Ballast Nedam supplies train de-icing system to Trafikförvaltningen Stockholm

Ballast Nedam is supplying the first professional de-icing system for trains in Sweden. Swedish public transport organization Trafikförvaltningen Stockholm (TF) has purchased the system to increase the availability of its SL trains in winter. The system builds on the existing Ballast Nedam de-icing systems supplied to Deutsche Bahn.

Ballast Nedam has re-designed its existing de-icing system based on TF’s train specifications, wishes and requirements. It consists of a fully automated system which sprays the entire train with warm water for tens of minutes. The amount of water is adapted for each set of wheels depending on the degree of ice build-up. This ensures that the ice, which primarily accumulates on the underside of the train and around the wheels, will melt away quickly and evenly.

The modular system will be manufactured in the Netherlands and Sweden, in collaboration with our Swedish partner AWI Maskin AB, which is responsible for the technological installation work. The project will be ready for turnkey delivery in December 2013.

Ballast Nedam will be responsible for the maintenance of the de-icing system for at least two years after delivery. The system will be added to Ballast Nedam’s SCADA system (supervisory control and data acquisition), which is currently used to monitor over seventy natural gas filling stations and de-icing systems in Europe. AWI Maskin AB will carry out the service and maintenance work on location.

Menno Bloem, Fleetcare Product Manager at Ballast Nedam IPM fills in the background: “In recent years, Ballast Nedam has supplied several de-icing systems to Deutsche Bahn. They use these systems to de-ice both nationally operating high-speed ICE trains and regional trains in North Rhine-Westphalia. We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to introduce our train de-icing concept to other parts of Europe.”

Snow and ice can cause serious disruption and major inconvenience on rail networks. After providing a single day’s service in winter, trains are covered in snow and ice, especially on the underside and around the wheels. This creates all kinds of problems for inspection and maintenance, resulting in safety risks and downtime due to inoperative trains. The increasing awareness of the benefits of de-icing systems is turning this into a growing market. The demand for de-icing equipment in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe is expected to rise considerably in years to come.