Craigentinny Depot

Network Rail Scotland Route – Hitachi, Craigentinny Train Maintenance Centre

The Challenge

Over the course of winter during 2022, Hitachi Train Maintenance Centre suffered heating outages from the main boiler, which was beyond its economical maintenance lifespan. 

In approach to winter 2023, CPMS were engaged to carry out repairs, however, the existing system was completely obsolete and replacement parts had long been discontinued. In lieu of repair work being an option, at this stage, it was critical that a heating solution to feed the shed heating was in place for the colder months.

The Solution

CPMS procured, and installed a containerised, 1.2mw boiler system, as a stop-gap, until the new boiler room and associated plant were designed and procured for installation. 

As soon as CPMS were instructed by Network rail to commence the boiler renewal works in November, material testing, isolations, and strip out were commenced.

The boiler plant room was stripped back to a bare shell to provide a blank canvas for the new installation to be carried out. 

This provided an open space to commence first fix of, wiring, supporting boiler plant, control panel, lighting, and ancillaries. 

Following on from all plant installations to designed positions. pipework fabrication and installation was then carried out in situ throughout the boiler house, tying in with the pre-existing flow and return pipework.

New boilers were delivered to site in the latter stages of the fabrication programme, these were delivered to site, utilising skates and manual craneage then, fixed in to their corresponding concrete plinths.

Once in place the boilers were built up, burners installed and pipework fabricated up to, and connected on, to the boilers.

Finally, a new flue installation would require carried out and existing flue dismantled. 

In order to complete this element of work, CPMS carried out a temporary works design for an access scaffold and a OLE bonding design, through our supply chain. 

Once the design had suitably satisfied the engineering assurance process, a fixed scaffold was erected around the existing flue structure, under depot possession isolations, complete with accesses to reach the new flue proposed to be installed tight to the wall, and up to the top of the existing 16m high flue stack.  With the scaffold equipped with a hoist, this would facilitate the installation of the new flues, and removal of the old flue stack with as minimal manual handling as possible. 

With the new flues now installed, and the existing stack currently in the process of being dismantled, the remaining works to complete on site, are; 

Final commissioning of the boilers and supporting plant, installation of insulation and cladding to new pipework, new floor screed and decoration works.

Scope of Work; –