Pandrol has developed a threaded rail fastening system intended to reduce the labour and specialist skills required for track installation and maintenance.
The company says its SD-RE clip uses a “switch-on/switch-off” function called SD QuickFit. When the coach screw is tightened, the pre-installed clip moves from a parked position into its operating position on the rail. Loosening the screw returns it to the parked position.
According to Pandrol, the arrangement allows one person to install the clip, rather than the two often needed with conventional threaded systems. It also enables sleepers to be delivered with the fasteners pre-assembled and secured in a parked position, reducing the number of loose components handled on site.
Designed for construction and maintenance
The SD-RE has been developed to fit SKL-shaped rail seats. Pandrol says the design is intended to support mechanised tracklaying and reduce manual intervention during activities including rail replacement and rail stress management.
The company has also redesigned the plastic insulator used to prevent electrical leakage into the sleeper. A built-in ramp guides the clip into position as the screw is tightened, while factory pre-assembly is intended to improve dimensional consistency. Pandrol says this could be particularly useful on high-speed lines, where track positioning tolerances are tighter.
The development forms part of a wider response to a global shortage of track engineers, technicians and certified welders. Pandrol said the shortage was contributing to longer delivery times, higher labour costs and increased project risk, although the company’s assessment was not supported by independently cited figures in the source material.
Existing FastClip application
Pandrol’s QuickFit approach is already used in its threadless fastening systems. One recent application cited by the company is the Awaji Station Continuous Grade Separation Project in Osaka, Japan.
Hankyu Railway selected Pandrol’s FastClip FC1101 for the scheme, which covers 7.1 km of railway being rebuilt on viaduct and is intended to remove 17 level crossings. The project, approved in 2012 and under way since 2020, is expected to be completed in 2031. Pandrol said the fastening was chosen for its ability to provide a consistent toe load without manual adjustment.
The company said combining pre-assembly, automated movement of the clip and redesigned insulators could allow trackwork to be delivered and maintained by smaller, less specialised teams. Cédric Van Schammelhout, Pandrol’s product line director, outlined the development in an article published by Railway Gazette International.