RN: In 2017 then chief executive of Network Rail (UK) Mark Carne said to The Guardian newspaper that he had secured a pledge from the government that toilets on trains allowing raw sewage to be dumped on to the tracks were to be phased out by 2019 in favour of holding-tank toilets. In its Strategic Business Plan for Control Period 6, Network Rail has also said this practice will stop by the end of 2019. Can you comment on this situation for the UK and for other countries? How much work remains to be done in this area?

A: I cannot comment on the situation in the UK. But generally, I can say that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in many European countries, in terms of retrofitting old rolling stock with modern toilets and holding tanks, and providing the required infrastructure in the service depots.

In the end it is not only an unpleasant way of disposing of human waste, it also poses real health and safety risks, real dangers, for railway staff and operators working in the depots and on the tracks.

RN: Many railway operators are going to implement a ‘pit-stop concept’ in order to get the trains back on the track as soon as possible. How does your technology support this concept?

A: The so-called ‘pit-stop concept`, designed to reduce service time without increasing the number of operators, is not new. However, with ever increasing cost pressure, a shortage of operating staff, as well as a shortage of spare trains, this concept is now being enforced all the more, as available service time slots become ever shorter.

Our systems effectively support the fast servicing of the trains: because the extraction pistols close automatically after emptying the wastewater tanks, the complete train can be serviced by a single operator, within a rather short time period. The operator does not have to wait until the wastewater tanks are empty before doing something else. After connecting the Roediger extraction pistol, he or she can immediately move on to the next coach. After connecting all the pistols the operator can walk back and disconnect one pistol after the other. This process means a high number of trains can be serviced effectively with minimum operational staff requirements.

RN: As you mentioned above, you don’t just deal with waste disposal in the rail sector. What is the biggest area of growth for you? What are some of the big projects for Aqseptence in the next couple of years?

A: The Aqseptence Group is active worldwide, providing water and wastewater management facilities, including vacuum technology systems, components and solutions for screening and filtration.

Within our Vacuum Technology Systems division, with offices in Germany, the United States, Poland and Dubai, we concentrate on sewage collection systems for applications in municipalities, for industrial projects, marinas and airports.

Apart from within the railway sector, we expect a significant future growth in projects requiring vacuum sanitation systems for ships, offices and public buildings.

source= https://railway-news.com/industry-focus-aqseptence-group/