Halcrow has extensive knowledge of both rail passenger and freight operations including high-speed, regional and metro systems.
Having represented organisations from all areas of the industry, we have provided support to governments and operators on franchise tenders in the UK.
We have helped develop feasibility plans for organisations around the world to improve capacity on passenger networks and have assisted in the early design aspects of high speed lines. Rail freight has become increasingly dynamic over the last 10 to 15 years.
In the UK, Europe and elsewhere, extensive restructuring and privatisation has created a highly diverse and competitive rail freight sector. Halcrow has been involved in a number of these restructuring programmes, providing business plans, restructuring advice, capacity and operations analysis and conducting due diligence for clients around the world.
We also provide strategic advice to governments and other bodies in the use of rail as a means to meet sustainable transport and development goals.
Halcrow understands that the development of effective strategies for rail infrastructure and operations (including traction and rolling stock) reduce the overall operating costs, improve utilisation and reduce the number of failures in services.
Halcrow’s personnel offer a complete service for the effective delivery of rail services, covering all aspects of train service provision from feasibility through to detailed train planning, resource optimisation, and performance management.
Halcrow has been closely associated with the state-of-the-art computerised train planning tools, and brings industry best practice and confidence of delivery to our projects.
Our rail operations services cover:
Route capacity assessment and management including:
- sectional running times
- performance calculations
- feasibility testing
- track alignment assessments/recommendations
- traction performance simulation and optimisation
- simulation techniques for bottlenecks and critical locations
- junction and headway margins
- capacity analysis
Timetabling using Voyager Plan software including:
- development of new system timetables
- improving on existing timetables
- development of traction and rolling stock diagrams
- development of train-crew diagrams (using Tracsis)
Costs and performance including:
- performance modelling
- performance measurement and improvement
- cost modelling
Freight including:
- wagon deployment plans
- terminal planning
- operational advice
- control specifications
- risk management
- yard and terminal design
- coastal freight movements
Operational studies including:
- safety audits (level crossing studies)
- station access strategies (for station upgrades)
- transport studies (for developers)
- freight facility grant appraisals