The diversity of railway systems continues to grow, and ensuring that teams working on maintenance, repair, and installation activities, as well as commissioning projects, have the right testing tools is a real challenge. Microlease has applied its expertise in the instrumentation market to create Railway Tool Boxes and eliminate guesswork, ensuring that teams always have the appropriate electrical and electronic testing equipment to perform their work. The Tool Boxes can be applied to a wide variety of systems, including signaling, communications, passenger services such as Wi-Fi on trains and in stations, track monitoring, and self-service ticketing machines.
 
The Tool Boxes, configured by Microlease experts who understand the challenges of the rail sector and environment, streamline the test equipment procurement process and offer the flexibility to tailor the equipment list to all requirements. Microlease can supply a wide variety of equipment for testing items such as fiber optic installations, copper cables, control units, actuators and electric drives, pumps, relays, and wireless equipment, which are frequently used in rail networks, not only on the tracks but also in stations, offices and warehouses, public areas, and rolling stock. Examples of the types of instruments included are as follows:
 
• Monitoring and managing electrical energy usage is essential for the safe and cost-effective operation of the railway network. The Fluke 435 and Dranetz HDPQ are tailored to the specific needs of the railway sector, enabling installers to verify the energy consumption of installed units, assess power quality, and troubleshoot interference issues on power lines.
 
• Equipment to ensure the health of copper cabling in all railway signaling, communications, CCTV, and telecommunications infrastructure. This includes the Megger TDR-2000 for checking connection integrity and locating faults, and the RadioDetection RD-8000 for finding cables that may be hidden underground, in cavities, or in walls. For copper access network work, the Aten ACT6000 Advanced Communication Tester covers all current DSL technologies and older protocols such as POTs, T1, E1, etc.
 
• Instruments for monitoring terrestrial fiber optic cables. OTDR equipment such as the Viavi MTS-4000 or Exfo FTB-1 helps verify the integrity of the signal path and locate faults. These cables are especially vulnerable to environmental factors, such as vibrations caused by passing trains, which can affect the link as a result of high Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD). The Exfo FTB-5500 PMD Analyser can identify these problems.
 
• Analyzers to help visualize wireless network coverage, such as Fluke Networks Aircheck and Viavi JD-785 Base Station Test, for testing GSM-R base stations. Systems such as Ascom TEMS Investigation or Rohde & Schwarz Romes, used with the TSMA scanner, help check cable-to-antenna connections and GSM/W-CDMA/LTE coverage.
 
• A wide selection of troubleshooting tools, such as the Fluke Ti300 and Tix500 handheld infrared cameras with LaserSharp® autofocus, the Fluke Connect® mobile app, and connected tools. Customers can also support predictive maintenance initiatives with their Tool Box, leveraging equipment such as the Fluke 810 vibration analyzer, ideal for detecting machine wear and characterized by its ease of use, and flexible data loggers like the Yokogawa DL850 or the Sefram DAS 1400 for monitoring data over time.
 
In addition to a wide range of products and powerful equipment capabilities, the new Railway Tool Boxes are affordable and practical, as is the case with all Microlease rentals. Customers benefit from the low initial investment and are freed from equipment maintenance costs.
 
“Railways use technology in a hugely diverse way. Safety is always paramount, but alongside it, and increasingly so, is the growing customer expectation of value-added services such as internet access, which must be continuously maintained. Systems requiring continuous maintenance and availability include power supply security, signaling and communications systems, Wi-Fi service for passengers, and ticketing systems, all of which have a direct impact on revenue. The Internet of Things opens up opportunities for railways to streamline their operations but adds another layer of communicating devices that need to be commissioned, monitored, and repaired. Microlease makes its testing expertise accessible to all those responsible for maintaining these types of systems in the rail industry, ensuring they have access to the latest and highest-performing testing instruments they need, without the burden of maintaining and calibrating those instruments,” commented George Acris, Marketing Director at Microlease.
Microlease has been assessed and certified by the RISIQUE supplier scheme for the rail industry in the UK and Ireland (Certificate 15059). Thanks to its Toolbox concept, Microlease offers the rail industry access to the testing instruments it needs under any term, from short-term to long-term lease, ensuring that train and infrastructure operators can maximize the return on their capital and operating budgets.

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