A unique rail crane sped up track work in Tampere – this is how a 40-ton switch is moved

Renovation of the Tampere Passenger Rail Yard is moving forward. Most of the track work for the project was completed during track closures in early summer, and a new switch yard, among other things, was put into service. One of the most logistically challenging phases of the project took place last weekend, when part of the switch—weighing approximately 40 tons—was lifted from the centre of the rail yard using a specialized rail crane.

The work plan has included the renewal of the track’s substructure and superstructure, the replacement of switches, extensive upgrades to the electrical system and safety equipment, and the construction of a new island platform at the train station.

Most of the track work was carried out during service interruptions of varying lengths, the most recent of which—a 40-hour interruption—was completed on Sunday.

“We’ve just completed a challenging phase of work, which included, among other things, the commissioning of an entirely new set of tracks on the north side of the train station,” says Jari Hinttala, site manager at Kreate.

The installation of the switch was preceded by several stages of work. One of the most challenging of these was removing the old switch, which weighed 40 tons, from the construction site within a tight time frame.

With remarkable ease, a Kreate rail crane moved part of a 40-ton switch at the Tampere Passenger Rail Yard during the first weekend of June. Kreate designed and carried out the switch relocation and other diverse tasks related to the commissioning of the new switchyard within a tight 40-hour timeframe.

A special crane designed for confined spaces solved the problem

The work area was in the middle of the Tampere passenger rail yard, between tracks 3 and 4. It was difficult to access the site with a truck-mounted crane, so to speed up the work, a new folding-boom crane developed by Kreate was put into use; it is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world. The articulated boom, constructed from joints, also allows for lifting operations in tight spaces.

“At the rail yard, we must work under the overhead wires, so the folding boom made the job much easier compared to mobile cranes with rigid booms or telescopic booms. We would also have had to make room for a different type of crane at the site, which was already quite cramped, and we would have had to set aside more time,” says Hinttala.

As part of the renovation of the Tampere Passenger Rail Yard and the construction of a new switchyard, the switches in the rail yard have been replaced with KRV switches, i.e., double-sided crossing switches. Machinery is not allowed to drive over them, so moving the switch away from the work site would have required different preparations—such as building a temporary road over the tracks—if a rail crane had not been available.

A unique feature of Kreate’s articulated boom crane is that it can lift loads even while moving, with a lifting capacity of up to 26 tons at 16.2 meters. It is ideally suited for sites such as the Tampere Passenger Rail Yard, where work is carried out in a confined space and under tight deadlines.

Pick-and-carry operations speed up heavy loading and unloading tasks

The old gearbox was removed in three separate sections, each weighing between 12 and 15 tons. The lifting operation utilized the so-called “pick & carry” method, meaning that the parts were lifted across the rail yard onto a transport truck waiting at the edge of the construction site and driven directly away from the site.

“Disruptions to rail service are often a matter of minutes. The crane also makes it possible to assemble and pre-construct heavy components and move them into place only during the track closure, which makes the work significantly faster and more efficient,” says Timo Ylitalo, who is responsible for track equipment at Kreate.

Track work at the Tampere passenger rail yard will continue well into the fall. At least six more sets of switches still need to be installed. Some of the new tracks and switches will be put into service next year, when the third island platform is completed. The entire project will be completed in 2031.