Rail Live was founded as a showcase for rail plant and equipment – and that’s exactly what Rail Engineer set out to explore. True to form, the exhibition site was a sea of machinery, with equipment of every shape and size on display, ready to be examined, admired, and discussed in depth. Here we give you a roundup of the items which caught our eye.
Sustainability focus
With the drive toward net-zero being a key concern for the industry, it only made sense that there were plenty of carbon-cutting innovations at Rail Live this year. Among the offerings was a portable, solar-powered CCTV tower from Trust Hire, designed for deployment in remote locations.
The energy-efficient unit harnesses solar panels to charge its onboard batteries during daylight hours, enabling the motion-sensing CCTV system to operate around the clock without the need for an external power supply. The system can function autonomously for up to four weeks on a single charge.
Its intelligent detection system offers a 130-metre range and is capable of distinguishing between humans and animals, significantly reducing the likelihood of false alarms.
Over at stand B8, Gripple displayed its game-changing innovations for overhead line electrification. With over 30 years of engineering know how, Gripple works closely with the industry to tackle the challenges of electrification and help it meet its net-zero targets, its tool-free solutions streamlining overhead line installation and reducing whole-life costs.
On show were Gripple’s SwiftLine Rail Dropper and SwiftLine Rail Jumper. The Rail Dropper was developed alongside and approved by Network Rail. The novel catenary dropper is designed to be quicker, safer, and easier to install, coming pre-cut and pre-assembled, giving contractors a ‘plug and play’ solution straight out of the box.
Gripple’s equally innovative Swiftline Rail Jumper provides tool-free installation and reduces cable strain on high voltage jumper section installs, giving installers the power to electrify overhead lines faster, safer, and more effectively.
Drones and robotics
Ultrabeam is a specialist in high-definition underwater sonar inspections of bridges, culverts, retaining walls, and coastal or estuarine structures. On display at its stand was an array of robotic equipment designed to ensure its surveys deliver highly detailed insights into submerged features and how these structures interact with the riverbed.
The autonomous Axolotl is a light, portable, amphibious autonomous survey vehicle developed by Ultrabeam for land and water operations. Powered by dual 8kW electric motors and a 4×4 wheel drive system, Axolotl reaches speeds up to 12mph on land. On water, two Epropulsion 3kW thrusters provide propulsion at speeds of up to 4mph. With 48V Tesla battery modules, the vehicle offers over 12 hours of endurance and a maximum range of up to 60 miles.
Black Swan, meanwhile, is a compact, modular survey platform designed for inland and sheltered water environments. Built around a lightweight carbon fibre chassis supported by inflatable sponsons, it offers flexible mounting configurations for multibeam echosounders (MBES), LiDAR sensors, acquisition pods, cameras, and control systems. Powered by onboard lithium-ion batteries, Black Swan can deliver full-day operational endurance without the need for battery swaps.
A specialist in remote-controlled demolition and excavation robotics, Brokk brought to Rail Live a suite of products designed for delivering safer, more efficient, and more productive options for construction, tunnelling, and emergency response.
Packing powerful demolition capability into a compact, lightweight frame, its Brokk 70 is a small, electric demolition robot designed for safe and efficient demolition in confined spaces. Weighing under 560kg and powered by Brokk’s 9.8 kW SmartPower™ system, it eliminates the need for handheld tools, delivering safe, efficient mechanised demolition where larger machines can’t go.
For projects requiring a more heavy-duty demolition solution, the larger Brokk 500 platform provides a more robust option. The Brokk 500 demolition robot is a remote-controlled, tracked machine which at Rail Live was equipped with a vacuum excavation attachment. Vacuum excavation is increasingly being adopted across the industry, offering a safer alternative to traditional excavators when working near underground cables or pipes.
Also on show was Firstgreen Industries’ Mini Z 400, a remotely operated, small-tracked loader, distributed by Brokk. Designed to work in tight, indoor, or noise-sensitive environments, the machine is ideal for construction, property management, demolition, landscaping, and urban jobsites. At only 31” wide and 81” tall, it can fit through narrow doorways and gates where traditional machinery can’t.
Big machines
Unipart’s new sleeper laying machine, developed and built at its Coventry facility, was on show for all to admire. The machine is capable of carrying up to 14 sleepers onboard, which it autonomously lays and accurately spaces along a pre-programmed route.
The Sleeper Layer can provide delivery rates of up to 1000 sleepers/ties per hour, and offers a variety of options including automatic steering, remote condition monitoring, and diagnostic support. It is designed for efficiency, and requires just one operator to monitor its safe operation.
Sleepers are loaded via a road-rail vehicle (RRV), which can lift multiple units at once from either the ground or a rail trailer. They are then fed onto a conveyor, which spaces them precisely before placing them onto the ballast. The machine is compatible with concrete, composite, and steel sleepers.
The Sleeper Layer operates alongside Unipart’s Rail Handler and Rail Clipper to streamline track installation. The Rail Handler can lift and transport rails up to 10 metres long, making it suitable for both ballasted and slab track relaying. It can also thread continuously welded rail of any length onto new track, handling one or two rails at a time.
The Rail Clipper is a self-propelled, remotely operated machine equipped with robust rubber tracks, allowing it to load and unload itself from transport vehicles and access the railway without the need for a crane. It features interchangeable modules to accommodate a variety of fastening systems.
Flash-butt welding has been around for some time, though it has seen limited uptake across the UK rail network. The method uses a high electrical current to fuse two lengths of rail together, creating a seamless joint. One of the barriers to wider adoption has been the need for a large, separate generator and a heavy welding unit – equipment that typically requires a road-rail vehicle (RRV) excavator for lifting.
On Track Technicians has now simplified the process by integrating both the generator and lifting crane onto a single RRV platform. The setup is built around a rail-adapted Mercedes Actros, modified by UK-based King Rail, and fitted with flash-butt welding equipment and a generator from Geismar. The system is currently awaiting approval for operational use on Britain’s railways.
A Menzi Muck Spider Excavator stood pride of place at the stand of landscape and external maintenance services provider Ground Control Ltd.
Its four individually adjustable legs give it unprecedented mobility and make it a highly versatile piece of equipment for use in challenging environments. The legs can be fitted with either wheels or tracks, depending on the terrain and specific model, and its design offers exceptional stability on slopes up to 45 degrees.
The machine is aptly nicknamed ‘the mountain goat of earth-moving’ due to its distinctive, creature-like stance and unrivalled stability.
Rail and forestry contractor Coombes showed off its larger pieces of equipment including a road-rail excavator which was fitted with an attachment for the handling and dispensing of cable reels weighing up to five tonnes. The RRV works alongside a rail trailer which has a carrying capacity of 20 tonnes and can transport two reels at once.
Also on display was a Green Climber LV800 remote controlled, heavy duty slope mower, designed for forestry and vegetation management in extremely challenging terrain. Intended for forestry and heavy vegetation applications, the LV800 excels in areas of three to six years of overgrowth. The machine is radio controlled at distances up to 500 feet, protecting the user while maintaining a comprehensive view of the working area.
Handheld technology
It’s not just the largest and most cutting-edge equipment that takes the spotlight at Rail Live. The event also gives the manufacturers of smaller, handheld tools the opportunity to showcase their wares, and, over the past few years, this equipment has increasingly come to be powered by battery technology.
There was plenty on show from Milwaukee, which displayed a wide range of hand tools for vegetation management. The range included battery-operated hand tools including a pole strimmer which lasts up to 45 minutes on a single charge, and a battery-powered chainsaw which can make up 150 cuts per battery.
Bosch was also keen to showcase its latest equipment, as well as its solutions to improving battery performance and longevity.
To overcome the effects of heat when batteries are charged or under heavy and constant load, Bosch has developed a patented cell casing which draws the heat away. This not only prolongs the life of the cells, but it also means their batteries can provide up to 12Ah of charge and power tools with a power rating equivalent to 1600W. Bosch’s latest hand tools also have smart battery technology built in that protects the batteries from becoming overloaded.
Smarter, safer welding
Among the many live equipment demonstrations on offer, leading rail infrastructure solution provider Pandrol showcased its cutting-edge welding technology.
Pandrol’s Technical Team carried out practical demonstrations of its i+weld advanced welding solution, which helps track welders to complete more welds in less time, with semi-automated processes that reduce the physical strain on welders and streamline training.
Visitors were also treated to a demonstration of i+align, an innovative lightweight alignment system for aluminothermic welding. Easy to set up and use, the i+align system can be handled by one person, who simply chooses alignment parameters and presses start on a tablet. The rail is then automatically aligned, providing exceptional accuracy for the welder and offering complete traceability.
Innovation unleashed
Rail Live 2025 had it all, delivering an immersive showcase of rail plant and equipment, ranging from mighty maintenance vehicles to smart, compact tools. This year’s attendees were treated to the full spectrum of industry technology in action in a live rail environment, and were left looking forward to what next year’s event will bring. With hands-on demonstrations, real-world testing conditions, and the opportunity to engage directly with manufacturers and innovators, Rail Live once again proved itself as the go-to event for anyone serious about the future of rail plant and engineering.
