Zonegreen Sweeps Away Safety Worries at Broomloan

Staff at an historic Scottish rail depot are enjoying safer working conditions, thanks to 21st century technology provided by Zonegreen rail safety solutions.

The Zonegreen Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) has been installed at Glasgow maintenance facility, Broomloan, as part of a £288 million subway modernisation programme.

Working closely with client, Story Contracting, the installation was carried out as part of wider upgrades at Broomloan and provides essential physical protection to staff. DPPS is now operational on five roads in the depot, shielding employees from unauthorised vehicle movements by creating safe zones in which they can work.

DPPS allows the safe and efficient movement of vehicles around the maintenance shed, using Network Rail-approved derailers and road end panels, which staff log onto before beginning work in an area of risk. It is accompanied by the intuitive Zonegreen Depot Manager software to log all activity on the system, offering full traceability.

An electronic interlock has also been added to a new wheel lathe on road six, which is integrated into the depot protection, to prevent vehicles entering the track if the equipment is in operation.

Broomloan now houses 17 new four-car Stadler vehicles that have replaced a 12-strong fleet of 40-year-old subway trains. This has required an extension to the stabling shed, which dates back to 1896, to allow for a gap when two trains are housed on the same road. The modernisation programme also included new equipment, such as the wheel lathe and a train wash, along with the construction of an operational centre.

Zonegreen head of engineering, Christian Fletcher, said:

It has been a pleasure to see Broomloan transform from Victorian rail depot to modern maintenance facility that offers staff a comfortable and safe working environment. DPPS is the product of many years’ research and customer feedback in an ever-evolving industry and our dynamic system will serve Glasgow Subway superbly for many years to come, thanks to its ease of modification and expansion.