AH Vrij, a Dutch specialist in landscaping, earthworks and infrastructure based in Wateringen, the Netherlands, has launched a Mercedes-Benz Actros with a rail chassis for the maintenance of railway lines in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The third-generation family business, established 65 years ago, has chosen the yellow Actros for their latest acquisition, a color necessary for certification. This particular truck features a three-axle design with a large double blower.
Rick Vrij, whose grandfather founded the company, explains: “It’s essentially a truck with a large vacuum cleaner on top. This vacuum cleaner is operational in the Netherlands and Belgium. Since its completion, the truck has been constantly in use.”
The Actros, equipped with this "vacuum suction" unit, cleans the Schiphol Tunnel four times a year. This tunnel directs trains from the Dutch national railway (NS) to Amsterdam Airport, removing dust, sand, cans, and paper. Similarly, a seven-kilometer-long railway tunnel in Belgium is thoroughly vacuumed by AH Vrij over twelve weekends.
Unimog road-rail versions are almost a classic in this field. Used for shunting, rail and overhead line maintenance, and trackside work, Unimogs serve railway companies, industrial facilities with rail connections, urban transport services, and providers of rail construction and maintenance services.
Source: AH Vrij