Irish Rail to make big investment at key Laois facility in Portlaoise

Irish Rail is set to make a significant investment at one of its key facilities in Portlaoise.

The company has invited tenders for the design, supply, delivery & commissioning of two new gantry cranes at the Portlaoise concrete sleeper depot.

The cranes, which will require a lifting capacity of 25 tonnes each, will be located outdoors at the facility on the Old Knockmay Road in Portlaoise.

Irish Rail says the primary purpose of the cranes is to provide tandem lifting capability for the supply of new track panels and removal of redundant track panels from works trains. They may also undertake independent lifting activities.

The cranes will also be integrated with existing infrastructure of guide tracks and power supply rails and shall be capable of being operated from the ground and on-board cabin.

The contract will also include training in the operation and maintenance of the cranes and a remedy of defects.

Irish Rail wants to have all equipment successfully commissioned within six months of contract execution. The company wants to award the contract in May 2022.

Documents say the contract will have a lifespan of nearly six years. More below tweet.

The Portlaoise sleeper plant team stressing concrete sleepers today #24HRSinIE #epic pic.twitter.com/NxQQ5mPhAb

— Iarnród Éireann #StaySafe (@IrishRail) February 2, 2017

The company manufactures concrete sleepers at in Portlaoise. It takes approximately 2,500 sleepers to lay a mile of track.

Iaranród Éireann already operates the Portlaoise Traincare Depot which is expanding due to the addition of new carriages to the fleet. The depot maintains engines and carriages. A recruitment process began in 2021 for the expanded work that will have to be carried out at the Depot.