Fueltek case study · Rail
Virgin Trains East Coast
Forty FT4000 systems across three major rail depots.
Fueltek had already supported diesel fuelling at Ferme Park, Craigentinny and Clayhills. The next phase expanded dispensing and monitoring, particularly around AdBlue and additional fuelling points.
Sector context image
Project approach
From operational problem to working system.
The three-depot expansion added twenty-five units to fifteen existing FT4000 systems and extended monitoring to new AdBlue tanks.
Expand an established three-depot network
- Existing diesel monitoring needed to be extended rather than replaced.
- Each depot required additional AdBlue dispensing and monitoring capability.
- Clayhills needed multiple diesel and AdBlue fuelling points as part of the expansion.
Add integrated FT4000 dispensing and extend TankWatch coverage
- Supplied 25 additional FT4000 monitoring units in integrated pump format.
- Combined them with the 15 units already in service, taking the network to 40 FT4000 systems.
- Extended TankWatch monitoring to the new AdBlue tanks at each of the three depots.
Project in context
The brief, explained in more detail.
The project brought together the equipment and operating processes described below. Explore how the installation worked and the considerations for a similar system at your site.
Extend the network already in service.
Fueltek had already supported diesel fuelling at Ferme Park, Craigentinny and Clayhills. The next phase expanded the established network, with additional dispensing and monitoring for AdBlue and further fuelling points.
Twenty-five additional FT4000 units in integrated pump format joined the fifteen already in service, taking the total to forty across the three depots. TankWatch monitoring was extended to the new AdBlue tanks at each location, and Clayhills required multiple diesel and AdBlue fuelling points.
The programme extended existing Fueltek infrastructure across the depot network. This case study uses the customer’s name at the time of the project.
System architecture
How the Fueltek layers worked together.
A fuel-management project normally has several distinct jobs to do: physically store or dispense product, decide who is allowed to use it, measure what is held in storage, and turn activity into information that managers can review. The cards below show the roles of the systems connected with this case study.
FT4000
Authorised dispensing and transaction control
The FT4000 is the control layer at the fuelling point. It can be used to authorise dispensing, associate a transaction with an approved user or vehicle and create a structured transaction record instead of leaving the pump as an isolated piece of equipment. Where the project configuration captures additional fields such as mileage or identification data, those details can sit alongside the quantity dispensed so later reporting has operational context.
Explore FT4000 →TankWatch
Independent tank-level and stock monitoring
TankWatch measures what is physically held in the storage tank using tank probes and a local control layer. That gives the operator information such as current stock, available capacity, deliveries, stock movements and throughputs. It complements pump transaction data because it answers a different question: the pump records what the system says was dispensed, while tank monitoring measures what is actually happening in storage.
Explore TankWatch →AdBlue dispensing
A dedicated dispensing route for AdBlue
AdBlue requires its own compatible storage and dispensing path. Where a case-study project includes diesel and AdBlue, the two products can still be managed through the same overall reporting approach while remaining physically separate at storage and dispensing level. This keeps the operating process consistent without compromising the product-specific hardware requirement.
Explore AdBlue dispensing →Operational workflow
From fuel on site to usable information.
The steps below explain the roles of the technologies discussed in this project. The exact operating sequence depends on the equipment and identification process specified for the installation.
Store & receive
Bulk product is received into the site storage arrangement. Tank capacity, product compatibility and delivery access are part of the physical specification before the management system can add useful control.
Authorise
The managed dispensing layer checks that the user or vehicle is permitted to draw fuel before the transaction proceeds. The exact identification method depends on the project configuration.
Dispense & record
Fuel is dispensed through the managed pump or controller. The quantity dispensed becomes a transaction record rather than remaining only as a mechanical pump total.
Measure stock independently
TankWatch measures the physical tank level. This gives the operator a second information source for stock, deliveries and movements alongside the pump transaction record.
Planning a similar project
What should be defined before specification.
The case-study equipment should not be copied blindly. A new installation needs to be sized and configured around the actual operation. These are the main questions We need to understand before choosing the appropriate hardware and software.
Fuel & storage
Which products are stored? What is the expected daily usage, peak usage, delivery frequency and reserve requirement? These answers influence tank capacity and whether multiple compartments are appropriate.
Vehicles & dispensing
Vehicle type, fill-point position, desired flow rate, hose reach and simultaneous fuelling demand determine the practical pump, hose and nozzle arrangement.
Access & accountability
Define whether authorisation should be tied to a driver, vehicle, department, contractor or another operational identity, and what information needs to be captured with each transaction.
Tank visibility
Decide what the site needs to know about physical stock: current level, ullage, deliveries, movement, alarms and how that information should be reconciled with pump transactions.
Reporting & users
Identify who needs reports, whether the organisation is single-site or multi-site, which managers need local or central access and what exceptions should be easy to investigate.
Installation & handover
Existing equipment, electrical and data connections, vehicle movements, groundwork, commissioning windows, staff training and any fixed go-live date all affect the delivery plan.
Apply the learning
What to take into your own project.
An established depot network can expand around suitable existing equipment. Additional products, dispensing points and monitoring requirements determine how the new equipment connects to the system.
Read the project outcome →Case-study FAQ
Project detail and specification questions.
These answers separate the recorded facts of this case study from the decisions that would need to be made for a new installation.
What was the main issue this rail project needed to solve?
Expand an established three-depot network. Existing diesel monitoring needed to be extended rather than replaced. Each depot required additional AdBlue dispensing and monitoring capability.
Which Fueltek systems are connected with this case study?
This project brought together FT4000, TankWatch and AdBlue dispensing. Each system has a distinct role in fuel control, storage, monitoring or reporting.
Why use both pump records and tank monitoring where both are installed?
They measure different parts of the operation. Managed dispensing records the authorised transaction at the pump, while tank monitoring measures physical stock and movements in storage. Reviewing both gives the operator more context than either source on its own.
Would a new project use exactly the same specification?
Not automatically. A similar project should be specified around fuel type, storage capacity, peak dispensing demand, hose reach, user and vehicle access, communications, reporting requirements, installation constraints and any existing equipment that is suitable to retain.
What should be defined before a site survey or quotation?
Useful starting information includes the products to be stored, approximate daily and peak usage, current tank and pump details, vehicle types, required flow rate, number of users or vehicles, preferred access method, reporting expectations, communications available at the site and any installation or handover deadline.
Project outcome
What changed.
The expanded network provided managed diesel and AdBlue dispensing across the three depots while extending the monitoring structure already familiar to the operator.
Relevant Fueltek systems
Explore the technology used.
Equipment is specified around the site, fuels, users, reporting requirements and existing infrastructure. The links below show the closest current Fueltek product areas connected with this project.
Plan your own system
Have a similar operational challenge?
Fueltek can review your tanks, pumps, vehicles, users, reporting requirements and existing equipment before recommending the most practical route forward.
