Greater Anglia has installed a new £4.9 million train sanding system at its Crown Point depot in Norwich, improving the way trains are prepared for challenging rail conditions and reducing manual handling for depot staff.
Sand plays an important role in train traction and braking, helping wheels maintain grip on the rails, particularly during autumn and winter when contamination can create slippery conditions.
The previous process at Crown Point involved staff manually transferring sand from five-kilogram bags. As well as requiring considerably more manual handling, moving the sand between bags and trains created a risk of moisture causing it to solidify, potentially damaging onboard equipment.
The new installation replaces that process with a 30-tonne storage silo containing kiln-dried sand.
A dedicated compressed-air system then distributes the sand around the depot through approximately 500 metres of pipework operating at seven bar pressure. The network runs beneath the tracks and connects to 55 individual dispensing points across the fuelling area and three nearby servicing lines.
The dispensing points operate in a similar way to fuel pumps, with depot staff lifting a nozzle and filling the train’s onboard sand boxes. The equipment automatically stops dispensing once the required level has been reached.
A further 108 task-light bollards have been installed to provide improved visibility and support safer working around the equipment.
The investment is particularly significant during the autumn and winter months, when poor railhead conditions can substantially increase the amount of sand required by trains.
Crown Point services around 27 trains every 24 hours and can use up to three tonnes of sand per day during the busiest periods.
More efficient and reliable sanding supports train performance by improving traction and braking during difficult conditions, helping reduce the potential for delays and disruption caused by low adhesion.
Andrew Goodrum, Infrastructure and Major Projects Director for Greater Anglia, said: “Our staff at Crown Point Depot in Norwich work incredibly hard to ensure our trains are cleaned, serviced and ready to take passengers safely and punctually from A to B.
“This new, modern sand dispensing system involves much less manual work than before, making it easier for everyone to use, and enabling us to provide a better, more reliable service for the region.”
The investment adds to the modernisation of Greater Anglia’s maintenance capability at Crown Point, with the depot playing a key role in keeping the operator’s fleet available for passenger services across the East of England.
