Previous to 2009, many different types of cables were being used in the United Kingdom (UK) for railway “axle counter” applications. Traditionally, the majority of these cables were supplied by one of the main competitors of our Spanish operation, Cables de Comunicaciones (CDC).
At the beginning of 2009, Network Rail (the chief railways infrastructure administration in UK) defined a new cable type for axle counter applications. A draft specification was issued and all design changes and comments suggested by CDC were accepted by Network Rail.
CDC then manufactured two prototypes which were subjected to extensive factory testing and field trials. Based on the rigorous testing, CDC obtained the product approval certificate from Network Rail, making CDC the first manufacturer to achieve approval for the product.
The first order for the cable was manufactured in September 2009 and CDC expects many more orders in 2010 due to all new axle counter installations in the UK requiring these new cables.
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