<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> John Holland Rail has taken possession of $30m worth of track resurfacing machinery to improve the operation and maintenance of NSWâs Country Regional Network (CRN) which it has managed on behalf of the state government since January 2012. </span> <p>Before John Holland Rail officially became the first accredited private rail transport operator of the government-owned CRN in 2012, it had been some years since solid investment had been made into plant and equipment to service the heavy rail network.<br /><br />According to JHR CRN chief executive Nev Nichols, the network is currently being maintained with older machines built more than 30 years ago which are not cost effective to run.<br /><br />“The six new on-track machines which include three Plasser & Theurer tamping machines and three Plasser & Theurer ballast regulators are a huge step forward for our operations and will deliver a more efficient, safe and reliable rail system,” Nichols said.<br /><br />“The machines have state-of-the-art proven technology in their geometry guidance computer systems and far more accurate and reliable track recording equipment which reinstates track back to its exact location.<br /><br />“This will improve the ride characteristics for the trains and their loads to run over the track, making it a smoother ride and less impact to the track foundation, therefore assisting in extending the track reliability over time.”<br /><br />One of the most unique advancements is the fact that the machine’s various oils are completely biodegradable.<br /><br />“This will provide a reduction in carbon foot print by approximately 2.9 Tonne of CO2 per every 1000 hours of running,” Nichols said.<br /><br />John Holland Rail believes the investment in the new machinery marks a major milestone in its partnership with TfNSW and country NSW’s rail transport service and commissioning of the machines represents a pivotal point in its future delivery, operation and maintenance capacity on the CRN.<br /><br />“Four of the machines are already on the second roster of training with our staff and are going extremely well,” Nichols said.<br /><br />“The staff enthusiasm to train on the operation of the new machines  on a  disused line environment will hopefully pay off and have the machines out soon actually working on live track improving the network.”</p>
