Leading UK rail safety company Zonegreen has won a major contract to supply KiwiRail with state-of-the-art depot protection products as part of New Zealand’s program of railways development.

The Sheffield-based team of research engineers and scientists will supply its SMART™ Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) to three traincare depots in Wellington, as well as its Depot Manager software to two of the depots.

The KiwiRail contract represents the start of Zonegreen’s planned expansion into the fast-growing Australasian market.

Rail transportation in New Zealand and Australia has traditionally been predominantly freight, but is now increasingly moving towards the further development of passenger rail networks. And in this context there is growing demand for intelligent rail safety technology of the kind Zonegreen specialises in.

“Historically in New Zealand there has been limited requirement for systems such as the DPPS, so there’s nothing comparable on the market at present,” explained Zonegreen’s managing director Tony Hague. “Crucial investment is now being made in this area to ensure the development of a truly modern rail network incorporating leading-edge safety technology.”

The KiwiRail contract was negotiated in partnership with Zonegreen’s new Australasian agent Andrew Engineering, based in Melbourne, Australia. It primarily includes the supply of two of Zonegreen’s core products, the SMART DPPS and Depot Manager.

The SMART DPPS is a highly advanced protection system incorporating the use of intelligent distributed control and communication technology, as well as electronic personnel data keys to identify staff working in different safety zones. It is now installed in the vast majority of new UK depots and a growing number of depots worldwide.

The Depot Manager software offers a complete overview of a depot. It provides key information to make operations quicker and easier to implement, ensures the use of safety systems at all times and offers comprehensive traceability.

Both products will enable KiwiRail to achieve exceptional levels of safety and efficiency within its traincare depots.