R&B Switchgear Group has undertaken a significant transport project with Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM), upgrading their heritage Whipp & Bourne DC high speed circuit breakers to maximise the performance of Australia’s leading rail network.
The project was part of a landmark investment by Public Transport Victoria, designed to remove nine of Melbourne’s most congested level crossings and rebuild five stations on the busiest lines.
The government aims to upgrade the ageing power systems to allow for a 42% capacity increase – that’s the equivalent to an extra 20,000 passengers a day!
To meet these ever-increasing demands, the team of specialist engineers from R&B have successfully upgraded 24 Whipp & Bourne MM74s from 2000ADC to 4000ADC, ensuring that the circuit breakers can function with the increased power supply.
All parts required for the upgrade were manufactured at the company’s dedicated facility in the UK, before being transported to Melbourne where the specialist team fully installed and tested each asset.
During the installation, R&B’s engineers were able to offer a significantly reduced period of downtime through their innovative solutions – something which was particularly critical to the operation of the transport network.
As part of this turnkey project, R&B also carried out bespoke training for 35 MTM team members, upskilling the local engineers in the correct use, maintenance and testing of their upgraded equipment.
The project has been hailed as a huge success by the team at Public Transport Victoria and Metro Trains Melbourne due to the significant savings the organisations have made by upgrading their switchgear, rather than investing in costly replacements.
Lead project manager at R&B Switchgear Group, Ian Penswick said: “We are thrilled to have been a part of this major project with the leading transport teams in Melbourne.
“When we embarked on this particular project, we knew that the aftercare was going to be key; ensuring the local engineers can continue to service and maintain their assets without needing to rely on third party support. This is something we’re seeing more demand for group-wide and we’re developing more and more bespoke training programmes, tailored to the needs of our clients.
“We have a long-standing relationship with MTM and look forward to supporting them and their many passengers in the future!”
To find out more about R&B Switchgear Group and how the team can extend the life cycle of your electrical assets email the team at info@rbswitch.com.
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Rail
R&B keeps Melbourne moving with MM74 HSCB Upgrades
