Explosive training on track
A 5ft 3in gauge training railway has been constructed at the British Army’s Ballykinler base, County Down.
The railway will be used by explosive ordnance disposal and emergency services personnel as a training facility to learn how to counter suspect devices and improvised explosive devices in the province – it is hoped that this will improve response times and evolve techniques for disposal.
The railway comprises 600ft of double track and a short single spur on steel sleepers, fastclips and CEN56E1 rail, laid with a curve at a grade. Fully ballasted, other detail touches include AWS (Automatic Warning System), axle counters, cables, location cabinets and a concrete filled sandbag headwall culvert.
The facility has been christened Tullymurry Junction, named after the last station that was near Ballykinler on the Belfast and County Down Railway, which closed in the 1950s.
It has been built by members of the 507 Specialist Team
Royal Engineers (Railway Infrastructure), part of 170 Engineer Group and 591 (Antrim) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers.
The team specialises in the repair and construction of railway infrastructure, as well infrastructure consultancy, engineering design and project management using reservists recruited from the railway industry.