The rail link will travel 100 miles, cutting through the Tory stronghold of Middle England and shaving an hour off the journey time to the capital.

The link, the first phase of which will cost an estimated £32 billion and will travel at speeds of 225 miles an hour. A planned second phase which will link London to the north of England is yet to be confirmed.

The HS2 link has caused controversy since plans were first announced and critics are claiming that the new line will decimate the countryside, be an added expense for tax payers and will cost more to use than the average British person can afford.

Plans for the new link have caused a political divide in the majority of political parties, with ministers from the Labour Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the SDP speaking out to criticise the plans and voice concerns about rail safety, the cost to the taxpayer and the effect that the link will have on the British countryside.

Matthew Sinclair, head of the Taxpayers Alliance, explained that the plans could cost every British family £1000 but would only be of benefit to a minority of Brits. He went on to call the scheme ‘unfair’ and called plans for the link ‘weak’.

However, a report released by Network Rail welcomed the plans, stating that transport links between Birmingham and the capital were already at capacity and the new link would solve the problem of overcrowding on trains.

It is expected that finalisation of the plans will not be complete until 2014 and construction of the new link will take a further eight years, with the testing stage being reached in 2024. The link will be officially opened twenty four months later.

The Patented Safety Shield eliminates the risk of an operator inadvertently trapping their fingers while operating the jack mechanism, reducing the potential for accidents and making the jacks easier and safer to use. A retro fit service is available, as well as shielded jacks for hire.

Arbil’ industry standard Pandrol lifting hook is now available with a self locating latch mechanism to enable ultra safe and secure sleeper beam lifting and handling. Ideal when working in confined spaces.

The new Pandrol Safety hooks are also available as part of Arbil’s Hire fleet in beam and dropper configurations to suit.

Passenger and workforce safety is still very much a priority in the rail industry, Arbil are continuing efforts to produce track maintenance safety equipment.

The current safety procedures in place are having a major influence to protect passengers and rail workers from danger.

Statistics from RSSB (Rail Safety and Standard Board) show that in 2010/2011 there were no passenger or workforce fatalities in train accidents in 1.4 billion passenger journeys however, during this period there were 31 fatalities to members of the public, excluding those due to suicide or suspected suicide.  Of the total, 27 were trespassers, and the remaining four were pedestrians at level crossings.  This figure is 48% lower than 2008/2009.

Anson Jack, Director of Policy, Research and Risk at RSSB said ‘The rail industry’s primary

safety objective is to avoid harm to people and property and rail continues to be one of the safest forms of transport’.

‘This report shows that harm to members of the workforce is at its lowest recorded level and, for the first time in some years, there has been a notable decrease in the number of public fatalities, even though the majority of public risk lies outside the direct control of the railway. Against a background of strong growth in passenger numbers, passenger accidents at stations have increased and the industry needs to identify means to achieve improvement in this area while maintaining safety improvements across the GB railway industry.’

Arbil Rail provides a comprehensive range of rail equipment dedicated to the rail industry including, jacks, tools, rail handling, sleeper handling, lifting gear and much more.

£5m will be invested by Network Rail to build a two-storey office building, storage facilities and car and cycle parking spaces, bringing together 300 staff from existing offices and sub-depots.

Funds for the construction of the new maintenance centre will come from the sale of the previous centre in Newcastle to Northumbria Police authority.

The estimated time of completion is 12 months and will begin this year.

Paul Rutter, route infrastructure maintenance director for Network Rail said: “This new centre will allow us to bring teams together, creating opportunities to work more efficiently. The centre will manage maintenance of the railway throughout Northumberland and Durham plus the Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside areas.

“This scheme will help regenerate a neglected area of Gateshead and create jobs for the local economy as well as delivering a fantastic new mixed-use development for the local area.”

The remainder of the site, which is owned by 3R Land & Property, has outline planning consent for a 138-bed hotel, 10,000 sq ft of offices, an 8,000 sq ft restaurant and 150 additional car park spaces. This will create a further 150 jobs for Gateshead. JK Property Consultants are handling the search for a developer.

Arbil Rail offers full Sales, Service and Hire solution for a broad range of dedicated rail products including Track Maintenance Tools, Sleeper & Rail Handling Equipment, De-stressing Equipment, Hydraulics and Small Plant.

The plan’s publication represents the first part of a five year long collaboration between the rail regulator and Network Rail.

There has been some criticism of the plan from the Office of Rail Regulation who believe that some of the savings Network Rail already claim to be making may not be valid.

Network Rail collaborated with train operators and suppliers to devise the plan which explains how costs can be reduced across the rail industry allowing the governments to reduce its annual spend on railways from the current figure which stood at £4.6 billion in 2009/10.

Amongst the changes that Network Rail has suggested are more collaborations between different service providers and offering more lengthy contracts to service providers.

According to the Network Rail report savings of 16% on rail maintenance should be made from when the plan starts in 2014.

However, the ORR called Network Rail’s assertion into question as they believe Network Rail have not made as large a percentage of savings as they claim and that the rail giant were unable to produce evidence that showed they had achieved the savings they had claimed.

Paul Plummer, Group Strategy Director for Network Rail commented that collaborating more closely with other industry players was an efficient way to make savings and would also give the government more choice about the funding decisions they made.

It is hoped that the government will decide by next summer which parts of the projected plan will go ahead and which parts of it they will fund and what percentage of funds will be made available for rail funding.

After this the ORR will make a decision as to the spend Network Rail need to make and how much funding will be needed. This decision will be made in 2013. Meanwhile Scotland’s government have made an announcement that they will have a new rail link built next year which will be funded solely by Network Rail and not as originally planned by private investors.

Originally the Borders Railway, which will run between Tweedbank and Edinburgh, was expected to be financed through private funding but two of the investors dropped out and Network Rail stepped in.

It is hoped that Network Rail’s involvement will provide a significant saving for the tax payer.

Read on to discover more about different types of rail handling equipment and what it is used for.

Manual rail handling beams are designed to lift and move railway sleepers. Different beams are able to handle sections of rail which are 30, 45 or 60 ft long.

These beams are very versatile and can be fitted with webbing slings or rail clamps. Each beam is fitted with a centre lifting eye for accurate lifting and also features lifting lugs at either end that can be used with a double leg sling.

Hydraulic rail handling beams can be fitted to a road rail loader, excavator or crane and can lift rail sections of between 18 and 60 m length. The beam is made up of two sets of hydraulic clamps attached to a steel frame. A safety valve system makes sure that the clamps do not open during lifting.

Drag clamps fit over the head of a rail and can safely pull rails of up to 600 ft long. The clamp can be used with tow chains or ropes with a large link at each end.

Camlock CR clamps can lift most sizes of rail that are utilised in Great Britain. It can be fitted to a crane with a hook ring. It can also be fitted with an adaptor so it can be used with an Ironman rail transporting system.

MR clamps are used to transport rail sections from rail stacks to wagons. They are normally used in pairs and feature automatic double safety locks. The Ironman is generally used in pairs and transports, lifts and transposes rails.

Rail scooters are used in pairs and transport rails. Each unit is operated by a single person. They are normally fitted with a short shackle, chain assembly and rail clamp.

De-stressing kits provide control for accurate stressing of rails in any weather conditions. They make in track welding possible.

De-stressing pumps are petrol powered pumps used specifically for the railway industry. It features a roll cage and manual valves. When using this pump the operator can stress two half tracks at the same time. It also features a hand driven back up pump in case there is an engine failure.

All of this equipment is essential in railway maintenance and is widely used by railway engineers across the UK.

Traction bearings are vitally important to railways as they help them to run more safely, more quickly and more efficiently.

Countries across the globe are investing in up to the minute railway networks, this is because in built up cities they are often considered to be the best form of transportation due to their speed and efficiency when getting from A to B. Due to the global boom in the train industry much greater investment is being placed on new rail equipment so that railway networks can offer the best service possible in terms of speed, cost and efficiency. In addition trains are required to travel over greater distances as the global village develops, meaning that manufacturers want their trains to be as smooth running and maintenance free as possible. Due to the greater stress and strain on rail equipment traction bearing need to be utilised to help handle the extra stress and strain.

Traction railway bearings are developed and manufactured in a manner that causes them to be a great deal tougher than a typical bearing. They are able to function efficiently in several different types of condition. For example traction railway bearings work efficiently with high radial and axial loads, extreme speed, high impact loads, heavy goods and can run for long periods without needing maintenance.

Traction railway bearings are usually manufactured from cylindrical roller bearings as they can withstand high-speeds and heavy-loads and are easy to assemble and disassemble.

Traction railway bearings are usually manufactured from cylindrical roller bearings as they can withstand high-speeds and heavy-loads and are easy to assemble and disassemble.

Traction Railway Bearings permit the user to attain reduced life cycle expenses in the rail network and in contrast to gearbox bearings, traction railway bearings are generally lubricated by grease so that they avoid the difficulties of an oil system and significantly reduce the chance of unwanted oil getting into the train engine.

New special greases have been developed for use with traction railway bearings which help improve performance and reduce the need for maintenance. These greases can withstand high temperatures. However, over greasing can cause a reduction in performance and can also cause overheating.

In fact, much of the various components needed to run railways services are manufactured in the UK by highly skilled engineers.

It is engineers that help develop our railways, helping them run more efficiently and giving us the freedom to travel quickly and safely around the country.

Railways are made up of several components which include train carriages, tracks, signal lighting and electrical systems, amongst other things.

One of the main companies that manufactures parts for railways is based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands. They make the Zwicky range of obstructionless hydraulic track jacks.

In addition they also manufacture track tools, sleeper beams, rail beams, rail thimbles and bespoke equipment.

Many of the track tools they make are specially insulated so they can be used on electric systems like the London underground. Standard tools include spanners, manual handling tools, bars, shovels, forks and fast clip tools. Their insulated range includes forks, keying hammers and pick handles.

Sleeper beams include fixed sleeper lifting beams, fixed sleeper laying beams, adjustable sleeper beams and dropper chains.

Rail beams include manual rail handling beams and hydraulic rail handling beams. They are manufactured to lift heavy beams quickly and efficiently. Thimbles are used with road rail machines and long welded rail trains.

All these tools represent just a tiny element of what is required to run and maintain railways and illustrates what difficult and dangerous job railway maintenance can be.

Many of us take for granted the running of our train services without realising the amount of work that goes into maintaining the service. Railway engineers are always working somewhere on the railway system and need to check for various things on a daily basis.

Although railway engineering is sometimes carried out during the day and at weekends most of it takes place overnight meaning that there is less disruption to services.

During this time railway engineers check electrics, railway beams, railway tracks, signalling and a host of other elements. If a beam or rail is showing signs of fatigue then it must be replaced which is where some of the aforementioned equipment comes into play.

The UK rail network is one of the safest in the world and that is down to the people who look after it. Railway maintenance involves a great deal of hard work and technical ability to carry out safely.

However as cities and towns grow roads are constantly changing, which means the addition of new road signs and markings. In conjunction with this, road features which used to be more commonplace, such as railway crossings, are becoming rarer. Because of this people are often confused when they do come upon a railway crossing and are often not entirely sure what they should do in this situation.

As so many drivers are unfamiliar with railway crossings it can mean that a lot of unnecessary accidents occur. The first thing driver need to take into consideration is that railway crossings could crop up unannounced on long country roads, so be aware of your surroundings and keep alert as to what is ahead of you.

If you see a railway crossing or a sign for one up ahead check to see if there is a car behind you. Do not break suddenly and give yourself enough time to come to a controlled stop. This will avoid a rear end collision but also greatly reduce the chances of you being pushed onto the tracks by the car behind you in the event of a collision. You should try to stop about 5 metres away from the tracks where possible.

This is not only safer because it avoids the possibility of your car being pushed onto the tracks by another vehicle, but also wards against any rocks or debris thrown up by the passing train hitting your windscreen and causing a chip or a crack.

If there is no train approaching and the barriers which stop you from crossing the tracks are up then it is safe to cross. You should do this in a low gear and at a steady pace which will help prevent the possibility of your vehicle stalling on the tracks.

If you follow these tips then you should avoid any danger at railway crossings. Remember, the gap between you encountering a railway crossing may be years apart but if you remember these pointers and drive sensibly you can easily avoid any accidents when you do come across a railway crossing.

Railway contractors have had their jobs made easier by the introduction of new safety tools and precautions such as railway safety kits, better access to stations and upgraded design of both trains and tracks. Advances in construction have also added to the safety of modern railways.

Developing the fabrication and safety system in place during railway construction has helped to ensure that rail workers and passengers are kept safe. Signals are an essential part of keeping the tracks safe. Accurate computerised signal kits are installed in all stations to ensure that safety is maintained. The efficiency of signals is constantly monitored and upgraded to ensure the best possible service.

Railways can be very dangerous places, particularly as a workplace. Workers who perform maintenance and repairs are working at high risk and are exposed to the possibility of injury and even death. This is why all track maintenance and repair must be carried out and planned extremely carefully.

Construction workers on railway sites must be very carefully monitored. All contingencies must be planned for and safety precautions and action plans if the worst should happen must be in place.

Climbing systems play a major role in repair works which involves the use of ladders. All construction and maintenance staff should be fully trained to certificate level and should ensure that they are wearing all the correct safety equipment such as hard hats, reflective clothing and steel capped boots. Staff should also be aware of all safety procedures and what to do should there be an accident.

The safety of any contractors is incredibly important and should be the foremost consideration of rail network owners. In addition network owners must be aware of their legal obligations with regards to track maintenance and the qualifications and level of knowledge that anyone working on the tracks should have. If these laws are not complied with it could lead to legal action.

The security and safety of passengers and goods should be the foremost consideration of any rail company in order to prevent accidents such as derailment. Railway owners are obligated to ensure that their passengers are being kept safe and maintenance engineers carry out regular checks on railway tracks, sleepers, signalling equipment, station entrances and exits and the trains themselves.

Inspection

During inspection the jack is inspected for any physical damage such as missing, broken or fractured parts and also for any oil leaks.

If the external appearance of the jack appears to be damaged then it is stripped down and carefully examined internally.

The lifting and lowering mechanism is checked and the hydraulic oil level is measured. If there is a problem that can be fixed repairs are carried out and the jack is then re checked.

Testing

Hydraulic Jacks need to be regularly and rigorously tested. During the testing process the jack is operated to its full extension and receives 25% more pressure than what is considered a safe working load.

This load is maintained for 15 minutes, after which time the release valve is activated and the jack is lowered and carefully inspected again.

This process is then repeated at half extension. If an overload valve is fitted this is then reset at between 5% and 10% over the safe working load and the jack re-tested at its safe working load as outlined above.

A load of 1% of the Jacks safe working load is then applied to ensure the jack fully retracts from its maximum to minimum height within an acceptable time frame.

When working within the railway industry safety is of the upmost importance. Hydraulic Jacks and other maintenance equipment should be very carefully checked under agreed conditions on a regular basis.

Those carrying out safety checks should be well trained and fully qualified and all results should be carefully recorded to ensure that there is a clear record of any safety issues which may arise during checking.

Hydraulic Jacks are an important part of railway maintenance and ensuring that all hydraulic jacks used meet safety requirements is an essential part of maintaining safe railways.