Special extinguishing arm
The foam fire-fighting vehicles will be used to combat incidents on and along the railway tracks. They have a special extinguishing arm, which enables the fire brigade to reach hard-to-reach places more easily. The new fire engines are also faster, more manoeuvrable and more economical. They are also prepared for the use of more sustainable (fluorine-free) types of foam.
More extinguishing capacity
The foam fire-fighting vehicles, which are extensively tested and contain more extinguishing capacity, are intended for both the Kijfhoek yard and the Dordrecht-Zwijndrecht zone. This means that two vehicles are always available for both areas, even if one of the three is out of service due to maintenance, for example.
Ziegler builds the fire engines in Winschoten. The production process takes around 12 months. Production is followed by an extensive quality check and field tests with the vehicles. The entire process takes around 24 months until delivery.
Current vehicles
The current fire-fighting vehicles must be replaced due to their age and also to comply with the new agreements made between ProRail, the Municipality of Zwijndrecht, VRZHZ and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Attention to external safety
Jessica van den Bosch, Director Account Management ProRail: “Rail freight transport is one of the most sustainable modes of transport and fits in with the climate ambitions we have committed to as the Netherlands. Over the next few years, we expect growth of 50 per cent, to around 60 million tonnes of freight by rail in 2030. We facilitate this growth with attention to external safety and the wishes of the environment. We do this in close consultation with our partners. This tender is a fine example of this cooperation.”
We facilitate the growth in freight transport with attention to external safety and the wishes of the environment.
-Jessica van den Bosch Director account management at ProRail
Extra emergency roads at Kijfhoek
There are a number of emergency roads at Kijfhoek. These allow emergency services to get closer to the tracks during an incident. The number of emergency routes will soon be expanded. This will make certain areas on the yard more easily accessible for emergency services.
Together with the deployment of the new foam fire-fighting vehicles, this will ensure better accessibility for any incidents at Kijfhoek. There will also be an improved deployment option in the Dordrecht-Zwijndrecht area and the fire brigades of both VRZHZ and ProRail will be able to work together better during incidents.
