‘Ex BR EMU’ Category Gold Award
Class: 455
Operator: South West Trains
Depot: Wimbledon
Owner: Porterbrook
Traction motor repairs: Houghton International’Ex BR EMU’ Category Silver Award
Class: 321
Operator: London Midland
Owner: Eversholt ‘Ex BR EMU’ Category Bronze Award
Class: 508
Operator: Merseyrail
Owner: Angel
Traction motor repairs: Houghton InternationalThe Golden Spanner Awards 2013, held on 22nd November 2013 at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London saw record attendance of over 300 senior figures and engineers from across the rail industry.
In its eighth year, the awards sponsored by specialist traction motor and MA set repairer Houghton International recognise excellence in rolling stock maintenance and are widely credited within the industry as contributing to improvements in train reliability.
A morning conference saw presentations by leading organisations including Houghton International, whose Chief Executive Officer Michael Mitten presented ‘Motor Alternator Sets, poor reliability, unhappy passengers, high costs. The solution’ that used HiTRANS™ its recently patented transient dynamic MA Set load testing process as an example of how by collaborating with end users the company been able to provide solutions to problems that have resulted in increased efficiencies and passenger satisfaction and reduced on-going maintenance/life cycle costs.
Following lunch, guest speaker Eur Ing David Hartland MA CEng FIMechE MIET, Engineering Director at Brecknell Willis gave an entertaining talk that was followed by Roger Ford of Modern Railways presentation of the awards.
The awards divide the national rolling stock fleet into five categories: Ex BR EMUs; Ex BR DMUs; InterCity, New-generation DMUs and New-generation EMUs with Spanners for each category awarded to the operators of the most reliable fleet (gold) most improved (silver) and fastest incident recovery (bronze) based on actual performance data, Miles Per Technical Incident (MTIN) from the Association of Train Operating Companies.
Houghton International, represented by Michael Mitten presented the ‘Ex BR EMU’ award with Gold going to South West Trains (Class 455), Silver to London Midland (Class 321) and Bronze to Merseyrail (Class 508).
“We are pleased to support the Golden Spanner Awards in recognizing excellence in rolling stock maintenance as we pioneer technical and commercial innovation in the repair, maintenance and life extension of AC and DC traction motors and MA Sets working alongside our customers to provide solutions and a flexible commercial framework that adds value to their businesses.”
