The cold winter took a heavy toll on train wheels, which were replaced continuously by Mantena. CargoNet is full of praise for their efforts, which ensured that their freight arrived as planned.
– The cooperation with Mantena works very well. It concerns both the people who work on the wagons and those who manage them. They are fantastic people who really deliver, and who respond immediately to our requests, says Kristoffer Strand, Head of Operations for locomotives and wagons at CargoNet.
Norway’s largest transporter of rail freight has a fleet of nearly 1,000 wagons, which Mantena ensures stay on track. This is particularly demanding during the winter season, when snow, ice, and subzero temperatures are tough on rolling stock. That this year’s winter was especially cold and long made it even more challenging.
Ice causes worn wheels
Thomas Bakkejord, Contract Manager for freight wagons at Mantena, explains that train wheels are particularly vulnerable to wheel flats during the cold months.
– When brakes become packed with snow and ice, the wheels lock when braking. As a result, the train slides with locked wheels along the tracks, causing the wheel to wear and develop a flat spot, he explains.
Mantena’s workshops in Oslo, Trondheim, and Narvik, in other words, experienced a particularly hectic winter. Good planning and communication nevertheless enabled them to maintain the high pressure required. From January to March, Mantena replaced a total of 1,029 wheels on CargoNet’s own wagons, compared to 871 the previous year.
Read more about the winter’s work in the article from the Railway Directorate.
– That the workshops deliver high quality is extremely important for us, as our income comes from these wagons. This winter has been one of the toughest we have experienced, but we have still managed to maintain production as planned. We are very satisfied with that, Strand from CargoNet states.
– Proactive and good dialogue
It is Mantena’s workshop at Grorud that is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of the wheels. The wheel replacements mainly take place at the workshops at Alna in Oslo and in Narvik, as well as some in Trondheim. This season, however, most of the wagons went to Alna, because the railway line to Narvik was closed due to the ore train derailment.
– We have had a clearly agreed capacity with the customer and have set up our operations well at Grorud – ensuring that we have been able to deliver enough wheels to the front line at Alna. In addition, we have had enough wheel discs in stock, says Bakkejord, who commends the communication and cooperation with CargoNet.
Strand agrees:
– Mantena is proactive, and we have a good dialogue every single day. There are quick decisions both ways.
After the winter’s efforts, he and CargoNet’s Director of Rolling Stock brought a cake to Alna as a thank you.
– They deserve a pat on the back – both Mantena in Oslo, Trondheim, and Narvik. Without them, we could not operate.
The agreed annual volume is currently 2,000 wheels plus 10 percent. Now CargoNet and Mantena are working together to further increase capacity for the next winter season.
– The goal is to replace even more wheels in an even shorter time, so that we need fewer hired reserve wagons and can thereby increase profitability.