Improving global rail saftey


March 2024 –  Unipart Rail is proud to announce that it has formed a strategic partnership with Thomson Engineering Design Ltd, to deliver transformative solutions which improve the safety, productivity and efficiency of railway maintenance and repair projects on a worldwide basis. 

Thomson Engineering Design Ltd has been at the forefront of innovation within the rail industry since 1999 and is now the premier supplier of attachments for Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs), offering a suite of products for all rail maintenance sectors and activities. In 2017 they became part of PipeHawk Plc and are a QM-Systems company.

The new agreement positions Unipart Rail as Thomson Engineering Design Ltd’s exclusive sales and distribution partner across Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia and North America, with additional territories to be potentially added in the future.

By working in collaboration and combining the unparalleled expertise and experience of both organisations, Unipart Rail and Thomson Engineering Design Ltd are improving the performance of customer operations across the world through the provision of a complete suite of cutting-edge solutions for global maintenance and repair projects, including removal, installation and renewals. 

The extensive product range covers all parts of the rail infrastructure including handling equipment for rails, sleepers and track panels as well as solutions for clipping and de-clipping, ballast and trackbed, cable and electrification, signals and crossings, barriers and access, adaptor heads and road haulage. 

The organisations are also working in partnership to introduce a revolutionary solution to the challenges of global high-output rail operations, which include high costs, workforce requirements and technological dependencies; offering a range of machines which will provide all of the benefits of high-output train-based systems, at a fraction of the cost. This new rail system marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of enhanced safety, productivity, and efficiency across the global rail industry and will set new benchmarks for the future.

Neil McNicholas, Managing Director, Unipart Rail, said: “We are extremely excited to announce our partnership with Thomson Engineering Design Ltd. By combining the strengths of the two organisations, we are in a position to significantly improve the performance of the maintenance and renewal of the rail infrastructure, not only meeting but exceeding the expectations of our customers who are already experiencing the benefits of these unique and innovative products.”

Dan Barnard, Operations Director, Thomson Engineering Design Ltd, said: “Thomson Engineering Design Ltd are delighted to have forged a strategic partnership with Unipart Rail. We believe this partnership is a considerable step forward for the development and growth of our business.

“The synergies between companies align perfectly to supply world class engineered products to the global rail industry.”

If you would like more information, please contact railplant@unipartrail.com.