Network Rail favours Transit

Date: Thursday, January 18, 2007

Some 300 long-wheelbase high roof new Ford Transit 350s are now in service with Network Rail in both two- and three-seater guise. The former are used by fitters while the latter are employed in a variety of roles, including by crews responsible for maintaining level crossings.

With 32,000 employees, Network Rail owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure. It runs around 6,000 light commercials — 50 per cent of which have been replaced in the past 18 months — and Ford supplies approximately 70 per cent of its requirements in the form of Transits and Transit Connects.

Many of the Transits it operates are six- or eight-seaters with hand washing and drying facilities, soap and barrier-cream dispensers, a microwave oven, a drop-down table and a diesel-powered heater.

Their rear load areas typically have racking, shelving and bins together with special boxes used to carry explosives.

Network Rail also runs Transit 350 single- and double-cab pick-ups — some fitted with cranes — along with 15-seater Transit crew buses.

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