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Transportation

Track: Innovation in fastenings mitigates the skills crisis

Transportation via Railway Gazette
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Advances in rail fastening system design and installation methods are helping contractors to meet rising demand for new infrastructure despite a shortage of skilled track technicians, explains Cédric Van Schammelhout of Pandrol. The rail sector is on a roll. Networks are expanding across the Asia-Pacific region Africa and South America, North American railroads are renewing their aging main line freight corridors and Europe is pushing for more capacity to support modal shift of freight and passengers onto rail. Increased urbanisation everywhere requires more rapid transit, including new or expanded suburban, metro and light rail networks. All of these require the provision of safe, efficient and resilient infrastructure. Globally, we are building and maintaining more track than at any time in recent memory. The demand is there, but the workforce needed to deliver it is not. Skilled track engineers, technicians and certified welders are in short supply world-wide. Aging workforces, slow pipelines of new entrants and the physically demanding nature of track work have combined to create a persistent gap between the tasks that need doing and the people available to do them. For the infrastructure managers and their contractors, that gap has real consequences. The ongoing skills shortage is reflected in longer project timelines, higher budgets and increased risk. When certified labour is scarce, employment costs are higher, as railways and contractors are competing for the same resources. With fewer staff on the ground, installation work takes longer, which can lead to missed delivery dates. That in turn may trigger penalty clauses written into contracts. The result is lost revenue on top of higher labour costs. In those regions where experienced track crews are hardest to recruit, the problems of resourcing a single project can stall an entire programme. Part of the answer lies in engineering design and innovation, which can absorb some of the pressure. If a task can be reconfigured to require less skill and/or less manual intervention to deliver to the required standards, the pool of people able to undertake it is widened, while the time needed to complete it shrinks. That has been Pandrol’s thinking behind much of our fastening development work over many years. Automated installation As their primary function, rail fasteners are essential to maintaining the correct track geometry under dynamic loading, and as such they are safety-critical components. For decades, Pandrol has been producing its various threadless clip fastening systems aimed at simplifying installation, reducing manual intervention and ensuring more consistent track construction. The same principles are now being extended into threaded or screwed fastenings. Traditionally, these have demanded significant on-site labour for positioning, adjustment and applying the correct torque. With many designs, installation requires two people: one to hold the fastening clip in position and one to drive in the screw to secure it. Multiplied over a significant length of track, the labour requirements increase rapidly, and such physical work can be difficult to resource at a time when skilled labour is in short supply. In response, Pandrol has invested significant time and resources into developing a threaded fastening system that could achieve similar installation efficiencies to its classic threadless designs: reducing the time, labour and skill level required, whilst enabling a clip to be installed by one person, easily and effectively. Thanks to extensive research, testing and international collaboration between our technical teams, we have been able to apply the same concepts that have been utilised successfully in the FastClip concept into the new SD (Safe Driven) range of threaded rail fasteners. The SD-RE clip offers a durable and reliable threaded fastening that has been developed to fit in SKL shaped rail seats. At the heart of the concept is a ‘switch-on/switch-off’ function known as SD QuickFit, designed to make the installation of threaded fastening systems faster, simpler and less labour-intensive. This in turn facilitates rapid track construction and efficient ongoing maintenance. Switch-on/switch-off The concept is simple. When the coach screw holding the fastening in place is tightened, the pre-installed SD clip moves automatically from its parked position into its operational position on the rail. When the screw is loosened, the clip moves back to its parked position. This allows engineers to switch the fastening on or off using a single action, eliminating the need to position the individual clips manually. The clip can also be secured in a ‘secure parked’ position for sleeper delivery and handling, preventing it from accidentally intruding into the rail seat during transport. This means that sleepers can be delivered to site fully pre-assembled, with no loose components, ready for installation. Once the rail has been put in place, tightening the coach screw moves the clip directly from the secure parked position into the service position. Unlike conventional threaded fastening systems, which often require two skilled people to release, position and secure the clips, the SD design enables a single installer to complete the operation. As well as reducing the labour requirement, this supports the use of mechanised tracklaying equipment. The benefits extend beyond new construction. The same functionality also simplifies track maintenance activities, including rail replacement and rail stress management — which is particularly relevant as changing climatic conditions mean railways have to cope with more extreme temperature variations. It all helps the infrastructure managers to complete essential work more efficiently with smaller crews. Speed and consistency As part of the update to the SD clip, Pandrol has redesigned the plastic insulator which prevents electrical leakage into the sleeper. This also improves installation efficiency. As the screw is tightened, the clip moves along a built-in ramp which guides it into position, meaning that only one person is needed to install it. The insulators can be pre-assembled in a factory environment under controlled conditions, improving their dimensional consistency and further reducing the complexity of the on-site installation. This is particularly relevant for high speed line applications, where the positional tolerances are significantly tighter than those found in trackwork for heavy haul freight or mixed traffic lines. Hankyu applies FastClip While the QuickFit technology is new to the screwed market, this approach has been used for many years in threadless fastenings. One recent application has been the Hankyu Railway’s Awaji Station Continuous Grade Separation Project in Osaka. Approved in 2012, this has been underway since 2020 and is now expected to be completed by 2031. The US$496m scheme covers a 3·3 km section of Hankyu’s Kyoto Line from Sōzenji to Kami-Shinjō and 3·8 km of the Senri Line from Kunijima to Shimo-Shinjō, which intersect at Awaji. It will see 7·1 km of railway rebuilt on viaduct, enabling the removal of 17 level crossings. Many of these are classified as ‘never opening’ because the barriers could be closed for more 40 min in some peak hours. Elevating the track will improve railway operations whilst reconnecting previously divided communities and supporting urban revitalisation. The railway selected Pandrol’s FastClip FC1101 for its ability to deliver a consistent toe load without the need for manual adjustment — a key factor in minimising long-term maintenance requirements. This rubber-booted sleeper system incorporates the QuickFit functionality to simplify installation, resulting in construction and maintenance processes that are rapid, repeatable and less reliant on highly skilled manual intervention. Multi-layered approach The engineering response to the ongoing skills shortages within the rail sector is multi-layered, requiring both innovation by manufacturers and collaboration with contractors to ensure the successful and efficient delivery of projects. Pandrol has recognised over many years the value of pre-assembly, which can reduce on-site operational complexity and lower reliance on specialist skills. Recent technical advances such as the switch on/switch off functionality and the redesigned plastic insulators should all contribute to tackling the skills challenge, enabling trackwork to be installed and maintained to the required standards with smaller, less specialised teams. * Cédric Van Schammelhout is Product Line Director at Pandrol. This article first appeared in the September 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International Read the issue

Advances in rail fastening system design and installation methods are helping contractors to meet rising demand for new infrastructure despite a shortage of skilled track technicians, explains Cédric Van Schammelhout of Pandrol.
The rail sector is on a roll. Networks are expanding across the Asia-Pacific region Africa and South America, North American railroads are renewing their aging main line freight corridors and Europe is pushing for more capacity to support modal shift of freight and passengers onto rail. Increased urbanisation everywhere requires more rapid transit, including new or expanded suburban, metro and light rail networks.

All of these require the provision of safe, efficient and resilient infrastructure. Globally, we are building and maintaining more track than at any time in recent memory. The demand is there, but the workforce needed to deliver it is not.

Skilled track engineers, technicians and certified welders are in short supply world-wide. Aging workforces, slow pipelines of new entrants and the physically demanding nature of track work have combined to create a persistent gap between the tasks that need doing and the people available to do them. For the infrastructure managers and their contractors, that gap has real consequences.

The ongoing skills shortage is reflected in longer project timelines, higher budgets and increased risk. When certified labour is scarce, employment costs are higher, as railways and contractors are competing for the same resources. With fewer staff on the ground, installation work takes longer, which can lead to missed delivery dates. That in turn may trigger penalty clauses written into contracts. The result is lost revenue on top of higher labour costs. In those regions where experienced track crews are hardest to recruit, the problems of resourcing a single project can stall an entire programme.

Part of the answer lies in engineering design and innovation, which can absorb some of the pressure. If a task can be reconfigured to require less skill and/or less manual intervention to deliver to the required standards, the pool of people able to undertake it is widened, while the time needed to complete it shrinks. That has been Pandrol’s thinking behind much of our fastening development work over many years.

Automated installation

As their primary function, rail fasteners are essential to maintaining the correct track geometry under dynamic loading, and as such they are safety-critical components. For decades, Pandrol has been producing its various threadless clip fastening systems aimed at simplifying installation, reducing manual intervention and ensuring more consistent track construction.

The same principles are now being extended into threaded or screwed fastenings. Traditionally, these have demanded significant on-site labour for positioning, adjustment and applying the correct torque. With many designs, installation requires two people: one to hold the fastening clip in position and one to drive in the screw to secure it. Multiplied over a significant length of track, the labour requirements increase rapidly, and such physical work can be difficult to resource at a time when skilled labour is in short supply.

In response, Pandrol has invested significant time and resources into developing a threaded fastening system that could achieve similar installation efficiencies to its classic threadless designs: reducing the time, labour and skill level required, whilst enabling a clip to be installed by one person, easily and effectively.

Thanks to extensive research, testing and international collaboration between our technical teams, we have been able to apply the same concepts that have been utilised successfully in the FastClip concept into the new SD (Safe Driven) range of threaded rail fasteners. The SD-RE clip offers a durable and reliable threaded fastening that has been developed to fit in SKL shaped rail seats. At the heart of the concept is a ‘switch-on/switch-off’ function known as SD QuickFit, designed to make the installation of threaded fastening systems faster, simpler and less labour-intensive. This in turn facilitates rapid track construction and efficient ongoing maintenance.

Switch-on/switch-off

The concept is simple. When the coach screw holding the fastening in place is tightened, the pre-installed SD clip moves automatically from its parked position into its operational position on the rail. When the screw is loosened, the clip moves back to its parked position. This allows engineers to switch the fastening on or off using a single action, eliminating the need to position the individual clips manually.

The clip can also be secured in a ‘secure parked’ position for sleeper delivery and handling, preventing it from accidentally intruding into the rail seat during transport. This means that sleepers can be delivered to site fully pre-assembled, with no loose components, ready for installation. Once the rail has been put in place, tightening the coach screw moves the clip directly from the secure parked position into the service position.

Unlike conventional threaded fastening systems, which often require two skilled people to release, position and secure the clips, the SD design enables a single installer to complete the operation. As well as reducing the labour requirement, this supports the use of mechanised tracklaying equipment.

The benefits extend beyond new construction. The same functionality also simplifies track maintenance activities, including rail replacement and rail stress management — which is particularly relevant as changing climatic conditions mean railways have to cope with more extreme temperature variations. It all helps the infrastructure managers to complete essential work more efficiently with smaller crews.

Speed and consistency

As part of the update to the SD clip, Pandrol has redesigned the plastic insulator which prevents electrical leakage into the sleeper. This also improves installation efficiency.

As the screw is tightened, the clip moves along a built-in ramp which guides it into position, meaning that only one person is needed to install it. The insulators can be pre-assembled in a factory environment under controlled conditions, improving their dimensional consistency and further reducing the complexity of the on-site installation. This is particularly relevant for high speed line applications, where the positional tolerances are significantly tighter than those found in trackwork for heavy haul freight or mixed traffic lines.

Hankyu applies FastClip

While the QuickFit technology is new to the screwed market, this approach has been used for many years in threadless fastenings. One recent application has been the Hankyu Railway’s Awaji Station Continuous Grade Separation Project in Osaka. Approved in 2012, this has been underway since 2020 and is now expected to be completed by 2031.

The US$496m scheme covers a 3·3 km section of Hankyu’s Kyoto Line from Sōzenji to Kami-Shinjō and 3·8 km of the Senri Line from Kunijima to Shimo-Shinjō, which intersect at Awaji. It will see 7·1 km of railway rebuilt on viaduct, enabling the removal of 17 level crossings. Many of these are classified as ‘never opening’ because the barriers could be closed for more 40 min in some peak hours. Elevating the track will improve railway operations whilst reconnecting previously divided communities and supporting urban revitalisation.

The railway selected Pandrol’s FastClip FC1101 for its ability to deliver a consistent toe load without the need for manual adjustment — a key factor in minimising long-term maintenance requirements. This rubber-booted sleeper system incorporates the QuickFit functionality to simplify installation, resulting in construction and maintenance processes that are rapid, repeatable and less reliant on highly skilled manual intervention.

Multi-layered approach

The engineering response to the ongoing skills shortages within the rail sector is multi-layered, requiring both innovation by manufacturers and collaboration with contractors to ensure the successful and efficient delivery of projects.

Pandrol has recognised over many years the value of pre-assembly, which can reduce on-site operational complexity and lower reliance on specialist skills. Recent technical advances such as the switch on/switch off functionality and the redesigned plastic insulators should all contribute to tackling the skills challenge, enabling trackwork to be installed and maintained to the required standards with smaller, less specialised teams.

* Cédric Van Schammelhout is Product Line Director at Pandrol.

This article first appeared in the September 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International

Read the issue

Source: Railway Gazette

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Transportation

Borderlands Mexico: Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing; GLS US expands parcel delivery network to Texas border market and Jetco expands heavy-haul operations to serve Gulf Coast industrial boom. Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing Mexican Hass avocado imports generated an estimated $641.5 million in U.S. transportation and warehousing activity and supported more than 4,150 jobs in fiscal year 2025-26. The findings by Texas A&M University researchers highlight the growing importance of cross-border trucking, refrigerated transportation and distribution networks connecting Mexican agricultural producers with U.S. consumers. The report, The U.S. Economic Contributions of Hass Avocado Imports from Mexico, was prepared by Gary W. Williams, an emeritus professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Agricultural Economics, and Dan Hanselka, an extension program specialist. Nearly 98% of Mexican avocados entering the U.S. in 2024 were transported by truck through Texas land ports, primarily through Pharr and Laredo. The analysis, released Wednesday by the Avocado Institute of Mexico, estimated that Mexican Hass avocado imports generated $7.1 billion in total U.S. economic output and supported 37,163 jobs across multiple industries during the fiscal year ending June 2026. Texas plays a central role in transporting Mexican avocados to U.S. markets. According to USDA data cited in the Texas A&M report, the Pharr border crossing handled approximately 58.2% of Mexican avocado imports in 2024, while Laredo accounted for another 39.4%. Once shipments clear the border, avocados move through an extensive network of trucking companies, refrigerated warehouses, wholesalers, distribution centers and food processors before reaching grocery stores, restaurants and other customers nationwide. The report found that avocado shipments generate additional economic activity through purchases of fuel, equipment, transportation services, repairs and other logistics-related services. The economic contributions extend beyond companies directly transporting the fruit, supporting businesses throughout interconnected supply chains. In Texas alone, an estimated $245.1 million in Mexican Hass avocado imports generated $428.9 million in economic output, contributed $265.5 million to the state’s gross domestic product and supported 2,402 jobs across industries. The study estimated that California, the nation’s largest avocado-consuming state, generated $968.2 million in economic output and supported 5,325 jobs associated with Mexican avocado imports. Together, Texas and California accounted for only 19% to 22% of the national economic contributions measured in the study, demonstrating how the supply chain extends throughout the country. The Texas A&M analysis also found that $3.2 billion in Mexican Hass avocado imports during fiscal year 2025/26 contributed an estimated $4.4 billion to U.S. GDP. The imports also supported $2.4 billion in labor income and generated approximately $1 billion in federal, state and local taxes. “This report demonstrates the value of a deeply integrated North American supply chain built over decades between Mexico and the U.S.,” said Ron Campbell, executive director of the Mexican Hass Avocado Import Association, in a statement. “Mexican avocados don’t simply cross the border, they generate economic activity throughout the U.S. economy, supporting transportation and distribution networks, retailers, restaurants and communities across the country.” GLS US expands parcel delivery network to Texas border market Regional parcel delivery provider GLS US has expanded its services into El Paso, Texas, strengthening its shipping network across the Western U.S and adding another market along the U.S.–Mexico border. The expansion, announced Oct. 20, gives businesses in West Texas access to first-, middle- and final-mile delivery services. The new location also can determine international shipping capabilities and parcel transportation for shipments weighing up to 150 pounds. El Paso is a major U.S.–Mexico trade gateway, supported by manufacturing, distribution and cross-border commerce with neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. GLS said its expanded network will serve manufacturers, distributors, retailers and e-commerce businesses seeking improved shipping connectivity throughout Texas and the Western U.S. The move into El Paso follows GLS US’s expansion into Houston, Austin and San Antonio earlier this year, after entering the Dallas-Fort Worth market in 2025. GLS US is part of GLS Group, a European parcel delivery company operating in more than 50 countries and handling more than 900 million parcels annually. Jetco expands heavy-haul operations to serve Gulf Coast boom Houston-based trucking and logistics provider Jetco has launched a specialized cargo division aimed at growing demand for heavy-haul transportation tied to data centers, power generation, manufacturing and infrastructure projects along the Gulf Coast. The division combines Jetco’s existing heavy-haul operations, established in 2008, with its expanding freight brokerage business to handle oversized, overweight and over-dimensional cargo. “Three years ago, we started positioning ourselves to capitalize on the accelerated growth of domestic power, manufacturing, and infrastructure, specifically data centers,” Jetco President Kyle Kristynik said in a statement. The company has added four specialized trailers this year, including two Faymonville multimax trailers capable of hauling 125,000 pounds each, a Goldhofer trailer rated for 180,000 pounds and a Fontaine hydraulic removable gooseneck trailer with a 55-ton capacity in a 16-foot footprint. Jetco said the division will combine its own trucks and trailers with prequalified third-party carriers to manage complex industrial shipments. The company also plans to collaborate with Canadian sister companies Precision Specialized and Scott Woods Transport to support specialized, heavy-haul and out-of-gauge freight movements. Jetco, which is part of Canadian transportation company The GTI Group, operates from its Houston headquarters and maintains facilities in Pasadena, Freeport and Dallas, Texas. Why it matters: The report “The U.S. Economic Contributions of Hass Avocado Imports from Mexico,” highlights how Mexican agricultural imports sustain U.S. trucking jobs, refrigerated distribution networks and freight activity far beyond the border. The post Borderlands Mexico: Avocado imports generate $641M for US trucking, warehousing appeared first on FreightWaves.

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Transportation

Comment: A question of control

Europe’s ERTMS rollout continues to be hampered by rising costs, delays and fragmented responsibilities between infrastructure managers, operators and suppliers. Consultant Editor Chris Jackson says the central question is whether stronger leadership and co-ordination can turn a complex technical programme into a deliverable, network-wide business case. August 31 marked a milestone in the UK’s East Coast Digital Programme, when passenger trains began using a 24 km section of ETCS Level 2 between Welwyn and Hitchin. This overlay on the lineside signalling is envisaged as a stepping stone towards a more extensive ‘signals away’ roll-out, accelerating driver familiarisation and the use of more types of rolling stock. It was originally expected to be completed before April 2024, with the 160 km route from London to Peterborough going live by April 2029. Delays to ERTMS projects are nothing new, alas. Norway’s national rollout has been rephased several times, not least because of a shortage of resources for retrofitting the rolling stock, while the challenges of digital signalling are one of the factors behind the decision to put back Germany’s ambitious Stuttgart 21 programme to 2031 at the earliest. As we report on p23, the European Commission’s ERTMS Deployment Management Team has been looking into the factors that have been driving up the cost of trackside equipment, following a similar review of onboard costs last year. While the railway and suppliers associations may disagree with some of the report’s findings, all sides appear to accept that a major part of the problem has been the multiplicity of applications. In particular, early adopters sought to interface ETCS with their own signalling practices and operating rules determined by their legacy systems. Since being designated as the system authority, the EU Agency for Railways has been grappling with the challenge of consolidating the ever-changing specifications whilst paving the way for the addition of further functionality. More than half a century ago, a 1974 report to the British Railways Board explained that the International Union of Railways’ ORE A46 committee had ‘reached the point where a “system” for track to train communications is being proposed as an international standard. The system appears to be complex, not capable of any useful simplification.’ Further work by what became ERRI committee A200 on drafting the technical specifications led to the adoption of ERTMS as the centrepiece of interoperability across the Single European Railway Area. This month’s lead author Dr Frank Heibel pointed out when the ECDP overlay went live that it is the removal of lineside signals that really makes the business case for any cab signalling scheme, increasing capacity and performance, whilst reducing the cost of maintenance and renewals. However, that is entirely dependent on ensuring that every train which uses the line has been fitted with onboard equipment. ‘Fleet fitment is not a workstream running quietly alongside the infrastructure programme’, he emphasised. ‘On a signals-away project it is the critical path of the business case, and it deserves to be governed like one.’ Back in the heady days when ORE and ERRI were formulating their concepts, almost all railways around the world were vertically-integrated organisations. Thus the costs and benefits of moving train control from lineside to onboard would be an internal trade-off. That is one reason why the adoption of CBTC has been much more straightforward on standalone metros. However, the past three decades have seen vertical separation between the infrastructure managers and train operators, as well as the arrival of new entrants. While the competing operators of international services would clearly benefit from interoperability, the fragmentation of responsibility and the partitioning of costs and benefits have undoubtedly increased the challenge. The latest DMT report emphasises that ‘good project management for ERTMS deployment is key’ to an efficient rollout. But having the right overall governance is also critical. Earlier this year, Germany’s federal transport ministry announced that a national ERTMS Co-ordination Office would be established to manage the country’s lagging digitalisation of signalling and safety systems. One of its key tasks would be allocating funding for equipping the rolling stock. ECDP is another case in point. Oversight of the UK’s ERTMS rollout on the ECML and elsewhere is vested in the so-called Industry Partnership for Digital Railway. ‘Progress is monitored through project and programme boards which report, together with the stakeholder and industry groups, into the Digital Signalling Portfolio Progress Group, which includes representatives from Network Rail regions, Technical Authority and Route Services. The Portfolio Progress Group monitors delivery progress and benefit realisation against the portfolio’s masterplan to inform the Portfolio Direction Board’s decision-making.’ Quite. Luxembourg and Belgium have made better progress, thanks in part to having smaller networks. Nevertheless, as Infrabel’s then COO Jochen Bultinck explained, ‘managing such a large project implies facing a variety of difficulties, both technical and non-technical … we had to work with a large number of stakeholders’. The need for better co-ordination and governance has also been highlighted in the latest recommendations of the EU’s ERTMS Co-ordinator Matthias Ruete. However, it is not clear whether setting up more committees will actually drive things forward. Strong leadership is essential, but finding people with the right experience and giving them the remit to cut through the red tape will be far from straightforward. This article first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International Read the issue

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