Global rail fastening component supplier Pandrol says its local manufacturing not only benefits Australian jobs, but its local customers, who enjoy unparalleled quality and service.
Despite enjoying the benefits of being a global company, Pandrol is a proudly local manufacturer in the Australian market, operating world class facilities in Sydney and Adelaide.
Using a specialist grade of Australian steel, Pandrol manufactures roughly 90 per cent of what it supplies to the local market at these two facilities. Cast iron shoulders and baseplates, spring steel rail clips, plastic pads and insulators; all components of the rail fastening systems used by major railway owners across the country.
Heavy haul freight and bulk, as well as heavy, metro, and light passenger rail track owners use technology supplied by Pandrol.
In recent years Pandrol has supplied the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) with its FASTCLIP system for over 4 million concrete sleepers used throughout ARTC’s east coast track renewal works FASTCLIP is a threadless, self-tensioning rail fastening system, incorporating the unique Pandrol switch-on switch-off technology, enabling fast and efficient track installation and maintenance, resulting in lower installed and whole-of-life cost benefits.
Pandrol manufactures the FASTCLIP system and other products in Australia for its local customers, including the ARTC and other freight and passenger track owners.
The company’s Australian operations also serve as a regional hub, supplying rail fastening products to New Zealand and the greater Asia Pacific region, as well as into other parts of the world such as North America and Europe.
Operating locally for 70 years, Pandrol currently employs 250 people directly in Australia, and supports over 3,000 jobs in the local supply chain.
But Pandrol’s General Manager for Fastening Systems in Australia, Justin Bagge, says local manufacturing is about more than just supporting local jobs: he says it also provides a better solution for the customer.
“For continuity and expediency of supply, you can’t beat local manufacturing,” he tells Rail Express.
“We’ve got very flexible manufacturing facilities where we can turn around orders in a very short amount of time.
“We had a case just today where a customer required fastening components for a possession this weekend,” he says. “We’re able to support them with that, and they’ll have the parts by close of business tomorrow.”
Pandrol supplies clients with a range of pre-designed fastening systems, but also has a design team which can assess customer requirements and work on engineered solutions on an individual basis.
“We’ve got over 100 years of railway experience within our local technical team,” Bagge explains, “we’ve got great capability to assist customers in solving their challenges.”
Fastening systems from Pandrol are manufactured using a specialist grade of steel made for it locally. “It’s an advantage for us to use a local steel manufacturer,” Bagge says.
“They provide us with the benefit of being close to hand, and being able to support us readily if we need their help.
“Pandrol’s mission is to maximise rail infrastructure availability, safety and lifetime value, and the combination of our technical experience, local prescense and local suppliers allows us to do that very effectively for our customers.”
Contact: justin.bagge(at)pandrol.com Visit: www.pandrol.com