IRJ at IAF 2025: BRITISH company Unipart is showing three new machines at this week’s IAF, which together offer an alternative to high-output track renewal and construction.
The self-propelled and semi-autonomous Sleeper Layer is designed to lay sleepers on a prepared track bed. Powered by a 55kW JCB diesel engine, it requires just one operator who controls the machine remotely and has capacity to lay up to 1000 sleepers and cover up to 725m per hour.
Sleeper spacing is controlled by a shaft encoder on a wheel running on the track centre line, which is adjustable via a touch screen on a control panel. A delivery grab loads up to seven sleepers at a time at the front of the machine. Once in position, the sleepers are squared, aligned and fed into the delivery mechanism where they are positioned on the track bed before being released.
The machine splits into two to ease of transport to site. The front section of the machine comprises a sleeper loading bay, the alignment system and dual-powered caterpillar tracks. The rear section comprises the power module, delivery conveyor, sleeper release system, and the plc-based control system.
The Sleeper Layer works in conjunction with both a Rail Handler and Rail Clipper.
The Rail Handler is able to lift and carry rails of up to 10m for relaying both ballasted and slab track, and thread long welded rails of any length on new track, with the capability to handle one or two rails at a time. The machine can also provide power for hydraulic tools and can increase the speed and efficiency of repadding and clearing ballast from third rail areas and rail fastenings.
The Rail Clipper is another self-propelled machine that can be controlled remotely. Using powerful rubber tracks, it is capable of loading and unloading itself from delivery vehicles and on and off the railway without the need for a crane. It features interchangeable modules for different fastening types.
Certification is underway for all three machines with British infrastructure manager Network Rail, with completion expected in the coming months. Unipart says the infrastructure manager is looking to step away from using its high-output fleet and replace it with what it describes as smaller and more cost-effective plant. The supplier is also looking at international markets for the new machines, targeting networks that are facing similar operational challenges.
