Al-Burhan Group’s Railway Division in partnership with Kershaw (Progress Rail – a division of Caterpillar) works to deliver railway maintenance machines of the highest quality to Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR). Al-Burhan Group and Kershaw signed a contract to deliver a Sand Removal Machine to IRR for their railway maintenance programme. This joint operation aside from delivering the machine includes training and instruction on how to properly operate and maintain the high-tech vehicles. An Iraqi Republic Railway delegation visited the Kershaw manufacturing facility in Alabama, US in February, 2010 for the training and instruction course. The delegation consisted of 4 highly experienced IRR engineers as well as an Al-Burhan Group coordinator to organise the logistics of the visit. The Kershaw facility in Montgomery, Alabama not only produces the machines from scratch but also contains a learning centre specifically for the purpose of instructing new clients on how to operate the machines.

The development of the relationship between Kershaw and Al-Burhan Group started with the delivery of the Sand Removal Machine for the IRR’s track clearing requirements. The custom-built machine was designed according to IRR’s specifications which included the mounting of the machine onto a mechanical turn-table allowing it to change direction without the use of cranes. The IRR delegation will undergo the particular training syllabus to equip them with the required knowledge to optimally run the Sand Removal Machine. Iraq being a primarily desert country suffers from railway delays caused by sand dunes being formed on top of tracks. The machine itself is a state-of-the-art computer controlled track clearing vehicle with unrivalled speed, flexibility and ease of operation. The aim is for the IRR engineers to be able to fully utilise and service the Sand Removal Machine on Iraq’s railways following the four week training course.

Al-Burhan Group plans to continue its relationship with Kershaw through future deliveries of specialised railway maintenance equipment to IRR. This will include the supply of various railroad construction machines as well as other smaller maintenance and servicing machines. The government of Iraq has great plans for a railway expansion programme designed to meet the growing needs of the population and national industrial sector. This plan will undoubtedly involve a need for high-quality railway maintenance products and services. Al-Burhan Group working with a renowned global leader such as Kershaw strives to continue meeting these requirements, helping build Iraq’s railways.