements on Network Rail’s multi billion pound West Coast Route Modernisation Programme. This system has proved so popular it is now a stock item. The panels can be installed and removed quickly and transferred to other track areas if necessary.

• Farm crossings
Special panels are manufactured with a honeycomb structure to reduce the cost and maintain sufficient durability and strength for platforms enduring farm traffic.

• Metro crossings
High safety values for road, rail, cycle and pedestrian users make this system ideal for urban metro locations.

• Emergency Platforms
Emergency platforms have included The Sudbrook Emergency Train Stabling project outside the Severn Tunnel, a 14.4 metre HoldFast crossing delivered to site and installed within half a day during a T24 protection closure.

• Station, Depot and maintenance platforms
HoldFast has been the favoured supplier for many of the UK’s major infrastrucure projects. Virgin’s £30 million Central Rivers Cross Country depot near Burton on Trent in Staffordshire featured 24 road crossings, 12 barrow crossings, 28 pedestrian crossings and 4 turnouts!

HoldFast is a popular platform for situations where the platform needs to be fitted around pillars, steps and other obstructions, as panels can be easily cut to measure on site (see Stonebridge photograph).

MARKET LEADERS
Five key criteria have secured HoldFast’s market dominance:

• Fast installation
• Strength and long life durability
• Maximum safety for rail and road users
• Cost savings (to rail operators, inslallation teams, infrastructure owners and
highway authorities)
• Environmental impact (minimal road and rail closures to reduce congestion and pollution, and recycled rubber products)

HoldFast’s Managing Director, Peter Coates Smith, explains: “We pride ourselves on being much more than a supplier. Rather than promoting and selling in a fixed solution, HoldFast has a history of working closely with Network Rail, urban transit operators and allied contractors to continually improve and respond to the demands of highway and rail authorities; road and rail users; contractors and changing public transport trends.”

A Flying Start to 2004
2004 could not have got off to a better start! In February HoldFast was awarded the much respected HSBC Rail Supplier of the Year Award. At the same event, Holdfast was also highly commended in the category Rail Infrastructure Excellence of the Year.

ENQUIRIES

• Free Consultation
Contact HoldFast for a free site survey. Whether it is a new location or crossings in need of replacement, HoldFast will provide a free survey and assessment of your requirements.
• Free Design
Using the latest CAD technology, HoldFast’s design studio will develop a bespoke system to match your requirements.
• Free Delivery
HoldFast can quote to include delivery and off loading direct to the site of installation on the date and at the time your contractors specify.

Pioneers of the Nation
(above)
Last year, HoldFast’s Managing Director, Peter Coates Smith, joined the likes of Sir Cliff Richard and Richard Branson at Buckingham Palace as one of ‘The 500 Pioneers of the Nation’, recognising his work in developing safer level crossings.

Recent Projects: Horton Road
(above)

The routine removal and replacement of a HoldFast crossing at Gloucester demonstrates how remarkably fast these crossing are to install or remove for tamping. The two track crossing comprises 56 panels. It took just two and a quarter hours to remove and stack them and no longer to replace.

The contractors, Fifth Rail, supplied a JCB digger and telescopic handler but these were only required to take the panels off site! They lifted out the panels using a p-ray bar on each of the panels and with just one man on each they levered the panels out without any mechanical assistance.

They were then numbered and stacked. When replaced, the JCB was on stand by in case they needed to be put more firmly but with a little lubrication the panels were easily reinserted.
Recent Project: Stonebridge
(above & below)

Earlier this year, HoldFast supplied a six road depot platform for Stonebridge Park BCV Depot to enable drivers to embark and disembark safely from the underground trains, and for complete train side maintenance and crew access.

The system was supplied direct to the customer, Metronet. Because of HoldFast’s famous simplicity of installation, their own staff were able to install the panels with minimal supervision from Fifth Rail.

The platform needed to be fitted around pillars, steps and other obstructions and HoldFast was chosen, in part, because of the system’s versatility.