Coleraine to Portrush Re-rail Project

Tender description

The Coleraine to Portrush line is a 6 miles long single line route with halts at The University of Ulster at Coleraine, another at Dhu Varren in Portrush and the terminal Portrush Station. The line speed on the route is 70MPH. The current rail in place is continuously welded rail formed in the year 2000 by cropping and welding pre-used cascaded rail from within NIR stocks. The existing CWR sits on concrete sleepers. The use of cascaded rail and sleepers in the construction of the skeleton track has resulted in dipped or “ghost joints” over the entire route length. Under this proposed project the route will be re-railed as CWR using new 18.288 metre lengths of 113lb/yd Flat Bottom Rail, drawn down from NIR stocks. Translink requires the new CWR to be formed using a combination of Flash Butt Welds and Alumino Thermic welds where the number of Flash butt Welds will be no less than 80% of the total welds formed on the site. An Economic Operator with specialism in production of CWR using his own or a sub-contractor’s on-track rail welding equipment will be employed to execute the works. The successful Economic Operator will also carryout elements of each of the following works on the Coleraine to Portrush Railway Line as part of this project • Drainage works. • Ballast retention sleeper walls. • Excavation of sleeper bed wet spots. • Signals and telecoms connections and disconnections. • Deposition of ballast. • Stressing of new CWR. • Reinstatement works to 2 Public Highway Level Crossings. • Reinstatement works to 5 User Worked Crossings Please note return date of Tuesday 31st August 2010