On track, CEMEX creates one of its biggest rail crossing

The construction of one the biggest rail crossing by CEMEX Rail Solutions has just been completed and is awaiting installation outside Waterloo station in London, the busiest station in Britain. Constructed on behalf of Progress Rail, suppliers of rail parts, for Network Rail, the multiple crossing consists of 10 sets of switches through the 1800 metres of rail track.

The 1800 metre bespoke crossing was designed and constructed at CEMEX’s Rail Solutions Somercotes site in Derbyshire. Each bearer was numbered and colour coded before stacking and transporting to the Beeston assembly facility, then onto Hoo junction, a rail yard near Rochester for layout and addition of the track.

The multiple crossing is being laid outside Waterloo station, which has 24 platforms and an estimated 99.1million passenger journeys* equivalent to three people per second getting on and off at the terminus.

“There were many challenges in producing this size of multiple crossing. The main one was ensuring the data transfer of the 1:50 drawing into the data sets that we would use within our production process to the actual crossing and to ensure that each rail position was within 1mm of its set position. Add to this the complexity of each individual bearer, the sheer volume of individual units and concrete it was quite a challenge,” comments Terence Clair, Operations Manager CEMEX Rail Solutions.

He continues “In the past the crossings would have been made of timber with the rail and plates laid on top and screwed in place. This unique crossing, made of concrete has to have the securing fixings created during the production process. Being made of concrete makes it stronger and with a longer life span.

“It’s a great job and highlights how CEMEX Rail can innovate and create bespoke systems for the rail industry. Well done to the 30 colleagues at Somercoates”, Clair concludes.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

 For further CEMEX details contact Elizabeth Young; email: Elizabeth.young@cemex.com t: 01932 583214.

• * information from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) financial year 2015/16

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• Helping to build a Great Britain – CEMEX’s vision is to help build a greater Britain by providing solutions to construction problems through our innovative building materials, our expertise, our understanding of the construction issues and our people.  We aim to create the best service and the best solutions for a better future.         
• About CEMEX: CEMEX is a global manufacturer of building materials and the biggest Mexican investor in the UK, with 3,000 people employed across 450 sites nationwide. In this country, we are a leading provider of aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and rail sleepers with annual sales of around £1 billion.