Railcarenews 2021

Railcarenews News and information | Issue 26 | May 2021

Page 4-5

Page 12-13

Premiere of the MPV

The culture resides in everyone Page 14-15

Emad Zand, Northvolt About electrification

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Engine conversion for reduced emission

Innovations for a greener railway The year 2020 was, to say the least, a strange year for everyone. It also became clear to us that the railway is a priority. It must function even in times of crisis. The light at the end of the tunnel is vaccination, which is now in full swing in many countries – so we must continue to have patience even in 2021.

Continued tr Railcare’s ore train en-route to Narvik

Over the past year, our full focus has been on our home markets in Scandinavia and the UK. All of our operations have delivered and, as always, they have done so reliably and with a high level of quality.

Around the world, there is great demand from the railway industry and we are working to meet only a fraction of this. Internationally, there are numerous railways, metros, industrial and mining tracks that are in great need of maintenance and new technology for keeping them in a safe and reliable state. For many years, Railcare has developed innovative new solutions for the railway and the company has extensive experience of operating these machines. We are now ready to take new steps into new markets around the world and to help customers with modern machines and with beneficial, efficient and environmentally friendly working methods.

At Railcare, we perceive considerable focus on the railway in times of crisis. I believe that the railway industry will receive increased funding for maintenance, with countries continuing to invest in their facilities. Both to have a robust railway and to kick-start the national economy following the pandemic.

We had a record year in 2020, both in terms of sales and earnings, while volumes remained stable, with long-term agreements in both transport and construction operations. Going forward, I perceive continued development in our domestic markets and a growing interest in our exports of machines to other countries. Our vacuum excavating technology for the railway is world-leading. We apply innovative methods for snow removal on the railway and we are now also world leaders in battery solutions for working vehicles on the railway. With these solutions and with our personnel as our principal resource, we are building the Railcare of the future and a greener railway.

Put it all together and the future looks exciting to say the least.

In this issue of Railcare News, you can read more about our innovations, operations and much more.

Have a pleasant read!

DANIEL ÖHOLM

CEO, Railcare Group AB 2 | RA I L CAR ENEWS 2 02 1

The partnership between Railcare and Kaunis Iron continues with a ten-year contract for transports of iron ore. It is a distance of 220 kilometres between Pitkäjärvi and Narvik, and Railcare T operates two round trips per day, seven days a week along this route.

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ining company Kaunis Iron is steaming ahead at full speed and summed up 2020 as a record year, despite the pandemic. High demand for iron ore from China, for example, and reduced supply following production challenges in South America are driving up prices.

“As a relatively new company, Kaunis Iron, has benefited from this. We achieved our production targets in 2020, and definitely exceeded our financial expectations,” says Klas Dagertun, CEO of Kaunis Iron AB. From mine to customer The iron ore concentrate is transported by truck from

rust from Kaunis Iron

the mine in Pajala to the Pitkäjärvi transhipment terminal, outside Kiruna. There, the ore is loaded onto a train for the 220 kilometre run to Narvik. Each train set comprises 2 locomotives and 36 wagons and carries an average load of 3,100 tonnes. Railcare operates two round trips per day, seven days a week, making a total volume of about 2.3 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Once in Narvik, the ore is loaded onto a ship for onward transport to the customers’ steelworks.

Valuable contract The new contract for iron ore transports is valued at SEK 740 million and runs until November 2031. Just as before, the wagons are owned by Kaunis Iron, while Railcare T provides the hauling and shunting locomotives. Railcare T is responsible for planning train assembly, shunting resources in connection with transhipment from truck to rail at the Pitkäjärvi terminal and at the docks in Narvik, as well as for operating the trains along the line in between.

Beneficial collaboration continues “We are pleased to have won Kaunis Iron’s continued trust.

Given our northern Swedish roots, participating in this project, which reinforces northern Sweden’s reputation as

a producer of high-quality iron ore, feels particularly positive. This has become the long-term relationship we hoped for when the collaboration began in 2018,” says Daniel Öholm, CEO of Railcare Group AB. Johan Hansén, Production Manager for Railcare T continues: “We have a good collaboration with personal contact channels and flexible working methods. The new contract provides stability for Railcare T and shows that we can deliver beneficial solutions, particularly with regard to special transports.”

Great demand among steelworks globally At Kaunis Iron in Pajala, production of iron ore products continues, passing 2,084 thousand tonnes in 2020. Their unique iron ore concentrate offers benefits in terms of quality and the environment in demand among steelworks around the world, making the logistics chain extra important.

“The ten-year contract with Railcare is positive. It establishes a long-term perspective for our continued operations and affords us the conditions to continue developing our partnership,” concludes Klas Dagertun, CEO of Kaunis Iron AB.

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The culture resides in everyone

Can a corporate culture promote inventiveness?

And what is it that makes Railcare innovative, 29 years after its founding?

We posed these questions to Daniel Öholm, CEO and Ulf Marklund, one of the founders and the Deputy CEO of Railcare.

“E

ljest” (pronounced ell-yest) is a word used to describe Railcare. It’s a Northern Swedish expression for different, odd or divergent.

Ulf Marklund, Deputy CEO explains: “We frequently do things a little different and solve problems in new ways. Actually, we rarely come up with completely new inventions. Instead, we package established

“The employees are our most important eyes and ears.”

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technologies that others have developed and apply them out on the tracks.”

The culture is not in the walls Since the beginning in 1992, Railcare has grown in terms of business areas, units and employees. Ulf was one of the founders and is a clear bearer of culture today. Daniel Öholm began in 2010 and today is the CEO. “Railcare’s culture isn’t in the walls and buildings. It resides in each one of our skilled employees, who want to solve the customer’s problems and is especially important out on the tracks,” says Daniel, and Ulf continues: “The employees are our most important eyes and ears.

Many improvements have their beginning among the machine operators, who can call me or Daniel and share their ideas. Everything might not become a finished solu-

tion, but in order for us to continue developing, their calls are both appreciated and important.”

inventive and address issues in new ways. Many are also competitive, which contributes to our focus.”

Familiar company spirit Part of Railcare’s strategy has been to retain the familiar company spirit. In part, by not growing with overly large units. The subsidiaries are rarely larger than 30 people, which provides a flat organisation that can be agile.

Innovations to be proud of In conclusion, Daniel and Ulf have the opportunity to describe what innovation they are most proud of. Both think about it and then Daniel responds: “It was actually genius to begin melting the snow on the tracks instead of transporting it away, but the actual idea to melt snow isn’t unique in itself. We had to test our way forward until everything worked as it should, but today, our snowmelters can make it easier for the Swedish Transport Administration when there’s a lot of snow.”

“Both Railcare and the customers should benefit from everything developed.”

The best ideas are handled in a defined approach with clear decision-making pathways. We look at the solution’s business benefit and customer benefit and then the business is worked out. Both Railcare and the customers should benefit from everything developed.

So is there anything that unites Railcare’s employees? The question goes to Daniel.

“Energy, that’s something I think everyone has. We are

Ulf, who has been there from the beginning, adds: “I’m most proud that the company that once began as an engine shed in Skellefteahamn is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm today. The road there consists of many ideas and technical aspects, but that’s the journey I’m most proud of.”

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Over the years, Railcare has developed and further developed both new and already established technologies and products.

You can read about them on the next page..

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Railcare innovations over the years Here, we offer readers a brief insight into Railcare’s major innovations over the years. From Railvac’s vacuum technology in 1992 to today’s latest innovation, the battery-powered MPV.

1992

Railvac

The founders of Railcare, Ulf Marklund and Leif Dahlqvist, took the vacuum technology used in suction trucks and adapted it for the railway. This would be the company’s starting shot and excavating using vacuum has proven beneficial in many areas on the railway.

2002

Re-lining

Railcare scaled up the already existing method of lining an existing pipe with a flexible fibreglass sock, which is then cured with UV light. This provided a simplified method for renovating culverts beneath rail lines without disturbing train traffic.

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2011

Innovative snow removal

Why remove snow when you can melt it?

Although melting snow is nothing unique, developing a machine that can do so efficiently on the railway was a breakthrough. The snow removal contract with the Swedish Transport Administration also provided the opportunity to develop more innovative methods for snow removal on the railway, such as the flexible SR 200 snow plough.

2015 Ballast Feeder System

Having the Railvac to efficiently excavate ballast, Railcare then developed complementary ballast refilling equipment. The Ballast Feeder System established a highly-efficient, reliable and safe industrial concept.

2020

Multi Purpose Vehicle

Electrification is making progress in many areas of society. Railcare took on the challenge of lifting battery technology for industrial machines to a new level, to be able to manage the company’s own railway machines. The result was the MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle), the largest battery-powered maintenance machine on the railway.

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UV-cured lining best for the environment Towards the end of 2020, the Swedish Transport Administration released its report “Lining – an overall assessment”. This was the result of about two years assessing lining methods and the environmental impacts of the curing techniques used.

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t Railcare, lining is an established technique. The first culvert was renovated in 2003, with good strength being maintained and, over the ensuing years, the method applied has been UV-cured fibreglass-reinforced lining. Tobias Lindgren, Operations Manager at Railcare Lining, says: “We take a very positive of the Swedish Transport Administration having produced this report. Railcare participated in the evaluations on which the report has been based and the Swedish Transport Administration has been in attendance when we have lined several culverts to measure and document values. It is useful to obtain a comprehensive view of which technologies are the most environmentally friendly. That will improve the entire industry.”

Major differences shown between techniques Two different lining processes are currently available in the market: Felt lining and fibreglass-reinforced lining. Felt lining is heat-cured using water vapour or hot water, while 8 | RA I L CAR ENEWS 2 02 1

fibreglass-reinforced lining is cured using UV light. The report shows that felt lining technique requires a thicker pipe wall to achieve the same strength as fibreglass-lined lining.

Styrene is used as the reactive solvent in both techniques.

However, the analysis showed substantial differences in the levels of residual styrene following the curing process, depending on the type of feed and the curing method used.

In 2018, the Swedish Transport Administration conducted follow-ups on culverts where different lining measures had been performed. The results showed that heat-cured felt lining left styrene levels in the water exceeding the PNEC (Predicted No-Effect Concentration) value several weeks after installation. On the other hand, lining using UV-cured fibreglass-reinforced lining emits significantly lower styrene levels in water and showed values below PNEC as early as just one hour following the culvert having been returned to use.

Railcare’s method most environmentally friendly “This confirms that Railcare’s relining method is currently the most environmentally friendly. Fibreglass-reinforced lining provides the greatest strength and can thus be applied thinner, maximising water flow. We also see that UV curing provides minimal styrene emissions. Other environmental benefits of relining culverts rather than replacing them include savings in the amount of time in which machinery is used, reduced emissions from excavators, and avoiding the need to redirect traffic. We can do the job with very little impact on traffic and can significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions overall,” says Tobias Lindgren.

“This confirms that Railcare’s relining method is currently the most environmentally friendly.”

Also suitable for environmental culverts The report also shows that Railcare’s method produces such low emissions that it is suitable even for the most demanding wet culverts, or “environmental culverts”.

“Here we can provide clients with documentation simplifying their applications to the County Administrative Board for hydrological activities, where an application is required before measures can be taken,” Tobias Lindgren concludes.

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Herrljunga to Borås 45 kilometres of preparations Between Herrljunga and Borås, the Swedish Transport Administration has 43 kilometres of railway referred to as “System M”. The tracks are to be replaced and the ballast cleaned along this entire stretch. Railcare began the work in 2020 and has continued in 2021. Here, Anders Magnusson and Piere Högberg from the Swedish Transport Administration tell us more about the project.

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ost of the project will be carried out during a complete closure of the line in the autumn of 2021.

The intermediate Ljung and Fristad sites, as well as the Borgstena line site will be completely demolished.

Both tracks and switches are to be replaced and, with remote blocking also being introduced, including the widespread installation of computerised switching gear.

Anders Magnusson, sub-project manager for signalling at the Swedish Transport Administration says: “Ahead of the main contract and to minimise risks in implementation, the Swedish Transport Administration chose to

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use Railcare for the preparatory work. This has involved the lowering of existing cables, laying of new, intermediate-site (copper) cables and a new multi-duct (plastic pipe) for drawing micro fibre.”

Minimal disruption to work “Railcare’s working methods are non-intrusive, allowing work to be performed at night, as the track is not used for traffic, entailing minimal risk of disruption to operations.

Most of the cable lowering and laying could therefore take place without affecting the track stability,” says Anders.

“This project has also involved new tasks and training initiatives for Railcare, as their normal commitment was expanded with both intermediate-site cable and multi-duct,” he continues. “Here, too, we were met by a true spirit of cooperation, which worked extremely well for both parties.”

“We have been able to take advantage of Railcare’s extensive experience of cable lowering.”

Continuous checks and qualitative data Piere Högberg, sub-project manager at the Swedish Transport Administration, has also been involved in the project.

“We have been able to take advantage of Railcare’s extensive experience of cable lowering. They have been solution-oriented and continuously submitted proposals that we have discussed and on which we have taken a position. The data has been qualitative with accurate forecasts, making our internal planning and budgeting working smoother and increasing its accuracy,” says Piere.

Anders Magnusson sums up the preparatory work by saying “With excellent implementation, we now have a well-prepared and documented facility, ready for the upcoming contract. Some additional cable lowering remains in locations not accessible during the first stage. These preparations are being performed this spring and have been entrusted to Railcare.”

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A Railvac working with cable lowering

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A wind of optimism but also some rain at Railcare’s world premiere

One October morning in a cloudy, rainy and close to stormy Skelleftehamn, Railcare’s guests braved the weather to participate in the company’s showing for the press of the world’s largest battery-powered railway maintenance machine.

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isitors gathered at Railcare’s headquarters protected by umbrellas, reinforced tents and weatherproof clothing. Given the prevailing pandemic, the inauguration was held at two locations in parallel. The inauguration speeches and demonstrations of the machine took place outdoors and were also filmed. At the same time, and protected from the rain, the other guests participated in the inauguration via a large screen, inside Railcare’s workshop.

Sustainability emphasised Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure, Tomas Eneroth was in attendance, as was Minister for Employment, Eva Nordmark and the County Governor of Västerbotten, Helene Hellmark Knutsson.

They all emphasised the sustainability aspects of Railcare’s latest innovation.

“Sweden is to become the world’s first fossil-free welfare state. In that context, Railcare’s initiative is extremely important. We state very clearly that we will be phasing out transports using fossil fuels throughout the country. Everyone facing major investment decisions will need to consider their carbon footprints and choose fossil-free transportation,” said Tomas Eneroth, Minister for Infrastructure.

Three-way collaboration The Multi Purpose Vehicle, which is commonly referred to as the MPV, has been developed by Railcare in collaboration with Epiroc and Northvolt. ABB has also been involved in the work. The goal was to create a greener maintenance

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machine for the railway – battery-powered and multi-functional.

“It’s a unique product, emissions-free and offering the same high level of performance as our other machines. I am proud of our partnerships with all involved and of our being first in the world,” said Daniel Öholm, CEO of Railcare Group.

Well-equipped and battery-powered The MPV is equipped with its own power source, vacuum pumps, hydraulics and operator cabs, which allows it to be used as a complement to Railcare’s railway vacuum cleaner and snowmelter. In connection with track work, it can also function as a towing vehicle for macadam wagons, for example.

Power is provided by Epiroc’s electric battery technology platform in combination with Northvolt batteries. The battery system is suitable for machines operating in harsh environments and traditionally powered by diesel engines. The capacity of Railcare’s MPV corresponds to 30 electric cars. Emad Zand, President Systems at Northvolt, and Erik Svedlund, Head of Marketing at Epiroc, attended the inauguration and talked about the electrification of industry on a larger scale.

“Collaborations like this provide green jobs in Sweden.

They accelerate the green transition and position Sweden as a world leader in battery electrification,” said Erik Svedlund.

Monister for Infrastructure Tomas Eneroth

Improved working environment on the railway A major advantage offered by the MPN is a reduced level of noise on the railway. This aspect was also emphasised by Sweden’s Minister for Labour: “This allows significant improvement of the working environment on the railway, and for densely populated areas not to be affected negatively by emissions and high levels of noise,” said Eva Nordmark, Minister for Labour.

Could become a game changer “With the MPV, Railcare contributes to a more sustainable future. We can improve the working environment by reducing exhaust fumes and noise, which is in particular demand in city centres, tunnels and mines. This machine

could become a game changer for the entire railway industry,” continued Daniel Öholm, CEO of Railcare Group.

Active visitors Following the inaugural speech and the unveiling, the County Governor and the Government Ministers were given the opportunity to try out the MPV, which had been fitted with a Railvac Material Container for the day. With the help of a control panel, they were able to manoeuvre the active machine, eliciting both laughter and looks of admiration from onlookers. Macadam was vacuumed up from the rail yard with the same grim determination as the weather, powered entirely by batteries.

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From left: Tomas Eneroth, Helene Hellmark Knutsson, Eva Nordmark, Daniel Öholm, Ulf Marklund

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Emad Zand, President Systems at Northvolt:

- The electrification has just begun Right now, Europe's largest battery factory is being established in Skellefteå in Northern Sweden. Northvolt has secured financing of USD 3.5 billion and today has 1,300 employees, of whom about one hundred are in Skellefteå. Emad Zand was one of the first to join the project.

He shares his visionary perspective and Northvolt’s role in the electrification with Railcare.

Emad Zand President Systems at Northvolt

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mad grew up in Linköping with parents who came from Iran. He is described as driven, civically engaged and enterprising.

“As a family, we had to make a class journey in Sweden.

From my parents’ study grant, to mum becoming an entrepreneur and to me ending up at the school of economics.

Early on, I was able to see that the higher one climbs in society, the more opportunity one has to improve, or make life worse, for other people.”

Young and driven In 2015, Emad sold one of his companies. He was looking for a new company to invest in and got in touch with Northvolt and its founder Peter Carlsson after having read about the company.

“Peter described Northvolt’s vision and the impact it would have on both the climate and society’s transformation. I was attracted by the high level of ambition and the culture,

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where Peter let driven young people step up.”

Today, Emad holds the titles of President Systems at Northvolt and “father of two”. He regularly meditates and practices the martial arts and reflects about his days on the road having decreased considerably. Both because of the pandemic, but mainly because his team has grown and younger talents can take on more.

Circular mission Northvolt’s vision is to enable the energy system of the future. Emad describes it like this: “We see our mission as being circular. From the requirement specification to the mines, to then take in pure metals all the way to the battery, with a defined data model. Thereafter, we follow our batteries out with traceability so that they can come back for recycling. When the circle is closed, the business model is complete. Thereafter, it’s about scaling up to reach more people in the world.”

Today, Northvolt’s commitment has led to a research facility in Västerås, the battery factory in Skellefteå being expanded with a recycling factory and factories also being established in Germany and Poland. Northvolt makes parts under its own direction and in partnership with others.

The second leg of Northvolt’s business model is securing battery systems that others can use to accelerate electrification. The collaboration with Epiroc, for example, has resulted in battery solutions for mining machines and railway machines, such as Railway’s latest innovation, the maintenance machine called the Multi Purpose Vehicle.

“The most important link right now is a green, inexpensive and ethical battery. First up are the cars, then light and heavy trucks, mining and railway machines, heavy industry applications and also short distances in the marine sector.

This is why these kinds of collaborative arrangements are so incredibly important to us,” explains Emad.

“I hope and believe that what we manufacture in the future will be used and shared by many people.”

When we ask Emad to share his vision of a fossil-free society, he paints this picture.

“In a fossil-free Europe, large parts of the energy will come from wind, water and solar power. Advanced industries produce high-performance materials, such as batteries, electric motors, control systems and software to optimise electric power. We see parking spaces with chargers, solar energy on most buildings and membership in carpools. It’s a waste of resources today that we use so much material and raw material to make cars that have one owner and are often not being used. I hope and believe that what we manufacture in the future will be used and shared by many people.”

Construction of the Northvolt battery factory in Skellefteå

From left: Erik Svedlund, Epiroc, and Emad Zand at Railcare´s world premiere of the MPV

The vision of a fossil-free society What then will this mean for Sweden as a country? Here, Emad emphasizes our access to and expertise concerning green electricity, which also includes software, server halls and online services.

“There are both raw materials and money in the world today. What we have the least of in this area is expertise.

If we can attract 1,300 people from 70 different countries, it’s not just a good mark for Northvolt as a company, but for Sweden as a country. This gives us an expertise advantage in the field.”

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Fun facts from the locations where our operations are based Railcare currently maintains operations in four locations. In Sweden, the head office is located in Skelleftehamn, there is also an office in Stockholm and a railway workshop in Långsele. Our location in the UK is in Derby, a prominent railway hub. The following is a selection of anecdotes and facts from the various locations in which we operate.

DERBY The world’s first factory Derby Silk Mill is known as the world’s oldest factory. It opened as a silk weaving mill in 1721 and today it is a museum presenting Derby’s long industrial history.

Inventor of the hot dog Harry M Stevens was an inventor from Derby who emigrated to the US in the 19th century. He introduced the baseball scorecard and beverages that could be drunk through paper straws. It is also said that he launched the idea of hot “dachshund sausages” in bread rolls, for hungry fans before baseball games in New York.

Knowledge hub for railways and trains Since the mid-19th century, Derby has been the proud home of railway engineering companies and train manufacturers.

Rolls Royce headquarters It was here that Henry Royce and Charles Rolls joined forces to start the company Rolls Royce. Their first car, the six-cylinder Silver Ghost, was launched in 1906, and today the company is a major player in the automotive and aerospace industries.

LANGSELE A Swedish railway hub Långsele is a railway junction and station at which various lines meet and intersect. The main line passes through Langsele, which grew into a town as the railway expanded.

Gradin brothers ice hockey legends Thomas and Peter Gradin are the Langsele brothers, who became legendary in Swedish ice hockey history. Peter won gold in the Swedish Championship with AIK in 1982. He also participated in the Winter Olympics 1984. The elder brother, Thomas, was recruited early to the Vancouver Canucks where he played for eight years.

Faxalven River The 400-kilometre Faxalven River runs through the province. The Meaforsen rapids is one of Sweden’s best sites for fishing grayling and, alongside the popular Langsele Camping campsite, visitors can swim in the beautiful river.

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SKELLEFTEHAMN Previously named Kallholmen The history of Skelleftehamn began in about 1900, when it was called Kallholmen. It was originally a fishing community and was renamed Skelleftehamn when the merchant port was established. The community built up around the large Rönnskär smelting plant in connection with Boliden finding gold nearby in 1924.

Pokerbacken A site on the promenade took its name from the card game poker. Many workers gathered here after receiving their weekly wages. According to the history books, professional poker players also came to the site to win large sums of money from the locals.

Islands and boat marina Boats large and small crowded in the Kurjoviken marina to ferry guests to their holiday homes and to the islands of the archipelago. A popular island destination is Gasoren, whose lighthouse has guided seafarers since 1881.

Pouring up the local brew If you enjoy locally produced drinks, there is both Fermenteriet, a microbrewery offering popular beers, and Kurjovikens, a distillery that has recently launched its first gin.

STOCKHOLM Restaurant from 1722 The historic restaurant Gyldene Freden, in the Old Town, opened its doors in 1722 and is the oldest preserved eatery in Stockholm. This makes it one of the world’s oldest restaurants remaining in use.

Old Town Stockholm’s Old Town, “Gamla Stan”, grew up in the Middle Ages and is the city’s historic centre. The Old Town is considered one of the world’s largest and best-preserved medieval city centres and remains very popular with visitors.

Most museums per capita in the world With almost 100 museums, Stockholm is said to have the most museums per capita in the world. One of the most visited is “Abba the Museum”. Reconstructed environments are presented here, as well as original items from the group’s career. A piano has been connected to Benny Andersson’s present-day studio, so that it starts playing by itself as Benny jams in his studio.

A capital of islands and bridges The city is built on 14 islands connected by 57 bridges and Stockholm’s archipelago comprises some 30,000 islands.

More than 30 percent of Stockholm’s surface area is water and many claim that the archipelago is what makes Stockholm one of the world’s most beautiful capitals.

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Award-winning wagon Kiruna Wagon is one of Scandinavia’s leading manufacturers of railway wagons for the mining industry. There is extensive experience here with customer-specific solutions, and when Northland Resources needed a new type of high-capacity offloading, the result was a Helix Dumper. An innovative award winner that has resonated around the world.

This is how it started When 110 wagons were on tender for LKAB and Kockums Industrier in 2004, Fredrik Kangas was appointed Quality Manager and the consortium was restarted.

“We realised that this would be a long-term project and we set out strategic goals so as not to confuse the separate operations with the consortium. This entailed us starting up a separate organisation with its own premises. That was the basis for today’s Kiruna Wagon,” Fredrik explains.

In 2005, Fredrik took over as CEO and, after two years, the initial objectives had been met. They discovered their unique position in Kiruna and Gällivare.

“We realised that people headed south to get answers to their problems, and then turned back north. Nowhere

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else in Europe did people know how to transport heavy, long and robust trains in a harsh winter climate. We solve problems right here and have the conditions for building the world’s best ore transports. Today, we secure most contracts in Scandinavia and have produced customised solutions for all of our customers. Our product portfolio now covers all of the rail transport needs of the mining industry.”

Unloading challenges In 2012, when Northland Resources was to start up the Kaunisvaara mine, a challenge emerged regarding the unloading of the railway wagons at the docks in Narvik.

The iron ore concentrate to be transported was moist and risked freezing to the bottom of the hopper. For this reason, established solutions with bottom-emptying wagons had to be abandoned. Contracted expertise from the US and Canada advocated a rotary car dumper, which simply turns the wagon upside down. This turned out to be highly costly for the large volumes concerned.

Photo: Fredric Alm

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he Kiruna Wagon is based on a collaborative project between three mechanical workshops in Kiruna. The consortium has frequently collaborated to be able to take on larger projects than they would have been able to handle individually. This has provided experience and created a favourable climate of cooperation.

Unloading of the Helix wagons in Narvik

Collaboration with ÅF Through ÅF in Luleå, contact was made with Hilding Månström who had previously worked with LKAB and who had also devised an unloading solution for a wagon transporting drill cuttings during the boring of a drainage tunnel. The principle was based on a wagon with robust hinges and a hopper mounted on a spiral for unloading.

“They contacted us, asking if we sought to develop such a solution. Obviously, since we are located in the region and work with customer-specific systems, we were interested, and after contract negotiations, Kiruna Wagon took on the project,” Fredrik recalls.

Alongside ÅF, they designed and scaled up production to the current arrangement.

“As we were short of time, we built the prototype in parallel with starting up series production. In the railway industry, the process of type approval is time consuming, so quite a few of us were biting our nails when the first Helix Dumper, a 100-tonne wagon, was to be tested. When we saw how smoothly it went, we all breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that the solution worked incredibly well,” Fredrik continues.

Award-winning Helix Dumper Today, many around the world have shown an interest in the Helix Dumper system. In 2017, Kiruna Wagon was one of 200 companies nominated for the Swedish Steel Prize.

To be nominated, the solution must be innovative, include

high-strength materials and provide increased customer value. By winning the award, the Helix Dumper attracted further attention.

“There is a high ratio between the unloaded weight of the

“... the traditional solutions will die out like dinosaurs.”

Helix Dumper wagons and their weight when fully loaded.

We have achieved this through good design but also by using high-strength steel. The wagons also have an extremely high unloading capacity. We have performed tests at up to 35,000 tonnes per hour and measurements show almost no increased forces into the wagon, despite the higher rate,” Fredrik explains.

“Our former technical manager even claimed that when this gains a foothold in the major mining markets, the traditional solutions will die out like dinosaurs,” he concludes.

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Linda Krondahl CEO of Things in Stockholm

Building bridges for new partnerships and innovations It is through innovation that we resolve problems, and new ideas bring growth and new companies being established. For this reason, all countries nurture their innovative strengths. Linda Krondahl is the CEO of Things, a company in Stockholm that seeks to foster relationships between large, established companies and innovative, small companies.

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ncubators, start-up clusters and creative meeting places are all examples of initiatives for driving innovation and growth. Many of these primarily target digital companies developing apps and software. To complement these, Things opened in Stockholm in 2015.

“In our experience, companies working with products and hardware lacked similar arenas in which to meet and generate business opportunities,” Linda Krondahl, CEO of Things explains.

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Linda’s personal journey as an innovator Linda has herself been both an innovator and an entrepreneur. Between 2007–2014, she sketched-out, developed and launched the product HiLight, a combined photovoltaic lamp and charging source. In 2011, she was named one of the super talents of the year and, in 2013, she was named Female Inventor of the Year.

“Those years taught me a lot about product development.

We had identified outdoor life as our target market, but

realised that low-income countries, with dark evenings and long distances to electric power outlets, needed our product even more. We travelled around the African countryside and held discussions with Save the Children, as well as with local organisations and public authorities. Although we fought hard, we realised that our product was too expensive to manufacture for a target group with little purchasing power. At that time, prototypes were expensive and time-consuming – a problem that we can resolve with 3D printers today,” Linda explains.

Incubator for hardware companies During her years with HiLight, Linda was part of the incubator STING, so when she was asked to help establish a meeting place for hardware companies, she was happy to do so. At Things, she shares he experiences with others and brings different actors together. Things exists as a physical location, as a digital arena and as a broad network of some 100 member companies, both Swedish and international.

Some of the larger companies include IHI Corporation, Mavenir, Assa Abloy and Husqvarna.

“Initially, our members were mainly from Stockholm. With time, an increasing number of companies outside the larger Swedish cities heard about us. And today, the number of international members is also growing. Here, companies generate innovation through new ways of working, conducting pilot projects and coming into contact with different skill sets.”

Sweden – an innovative nation So, what does innovative energy look like in Sweden as a country, and can it be measured? It is measured in the Wipo

Global Innovation Index, which ranked 131 countries in 2020. Among high-income economies, Switzerland ranked first, Sweden second, and the US third. Stockholm also has the highest number of unicorns* per capita in the world, after Silicon Valley.

“Being a small country, Sweden’s home market is also small, making it important to reach out internationally.”

“Sweden being a small country has both advantages and disadvantages. The system here provides security, but sometimes prevents people from daring to try something new. We have a high level of technical skill in this country, we are good at English and have an open character.

However, our home market is very small and reaching out internationally is important,” Linda explains.

“I would like to see more Swedish companies do business with small start-up companies, otherwise there is a risk that they will disappear or be acquired by international players. I hope that we can reach out further into the country with our projects and initiatives – there are untapped opportunities here for established companies to find solutions complementing current technology,” Linda Krondahl concludes.

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Through the meeting place Things, companies working with products and hardware can conduct pilot projects and build new partnerships..

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Reduced emissions and maintained capacity with engine conversion Sweden's locomotive fleet consists of 56 percent electric locomotives. The remaining locomotives are powered almost exclusively by fossil fuels. To reduce emissions, Railcare Lokverkstad specialises in engine conversions that extend the service life of diesel locomotives and make locomotives greener.

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he reason why many diesel locomotives cannot be electrified today is that they are largely used for railway maintenance or within switches where access to charging and electrification is reduced. The engine conversion that Railcare Lokverkstad in Långsele specialises in meets the requirements for reduced emissions and extends the service life of diesel locomotives.

In 2020, Railcare upgraded two diesel locomotives of the type T44. Both received new cleaner diesel engines and are now used daily in Railcare's projects for Kaunis Iron in Kiruna and Narvik.

Previously, these T44 locomotives were equipped with a two-stroke diesel engine from General Motors with an output of 1235kW. Railcare has replaced these with one modern four-stroke diesel engine from Caterpillar that meets emission class stage 5 and has an output of 950kW. Maintaining speed Converting an old diesel engine to a new one has some challenges. To achieve advantageously higher torque, a gearbox is installed between the engine and the generator which lowers the speed to the original engine speed.

Patrik Söderholm, Operations Manager at Railcare Lokverkstad explains: “Maintaining the previous speed brings several benefits. Among other things, the locomotive's driving positions and the T44 locomotive's already proven steering and control technology are maintained. This means that the locomotive's new modern diesel engine behaves in exactly the same way in terms of connection and downshift, slip, and driving style, which we view very positively.”

Great effects In addition to the new diesel engine and gearbox, the

conversion also consists of several other improvements and components.

A new PTO shaft has been added between the generator and gearbox, and a dimensioned bearing holder has been added to the existing main generator. This is because the previous storage disappeared in connection with the old diesel engine being removed.

Good capacity The first two engine conversions have also had a good test period with the daily transports to Kiruna and Narvik.

“We now have approximately a thousand hours of experience and everyone is very satisfied. The capacity of the converted locomotives is really good and changing an entire ore train with about 3500 tonnes is no problem. The reduced emissions are particularly positive which are also clearly evident in the diesel tank. In one month, we have reduced consumption by about a thousand litres,” concludes Patrik Söderholm.

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Trial Hole Excavation on the Cardiff Valley Lines

The Welsh Government project will see the electrification of the Core Valley Lines as well as the Coryton and City Lines through the capital down to Cardiff Bay.Transport for Wales and Amey Keolis gets a cost efficient, productive and safe solution to their problem of excavating 400 trial holes, thanks to the Railcare/Quantum Construction team.

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n mid-December 2020 the Cardiff Valley Lines electrification project was guaranteed an all-line 3 week-long blockade, this was in part due to the Covid-19 restrictions on travel and the ability to utilise bus services for the small number of passengers that still needed to use the trains. The blockade meant that the railway would be accessible for works 24hrs a day over a 3 week period commencing on 4th January 2020.

New Methods Steve Mugglestone was contacted by the responsible Project Directors/Managers from Amey Keolis to ask if Railcare could, at short notice assist them in supplying the Railvac and a small team of operatives to excavate trial holes and investigate the location of a gas main.

- The Amey Keolis teams who prior to engaging with us had always employed the “normal methods of excavating trial holes” i.e. numerous manpower teams or traditional excavators undertaking excavation and the normal methods always brought with it slow and labour-intensive production and the risk of cable strikes at any time, Steve says.

Railcare had completed this type of works in Wales previously on the GWEP project but it was the first time that the Amey Keolis team had the opportunity to employ new technology, technology that brings with it the benefits of a safe, cost-effective, and productive method of work. Steve continues: - At short notice we arranged for road haulage of our machine, the installation of a road-rail access point (RRAP), on tracking of the machine, manpower teams to work 24hrs a day, hotel accommodation, work plans, and fuel deliveries to ensure that the works started on time on the 4th of January. The Railvac works started the next day and over

the next three weeks we were planned to work 24hrs a day to complete the task.

Great Results The Railcare/Quantum teams completed the works on time, on budget, and most importantly safely without incident or accident and the project team stated that there has never been a project that was so far in front with trial hole work and most importantly how this enabled them to bring forward and surge ahead with the OHLE structure design and installation phases of the works.

“A professional and proactive approach.”

Steve Mugglestone again: - The Railvac works also allowed the project team and the local Welsh service providers to find, pinpoint and record the position of the gas main which makes any future work on or around the gas main for rail and service company contractors much safer.

Amey Keolis commented on how well the team worked, how professional and proactive they were in their approach to the works, and how well they all conducted themselves throughout.

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Train trips to be

experienced

Despite the pandemic period, with restrictions that we all have to stick to, we are looking forward to travelling and creating new memories.

Here, Railcare’s own employee Sofie Dåversjö talking about some of her most interesting and fantastic train trips.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

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When we were in Northern Australia to visit the Great Barrier Reef and had taken the plane from Sydney to Cairns, we were told it was an absolute must to experience the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest.

We chose to do so in several ways, one of which was to take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway to Kuranda. Kuranda was established in 1885 and the construction of the railway from Cairns finally reached Kuranda six years later. The current railway station was completed in 1915.

During the train trip from Kuranda, we experienced fantastic and incredible natural sights, which we had previously only been able to see via Skyrail, but now from a different perspective where waterfalls and rainforest could be seen up close. The world’s oldest rainforest made no mistake of impressing us on our trip down from Kuranda.

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Machu Picchu - Cusco

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During a trip to South America at the end of 2015 to hike the Inca Trail, we had a chance to experience an incredibly beautiful train trip. It takes you either round trip to Cusco to experience Machu Picchu, or you can take the train back after a few days’ hiking on the Inca Trail, which ends with a beautiful view at the “sun gate” to then experience the Inca city Machu Picchu.

“After a guided tour through Machu Picchu, we took a bus down to Aguas Calientes (Machupicchu Pueblo) to await our train that was to take us back to Cusco. This trip is a bit of a nightmare for us who work on railways as the tracks are incredibly narrow and not very well maintained. However, it was wonderful to experience the nature and the train, which we had previously seen from a distance when we were hiking the Inca Trail.

Nairobi - Mombasa

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A safari through Kenya in 2013 was wrapped up by taking the night train from Nairobi to Mombasa for several days’ holiday in the sun. The trip began at Nairobi Railway Station, an antiquated building from 1899, and ended in Mombasa. With all of the delays, stops and switching, which are done manually, the trip took up to 20 hours.

The train set we travelled with had probably never been renovated and was surely brought into use in the early 1900s.

Along the way, we were able to experience many fantastic views of Kenya’s plains and its fantastic animal and natural life. Something that was interesting was that there were many residents in Nairobi who made this trip every weekend to enjoy the sun and swimming. Despite the long journey, they felt that it was worth the time and that that they were able to enjoy Kenya’s beautiful, untouched nature time and again. .

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Railcarenews is published by Railcare Group AB info@railcare.se, www.railcare.se Näsuddsvägen 10, Box 34, 932 21 Skelleftehamn Tel 0910-43 88 00 You are welcome to reproduce the content, provided the source is stated.

Support for healthcare and industry during pandemic

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he Swedish government decided to reduce employers’ contributions for March to June 2020 to support companies during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although Railcare was not dependent on the reduced employer contributions, the reductions were welcome, and a decision was therefore made to use the funds to help, for example, healthcare and industry in the geographical areas in which the company operates.

Railcare partnered with local restaurants to distribute 8,400 lunch boxes to health centres, hospitals and to staff at homes for the elderly. Railcare ordered 3,000 litres of hand sanitiser from whiskey manufacturer Mackmyra (which had adapted its production processes). The hand sanitiser was donated to health care facilities, among others. The initiative also resulted in a nomination for Survivor of the Year at Skellefteå’s Alvargan business gala.

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