Rental of "G4-III" Attachment for Railway Maintenance Begins

Actio Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President and COO: Naoto Onuma, hereinafter referred to as Actio), a comprehensive construction machinery rental company, will begin renting the new attachment "G4-III" on Thursday, March 26, 2026. This attachment dramatically improves the efficiency of sleeper replacement in railway track maintenance work.

Sleeper replacement is one of the most crucial tasks in track maintenance, which supports the safe operation of railways. In conventional sleeper replacement work, two backhoes are used: one equipped with a gripper for holding, pulling out, and inserting sleepers, and the other equipped with a 4-head tamper for compacting ballast*1. However, with this method, the 4-head tamper-equipped machine cannot operate while the gripper-equipped machine is working, preventing simultaneous progress of both tasks. While it is possible to perform work by changing attachments on a single backhoe, some railway companies prohibit attachment changes on the tracks due to concerns like oil leaks. In such cases, attachments must be changed after moving the machine off the tracks. Improving efficiency within limited working hours has been a long-standing challenge.

The "G4-III" was developed to solve this problem. The "G4-III" is equipped with both gripper and 4-head tamper functions and can switch between them in approximately 2 minutes. This eliminates the need for conventional attachment changes, significantly reducing work interruption time. Furthermore, it features a 360-degree swivel mechanism, allowing the attachment to be freely oriented even on narrow tracks. Particularly in sleeper replacement at points*2, by using two tamper claws on the main line side, tamping on the diverging side becomes possible, leading to a significant improvement in work efficiency. This product was completed in cooperation with Kotsu Kensetsu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Akira Mori).

*1 This refers to the work of firmly pressing and compacting the crushed stone (= ballast) laid under the sleepers around and beneath them.

*2 This generally refers to the equipment known as "points" or "switches.".

Actio will continue to leverage its "Rensulting" know-how to provide products and services that improve productivity and address labor shortages.

■ Features of "G4-III"

① Both gripper and 4-head tamper functions can be performed by a single unit.

② Switching between the gripper and 4-head tamper can be done in approximately 2 minutes.

③ Eliminates the need for attachment changes, significantly reducing work interruption time.

④ Greatly improves work efficiency within limited working hours.

⑤ The 360-degree swivel mechanism allows for free orientation of the attachment even on narrow tracks.

* Patent Number: Patent No. 7130207

■ Work Scene