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May 2009
Track Access Points
While HoldFast’s permanent platforms often feature as
part of the long term legacy of UK's largest rail infrastructure
projects, their temporary platforms, HoldFast Track Access
Points (known on track as ‘HoldFast TAPs’), are
often very vital in their construction.
Network Rail’s re-opening of the Airdrie-Bathgate passenger
rail link after 50 years of closure is a £300 million
project, involving upgrading the existing lines between Bathgate
and Edinburgh and between Airdrie and Drumgelloch. Once completed,
the line will be double-tracked and electrified from Edinburgh
to Glasgow and passengers will be able to travel continuously
through to Helensburgh.
So far, over 15 HoldFast TAPs have been ordered and installed
by Balfour Beatty. Kevin Noctor, their Works Manager on the
the project, enthuses: ‘They are very easy to install.
We insert the Lifting Pins, swing the panels over the track
and drop them in. The panels squeeze in to tighten themselves
up and job done. We have a plant crossing!’
Meanwhile, the capital’s visionary new railway project,
Crossrail, already features a permanent HoldFast crossing,
installed at its Old Oak Common depot.
Pedestrians to Power Station Wagons
There has also been a growth in pedestrian crossing orders,
often installed for staff access rather than public use. While
popular around depots, one was recently installed at Hartlepool
power station.
However, HoldFast’s Director, Mark Coates Smith, is
keen to remind that their heavy duty crossing system is second
to none for durability and endurance and he cites a recent
installation at Cottam power station in Derbyshire as an example.
‘I enjoy the challenge of a heavy duty and high
traffic location, as I know our full depth rubber panels
take some beating.’
Crossing Upgrade Packages
When crossings are being upgraded, most customers will now
also order HoldFast’s Anti-Trespass Guards, with an
indefinite lifespan. As Mark puts it: ‘ When you
upgrade a crossing, you don’t want safety to be impaired
by rotting wooden guards either side.’
A Platform For the Future
With a bumper order book for the UK, and many more platforms
being installed this year across Italy, Hungary and Portugal,
Coates Smith is confident about the future. ‘We
continue to build our business on the cornerstones of safety,
innovation, durability and environmental best practice and
these values are more critical today to our industry than
they have ever been.’
For more information contact mark@holdfastsolutions.com
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