Genies in a Tunnel but not in a hole!

21st December 2011

Genie in a tunnel but not in a hole

The Crossrail route will link existing Network Rail services from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east with new underground stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel. During construction, Crossrail will include the boring of five twin-bore tunnels totaling 21 kilometers.

Operating in such an environment has required us to work closely with the customer on the specification of the powered access platforms we have supplied, therefore these Genie Z45/25 IC models will include multiple safety features including Fogmaker onboard fire suppression systems designed to activate should the machines engine or hydraulics catch on fire.

Terry Sheilds, our UK Service Manager comments, “The initial order of these machines included several safety features that we were happy to install for our customer. The onboard Fogmaker systems play a vital part in tunnel safety and include visual and audible alarms should there be a fire within the engine compartments. With operator usable testing and split second reaction times, Fogmaker Systems will be offered in the future as an option for any customer working in this type of environment on our machines”.

The machines have also been fitted with PURItech advanced particulate filters, directional lighting, Condat hydraulic oil, hand held fire extinguishers and white noise alarms.