QTS Rail invests in off-road equipment for Network Rail contract

QTS Rail has invested in new plant equipment, trailers and 4x4 pick-ups to help it deliver a multi-million pound fencing contract for Network Rail.

The company, a subsidiary of the Lanarkshire-based QTS Group, recently won the contract to replace fencing on several UK mainline rail routes including LNE, Wales, LNW North & South, Scotland & Kent.

The contract requires QTS Rail to navigate across fields and challenging off-road terrain in order to reach the fence line. The company purchased 10 Hinowa HS850 mini-dumpers on tracked chassis to ensure efficient delivery of the materials. The machines are all fitted with a hydraulic tipping 1,110kg payload farm bed attachment. They are transported close to the work site on 3.5t Williams triple axle trailers which are towed by Isuzu Rodeo 4x4s. Once the terrain gets too tough for the trucks and trailers, the fencing materials are transferred from the flat beds of the Isuzus onto the dumpers.

QTS Rail is the specialist railway infrastructure contracting subsidiary of the QTS Group. It offers a one-stop-shop service to the rail industry, which includes specialist plant supply, off-track/lineside works, vegetation management, fencing, civil engineering, drainage, signalling, electrification, telecoms and structures.

QTS holds a Network Rail Principal Contractor Licence and Plant Operating Company in Possessions Licence which enable it to operate on-track plant on Network Rail infrastructure and to undertake projects directly for Network Rail as well as numerous other Blue chip companies.

Jamie Weir, procurement manager for QTS Group, said: ““We have opted for Hinowa machines in our extensive specialist plant fleet as they fit the criteria we require to do the job right, they are extremely durable, reliable and good value for money.

“They are very agile and compact - and quite fast for tracked machines. The farm bed attachment is ideal for this particular fencing role, but we can also replace it with other Hinowa attachments for other jobs, making the HS850 a very versatile machine in our fleet.”

QTS Group purchased the Hinowa dumpers from Access Platform Sales (APS), the exclusive UK importer and distributor for Hinowa tracked machines. APS delivered the machines to QTS Group’s premises in Drumclog, Lanarkshire, but the entire fleet will be based in England during the WCML contract.

Weir added: “Buying from APS was an easy decision because the company has a genuine UK-wide rapid response mobile service network. So we can add Hinowa machines to our fleet with complete confidence in the product support behind them.”