GREATER ANGLIA – CLACTON RAIL DEPOT

June 2, 2023

Collaboration at Clacton

Equipment suppliers, including Mechan, joined forces to transform the train lifting facility at Clacton, in preparation for a new fleet of bi-mode trains.

The contract

The introduction of Stadler trains on regional routes in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire meant Greater Anglia’s Clacton Rail Depot required the entire train lifting facility to be redeveloped – the biggest project undertaken at the site in years.

As the Stadler fleet is heavier and longer than its predecessors, additional jacks were required to increase the capacity of the existing lifting system. Mechan was approached to provide four new 18-tonne jacks to work alongside the original set of 16 jacks supplied by SEFAC.

The extra jacks and increased weight of the trains meant the entire floor (the length of four carriages) had to be levelled and strengthened to meet tolerance requirements.

The result

The motor and gearbox on our standard jack design were modified for Clacton, to ensure the four units were manufactured with the same lift speed as its current set. A castor wheelbase was also added so they could be moved around the depot.

The French company integrated the Mechan jacks into their new control system and collaborated with us to ensure a smooth synchronised lift.

Greater Anglia’s head of programme safety and assurance, Steve Clarke, said: “Working together with SEFAC, Mechan and our colleagues at the Clacton depot, we’ve created a very satisfactory solution to the problem of how to safely lift the new train fleet. The depot is now ready to accommodate the new bi-mode trains and play its part in ensuring that they continue to perform well, to improve reliability and punctuality for passengers in the region.”