Traditionally, track–welders have travelled to site in large vans, together with all their equipment and consumables.  This practice brings potential risk in terms of transportation of hazardous goods, vehicle overloading and manual handling.  A Balfour Beatty solution has been offered to eliminate such risks and improve productivity.

The Welding Pod delivers the equipment to the exact location on site, obviating the need for larger vehicles.  The prototype pod was trialled at Clapham during the Christmas blockade; some 60 number welds were cast using it by both in-house and sub-contract welders.  Positive feedback has been received and attention is now being concentrated on a production model.