Norwich Train Maintenance Depot

The Crown Point depot in Norwich needs upgrading to stabilise and maintain 58 new Greater Anglia trains supplied by swiss train manufacturer Stadler.

The MC6 electric drilling rig

Taylor Woodrow is carrying out the work, which includes installing a new train wash facility, improved servicing equipment and fuel facilities.

WJ were engaged to carry out dewatering for an inspection pit in an existing train shed. The complex geology of the area and the risk of legacy industrial contamination meant any dewatering activity needed a structured approached, with a high degree of care.

We installed a comprehensive monitoring system and decided to use one of our innovative new electric rigs to reduce noise and emissions inside the building.

The advantages to the project of the electric rig were an existing and readily accessible mains power supply, with 125amp sockets already mounted conveniently throughout the building and the elimination of the requirement of having to install fume extraction hoses. The cost saving to the project in diesel fuel alone was several hundred pounds. In this case the wells were at relatively close spacings so the 70 m long cable was sufficient for all the well locations, meaning the rig set up time was no longer than it would have been for a traditional diesel powered rig. For off loading, tracking into position, moves between well locations and reloading the rig is equipped with a 5.5kw ‘slave’ diesel motor which is seamlessly operated on the remote control panel so that the drilling operation is literally ‘plug and play’.

Our powerful electric MC6 rig made short work of the dense gravel and chalk to drill 300mm diameter, 15m deep wells for the project.

• LOCATION:  Norwich, East Anglia

• CLIENT: Taylor Woodrow