Network Rail Stoneblower Fleet Operation and Maintenance
UK-wide rail network · Ongoing (Balfour Beatty contract awarded 2018, Harsco Rail supply contract 2017) · £40m+ (Balfour Beatty 4-year contract from 2018); Not specified for individual machines.
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchNetwork Rail utilizes Stoneblowers as a key intervention method to defer track renewals and restore track geometry, highlighting their importance in maintaining railway reliability. The multipurpose Stoneblowers developed with Harsco Rail for points and crossings are unique globally, showcasing innovation in track maintenance.
Key engineering challenges
Restoring track geometry by blowing ballast under sleepers to correct unevenness. - Operating specialized machinery within live railway environments. - Providing a precise and efficient alternative to traditional tamping methods.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Network Rail
- Lead contractor
- Balfour Beatty (for operation and maintenance), Harsco Rail (supplier)
- Lead designers
- Harsco Rail
- Project type
- upgrade | vehicle/fleet programme
- Scale
- Fleet of 14 operational machines (11 Plain Line, 3 Multipurpose for points and crossings).
- Disciplines
- civil; mechanical; railway engineering; logistics
- Standards & frameworks
- Network Rail standards, Railway Group Standards, CDM Regulations.
Sources: Balfour Beatty Media Centre (https://www.balfourbeatty.com/media-centre/latest/balfour-beatty-awarded-a-network-rail-stoneblower-operations-and-maintenance-contract-worth-more-than-40m/) - Network Rail (https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-work/looking-after-the-railway/our-fleet-machines-and-vehicles/track-treatment-fleet/) - Railway Gazette (https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/2017/07/04/network-rail-orders-harsco-stoneblowers/) - Harsco Rail (https://emea.harscorail.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Stoneblower.pdf)