Hamburg, 21 April 2017 – With a symbolic turning of the first sod Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) today officially started work on the new Port Railway (Railway Infrastructure)[CH1] locomotive service point. The new, modern service facility at Dradenauer Deichweg will form part of the Alte Süderelbe rail terminal and come with locomotive storage spaces, a workshop and refuelling station as well as offices and break rooms. The infrastructure project will ease the strain on the track network and benefit the environment as unnecessary trips of locomotives running light can be avoided.
On an average working day roughly 200 trains arrive at and depart from the Port of Hamburg. This frequently involves locomotive-only trips to social and maintenance facilities located outside the port. Such “unladen” trips put additional strain on the already highly frequented route sections between the port and the Harburg district. As rail traffic is expected to rise, the HPA has decided to build the new locomotive service point to substantially reduce movements of locomotives running light.
Similar to a car park the facility offers “parking” bays for 32 locomotives arranged in parallel. Its centre piece is an 80 by 75-metre-large transfer table facility used to move rolling stock to parking positions.
The locomotive service point is available to all 135 railway undertakings (RU) that use the route network of the Hamburg Port Railway. Apart from [CH2] the locomotive storage spaces, the service point will also house a two-track locomotive workshop which will be operated by ajax Loktechnik. In addition office space - which the RU can also use to schedule wagons and process trains - and break rooms / common rooms for multiple unit drivers and shunting workers will be provided. A diesel locomotive refuelling station will also be available. The new service point is expected to start operations at the end of 2017; the official launch of the locomotive workshop is planned for the spring of 2018.
The locomotive service point, which is unique in Germany, is part of an overall infrastructure expansion concept for the western port area. “Besides providing important facilities at the starting and end points of rail journeys, our foremost aim is to avoid movements of locomotives running light,” explains Harald Kreft, Member of the Management Board of and Head of Railway Infrastructure at the HPA. “Analyses have confirmed that reducing locomotive-only trips will create the freight train capacities required to accommodate rising transport volumes at the railway hub of Hamburg.”
According to Tino Klemm, Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Management Board of the HPA, “The locomotive service point will further strengthen the Port Railway’s network capacity. It is the HPA’s contribution to making the Port of Hamburg continuously more attractive for RUs. At the same time, the concept benefits the environment as a lot of locomotive-only trips can be avoided.”
Moreover, the new locomotive workshop at the Port of Hamburg will promote Hamburg as a business location and make it more attractive. “We achieve that by offering fast, flexible and high-quality servicing on site, which will increase locomotive availability rates and help the RUs cut costs,” explains Maja Halver, Managing Director of ajax Loktechnik GmbH & Co. KG.
The new Locomotive Service Point: Data and Facts
Locomotive storage spaces: 34 (32 at the transfer table; 2 separate ones)
Dimensions of the transfer table facility: 80 x 25 metres
Dimensions of the transfer table: 5 x 25 metres
Diesel locomotive refuelling station: Capacity of 100,000 litres
Track length: 1,940 metres
Track end devices: 35 (with buffer stops)
Locomotive sanding point: Sand storage silo holding 25 cubic metres of braking sand
Number of points (switches): 11 (electrically switched)
Number of signals: 10
Track ballast: 4,000 tonnes
Earth moved to build the new facility: 50,000 tonnes
The locomotive workshop operated by ajax Loktechnik has two 25-metre-long workshop sidings (elevated), one storage siding (25 metres) and one suspension crane with a lifting capacity of 10 tonnes. The workshop building area is 32 metres long, 25 metres wide and 12 metres high.
About the Hamburg Port Authority
The Hamburg Port Authority AöR (HPA) has been providing future-oriented port management services offering one face to the customer since 2005. To ensure safe and efficient processes in the Port of Hamburg and meet the demands of a growing port, the HPA relies on intelligent and innovative solutions. The HPA is responsible for resource-efficient, sustainable planning and the implementation of infrastructure projects in the port. It is the contact point for all kinds of questions concerning the waterside and landside infrastructure, the safety of navigation for vessels, port railway facilities, port property management and business conditions in the port. The HPA ensures the provision of land as required, carries out all statutory duties placed on it and provides port industry services. It markets port-specific technical knowledge and represents the interests of the Port of Hamburg at a national and international level.
www.hamburg-port-authority.de
Contact: Hamburg Port Authority AöR | Press Office | Tel.: +49 40 42847-2300 | E-mail: pressestelle@hpa.hamburg.de
