RailDirector June 2021 by RBD Media

Better for Business June 2021

Exclusively for rail industry leaders

June 2021 Issue 10 railbusinessdaily.com

In this issue… Nick Elliott MBE Rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine Darren James Launch of Work Pipeline Visibility Charter Chloe McKinlay and Helen Diksa Challenging gender stereotypes Peter Graham Rail freight – the engine for growth and tackling decarbonisation

Loraine Martins OBE Creating a more open, diverse and inclusive industry

A platform for success… railbusinessdaily.com

Releasing the latest industry news Bringing companies and customers together Delivering business-leading analysis and views

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Introduction

Bringing the rail industry together A

very warm welcome to the latest edition of RailDirector. If the last 16 months has taught us anything, it is the importance of flexibility and adapting to change. That has very much been the case in pulling together our latest magazine, which was nearing completion just as the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail dropped. The biggest change to the railways in 25 years, ending the fragmentation of the past and bringing the network under a single national leadership was always going to make for interesting reading and we’ve tried to reflect as many different views as possible in our latest magazine. Generally, the White Paper has been welcomed, especially the certainty of the Government’s plans for the railways, flexible tickets and growing the network as part of a greener and more customerfocused railway building on that increased level of collaboration we’ve seen during the pandemic. I’ve looked closely at the detail to make sure we align ourselves with Great British Railways and serve the wider industry to the best of our abilities. I think in many ways we are already there, working with dozens and dozens of well-established organisations in the rail industry, through to the new arrivals looking to break into the sector. But like the industry, we aren’t resting on our laurels and will continue to enhance our range of rail business services and profile-raising opportunities for industryrelated organisations and professionals. We have just released our excellent new magazine InsideTrack and have also launched our new community offering which will provide industry insight reports, events, tender opportunities and safety updates. Away from the business side of things and I am delighted to say that we have become a White

Ribbon UK-accredited organisation. We have agreed a powerful action plan for the next three years in playing our part in bringing long-lasting change to end violence and abuse. Back to the business and RailDirector continues to be at the heart of everything we do and continues to be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the brilliant individuals we have in the industry as well as the organisations transforming the sector. Look no further than our cover feature Loraine Martins OBE who has played a vital role in creating a more open, diverse and inclusive industry. She talks about Network Rail’s success in light of the organisation being named as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. It is also interesting in seeing the impact that working in the industry has had on individuals who have left. Nick Elliott MBE, who spent over eight years at Network Rail, was last year the Director General of the UK Vaccine Taskforce. This is a really interesting read on something that has impacted every single one of us. TThose are just a few of the features in store in the coming pages. As always, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to tell their story and put their confidence in us to showcase their product or service. I hope you enjoy the magazine. Kind regards

Da vid

David McLoughlin Chief Executive Business Daily Group (incorporating: RBD Publications and railbusinessdaily.com)

If the last 16 months has taught us anything, it is the importance of flexibility and adapting to change When you have finished reading this issue of RailDirector, please pass it to colleagues to enjoy or put it in your reception area.

RailDirector magazine is part of the Business Daily Group of companies, which includes the hugely popular railbusinessdaily.com. We deliver more than 70 stories a week to +50,000 rail industry professionals who now subscribe to our 7am daily newsletter. Please subscribe and encourage your colleagues and team members to do the same. It’s free and it’s easy: www.railbusinessdaily.com. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on Britain’s railways. There is a digital copy of RailDirector on our website.

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June 2021 | 3

Contents

Standing up against racism and discrimination in the rail industry

Network Rail’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Loraine Martins OBE discusses creating a more open, diverse and inclusive industry.

Rolling out the vaccine

Nick Elliott MBE, Director at Turner & Townsend, brings the experience he acquired in rail to the UK’s COVID-19 response.

News 12 Including: Mace Dragados wins HS2 Curzon Street station deal, £1.5 billion Midland main line upgrade, and FirstGroup agrees TransPennine and South Western contracts.

Engineering a modern passenger experience

Delivering on social value

AECOM’s Shamit Gaiger says it is vital, as an industry, to contribute more to the communities we serve – increasingly it will become our licence to operate.

Taking the rail industry to a much better place

Rail Supply Group’s Darren James discusses the launch of the Work Pipeline Visibility Charter.

Tel: 0800 046 7320 Sales: 020 7062 6599

Having faith in the rail industry

Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rbdpublications.com

CPMS-Egis Scheme Project Manager Farah Sajwani on the challenges to make the railways inclusive to all religions.

The first of HS2’s Tunnel Boring Machines begins 10-mile journey

Writers Danny Longhorn Dave Windass Designer/Production Editor Chris Cassidy

Print Manager Dan Clark

Spencer Group’s innovative work across the rail sector.

Chief Executive Mark Thurston hopes the entire country will get behind the project, following the major progress milestone.

Long-awaited plans to reform Britain’s railways

Trial Running of trains gets underway on the Elizabeth line

Advertising Team Christian Wiles – chris@rbdpublications.com Freddie Neal – freddie@rbdpublications.com Elliot Gates – elliot@rbdpublications.com Jack Allen – jack@rbdpublications.com Amy Hudson amy@rbdpublications.com

RailDirector’s Editor Nigel Wordsworth looks at the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and the industry’s reaction.

Challenging gender stereotypes

Distribution Manager Nick Wright

Crossrail Chief Executive Mark Wild says there are firmly on the path to Trial Operations and ultimately the opening of the line.

Making rail services fit for everyone 58

Avanti West Coast Trainee Driver Chloe McKinlay and Executive Director of Human Resources Helen Diksa, on encouraging more female train drivers.

KTN’s rail expert Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain on the biggest challenge facing the industry for a century.

Now is the time: realising sustainable 26 innovation across the industry David Clarke, Technical Director at the Railway Industry Association, says it’s time for UK rail to accelerate its environmental story.

Rail freight – the engine for growth 30 and tackling decarbonisation Peter Graham, Freightliner’s Rail Strategy Manager, writes of opportunities, supporting decarbonisation and levelling up the UK economy.

Back in business

International news

Featuring tests on an autonomous train in France and Canada announcing significant investment in rail infrastructure.

Movers and shakers

A round-up of some of the new appointments in the rail industry.

2020 Queen’s Award Winners in Innovation for Dura Platform Robroyston Station

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The National Railway Museum’s Director Judith McNicol on how the museum will support UK rail.

Published by RBD Publications Ltd., Suite 37, Philpot House, Station Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7HH. Printed by Stephens & George © 2021 All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent from the publisher. For subscription enquiries and to make sure you get your copy of RailDirector please ring 0800 046 7320 or email subscriptions@rbdpublications.com The views expressed in the articles reflect the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith.

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Diversity and Inclusion

Standing up against racism and discrimination in the rail industry Network Rail’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Loraine Martins OBE discusses creating a more open, diverse and inclusive industry

etwork Rail has celebrated a landmark achievement in recognition of the progress made to improve diversity and to become a more inclusive employer in what is a predominantly male industry. Being named as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women last month is a reflection of the huge amount of work that has gone on at the maintainer and developer of Britain’s rail infrastructure. It has been led by Loraine Martins, the organisation’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, who for the past eight-and-a-half years has helped change the culture and the industry’s perception to those outside the industry. “To be named in the Top 50 Employers for Women list is a real achievement and a great testament to the efforts of my colleagues in the business to make this a place that women want to be in, want to stay in, and that they can thrive in,” she said. “It’s not been an easy feat. When I arrived, I would have described Network Rail as an organisation in deficit but wanting to make that change – I wouldn’t have joined unless there was a willingness and commitment to change.” When Loraine joined in 2012, of Network Rail’s 34,000 staff, approximately 14 per cent were female. Even more challenging was the acknowledgment that at the then rate of recruitment, it was predicted that it would take almost 65 years for 30 per cent of the workforce

to be female – which is seen as the tipping point in terms of an organisation benefiting from gender diversity. “The independent review of our approach to diversity and inclusion was fairly critical and we

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Diversity and Inclusion

“We had to look closely at who worked for us – we were underrepresented in terms of women, underrepresented in terms of Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic people, we didn’t really know about disabled people and we didn’t know about our LGBT+ colleagues. “It showed us the scale of the task in terms of changing the demographics. We needed a two-pronged approach, to change our culture and also our narrative that says we are speaking to women and demonstrating that we want women to be in this environment.” At the heart of the changes was Inspire – the organisation’s employee network for gender equality set up in 2013 – pressing for progress on creating a fair and supportive working environment for people of all genders. Such has been the success of Inspire that there are now seven networks – Archway, CanDo, Cultural Fusion, Inspire, Multi Faith, Care, and the most recent addition Family Focus. “These networks have been really helpful by holding up a mirror to us as a business, and for being a litmus test for things that we are doing. An unintended consequence has been identifying talent that we might not otherwise have seen – people who have popped up and grown through the networks,” Loraine said. “These networks have been really important. Each one has been sponsored by our executives who have been incredibly helpful. Through the Inspire network we have developed bespoke development programmes which have been positive – and what we are doing is we are tracking people’s progress through these programmes. “They have also given opportunities for people to talk about the skills and some of the emotional stuff we as women carry. It has been helpful and well received, so we have been highly responsive to women’s requests for things that need to be improved. “In addition to that we have done lots of work around STEM activities, engaging with future generations so that they begin to think of rail as an environment that would be great for them.” Improving gender diversity It is all part of the wider efforts to improve gender diversity through Network Rail’s Gender Matters programme, with a target to achieve a 26 per cent female workforce by the end of 2024. To try to achieve this a conscious effort has been made to attract, recruit and retain more women in the business at all levels, as well as progressing female employees into more senior roles. 6 | June 2021

There has also been a change in the approach to flexible working and agile working, a greater focus on the gender pay gap, and the improvement of welfare facilities for women – including new mobile welfare units. “It has been a combination of looking at the data and targets, and also the culture and genuinely creating an environment where

Why should people be discriminated on the basis of things they cannot control, it just doesn’t make any sense to me women can flourish,” she added. “It has been a long journey, but I’m incredibly proud of the things that we’ve done, which haven’t just helped Network Rail, but the industry too. “Women in Rail has been really supportive to us in our journey and we’ve worked with the Rail Delivery Group in terms of sharing our approach and they’ve had their own campaigns, such as the initiative to increase the number of women drivers. “Overall though, the environment compared to when I started is much more attuned to our being an inclusive space so that accolade and acknowledgement of being named a Top 50 Employer for Women is a wonderful recognition of all that effort.”

But this is just one area that Loraine is driving change. Last month, on the anniversary of the death of George Floyd – an African-American man whose murder by a white police officer in America led to anti-racism demonstrations all over the world – Network Rail introduced a briefing session called ‘Stand Up For Race Equality’. Eradicating racism Loraine said: “As well as marking the anniversary of George Floyd, it was an opportunity for us as a business and as a sector to draw a line and say we know there’s racism within our environment and we need to eradicate it. “The briefing sessions started last month and involved colleagues watching a few scenarios and having a conversation on race equality and other forms of discrimination. It was us saying to our entire organisation, we want everyone to give pause, and focus on this topic, and that’s not been done before. “The briefings will take place until 6 September and we’re encouraging our contractors and partners to participate too. “It was also an opportunity to make clear the correlation between having environments that are safe and inclusive – because we’ve got evidence where if people don’t feel included they are disrespected or they are bullied or harassed – then we’re not safe, we have accidents and people can get injured. “We want to eradicate that from our environment and be much more vocal about our zero-tolerance of racism and any form of discrimination in our organisation.” railbusinessdaily.com

Diversity and Inclusion

Loraine’s success in creating positive change and standing up for what she sees as wrong shouldn’t come as a surprise. At primary school she successfully campaigned to get a wall dividing boys and girls in a playground knocked down, while at secondary school she was part of a protest to keep free school milk. “I’ve been raised to make sure that people get their just desserts – ‘an injustice to one is an injustice to all’ is how I was raised,” she said. “Why should people be discriminated on the basis of things they cannot control, it just doesn’t make any sense to me. “Those early campaigns were about fairness. Why would you stop people being together just because they are a boy and a girl? It didn’t make any sense that just because I was a girl I couldn’t play football with my brother, and why take milk away from kids – I love milk. “The seeds were sown from a very young age.” Creating positive change As for the future, for Loraine it remains focused very much on continuing to play her part on putting the sector on the path for positive change.

She said: “I want to continue to help the rail industry be the best it possibly can be. We’re facing in the right direction and we’ve done some good things and what’s really been heartening has been the increasing sense of collaboration across the sector for diversity and inclusion. “When I first joined the rail industry we probably wouldn’t have been having an

interview about diversity and inclusion as it just wasn’t talked about in our sector, and now it is and our industry is seen as a space where diversity and inclusion is seen as something important. “We need to build on that – more collaboration, working together and learning together and moving in the same direction is going to be great for us.”

What is InsideTrack?

Rail insight from the industry’s leading voice The rail industry insight InsideTrack is a new railway industry magazine from RBD Publications that looks at the UK rail industry in detail, describes how it works, discusses all the latest projects and technology, and investigates opportunities for the supply chain. Six issues a year, each look at a different aspects of the UK’s rail industry, including constructing, enhancing and maintaining Britain’s railways, train operations, safety and governance. InsideTrack will appeal to everyone who wants to know more about the rail industry in detail. This includes both those already working in rail, but who want to understand how their role fits into the bigger picture, and others who are considering entering the industry, either for work or as suppliers. To discuss advertising or editorial opportunities, contact: nigel@rbdpublications.com chris@rbdpublications.com

railbusinessdaily.com

June 2021 | 7

People

Rolling out the vaccine Nick Elliott MBE, Director at Turner & Townsend, brings the experience he acquired in rail to the UK’s COVID-19 response

he UK clearly and rapidly emerged as the world leader in COVID-19 vaccine rollout, not least because of the efforts of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce (VTF), which consisted of a host of experts in science, technology, and logistics, including former railwayman Nick Elliott MBE. The VTF was established by the government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, in March 2020 to drive forward, expedite and co-ordinate efforts to ensure that the UK population would have access to a clinically safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. The VTF had three clear objectives: to secure access to promising vaccines for the UK population; make provision for the internal distribution of vaccines; and to support industrial strategy by establishing a long-term vaccine strategy plan to prepare the UK for future pandemics. In November 2020, the UK was the first country to offer vaccination outside of clinical trials. The taskforce drew on the expertise of its 12-strong steering group to secure orders from 8 | June 2021

seven different vaccine manufacturers – a total of 400 million doses. Kate Bingham was appointed in May 2020 as chair of the VTF, reporting directly to the Prime Minister and working within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

My job was to create the programme team, make it work and make sure we delivered Nick Elliott MBE followed a career in the British Army with over eight years at Network Rail, first as Head of Programme Controls and Integration for Crossrail & Reading Station, before becoming Regional Director (Southern) of Infrastructure Projects and Managing Director of the National Supply Chain.

In April 2020, Nick was sitting in the NHS England headquarters where, in his role as Deputy CEO for Defence Equipment and Support, he was leading Defence’s support to the COVID crisis by establishing an urgently needed ventilator distribution network and providing expert commercial support to the procurement of PPE. It was there that the call came to help set up and lead the VTF as Director General and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the vaccine programme. He had been proposed by National Security Advisor Stephen Lovegrove, then the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, who was advising the Cabinet Secretary on what was needed. Nick said: “Stephen realised that in order to establish the VTF there was a need for somebody who had strategic knowledge combined with delivery skills, a combination that I had from my military and Network Rail background. They needed people who knew how to put programmes together. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“So I was asked to play my part at exactly the same time as the Prime Minister was asking Kate Bingham if she would be chair. The two of us came together to work on setting up the VTF. “Sir Patrick Vallance’s glimmer of hope was that vaccines could be the answer when everyone else, at the time, was dealing with the here and now. He had that vision to see what would come next, and set off the chain of events that got this extraordinary expert team. “My job was to create the programme team, make it work and make sure we delivered on what we’d agreed to do. This was not just about buying vaccines but about putting manufacturing in place, buying factories and turning them into vaccine production facilities, making sure the right UK trials capability was put in place, not only doing the deals on vaccines but working with the supply chain to make sure they were delivered. “While other countries looked at this as a commodity procurement, we saw this as a collaboration with suppliers. It was working hand in glove to put in place and upscale manufacturing early, collaborating on getting supply to the UK as soon as a vaccine was proven to be safe and effective and, most importantly,

The press and media had an eye on us, with everybody wanting to know what was going on and what was going to happen working with the health service to deliver jabs to the public. This joint and collaborative approach is something that I learned at Network Rail.

“It was a hugely pressurised role. Even though I worked in rail for all those years, and all of my weekends and bank holidays during that time were spent delivering infrastructure projects under extreme scrutiny, I’ve never worked so hard in my life as I did on the VTF. “As we got closer to vaccine approval the scrutiny on the VTF increased. There were daily meetings with Matt Hancock, and every other day with Boris Johnson and members of the Cabinet. “Then the press and media had an eye on us, with everybody wanting to know what was going on and what was going to happen.”

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June 2021 | 9

People

What happened next is obvious to everyone who has gone on to receive their doses of Oxford/ AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, or Moderna vaccines. Everyone in England was within 10 miles of a vaccination centre, while those in remote, rural areas had access to mobile vaccination units. In total, there were more than 1,400 vaccination sites in England, 1,100 in Scotland, 295 in Wales, and 328 in Northern Ireland. The VTF’s emphasis on sourcing vaccines that could be used as early as 2020 has gone on to save lives, allow lockdown to ease and normal life to resume. High praise Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised the work of Nick and his VTF colleagues. In one of many letters to the taskforce, he wrote: “When considering the success of our vaccine programme so far, it is abundantly clear how important securing early contracts was. [The VTF’s] close work with suppliers has been invaluable and is now reaping benefits for the whole world, by enabling an overall increase in production capacity.” Nick added: “Everything set in motion with the VTF paid dividends in terms of vaccine rollout.” With his role with the VTF drawing to a close in December 2020, Nick has subsequently turned his attention back to business and his new role as Director at Turner & Townsend, a global professional services company specialising in programme management, project management, cost and commercial management and advisory across the infrastructure, real estate and natural resources. It is a role that has many synergies with the rail industry.

Nick said: “Turner & Townsend is a global, UK company, 75 years old, formed in Darlington and headquartered in Leeds. I’ll be leading the company’s infrastructure business in the South East.

Leadership is about how we support our teams and our people

Nick Elliott recognising the efforts of Network Rail’s Fleet Support Engineer Ian Hindle

10 | June 2021

“Turner & Townsend has supported a number of big rail infrastructure projects over the years, working with Network Rail, HS2 and Transport for Greater Manchester among others, so the role was a natural fit for me. With the delivery of major programmes a top priority in the post-pandemic recovery, there is a great deal of experience we can bring to bear across the lifecycle and that includes lessons learned through the VTF. “The construction industry is really coming together through various initiatives to bring best practice and value to the table and as a business we are playing our part in that effort. This includes working more effectively with the relevant government departments and how their strategies can be pulled together as effectively as possible. “I’ve done a few different things during my career to date and delivering successful outcomes all boils down to leadership. Leadership is about how we support our teams and our people because it is our people who do remarkable things on a day to day basis. How we create an environment where everyone can shine and add value is incredibly important and powerful. Putting teams together and delivering through those teams, including the supply chain, is no different in rail to the military, defence or the VTF. “I only do jobs where I think I can make a difference and it was great during my time in rail to think that we were adding real value to the UK. Once a railwayman, always a railwayman though and I have some fond memories, even of the 2am starts on a Sunday morning, but particularly of the fantastic teams I worked with at Network Rail.” The Channel 4 documentary Jabbed – about the work of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce – aired on Monday 10 May and is available on catch up. railbusinessdaily.com

I n sFue raat nu cr e

Advice for Railway Companies – monthly feature by Jobson James Rail – The Rail Broker

The Insurance Act 2015 – What is it, why is it important to me?

he above new legislation has both positive and negative implications for the insurance buyer. It removes the insurer’s right to refuse to pay claims due to the client breaching one of the insurance terms and conditions, if that breach is not relevant to the claim being considered, but it also reinforces the insurer’s right to refuse to pay a claim due to nondisclosure. The way brokers should work is that, before they start trying to sell, they should thoroughly understand the client’s business by asking lots of questions. Many will seem straightforward enough, details of activities, where they work, who for, type of work etc. If the client does not impart the right information, or the broker fails to understand, then it is uncertain whether the right information will be passed to the insurers, which will then potentially have a reason to decline a claim or even to provide legal defence. Insurance brokers should have changed the way they work, but most have not. While they ask questions, they rarely show the client what they disclosed to the insurer. This means that the client

Clare Brecknell, Dip CII

then has no proof of what actual disclosure was made to the insurers, possibly because the broker does not really understand the rail jargon or even the rail industry. Even worse, many brokers ask the client to do all the work and fill in a very bland form which asks no railway questions at all, making the disclosure even more difficult for the client. This all creates doubt, which can cost the railway company dear if it faces an expensive claim that is then declined. A different approach is needed. The good broker

will write a bespoke risk presentation, which the client will sign off, creating certainty over disclosure. This risk presentation will show exactly how well the broker understood the client’s business. Confident brokers will happily do this, while poorer brokers will rely on bland form-filling by you, their client. The best brokers will also go further, to make sure they thoroughly understand the business and advise their clients on the insurance implications of the contractual liabilities they face in railway contracts. Their clients will then know what liability their customers are pushing on them and what is or is not insured. Such specialist railway contractual advice is a cornerstone of our business and is why we are, by far, the market leader, acting for over 340 railway clients. Clare Brecknell, Dip CII, Client Director, Jobson James Rail. Contact Clare on 07794 019669.

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June 2021 | 11

News

irstGroup plc has agreed National Rail Contracts (NRCs) with the Department for Transport (DfT) for its South Western Railway (SWR) and TransPennine Express (TPE) train operating companies. The new NRCs started last month when the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement came to an end. NRCs replace the previous revenue risk-based franchising system. The NRCs have a primary two-year term to the end of May 2023 for both SWR and TPE, and both have an option to be extended by up to two further years at the DfT’s discretion. Under the contracts the DfT will retain all revenue risk and substantially all cost risk. For the Group’s 70 per cent share of the First MTR joint venture for SWR the fixed management fee is £3.3 million per annum and there is the opportunity to earn an additional fee of up to £9.9 million, which is the maximum attainable performance fee. For TPE the fixed management fee is £2.3 million per annum and there is the opportunity to earn an additional fee of up to £5.2 million, which is the maximum attainable performance fee. The punctuality and other operational targets required to achieve the maximum level of performance fee are designed to incentivise the highest level of performance for customers. Matthew Gregory, FirstGroup Chief Executive, said: “We have long called for this transition to a new contract structure with a far better balance of risk and reward, and which benefits customers by a clearer focus on performance, including the introduction of a new set of passenger service metrics.” 12 | June 2021

Mace Dragados wins HS2 Curzon Street station deal A

team made up of Mace and Dragados will build HS2 Ltd’s new Birmingham city-centre high-speed railway station. The deal, which is worth up to £570 million, will see Mace Dragados work with HS2 Ltd in two stages to finalise the detailed design and then build the landmark station. The station itself will be net zero carbon in operation and adopt the latest eco-friendly design and sustainable technologies, including capturing rainwater and utilising sustainable power generation, with over 2,800m2 of solar panels located on platform canopies. It is designed to meet a ‘BREEAM excellent’ standard, which is an industry-recognised standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste and minimise their impact on the natural environment.

Photo: HS2 Ltd

FirstGroup wins TransPennine South Western contracts

HS2 Ltd’s Chief Executive Mark Thurston said: “Birmingham Curzon Street is right at the heart of the HS2 project, providing a fantastic terminus for trains running into the city centre. The station will play a vital role in the long-term economic future of the West Midlands, creating hundreds of jobs during construction and boosting the region after the pandemic. “Mace and Dragados have some

incredible experience delivering some of the world’s most challenging and exciting infrastructure projects, and I look forward to welcoming them to the team.” Significant progress has already been made on site at Curzon Street. Site clearance is now complete and a massive archaeological programme, involving 70 archaeologists, has unearthed the world’s oldest railway roundhouse.

Campaign launched to encourage people back onto public transport

national campaign to help get people back onboard public transport has been launched outside the House of Lords and across social media by sustainable transport charity, Campaign for Better Transport. The Way Forward campaign is calling on the government to support public transport by actively encouraging people to use buses, trains, coaches and trams as restrictions ease, and introducing an incentive scheme to help boost passenger numbers as part of a national plan to place public transport at the heart of a green recovery. Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of

Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The events of the past year have made people less confident about using public transport, but as restrictions continue to ease we all need to start getting back on board. “As more workplaces, shops

and businesses reopen in the coming months, campaigners argue it will be crucial that people return to public transport to avoid increased congestion and air pollution, and help communities recover.” railbusinessdaily.com

News

£1.5 billion Midland main line upgrade

Avanti West Coast launches Standard Premium service

et wo r k Ra i l has completed the biggest vanti West Coast has improvements to the Midland become the first UK train main line since it was built. operating company to offer an In the latest stage of the additional class of travel as part upgrade, teams have carried of its services. out vital work to install new Standard Premium aims to give overhead line equipment customers greater choice and is between Bedford and Corby, as available on all the West Coast well as improvements to station main line operator’s Pendolino platforms and major work to services. Sitting between Standard upgrade bridges on the route and First, customers will enjoy to make way for electrification roomier seats, greater space and between London St Pancras a guaranteed table. They will International and Corby. also have the option to purchase The new train timetable was refreshments via the new ‘At-Seat introduced last month, and East Order’ feature where customers can Midlands Railway launched its have items delivered to them without new all-electric service between moving from their seat. Corby and London St Pancras Standard Premium was International, providing a sixth developed following initial market 132x188 page ad:Layout 1 07/09/2017 11:55 1 train perhalf hour. research and Page then successful trials

last year and more recently, with customers taking part in the trials asked to rate their experiences and help shape the new product. Figures showed 96 per cent of respondents said they were either “highly likely” or “likely” to upgrade to Standard Premium for future journeys.

Phil Whittingham, Manager Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “Our new class of travel will offer greater choice and provide a unique offer which meets customers’ changing needs as they return to rail. This new feature is another step in raising the bar for excellence on the railway.”

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www.capitolbatteries.co.uk June 2021 | 13

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Engineering a safe, compliant and modern passenger experience

magine a life without power, engines, escalators, lifts or even heating and air conditioning. For most of us, these things are just there, and we don’t even think about them, unless something goes wrong or they need replacing. A great many of our touchpoints in daily life have been mechanically or electrically designed, installed and maintained by highly professional and well-trained engineers. They are the hidden heroes who increase and improve mobility and well-being for everyone. The railways are no different. Across Britain, from track to train, in structures and on stations, there are literally thousands of engineered products and services that help to ensure the smooth running of trains and the network – keeping people on the move, comfortable and safe. Across the UK and beyond, there is a strong demand for skilled engineers able to span the mechanical and electrical (M&E) disciplines. RailDirector caught up with one specialist M&E team whose innovative work across sectors has always been recognised as strong and robust. Orchestrated from its modern waterfront HQ, Hull-headquartered Spencer Group has delivered large-scale and challenging infrastructure projects across three decades. It offers mechanical and electrical engineering for all types of transportation buildings, structures and systems and industry projects – working in close collaboration with project teams and ensuring optimal integration of all systems. The company is an experienced principal contractor in many sectors, including rail and bridges (over rail, roads and water). From

designing and building new platforms to constructing whole stations and depots, the company has established an industry-wide reputation for successful delivery of innovative rail infrastructure projects. Spencer Group’s capabilities have seen the company build a team of multi-skilled and widely experienced M&E professionals who have positioned themselves at the forefront of key and innovative projects. Depots at Neville Hill, Etches Park and Penzance, the Three Bridges Control Centre in Crawley, the new Ipswich Chord double track railway, transforming services for passengers at Cambridge Sidings and delivering the Stevenage Turnback Facility 12 months ahead of schedule, are all recent evidence of Spencer Group’s M&E

Lighting Control Panel at Etches Park Depot

14 | June 2021

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capabilities, delivering for clients that include Network Rail, East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, Bombardier/Alstom, Great Western Railway, Siemens and Northern. Vast experience Spencer Group’s large team of professional engineers and technicians have widespread experience in delivering complex M&E building services within offices, stations and trackside buildings. The company also specialises in new and refurbished stations, train servicing and maintenance depots and rail control centres, and also undertakes designs in HV, LV distribution and signalling supplies. The combination of in-house M&E design with civils and building skills ensures that the business is able to cater for any client requirement and also places Spencer Group in a unique position to deliver significant efficiencies through Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). Dan Whittle, Project Director at Spencer Group has, like many of his colleagues at the company, come of age within this family-owned business. He has risen through the ranks, starting his career in 2006 as an electrician, before moving on to Site Engineer, then M&E Project Manager before taking up his current role. He is in no doubt that continued investment in the company’s M&E Services business and the people within it allows Spencer Group to maximise value, optimise cost and continually innovate for UK rail. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y Cs rpoostsl R i gahi tl

Dan said: “We are genuinely a turnkey business, right through from design and engineering to installation. There’s nothing we can’t do when it comes to M&E and, because we have in-house capabilities, we hold the baton on a project from beginning to end. “We’ve developed a team that can, when it’s required, stand on its own. We also enjoy really good relationships with sub-contractors and our supply chain, and this has been repeatedly proven with the work we deliver for clients. “Our in-house design capabilities mean we can provide a wide-ranging set of specialisms for clients, everything from undertaking site surveys and all design stages from feasibility and approvals through to construction.” Andy Freer is Spencer Group’s M&E Project Director, with a career in rail that has also included roles with NG Bailey, ABB Steward and Morrison Rail Services. He is in no doubt that the company does things differently. “We never see problems, only challenges that we always rise to,” he said. “We are a ‘cando’ business that offers great value to clients on complex projects. We build sustainable relationships with our clients, and I’d like to think they would echo our view that they can trust us, there are no corners cut and we keep them involved and updated constantly. “We do have excellent in-house capabilities, but we don’t propose that everything we do has to be delivered internally. But that knowledge of M&E, the sustainable manner in which we’ve invested in our capabilities and team over the years, allows us to interrogate projects and to cope with changes that inevitably arise when our team is on site.” Dan Whittle agrees that this brings huge benefits to clients. “Some businesses have to buy all of this expertise,” he explained, “but we’ve invested in M&E specialisms and that gives us the edge to ensure that we can work really effectively. “Because of our range and experience of M&E, design and construction skills, we work hand in glove with our supply chain partners to make sure what we are all working towards delivering what is right for clients.” Ahead of schedule Spencer Group’s delivery of the 24-month, £30 million Stevenage Turnback Project a year ahead of schedule is strong evidence of how its collaborative approach works effectively. Essential to the success of the project was ECI with supply partners and the collaboration enjoyed between construction engineers and specialist civil, structural, mechanical and electrical design engineers. railbusinessdaily.com

Engineering Apprentice – Joe Welburn-Smirk working within the M&E Design team

Andy said: “We have a long history of successful delivery of ECI. At Stevenage, we had a multi-discipline team, all in one place, and it worked really well. Planners, commercial, telecoms and supply chain partners were all in the same room. “The majority of the senior management team were Spencer Group people, but we were able to have direct communications with everyone involved. Having everyone co-located allows all parts of the process to come together and create, effectively, a Spencer Group business on site, making certain we could all deliver significant value. “At Stevenage, we all pulled together, which is what we actively encourage by leading by example, and that also results in clients being comfortable with our approach. Our supply chain partners came on the journey with us.”

Clearly, Spencer Group’s ambition is to continue to do what it does extremely well and invest further in sustainable growth. Whether that is undertaking designs in HV, LV distribution and signalling supplies, providing in-house expertise in the various designs of 400V and 650V trackside power installations and for electric point heating installations, including all types of rail, points and crossing layouts, including third-rail locations, or using its ‘one-stop-shop’ philosophy to deliver rail depot solutions, the company is firmly positioned to deliver for UK rail. The business also has ambitions to expand its capabilities in the future by increasing the number of apprenticeships it offers and adding to the experienced staff within its M&E Services team, as well as moving into other sectors.

Lineside E&P and Civils installation at Stevenage Turnback Facility

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June 2021 | 15

Industry

Long-awaited plans to reform Britain’s railways RailDirector’s Editor Nigel Wordsworth looks at the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and the reaction of the industry

he government has published its white paper “Great British Railways – the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail”, based on the Williams Rail Review which started in 2018 but was delayed by a General Election and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Williams Rail Review was commissioned in the aftermath of a chaotic and damaging timetable change in May 2018. In June 2018, LNER, the train operator on the East Coast main line from London to

Philip Hoare, Chairman, Rail Supply Group

16 | June 2021

We particularly welcome the development of a 30-year vision for the sector that presents a once-in-ageneration opportunity to transform all aspects of how we provide services. The rail supply chain is ready to rise to the challenge of improving efficiency, accelerating innovation, driving towards a net zero carbon future and investing in the new jobs and skills that will be necessary to turn this vision into reality

the North East and Edinburgh, was taken into public ownership after the franchise holder, Virgin East Coast, handed the keys back. Northern followed in January 2020. In its report, the Williams Rail Review identified six key problems: he rail sector too often loses sight of its customers, both passengers T and freight; I t is missing opportunities to meet the needs of the communities it serves; It is fragmented, and accountabilities are not always clear; The sector lacks clear strategic direction; It needs to become more productive and tackle long-term costs; It struggles to innovate and adapt. The white paper aims to tackle those problems. In the foreword, written by Keith Williams and Grant Shapps, the current Secretary of State for Transport, they recognise the changes that have come about over the last few years and the challenges that lie ahead. There is no change in the government’s commitment to rail. “This government profoundly believes in the future of the railways,” they state. railbusinessdaily.com

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“Without them, our cities could not function, critical freight connections would be cut off, carbon emissions and pollution would rise, and mobility would fall – not just for the millions of people without cars, but for drivers too, as the roads became clogged. “But the current sums being paid to operate and maintain the railways are not sustainable,” the two authors continue. “To truly secure rail’s future, there must be radical change. The railways lack a guiding focus on customers, coherent leadership and strategic direction. They are too fragmented, too complicated, and too expensive to run. Innovation is difficult. Incentives are often perverse. “Some working practices have not changed in decades. There must be single-minded efforts to get passengers back. In short, we need somebody in charge.” In making its proposals for these changes, the white paper makes 62 commitments, broken down into five sections. Integrating the railways To make the railway network into one, cohesive unit, the government will create Great British Railways, a new public body that will run the network in the public interest and will be the single ‘guiding mind’ and leader that the railways currently lack. A new organisation, not just a larger version of Network Rail, Great British Railways will have a binding mandate to put its primary focus on serving the interests of passengers, freight customers and taxpayers, and growing rail usage. It will also be mandated to increase efficiency and co-operation, and government will hold the railways’ leaders accountable for meeting the needs of the customers and communities the network serves. A 30-year strategy will provide clear, long-term plans for transforming the railways, to strengthen collaboration, unlock efficiencies and incentivise innovation. Great British Railways will be made up of powerful regional divisions, with budgets and delivery held at the local level, that will create partnerships with towns, cities and regions, resulting in greater control over local ticketing, services and stations. Devolved railways will be strengthened, with closer collaboration with Great British Railways improving services, consistency and co-ordination across the country. At a local level, community rail partnerships will be empowered to strengthen rail’s social and economic impact, and station management will be integrated within Great British Railways to improve accountability for long-term investment in stations. Opportunities to stimulate local growth, unlock housing and increase social value will be explored. Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, will be reformed to become a passenger champion, advising the Secretary of State on passenger priorities. Performance and efficiency will be independently scrutinised by the statutory regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Andy Bagnall, Director General, Rail Delivery Group

18 | June 2021

Train companies have long called for many of the reforms in this white paper and these proposals can deliver the biggest changes in a generation. Getting the detail right will be crucial to ensuring that the white paper fulfils its potential to improve journeys, offer independent oversight and clear accountability, and create a new set of fares which are simpler and more value for money

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail

Passengers deserve a reliable, affordable and sustainable railway, focused on them. The announcement will help us deliver that by simplifying the railway, paving the way to dismantle the legacy of complexity and fragmentation. Passengers and freight users will once more be put front and centre of a service designed and run for their needs

Current safety and security rules will remain in place across the rail network. A consultation will be undertaken to ensure safety roles, rules and standards are appropriate for the future. Cross-sector organisations will be consolidated and integrated to enable the railways to operate more effectively and efficiently, and track access will be overhauled to make the best use of the rail network in the overall public interest. Replacing franchising Franchising will be replaced by new Passenger Service Contracts, which will focus operators on meeting passengers’ priorities and will incentivise them to grow rail usage. Each Passenger Service Contract will be designed to support the needs of passengers and the whole network, as part of an integrated system. They will be different across the network and will not take a one-size-fits-all approach, including on contract length, and their geographic and financial size will reflect local markets and needs.

Jools Townsend, Chief Executive, Community Rail Network

We warmly welcome the commitments set out by the government for reforming and reinvigorating our railways – aiming to make these vital sustainable transport arteries even more productive and valuable to the communities they serve. We’ll be working hard to help communities engage with and feed into this process of change, ensuring local voices are heard and needs understood

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Industry

Operators will have greater commercial freedom on some parts of the network, with revenue-sharing arrangements where appropriate. New open access services will also be explored where spare capacity exists. Competition for Passenger Service Contracts will be greater than for franchises and Great British Railways will aim to compete all contracts. The government will work with the sector and potential new market entrants to develop and implement these changes. However, if operators fail, the government will be ready to step in and take control where needed. A new deal for passengers Easy, frictionless payment options for every journey will be introduced across the network, as will digital tickets, and Pay As You Go journeys will be expanded outside London, to make millions more trips straightforward. A new Great British Railways website and app will create a personalised travel experience and customer service at stations will be modernised, with one-team working expanded across the network. Fares will be simplified, with affordable fares and season ticket caps and off-peak services protected. New flexible season tickets will be introduced, to reflect changing working patterns, and journeys across rail, bus, tram and bike will become seamless in the future. Getting to the station on a bike and taking it on a train will be made easier. Trains will be made more pleasant to travel on and easier to work aboard. Compensation will be simpler and easier to claim, with a consistent, modern process right across the network.

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Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive Officer, Midlands Connect

This raft of changes is what the rail industry and its passengers have been waiting for, and if implemented correctly, could have huge benefits for travellers. By specifying timetables, service levels and operating standards, this concession model will reward operators for delivering what passengers want most – trains that run on time, friendly service and clean stations

Passengers will receive clear, consistent information before, during and after their journeys and their experiences will be monitored more effectively. The first robust national accessibility strategy and long-term investment programme will improve inclusion and access for all. Unleashing the private sector’s potential The economic and environmental benefits of rail freight will be supported by a new, customer-focused approach, modern track access rights and new safeguards. Operators will take a lead role in improving services and performance by innovating with private partners, including train-leasing companies. Modern contracts will be introduced to increase competition, reduce costs and help to attract private investment for new technologies.

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June 2021 | 19

Industry

Partnerships with other key infrastructure providers, such as broadband innovators, will help to boost the country’s drive towards a revolution in connectivity and new, locally led innovation schemes will unlock smarter working and support growth. Local engagement will better support small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups while contestability across operations will be increased, but sub-contracting will need to deliver real value for money. Accelerating innovation and modernisation Electrification of the network will be expanded, and alternative technologies, such as hydrogen and battery power, will help to achieve zero emissions from trains and reduce air pollution. The contribution of the railways to the nation’s green recovery will be strengthened, including through a comprehensive environment plan by 2022 that will establish rail as the backbone of a cleaner future transport system. Energy efficiency, renewable power production, treeplanting and other green initiatives across the rail estate will be accelerated. Long-term investment in climate resilience will be prioritised, supported by smarter forecasting, planning and technology. An ‘open by default’ approach to data sharing will better inform journeys, improve transparency and unlock new technology. Research, development and innovation funding will be simplified to make it more outcome focused and to improve collaboration. Project SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery), which was jointly developed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail last summer, will accelerate the delivery of improvements, making more efficient results the new normal. Empowering rail’s people A sector-wide workforce plan will be developed to assist employers and build system-wide resilience, while a new joined-up, cross-sector training and skills offer will support people at every career stage to develop skills and bring in experience from outside the rail sector. Diversity across the sector will be improved through the inclusion of stretching measures in contracts to actively promote and increase recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. Comprehensive data on productivity and pay will be collected and published by ORR, which will report on the data and compare it with that of other sectors and labour markets.

Richard Robinson, Chief Executive, Officer, Atkins UK and Europe

20 | June 2021

We hope that Great British Railways will provide a more solid foundation from which the public and private sector can innovate together to create a modern, low carbon, digital network that improves passenger experience and delivers better value for money for the taxpayer. Now, we need to pull together as an industry, recognising that it’s going to take a lot of hard work – and new, digitally driven ways of working – to realise this bold vision for the future of our railways

Maggie Simpson, Director General, Rail Freight Group

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive, Railway Industry Association

Businesses across the country are hungry for more rail freight as they decarbonise their supply chains and build back the economy. The creation of Great British Railways is a unique opportunity to meet these ambitions if it ensures that private sector rail freight operators can flourish, and that customers and suppliers are encouraged to invest for growth. It will be essential that the new structure and systems truly deliver on their promise for rail freight

It is good to see the Williams Review published today, giving some certainty to the government’s plans for the railways as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. We are heartened that the new WilliamsShapps Plan for Rail is a 30-year strategy, which supports modernisation and investment along the lines of the RIA Rail 2050 manifesto we published in November 2019

Golden era The two authors of the Plan for Rail sum up their plans at the end of their foreword. “In 1825, this country invented something that spread its iron web across the earth and transformed everywhere it touched. It was, of course, the railway. By the time we celebrate the bicentenary, four years from now, we want this plan to have secured our magnificent network for decades more.”

This is a missed opportunity by the government to make a clean break from the failures of the past that have left Britain’s railways in the slow lane. The government talk about ending a generation of fragmentation but then leave the same private companies in Mick Lynch, place under this arrangement to extract General Secretary, management fees that could be invested RMT into building a truly integrated national rail network. The taxpayer carries all the risk while the train companies carry out bags of cash

railbusinessdaily.com

Diversity and Inclusion

Challenging gender stereotypes Avanti West Coast Trainee Driver Chloe McKinlay and Executive Director, Human Resources, Helen Diksa on encouraging more female train drivers

Chloe McKinlay

he UK railway industry has accelerated its drive to close the gender imbalance when it comes to train drivers. Oldfashioned gender stereotypes are starting to give way to posters and features of women driving trains.

Vast improvements have been made, but the harsh reality remains that fewer than one in seven train drivers in the UK are women – according to the ASLEF On Track with Diversity report 2019. But female train drivers are becoming more

visible and are sharing their stories working on Britain’s railway in a bid to change perceptions and attract the next generation of train drivers. Among those is Chloe McKinlay, new in the industry, but passionate about driving forward change and sharing her positive experience.

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Diversity and Inclusion

The 26-year-old joined Avanti West Coast’s Driving Training scheme in 2020. “We need to change the way people, especially women, see the job of being a train driver as the perception outside the industry is not necessarily correct,” she said. “People have this image of drivers covered in oil and performing lots of heavy manual duties. That couldn’t be further from the truth. “Modern day trains are clean and quiet, and the uniform is very stylish. “Yes, you do need to get your hands dirty every now and then. But that’s just one aspect of the job, and all covered off by the training. “The most important thing is to be committed and have confidence in your own ability.” Family connection Even for Chloe, whose dad Kevin drives for the West Coast main line operator, it wasn’t a career that she considered pursuing until mid-way through her degree apprenticeship when she spent some time working with the driver team. “Even though I grew up with my dad as a train driver I never really considered a career on the railway myself until I was 21 years old and the apprenticeship came up,” said Chloe. “I really don’t know why I didn’t consider it before as my dad is really passionate about me having this job. It was never that he put me off, it was more I didn’t see it as an option. “Imagine girls whose dads aren’t working on the railway – how would they ever think of joining the railway?” It is this question that Helen Diksa – who joined Avanti West Coast as Executive Human Resources Director in February this year – is looking to answer. “At 40 per cent, the proportion of females working for Avanti West Coast is higher than the industry average and that’s an incredible place for us to be as an organisation and says a lot about us and our culture,” said Helen.

Helen Diksa

It is important that we make a step change in both attitudes and actions “That’s a great starting point but I’d be the first to admit we still have a way to go. For instance, why are only 11 per cent of external applications for train driving jobs from females? Encouragingly this is higher at 31 per cent for internal applicants.

“Chloe is a classic example that once people join the rail industry and are able to see firsthand the level of support and training we provide; it helps to instil that confidence and opportunity to achieve. “So top of my list is how do we make the railway a more attractive career for women.” For Helen, February marked a return to the railway after 15 years away. Prior to working at Royal Mail and Wolseley, she held HR roles at British Rail, Balfour Beatty Rail, Hays Commercial Services Limited and Bombardier Transportation. “I started my career in the railways in South Wales,” she said. “It was a great opportunity and gave a fantastic foundation and breadth to my career.

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June 2021 | 23

Diversity and Inclusion

“I contribute my success to those early experiences in the rail industry and to the role models and leaders in the businesses at that time having the confidence in me, trusting in me, and giving me opportunities. “I was at Royal Mail for 12 years which was an amazing career. When I saw the role at Avanti West Coast I was really excited by it because it was an opportunity to bring all of my experience back into an industry going through an immense amount of change. “There is a great opportunity now to make some step changes in a number of things, but one of them in particular is around the equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) agenda.” Helen does feel progress has been made in the time she has been away from the industry but is keen to accelerate the change. “I have definitely noticed a difference and I think the railway has been on an incredible journey, particularly looking at Avanti West Coast,” said Helen. “The industry is determined to progress the EDI agenda and it is important that we make a step change in both attitudes and actions. That for me is where my passion lies – to really drive that forward. “We’ve done a lot of good work and the challenge is now to build on this and make it better and deliver a railway for all.” Going solo As for Chloe, she is currently well underway with her training, which if all goes to plan could see her driving her first train solo later on this year.

“What has surprised me most is the amount of information you have to learn, understand and remember, but I am really enjoying it so far,” said Chloe.

Imagine girls whose dads aren’t working on the railway – how would they ever think of joining the railway?

“They say on day one ‘welcome to the biggest memory game of your life’ – it literally is. “You’ve got to be careful that you don’t get overwhelmed – my dad always says to me ‘look after the job and the job will look after you’, but you’ve got to put the work in. “It is a continuous commitment and you can’t just do your training and then forget about it – you’ve got to keep it up yourself. “I know I’m in the early stages, but I know how committed I’m going to have to be throughout my career. “It is a big responsibility, but I have a great mentor who, along with my fellow trainees, is a big support and will ensure I’m more than prepared for my first service train. I can’t wait!” Hard work Helen added: “I think it is important to point out that train driving isn’t an easy job to do, and a profession where you need commitment. “But actually, it is an amazing thing to do and the reward that people can get from that responsibility and that feeling of pride when you drive your train in and you have delivered every customer in a safe way. “At Avanti West Coast where we want to be is to represent the communities we serve, and I am absolutely passionate about setting the agenda in the right direction across EDI. “How amazing would it be if we got to a place where 50 per cent of job applications were from women? “This can only be helped by people like Chloe sharing their own experiences about working in the industry. She is already doing an amazing job and I know she will be an amazing train driver.”

24 | June 2021

railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y Cs rpoostsl R i gahi tl

Cross-sector collaboration is the key to building back better Achilles on the importance of utilising resources and data across traditional supply chain boundaries

s restrictions lift and the UK starts to resume travel and commuters return, a key theme for the post-COVID economy and world is to “build back better”. Part of this, given that the transport sector is responsible for 28 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, will be ensuring that our transport system is both sustainable and materially reduces carbon emissions. Furthermore, the plan to outlaw the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans has been brought forward to 2030, five years earlier than previously announced, so the urgency around having an effective transport infrastructure has been heightened. Whether businesses are prepared or not, change is both imminent and inevitable. Implications for the rail industry? Against this backdrop, electrification can be a great opportunity for businesses to meet their sustainability targets and drive competitive advantage. This is something that has been the subject of much discussion in the rail industry over the past decade. However, the need for power has never been greater with the demand on our electricity infrastructure increasing exponentially as a result in the growth of electric vehicles and demand from the rail network. Along with the demand on the infrastructure comes the demand for skilled resources such as linesmen and electrical engineers.

It is critical therefore that rather than working in silos a multi-sector approach to these challenges is implemented by utilising resources and data across traditional supply chain boundaries. Through the Achilles Network, customers are able to learn from best practice both cross sector and cross region. Working with suppliers of all sizes to improve standards across the supply chain ensures cross-industry improvement, and enables organisations to create sustainable business practices through improved regional economies, higher levels of employment and an upskilled workforce. UKPN at the forefront UK Power Networks Services solves energy challenges through innovative solutions that deliver resilience, cost efficiency and sustainability. It supports its clients through

the full life cycle of delivery through consulting, design and build, capital finance and operations and maintenance. Employing world-class engineers and professionals across the UK, it works with Network Rail, London Underground and High Speed 1 to deliver traction power and innovative energy solutions. The network’s experience is also in industries such as aviation, defence, water, logistics and fleet operation, manufacturing, ports, local and central government, and commercial buildings. Michael Downing, Category Manager UKPN Services and Supplier Relationship Manager, said: “As a business with widespread supply chain requirements, the Achilles Network provides one interface to collaborate, review compliance information and drive innovation across these historically independent sectors.” The rail industry is facing pressure to evolve. Sustainable, effective infrastructure is the foundation upon which a post-COVID economy will thrive; and to do this, industries need to come together to collaborate and learn. The Achilles Network, which brings buyers and suppliers together to do just that, will enable all those involved in the rail industry to maximise this once-in-a-generation opportunity to build back better. Visit www.achilles.com Katie Ferrier – Senior VP Customer Engagement and Quality Assurance Email: katie.ferrier@achilles.com

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June 2021 | 25

Innovation

Now is the time: Realising sustainable innovation across the industry David Clarke, Technical Director at the Railway Industry Association, says it’s time for UK rail to accelerate its environmental story

ail is already a low carbon form of transport in the UK, contributing only 1.4 per cent to domestic transport emissions and just 0.5 per cent of the total carbon emissions. However, with the legally binding target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and the sustained pressure we’re seeing for government, industry, organisations and the public to do more in the fight against climate change, the time for UK rail to make its environmental story even better is now. And we really do mean now. If you think that train fleets have an average life of over three decades, the decisions that we make in 2021 will prove vital to rail playing its role in realising our climate change ambitions. But what can, and should, the industry be focusing on right now, as the country begins to reopen following the pandemic restrictions? While the following case studies are not exhaustive by any measure, they are examples of the many British innovations that can help catapult forward green innovation across the industry. Driving increased collaboration When Network Rail launched its Environment Sustainability Strategy in September 2020 – outlining the journey to a cleaner, greener future – it put a stake in the ground for the entire railway ecosystem in the UK. By becoming the world’s first railway to set such ambitious science-based targets – to cut carbon emissions and help limit global warming to 1.5°C – there’s a spotlight on us all to realise and inspire change. In support of this, the strategy provides a robust framework the rail community can buy into, detailing four priority areas (a low-emission railway, a network resilient to climate change, improved biodiversity and minimised waste) as well as tangible steps and timings to push developments forward. And while this helps actualise a vision for change, the strategy can only be driven forward if we bring together the right people, processes and technology. 26 | June 2021

After all, innovation isn’t just the latest piece of equipment or product, we’ll need to drive greater collaboration throughout the entire rail ecosystem and supply chain to deliver tangible progress. Operating in silos is not an option. One such area of collaboration is in response to the government’s announcement that the UK’s railways should be free of diesel-only trains by 2040. Innovations, for example, now allow for operators to retrofit their rolling stock with

technology that minimises diesel use, enabling existing stock to support the transition to a zerocarbon future. According to Chris Smith, Managing Director at G-Volution: “Developing technology using cleaner fuels has traditionally been challenging in UK rail mainly due to the safety approval process around a new fuel used for propulsion (this is now complete and the precedent set for the future), as well as the structure of the industry.  railbusinessdaily.com

Innovation

“Nevertheless, there has been a significant shift in understanding that there is a lot of ‘sunk carbon’ in existing rolling stock and so bringing cleaner, cheaper, greener fuels to market will not only help us be more sustainable but also save money. It also increases the opportunities in future. “As a result, we are seeing more and more interest from industry players for cleaner fuels and transitioning from diesel to dual fuel, as well as using fuel flexible fuel cells in parallel.” Dual fuel control unit G-Volution launched a dual fuel control unit that allows existing freight and passenger trains (90 per cent of freight trains run on diesel) to stay in service but operate with lower costs, lower carbon emissions and cleaner fuels, bringing cleaner air. The innovative technology works by lowering the volume of diesel delivered to the engine, supplementing it with secondary gaseous fuel such as hydrogen, bio-LPG or bio-natural gas. By doing so, the engine is able to reduce its carbon output while maintaining the same level of performance.

Hydrogen and battery trains have an important role to play in achieving a zero-carbon railway

Helen Simpson, Innovation and Projects Director at Porterbrook, said: “Hydrogen and battery trains have an important role to play in achieving a zerocarbon railway. Together with hybrid options, they are part of the transitional solution until wider electrification is agreed and undertaken.” So, while swapping diesel for hydrogen, HydroFLEX retains bi-mode capability to ensure it can operate without emissions on both electrified and non-electrified railway. This significant step forward helps takes us closer to a zero-carbon railway, one where highly flexible trains can operate across Britain’s rail network regardless of whether the rate of electrification improves.

This will help drive immediate carbon reduction efforts on our current rolling stock, while also supporting cost-effective and sustainable options for the future, including cleaner fuels which in turn allow cleaner technologies to operate alongside dual fuelling. Elsewhere, Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) have embraced hydrogen as a renewable fuel source, introducing HydroFLEX – the UK’s first hydrogen train.

The breeze Alstom and Eversholt Rail, meanwhile, are developing the Breeze, a new hydrogen train based on Alstom’s Coradia iLint project, which is already in service in Hamburg, with two trains having operated more than 180,000km in passenger service for nearly two years. Breeze is based on the successful Class 321 electric multiple units owned by Eversholt Rail, which operate widely in the UK but are approaching the end of their current leases and so can be made available for conversion.

It brings the potential to convert a majority of the current and existing UK freight and passenger trains – which represent significant carbon investment already – into cleaner, dual fuel versions within three to five years.

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Breeze has been offered to several operators considering introduction of hydrogen trains and the full build project could have a first fleet in service within just three years of being ordered. Mike Muldoon, Head of Business Development, UK&I for Alstom, said: “Hydrogen will be a key fuel source for the rail industry, growing in the extent of its use throughout the decade. The Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy produced by Network Rail clearly indicates the requirement for hydrogen in the UK and Alstom’s various hydrogen fleet orders in Europe reflect the necessity for hydrogen to start replacing diesel and complement electrification of the core and most heavily used routes today. It is far harder to envisage rail in 10 years’ time without hydrogen.” We need more industry partnerships like these to help test and roll out our use of alternative fuels, to not only meet the broader 2050 target but the phasing out of diesel-only trains 10 years prior in 2040.

However, the absence of OLE would result in electric trains being limited to 60mph speeds to adhere to standards, which wasn’t workable for the GWML timetable.

A rolling programme of electrification could create and sustain green jobs So, working with Network Rail and Great Western Railways, Atkins put to work its recently developed Dynamic Rail System Simulation (D-RSS) tool, which can accurately simulate real-world conditions, including the behaviour

Photo: Network Rail

Ramping up electrification efforts Elsewhere, the electrification of the UK railway has been an ongoing journey. Guided by government policy, it has had a stop-start history since the 1980s; with part of the issue being that many parts of the country’s rail infrastructure date back to the 1800s and so it’s not a simple case of retrofitting tracks – electrification requires intelligent solutions to navigate this. A great example of where we’ve seen progress is in the electrification of the Great Western main line (GWML), which required the fitting of overhead line equipment (OLE) to the Grade 2 listed bridge at Steventon built by famed engineer Isambard Brunel. In an ideal world, the bridge would be raised to allow OLE to pass underneath, but this wasn’t possible given the refusal of planning permission.

Photo: BCRRE-Porterbrook

Innovation

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of both the wire and the pantograph. In a virtual environment, it tested whether achieving a speed of 110mph would be possible without changes to the bridge. The result? It was. Network Rail and Great Western Railways were satisfied that electric trains could pass through safely, as this modern approach to evaluating the Victorian infrastructure helps deliver a system fit for the future. This approach can be applied more widely to help reduce the cost of electrification. Electrification is no longer a nice-to-have – not only is it the cheaper option to traditional diesel power, but it is also far greener and an essential component in helping meet the UK’s net zero goal. Indeed, a rolling programme of electrification could create and sustain green jobs, supporting investment and economic growth at a critical time for the UK economy. The time to act is now It would be remiss to ignore the contribution that we as an industry can make to this country’s efforts to meet climate change targets. The volume of innovation currently taking place within rail means that it can be a leading force over the next three decades in driving the UK towards its net zero ambitions by 2050. But this will require sustained vision, collaboration across the industry and learning from some of the best practice already happening in the supply chain. It also demands that the government prioritise rail in the UK’s recovery plans, to support the industry and the contribution it can make to building a better tomorrow. Critically, this needs to happen now if we’re to affect meaningful change in time. railbusinessdaily.com

Freight

Rail freight – the engine for growth and tackling decarbonisation Peter Graham, Freightliner’s Rail Strategy Manager, writes of opportunities, supporting decarbonisation and levelling up the UK economy

he movement of freight by rail delivers very significant benefits to the UK economy. New research published by the Rail Delivery Group, based on independent research by Deloitte, calculated that rail freight generates around £2.5 billion in economic and social benefits to the UK economy each year. This includes productivity gains for businesses the length and breadth of Great Britain and by cutting congestion, reducing carbon emissions and wider environmental benefits. Most of these benefits fall outside London and the South East, with the North of England, Wales and Scotland among areas benefiting the most. There are significant opportunities to further increase these benefits and, by doing so, support the decarbonisation and levelling up of the UK economy. Rail freight has continued to operate throughout the pandemic, moving critical goods and materials around the country to ensure that supermarkets, factories and warehouses continue to be well supplied. Although COVID-19 has created many challenges for all parts of the economy, rail freight has demonstrated strong resilience and agility. Volumes recovered quickly following the initial lockdown in Spring 2020 and now, across most commodity groups, the volume of freight being moved by rail is at or is even higher than pre-pandemic levels. The movement of containerised freight and the transportation of construction materials are the two largest commodity groups moved by rail. Together they account for around two-thirds of total rail freight volumes. Containerised freight Despite the lockdowns, consumer demand has remained buoyant, and factories and businesses have continued to require goods and raw materials to be imported as well as continuing to export products around the world. This has driven a strong market for the movement of containerised freight. Construction sites have largely remained open throughout the pandemic, driving the movement of construction materials from quarries to towns and cities around the country. 30 | June 2021

In addition, the UK Government has committed to spend more than £600 billion on infrastructure over the next five years in order to ‘build back better’. The need for more housing, better infrastructure and a cleaner environment is widely acknowledged, as is the need to ensure that all nations and regions of the UK can grow and be more productive. This will drive further growth in the movement of construction materials by rail. This is in addition to the high tonnages of construction materials and other aggregates

already being transported around the network to support the construction of the High Speed 2 railway line. Changes to passenger demand The steep reduction in passenger numbers, and a thinned-out passenger train timetable, has enabled Freightliner to work closely with Network Rail and customers to identify opportunities to trial new types of services, to challenge the capability limitations of the network and to improve the efficiency and productivity of existing services. railbusinessdaily.com

Freight

By doing so, this has enabled Freightliner to enhance rail’s green credentials further, particularly by supporting further reductions in carbon emissions per tonne of freight moved by rail. With more capacity available in the timetable, this has been an ideal opportunity to trial longer and heavier trains, with a lower associated performance risk. Freightliner has responded with flexibility, agility and ingenuity to adapt to the changing landscape. 775-metre container trains Freightliner has lengthened three daily roundtrip container trains between Southampton and Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham to operate at 775 metres. This is roughly half a mile long, the equivalent of over seven football pitches in length, or the distance between London Euston and Kings Cross stations. Running at 775 metres enables between 12 and 14 additional containers to be carried on each train, in comparison with a typical 520-metre intermodal container train. While the infrastructure has been delivered to enable these trains to run, identifying capacity in the timetable to enable longer trains to VR March21 Print Half Page v2 copy.pdf be timetabled has been challenging.

Longer trains take more time to accelerate, decelerate and clear junctions on the network, and therefore require sufficient timetable capacity to enable them to be scheduled.

Over the years, rail freight has made some important strides in becoming more efficient The reduction in the number of passenger services has provided an opportunity to be able to timetable these trains on the network. Running container train services at 775 metres improves the productivity and efficiency of rail freight and enables rail freight to be more competitive with road. With the same single locomotive and driver, there is a real step change in efficiency with around 20 per cent more volume being delivered. This benefits all users of the railway, as running longer and heavier trains reduces their 1 26/03/2021 11:29 footprint on the network for other users.

Over the years, rail freight has made some important strides in becoming more efficient and the introduction of 775 metre intermodal trains provides a further step change. There are some very significant environmental gains in running the longer and heavier trains. Running just these three, daily return 775-metre intermodal trains saves over four million road miles (that’s eight trips to the moon and back) and more than 9,500 tonnes of CO2e per year. Jumbo aggregates trains In addition to the lengthened container train services, Freightliner is also trialling the operation of ‘Jumbo’ aggregates services between the Peak District in Derbyshire and London for its customer Tarmac. These trains transport stone and construction materials to support critical infrastructure projects across the country. The currently reduced demand for passenger travel has provided an opportunity to timetable up to 44-wagon jumbo trains on the rail network. At up to 4,400 tonnes, these are the heaviest aggregates trains ever to have operated on this route – usually, the trains transporting aggregates and construction materials from the Peak District would carry up to 2,400 tonnes.

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Freight

Pre-pandemic levels of passenger services on the network would have made such a trial more difficult to facilitate, given the greater timetable interactions between different services. The additional volume on one individual jumbo service represents the equivalent of over 110 HGV journeys and this one train can provide a saving of more than 90 tonnes of carbon emissions compared to road per journey. Net zero greenhouse gas emissions Freightliner welcomes the government’s pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. Rail freight already plays a leading role in the low-carbon logistics sector, with each freight train producing 76 per cent fewer carbon emissions per tonne than road. Moving goods by rail using electric locomotives reduces CO₂ emissions even further – by 99 per cent per freight tonne mile. When national power generation is fully decarbonised in the future, electric freight trains would effectively operate with zero carbon emissions. Therefore, to realise the government’s commitment to decarbonise the UK economy by 2050, further modal shift in the freight sector towards rail is imperative. Freightliner is the largest freight operator of electric traction in the UK and is looking to deploy electric locomotives on more routes. However, currently, more than half the rail network is not electrified. Freightliner is therefore working with Network Rail on its Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) and with the Department for Transport on priorities for infill electrification, where relatively short stretches of electrification could unlock the use of end-to-end electric traction.

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Rail freight is well positioned to support the government in its economic objectives and, in doing so, further increase its economic benefits to the UK economy. Modal shift from road to rail will be crucial to tackle the decarbonisation of the UK economy and to support rebalancing the economy by providing efficient routes to market for businesses across all regions of the country. As the UK emerges from the pandemic, there will likely be long-term changes to passengers’ travel patterns. A key priority for Freightliner is therefore to maintain the longer and heavier trains in the timetable and to look for further opportunities to lengthen services or speed up average running times. As well as the productivity gains, there are compelling environmental reasons to support this improved efficiency, with a significant reduction in carbon emissions and a reduction in NOX and other particulates.

In parallel it is essential that the new structure of the rail industry, announced in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail White Paper, supports a competitive rail freight sector. The proposed formation of Great British Railways represents a radical change to industry structure and a once-in-a-generation opportunity for rail freight. A thriving freight sector It is imperative that the private sector freight operators are considered centrally as the structure is developed, to ensure that rail freight can thrive in the new operating environment. Absolutely key will be an appropriate regulatory framework to support investment, in order to drive modal shift to rail, increase the economic benefits to the UK economy and support decarbonisation.

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Working closely with stakeholders to deliver a more affordable railway BAM Nuttall’s Rail Sector Director Huw Jones on thinking differently to deliver better

he launch of Great British Railways by Keith Williams and Grant Shapps marks a new era in the history of the railways for everyone involved in the industry. A comprehensive and costed environment plan, delivered by 2022, to help achieve net zero, the first national accessibility audit to ensure the railway works for everyone, and the first 30-year strategy setting key investment and strategic decisions are among the plans bringing the industry closer together. “It remains to be seen exactly how the WilliamsShapps report will shape the railway industry but it will clearly allow a more integrated industry and will support the delivery of a more affordable railway that is more accessible for passengers,” said Huw Jones, BAM Nuttall’s Rail Sector Director. 25-year anniversary This year, the construction specialist celebrates 25 years of association with the railway sector. It has been engaged in a broad scope of contracts across Britain’s railways – from ground investigations through to major enhancements – for the likes of Transport for Wales, Transport Scotland and Network Rail, with which it has had a 20-plus year relationship. “We all know the rail industry has been a huge draw on the UK economy over the past year, and this will inevitably impact the case around future funding,” said Huw. “The challenge on us all is to make a compelling case for future funding and to ensure decisions are not made on current passenger numbers, we need to be looking ahead, and seeing this period as an opportunity for our sector and a catalyst for doing things differently across the industry. “I certainly welcome the drive towards a 30-year strategic plan, and the move to engaging the supply chain in outcome specifications. I’m excited by the prospect of helping the industry build the strategic business plan for the next control period – it’s something we’ve been asking for a long time and will serve to support further industry alignment. “We’re keen to help take the waste out of the whole system – it’s not just about helping Network Rail to deliver their ideas inexpensively, it’s about working more closely to develop real opportunities that help them to reduce their overall cost base.” 34 | June 2021

BAM Nuttall is leading the way with changes and has been contributing to the workshops related to Project SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) – aiming to halve the time it takes to get on site and reduce the cost of large infrastructure projects.

“It remains to be seen exactly how the Williams-Shapps report will shape the railway industry” “We have supported Network Rail to develop the principles around Project SPEED, however we collectively need to be progressing this now, not next year or next control period. The frameworks that Network Rail currently operate are ideal for this approach as they are a great vehicle for quick procurement. Advertorial

“It’s a great opportunity to focus the industry and take waste out of the system, whether that be in protracted preconstruction periods, mini-tendering in zero-value frameworks, or continued rescoping through development stages. “There are some great examples of how we can collectively save time and cost in the development process – our work this year on various development schemes shows that the current suite of Network Rail frameworks work well, however all stakeholders have a part to play to ensure we collectively bring this to life.” The construction specialist is also playing a key role in shaping Project 13 – an industry-led response to infrastructure delivery models based on an enterprise rather than a traditional transactional arrangement. “BAM Nuttall has been privileged to be involved in a broad scope of integrated rail projects over the last 10 years, making us ideally suited to take on the role of ‘Integrator’ in a Project 13 approach to delivery,” Huw continued. railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y s pFoetal ti g uh r et

“Transpennine has become a pilot scheme for the Project 13 approach and our role as an integrator in that programme builds on our experience of the Northern Hub, the Highland Enhancement Programme and on our ongoing integrator role on various rail and non-rail programmes around the UK. “We fully support the railway industry’s move towards this way of working and we have been happy to help various industry bodies develop and shape the Project 13 model over recent years, firmly believing that it’s is the best way to deliver value for the UK rail industry.” Overcoming challenges Despite the challenges thrown up by the pandemic, COVID has had little impact on BAM’s ability to deliver work over the past year. “We have received great support from Network Rail and our supply partners, and the focus on health, safety and wellbeing is one of the real positives to have come out of our response to the pandemic,” Huw explained. “This month (May), BAM Nuttall’s Rail business recorded our lowest ever LTI rate and best ever standing on Network Rail’s ‘balanced scorecard’. “New measures put in place to manage the impact of COVID-19 have created a new level of self-awareness and engagement amongst all of our personnel, and, as an industry, we must challenge ourselves to maintain that focus as coronavirus restrictions begin to lift. We are also attempting to shift the bar on wellbeing industry wide, and are currently working with the RSSB to develop leading indicators. I’m also really enjoying working on the organising committee for this year’s Rail Wellbeing Live event.” During CP6, BAM Nuttall has been involved in 10 Network Rail frameworks across the country, carrying out a long list of maintenance and renewals works as well as some prominent enhancements such as the Transpennine Route railbusinessdaily.com

Upgrade, sea wall improvements at Dawlish, and the Aberdeen to Inverness upgrade work. “Looking ahead, I’m particularly excited about our involvement in another new railway in the east of Fife, where we are part of an integrated team re-establishing services to Leven,” added Huw. “We’re also in the midst of building a new station in Reston, the first new station to open on the East Coast main line in 35 years.

“We try to live by the phrase ‘think differently to deliver better’ ” “In the North East, we’re involved in the redevelopment of several Network Rail stations, including Leeds, Darlington and Halifax; and the continued delivery of the renewals framework workbank, while in the South West, we’ve recently been engaged to deliver some important improvements at Bristol Temple Meads station and the next phase of the Dawlish resilience scheme. “Our southern team continues to work consistently across the Sussex and Kent routes, and are involved in a wide range of projects including the development of a new station at Thanet Parkway. We’ve hopefully got a lot to look forward to in the latter half of CP6, along with shaping the business to fit the future structure of the rail industry. “Like everyone else, I will be looking on with interest to see how the Williams-Shapps report influences the industry over the coming years, but hope that any uncertainty around the structure does not create a short-term distraction from the vital work to enhance and decarbonise Britain’s rail network and ensure our infrastructure is fit for the future.” Advertorial

Overall it looks like an exciting future for BAM Nuttall, with Huw vowing to change the norm if it allows the company to deliver a better service for customers. He said: “We try to live by the phrase ‘think differently to deliver better’. I think it encompasses our willingness to challenge the norm if it allows us to deliver a better service for our customers. You can see the impact of this thinking this year in the integrated enterprise organisations we have implemented in Scotland, our pioneering use of cement-free concrete in Chatham, and the delivery of the UK’s first carbon positive station at Denmark Hill. “We were one of the first three construction companies in the world to adopt Science Based Targets and moving forward, we have developed an exciting proposal to make investment in renewable energy cheaper and easier for our clients, helping to meet carbon reduction targets and further reduce the rail industry’s carbon footprint with some innovative delivery models that play to the affordability challenge and require very little client capital investment. “I hope that the Williams-Shapps review will further encourage the industry to take that leap of faith and fully integrate for the benefit of the passenger and freight. “All organisations need to be incentivised to do things differently, to be willing to take measured risks and to make bold decisions. If something doesn’t work, we need to recognise it, fail fast and move on. Indecision is often worse than the wrong decision. We’re keen to promote ‘positive disruption’ within our industry. When we put in place a ban on the use of forward tipping dumpers a couple of years ago, the plant manufacturers responded with understanding, an eagerness to engage and innovative ideas to make things better. “We saw that we could use our scale to drive industry-wide safety improvements. With alignment, the right behaviours and communication we can use positive disruption as a catalyst for change across our entire industry. Now is the time to drive this change.” June 2021 | 35

Diversity and Inclusion

Delivering on social value AECOM’s Shamit Gaiger says it is vital, as an industry, we contribute more to the communities we serve – increasingly it will become our licence to operate

he rail network stretches across most of the UK impacting millions of lives, contributing to the country’s economic and social development, bringing with it jobs and transport links. But can the rail industry do more when it

comes to its positive social impact? Shamit Gaiger, who leads AECOM’s Strategic Advisory business, believes it can, and that in doing so it could play a major role in the industry’s recovery from the pandemic. “It goes without saying that rail has a social

value in terms of providing accessibility and getting both people and goods around the country, but I think it can and should do more beyond that,” she said. “Social value is something that will become increasingly important.

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“Not only because it is driven by government policy, and will be embedded in WebTAG (Web-based Transport Analysis Guidance), but because as we go forward rail will be increasingly subsidised and so society’s perception of rail’s value and our contribution to regions and communities will become absolutely essential for Treasury’s appetite to keep investing in rail.” Shamit is exploring the topic of social value – what more we can do as an industry and also the tricky topic of how it can be measured. “It’s about proactively contributing through any business, service, project or investment to the community, to the citizens and the staff beyond rail’s core services. Importantly it’s about the value those impacted by rail are attributing to it,” she said. “There is much we do already and there are pockets of good practice like working on safeguarding with youth, the Samaritans, supporting regional objectives, providing transfer to stations for lost neighbourhoods and using unutilised stations’ assets for the benefit of the community. These are initiatives that connect us to the communities and help build trust, we need millions of individual stories that build positive affiliation with rail.” The importance of social value Shamit believes that it’s never been so important to put social value at the forefront of the industry and that it could play a major part in the industry’s recovery. “Ensuring that rail is an important part of the community will help generate trust, so it is a long-term investment that I believe will pay off,” she said. “Working with youth is an area I think we need to give more attention to. Generation Z and generation Alpha are our future customers. Engaging with them in a positive way; listening to their needs and giving them a voice will ensure rail remains relevant and is integral to their travel solutions.”

Photo: Colin Peachey / Shutterstock.com

Diversity and Inclusion

Although the railway is recovering from a global pandemic with passenger numbers decimated – and with major changes stemming from the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail – Shamit says it doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference when it comes to social value.

There is much we do already and there are pockets of good practice like working on safeguarding with youth “In some areas the trust in the railway is diminished and I think we really need to up our game and try to build back relationships with communities,” she said.

“Just look at the work of Community Rail – that organisation is really good value for money and is providing a return in investment. We’ve got so much out of it, including increasing passenger numbers, so I think if we do social value right and take it seriously – actually giving community a voice and acting on it – we will win back passengers.” A growing movement Community Rail is a growing grassroots movement made of up of nearly 70 community rail partnerships and it represents more than 1,000 station adoption groups. The groups engage communities and help people get the most from their railways, promoting social inclusion and sustainable travel, working alongside train operators to bring about improvements, and bringing stations back to life. “We need to get to the point in which rail is seen as part of the community providing services to support the community, not the fat cat trying to just get money out of communities,” she said.

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Diversity and Inclusion

“There’s nothing wrong with making money, but that is why engagement is so important and that’s why social value is so important. Profit is vital for businesses, but at the same time making sure rail businesses are communicating the social contribution they are making for their passengers and communities will enable them to realise the benefit they each personally get out of rail. “As a sector and as individual businesses we need to be clear about our social value contribution, our priorities, and why we are doing this. We need to start thinking about how we measure it and communicate it in an engaging way. It is also an opportunity to bring people who haven’t necessarily used rail in the past to come onboard.” It is the latest challenge for Shamit, who for the last 20 years has developed national and sectoral policies and strategies for the UK.

In some areas the trust in the railway is diminished and I think we really need to up our game and try to build back relationships with communities A trustee for Campaign for Better Transport and a board member to Women in Rail, she also led the negotiations on the Rail Sector Deal on behalf of the government, during which she was personally asked to take specific industry roles and conduct reviews of industry policy. “I’m very proud that I’ve been able to make a change and left a legacy in the areas I’ve worked in and I’m also glad the work I do is keeping relevant,” she said. I’m just naturally very curious and want to learn and I learn from

38 | June 2021

people all the time, so I just keep evolving. “I have a real passion for the railway and I do believe it is a good force particularly in terms of being sustainable environmentally and it really brings great accessibility – I always think of rail as the bloodstream that runs across the UK. “But a big challenge awaits the railway and the biggest challenge is that it adapts and is agile, and that we think about what the future customer wants and knowing the customer intimately.

“We need to think about what rail is for, what is its strength, and then continuously adapt and change and fit into the future generation and what they need. We’re going to have to change to survive – just because the infrastructure is there doesn’t mean people are going to use it. “We really need to start thinking about social value – building that relationship with future customers, with communities. This is for me what the railway is for.”

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A rich history Taylor Woodrow designs and builds infrastructure enhancements that bring increased capacity, better connectivity, and faster journeys. With a history in rail that spans more than 50 years, the company delivers complex stations, depots and systems on heavy rail and light rail networks. Work in the sector ranges from designing and delivering improvements for maintenance,

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to creating some of the most iconic stations in the UK such as the King’s Cross Western Concourse. Delivering together Collaboration is one of Taylor Woodrow’s core values and key to the success of all its projects. The redevelopment of Greater Anglia’s Norwich Crown Point Depot has seen the team work hand in hand with the client’s project delivery team, depot staff and specialist subcontractors to deliver crucial upgrades in the live depot environment. This large-scale expansion enables the housing and maintaining of a fleet of 58 new Stadler bi-mode trains and includes an £8.7 million bogie drop facility which was delivered on time and on budget with no impact on depot operations. Jez Haskins, Business Strategy and Development Director, said “We look for projects that challenge our thinking and enable us to add value for our clients. “This provides a diverse mix of opportunities for both our business and our people, challenging us all to be the best we can and truly deliver engineering for the future.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Industry standards

Taking the rail industry to a much better place Rail Supply Group’s Darren James discusses the launch of the Work Pipeline Visibility Charter

f there is one thing that can be taken from the past 12 months, it is the importance of businesses – especially SMEs – having certainty to be able to plan, grow and develop. The significance of improving work pipeline visibility is a key enabler to increasing productivity – which is one of the rail industry’s greatest challenges. It is why the Rail Supply Group (RSG) has launched a new industry-wide initiative, a Work Pipeline Visibility Charter – which has the backing of Network Rail, HS2, the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy. The Charter is aimed at businesses across the UK that supply services or products to the rail sector, with 70 signatories giving their 42 | June 2021

This is one step along the way towards increasing work pipeline visibility across the industry

“We are asking businesses supplying the rail sector to sign the Work Pipeline Visibility Charter and we ask that they are proactive in their commitment in creating a more transparent and collaborative working culture for the benefit of our entire industry. This is one step along the way towards increasing work pipeline visibility across the industry and hard wiring this to a step change in productivity and lower carbon solutions.”

commitment to sharing their work pipeline information with their suppliers. “This is your call to action,” said Darren James, RSG’s Work Pipeline Charter lead and also Chief Executive Officer at specialist engineering services organisation Keltbray.

Making a commitment Darren is leading the calls for businesses supplying the rail industry – infrastructure contractors, technology suppliers, consultancies, original equipment manufacturers, project management companies, and SME specialist suppliers – to commit to the charter. railbusinessdaily.com

Industry standards

The Charter, which has already been signed by more than 70 organisations, reads: “We will provide work pipeline visibility across the supply chain to allow our suppliers to plan and invest with confidence, driving improvements in productivity, collaboration, and delivery of outcomes.” Darren said: “We didn’t want it to be a demand but more putting something out there and seeing if organisations would jump on board voluntarily to make it happen to get that cultural shift. “When deciding how comprehensive the Charter should be, we concluded that if we couldn’t get it down to a sentence then we’re not being clear enough in our thought process.” Preparation Prior to its launch last month Darren led in-depth research undertaken earlier this year on eight pilot projects with 28 participants from the UK’s rail industry. The research concluded that by making work pipelines visible to suppliers, businesses would see significant improvements in productivity. This is because suppliers would have sufficient time to plan the delivery of work more efficiently and, of equal importance,

The Work Pipeline Visibility Charter Through signing the Charter, each signatory business is pledging to make available their pipeline of work to all their suppliers while maintaining customer-supplier confidentiality. RSG recommends that each business: Appoint a senior member of staff to champion the Charter; Actively encourage Charter awareness among its suppliers and drive improvements with its clients; se the Charter branding provided by RSG to promote your business’ commitment among U the wider rail industry including all your suppliers and your colleagues. In return the Rail Supply Group, comprising The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, Department for Transport, client representatives Network Rail and HS2, industry representatives, trade associations, and trade union representatives will support you in raising awareness of your commitment to work pipeline transparency. committing to sharing project work pipelines down through the supply chain was identified as a vehicle to increase collaboration and trust. “In July 2020, the government asked the Rail Supply Group to set up and lead the rail industry COVID-19 taskforce to drive forward an industry-wide recovery and stronger bounce back,” said Darren. “We released a survey to help us plan this which found that the supply chain was desperate

Engage Portal

for visibility of the pipeline – even more so during the pandemic when they were a mix of some fighting for their life to others wondering how to invest money,” said Darren. “Visibility of that pipeline allows organisations to decide whether to stay in the rail sector and invest heavily in R&D in the sector. To make that decision organisations need to know if there is a market for their product or if there is a sufficient potential market.

Part of the Intelligent Journey

Key attributing factors of using Nomad’s Engage Portal is its ability to offer information and entertainment to the passenger, not all vehicles have the hardware capabilities to provide passenger information within the carriage. For example, carriages may not have display screens and even where screens are deployed, they cannot provide personalised or in-depth information. The Engage Portal helps to address this problem, acting as part of the Intelligent Journey and improving passenger experience by providing information such as: moving maps, train schedule information, information regarding destinations, taxi information, onboard locations of the buffet carts/toilets as well as ordering food via an online menu.

Building in third party information and services is also a great opportunity to add value. Partnering with local businesses (near destination stations) can create greater exposure for both parties. For example, they may provide passengers with the information of a local taxi service when the train is within a set radius of the station.

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Entertainment

A train or bus journey can be a great opportunity to do some reading, catch up on a TV show, or even watch a movie. Static media (newspapers, magazines, audiobooks) can be updated periodically by the vehicle operator and provided to their passengers in an offline format. This benefits the passenger by providing a better viewing experience and improving internet connectivity as the available bandwidth is not used up streaming media. This also has financial benefits for the train operator in reduced data charges. For example, daily newspapers can be electronically updated in the morning and fed in an offline format to passengers, throughout the day. Rail entertainment can improve passenger experience by providing an extensive library of premium media content including: Movies TV series Documentaries Music Premium media content is encrypted via a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system to ensure that is cannot be copied. Displaying this type of media requires trusted systems with appropriate keys to unlock the media. The Nomad Digital Engage Portal comes equipped with a DRM application which is accepted by a wide range of global media providers. This provides the technology to unlock media on the vehicle, allowing the transport operator to stream offline hand-selected movies to their passengers.

Want to know more? Contact our team of experts: experts@nomad-digital.com June 2021 | 43

Industry standards

“We got pretty consistent information back that producing a visible pipeline is possible to do and it doesn’t actually cost a lot more to do it. Everybody’s response was that it would give them confidence to invest now.” The RSG was well placed to carry out the work as it was already working with government on fostering the delivery of the Rail Sector Deal, which was looking to exploit the opportunities of new technologies, improve the efficient use of the rail network capacity and enhance the experience of those who use the railway. Pipeline visibility was among the highest priority in the supply chain, with the Rail Sector Deal also identifying the link between work pipeline visibility and improving productivity. Investment and opportunity The move comes at a time of great opportunity with rail investment in the UK at record levels with billions being spent from 2019 up until 2024. There is also the government aspiration for 33 per cent of public spending to go to SMEs by 2022. Darren said: “I think in the past the supply chain has waited for the client organisations to publish what they were going to do – particularly with some big ticket questions going on – so it has been difficult to plan what is going to happen longer term down the line. “But I do think that has changed with things like the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure Plan, and the publishing of pipelines by the Department for Transport and the build back better campaign. “There is momentum now with the government and arms-length organisations wanting to publicise the projects they want to get on with. This though seems to stop at Tier 1, 2 and 3 level when actually you want visibility right down to the organisation that is manufacturing the component that could make a huge difference to the productivity of the overall product, or the organisation that provides a

service so they can invest in skills and training to be ready to provide a workforce or product.” It is this reason that Darren says some of the biggest supporters of the Charter have been at Tier 3, 4 and 5 level.

Organisations need to know if there is a market for their product or if there is a sufficient potential market “They are the ones that will probably benefit most from the visible pipeline as they have the least visibility than the others,” he said. “They probably benefit more from that

Why should your business sign the Charter? By making your work pipeline visible to your suppliers, your organisation will: rive improvements in productivity by giving our suppliers sufficient time to plan the delivery of D work efficiently and safely; Help our suppliers manage changes in work volumes; Increase the pace of delivery; reate the conditions that mean our suppliers can make planning and investment decisions C with confidence; Mitigate delivery risks associated with resource availability and constraints; Improve value for money and delivery of outcomes.

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visibility anyway because they quite often might be the high-internal overhead manufacturing type organisations and therefore have the investment decisions in the latest state-ofthe-art equipment, which is probably even more fundamentally driven by the confidence in the marketplace.” The next steps The Charter is one outcome of the Rail Sector Deal, with Darren saying the next steps are to get as many organisations as possible signed up and then to look at who has adopted the philosophy and what success it has brought. He said: “Whatever part of the rail industry or even the broader construction industry you occupy you will benefit from having visibility of the upstream pipeline for the services you deliver. Your supply chain will also benefit and therefore you will benefit by providing them with visibility of your pipeline. “The Charter on its own is part of the jigsaw of the Rail Sector Deal but it is an important first step. The fact that it has been put out there as an industry sponsored voluntary sign-up Charter I hope will drive voluntary and discretionary behaviour to do it. I think doing it this way will be a far more sustainable component in taking the rail industry to a much better place.” Concluding, Darren says he was pleased to see the commitment to the Charter in the Williams-Shapps White Paper. He said: “The government and, in future, Great British Railways will continue to work in partnership with the supply chain to achieve the aims of the Rail Sector Deal, including boosting supply chain productivity and line of sight over the future pipelines of work.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Diversity and Inclusion

Having faith in the rail industry CPMS-Egis Scheme Project Manager Farah Sajwani on the challenges to make the railways inclusive to all religions

s a Middle Eastern Muslim, Farah Sajwani never thought she’d be working in the railway for a company in England. Farah’s journey into the industry began when she left Oman to pursue an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering in Australia. She then moved to Manchester, where she completed her postgraduate degree in engineering project management. It was from here that she moved to London and joined the graduate scheme at CPMS-Egis – where she has been for nearly three years. “Landing a job in a railway-focused company was very exciting, yet overwhelming, as I came from a country that did not have a railway,” said Farah. “I was a little apprehensive at first as I was concerned about being credible and having a successful career there, not knowing much about rail, but everyone has been very welcoming and helpful and I’m really enjoying it. “Another pleasant surprise was getting a graduate placement in a company that is understanding and inclusive of other cultures and religions. “I’d often heard friends saying that the working environment can be tough and that people from a different ethnicity, religion, education and national origin can sometimes feel left out in the workplace, but I have been fortunate at CPMS-Egis. I have felt included from the outset of my placement and am now Scheme Project Manager. I am also actively involved in the company’s EDI and Community Kindness Groups.”

In February, Farah was invited by Women in Rail (WR) to join the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter Working Group created by Women in Rail (WR) and the Railway Industry Association (RIA) following its launch last November. “I’ve joined the Charter Working Group because I want to make a difference and help organisations understand better how to attract

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a more diverse workforce and be more inclusive,” she said. “I think every person, regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs and background should be able to contribute equally to the growth and wellbeing of the organisation they work for, thrive in their job and realise their full potential.”

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Diversity and Inclusion

The EDI Charter has already been signed by more than 160 organisations which demonstrate the industry’s commitment to the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. The EDI Charter Working Group comprises young professionals in rail chosen by WR and RIA on the basis of their personal commitment and qualities and the fact that they represent a spectrum of the backgrounds, ages, genders and identities and various grades, roles and companies within the UK rail industry at this particular point in time. “Being part of the working group is the opportunity to share my experiences and to help organisations understand better what may be holding them back from attracting a diverse workforce and being more inclusive,” she said. “It is also a way for me to be the voice of the people who share my background who may be facing challenges in the workplace but are not able or prepared to speak out. “Each member of the group brings a different perspective on EDI and the challenges to inclusion so the group is not only about sharing my experiences, explaining how companies can be more inclusive of Muslim women, but also about learning about others, listening to their experiences, their challenges, and understanding how I can myself help foster better inclusion in the workplace and the railway.” Removing barriers Farah is using her voice to inform the industry about what can be done to encourage more Muslims into the rail sector. Like nearly all industries in the UK, Muslims face universal barriers to employment, with prejudice believed to be a contributor as to why unemployment rates are more than double that of any other community. “I am keen to use my voice to raise awareness to the need to create more flexibility around the working environment in the railways for people like me,” she said.

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“For instance, as a Muslim, I don’t celebrate Christmas and I don’t do anything special on Boxing Day, yet as an employee, it is automatically assumed that I will take those days off because it is a bank holiday. It would be good to be able to work those days and use that credit to take time off on the days I celebrate my religion such as Eid-al Fitr (Festival of Breaking the Fast) which follows Ramadan (a month of fasting).

I would recommend the rail industry to everyone and I would encourage everyone to speak up if they face challenges “Again, with Ramadan it would be good if organisations could make people more aware that they have colleagues fasting and ask them to be a little bit more understanding. I have found my colleagues at CPMS-Egis to be really supportive, but I am aware that it is not always the case for other Muslim people. “In the long term, it would be good to see employers make prayer space available for everyone. I pray five times a day so it would be nice to have a personal space to do this, but this space could also be used as a meditation room for individuals or just somewhere where anyone who needs to take a moment can decompress.” “I am pregnant at the moment and flexibility is important to me, to go to hospital appointments for instance. As long as I am doing my job right and making up the working hours, that should be the main focus.”

It is these sorts of ideas that Farah hopes to promote and move forward as part of her role in the working group of the EDI Charter. “When I first joined the rail industry, I did feel a little awkward when I was taking time off to celebrate my faith and during Ramadan when I was fasting,” she said. “Organisations could look at offering more flexible hours for employees during these times, because for example I don’t take a lunch break when fasting. “A lot of it comes down to raising awareness, which is a priority for me with the EDI Charter Working Group. Inclusion is not a case of one size fits all and what works for one organisation might not work for another. Employers need to connect with their employees, open the discussion and both need to work together to make it work for them. “Our role as the EDI Charter Working Group is about understanding our respective challenges and come up with ideas and suggestions as to how employers can address them so they can attract a more diverse workforce and create better inclusion. “I have really enjoyed my time in the rail industry so far and I really want to play my part in making sure I help everyone feel included, whilst at the same time encouraging others to join the industry. “Based on my overall experiences so far, I would recommend the rail industry to everyone and I would encourage everyone to speak up if they face challenges. “There are lots of opportunities to work in the railways. You just need to understand the industry and make sure the industry understands you.” To find out more about the EDI Charter, e-mail info@edicharter.co.uk

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June 2021 | 47

HS2

The first of HS2’s Tunnel Boring Machines begins 10-mile journey

Chief Executive Mark Thurston hopes the entire country will get behind the project following the major moment of progress

he first of 10 HS2 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) that will dig 64 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands on Phase One of the UK’s new high-speed railway has started its journey. Florence – named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale – is 170m long and weighs 2,000 tonnes. For the next three years it will dig 10 miles of tunnel under the Chilterns, operating 24/7. Mark Thurston, HS2 Ltd’s Chief Executive, said: “The launch of our first tunnelling machine is a major moment of progress for the HS2 project as we work to deliver a high-speed rail that will offer low-carbon alternatives for longdistance journeys across the UK. “With more than 16,000 jobs already supported by the project and thousands of companies big and small benefiting from contracts, HS2 is providing a major boost to the economy in these difficult times. “The start of tunnelling is a moment of genuine excitement for everyone involved and I hope the entire country will get behind this truly transformative project.” Built by Herrenknecht, a world leader in TBM manufacturing, at its factory in southwest Germany, the two 170m-long machines were transported to the UK in more than 300 separate shipments last year before being reassembled, tested and commissioned by an expert team of tunnelling engineers at the 48 | June 2021

Chiltern tunnel south portal site, near the M25 to the north-west of London. The first two TBMs – Cecilia launched this month – are being operated by HS2’s main works contractor, Align – a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Designed specifically for the mix of chalk and flints under the Chilterns, the two identical TBMs will dig separate tunnels for north and southbound trains.

I hope the entire country will get behind this truly transformative project Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The work has truly begun on taking HS2 northwards. The tunnels these machines dig will ensure the benefits of our new highcapacity, high-speed railway run to the great cities of the North and Midlands, forging stronger connections in our country, boosting connectivity and skills opportunities and transforming our transport links.”

Each TBM operates as a self-contained underground factory – digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place at a speed of around 15 metres a day. Each tunnel requires 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced segments – which will all be made on site. Operation crew A crew of 17 people operates each TBM, working in shifts to keep the machines running 24/7. They are being supported by more than 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation. Chalk excavated from the tunnels will be used for landscaping at the south portal site once construction is complete, creating wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats across 127 hectares of the southern Chiltern hills. Align Project Director Daniel Altier said: “The TBMs include a number of innovations to improve efficiency and the safety of the environment in which the crew will be working, that have never before been introduced on any previous TBMs, worldwide. “I would like to thank everyone in our integrated project team that includes Align, our design partner Align D and HS2, working closely with our suppliers, for all their hard work that has enabled us to get to where we are today, culminating in the launch of Florence.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Crossrail

Trial Running of trains gets underway on the Elizabeth line

Crossrail Chief Executive Mark Wild says they are firmly on the path to Trial Operations and ultimately the opening of the line

he Crossrail project has reached the next important milestone with the trial running of four trains an hour underway. The news comes as Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line station has also become the third of the new central London stations to be handed over to Transport for London (TfL). The railway is set to open in the first half of 2022. Mark Wild, Crossrail Chief Executive, said: “We have now started the Trial Running of trains on the Elizabeth line and this is an incredibly significant moment. It marks the moment when our focus shifts to commissioning of the new railway and it puts us firmly on the path to Trial Operations and ultimately the opening of the Elizabeth line. “I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard over many years to get us to this point. There have been real challenges along the way but the start of Trial Running is an important milestone for the Elizabeth line and for London.” Safe and reliable The Trial Running programme involves integrated trials of the railway to demonstrate that the Elizabeth line is safe and reliable, and that it meets the capacity and performance requirements needed to move to the final stage before opening the railway. This final stage before the Elizabeth line opens to passengers is known as Trial Operations, which ensures the safety and reliability of the railway for public use, and will involve a wide range of exercises such as evacuations of trains and stations later this year. Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “Reaching this crucial project milestone of running trains through the tunnels is a real testament to the teams who have worked so hard to get the railway ready for trials to ensure we can operate safely and reliably. I have also recently visited Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line station to see the progress there, it is a fantastic new station and will be a key interchange with the Tube. “There is still much to do, but I know everyone is pulling together and when we open the Elizabeth line it will make a real difference to those travelling across London; increasing capacity, transforming accessibility and providing a huge economic boost.” 50 | June 2021

Crossrail will steadily ramp up the number of trains running in the 42km of tunnels that have been built below London and on the existing rail network to allow the railway and the supporting systems to be operated as close as possible to an operational timetable.

When we open the Elizabeth line it will make a real difference to those travelling across London Ahead of Trial Running commencing, the Great Western main line and Great Eastern main line were fully integrated with the Elizabeth line central section to form an operational railway ready for trains to run across the route. Throughout the Trial Running programme, operations and maintenance staff and train drivers will play an integral role with the Romford Route Control Centre (RCC), the hub where they will signal all trains in the tunnel. Maintenance teams will be available to keep the railway running, as well as responding to any operational incidents across the network.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “It is encouraging that Crossrail has achieved this crucial milestone on the journey towards the completion of the project. Huge efforts have been made to get the project to this point and it’s vital those efforts continue as we work towards the full opening of the Elizabeth line.” Central London Meanwhile, Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line station has been constructed by Laing O’Rourke and is the third of the new Elizabeth line stations to be transferred to TfL, following Farringdon in March and Custom House last year. The London Underground and TfL teams will now begin their readiness activities to prepare the station for Trial Operations beginning later this year. Laing O’Rourke will continue progressive demobilisation from the site. Declan McGeeney, Director of UK Infrastructure, Laing O’Rourke, said: “I am immensely proud of our team for what they have achieved and how they have overcome the challenges of the past 12 months to get to this point. “Their commitment to the project has been absolute and they have worked in close partnership with Crossrail and London Underground to create what is a truly impressive new station that will improve the journeys of millions of people for many decades to come.” railbusinessdaily.com

I n d u s t r y Cs rpoostsl R i gahi tl

An expanding skillset to allow for growth in the rail sector Waterman Group’s Rail Director Manoj Gupta discusses its role and development to ensure rail infrastructure is future ready

n increasing population needs an improved railway infrastructure, not only to aid commuting, but also to transport goods, as a more environmentally friendly alternative to road freight. Leading the way is multidisciplinary infrastructure and environmental firm Waterman Group. With more than 1,400 staff based in 14 major office locations, it delivers projects throughout the UK. Within its infrastructure and environment arm, the organisation provides multidisciplinary rail engineering services for all stages of a project for both private and public sector clients. It is an area that has seen substantial success in the past three years, led by Manoj Gupta, whose passion about growth and strategies for Waterman Rail Division has brought with it many high-profile collaborations. “Here at Waterman, when we look at rail and mass transit infrastructure, we see much more than its component parts,” said Manoj Gupta. “We see its potential to connect people and goods by providing a safe, affordable and efficient rail infrastructure backbone across our landscape and within our urban areas. “We have committed ourselves to value engineer safe and cost-effective rail infrastructure solutions in shaping rail and transport networks in ways that will maximise their connectivity and ease of use.” Ambitious plans Waterman’s Rail Division is currently working with Network Rail, HS2 and Crossrail among others. The company’s extensive list of areas of expertise includes multidisciplinary rail engineering design and construction support, station buildings design, platforms, depot and stabling yards, environmental services, geotechnical services, civil earthworks and transport planning. Due to ambitious plans to grow its offering, the company is in the process of adding signalling, OLE, telecoms, E&P and M&E services to its skillset. Manoj, who is a railway professional and global transport executive with more than 20 years of extensive experience working in the railbusinessdaily.com

UK, Australia, Middle East and Asia, said: “We have a strong track record for providing marketleading expertise in all aspects of engineering and design disciplines. “We offer our clients services ranging from initial project development and planning phases, through to full engineering design and documentation, construction phase services, as well as specialist advice with our design partners in operations, maintenance and management of rail and mass transit assets. “Among our services includes Waterman’s AUTORAILTM, a unique, highly flexible computer aided drawing and data management system that Waterman has designed and continuously developed since 1990. With more than 10,000 miles of rail track mapped, the system is used throughout the rail industry.

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“We are also embracing the new technologies such as BIM and digital railways on our projects. “New technologies impact how and where people live and work, and directly affect community needs. “For the business the key to success in this new environment is to harness imagination, link this to evolving digital tools and empower our teams to ensure rail infrastructure is future ready.” All the company’s rail sector services are qualified by RISQS audit and the organisation embeds safety design practices into everything it does, including the way it engages and communicates with staff, communities and stakeholders. Visit www.watermangroup.com and Rail (watermangroup.com) for more details.

June 2021 | 51

ICnrdous s tRrayi sl p o t l i g h t

Getting your front of house in order Diamond Rail Services on its evolution of train care processes

ever have the words Service Quality Management System been more important to train operating companies. Cleaner stations, cleaner trains and facilities that are in good working order aren’t just vital in passenger satisfaction levels, but failure could also lead to penalties from the government. Understanding the importance of the on-board environment, South Western Railway (SWR) has enlisted the help of Diamond Rail Services Front of House service, developed in collaboration with a number of train operating companies across the UK. The innovative delivery partnership has seen 16 Class 158 vehicles, based in the Salisbury maintenance depot, managed under Diamond’s new regime. End goal The work enabled both parties to gain a clearer understanding of the measurable end-user benefits and how these can be scaled across the larger fleet. The end goal are trains that deliver on the quality expectations of existing and potential customers. Charlie Hatcher, Head of Train Presentation at South Western Railway, said: “Diamond’s Front of House service has given us the opportunity to jointly review and develop our processes around train presentation and on-board asset management. “Working with Diamond has helped us gather a lot of data and see quick win opportunities in an innovative way, which will undoubtedly be recognised by our customers. “Having the same customer centric mindset as Diamond has made the collaboration very positive and we look forward to seeing the results and hearing the feedback from our stakeholders.”

As part of the Front of House service, a team of qualified assessors provide a comprehensive assessment of physical assets from a customer’s perspective. The issues are then rectified on the same visit with detailed reporting. Service options: ustomer perspective auditing on vehicles, C internal and/or external; Train station and facilities auditing; ectification of issues following an agreed R scope of work; Detailed reporting and analytics. Jenny Dempsey, Diamond Rail Services’ Business Development Manager, and formerly Fleet Refurbishment Project Manager at Northern, said: “There is a lot of interest in what we are doing, especially following the news that service quality is the focus of the Department for Transport (DfT). Customer perception is everything and the Front of House service will

build back confidence for people to travel in the post-COVID world too. “I believe that addressing the aesthetic and quality elements of the on-board environment with a cost-effective solution provides measurable benefits for several departments within the train operators, while delivering for the end user. “We are also gathering valuable insight data from stakeholders such as the DfT, rail users and train operators in order to cement the Front of House concept as the go-to solution for the rail industry.” The Front of House service follows the launch of its new brand Diamond Rail Services earlier this year. Over the past two decades, the company has consistently delivered on its proposition when undertaking seating projects with the new brand to reflect the range of complementary service offerings. The company continues to offer its specialist seating services with Diamond Interior Services set up to meet rollingstock and accommodation refurbishment needs. It also offers turnkey engineering and maintenance services sourcing, manufacturing, installation, certification, and asset management, including labour supply. Jenny added: “Since rebranding in February, Diamond Rail Services has gone from strength to strength thanks to our passion and expertise. We are really confident that what we are offering is a real asset for rail and ultimately the customers.” Visit www.diamondrail.co.uk

52 | June 2021

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Putting you on the right track with your training Richardson Rail Services discuss the importance of making sure staff have the right expertise while working in the industry

he UK is one of the safest railways in Europe, however serious injuries and even fatalities are still sadly occurring to workers playing a vital role in keeping passengers and freight moving. There is no getting away from some railway staff having to work in a high-risk environment, so it is vital they are adequately trained – particularly when working trackside. Leading the way when it comes to specialist track-related training is Richardson Rail Services. The organisation has developed several courses to provide a safer working environment for everyone by means of high quality, engaging and informative training. Rhys Richardson, Managing Director, says with 50 years’ experience between them, the organisation has been built by experienced track engineers and signed off and approved track responsible engineers. He said: “The carriage and track are the main components of the railway but the track can sometimes be seen as one of the underappreciated disciplines. It isn’t just about digging a hole, you need to account for all the rail geometry and engineering that is involved when you dig a hole, move a sleeper, or weld rail together. “Richardson Rail Services was started by two track contracting responsible engineers with a passion to strive for the highest quality safety and services provision in engineering whenever we put staff out. We’re trying to improve the quality of the overall track engineering that is being delivered throughout the industry.

“Using our experience and knowledge, we have developed our track-based training and assessments to meet the needs of the industry, taking into account any issues we found during our time as Track/P-Way CREs and trying to produce materials and processes that are designed to help candidates and the industry develop.” Richardson Rail Services – a RISQS and NSAR-accredited company – offer various trackrelated courses, including: Track handback engineering. I nspection and repair to reduce the risk of derailment at switches with cast crossing inspection.

aising and removing speed restrictions. R Critical rail temperature management. Hot weather patroller. Alongside the training, Richardson Rail Services also offers competency assessments conducted by qualified and experienced individuals, and services and assistance to individuals and companies to aid them with specialised development and processes. Rhys said: “Our courses aim to improve industry standards and the understanding of track engineering and quality of provision as well. Any staff we send out to cover the track or the track monitoring have been through our high-quality, informative training and have the skills to work efficiently and safely. “We do track monitoring and all the associated paperwork, as well as the designs, track handback and any other form of track engineering. “We also assist people with mentoring, so for example if someone does a handback course and needs the mentoring shifts, we can offer them that opportunity. It is important for us to support the people who come through us, which in turn is helping the industry. We want the people out on the front lines to be the best.” Visit www.richardsonrail.co.uk

54 | June 2021

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F e a itnuirneg Tr

Rail industry businesses accelerate digitalisation of processes during pandemic

Photo: Network Rail

survey was completed by Rail Business Daily in partnership with Sopra Steria’s Competency Training MarketplaceTM (CTM) to determine how businesses had adapted to the pandemic and understand attitudes towards digital platforms as we head towards resuming normal operations across the industry. More than 80 per cent of businesses who responded said they have had to digitalise processes to continue operations during the pandemic, almost half of these said they had made ‘significant adaptations.’ With government guidelines, a shift towards ‘workfrom-home’ and anxieties for some around coming into close contact with others, this is not a surprising statistic. We know that the switch to online meetings and adoption of new online operations platforms have forced businesses to significantly accelerate introducing more digital solutions to keep the business running. Jeroen Boomsma, CTM Director, said: “It is a positive to see how businesses have improved their operations from a digital perspective during the pandemic and from the results we can certainly see that many have had to accelerate that process. “This is a positive step for the rail industry to streamline and simplify processes for the 56 | June 2021

betterment of these businesses and how the industry works going forward.” CTM was designed specifically to combat competency and training challenges in the rail industry, so the organisation has a particular interest in how digital processes have changed when it comes to competency management. Interestingly, for employers the findings did not match up to the level of digitisation elsewhere in business. 0 per cent of rail worker employers said that 6 they do not use an online digital competency management solution. 7 7 per cent of responses said they think that the industry could benefit from more specialised tools to keep up with training demands. Jeroen continued: “From this survey, and from conversations we’ve had with other businesses, it is surprising to see how many businesses have not adopted an online competency management solution yet. The competency demands are ever-growing in the rail industry. Moreover, with restrictions expected to end on 21 June, it will be significantly easier for projects to operate and restart, meaning a summer project boom should be on the way. “As the industry sets to reopen, a shift Advertorial

towards a more green and sustainable industry is on the forefront of future operations. All of this considered, it is essential that companies have a well-trained workforce to be able to meet future changes and needs whilst keeping safety and compliance at the forefront. “This is why CTM has been developed – it can help businesses work smarter and meet the high competency standards to keep their workforce safe. CTM does this by making booking and managing training easier and more cost efficient than ever as the solution to integrate a marketplace to book training with a competency management system. “With 75 per cent of those responders who said they use a competency management system noting integration as the key area for improvement, CTM is needed now more than ever.” CTM user Crescy Goodman, Safety Training Centre Manager from Atkins, echoes this with her testimony. She said: “Easy to use and ensures that our business is compliant to industry regulators, by making the management of competencies more efficient and easier to maintain”. Businesses can register to use Competency Training Marketplace for free or book a demo to find out more by visiting www.competencytrainingmarketplace.com

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People

Making rail services fit for everyone KTN’s rail expert Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain on the biggest challenge facing the industry for a century

ith every challenge you encounter lies opportunity for growth. That is very much the mindset for Daisy ChapmanChamberlain, the Knowledge Transfer Manager for Rail at KTN, who believes now is the time we change the way we do things as an industry. “We’re facing this enormous challenge as we come out of the pandemic – one that we’ve never faced before and the biggest in a century,” she said. “But the history of rail in our country has always been the history of innovation. We created rail and I think this is the time to follow that innovation pedigree and push forward in terms of taking risk. “Obviously not in terms of safety risks but looking at the opportunities we have to change the way we do things. There are lots of conversations at the moment about things like innovation and ticketing. “The commuter travel landscape has changed and we need to get ahead of that as quickly as we can to make sure we are ready to attract passengers back.” A passion for rail Daisy, who has just marked her one-year anniversary at KTN, has a passion for transport transformation, accessibility, sustainability and inclusion. Her role sees her providing innovation and funding stream support to companies within the rail sector and supply chain and ensuring the delivery of key regional and national strategies.

“It is very unlikely that we will have 9-5, fivedays a week commuting, which in some ways is a good thing, because we have spoken for years about smoothing out the peak of travelling during rush hour,” she said. “With this in mind we’ve got to look at innovation around ticketing.

“I also think leisure innovation is going to be enormous for the industry, so we need to start thinking less in a commuter context and more about everything from rolling stock design, through to the actual passenger experience and accessibility.”

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People

When it comes to the passenger experience, Daisy draws on some of the more unusual examples from around the world, including Toreiyu Tsubasa in Japan – the interior of which is equipped with tatami mat seating, local foods and footbaths for relaxing while enjoying the scenery outside the window. “It is just one of the ideas that are much more focused around leisure and experience, with other examples including trains that are themed around Pokémon and even cat trains,” she said. “Similarly, our own heritage railways in the UK are amazing in providing passenger experiences. We can bring in elements around things like local history, local culture and local food.

We need to make sure people perceive rail more as a leisure option rather than just a means to get to a destination “Rail shouldn’t just be about getting from A to B, we need to look at what we can do to maximise the experience. I think we need to make sure people perceive rail more as a leisure option rather than just a means to get to a destination.” Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail A bold new future has been set out for rail in the UK with the publication of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, promising a modern, sustainable railway with greater control for local communities and streamlined engagement for innovations. She said: “I welcome this push for decarbonisation, biodiversity and improvements in air quality. Initiatives like this are key to supporting the UK’s aim of net zero by 2050. I’m

also pleased to see the focus on innovation and the streamlining of the rail system to encourage and facilitate links with innovative SMEs. “Crucially, an audit of network accessibility followed by a national accessibility strategy is a welcome feature, improving inclusion across the national network. Innovation in this space, alongside in sustainable rail, will be essential to ensuring access for all and in offering the best possible value for customers regardless of access needs.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding what the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail will mean for the industry, Daisy believes positive changes are already underway. “There is work happening and innovations are being picked up. Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group are having lots of conversations about how carnet ticketing might look in a national sense. That is going to be really important moving forward.

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People

“We need to look at how we apply the best possible ideas that customers and passengers respond to really positively more universally. “That is one thing I have noticed over the past year is that the communication across the board has been a lot more positive and comprehensive.” One area Daisy is particularly passionate about is pulling in companies that don’t already work in the rail industry but have a service or innovation which could be of great benefit. “There are some novel ideas out there in the digital, design and creative spaces in particular, but rail is historically seen as esoteric and very closed off,” she said. “At KTN, we are working hard to remove those barriers and we’ve made great progress in the last year, opening up opportunities more widely, improving communication and making new connections. “We need to look at how to maximise that going forward and put the best systems in place. Network Rail’s Dragon’s Den initiative was a great idea – a ‘fail fast’ kind of approach, rather than dragging a company along. “If somebody does come out of a different industry they may have amazing ideas, but maybe not all of the rail knowledge they need. That is how we can help at KTN. As well as helping with the rail knowledge, we do need to make sure that we are including the passengers and communities in those conversations.” But after more than a year of the public being told to avoid public transport, now the challenge is to promote the science that shows transport such as trains are a safe way to travel – particularly as lockdown eases. A return to rail In recent research from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers, 64 per cent of respondents who normally use public transport say they have not travelled by public transport since the start of the pandemic, with 52 per cent saying they were unsure about returning after travel restrictions have been fully removed. “There seems to be this perception that rail is a lot more dangerous than other environments, when actually with social distancing in place, masks, and the cleaning, we’ve actually built in more safety measures than a lot of other industries,” Daisy said. “The immediate priority has to be making sure we consider passenger and staff safety in everything we do, making decisions based around the science. We’ve also got to push out the research and messaging that public transport is safe and build that confidence. “Beyond that, it does have to be focused on the passenger experience and we have to look at what people are actually going to be asking for and I think a huge part of that is leisure, but 60 | June 2021

The immediate priority has to be making sure we consider passenger and staff safety in everything we do a really big part of that has to be accessibility.” Although the future may have many uncertainties ahead for the rail industry, one

that is set to remain is Daisy’s involvement in the railways. Having joined KTN from Community Rail Lancashire, she has no plans on leaving. “I completely fell into the rail industry,” she said. “I was looking at general jobs and the one at Community Rail Lancashire came up listed as ‘do you like trains, do you like working with young people, are you a passionate person?’ I ticked all the boxes and I now can’t imagine working in any other industry. It is one of the most collaborative industries out there. “It’s an exciting industry and one that has to thrive in the future if we are to meet net zero and sustainability targets. We can’t reach either of those without rail.”

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Heritage

Back in business

The National Railway Museum’s Director Judith McNicol on how the museum will support UK rail

he doors of the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion in Shildon, both part of the Science Museum Group, re-opened to families and rail enthusiasts on Wednesday 19 May following the disruptive temporary closures caused by COVID-19 lockdown measures. Clearly good news for visitors and staff at each museum, re-opening also comes as a welcome relief to the Director of both museums, Judith McNicol, who is set to propel the National Railway Museum forward as an organisation playing a central supporting role in the future of UK rail. Judith has been based at the National Railway Museum since she joined the Science Museum Group in 2005, during which time she has held several leadership roles. She was appointed Director at the beginning of 2018, following almost a year as Acting Director. The forced closures have provided the team that Judith leads with the opportunity to carry 62 | June 2021

out restoration and repair work across the collections of both museums – the National Railway Museum houses more than 100 carriages and locomotives, while Locomotion houses the biggest collection of rail vehicles in the country under one roof.

We are really serious about helping the industry to address the skills gaps that exist At the same time, without its thousands of weekly visitors, the redevelopment of the National Railway Museum site has carried on apace. Now back in the building and back to business, Judith is continuing to push

forward the £55million redevelopment that is transforming the National Railway Museum into a truly world-class visitor attraction, along with a strategy firmly rooted in promoting UK rail’s present and future. The redevelopment includes the construction of the new Central Hall building, modernisation and refurbishment of the Great Hall and, ultimately, will see the museum take its place as the cultural heart of York Central, a new city quarter around the museum site on 45 hectares of Network Rail-owned land, featuring new public spaces as well as leisure, commercial and residential areas. Masterplan The redevelopment goes hand-in-hand with the museum’s Vision 2025 masterplan projects, building on the group’s sustainability policy, and committing the museum to change the way it works to achieve a balance between the volume of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. railbusinessdaily.com

Heritage

At the same time, and with visitor activity at the National Railway Museum underway once again, Judith’s ambition to inspire future engineers, and work closely with industry partners to share information about technological advancements and the many innovations driving UK rail forward, will be realised. Judith said: “We have a vital role to play for the industry, both in the present and for the future. “There’s a revolution going on in infrastructure and the money being invested in UK rail is phenomenal. “We have a very wide and broad visitor base, many of whom are customers of the railways, and our global digital reach is huge. We can help spread the word about the changes taking place in rail, whether that is about investment, technological developments, changes to the way people use public transport and the problem solving, creativity and innovation that are driving the industry forward.” The National Railway Museum’s Wonderlab is a hands-on children’s gallery that also has clear appeal to accompanying adults. Its aim is to get young people excited about engineering and the many employment routes that exist in the rail industry. Creating the future The National Railway Museum has already held around 40 workshops with industry partners, including Network Rail, Arup and Siemens, for input on the interactive displays that will give young people an insight into future rail careers. Judith said: “The opportunity to move forward with Central Hall, which is due to open in 2025, is a really exciting one for the museum. “Central Hall provides us with a way of

We have a vital role to play for the industry, both in the present and for the future getting people to engage with our collection differently and our Futures Gallery is a way of engaging with young people and to get them to really think about the rail industry and what engineering offers to them. “We are working with those in the industry to showcase new innovations and tell the story of how rail will help solve national and international challenges, whether that is around sustainability,

decarbonisation, the sustainable movement of people, through to rail’s role as a massive employer that will move the economy forward. “We are really serious about helping the industry to address the skills gaps that exist, promoting STEM and also addressing challenges around diversity and inclusion in rail.” Installations that change every three months – a successful idea ‘borrowed’ from the rotating public art commissions that have occupied the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square – will allow for a constantly changing display of rail as it evolves in the months, years and decades to come. Unique storytelling Judith added: “The digital railway is a good example of a story that we will be able to tell in a way that the industry cannot, because it is unable to get in front of its customers in the way that we can. TRANSFORMING

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Connecting past, present and future Judith added: “It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to connect the past with the present and to inspire the innovators and problem-solvers of the future, and it is only right that environmental sustainability is embedded into this journey. It colours and informs our approach for design, construction, operation and engagement. “Achieving net zero will benefit our visitors and the wider local community and our response is driven by a sense of urgency and purpose: to think big and to leave a positive legacy for those who follow.

The artist’s impression of Wonderlab

Achieving net zero will benefit our visitors and the wider local community “We could tell more stories, and we will, of the people that make UK rail what it is, and we need to tell more stories about how the UK has influenced the world with its railways.

The artist’s impression of the new Central Hall building

64 | June 2021

“In some ways, we already consider ourselves to be the world’s railway museum, but we need to be careful that we don’t fall behind those museums around the world that have looked to us for inspiration. “For some time to come, the heartstrings will be pulled and there will remain romanticism around coal and steam but, looking forward, the role that rail will play in reducing carbon usage is one of the important stories we need to tell. Looking back 250 years, while looking forward 50 in a way that doesn’t shy away from the facts, will help UK rail to tell its story.”

Image: Feilden Fowles

“To a customer who travels on rail, the digital railway doesn’t necessarily mean anything. So, we can take that story and explain the benefits and positive impacts that it will have from all kinds of perspectives. Our visitors come to the National Railway Museum or Locomotion for a leisure experience, but they are also keen to learn about the industry. When I came into post, we carried out a rebranding that was very much about signalling that the National Railway Museum is now a very different museum, moving from a nostalgic brand that was good at looking backwards and doing the past very well to an organisation that is also about the now and the future and is committed to working with the industry. “This is a really exciting journey to go on, especially when our curators are equally excited about linking what they do with the future.” Vision 2025 places sustainability at the heart of all the work that the National Railway Museum will deliver, whether that is in the redevelopment and reimagining of the buildings that house its collections or inspiring workshops.

Image: De Matos Ryan

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ICnrdous s tRrayi sl p o t l i g h t

Keeping rail on track Five years on from completing its acquisition of RVEL, Loram talks about the journey so far and its plans for the future

oram has been on some journey since the completion of its acquisition of RVEL – the UK specialist rolling stock engineering and operating company – in 2016. But this is just the start for the company – which supports both vehicular and on-track engineering and maintenance needs – as it reveals details about an exciting new chapter. Alongside major work with the likes of Network Rail, there are several highprofile contracts on the horizon and the construction of a new rail grinding machine in Derby, set to serve the industry in the UK and beyond. Loram may probably be best known as an

equipment manufacturer for on-track machines – predominantly rail grinders – but as Andy Watson, Director of International Business Development explains, there are many more strings to the organisation’s bow. “I don’t think there is enough appreciation of what we are capable of,” he said. “If it moves on the rail, or is the rail itself, we can maintain it, we can enhance it, we can modify it and we can overhaul it. We are the one-stop shop that can, and does, do all of it.” Loram offers a complete range of rolling stock engineering, maintenance and restoration services, RISAS approved bogie line, plus advanced track focused infrastructure services, rail grinding and innovative maintenance.

The 130-strong workforce, which is based in 100,000 square feet of workshop space at the RTC business park in Derby, continues to expand its support of the vehicular, on-track engineering and maintenance needs of the industry across the UK and internationally. Andy continued: “Following the acquisition, we have been on a journey to do three things. One was to grow our European presence for Loram OEM equipment and service, the second was to gain more long-term service contracts and the third was to stabilise and grow the project business specifically on project work that takes a significant engineering capability and effort. “That was the strategy in 2016 and, through the last five years, we’ve had success with that strategy in each different part of the business thanks to the efforts, enthusiasm and perseverance of the people on the ground. From having two parts of the business, we now have three – all which continue to grow.” Track infrastructure and rail grinding Loram is a global leader when it comes to the cornerstone of virtually every railroad maintenance programme – rail grinding. The company is efficient and trusted in playing its part in maximising the life and value of rail assets by the precision removal of fatigued metal, the restoration of the rail head profile and removing rail defects.

66 | June 2021

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I n d u s t r y Cs rpoostsl R i gahi tl

Loram owns one machine in the UK that it provides as a service to Network Rail which is in addition to the five Loram built machines that Network Rail themselves own. Additionally the Loram owned machine is available to offer additional capacity to other UK customers such as HS1 or HS2. The new machine will also be European compliant, so it can carry out grinding works on the continent all the way to the Middle East. Design work is already well underway and the grinding machine is planned to be ready for use in 2023. Lee Tinney, Director of Grinding Services, said: “This is a really exciting area for the business and the work on the new grinder will really take our offering to the next level. The new grinding machine is being built in Derby and will be crewed and managed from the UK office. It will be available to be used, not just in the UK, but all the way to the Middle East. It will bring a different type of skillset to our business with different capabilities and new high value jobs.” Maintenance and repair of rolling stock Loram has firmly cemented its place as one of the UK’s leading rolling stock services providers. During 2020, it was awarded a contract for the maintenance of Network Rail’s New Measurement Train and this year won a long-term service contract with Rail Operations Group, part of Rail Operations (UK). The company has three fully equipped modern workshops providing extensive rolling stock maintenance and engineering solutions. Its highly skilled staff and excellent facilities perform services ranging from light maintenance to heavy overhauls and bespoke re-engineering projects. For Network Rail – in a contract budgeted for £8 million over five years – the New Measurement Train will be maintained at Loram’s Derby facility, where Network Rail’s other infrastructure monitoring trains have been maintained since 2010. The agreement with Rail Operations Group will see Loram provide vehicle maintenance, which includes inventory management, storage and services, across Rail Operations Group’s continuously expanding fleet of locomotives and other rail vehicles. Paul Long, who looks after maintenance contracts and rail operations, said: “In the last five years we have grown our business from one maintenance contract with Network Rail to five, with several more in the pipeline. “To support our core business, we also have a rail operations capability with our own drivers and operating licence – and we are hopefully shortly going to have our own traction. railbusinessdaily.com

“This will enable us a unique and truly end-to-end service offering. Effectively, we can provide a ‘click and collect’ service for project and maintenance work coming into the workshop, allowing our customers to concentrate on serving their customers while we do the hard work in the background. Our technical and operations capabilities also allows us to offer a full range of rail service options and also turnkey operations and maintenance provision.” Projects side of the business Loram has a proven track record when it comes to rolling stock maintenance and engineering solutions, with both the expertise and facilities. The company specialises in maintenance, refurbishment, overhauls and modifications and has no plans on slowing down this side of the business, despite the growth in other areas. Richard Kelly, Managing Director of Loram, said: “We offer an engineering-heavy unique niche solution for bespoke works through our workshops. For instance, we’ve had fuel conversion from diesel to LPG, we’ve had conversion from diesel to battery, we’ve had particularly highly skilled repairs to Siemens vehicles, and we’ve had impact damage and trains that require a significant amount of exploratory works before we can commence the production flow. “So, basically, anything that is more than bring it in, give it a lick of paint, put some new seats on it, change the carpets. Advertorial

“We have the solutions when more than that is needed. That is a real sweet spot for us.” Concluding, Richard said all three areas of the business are on track for a bigger and brighter future. “In recent times we have gone from a place where we had one long-term maintenance contract, a few bespoke projects, to now having five maintenance contracts, one rail operations long-term contract and a few more potential contracts which could lead to eight hopefully by the start of 2022. “We are also realigning the front of house team with dedicated account managers for each of the three functions. Overall it is an exciting time for Loram and I firmly believe we have an important role to play for the rail industry in the months and years ahead. “Since 1954, Loram Maintenance of Way has been providing the most advanced, most productive and most innovative railroad maintenance services and equipment with exceptionally high standards of quality and performance. “We are carrying on that tradition with Loram, representing the industry’s leading range of comprehensive solutions designed to help the industry achieve operational excellence, extend rail and track asset life and enhance efficiency to new levels.” Visit https://loram.co.uk/ for more details. You can contact Andy at Andrew.watson@loram.co.uk June 2021 | 67

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A new step forward for the autonomous train in France n autonomous train has been tested on the French national railway network before undergoing further trials on a dedicated test track. Two and a half years after a consortium was launched to develop the prototype of an autonomous regional train in France, SNCF and its partners Alstom, Bosch, Spirops, Thales and the Railenium Technology Research Institute have put their test train into operation. A Regio 2N regional train was modified and equipped for the purpose of the trials by Alstom at the former Bombardier site in Crespin. Sensors and cameras, as well as radar and LiDAR (laser) detectors were fitted to collect essential data for the project. The first trials took place over one week, in

CN set for merger with Kansas City Southern railroad

N and Kansas City Southern (KCS) has announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement to create the premier railway for the 21st century. KCS shareholders will receive $325 per common share based on CN’s offer, which implies a total enterprise value of $33.6 billion, including the assumption of approximately $3.8 billion of KCS debt. JJ Ruest, CN’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are thrilled that KCS has agreed to combine with CN to create the premier railway for the 21st century. “I would like to thank the numerous stakeholders of both companies who have demonstrated overwhelming support for this compelling combination, and we look forward to delivering the many benefits of this pro-competitive transaction to them. “I am confident that together with KCS’ experienced and talented team, we will meaningfully connect the continent – enhancing competition, offering more choice for customers, and driving environmental stewardship and shareholder value.”

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Photo: Samuel Dhote

the beginning of March, between Aulnoye and Busigny and between Busigny and Calais (in the North of France). The Regio 2N regional train prototype ran on a commercial track, with the project’s engineers and technicians on board. Late last month a second series of trials started to fine-tune the operating system of the

prototype train. These new trials on the national railway network at Busigny (in the North of France) will lead, in the coming months, to semiautonomous operation, with the acceleration and braking of the train automated but supervised by a driver. Pierre Izard, director of technology, innovation and group projects at SNCF, commented: “Our project has just passed a significant milestone with great success. Another step has been taken towards achieving autonomy in rail. “The mobilisation of the SNCF teams and of our partners allows us to explore all the issues, both human and technological. With our research work and trials, we are making progress in the rail sector and preparing for its future development.”

Budget plans position KiwiRail for greater sustainability

he New Zealand Government’s significant rail investment in Budget 2021 is another major and welcome step to making KiwiRail sustainable, said Group Chief Executive Greg Miller. The government has committed $1.3 billion for rail in Budget 2021, building on previous Budget investments of $1.2 billion in Budget 2020 and $1 billion in 2019. “This is an outstanding level of investment from the government which is truly revitalising rail for New Zealand,” Greg added. “KiwiRail has already replaced its aging North Island locomotive fleet, and this latest tranche of funding will fully cover the cost of replacing our South Island locomotives, many of which are more than 40 years old, and purchasing new electric shunt locomotives. “It’s allowing us to build a new hub for maintaining South Island rolling stock at Waltham (Christchurch), and we will build a new facility at Hillside Workshops (Dunedin) to assemble wagons in New Zealand.

“The Budget includes a large contribution to the National Land Transport Fund to raise the national rail network to a resilient and reliable standard after decades of under-investment.” Greg added that the investment will benefit the regions and sets KiwiRail on a clear pathway to business sustainability. “As a result of Budget 2021, more than 600 contractors will be needed to upgrade and build the new facilities, particularly in the South Island, and local businesses will be needed to supply building materials. “The investment also means that KiwiRail will be taking on around

200 more employees – for ongoing track maintenance and renewal work across the country and wagon assembly at Hillside. We have committed to 10 per cent of new staff being apprentices or trainees. “This all means money going back into the regions, and helping New Zealand recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19. “But it’s also important for the future of KiwiRail and its customers. “The government’s significant investment in KiwiRail is bringing us into the 21st century with a secure future and will allow us to really grow rail for the benefit of New Zealand.” railbusinessdaily.com

I n t e r n a t i o nFael aNt u ew r es

Canada announces significant investment in rail infrastructure T

he Government of Canada has announced more than $21 million in funding for new projects under the Rail Safety Improvement Program – Infrastructure, Technology and Research to enhance rail safety in Canada. The investment contributes to 135 initiatives across Canada that will support a wide range of eligible grade-crossing safety improvements, small infrastructure projects such as fencing, pedestrian crossings and overpasses, as well as implementation and research into new safety technologies. The Rail Safety Improvement Program is key to the Government of Canada’s efforts to address ongoing and emerging safety concerns across Canada. Over the past four years, more than $85 million has been invested in the form of grants and contributions to fund projects that have contributed

CAF signalling receives ETCS accreditation

to an overall reduction of risk, and increased safety for Canadians. The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, said: “We will continue to invest in projects that keep Canadians safe, and that also contribute to the economic recovery during this challenging time.”

AF Signalling has received certification for its Auriga on-board signalling solution to the latest European Train Control System (ETCS) specification – Baseline 3. The certification was carried out in accordance with TSI (Technical Standard for Interoperability) 2019/776. Working in conjunction with Czech signalling specialist AŽD Praha, an EM100 track recording car, manufactured by Plasser & Theurer and fitted with CAF’s Auriga on-board system, has been authorised for operations in the Czech Republic by the National Safety Authority.

Eurostar secures financial support package

he Chief E xecutive of Eurostar says its refinancing agreement is a key factor in enabling the increase of services as the situation with the pandemic starts to improve. The comments from Jacques Damas come after a refinancing agreement of £250 million has been agreed with its shareholder and banks. It mainly consists of additional equity and loans from a syndicate of banks guaranteed by the shareholders. Jacques said: “Everyone at Eurostar is encouraged by this

strong show of support from our shareholders and banks, which will allow us to continue to provide this important service for

passengers. Eurostar will continue to work closely with governments to move towards a safe easing of travel restrictions and

streamlining of border processes to allow passengers to travel safely and seamlessly. “Their co-ordinated actions and decisions are crucial to the restoring of demand and the financial recovery of our business.” Eurostar was due to increase the number of trains on its London-Paris route to two daily return services last month, and three per day from the end of June with a view to gradually increasing the frequency over the summer period as travel restrictions are eased.

ARE WE

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“Rail is actually quite a new industry for me…..” MTMS Managing Director Malcolm Prentice has been in conversation with Mark Walker

alcolm Prentice and I first met about ten years ago but I feel like I’ve known him forever. That’s a widespread phenomenon we sat down to discuss recently. “There are people in rail who’ll tell you that they shovelled coal with me when we were kids” says Malcolm, “but it’s really only since the turn of the century that I’ve worked in this industry.” To explain why Malcolm can rewrite our memories, you have to go beyond overworked terms such as ‘larger than life’. He’s certainly a physically imposing figure when he enters a room, amplified by the voice and – in 70 | June 2021

particular – the laugh. But I think the presence in truth comes from Malcolm’s energy, his very sharp mind and his deep empathy with both customers and employees. Even holding this conversation in the remote conditions of our current times, I find these qualities embodied in Malcolm’s commitment and enthusiasm for his latest business endeavour. “We acquired MTMS three years ago”, he tells me, “with the ambition to become the market leader in depot services vital to train fleet owners and operators for reliability and attractiveness of services. What our people do is key to bringing back passengers for journey after journey as the pandemic ends. Advertorial

“But, Malcolm,” I retort, “you tell me that you did other things for decades before you discovered rail, so how did you get here?” The story turns out to span an era from the 1950s to the 2020s with many twists and turns. Originating from the Isle of Wight (surprisingly not from the railway hub of Derbyshire where most of us have met him), Malcolm was the son of a Royal Navy engineer who’d moved into Hawker Siddeley at Hatfield following the Second World War. After going to school in St Albans, Malcolm attended Hatfield Polytechnic where he secured the degree in Organic Chemistry that features significantly later in our story. railbusinessdaily.com

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Dad’s love of engineering had not passed Malcolm by, however, and he had been known to take over from the teacher at metalwork lessons in school. This background brought Malcolm to a fork in the road where, after graduating, he could either follow his father into the Navy or enrol at teacher training college. Young Malcolm in fact chose a third path. Capitalising on a love of the emerging electronic world of the 1960s, he became one of the country’s first colour TV qualified engineers as well as something of an inventor, achieving early success in the white heat of Britain’s technological revolution. After this, I find I can barely keep up. Stops on the journey across the decades include building a business fitting out offices for the new era of computer suites, growing another running industrial-scale office cleaning operations, and being headhunted by a chemicals company to put that degree to proper use. Then Malcolm is manufacturing aerosols to comply with the Montreal Protocol banning CFCs, selling and developing industrial lubricants and cleaning solutions across the world and (a personal favourite of mine) resisting the offshoring of key UK manufacturing activities when it became all the rage. Along the way, Malcolm secured an MBA from Coventry University, adding to my impression that this all sounds like several careers – and lifetimes – rather than just one. “Malcolm – we still haven’t got to the railway bit” I say. It turns out that the gateway was via that crucial expertise in chemicals. “I invented the first biodegradable train cleaning fluid in response to a new Directive in the 1990s” he tells me, “and this led to lots of contacts with train washer manufacturers. We first demonstrated the whole concept at a new depot in Inverness and got a very happy Scotrail onto BBC News with me in support.” This success brought Malcolm to the attention of a company called Bingham’s where he expanded their interest in a range of rail services including engineering. It was the enhancement of his reputation there that led to Malcolm being asked to lead Garrandale on its own drive for growth from 2010. This began the long and high profile association with Derbyshire-based firms through which most of us have come to know Malcolm, usually with that abiding feeling that we’ve been acquainted for much longer. Three years after leaving Garrandale to apply his unique brand of supercharging to MTMS, Malcolm’s new venture is going from strength to strength. With a move to new purpose-designed premises in Swadlincote railbusinessdaily.com

“There are people in rail who’ll tell you that they shovelled coal with me when we were kids” scheduled to take place within weeks and a number of new projects underway, Malcolm is as busy as ever in his lifetime’s work of energising and transforming organisations. “What’s your business philosophy then?” I ask. “Value for money, making your customer look good to their customers, and futureproofing their businesses” he tells me. Advertorial

Even whilst leading the new team he has built at MTMS, Malcolm still finds time to serve wider society in a longstanding judicial role whilst supporting a wide range of community activities. He speaks to me with particular pride in the charitable work within MTMS which thrives due to his experience in this field from earlier companies. “We’ve dropped the company Christmas card and diverted the money to Action for Children which we also promote on every team member’s email signature with a clickable link to their donation page” Malcolm tells me. MTMS financially supports food bank charity the Trussell Trust every week whilst Malcolm has personally been a leading fundraiser for Christmas Hope for Youngsters from Care. So, if you’re one of those people who remember working in a rail depot with Malcolm Prentice in the last days of steam, this truly is a false memory but one in which you are in good company. June 2021 | 71