Our Rail Matters team sets out to investigate why our HP335 rail is so special by interviewing Senior Consultant for Rail Technologies Lindsey Smith.
With a vast wealth of knowledge and experience, Lindsey provides us with insights into the reasons why HP335 is a perfect choice for rail customers requiring lasting solutions.
RM: Why was HP335 introduced to the market?
LS: The rail industry is changing with an increasing need for rails to withstand faster, heavier and greater volumes of traffic.
Our HP335 is designed specifically to address common problems, reducing wear, rolling contact fatigue, and plastic flow and corrugation.
RM: Why are you so keen to focus on this product?
LS: Anyone who knows me well understands that I have a passion for data analysis, and also rail, and being able to combine the two together with my work on HP335 has been fantastic.
Since our first installation of HP335 at Sheffield Supertram in 2010, I have been involved in the monitoring and analysis of trial installation sites to develop an understanding of its performance.
The results of my studies have allowed me to provide information to the industry highlighting the benefits and cost savings of HP335.
In particular, the results from 5 years monitoring of several Network Rail trial sites demonstrate significant cost and life extension benefits. At one site we have been able to demonstrate a £250,000 saving over a 5 year period just by using HP335.
When HP335 is installed instead of R260, our customers can obtain up to a 6 time life extension.
RM: How does HP335 perform in different locations?
LS: We’re keen to make sure performance is consistent across different sites, which is why I have also monitored installations on heavy haul locations such as at Drax Power Station.
This installation is performing well against the previous R260 and our customer has stated that they now intend to only use HP335 for future renewals.
One thing I enjoy about my work is that we are always making a difference. The benefits of HP335 are supported by facts and statistics to provide our customers with the reassurance that they will only receive high performance products of the highest quality.
If people want to see the information with their own eyes then please get in touch.