20.11.18
Greater Anglia installs innovative WSP braking system across rural services
Greater Anglia has fitted an innovative new braking system known as Wheel Slide Protection (WSP) to more of the rural trains across its network.
WSP has been fitted to five of the TOC’s single-carriage Class 153 trains which operate on rural services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, carried out in partnership with train owner Porterbrook. The braking system was fitted on Greater Anglia’s Class 156 trains last year and reportedly led to some of company’s best-ever performance results.
WSP technology is able to judge whether a train’s wheels are slowing evenly when the vehicle brakes, much like ABS used in cars.
Throughout autumn, leaves on the lines compress and become slippery. This can lead to carrying braking and accreting times and cause damage to train wheels, which can in turn lead to delays and disruption for passengers. Greater Anglia claims that by installing WSP, it can help to counteract these delays and will reduce the number of cancellations across its rural services.
Its Norwich technical support manager, Jason Mills, said: “This investment means that our Class 153 trains will be more reliable as they will not need to be taken out of service as often to visit the wheel lathe, and is a further investment to improve our passengers’ experience while we await the roll out of new trains from 2019.”
Jason Groombridge, Porterbrook’s director of engineering services, added: “We are delighted to be able to work with our Greater Anglia colleagues on the design and installation of this innovative system. The fitment of WSP to Class 153 units builds on a successful partnership which has already seen this technology installed on Greater Anglia’s 156 fleet.”
Top image: Nick Ansell via PA WirePA
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