Like a giant “vacuum cleaner” - Mercedes-Benz Actros on rails cleans track beds in the Netherlands and Belgium

• AH Vrij, a Dutch company specializing in landscaping and infrastructure, has deployed a Mercedes-Benz Actros with an excavator body and railway undercarriage for railway maintenance in the Netherlands and Belgium.

• The Mercedes-Benz Actros, painted yellow for certification, is a three-axle vehicle equipped with a large double blower, likened to a "giant vacuum cleaner" by Rick Vrij, a representative of the family-owned company.

• The Actros is tasked with cleaning tasks such as the Schiphol tunnel, which it cleans four times a year over 27 nights, removing debris like dust, sand, cans, and paper.

• In addition to the Schiphol tunnel, the Actros is also used to clean a seven-kilometer-long railway tunnel in Belgium, requiring twelve weekends to complete the job.

• The Mercedes-Benz Actros model chosen for these operations is the 3351L, 6x4, selected for its compact size and a gross train weight capacity of 33 tons, with the purchase facilitated by the Mercedes-Benz Truck Bedrijven dealership.

AH Vrij, a specialist company in landscaping, excavation and infrastructure from Wateringen in the Netherlands, has commissioned a Mercedes-Benz Actros with excavator body and railway undercarriage for the maintenance of railway lines in the Netherlands and Belgium. The third-generation, family-owned company, founded 65 years ago, selected the yellow Actros for its latest acquisition. The paint is required for certification: The truck with the three-pointed star is a three-axle vehicle with a large double blower. Rick Vrij, whose grandfather founded the enterprise, says: “It’s actually a truck with a large vacuum cleaner on top of it. And this vacuum cleaner will be used in the Netherlands and Belgium. Since its completion, the vehicle has not stopped.” The Actros with the “vacuum cleaner” cleans the Schiphol tunnel four times a year, removing dust, sand, cans and paper. This takes 27 nights for the enterprise to accomplish. AH Vrij also thoroughly “vacuums” a seven-kilometer-long railway tunnel in Belgium on twelve weekends.

With the support of the Mercedes-Benz Truck Bedrijven dealership, Rick Vrij decided to expand the fleet with this 3-axle truck and ordered a Mercedes-Benz Actros 3351L, 6x4, based on its compact dimensions and its gross train weight of 33 tons.