UpRight lifts for Marmaray tunnel

UpRight lifts are helping to maintain railway stations on a major new transport infrastructure project in Turkey.

The Marmaray Project is a metro system connecting two continents, joining together the Asian and European parts of Istanbul. The 14 km rail link, which runs under the Bosphorous Strait, is the deepest undersea tunnel of its kind in the world.

After upgrading further suburban stations with an additional track, the Marmaray line will accommodate up to 75000 passengers per hour.

Platform Makina, the UpRight distributor in Turkey, delivered eight UpRight aerial work platforms to Design & Projects, the company responsible for service and maintenance of the metro trains and stations.

Baha Guliter, engineer at Design & Projects, said: "We are very happy with the UpRight machines and the high quality of service from Platform Makina. "We are sure that we made the right choice for this prestigious project."

Platform Makina delivered four UpRight X26 electric scissor lifts and four UpRight MB26 mast boom lifts.

The UpRight X26 is a compact, heavy-duty, self-propelled scissor lift that provides a safe working height of up to 10 m and lifting capacity of 454 kg. Designed for interior work, the X26 has an inside turning radius of just 0.2 m and precise, one-handed proportional controls.

The UpRight MB26 mast boom lift provides the same 10 m working height, with increased flexibility. Less than 1 m wide, the MB26 delivers up to 3 m of outreach, while the 360° rotating mast and 138° articulated jib provide access to more difficult to reach places.

Evren Göymen, sales manager of Platform Makina, said, "We are proud to be a part of this great project as a supplier.The customer chose UpRight because we supplied the right machines for the job, but also because we are close at hand to provide technical support and advice.

"Once the Marmaray Project is finished, millions of people will use the metro every day - and see UpRight lifts in every station."

The construction of the Marmaray line has also enriched understanding of Istanbul's cultural heritage.

Digging at the European end of the tunnel in 2005 uncovered the remains of the 4th Century Port of Theodosius - subsequent excavations found traces of the city wall of Emperor Constantine the Great and even the remains of several ships, including the only ancient galley ever discovered. Archaeologists have also discovered evidence of settlement in Istanbul dating back to 6000 BC.

Enrique Garcia, UpRight District Manager for Southern Europe, was present for the official hand-over of the machines.

Mr Garcia said, "Marmaray is one of the most high profile infrastructure projects in the world right now, so this is a real honour for UpRight and for Platform Makina."