An enquiry from Network Rail Local Operations Manager Robin Morel certainly piqued the interest of those at Aquarius Rail.
Robin’s requirement was to spray out large sections of graffiti at Cricklewood and various outstations in the surrounding area, he needed a self-sufficient road rail vehicle capable of carrying different colours.
After careful innovation and various meetings over Zoom in the midst of a global pandemic, the Aquarius Rail Road2Rail ‘Swift Spray’ was born.
| The solution was an Aquarius Rail R2R4x4 Land Rover attached with a paint spraying system that is transported from Road to Rail to Site for the quick & simple painting of surfaces (i.e., walls, bridges etc). Self-sufficient, the spray system is powered by the R2R4x4 Land Rover. The spray system is supplied with the capacity for pre-diluted paint (3 colours), plus capacity for water & waste for the cleaning of the spray system. Personnel are transported in the R2R4x4 cab (up to 5 people). |
After the first trial of the Aquarius Rail Road2Rail ‘Swift Spray’ Robin kindly agreed to an interview where we asked the following questions:
Why is graffiti such a problem?
“Graffiti within the boundary fence is almost always associated with trespass, the thrill to tag somewhere dangerous. Such as within a Limited clearance zone or overbridge above high voltage electrified wires often proves fatal. Whilst we accept that graffiti can be unpleasant, the cost of removal can often be high. As a public body we must adhere to the Government’s Managing Public Money principles and prioritise our expenditure on safety critical matters and those affecting the operation of the railway. For those cases that involve offensive graffiti, we will do all we can to remove this as quickly as possible.”
What problems do you typically face in your combat against graffiti?
“Racist, Homophobic, anti-Semitic, rude or offensive graffiti is targeted for removal as soon as reported but staff are often limited to track time. The removal work is predominantly completed overnight when trains are not running.”
What made you think that Aquarius Rail could help?
“Having seen the weed spray module trailer in use and having previous experience of the ‘Sand Rover’ during Autumn low adhesion periods, spraying paint seemed a natural progression to allow less manual handling and maximise spraying time on track with work lights and power”.
How did the Aquarius Rail Road2Rail ‘Swift Spray’ help?
“A constant supply of paint allows more coverage during track access and allows all materials to be conveyed from the depot to the site of work directly so no loss in time transferring materials to a track trolley or carrying by hand which is vital for the many rail locked sites”.
For more information on the Aquarius Rail Road2Rail ‘Swift Spray’ please email [email protected] or call on 01765 635021.
