Rail Director April 2022 by RBD Media

April 2022

EXCLUSIVELY FOR RAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS April 2022

Rob Morton The bigger the challenge the bigger the smile Daisy ChapmanChamberlain Railway collaboration Justin Southcombe Bringing train and track together Hamish Muir Additional strength in design

JENNY GILRUTH

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The next chapter in the evolution of Scotland’s railway

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Introduction

Exciting times W

elcome to the latest edition of Rail Director. This magazine comes at a very exciting time for Rail Business Daily (RBD) following the announcement that Chris Leech MBE will be joining us from Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) as our new managing director. I’m delighted with his appointment. He brings significant operational experience, a natural customer and people-focused leadership style, together with a fresh perspective that will help us set a new benchmark for customer growth and profile enhancement opportunities. Chris joins as we look to accelerate our strategy to help organisations in the UK rail to grow and prosper, leading the business through significant industry change, strengthening our commercial performance, building on our collaborative culture and increasing customer and internal team satisfaction. He will join us in June, and I look forward to the impact he will have in what will be a great future for RBD. I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy, and benefit, from working with him. On the subject of change, it seems apt that this month’s Rail Director leads with an interview with Scotland’s Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth, talking about ScotRail being brought into public ownership in April. She speaks about a passion to deliver the rail services the people of Scotland need and desire, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I’m also thrilled that this month sees the first quarterly column from Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain, knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UK KTN, and what a great place to start with the Rail Innovation Exhibition, looking at innovation and the future of rail. As she says, the history of rail in the UK is the history of transport innovation, so the wealth of the creativity on show at the exhibition will come as no surprise.

One area that continues to thrive at the moment is rail freight. It is starting to get the recognition it deserves and there is a real optimism for its future, which you’ll be able to read about in our feature with the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG) Liam Bogues and John Thomas. The RDG has set an ambitious targets of trebling rail freight by 2050, which I’m confident we can succeed in achieving. It makes complete sense, particularly taking into account HGV driver shortages and the decarbonisation angles. Another area that is going from strength to strength is our RBD Community, with the next networking event covering rail safety and infrastructure on Tuesday, May 3, in Birmingham. The first event on accessibility was a huge success, so I’m confident this one will be more of the same, featuring highprofile speakers, some fantastic networking, and the opportunity to create positive change. As always, thank you for your support with the magazine and the business on the whole. Rail Director continues to tell the track to train stories that matter on a monthly basis, with our daily online title railbusinessdaily.com at your disposal to showcase the good of the industry. I hope you enjoy this edition. Please don’t hesitate to talk to us about how we can help you to tell your story and help your business succeed.

One area that continues to thrive at the moment is rail freight. It is starting to get the recognition it deserves

Best wishes

Da vid

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

When you have finished reading this issue of Rail Director, please pass it to colleagues to enjoy or put it in your reception area.

Rail Director 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 Rail Director on our website.

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April 2022 | 3

Contents

The next chapter in the evolution of Scotland’s railway

News

ScotRail has been brought into public ownership. Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth says now is the time for change

‘The bigger the challenge, the bigger the smile’

The Rail Delivery Group’s Liam Bogues and John Thomas discuss ambitious targets to cement rail as the backbone of a sustainable zero-carbon transport network

Bringing train and track together to cut rail disruption and improve safety

Railway collaboration

How do you build a team that can take on the design challenges of a rail network in transition? AmcoGiffen has developed a solution

Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain, rail knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UK KTN, looks at innovation and the future of rail

Great Western Railway recognition for protecting the most vulnerable

Network Rail’s new Route Services managing director Rob Morton talks about ensuring the rail industry thrives

Trebling rail freight by 2050

Additional strength in design

The train operator has prevented more than 120 suicides and made almost 200 interventions in the past 10 months

Attracting the diverse and talented workforce of the future

Michael Clark, director of policy and transformation at the Great British Railways Transition Team, reveals details of a new jobs board

Justin Southcombe, commercial director at HitachiPerpetuum, explains more about the monitoring technology that improves ride quality

Delivering rail infrastructure with value-added engineering solutions

Completing HS2’s first tunnel

GRAHAM’s civil engineering managing director Leo Martin explains how traditional skills and values are helping differentiate the business from its competitors

Developing engagement and education across track and train

Chris Leech MBE takes up the reins as the new managing director of Rail Business Daily

Paul Bigland has visited HS2’s Long Itchington Wood construction site to hear about the tunneling work and the preservation of the habitat above

Putting people first – inclusive design

Celebrating the heritage railways

Competition in uncertain times

Achieving safe and healthy working practices

International News

Keith Lovelace, managing director at Ideas Ltd, writes about setting the industry standard when it comes to railway stations

Jason Hurst, partner in Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Public Services Advisory team, considers some of the challenges in getting rail competitions up and running again

The forefront of fundamental change in managing the lineside environment

The restoration of the Black Five and Seaton Tramway were among the big winners at the annual Heritage Railway Association Awards

Rail Director meets James Adshead, the former firefighter, London cabbie, and lecturer, who is now head of workforce safety for Network Rail’s Southern Region

James Morrison, senior asset engineer at Network Rail Scotland, talks about the challenge of getting to overall net gain of biodiversity

Out and about with the RBD Community 68

Community-led nature and wildlife projects springing up across network

Movers and Shakers

10 years of Women in Rail

Community Rail Network’s chief executive Jools Townsend on the role community rail is playing in enhancing environmental sustainability

Eli Rees-King, head of RBD Community, rounds up some of the highlights of the past few weeks

Tel: 0800 046 7320 Sales: 020 7062 6599 Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel@rbdpublications.com Writers Danny Longhorn Dave Windass Designer/Production Manager Chris Cassidy Director of Marketing Rachael Dean Subscriptions Danielle Burwood Advertising Team Christian Wiles – chris@rbdpublications.com Freddie Neal – freddie@rbdpublications.com Elliot Gates – elliot@rbdpublications.com Amy Hudson – amy@rbdpublications.com Published by RBD Publications Ltd., Suite 37, Philpot House, Station Road, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7HH. Printed by Stephens & George © 2022 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. Main cover image: Chris Watt Photography

Celebrations will be taking place this year to mark the anniversary which improves diversity in the industry

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The next chapter in the evolution of Scotland’s railway ScotRail has been brought into public ownership. Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth says now is the time for change

cotland’s Railway has entered an exciting new era with ScotRail coming under public control and ownership. From 1 April services came into public ownership, marking an end to the seven-year Abellio franchise. “The current franchising system was clearly no longer fit for purpose and now we have an opportunity to ensure rail is a thriving industry and one which meets the needs of passengers and is sustainable in the long-term future,” Scotland’s Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth told Rail Director. The transition follows the announcement in March last year, by the then Cabinet Secretary for Transport Michael Matheson, that at the conclusion of the current franchise ScotRail services would be provided within the public sector by the Operator of Last Resort (OLR) – an arm’s length company owned and controlled by the Scottish Government. Detailed assessment “At that time, there was considerable uncertainty arising from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and continuing delays to the publication of the UK Government’s White Paper on rail reform,” said Jenny. “A detailed assessment of the options available for ScotRail was undertaken and it was decided that it would not be appropriate to award another franchise agreement to any party at this time.

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Jenny said: “It’s clear that much work needs to be done – and in a collaborative way – to ensure the long-term sustainability of rail operations in Scotland, to best meet the needs of the people we all represent. The national conversation was all about what our beginning for ScotRail should look like, working together to ensure we have a railway that delivers for our constituents. “We know the unions are passionate about the industry, that is evident from their report ‘A vision for Scotland’s Railway’. Through open and frank discussions, we can work together to harness that aspiration for the future. That’s why they were invited to take part in the national conversation.”

Fair work The government has also stressed the importance of a culture founded on fair work, with fair work first embedded into policies and practices. This includes a commitment to trade union recognition, investment in workforce development, no inappropriate use of zero hour contracts, action to tackle the gender pay gap and the creation of a more diverse and inclusive workplace, payment of the real living wage and offers of flexible and family-friendly working practices for all workers.

When Jenny spoke to Rail Director the transition team was finalising governance and other arrangements for the transition of OLR, including the transfer of certain contracts, securing leasing agreements for rolling stock and making sure that the right staff are in place. “Our rail staff have a vital role to play in shaping and delivering a successful future railway for Scotland,” said Jenny. “Like so many of our key workers, ScotRail staff, and indeed all of our rail workers, went above and beyond throughout the pandemic.

It’s clear that much work needs to be done – and in a collaborative way

We will always be grateful to them for all that they did to help keep our rail services running during these challenging past two years and that is why we have been so keen to take all of ScotRail’s staff with us on this journey into Scottish Government ownership. Business as usual “In terms of changes following the change of ownership, initially it has been a case of ensuring that services continue as normal and that it is business as usual for passengers and staff. It is important that we provide that reassurance and familiarity to passengers in the short term as we build back from the pandemic. “Thereafter ScotRail will bring forward initiatives in a measured manner to address the issues identified through a national conversation as I outlined in my statement to Parliament in February. The ScotRail brand belongs to the Scottish Government and will remain, so one thing passengers might notice is signage on trains and elsewhere that denotes Abellio as the operator of ScotRail have been removed.” A passion of Jenny’s is to ensure that the issue of women’s safety on public transport is taken extremely seriously, with consultations under way with women and women’s organisations across the country to better understand their experiences and how the public transport system can be made safer and more enjoyable for everyone to use. There is also the challenge of meeting climate change targets, with an aim of reducing car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030, something in which Scotland’s railway has an important role to play.

From left: David Torrance MSP, Councillor David Alexander NR Project Manager Joe Mulvenna, Jenny Gilruth MSP, and Councillor Alistair Suttie

6 | April 2022

Image: Network Image: RailTfL

“From this month, Scottish Rail Holdings, owned by the Scottish Government, started overseeing and managing on behalf of Scottish Ministers the delivery of ScotRail services by the OLR operating company ScotRail Trains Limited. After detailed analysis of available options, and consideration of best practice from the private and public sectors, it is our view that this is the most robust and sustainable model compatible with current UK rail legislation, which we have no powers to change. “While the transition is a consequence of the OLR arrangements, it provides the Scottish Government with an opportunity to work with stakeholders and elected representatives from all parties to help build rail services fit for a postpandemic world.” Collaboration has been an important factor in the run up to the transition of ScotRail into public ownership. Earlier this year Jenny invited elected members and rail unions to take part in a national conversation on the future of services to help shape the creation of an affordable, sustainable, customerfocused rail passenger service in Scotland.

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Before the pandemic around 75 per cent of passenger journeys on ScotRail were made on net zero emission trains, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) saying it is working to decarbonise the railway completely by 2035. Safe and reliable Jenny, an SNP politician who represents Mid Fife and Glenrothes, said: “The safe and reliable delivery of services which develop to meet the changing needs of passengers and contribute to our decarbonisation commitments will remain the priority. “We have many choices to make, but I want our railways to be safe places for women to travel. We need to identify, as a government, where it is that women feel unsafe on our public transport systems and then identify how we are going to fix it.” The new chapter for ScotRail comes at an exciting time for Scotland’s railway. In the past 10 years around £1 billion has been invested to electrify more than 440km of track, and deliver numerous infrastructure improvements across the country. There has also been the delivery of the Borders Railway, faster trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the reconnection of 14 communities across Scotland to the rail network. In the next three years there will be the additions of Reston, East Linton and Dalcross, as well as Cameron Bridge and Leven on the new Levenmouth rail line. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This historic and momentous occasion marks the delivery of a key milestone in our ambitious Programme for Government to support a greener, fairer, more prosperous Scotland. “Everyone involved has worked extremely hard to deliver the smooth transition of ScotRail into public control and ownership. This new beginning creates a real opportunity to deliver a railway which is for the nation, and fully focused on being run for the benefit of its users – customers, staff and stakeholders, as opposed to shareholders. “Rail plays a key role in helping to meet our climate change targets and cut transport emissions. “ScotRail passenger services are a central plank in our ambitious decarbonisation plans – backed by £5 billion over this Parliament – to support thriving, resilient and diverse communities. “Together with the delivery of our free bus travel for under-22s, we are making public transport a more attractive option, especially for Scotland’s younger generations.” Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway managing railbusinessdaily.com

Jenny with Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party

An efficient, effective, productive and profitable railway is critical to our mission zero ambition for transport director, said: “It’s an exciting new chapter and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to shape the future for rail travel in Scotland. “The last couple of years have accelerated the change needed in our industry as we seek to keep pace with the different ways our

customers now travel. Our customers will remain at heart of Scotland’s Railway, as we look to modernise the way we work. “Our staff have done a fantastic job to keep people moving, and to keep delivering a vital service for the country’s economy, and I am looking forward to continuing to deliver the high quality of service that our customers expect and deserve.” Jenny concluded: “An efficient, effective, productive and profitable railway is critical to our mission zero ambition for transport. We want ScotRail to deliver the rail services the people of Scotland – and the generations yet to come – need and desire. Our vision for rail is a thriving industry, one which meets the needs of passengers and is sustainable in the long-term future.”

Jenny at Inverness airport rail stop construction site

April 2022 | 7

News

he first new rails were laid on the Levenmouth Rail Link project, which will reconnect the town to the mainline passenger network for the first time in more than half a century. Extensive preparatory activity around Thornton Junction to the west of the route has led to an early opportunity to put down the first new sections of rail on the project that will eventually see 19km of double track installed to create the branch line. Existing track sections within the first mile of the rail corridor were used to deliver the new ballast, sleepers and rails to where they would be needed in the section. The old track was then lifted and the top layers of ballast removed back to the formation level of the track bed. With the materials all to hand, the track bed could then be quickly re-formed. Specialist plant positioned the concrete sleepers in batches of seven covering 72 metres per hour and creating the early chance to put down the first of the new rails. Seven pairs of continuously welded rail sections in 240-metre lengths were positioned on the sleepers before being clipped into place to form the first mile of what will be the new Levenmouth branch line. Joe Mulvenna, project manager for the Levenmouth Rail Link project, said: “Even at this early point in the work, laying the first rails feels like a symbolic event that will be warmly welcomed by all the people who have worked hard to make this project a reality. “Utilising much of the existing track bed and extensive preparatory work has enabled the project to get quickly out of the blocks and we can already see the project taking shape, but obviously there is still a long way to go.” 8 | April 2022

he chief executive officer (CEO) for Go-Ahead has vowed to run the most reliable service possible, putting passengers’ interests first, following the news Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is to continue operating the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern rail services. Go-Ahead’s subsidiary, Govia (Go-Ahead 65 per cent, Keolis 35 per cent), which has operated GTR since it was created in 2014, says the Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded a National Rail Contract (NRC) to GTR to operate the UK’s largest railway network. The new contract, which started this month, will run for at least three years, with up to a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. GTR will earn a fixed management fee of £8.8 million per annum (equivalent to

Christian Schreyer (left), chief executive, The Go-Ahead Group, and Patrick Verwer, chief executive, Govia Thameslink Railway

a margin of 0.5 per cent of GTR’s cost base) to deliver the contract, with an additional performance fee of up to £22.9 million per annum (equivalent to an additional 1.35 per cent margin). Christian Schreyer, Go-Ahead CEO, said: “Under this new contract we will build on our achievements in enhancing performance in recent years. We will be working closely

Image: Go-Ahead Group

Govia Thameslink Railway wins three-year contract

and collaboratively with DfT, NR and other partners to run the most reliable service possible, and we will be putting passengers’ interests first. “A top priority is to build passenger numbers back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Go-Ahead will bring commercial acumen and international experience to bear in encouraging people back to the railways.”

Charitable donation to fund National Railway Museum’s new Wonderlab T he National Railway Museum in York has received £2.5 million from The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation to fund a new interactive gallery for families called Wonderlab. The gift from the Yorkshirebased charitable foundation is the largest single donation to be received by the museum, excluding lottery grants. Due to open in May 2023 on the site of the museum’s former workshop, the gallery will be known as Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery and will host family and school visits. The gallery will be packed with interactive exhibits with a rail

Image: Railway Museum

Levenmouth rail link reaches milestone

engineering theme and is based on successful Wonderlab galleries installed at the Science Museum in London and at the Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The gift will enable young people to learn about science and

engineering through hands-on learning and at 1,466m 2 , Wonderlab will be the museum’s most significant new family offer since opening in 1975. Up to 81,000 people are expected to visit the gallery in the first year. railbusinessdaily.com

I n sFue raat nu cr e

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

Cyber risk update L

ast year, we gave advice in this piece about how cyber crime was hitting railway companies. A common scam is that an email account will be hacked. The crooks will monitor emails coming in and going out and they will take a careful note of when suppliers get paid and how much each invoice is for. Then they will impersonate a supplier who is owed money by sending an email, copying the supplier’s email style and personality, advising of a change in bank details just before an invoice is due to be paid to that supplier. So, when the supplier is paid, the money goes to the crook’s bank account and is lost forever – the theft is only discovered when the real supplier complains of nonpayment weeks later. That’s why we recommend you always ring

Keven Parker, ACII NEBOSH

your supplier to check every bank account change. Another risk is ransomware, which denies you access to your IT systems unless you pay a ransom – if you don’t, the hackers display your data, including any personal data, on a public domain website causing you GDPR issues. Cyber insurance has been offered for a few years to cover these risks and there is quite a variety of price and quality of cover. Insurers such

as CFC offer a top quality policy with big limits which are suitable for risks where the business relies on the internet for trading or holds huge amounts of personal data or has significant risk. These policies start at a minimum cost of £1,500 upwards, even for a small business, which can be expensive as an entry level policy. Last year, we sold a bolt-on cyber extension to our ‘computer hardware’ insurance at far lower cost. It offered lower limits than CFC, but, critically, did give immediate cyberexpert response to diagnose the cyber attack, remedy it by removal of the virus and advise on improved firewalls to stop a repeat. These cyber extensions cost as little as £200 a year last year and the insurers that sold them were hit with many claims. Many of our railway companies brought claims and were glad of the policy cover and had their losses paid.

However, insurers are in the business of making profits, so prices for cyber insurance are up in the first few months of 2022 to help balance their books. The cheaper cyber product prices have doubled since last year due to the number of claims across the UK and, although it seems that there are now no longer very low cost options to insure cyber, the amounts of cover offered are increasing. This is still an evolving market and we do strongly recommend that, in view of the increasing number of attacks and increasing sophistication of the hackers’ strategies, it is worth considering at least some low levels of cover to get that expert cyber support when you need it. Keven Parker, Chartered Insurance Risk Manager ACII NEBOSH, Head of Rail, Jobson James Rail. Contact Keven on 07816 283949.

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‘The bigger the challenge, the bigger the smile’ Network Rail’s new Route Services managing director Rob Morton talks about priorities for ensuring the rail industry thrives

“

he swan across the lake looking serene – you know what you see underneath the water is very different to what you see on top if things are going well.” That’s how Rob Morton describes the role of Network Rail’s Route Services team. He has recently taken over as managing director, replacing Susan Cooklin, who has left the organisation after 16 years of service. “People should not think about route services or be conscious of what we are doing – it should just happen by magic, in the background. “Using the supply chain example, when you go to a supermarket, very few people would ever think of how that fresh produce got on the shelf – you choose what you want and buy it. Easy. “The reality is, there is a huge supply chain in the background that got it there for you, and it is the same with the 60 services that we provide in Route Services.” National business team His department supplies critical services for Network Rail’s routes and regions that are best provided by a national team, delivering efficiencies and consistency. That includes business shared services, technical and engineering services, commercial and procurement, IT, telecoms and supply chain operations. “There are three core responsibilities,” said Rob, who’s fast approaching his fifth anniversary at Network Rail. “First is the obvious one, keeping the lights on. We have 60-plus services and without any of these, some part of the railway will grind to a halt or even worse lead to a safety issue. We must keep those running perfectly 24/7. “The second one is the ongoing programme and transformation activities, some of which are already under way and others that we will have to start in the coming months around the modernisation programme and technical projects. “The third one is about the transformation regarding Great British Railways (GBR), getting Route Services ready to play its role in the shift to GBR, and how we can maximise the contribution we make to the smooth launch and performance of GBR.” 10 | April 2022

The first real head start we had was the calibre of the team and the fact we enhanced that team Following a successful career in the private sector, including senior roles with Centrica (British Gas parent company) and LogicaCMG, Rob joined Network Rail as supply chain director in June 2017. In the past five years, Rob has been credited with spearheading the organisation’s relationships and commercial arrangements

with suppliers, including leading a supply chain cost reduction programme that saved £330 million and improved Network Rail’s logistics capability to levels comparable with the best retail and manufacturing operations. Head start “The first real head start we had was the calibre of the team and the fact we enhanced that team, which was a blend of deep rail experience and broad supply chain capability,” said Rob. “Historically, for very understandable reasons, and it’s not unique to rail, supply chain teams can often grow with people who know the industry and know the organisation very well but haven’t got the breadth of supply chain knowledge. “If you compare it to finance, for example, you wouldn’t put a finance director into a job unless they were a chartered accountant. But injecting similar professional competence into senior supply chain roles is a fairly recent change. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“One of the first things was to build a close association with Cranfield, one of the leading professional qualification bodies for supply chain professionals, and we put many of the team through training qualifications there. “It was about raising the supply chain professionalism among a good group of people who were deep on rail knowledge, but maybe not as broad on supply chain knowledge. I also brought in people from outside the industry, from retailing and various other sectors.” Magnificent job Rob, who in his new role is leading 5,500 staff, started a handover process with Susan in February and took full charge in March. “Susan has done a magnificent job building Route Services and creating the reputation that it has, and as a boss, she was brilliant and galvanised a team who built that customercentricity,” he said. “Routes, regions, passenger and freight operators are our customers, and the day we forget that is the day we start doing the job badly. Susan was brilliant at embedding that belief into us all. My objective is to build on that foundation and further develop such beliefs across Route Services.

“It is going to be challenging as the industry is in an unprecedented time of change. It was difficult enough for Susan to build Route Services and run it, it’s certainly going to be difficult to run it and then see it through the next several years of transformational change.”

Susan has done a magnificent job building route services and creating the reputation that it has At the heart of the challenge is the creation of GBR, the state-owned public body that will oversee rail transport in Great Britain – the most ambitious change to the UK railway in a generation. Aiming to bring the railway together, it will replace Network Rail as the operator of the rail infrastructure body, will control the contracting

of train operations, and set fares and timetables. “From a Route Services point of view, our 60 services can be broken down into two groups,” said Rob, commenting on his department’s role in the transition. “There will be those services that naturally lend themselves to working across the industry, and there will be other services that are more focused on the track facing or engineering activities.” Earning the right Rob said “This is not a Network Rail dominated situation though. When I’m talking about services we offer across the industry, we do most of those today and will be preparing to offer those across the industry, but that doesn’t mean for one second that we should automatically assume we will be delivering those on behalf of the industry. We have to earn that right by the quality of our performance. Other parts of the industry have pivotal roles to play as well. “We’ll see how it all goes as we start working with the transition team in GBR. But I expect that Route Services as it exists today will look very different in a couple of years, probably considerably smaller as we focus on the engineering and track activities.

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“But the services we provide will still be needed – for example payroll, IT, shared services. All these different services we provide, which can go industry-wide, will still be needed, but probably delivered by GBR rather than by Route Services.” Rob believes that there is no reason why many of the services Network Rail supplies in Route Services should not align to the priorities GBR has already stated, particularly its capabilities to shift large numbers of transactions. “We benchmark ourselves regularly, and some of what we do is top quartile, some not bad, and some needs improvement,” he said. “We will continue to simplify our services and make them as effective as possible before the shift to GBR. “If you’ve got services and businesses operating as simply as possible, you’re maximising your chance of a successful transition to a new entity.” Three main tasks Ahead of taking charge as MD, Rob had agreed to a list of objectives with Network Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines, which he says comes down to the three main tasks of keeping the lights on, successfully delivering ongoing programmes, and ensuring a smooth transition into GBR. One area of particular importance to Rob is improving safety, especially in light of the death of a Network Rail worker at a depot in Eastleigh in November 2020. “We have to keep the lights on, but above all we have to improve safety,” he said.

We’ve made great strides following the tragedy, and our safe service programme has made a fantastic start to apply the learning from Eastleigh “We’ve made great strides following the tragedy, and our safe service programme has made a fantastic start to apply the learning from Eastleigh, getting the nuts and bolts in place on our safety, elements which should have been

there decades ago but weren’t. But we have so much still to do. “Now it’s about moving that safe service programme onto much more of a safety culture perspective, redefining very clearly the way we do things for Route Services. “We must encourage involvement from our frontline staff to help us define how things should be done around here, to work on the behaviours, mindsets, and attitudes, to set the expectation of what is unacceptable from a risk perspective. There is so much to do, but we are heading in the right direction. “Medium-term priorities are the delivery of ongoing Network Rail project works and keeping the momentum of those, ensuring they aren’t distracted by GBR. Longer term, it is working towards the transition to GBR.” Hierarchical constraints Rob added: “It is unlikely we’re going to be transferring service and accountability to GBR for some months yet so we can spend the time between now and then simplifying these operations as much as possible, getting them as robust as possible. “When it comes to transitioning them, it is looking at how we are going to do that. If you think about shifting a big service, a business, and a group of services with thousands of people, you’ve got to unplug those wires in the correct order. If we get that wrong things will go pearshaped very quickly.” Looking to the industry as someone new to it, Rob says there is a lot to be optimistic about, but also areas which he’d like to see change.

12 | April 2022

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“I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool railway person and have only been involved in the industry for five years,” he said. “When I look at the hierarchical constraints it does frustrate me sometimes and I think we can be a lot more fleet of foot, more modern, and jettison the outdated habits that can constrict pace of improvement. “There are things we can learn from other industries and equally we’ve got many fantastic qualities that we should sweat the living daylights out of. But at the same time, we can simplify and modernise so much of what we do. “Since joining the industry, I have been determined to help create a blend of the best traditions and injected modernity. That is what I expected when I joined, and after five years we have made some progress, but still have so much more to achieve. Genuinely excited Rob added:“I came from the oil and gas industry which was originally a civil service department, and broke away to form British Gas. They did that very successfully. In many ways I see a similar opportunity in the rail industry and GBR is our ticket to do that.

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We can keep the best of what’s good and complement that with creative new attitudes. “This is a fantastic time to be taking on this role, and the bigger the challenge, the bigger smile for me – I am genuinely excited, and slightly nervous at the same time. I do believe

this moment is certainly a ‘once in a career’ and probably ‘once in an industry’ moment for us all, and we share a duty of care to leave this industry in a much better place than we found it. I think everything is lining up nicely to enable us to do just that.”

April 2022 | 13

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Trebling rail freight by 2050 The Rail Delivery Group’s Liam Bogues and John Thomas discuss ambitious targets to cement rail as the backbone of a sustainable zero-carbon transport network he stars are beginning to align for rail freight. That’s the message from Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG) policy manager Liam Bogues. It’s hard to argue against his optimism with the true potential of rail freight starting to be realised. With the UK Government having legislated to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, rail freight growth is an important step in reducing the carbon footprint across our supply chains and freight operators are working to further improve their environmental credentials. But its benefits go far beyond that, as do the opportunities. “There is a lot more focus on rail freight and people and organisations who wouldn’t previously have given it a second thought are now wanting to talk about it,” said Liam. “It’s a big opportunity for rail freight and could be a real turning point for the sector. As well as the decarbonisation angle, the pandemic, issues surrounding the HGV driver shortages and Brexit have shone the light on rail freight as a reliable, flexible solution.” Demonstrated resilience When the way we lived, worked and bought our goods was changed almost overnight because of the COVID pandemic. Rail freight demonstrated its resilience and proved essential in keeping supermarket shelves stacked, and warehouses fully stocked. The figures speak volumes, with an RDG report by Deloitte on the value of rail freight finding it delivers £2.5 billion in economic and social benefits to the UK annually. At the same time, a typical freight train is estimated to take up to 76 lorries off the road, with some jumbo aggregate trains removing up to 110 lorries. “Rail freight plays a key role in decarbonisation,” said John Thomas, director of policy at the RDG. “As well as the £2.5 billion of benefits, there are seven million fewer lorry journeys per year thanks to rail freight, with 1,000 lorries removed from London roads each working day alone, making the capital’s streets cleaner and safer. “It also helps to level up the country too with 90 per cent of the benefits brought by rail freight accruing outside of London and the South East, primarily in the former industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, Scotland and the Midlands.” 14 | April 2022

Liam Bogues , Rail Delivery Group’s policy manager

It is for these reasons that as part of RDG’s submission to the Great British Railways Transition Team’s (GBRTT) 30-year Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP), the rail industry membership body is calling for an ambitious new target in trebling rail freight by 2050.

As well as the £2.5 billion of benefits, there are seven million fewer lorry journeys per year thanks to rail freight It would mean 21 million fewer HGV journeys a year, which would lead to saving 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Achieving this will require a four per cent annual increase and around 22 per cent over the next five years alone. By comparison, Transport Scotland’s target for CP6 (2019-2024) is 7.5 per cent over this period. “Our target to treble the amount of rail freight is ambitious, but we’re already seeing a lot more customers approaching freight operators wanting to transport their goods by rail so the appetite is there,” said Liam.

Image: Rail Delivery Group

“We now have the opportunity of coming up with a long-term vision for the railway and there is an opportunity for a step change in the industry’s approach to rail freight which is incredibly exciting. The rail freight market has recovered very strongly from the early stages of the pandemic – far quicker than we’ve seen the return of passengers to the network – and already in some markets we’re seeing record volumes being transported week on week. “The demand is there, so it is about how we harness it and how as an industry we can be proactive and collaborate to ensure that when a customer approaches a freight operator and wants to move their goods by rail, we can realise that opportunity and put on services that meet their needs and expectations.” Long-term objectives Liam adds that having this long-term vision is particularly important for freight operators looking at their own long-term objectives and investments, especially when locomotives and assets being invested in now will have lifespans of 30 years plus. “The decisions made today will directly impact rail’s ability to contribute to a net zero supply chain by 2050,” he said. “Having this long-term plan enables freight operators and customers to make investments to help grow the sector, whether that it is new locomotives or wagons that are greener, or terminals or freight facilities with improved rail connectivity. railbusinessdaily.com

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High-performing railway Liam said: “Freight operators have invested significantly and are heavily incentivised to contribute to a high performing railway, we’re seeing less and less freight operating company on train operating company performance incidents, so this perception that freight gets in the way and slows things down is a myth we need to demystify. “We have got to make the best use of the infrastructure we’ve got today in a way that works for both passenger and freight operators. RDG has called for a framework that fully captures the wider benefits of rail freight in capacity and investment decisions. “This isn’t a case of passenger verses freight, there’s a lot we can do in terms of longer, heavier and more direct services, and relatively small tweaks to passenger service patterns that will create capacity for more freight services on the network. “We initially have to make best use of what we’ve got today but also need to make the

investments to ensure there’s more capacity to allow us to realise the growth in rail freight services, which we know there is.” The growth is well under way. In recent months a new international rail freight service commenced from Nottinghamshire to northern France for Toyota, with fully loaded trains carrying 260 vehicles twice a week. Direct Rail Services also signed a new threeyear agreement with Tesco to continue to supply and expand rail operations across the country. Recently the company also launched the retailer’s first refrigerated rail freight service.

Electrifying small sections of the network would enable rail freight to move away from diesel traction “Tesco has invested millions of pounds in its own wagons and facilities in Daventry with a real commitment to use more rail freight because it sees it as an important part of its supply chain in the future,” said Liam. “It has an ambition to make its supply chain net zero by 2035 and naturally to achieve that it is going to have to use more rail freight services, so it is pleasing to see it make those long-term investments to realise that.” Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) identified electrification as the most frequent appropriate technological solution for both passengers and freight services demonstrating positive net value. John said it is vital the government commits to a long-term programme of electrification that will

John Thomas, director of policy at the Rail Delivery Group

16 | April 2022

Image: Rail Delivery Group

“Having that clarity on future infrastructure investment and what the network will look like will enable the freight sector to make those investments. Since privatisation we’ve seen freight operators invest more than £3 billion to improve productivity, performance, reliability, and safety across their services, so the hunger is there. “The freight operators are telling us their shareholders are chomping at the bit to invest in rail freight in the UK. The WISP and rail reform can unlock this by providing detail and certainty to the rail freight sector, then we will begin to see the investments come into fruition and that will help the freight growth target that we’ve been asking for in our call for evidence.” Alongside the private investment in organisation’s assets, an important factor is infrastructure spend, support for modal shift and the optimisation of existing capacity.

enable the railway to decarbonise, and will also help create greater certainty across the sector, supporting investment in new rolling stock and research into new technologies. “Electrifying small sections of the network would enable rail freight to move away from diesel traction, and it is estimated that electrifying just 500 route miles would allow 70 per cent of freight journeys to be electrically hauled,” he said. “Investment in infrastructure changes will help power rail freight growth, by stimulating the procurement of new electric and bi-mode locomotives and the development of enhanced, modern rail freight facilities. This all further enhances the environmental credentials of rail freight.” The rail freight market has been transformed over the past quarter of a century from moving steel and coal to now moving food supplies, construction materials, and containers between ports and businesses across the country. The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail described it as key to building back better, with a commitment to ensure rail freight receives fair access to the network, and Great British Railways will have a statutory duty to promote rail freight to secure economic, environmental and social benefits for the nation. Sustainable benefits Alongside this, the government has vowed to issue guidance on its priorities for rail freight in each funding settlement to not only create the security that private partners need, but also help to improve and sustain a focus on the benefits that rail freight can deliver. “The right things are being said and we’ve had some really positive conversations with the Department for Transport and GBRTT,” said John. “There is an exciting opportunity with GBR, with a strong freight team that is advocating for growth. “The rail freight sector has also played a pivotal role in the national response to COVID-19. It has helped to ensure that supermarket shelves remain stacked and warehouses stocked, transported fuel to power stations, and moved increased levels of waste out of urban areas to recycling hubs. “Through investment and resilience from the private sector, rail freight volumes have steadily returned to pre-pandemic levels. As such, rail freight operators are in pole position to support the recovery of the economy from COVID-19, building on the significant benefits outlined in the Deloitte analysis. “Rail freight already supports a more balanced, greener economy for Britain and it is a success story that we need to build through an ambitious commitment to treble rail freight by 2050.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Bringing train and track together to cut rail disruption and improve safety Justin Southcombe, commercial director at Hitachi-Perpetuum, explains more about the monitoring technology that improves ride quality

itachi-Perpetuum has started trialling technology in Scotland that brings track and train together digitally and could pave the way for a smart mobility system that reduces passenger disruption and maintenance costs, while also improving safety. The company has been awarded a contract by Network Rail to develop the first real-time digital solution that monitors, and eventually predicts, sections of track that affect ride quality and require maintenance. Self powered “The Hitachi Perpetuum system is selfpowered, using vibration-harvested power to collect data in difficult to access areas – like on train wheelsets,” said Justin Southcombe, commercial director at Hitachi-Perpetuum. “This enables us to capture data continuously, providing a much richer and accurate data set to apply our algorithms and AI to identify patterns and predict faults. “The self-powered technology is also crucial for accuracy. When using batteries, data collection and reporting is sporadic to conserve power. This creates a weaker data set. Equally, wire connections are more difficult to install and can be faulty. “Having real-time data at both the wheelrail and coach-body level of trains provides a tangible insight into the system dynamics of both train and track.”

To test its potential impact, monitoring equipment is being installed on trains across Scotland’s networks including the North Clyde line, the Borders, and Fife Circle. “The reliability of sensors and devices has dramatically improved over the past 10 years, along with the development of data processing through cloud computing and AI, which means data can now be immediately processed,” said Justin. “Systems like the ones used by HitachiPerpetuum that were designed for one use have had their data reanalysed multiple times to deliver new features over time.

“The industry is now benefiting from the tens of thousands of Hitachi Perpetuum bearing and wheel monitoring sensors that have been deployed worldwide over the past decade to resolve new and more challenging issues. This is the cycle of information and knowledge that the digitalisation of our assets can accelerate.” Rough rides Over time parts of Scotland’s 1,750 miles of track degrade and need repair, which results in bumpy journeys for passengers, speed limits, and weeks of potentially disruptive maintenance.

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At present, locations of ‘rough ride’ are reported by drivers, followed by manual inspection by maintenance crews walking on the track, but Justin says Hitachi-Perpetuum’s solution is working on automating this monitoring and reporting. “Moving monitoring from infrequent measurement trains to real-time data from daily journeys offers many benefits,” said Justin, a chartered engineer with an MBA and 25 years of experience in the rail sector. “It gives us the ability to reduce manual track inspections that we currently use as a means of collecting condition information about the track, particularly in remote areas. “It means we can identify issues earlier, by identifying trends more rapidly – meaning less impact on timetables, greater reliability, lower maintenance costs, and increased safety. “Remote routes can benefit from more monitoring, as conventional measurement services have to focus more on the high intensity areas of the network. It also means Network Rail staff spend less time on the track, making track maintenance safer.” Sensing data Working in partnership with Network Rail, ScotRail and Porterbrook, Hitachi-Perpetuum is using its self-powered monitoring technology to measure data in real-time between the train and the track. This is achieved by installing sensors with gyroscopes and accelerometers, either in the carriages, or on the wheels, of trains already in passenger service. Justin says that the company’s solution can identify the onset of changes to the track and that by applying digital analytical tools, can build a picture of areas that are at risk, requiring inspection or maintenance in the future. “The ability to identify and fix this before it causes passenger disruption means it can be a preventative countermeasure, while simultaneously creating intelligent rail infrastructure,” he said.

www.rmf.co.uk

“Digital technology is extremely important and will help deliver a safer, more reliable and cheaper railway. “Conventional thinking around rough rides has been that they are caused by the condition of the track infrastructure. But recent studies, like the work done between Network Rail and Hitachi-Perpetuum, suggest that the dynamic response of the system (ie including the train itself) is crucial to properly diagnosing a ride quality (rough ride) risk.

We now have a decade of experience using vibration data sets “Monitoring how the wheelset and the coach individually respond to external shocks and oscillations gives us a new understanding about the mechanical interaction of the rail, wheelset, bogie and coach. “The work highlights that rough rides are complex and result from a combination of different inputs. The goal is to be able to reliably isolate these factors so that a dangerous scenario can be predicted and alerted before it can have any consequence.”

The project comes after Network Rail launched a half million-pound competition to develop and introduce new technology to improve track maintenance in the next control period. As part of this programme, it has agreed a contract with Hitachi-Perpetuum to expand its ride quality monitoring technology with Network Rail on the West Coast main line in 2019. Justin, who prior to joining Perpetuum in 2014 was at Alstom, said: “The trial on the West Coast main line was a success, with the sensor equipment still installed on the C390 trainsets, and we are now progressing to rolling out the trial in Scotland. “We now have a decade of experience using vibration data sets, which can help us monitor the condition of bearing, traction, motors, gearboxes and the track.” Critical science The trial in Scotland is focused on generating the information that will allow the industry to better understand the science around railway dynamics. Should it be found that predictive tools can improve maintenance, safety and reliability, the industry would then look at scaling up the use of the technology. “We shouldn’t underestimate the significance of the industry accepting that there is still critical science to be mastered,” said Justin. “While vibration monitoring in isolation cannot solve every issue on the railways, the system has already been able to identify track beds that have become saturated while monitoring the seasonal variances of a location over time. “Earthworks monitoring is an issue for the industry, and vibration monitoring can play a role by providing another data set, and more information, to help us tackle it. “It will evolve as another critical piece of digital information that will be built into our digital railway to drive up safety and reliability, while reducing cost and waste. We are excited to continue this work.”

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April 2022 | 19

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Developing engagement and education across track and train Chris Leech MBE takes up the reins as the new managing director of Rail Business Daily

he new managing director of Rail Business Daily (RBD) has outlined his passion to drive the business to support, inspire, influence and contribute in the future success of rail. Chris Leech MBE will spearhead UK rail’s biggest business growth and profile enhancement business from 13 June. With more than 26 years’ experience in the rail industry, he will be responsible for steering the strategic direction of RBD and expanding the company’s customer base. He will oversee a growing workforce of more than 40 team members, bringing a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise that will be fundamental in helping the business to continue to flourish. “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining RBD and I am excited at the prospect of leading this phenomenal business, which I know will play a pivotal role in the industry’s success,” he said. “Having worked in UK rail across three decades, I have a very clear understanding of supply chain wants, needs and expectations. “A number of the smaller suppliers have the innovation and agility to address some of the biggest challenges UK rail faces. I am immensely proud to be given the opportunity to drive the business forward with a fantastic team that has really taken the industry by storm. We have something very different and really special here to offer organisations wanting to grow their market share in UK rail.” RSSB role Chris joins RBD following his role as membership development manager at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) – a senior position he has successfully held for nearly five years and in which time he grew the organisation’s UK and international membership portfolio across five continents. Through the development of bespoke client engagement frameworks and the acceleration of new international markets, Chris generated significant commercial revenue that enabled the ongoing support to RSSB’s members here in the UK. Chris has a very strong reputation for building powerful commercial and value-adding professional relationships at home and abroad – a skillset that will be invaluable for RBD’s ongoing journey. 20 | April 2022

My aim is to build ‘power networks’ where I bring together the right people and organisations with mutual benefit “This is a hugely exciting time in the evolution of the brand, which was a key influence in my decision to join David McLoughlin (Business Daily Group’s chief executive officer) and the team,” said Chris. “I firmly believe my many years leading some of the industry’s most successful partnerships will help me to add real value in RBD’s next phase.” Part of Business Daily Group, RBD is the overarching brand name of the company’s rail business, which includes: RBD Advisory, RBD Marketing Services, RBD News (including Rail Business Daily, Rail Insider, Rail Director and Inside Track), RBD Community and RBD Rail Recruiter.

The business has created a phenomenal 34 million opportunities for rail companies to get their message across in the industry each year. Helping organisations to grow Chris continued: “RBD has a fantastic reputation in UK rail and an incredible reach. The company’s engagement and education activity across track and train is quite remarkable – helping rail organisations to grow and being a complete force for good in the industry. “There is a real passion in the business for doing the right thing. The leadership team quietly supports a number of important industry initiatives, giving back time and space costing hundreds of thousands of pounds each year working with the likes of Railway Children, White Ribbon, Women in Rail and so much more. I intend to build on this fantastic work. “I will also continue develop business partnerships where we all support, inspire, influence and contribute in the future success of rail. By respecting the RBD legacy and core values, I will ensure the business reflects the industry’s upcoming Great British Railways transformation.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Chris’s career achievements include developing and implementing UK rail’s first community/stakeholder engagement management strategy, which has reduced youth crime by 54 per cent and increased stakeholder/ community leverage and employee engagement across the network. He also developed and implemented RSSB’s Track-Off Education programme aimed at four to 18-year-olds and received an MBE in recognition of his efforts in promoting rail safety in 2007. “I will use my extensive network of people and businesses to reach out to them so they are aware of RBD and can see how working with the company will enhance their reputation and promote what they do and how well they do it – putting them right in front of the people who matter to them, he said. “My aim is to build ‘power networks’ where I bring together the right people and organisations with mutual benefit and advancement being the overriding goal. “I will introduce new faces to RBD Advisory to align with its vision of delivering even more that is relevant and needed with diversity, inclusion, talent management, sustainability and organisational growth underpinning the new services offered.

avid McLoughlin, Business Daily Group’s CEO, said: “We are delighted that Chris Leech MBE will be joining us as RBD’s new managing director. “Chris has standout experience for the role, having grown membership programmes that are very similar to the RBD Community concept. He brings significant operational experience, a natural customer and people-focused leadership style, together with a fresh perspective that will help us set a new benchmark for customer growth and profile enhancement opportunities. “Chris joins at a very exciting time for the business as we accelerate our strategy to help organisations in UK rail to grow and prosper. He will lead the business through significant industry change, strengthening our commercial performance, building on our collaborative culture and increasing customer and internal team satisfaction to the highest levels seen in the company’s very short history. “The Board received enormous interest in the MD role both locally and internationally. Chris’s highly relevant transport and logistics expertise and his strong commercial background made him the ideal candidate to showcase RBD’s services and continue to build momentum. “His significant leadership in driving transformation and improving customer satisfaction in complex and challenging businesses is highly impressive, and his background in rail provides the right foundation to steer RBD in what promises to be a great future. “Chris’s appointment marks another milestone in the development of RBD and he inherits a very strong business. We are confident he is well placed to deliver the next phase of our business strategy. It also enables the Board to continue focusing on the expansion into other sectors after the successful launch of FMBusinessDaily. “We’ve got a full and thriving management team focused on taking RBD and our customers to the next level, and in Chris, we have someone who is totally aligned to our future-fit approach to our clients’ businesses.” “RBD employs the best leaders in the business across all of its unique spheres of work, combining to create a powerful entity focused on

helping organisations to win. If the recent past has been great, the future really does promise to be superb – and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

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Putting people first – inclusive design Keith Lovelace, managing director at Ideas Ltd, writes about setting the industry standard when it comes to railway stations

n 1982, I was fortunate enough to be offered a place on the Design For Industry course at Newcastle Upon Tyne Polytechnic, now Northumbria University, to study industrial design – designing products for industrial production. As students of this course we were introduced to the subject matter of human engineering – ergonomics and human-factors. This is a design process that focuses on people and human interaction from the outset of a project, whether that is a product, system, workplace or public space. Ergonomics/human-factors has a broad scope and can include the sciences of anatomy, anthropometry, applied physiology, psychology, sociology, engineering, industrial design and systems design. These subjects can contribute to an inclusive design methodology. As an industrial designer of 36 years, it is still apparent that within the broad spectrum of the design community and many public sector and private enterprises, that the combined operational, business and human benefits have not necessarily been realised and perhaps, at best considered as a retrospective tool for reviewing things when they go wrong. Perhaps from the late 1980s the term ‘ergonomics’ became a marketing buzz word to inform consumers that a product or service had been designed with human consideration, to be safe, comfortable and efficient. We have all heard of the ergonomic chair; the ergonomic footrest; the ergonomic keyboard and mouse. The assumption is that these products have undergone a design process that includes user participation, research, prototyping and testing. Inclusive design There is now a new design language being advocated in the public sector, private enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including rail, and that is centred on inclusive design. Inclusive design can be considered as a design methodology that considers human diversity relating to the usability of the built environment, products and services. It’s not about disability but rather the diversity of ability, age and gender. It is recognised that one of the drivers for achieving accessibility is meeting the legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010. 24 | April 2022

navigating through a building, a station or perhaps a retail space, it sometimes seems that the conversation is about an abstract theme and at worst someone else’s problem. Change is happening with positive developments and guidance for inclusive design and designers. Network Rail’s design guidance manual ‘Inclusive Design’ outlines the benefits of adopting an inclusive design strategy relating to the accessibility of spaces and places but also the importance of customer satisfaction, commercial benefits and legal obligations. There are a series of British Standards for guidance that can help make public places inclusive for everyone including:

It recognises that ‘we all have more than one of the nine protected characteristics’ identified by the Equality Act: age; disability; gender; reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex and sexual orientation.

Change is happening with positive developments and guidance for inclusive design and designers And yet anecdotal evidence suggests that there still exists a lack of awareness regarding the legal obligations by organisations, small and large, responsible for commissioning built environments, products and services and those responsible for designing, specifying, managing and procuring buildings, products and services. When talking about inclusive design, accessibility and the built environment relating to ‘disability’ or different abilities of people, including their families and carers, an aging population, or even parents with buggies

B S 7000-6:2005 Design management systems. Managing inclusive design. BS 8300-2:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Buildings – code of practice. PAS 6463 Design for the mind – neurodiversity and the built environment. These design guides introduce and cover many of the design factors for consideration when designing for the built environment including station development projects. Within the context of the built environment, products and services, a diversity impact assessment (DIA) is an evidence-based assessment tool developed to help identify any potential negative impacts on people with the characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act but also to identify positive improvements. The process includes consultation with local community groups, local authorities, business groups, staff engagement and at an early stage of a project. Diversity impact assessment A DIA is in effect a documented process of ‘observation’ and research to identify the needs of people forming a design brief and design scope, identifying problems and opportunities requiring solutions. And yet it is often reported that there are disappointments with project outcomes. There is often a disconnect between the design of the building and the products that are installed. railbusinessdaily.com

Innovation

These are quite often forgotten at the beginning of the project and yet are fundamentally as important as the building design. These are the physical human touch points where staff and customers interreact, sit, rest and wait, they can include ticket desks, information points, reception desks, business hubs, waiting rooms, changing rooms, retail and refreshment areas. The products that fit into these spaces should be well defined from the outset of a project that also includes the consideration and integration of technology applications and how these systems fit into the overall customer experience strategy. The creation, development and procurement of these products is quite often forgotten or left too late. They can form part of the overall civil engineering project and responsibility of the principle contractor and their appointed architects rather than the enduser organisation. To achieve good design requires an This requires collaborative working. understanding of designing for people – Innovation and good design can only flourish to improve people’s lives, to makes things when collaborative working between endcomfortable, safe and good looking. users, community and other stakeholders is Furthermore, it has to be better than what’s gone possible, allowing for a deep understanding ai163820048725_2111 Half Page Ad-RBD.pdf 1 29/11/2021 15:41:28 of the needs and requirements of staff before.

and customers. Typically, an arm’s length approach to procurement is adopted where the ‘lowest price’ is the main driver rather than ‘value’ and true-life costs, including operational and maintenance cost considerations.

CMY

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Innovation

Network Rail recognises that innovative solutions come about when it places people at the heart of the design process. To achieve this, it requires a rethink and alternative approach. I am often reminded by architects that products such as physical customer-touch points and associated products should not be the design remit of the architect but rather the realm of the product designer with an in-depth and combined knowledge and experience of humanengineering, materials and manufacturing processes, technology integration, commercial, operational, maintenance and sustainability. And yet the role of the product designer is overlooked by rail project teams based on familiarity of traditional procurement processes and design disciplines. Wider design parameters Inclusive design focuses on the diversity of people and how this informs design decisions. It can also include a wider set of design parameters associated with products or service development, manufacture, sustainability, social value, usability, operations, maintenance and the circular economy – the appropriate use of materials, how our products are redeployed, upcycled and finally recycled. Hopefully ‘inclusive design’ will not end up being a buzz word or phrase similar to ‘ergonomics’. As defined by Network Rail, it needs to be all embracing and include environmental, sustainability, commercial, operational, customer and staff satisfaction and to meet legislative requirements. Ideas Ltd designs for people based on three foundational core values and principles: S ocial value Sustainability Human-centred design Ideas Ltd’s design experience is based on delivering complex design solutions for

control rooms, station development projects including ticket offices and information desks, and products for workplace environments for major global organisation both in the UK and overseas. Since our foundation in 2002, we have adopted a design philosophy and design approach going beyond ergonomics and human-factors and based on ‘human-centred design’. A human-centred design process helps provide a framework for designing products places and systems that puts people first. It adopts some of the early stage involvement of the DIA process. The difference being is that a human-centred design approach is about creating solutions that help improve people’s lives and the customer experience. Making spaces and places inclusive, safe, comfortable and efficient. Our products have been designed to be used by as many people as possible without the need for creating special designs or adapted designs.

All of our product developments have involved design thinking – a collaborative approach with staff, customers, management and project teams to develop the design brief from observation leading to sketch development of ideas, building physical prototypes and virtual reality (VR) immersive experiences, testing and development. Rail sector experience has led us to creating products that have included our patented twotier customer counter system for ticket offices and information desks, transaction trays, chip and PIN extendable payment mount, cash drawers for transaction counters and mobile customer assistance desks. These products have been reviewed by Network Rail’s architects, ergonomic specialists, disability groups and train operating companies. Going beyond words To create and develop inclusive design solutions should not be considered as just a word or phrase to appease the procurement process or a marketing soundbite, but be a meaningful adoption of a design philosophy that will make improvements to people’s lives. Creating inclusive design solutions needs to be a holistic approach and not just centred on the building, but also the products and services that form part of the built environment. Appointing product designers with a humancentred design approach to creating inclusive design solutions will contribute to achieving desirable products, safe and comfortable spaces and places to work and visit, that are accessible for all. For more information, visit ideas.ltd.uk

26 | April 2022

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Feature

Competition in uncertain times Jason Hurst, partner in Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Public Services Advisory team, considers some of the challenges in getting rail competitions up and running again

e live in uncertain times — and this is having an impact on how quickly competitions for rail operating contracts can be reintroduced, and in what form. This is important because well-run competitions stimulate innovation, drive value for money through creative thinking and improve the user experience for passengers. To restart competitions, we need to understand recovery from the pandemic, what risks the market can and is willing to take in the current economic climate, and what the new Passenger Service Contract (PSC) model looks like in practice. All of this takes time but seeking the gradual reintroduction of competitions that evolve over time may be preferable to waiting for the perfect moment. Economic pause The last time there was a pause in rail competitions was back in 2012 following the failure of the InterCity West Coast competition. However, while there was a pause, it was for a much shorter period compared to what has elapsed over the pandemic. And while there were changes implemented following the Brown review, the return to competitions commenced within a relatively stable economic landscape. Today we are in a very different position. There are substantial areas of uncertainty, not least: the timing and recovery profile of passengers and their impact on rail travel patterns; the implementation of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail reforms, which will take a number of years; and ongoing global supply chain issues, along with high levels of inflation (with the OBR expecting CPI inflation to peak at close to nine per cent). This uncertainty is unlikely to end anytime soon, which creates its own problems for the sector to return to competing train operator contracts and the rollout of the PSCs. There are a number of challenges in getting competitions going again: etting the market back: bidders will need G to build their bid teams back up, and that will take time and come at a cost. This was a challenge in 2012 and should not be underestimated, particularly as people may have now left the industry or be engaged in other activities. 28 | April 2022

Jason Hurst, Public Services Advisory team

This uncertainty is unlikely to end anytime soon, which creates its own problems for the sector he level of risk transfer: the PSC model T is based on the transfer of cost risk to the operator, however, there are areas where cost risks are uncontrollable or unknown, such as inflationary pressure. Alternatives may have to be considered if competitions are desired, such as the recognition that there will be multiple changes in-life, that the cost risk will only be in place for a limited time, or that there is a phased increase in cost risk.

The National Rail Contracts (NRCs) mean that trains will continue to run, reforms can be implemented and there is stability for the industry from the flexibility and risk profile they provide – however, fresh thinking and competition benefits will not be secured in terms of value. Greater flexibility There is a balance to be considered between timing, flexibility and risk. For example, running a competition for a contract with greater flexibility and less cost risk versus waiting until there is greater stability in the market and hence the cost base. There are advantages and disadvantages, but while the industry remains in a competition hiatus, potential bidders will be focused on other opportunities and may be lost to the industry.

I ncentivising revenue recovery: while the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail did not envisage transferring revenue risk back to the operators, there remains a need to provide incentives to maximise the recovery of revenues and seek long-term growth. Developing a mechanism that achieves this is not simple.

Cost risk exposure There will need to be recognition across the sector that the PSCs will evolve over time as they are rolled out and lessons are learned. But limiting cost risk exposure to either specific costs or for specific periods could enable competitions to restart and therefore elements of the PSC to be delivered and start to evolve over time.

S table historic cost base: in order to bid, participants will need a base cost to provide a starting point, but historic costs have been impacted by the pandemic. There is currently no stable cost base against which to bid.

Grant Thornton’s Public Services Advisory team has significant experience in providing advice to transport authorities and bidders. For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/2p8fxj75 railbusinessdaily.com

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IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

The digital layer of intelligence improving UK rail performance Gavin Panter, Resonate’s business development director, discusses the technology bringing the railway together

n April 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic, Resonate’s Luminate traffic management went live on Network Rail’s Anglia route. Proving an enabler for the company’s 21st century operations strategy, within a few months of operation Network Rail’s Ian Barnes was singing its praise, describing Luminate’s performance and benefits as “exceeding expectations”. It is just one example of technology specialist Resonate’s Luminate traffic management system improving performance, increasing capacity, managing disruption, as well as introducing sustainability benefits, with the system also proving a success on Network Rail’s busy and complex Western route. It’s nearly four years since the system went live on the Western route as the first integrated traffic management system commissioned on the UK railway, helping control trains out of London Paddington to Bristol, Oxford and Newbury. Early success On its first day of operation, Luminate enabled successful interventions hundreds of times, and has continued to forecast and alter train movements, identify and resolve conflicts, re-plan train schedules, and enable changes to platform occupation; all from one single screen. “Traditionally traffic management was sold as something that will help performance, and it is vitally important in doing that, but it also helps you when it comes to safety and sustainability,” said Gavin Panter, Resonate’s business development director.

“Luminate is providing a joined-up view, giving a single source of truth across whole routes and journeys. It offers a true picture of any big events that take place, giving the industry all the facts on its impact, not only in the immediate vicinity and surrounding area, but those reactionary impacts that can occur many miles away. “Decisions being taken in isolation do not give the very best outcomes. Luminate is a much wider toolset, able to look at everything within its area and span of control and do it based on the best possible evidence for that whole area, which I believe is a very important for the overall train management experience. “The evidence is there that when Luminate is

Average time lost (minutes per service) within Western non-luminate vs luminate area

30 | April 2022

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active, the average time loss per train in the area under its control dramatically reduces and that leads to a better operating railway and a better operating railway inevitably leads to a more efficient one. But this also has a critical safety impact as you’re approaching fewer red signals because trains are running where they should be, creating less conflict. By implementing plans based on powerful predictive analytics alongside real-time running, our results-focused software is working to deliver improved train service delivery for passengers and freight.” Overview The traffic management system is that data driven, control layer that sits atop the signalling system, looking at everything that’s taking place within its area of control, analysing that many times a second. “It’s constantly looking to see what’s happening and being able to make the very best decisions, supporting controllers and signallers, supporting a reduction in workload,” added Gavin, who joined Resonate more than three years ago. After the success of the initial deployment into Thames Valley Signalling Centre at Didcot, Network Rail Anglia decided to implement Luminate’s technology to enable the transition to a new method of operational working. railbusinessdaily.com

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

“Again, one year was given to have the system up and running and delivering benefit. “Anglia implementation came with its own challenges because of COVID, so we created an innovative online training system, within weeks, to ensure that everybody who needed to be trained on the system was able to be,” said Gavin, who was previously director of operations at Chiltern Railways. “Bang on time in April 2021 the system went live in Anglia.” The capability of Luminate, and that training, was put to the test within a few days of going live when overhead line problems at Liverpool Street station caused three platforms to be closed. “Under normal operation, Network Rail would have implemented a contingency timetable, which would have cancelled some services and delayed numerous others, created chaos on the concourse and would have had an effect on the following day’s services and overnight fleet maintenance,” he said. “However, using the scenario capability of Luminate, the full timetable, including the evening peak, was shown to work across the remaining platforms. The plan was created and implemented, enabling ARS (Automatic Route Setting) to route trains to their new platforms, and to inform passengers and crew of the changes. The timetable ran without an issue and demonstrated the power of Luminate to support train service delivery, while fully informing all those involved in the process.” A global first Luminate can work in areas where ARS exists, but also in those areas where it doesn’t. The benefits of a train graph, platform docker, electronic signal box simplifiers, as well as the linkages to industry systems such as TRUST, Stock & Crew Systems and C-DAS are available for all, with many being a UK or global first. Gavin said: “Because it is a data platform and not hardware it is easier to add to the system and without affecting the safety level of the railway. What you’re doing is being the automatic controller/signaller on top of what is already there. “Anglia has had a couple of releases since it has gone live and Western has had eight or nine. They are semi aligned so they get those continual improvements all the time and if there’s a major piece of work they want to change, they have the opportunity to do that as well. But this is just the start for Resonate and Luminate. We’ve proven we can implement the system in a year, and I think we’re now at that point where vast areas could be done even quicker than that. We also really understand how Network Rail works internally and how its messaging systems work, so the results are only ever going to get better.” railbusinessdaily.com

Platform docker – Paddington

Train graph – Paddington

“Our results-focused software is working to deliver improved train service delivery for passengers and freight” The future looks incredibly bright for Resonate. Recently the organisation was behind a global rail industry first, when Network Rail launched a new pilot project integrating its traffic management system with Great Western Railway’s (GWR) crew and stock resource management system. It has involved integrating Worldline’s crew and stock software ‘Integrale’ with Luminate, operating on the Western route between Paddington and Bristol. However, the benefits of this will be felt across GWR’s train services, which operate across the whole Western route. “Our ambition now is to expand to other Advertorial

routes and other areas regardless of who the signalling belongs to,” said Gavin. “We know our system works so we are passionate to expand both here in the UK but also abroad. “Luminate gives a fundamental change to the operational running of the railway. There are the benefits to all those using the system, through to the end user, be that passenger or freight, and we can quantify those in a variety of ways. “I’m really excited to be part of this journey – who wouldn’t want to be involved in the future of how railways should be run? Traffic management is one of those enablers that starts to bring everything together and I can see what an important step change in operational practice this can be. “At a time when the industry is going through major change to bring that industry together, Resonate has the solution to join everything up in a controlled environment to operate the railway more effectively, giving that single source of the truth that operators have strived for.” For more details, contact Gavin at gavin.panter@resonate.tech April 2022 | 31

People

The forefront of fundamental change in managing the lineside environment

Image: Network Rail

James Morrison, senior asset engineer at Network Rail Scotland, talks about the challenge of getting to overall net gain of biodiversity

ail is already one of the greenest ways to travel, but the industry is on a journey to become even greener. At the heart of that is Network Rail’s Biodiversity Action Plan, which sets the target of no net loss of biodiversity by 2024 with an overall net gain by 2035. As part of that ambition a trial project is currently under way that has seen Network Rail removing trees and vegetation on a 1.5mile section on Scotland’s West Highland line between Craigendoran and Helensburgh Upper. Improve safety “The aim is to proactively manage vegetation encroachment and potential leaf fall issues to improve operational safety and performance,” said James Morrison, senior asset engineer at Network Rail Scotland. “Unmanaged vegetation poses a serious risk to rail safety as trees can fall onto the line during bad weather or, when overgrown, branches and foliage can obscure signals from a driver’s view. 32 | April 2022

Unmanaged vegetation poses a serious risk to rail safety as trees can fall onto the line during bad weather or when overgrown “At this location the lineside is dominated by leaf fall species, potentially leading to leaves on the line, which affects braking distances, acceleration, and interfering with signalling systems and the consequentially having a negative impact on performance.” Scheduled to finish this month, having started in January this year, selected woody vegetation within a minimum of four metres of the track is being cleared, and any trees that could strike the line are being pruned or felled to remove the risk to the railway.

“Mindful of our environmental and sustainability commitments, this project is part of a trial that will help inform work towards achieving our targets of no net biodiversity loss by 2024, and net gain by 2035,” said James. Regrowth James added, “When cutting and clearance has been completed, the project will plant and routinely maintain this area to manage the regrowth of woodland, improve biodiversity and offset the impact of the work on the local environment. “Replanting will be with native trees and shrubs including hawthorn, rowan and elder, transforming the lineside from a species-poor scrub to an area which benefits the surrounding wildlife and creates a safer operating environment for the railway. “We are effectively ‘managing-out’ the leaf fall issue by selectively removing some of those tree species and replanting native non-leaf fall varieties.” railbusinessdaily.com

People

Image: Network Rail

Environmental protection “Ahead of the work, ecologists conducted surveys for breeding birds and other protected species,” said James. “Trees to be retained for biodiversity reasons, such as those with bat roost potential, were also identified. “Felling methods and access to and through sites was planned to minimise the removal of ground vegetation and scrub. To protect the newly planted trees and shrubs, ethical tree guards are being used instead of plastic, as a more environmentally friendly option. “As well as re-planting, habitat piles will be created throughout the site to enhance the already present natural features. In addition, eight bat and eight bird boxes will be installed throughout the site to create

Image: Network Rail

With 20,000 miles of track and millions of trees growing along the railway, managing vegetation is a difficult balancing act for Network Rail, with rail safety and biodiversity not always going hand in hand. Key to the trial in Scotland is Network Rail’s team of ecologists who have been advising on the best way to reduce the impact of the work on wildlife and the environment.

Overgrown vegetation at Helnsburgh on WHL

and maintain existing wildlife corridors and to improve the overall ecology of the lineside. “This enhanced habitat will support nesting birds, and also provide cover for badgers and hedgehogs.” The trial follows a similar pilot delivered at Dalgety Bay in Fife on the opposite side of the country. It extends the principles and

approach beyond the rail corridor and, through engagement with adjacent landowners, is targeting the operational and performance risk emanating from third party trees. James said: “When the initial phase of both these pilots is complete, there will be an early review to assess how the work has been delivered.

Building Networks, Connecting People

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April 2022 | 33

“The real lessons learned will emerge over time and will be judged by improvements in operational performance – particularly during autumn, as the principal driver always has to be the integrity safety of the railway infrastructure. “Perhaps the long-term measure of how successful this pilot has been will be through culture change and to what extent the principles of the offsetting plan have been embedded to become the standard operational approach for vegetation management. “Consideration of animals and plants including the habitat they live in is vital when planning vegetation clearance and undertaking work on our infrastructure. “The vision for Network Rail’s approach to the offsetting plan will be to manage vegetation as an asset and ensure that the principles of good asset management practices are built into our standards and procedures.”

Consideration of animals and plants including the habitat they live in is vital when planning vegetation clearance “Scotland’s railway fulfils a variety of travel needs from business and leisure to daily commuter services, including cross border services; it supports rural services and the needs of freight customers alike.

Image: Network Rail

Local knowledge The two trials are part of the ongoing challenge to manage the many risks that trees and vegetation can pose. This involves a collaborative approach involving Network Rail, supported by specialist contractors, to be based strategically. Local knowledge of the infrastructure and asset condition, plus the ability to respond quickly to any issues is fundamental. James said management decisions are then made using data and imagery collected during multiple inspections undertaken by trains, people on foot, drones and manned aircraft, combined with additional information from passengers, freight customers, neighbours and multiple stakeholders.

Overgrown vegetation at Helnsburgh on WHL

34 | April 2022

Image: Network Rail

People

“However, we equally have a responsibility to appropriately offset our tree and vegetation works that support this primary function. Our approach is governed by railway standards that reflect targets from our regulators and funders. But more importantly, it is the right thing to do. “Replanting is only one aspect of improving biodiversity on the railway. Mitigating the impact of our work takes many forms such as the habitat piles of cut woody material or standing and lying sections of dead wood. Raptor perching poles, crevice creation and veteran feature mimicry (via cutting incisions in trees) and provision of bird and bat boxes are some other methods deployed. Where appropriate, we plant native grass and wildflower areas, and creation of wet bog or even small ponds can be considered.” Landowner partnerships James continued: “Mitigation can take place on railway land (where space allows) or alternatively in locations adjacent to or even remote from the railway (offsetting). We are currently working to establish suitable partnerships with other landowners where offsetting would be appropriate. Locations on such land and where public access is possible have an added advantage to the people of Scotland as they can potentially visit these locations and enjoy them. “It feels really positive to be at the forefront of fundamental change in the way we manage our lineside environment. As a large landowner we feel we can have a tangible and positive impact on biodiversity and sustainability but the changes we are making are also being acknowledged and welcomed at a local level by communities.” railbusinessdaily.com

People

Community-led nature and wildlife projects springing up across network Community Rail Network’s chief executive Jools Townsend on the role community rail is playing in enhancing environmental sustainability and contributing to biodiversity gain

iodiversity is fundamental to our wellbeing and quality of life, but it is currently declining faster than at any time in human history. It is acknowledged that any attempt to halt and reverse this loss will take not only coordinated global efforts, but also local actions on the ground. The rail industry has a growing focus on achieving biodiversity net gain, where wildlife is understood and accounted for, and natural environments are left in a better state, protecting and enhancing them for future generations. Improving biodiversity Within its Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020-2050, Network Rail, which owns 52,000 hectares of land along Britain’s railway corridors, includes improved biodiversity of plants and wildlife as one of its four priorities. One of the strategy’s goals is to achieve no net loss in biodiversity on the lineside estate by 2024 and move to biodiversity net gain by 2035. Commitments to improving biodiversity are also contained in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, and the Department for Transport’s Rail Environment Policy Statement, which outlines community engagement and communication as key to turning biodiversity net gain into practice. It is at this local level where community rail partnerships and groups across Britain are making an impact in nurturing biodiversity and nature.

The grassroots movement, supported by Community Rail Network as its national umbrella body, continues to grow: there are now 74 community rail partnerships, plus around 1,200 station groups working to engage communities with their local railways and stations, the vast majority of which are involved in some form of biodiversity, gardening, or wildlife activity. A new report by Community Rail Network, supported by Rail Delivery Group, identifies that in response to the biodiversity crisis, more and more community rail partnerships and station groups across Britain, working with rail industry partners, are creating gardens, spaces, and

habitats specifically to nurture wildlife, building biodiversity gain into their work, and supporting local conservation efforts. Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “The community rail movement has a rich history of community gardening projects and community engagement, and while improved biodiversity has sometimes been a happy by-product of these cornerstone activities, partnerships and groups are now consciously thinking about the impact they can make in this rapidly developing area. “All over the network, community rail partnerships and groups are creating new areas to nurture biodiversity and wildlife or enhancing existing gardens to provide for a diverse range of species. These activities also bring social value, bringing people together and improving the wellbeing and resilience of individuals and communities. “They raise awareness of the importance of the natural environment and the need to protect it and help to connect people with the natural world around them, creating a positive feedback loop.” Project benefits Community Rail Network’s report, ‘Community rail and biodiversity’, considers how community rail impacts on biodiversity, exploring the various types of projects taking place, the benefits of these, and opportunities to increase the movement’s impact. LI M

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People

Since 2016/17, Community Rail Network has directly funded more than 170 rail-related biodiversity, gardening, or wildlife-related projects in England alone, and the report includes case studies on a dozen inspiring projects spread across Britain. Jools said: “Community rail partnerships and groups are continually evolving and deliver a huge range of activities, led and inspired by local needs and contexts. Gardening and outdoor activities continue to be a mainstay, and groups are becoming increasingly aware of their potential to benefit wildlife through this work. “We now have hundreds of station gardens across the network, nurtured by volunteers and benefitting local people. Many of these have transformed barren areas into pockets of life, adding valued green space and wildlife habitats to stations and their wider communities. “Our members are increasingly adopting sustainable gardening practices, using pollinator-friendly planting, and contributing to diverse ecosystems by introducing food sources and spaces for shelter and nesting, such as small trees, hedges, ponds, bug and insect hotels, and bird and bat boxes. Some groups have begun to monitor the species they see in specific areas, to assess the impact of the changes they make, and use of the new habitats they create.”

Examples of community rail projects showcased in the report include: Station adopters increasing the total area of station garden across the Greater Anglia network by 14 per cent in 2020, and pledging 56 gardens to the ‘WildEast’ movement; ‘Buzzing Stations,’ a project to make stations in the High Peak attractive habitats for the endangered Bilberry Bumblebee, which is native to the area; The Friends of Goostrey Station using Geographical Information Service mapping to monitor different species of birds and bugs using the new wildlife habitats they install; Land at stations including Bottesford, Alresford, Sleaford, and Largs being transformed into community gardens offering wildlife havens and educational spaces; The ‘Secret Garden’ at Avonmouth Station, a former disused railway siding that has been developed into a food growing and learning scheme.

and individuals involved, who are brought together around their shared passion for the environment and the natural world, or simply wanting to do something positive for their local area. “Biodiversity projects can contribute to improved physical and mental health, provide an ideal avenue for engaging young people and marginalised groups, and promote sustainable communities and behaviours, encouraging people to live in harmony with their natural surroundings. “We are working with rail industry and other partners to understand local needs and priorities and ensure that community rail partnerships and groups, and the communities they serve, are included as meaningful partners in the planning and implementation of industry-led biodiversity projects. “If the biodiversity crisis is to be reversed, everyone will need to play their part, and we believe that community rail is well placed to assist with the move towards biodiversity gain, using local railways and stations – our green transport network – as a focal point.”

Jools said: “These projects not only transform spaces into havens for nature, they also offer numerous benefits to the communities

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April 2022 | 37

Innovation

Additional strength in design How do you build a team that can take on the design challenges of a rail network in transition? AmcoGiffen has developed a solution

mcoGiffen is a leading partner in the design and delivery of innovative and complex multi-disciplinary engineering, construction and maintenance services across the transport, energy and environmental sectors. The business has been working in the infrastructure sector for over 50 years, directly employs more than 1,300 people and operates nationally, providing local strength for its clients. In a focused journey that has taken just five years, AmcoGiffen has firmly established its in-house, multi-disciplinary design team and strengthened its engineering governance nationally.

We’ve developed a fantastic team of engineers and technicians covering a range of disciplines Design and engineering director Hamish Muir joined AmcoGiffen in 2017 to create a dedicated design and engineering team, quickly forming a civil and structural team comprising five

designers, based at the company’s head office in Barnsley. Simultaneously, Hamish consolidated the governance and leadership of engineering functions across AmcoGiffen. Those original objectives were quickly met, and the team expanded even further. It now comprises more than 40 integrated designers and technicians based at several key locations across AmcoGiffen’s regional offices, with a core design and engineering hub established in York. AmcoGiffen can now proudly boast that its dedicated, in-house design team delivers civil, structural, geotechnical, electrical and power and telecoms design services.

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Innovation

The civil, structural and geotechnical disciplines provide an assortment of solutions, ranging from bridge strengthening, bridge re-constructions, Access for All (AfA) schemes for stations and buildings, to embankments, drainage and retaining structures. Electrification and Plant (E&P) carries out projects such as minor signalling power renewals and upgrade works to points heating design, 650v signalling power, domestic power supplies, lighting, and earthing and bonding. In addition, telecoms provides design for operational communications, IP networking, cabling solutions and station information and security systems. Phenomenal progress AmcoGiffen’s experienced engineers provide both permanent and temporary works design for projects in the energy, environmental and transport sectors. The team has made phenomenal progress in a short space of time and has, to date, developed solutions for more than 700 assets nationally. Centralised engineering discipline heads provide crucial governance and support on engineering activities and initiatives companywide. The design and engineering team has been instrumental in supporting the business achieved and maintained full BIM Stage 2 accreditation, helping both AmcoGiffen and its clients deliver the efficiencies enabled by this philosophy. Hamish said: “I’m immensely proud of the team and what we’ve achieved in a relatively short period of time. Reflecting on our original high level objectives set to what we’ve achieved, we have far exceeded our expectations. “We’ve developed a fantastic team of engineers and technicians covering a range of disciplines. We originally focused on civil and structural design, covering both permanent and temporary

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Hamish Muir, design and engineering director

Through our experience we’ve removed blockers that businesses have traditionally faced when establishing in-house design teams works in line with our aspirations, and building on the success of this model we have grown our team to include capabilities in geotechnical engineering, permanent way, signalling, electrical and power and most recently telecoms. These teams are now established in several strategic locations nationally and this represents a huge transformation when considering our starting point. “The way we’ve shaped and developed our team is a big differentiator. Most would agree that a team’s effectiveness is proportional to its ability to truly collaborate. Through

our experience we’ve removed blockers that businesses have traditionally faced when establishing in-house design teams to ensure that we embed correct behaviours from the outset.” Guaranteed service Hamish said: “Our design team’s aim is to add value for our customers with our primary focus on delivering the minimum viable product for our clients, through a partnering approach. A key part of ensuring that we achieve this is by not only understanding the skills, knowledge and experience of our people, but also that of our supply chain, to guarantee that we provide a complimentary service rather than a competing one. “We’ve also created the AmcoGiffen ‘Research and Innovation Centre’, which facilitates identification and coordination of opportunities to innovate and share best practice. Our internal design team further enhances our ability to innovate, as we have the skills within, to develop concepts and ideas into real tangible solutions.”

April 2022 | 39

Innovation

Hamish added: “We are true collaborators and share best practice, ideas, innovations and opportunities across our consultancy panel, and it is also incumbent for us to share this with the wider industry.” Hamish is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Manager with more than 30 years’ of international experience in the construction industry, working within both consultancy and contracting environments. Born in Zimbabwe, he moved to the UK in 2002. He has held positions previously at Scott Wilson (now part of AECOM), May Gurney and as director of design for Kier Group. Achieving full potential Having overcome the challenges associated with progressing a career through a nontraditional route, Hamish is eager to support others in achieving their full potential in their chosen profession and is a Supervising Civil Engineer (SCE) for the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Hamish said: “One of the biggest challenges that our industry faces is resource availability. It is our responsibility to develop the next cohort of engineers for UK infrastructure. We have an obligation to society and our fellow engineers to offer support and guidance to those looking to develop a career in engineering, at all levels. “Throughout my career I’ve benefitted immensely from the guidance and support from those around me. I started my career as a draughtsman, and initially I really struggled to understand the routes that were available to me to progress towards my goal of being a Chartered Engineer. There wasn’t a great deal of advice available at the early stages of my career.

A 3D image of an access-for-all station produced by the AmcoGiffen design team, for their engineers to construct

“It was only later on through the help and guidance offered by engineers, many of whom were affiliated to professional institutions such as ICE, that I was able to progress with my goal.

Throughout my career I’ve benefitted immensely from the guidance and support from those around me “Through my personal experience I am passionate about helping individuals find alternative routes to obtain professional recognition. There are those with significant

A completed station designed and built by AmcoGiffen

40 | April 2022

experience who may lack the academic base to progress via traditional routes. We need to recognise the diversity of talent and experience we already have in the industry and support them. At AmcoGiffen we are currently supporting more than 50 people with their professional career development at various levels.” Three decades in engineering has clearly allowed Hamish to experience some positive changes over the years, including more recently the introduction of Network Rail’s new initiatives such as PACE (Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment) as well as regional ones such as ACE (Agile Client Eastern). Evolving industry He added: “When I started out in the industry, design and construction teams tended to work against one another for their own perceived benefit. It’s refreshing to see how the industry has evolved to embrace the benefits associated with the design and build approach. “Another positive shift is that clients are no longer tending to be driven solely by price and rightly have an expectation of quality, service and certainty of delivery that designers and contractors must provide. “In addition, society expects much more from the industry in terms of providing sustainable solutions, which consider both direct and indirect impacts on customer experience as well as environmental and social aspects. We’re not just considering the functionality of design but the social value and how passengers interact with infrastructure. “Our achievements to date are a testament to the ongoing energy and enthusiasm that the business has, which allows it to adapt and evolve to support the needs of our clients, customers and society.” railbusinessdaily.com

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Just the Ticket

Railway collaboration This month we launch our new quarterly column from Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain, rail knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UK KTN. Her first piece comes fresh from the Rail Innovation Exhibition and looks at innovation and the future of rail

ow can rail continue to recover and grow into the future? Faced with uncertainty at home and overseas, and a restructuring of our industry at its core, some may feel that the safest approach is to operate the way we always have, relying on tried and tested methods of operation, delivery, and growth. But this approach would neglect a core fact of the industry: the history of rail in the UK is the history of transport innovation. From early rolling stock pioneers including Trevithick and Stephenson, to the less-known women who pioneered in rail, including Sarah Guppy, who patented the ‘New Mode of Constructing and Erecting Bridges and Railroads without Arches’, a method using piling for the construction of a suspension bridge in 1811. This tradition of pioneering and creativity within the industry was certainly on display at this year’s Rail Innovation Exhibition, which saw 500 delegates discuss innovation and create new opportunities. The event, organised by Innovate UK KTN on behalf of the Department for Transport and Innovate UK and in partnership with Railway Industry Association, celebrated innovation with 65 exhibitors showcasing success from Innovate UK-funded projects and beyond. Moving forward Kicking off the event, Rail Minister Wendy Morton focused on this need for rail to move forward and not fall into old ways of thinking. “Our railways are at an existential moment where they must change not just to survive but to thrive, now is not the time for conformity, or for going back or going by the book,” she said. “We need creativity and outside the box thinking.” The event took place at a perfect time as March is International Ideas Month, celebrating the importance of those sparks of ideas that can grow into world-changing innovations and inventions. Beyond this, though, innovation makes business sense. According to PwC, from 2010 to 2013, the leading innovative companies in the USA grew at a rate 16 per cent higher than the least innovative organisations. In the UK, The UK’s Innovation Strategy aims to support our role as global leaders 42 | April 2022

in innovation, with a target of research and development investment at 2.4 per cent of GDP, as part of a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to help businesses to recover from the economic shock of COVID-19”.

Our railways are at an existential moment where they must change not just to survive but to thrive Recovery from the impact of the pandemic through innovation is clearly vital; especially as we look at reattracting passengers and customers. A study of consumers by Lab42 in 2015 found that “84 per cent of respondents say it is somewhat or very important that the company they buy from is innovative. 51 per cent of respondents say they have bought a product

without fully understanding what it did or how it worked because they felt or heard it was cool.” Is rail ‘cool’? If not, how can we rehabilitate our industry image? Ticketing reform Beyond the obvious need to reform ticketing and ensure our services are efficient and on-time, comes a number of First of a Kind funded projects and exhibitors eager to be at the forefront of this revolution. GoMedia leads on this; assisting travellers, including blind and partially sighted people, and aiming to make the network accessible. Using a combination of optical codes and smart devices, users can better understand and navigate the rail environment through augmented reality. This includes access to on board train announcements through your own personal device, notifications for only your relevant stations, a historic log of announcements, language options and more. Chrome Angel solutions also aims to make rail more inclusive, with an impressive suite of virtual reality and learning games for staff and passengers to enhance railway performance and customer experience. railbusinessdaily.com

Just the Ticket

From Network Tales, a highly interactive game to build passenger confidence and encourage rail travel recovery, to Operational Training simulation games being used to train drivers and maintainers on complex processes, it’s clear that game engagement can support users and frontline staff in confident access and operations. And both are definitely cool, especially with younger people, with 75 per cent of Gen Z stating VR will become a normal part of digital experiences within four years (WP Engine and The Centre for Generational Kinetics, 2017). Reinventing the wheel Innovations don’t have to be purely digital to be cool, though. Lenz Labs demonstrated Pilotor and Traction Hub technologies that will re-imagine how we manage the wheelrail interface. The Traction Hub retrofits to wheelsets and delivers safe braking as well as improved acceleration performance at the wheel-rail interface. At the same time, the data analytics platform, Pilotor, monitors and predicts wheel flats and corrugation to reduce disruption to services. With efficiency, safety and punctuality being key for all rail users, this is a project that is set to boost performance across the network. Of course, one of the biggest priorities for all of us, and especially younger generations, focuses on sustainability. In 2021, nearly 60 per cent of UK young people approached said they felt very worried or extremely worried about climate change (bbc.co.uk/news/world-58549373). With rail being an extremely sustainable method of travel, there is an obvious opportunity to promote and boost rail’s decarbonisation credentials to attract past and new passengers alike.

Daisy and Kelvin Davies (Innovate UK Rail lead)

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Minister Wendy Morton with Furrer and Frey at the Rail Innovation Exhibition

Enter Vivarail, which is currently operating class 484s on the Isle of Wight using existing third rail and offering Wi-Fi, USB charging and spacious interiors for passengers. These units are fully refurbished using the bodyshell and bogies from D78s, offering a high level of sustainability both in build and electric operations. Cost is one of the biggest barriers to rail travel in the UK. The European Commission will provide free travel rail passes to 60,000 Europeans aged from 18 to 20, alongside Discover EU, for a travel period in 2022 (the European Year of Youth). UK passengers still pay some of the highest fares in Europe – cutting fares is an obvious key to boosting passenger numbers and a profitable railway into the future. So what’s next? Great British Railways must focus on getting the best innovations not

only into rail, but applied consistently across the UK network, to offer the best services to all customers. R&D funding is valuable and essential, but a clear path for innovators and suppliers into the operational network is vital, with a ‘fail fast’ ethos to enable companies at all stages and of all stages to participate. A fair assessment of fares and ticketing must also take place, offering value for money to users, and boosting network use into the future. Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain is the rail knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UK KTN, connecting ideas, people and communities to respond to challenges and drive positive change through innovation. Find out more at https://ktn-uk.org. You can contact Daisy at daisy.chamberlain@ktn-uk.org Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, a non-departmental government body with a mission to drive sustainable economic growth through business-led innovation, by investing in innovation and giving innovative businesses access to support. Find out more at www.gov.uk by searching for Innovate UK. If you have a great idea to help the railway industry, please keep an eye on opportunities from Innovate UK. Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community; the national trade association for UK-based suppliers to the railway industry. Established over 140 years ago, RIA now has more than 300 member companies from across the supply chain, over 60 per cent of which are small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Find out more at www.riagb.org.uk

April 2022 | 43

S a f e g u a r d i n g o n Tr a n s p o r t

Great Western Railway recognition for protecting the most vulnerable The train operator has prevented more than 120 suicides and made almost 200 interventions in the past 10 months

reat Western Railway (GWR) has become the first UK train operator to be awarded Safeguarding on Rail Scheme Accreditation. With almost 10,000 vulnerable children identified by British Transport Police (BTP) last year alone, GWR has been the first operator to take action in achieving the BTP and Department for Transport accreditation, after recognising how much of a magnet stations can be for those in crisis. Over the past 12 months, with support from industry charity Railway Children, GWR has trained more than 5,000 staff and created 100 champions to ensure vital assistance is available to vulnerable children and adults in crisis. GWR head of security Paula Durrans said: “Railway stations are often seen as warm, safe and inviting places for those who are lost or have no place to go. This specialist training helps our staff to be able to identify and, in partnership with the British Transport Police, help and protect those most at risk – making the railways a safer place for all.” Successful pilot Railway Children’s ‘Safeguarding on Transport’ training scheme was successfully piloted with BTP in 2018 and is designed to help operators make railway stations safer for vulnerable children by training rail staff to help identify and protect vulnerable people using the rail network. On the GWR route between April 2019 and March 2020, 448 children and young people were identified as at risk when travelling on the network. A further 625 customers who approached GWR colleagues were in a mental health crisis. In the same period, 124 missing children were found and 29 of those were found to be at risk of sexual exploitation. As the training has been rolled out, GWR interventions in the past 10 months have prevented more than 120 suicides and almost 200 interventions protected young people, including a 14-year-old girl who was travelling to meet an older man having been groomed online, a 11-year-old who had run away from home and was en route to her grandmother, and a 12-year-old victim of upskirting. 44 | April 2022

Mike Gallop, Network Rail Western Route managing director, Mark Hopwood, managing director, GWR, Wendy Morton MP, Minister of State for Transport, David Maidment, founder, Railway Children

Railway Children chief executive Terina Keene said: “The railways have always attracted those in crisis, especially our most vulnerable young people and children. At a time when the industry had numerous challenges, it would be easy for safeguarding to be a low priority. GWR has demonstrated outstanding commitment and dedication to safeguarding vulnerable children and passengers using the railway.

Railway stations are often seen as warm, safe and inviting places for those who are lost or have no place to go “Trained and dedicated rail staff have a vital role in identifying and protecting those who are so often invisible and run the risk of falling through the cracks and facing further harm. GWR staff have already been instrumental in ensuring so many children and young people

are protected from harm and get the help and support they need.” Rail to refuge The rail network is also often used as an escape route for those in crisis and in March 2020 GWR launched its Rail to Refuge scheme across its network, giving those fleeing domestic abuse access to free rail travel in order to get them to a place of safety. Since then the scheme has been adopted nationally and in 2021 helped more than 2,200 people, including 650 children, get to a place of safety. Wendy Morton, Minister of State in the Department for Transport, said: “I am delighted to award GWR with a Safeguarding on Rail Scheme Accreditation. “The Secure Stations Scheme was set up to protect the most vulnerable within our communities and it’s fantastic to see how GWR is taking action by training more than 5,000 members of staff to provide vital assistance to those most at risk. “We are committed to ensuring all passengers have the safest journey possible and this accreditation will reassure both passengers and staff that GWR’s stations are a safe and secure environment.” railbusinessdaily.com

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

The experts unlocking the Severn Land and Water Group Ltd’s Liam Williams explains how Elite Precast Concrete’s Legato blocks have proved the ideal solution to open up Britain’s longest river

A unique project The Unlocking the Severn project, one of the largest river restoration projects of its kind in Europe, is expected to cost around £19.7 million and has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the European Union LIFE programme. The scheme has been designed to help boost the recovery of fish stocks after a number of weirs built in Victorian times to aid the transport of goods along the river have caused fish migratory routes to be blocked, leading to the decline in fish stocks. The project hasn’t been without its challenges. Due to the remote location and restricted access of the fish pass, the use of steel shuttering and wet concrete was going to be time consuming, impractical and expensive. Looking for a solution, Land and Water Group Ltd, one of the main sub-contractors on the project, contacted Elite Precast Concrete, who suggested the use of its Legato interlocking concrete blocks might well be the answer.

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Image: New Civil Engineer

lite Precast Concrete, one of the UK’s leading precast manufacturers, has played a vital role in the Unlocking the Severn fish pass project at Holt Weir in Warwickshire. The use of the organisation’s Legato interlocking blocks, also used with great success in the rail industry, proved to be a crucial element in the completion of phase two of the project. Elite is the only company in Europe to manufacture interlocking blocks using high strength (50N/mm2) concrete, which allows them to exhibit extreme levels of durability, combined with the flexibility of having their own cast-in lifting pin.

Because the blocks are cast off-site their installation is not weather dependent, and due to their size they were relatively east to transport to the area and install. More than 900 Legato blocks were used in total to complete the project. Liam Williams, site manager for Land and Water Group Ltd, said: “Elite was a pleasure to work with and played a major part in the successful completion of this complex project.

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“The Legato blocks were the ideal solution and enabled us to complete the project on time.” As part of phase two of the project, Land and Water Ltd carried out a range of activities from the Legato block installation to concrete works in order to build the fish pass, which is essential for the migration of fish to their spawning grounds upstream.

April 2022 | 45

People

Attracting the diverse and talented workforce of the future Michael Clark, director of policy and transformation at the Great British Railways Transition Team, reveals details of a new jobs board

he aim is to deliver the most ambitious changes to the UK’s railway in a generation, working with the government and across the rail sector At the heart of creating Great British Railways (GBR) is the challenge of building a team to drive forward that vision of a simpler, better railway. To achieve this the GBR Transition Team (GBRTT), leading reforms and creating the railway’s new guiding mind on behalf of the government, has just launched a new jobs board. “We want to attract a diverse and talented group of people from across the rail industry and beyond to create a better railway,” said Michael Clark, director of policy and transformation at GBRTT. Striving to improve The website – jobs.gbrtt.co.uk – is where all future roles within the team will be advertised. Michael, who previously held high-profile rail reform roles at Network Rail and the Department for Transport, said: “As part of our purpose at GBRTT, we are striving to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion in rail. We want the jobs board to be the catalyst to help us reach more talented people and build an inclusive culture across the sector. “We want people to join us to work across our wide range of responsibilities, including to help the industry recover from the pandemic, develop a 30-year strategy for the railway, improve financial management, develop a customer-focused culture, and drive forward a programme to deliver changes to fares, ticketing, and retail. “We’re also designing how GBR will look and operate as the railway’s guiding mind in the future.” Bid launch Momentum is building in the creation of GBR. An eight-week call for evidence to support a 30-year Whole Industry Strategic Plan recently closed, meanwhile last month it was revealed that 42 towns and cities have 46 | April 2022

Michael Clark, director of policy and transformation at GBRTT

We want to attract a diverse and talented group of people from across the rail industry and beyond to create a better railway launched bids to become the new home of GBR. “We will be releasing jobs in regular waves as our remit grows and we develop towards being the guiding mind,” said Michael. “We’re looking for people from different backgrounds and skillsets, from commercial to operational, project to policy and more.

“We want people who can take ownership, work collaboratively, and want to embrace new opportunities. Above all we want people with a passion for making the railways better. “In return, we offer the opportunity to work on one of the biggest transformation projects in the country, to help shape the future of the railways as we design it, and to work alongside talented people from across all parts of the industry and beyond. “Joining GBRTT will be career-enhancing – a unique chance to be part of the team delivering generational change to one of our nation’s vital industries and doing so for the benefit of everyone in Britain.” To find out more about careers at GBRTT and see the roles that are now open for applications visit jobs.gbrtt.co.uk

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Company profile

Delivering rail infrastructure with value-added engineering solutions GRAHAM’s civil engineering managing director Leo Martin explains how traditional skills and values are helping differentiate the business from its competitors

s a long-established company with a reputation for excellent project management and delivery, construction and civil engineering firm GRAHAM brings an innovative approach to complex infrastructure challenges. Working in a range of sectors from bridges and highways to ports and railways, the company has a deep-rooted knowledge of the infrastructure that society relies on to keep moving. Whether it is easing commuter congestion, improving or creating new routes and facilities, GRAHAM boasts a project portfolio that delivers lasting impact to millions of people throughout the UK and Ireland. 48 | April 2022

We remain a family-owned company, and our traditional skills and values help differentiate us from our competitors The company has operated for many years in the rail sector and boasts an impressive portfolio of civil engineering delivery on the rail infrastructure of the United Kingdom.

In early 2021, GRAHAM successfully delivered a complex railway bridge replacement alongside a refurbishment works programme for Translink, incorporating a 72-hour single event possession, on the Ballymena to Coleraine rail line. Planning ahead Before construction work could commence, an intensive planning process resulted in the identification of a more efficient 72-hour single possession solution as opposed to the original, longer possession plan. This approach considerably reduced disruption to the network, allowing the GRAHAM team to de-risk the programme for two of the bridges. railbusinessdaily.com

Company profile

GRAHAM has also played a leading role in the delivery of overland stations required for the Crossrail project having completed the construction of two completely new stations in West Ealing and Acton Mainline, provided platform extensions at Stratford and significantly remodelled Ealing Broadway as part of a £50m package of works. These complex and demanding projects complement the additional delivery of stations at Marsh Barton, Portrush and Kenilworth and add to the experience of a team already established at working successfully within the live network. Fairness, inclusion and respect GRAHAM is a business with an aim to be recognised as an industry leader for Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR). The company recently appointed a new Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Hollie Cregan, a Network Rail Diversity and Inclusion champion, STEM and FIR ambassador, who will drive the organisation’s status as a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone is respected. As a family business, the firm understands the importance of its employees and their role in making it a great business to work with.

Our work makes a ‘rail’ difference The Considerate Constructors Scheme has awarded our Crossrail team with a “Certificate of Excellence”. We were rated as “exceptional” in the following categories: Caring about Appearance

9/9

Protecting the Environment

9/9

Securing Everyone’s Safety

9/9

Valuing our Workforce

9/9

It is just one of the stand-out rail projects in our award-winning portfolio.

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To learn more about our rail expertise, please visit: graham.co.uk/projects

April 2022 | 49

Company profile

GRAHAM has lofty ambitions for 2022, having already secured a record work pipeline of £1.7bn. The delivery of this portfolio coincides with the launch of a new Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, which is strategically aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The firm has targeted net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 (direct emissions), as part of its “delivering lasting impact” ambition for the environment, its people and within the communities where it operates. Recruiting the industry’s brightest talent GRAHAM’s approach to recruiting and nurturing new talent has also been recognised, being one of the first companies in the UK to be accredited Platinum by Investors in People. The company believes nurturing and investing in the next generation of talent is crucial for the longterm success and sustainability of the business. Each year GRAHAM runs its Civil Engineering Graduate Programme, a structured two-year programme for 32 new recruits from a variety of leading universities spread across the UK. The candidates are selected from a strong pool of over 300 applicants and receive industryleading training with the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most exciting engineering projects. In 2021 graduates were involved in projects including Crossrail station upgrades for Network Rail, Northern Ireland Water, the Port of Dundee, and major improvement works for Highways England, amongst others. Discussing the firm’s rail offering, GRAHAM’s Civil Engineering Managing Director Leo Martin said: “Following a particularly challenging period last year saw GRAHAM continue its impressive growth in the construction industry and helped

50 | April 2022

us further expand our rail portfolio with major projects delivered for Network Rail, Translink and Crossrail. “We remain a family-owned company, and our traditional skills and values help differentiate us from our competitors. Our values are honed through a long history and belief that by doing things the ‘GRAHAM’ way,

our customers continue to value our experience and expertise. “Looking ahead to the second half of 2022, we have secured some significant projects on Britain’s railways, including some key infrastructure schemes on Northern Ireland’s railways and we are looking forward to raising our ever-growing reputation for excellence in rail engineering.”

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

Dual fuel concepts unveiled G-volution and SBL-Rail have presented their dual fuel evolution concepts of the Class 37, Class 59 and Class 66 locomotives

feasibility study has been completed by G-volution and SBLRail into dual fuel engines that allow diesel to be displaced by renewable net zero carbon emission fuels. G-volution has been developing dual fuel engines – using compression ignition and combusting two fuels simultaneously – since 2008 and now has the research to show how this technology can benefit UK freight locomotives. The solution uses diesel with biomethane, diesel with biopropane and diesel with hydrogen. The Class 37’s English Electric 12CSVT engine and the Class 66’s EMD 12-710 engine are replaced by new dual fuel engines meeting the Stage V emission standard. A twin engine concept Class 66 using new dual fuel engines has also been developed as well as a dual fuel evolution of the existing EMD engine. The new dual fuel engines repower would also be applicable to the Class 59 locomotive as well. While the locomotives’ original engines could also be evolved to dual fuel, modern engines offer higher efficiency, the opportunity to use advanced combustion control strategies and compliance with the latest emission standards. The original diesel tanks of the locomotives are replaced with a smaller diesel tank and cylinders for biomethane, or biopropane or hydrogen are installed in place of part of the original diesel tank. A range of fuel tank solutions were developed for each fuel, including using a number of smaller cylinders or instead using fewer larger cylinders. An example solution is shown in the figures below for each locomotive type. Renewable energy Biomethane – a renewable fuel replacement for natural gas – can be manufactured by anaerobic digestion of organic waste streams such as food, farm and sewage waste, and there are currently 670 such biomethane production plants in the UK. Biopropane can be manufactured through a number of different routes from biomass or through biological routes and is a renewable fuel replacement for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). The diesel component used in dual fuelling could also be replaced in due course by renewable biodiesel. While biodiesel could be used alone in place of diesel fuel, this does little to lower tailpipe emissions other than carbon dioxide – biodiesel also being a net zero carbon emission fuel. Dual fuelling lowers particulate emissions as well. If a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is fitted, the engine spends less time working against an increased back pressure as the DPF fills, fewer DPF regenerations are then needed, so improving engine efficiency and further lowering fuel consumption. Route simulations were completed using OTMR provided by operators of these locomotives and in combination with dual fuel engine models based on G-volution’s dual fuel combustion research to date. Results are shown in the table opposite (hydrogen results assume green hydrogen is used). For the Class 66, the new four-stroke dual fuel engine offers a 10 per cent improvement in fuel consumption versus the original two-stroke EMD engine. For the Class 37, the new dual fuel engine offers a 13 per cent improvement in fuel consumption versus the original English Electric 12CSVT. railbusinessdaily.com

Class 37 – New dual fuel engine Carbon savings (%)

Operating cost savings (%)

Diesel – biomethane

Diesel – biopropane

Diesel – hydrogen

Class 66 – New dual fuel engine Carbon savings (%)

Operating cost savings (%)

Diesel – biomethane

Diesel – biopropane

Diesel – hydrogen

Class 66 – EMD dual fuel evolution

Carbon savings (%)

Operating cost savings (%)

Diesel – biomethane

Diesel – biopropane

Diesel – hydrogen

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While the dual fuel evolution of the EMD engine offers higher replacement rates of diesel, this two-stroke engine is less efficient than the new fourstroke dual fuel engines and also doesn’t meet the latest Stage V emission standards. On an energy equivalent basis, biomethane is 0.47 times the price of diesel, biopropane is 0.58 times the price of diesel and hydrogen is currently 1.3 times (using natural gas) to six times (using electrolysis) the price of diesel, hence the negative cost savings for the EMD hydrogen dual fuel evolution. The new dual fuel hydrogen engines offer positive cost savings primarily due to these engines’ improved efficiency over the original engine, resulting in overall lowered operating costs. Biomethane and biopropane dual fuel engines offer significant carbon and cost savings versus diesel. Hydrogen also has the potential to do this once produced from renewable sources and if it becomes cheaper than it is currently. Please note that this report is based on 2020 fuel prices. While diesel prices are expected to rise in the future, biomethane and biopropane are disconnected from the crude oil price and their prices are expected to fall as production volumes continue to ramp up. Green hydrogen made through electrolysis relies on renewable electricity and requires electricity prices to fall (or diesel prices to rise even further) for it to offer operating costs savings over diesel.

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April 2022 | 51

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Why you can’t ignore digitalising your document distribution Toby Hawkins, sales director of ‘Software as a Service’ provider mpro5, considers the substantial returns that digitising document distribution can have

ending out documents should be easy, but for most train operating companies (TOCs) it is a perennial headache. “Like many industries, rail is plagued with paperwork, much of it around health and safety compliance,” said Toby Hawkins, mpro5’s sales director. “This is as much about documents people need to sign as it is ones that need to be read and understood by different teams, whether it’s drivers receiving WONS (weekly operating notice) and PONS (periodical operating notice) or COVID cleaning measures for train presentation. “Health and safety documents, briefs, company announcements, changes in legislation, working practice or standard operating procedures – there’s a ton of it and distributing it to the right people at the right time and ensuring that they have read it and taken it on board is a constant challenge for most TOCs.” So how do you deal with it? Toby says many operators still send physical bits of paper around, which is inefficient, time consuming, expensive and certainly not good for the environment. “Email is not much better – yes it’s greener but it is still laborious and more importantly, there is no real structured way to track who’s read, responded or any bounce back,” said Toby. “By default, you end up falling back on a good old Excel tracker. “It’s an absurdly complex solution to a simple problem: you should be able to send someone a document and receive back confirmation that they’ve read it, without all of this extra work.” WONS and PONS WONS and PONS are very important and although operators have different ways of managing these and exactly where the accountability sits between the union and the TOC, the fundamentals are the same. “The drivers need to get the documents, read them, digest them and have them available for reference,” Toby explained. “The problem in this particular case is never going to be drivers not reading them: these are built into their DNA as train drivers. 52 | April 2022

“It’s the logistics of getting the documentation to staff, who are by default mobile and remote, working varied shift patterns and widely distributed across the rail network. “Additionally, the pure raw cost of printing so much documentation is eye watering. I remember being given a figure, thinking it was a lot for a year and being told it was actually per period.”

“No court would consider a checklist a piece of real evidence that you did your best” By contrast, a new health and safety procedure might seem a little more abstract to someone working in the IT department, but if they are at the site of an incident in a depot, that document they didn’t read will be on their minds. Advertorial

Toby said: “Sometimes it’s tempting to approach this problem by just sending every document to everyone, but then you increase the likelihood of email fatigue – if the first few you’ve read were not relevant to you, why would you read the next one? “I dread to think how many of these important documents go unread. As I always say, no one turns up to work to do a bad job or be negligent, but it’s a busy industry and you want to build trust through your employee comms: if I’m sending this to you then it is important that you read it. “Aside from the cost and environmental damage of printing reams of documents, paper lacks traceability, visibility and accountability. “Some TOCs have embraced a digital solution, but few of these go beyond sending emails or using a shared drive, which isn’t a great deal better.” Make your documents work for you Toby explains that the solution to this problem is actually relatively simple and comes in three key components. You need a software platform that has a central document repository, from which all material is sent out. railbusinessdaily.com

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

You need this platform to be able to send this information out to the right people at the press of a button, and you need those receiving it to be able to e-sign it and send that data back. He said: “Once you have this in place, you can collect your data on a simple dashboard that will tell you for every document you send out how many people have read it and how many you are waiting on. “You can also automate reminders to people, either via an application or email, that will ensure everyone has read the new information. “In short, the document does the legwork for you, collecting the data you need and ensuring no one is left out of the loop.” Efficiency, irrefutable evidence and accessibility Explaining the advantages, Toby says this system saves everyone time, whether it’s the employee collecting the document or the

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manager who has to chase everyone to check it’s been read. This is transparently managed through the platform. “Post-pandemic, it feels more egregious than ever if you have to turn up to depot just to collect a sheet of paper and for train drivers, it completely removes the stress of having to obtain their WONs and PONs during a journey,” he said. “Crucially, you will also have irrefutable evidence of your due diligence. Having a full electronic audit trail for your documents protects employees, passengers and the operator. It ensures that best safety practice is being followed, and that you can prove this in the event of an incident.” He added: “No court would consider a checklist a piece of real evidence that you did your best, and it’s key that you can demonstrate that if something happens or the process changes, you have effectively informed your organisation.

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“Finally, it’s worth underlining just how simple this system is: you send out the document, you receive proof that it’s been read, and you can get back to focusing on maintaining compliance and delivering an exceptional passenger experience.” The GBR and consolidation The conversation around this topic is only going to get bigger as rail reform moves ahead, according to Toby. “The Great British Railway, SQRs (service quality regime) and other reforms are in many respects about consolidation and standardisation,” he said. “The expectation is that all TOCs will have software solutions for managing their processes and document distribution is no exception. But the benefits for operators who adopt the system are compelling in and of themselves.”

April 2022 | 53

HS2

Completing HS2’s first tunnel Paul Bigland has visited HS2’s Long Itchington Wood construction site to hear about the tunneling work and the preservation of the habitat above

he word mitigation doesn’t really do justice to what’s happening at HS2’s construction site at Long Itchington. That’s the initial reaction from Paul Bigland, who was in Warwickshire for Rail Director to see the progress of the high-speed rail project’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM). “There’s a large amount of tree planting, rewilding and other work going on to ensure that when the work is completed, HS2 adds more to the environment than it takes away,” he said. The Long Itchington construction site is where the Balfour Beatty/Vinci joint venture is constructing a tunnel to ensure it protects the forest it passes underneath. Long Itchington and Ufton is a single block of ancient woodland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that’s believed to date back to at least 1600AD. Paul said: “HS2 will pass beneath it at depths of between five and 32 metres in a twin bore tunnel that will be one mile (1.6km) long.” A single TBM is being used to construct both bores. It’s named ‘Dorothy’ after local resident Dorothy Hodgkin, who was the first woman to win the Nobel prize in Chemistry. The name was suggested by a local student in a competition run by HS2 Ltd. “‘Dorothy’ is quite a machine despite being smaller than the two TBMs used to build the Chiltern tunnels as the cutting head is ‘only’ 10 metres in diameter because the air pressure experienced when a train passes through the shorter tunnel allows for a smaller bore. “Even so, her statistics are still impressive as her 120m length weighs in at 2,002 tonnes.” December launch Around 170 engineers worked on the TBM during its construction and assembly, with HS2 chief executive officer Mark Thurston pushing the button to start the machine’s one-mile journey in December. “Before we got chance to become friends of Dorothy we were taken to the new visitor centre that overlooks the whole site, including the headwall where the tunnels commence,” said Paul. It gives a panoramic view of the area plus the trace of HS2 as it heads north across the Leam Valley. The centre will soon be hosting tours for locals interested in learning more about the project.” 54 | April 2022

Having donned the PPE in the main offices, Paul was taken through the site to the prefab that controls access to the tunnel. “En route we saw the variety of equipment needed to service the site, such as the buildings housing the slurry treatment

The vehicles resemble something out of ‘Thunderbirds’ as they have to be squat, long and narrow to fit through the body of the TBM where the stone and soil from the tunnel is separated, ready to be reused on other parts of the route,” he said. “There’s also a large gantry crane used for loading the tunnel segments (eight in each twometre wide ring) onto the special service vehicles that carry supplies to the heart of the TBM.” Unlike South Heath, where the tunnel segments are made on site, the ones used at Long Itchington are made off-site in Kent and brought in by road.

“We also threaded our way around the vast numbers of pipe runs taking electricity, air and other services into (and slurry out of) the TBM as it chews through the Triassic period Mercia Mudstone that make up the geology of the area,” said Paul, who was told that 250,000m3 of this material will be excavated. “At the prefab site entrance we collected our breathing apparatus from the ‘tallyman’ who books people in and out of the tunnel. The apparatus gives you 20 minutes of oxygen in case of an emergency, which should allow you to get out of the tunnel or into the emergency chamber on the TBM.” Tunnel experience Paul was guided from this point by tunnel manager Axel Carús from Spain. Axel’s spent the past 21 years building tunnels in Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East. Having left Acciona, the Spanish civil engineers, he’s working for VINCI, part of the joint venture building this section of HS2. “With space inside the tunnel at a premium we were split up into two groups of two,” he said. “This was my first visit to a TBM for 20 years, the last time was a machine boring the HS1 tunnels under East London, so I was curious to see how the technology had changed. railbusinessdaily.com

HS2

“The answer is – not much, the principles are exactly the same, they’ve just become far more automated, sophisticated and safetyconscious.” Watchful eye Entering the tunnel, he passed a small shrine above his head which contained a statue of St Barbera, who’s the patron saint of tunnellers. “It’s traditional to have such shrines on every tunnel site,” he said. “On our way through the machine Axel explained different aspects, such as the smaller ‘keystone’ in each tunnel ring – the positioning of which depends on which direction you want to steer the tunnel lining, and the electrical cable cassettes that each reel out 200m of power line before the TBM has to be stopped to plug in a new one. “We also passed the large tanks which contain the grout that’s injected into the space between the tunnel walls and the segments. This is mixed in the compound and brought in on the service vehicles that keep the TBM supplied with tunnel segments, one ring at a time. “The vehicles resemble something out of ‘Thunderbirds’ as they have to be squat, long and narrow to fit through the body of the TBM.

“They also have a cab at each end as there’s no getting away with a three-point turn in a tunnel.” At the head of the machine, Paul was shown the airlock that people have to pass through to

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work on the cutting head as it operates under pressure to prevent leakages into the tunnel, plus the 22 mighty hydraulic rams or ‘thrust jacks’ which push the machine forward off the tunnel linings the TBM’s already installed.

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HS2

Another set in the front of the machine control the angle of the cutting head, allowing the TBM to gently change direction. Paul said: “The TBM cuts away two metres of tunnel at a time, then stops to allow an eightsegment ring to be installed. The thrust jacks are retracted in groups to allow each segment to be installed before they re-clamp to move forward again. It’s akin to a giant worm pushing through the soil. “Next we were shown the 11 huge motors which power the cutting head before having a tour of and chance to chat to the staff in the control room – the heart of the machine which controls the whole operation.” Next door is a small rest room where each 17-person crew (who do 12-hour shifts) can take breaks and eat in a safe, clean environment. Having two shifts in order to run the machine 24 hours a day lessens the risk of settlement on the surface. Lifepods Adjacent is the emergency pod where a total 30 people can be safe and secure in the event of an emergency. The pod carries oxygen, food and water to last 24 hours. Paul said: “Axel explained that the main cause for concern on a TBM was a fire on a service vehicle as there’s only one way out of the tunnel in case of a conflagration. “Axel also highlighted the most crucial part of the machine – the main bearing which the cutting head rotates on. If this is damaged the machine’s stuck. “It can’t be pulled out as it’s created a smaller diameter (9.6m) lined tunnel behind it. It can’t go forwards either, so a shaft has to be dug down from above to allow access to the machine to change the bearing – a costly, awkward and time-consuming business. Needless to say, such an eventuality is extremely rare.”

56 | April 2022

The crew are still going through a learning curve and the TBM has yet to bed in, so Dorothy isn’t operating at peak efficiency as yet. Eventually, it (and they) will do so, but Axel explained that this synergy of man and machine isn’t really expected to develop until they’re used to build the next tunnel on the project – the 5.7km-long Bromford tunnel west of the Delta Junction near Birmingham. “For the next five months Dorothy will bore her way deep under the ancient woodlands,” said Paul. “Once the TBM emerges the cutting head will be dismantled and taken back to the launch site while the body of the machine will be pulled back through the tunnel it’s created. “The idea behind this is so that only one

launch site (with all its expansive services) is needed, which saves more woodland and causes less land-take and disruption at Stoney Thorpe near Southam where the tunnels end. Here the bored tunnel will be extended by an excavated ‘green’ tunnel. This consideration of the environment is the thread that runs throughout the project. It will make HS2 the most environmentally conscious railway project ever conceived in the UK. It’s certainly a far cry from when the Victorians were busy building our original railway network.” In total there will be 10 HS2 tunnel boring machines (TBMs) on Phase One, working to create 64 miles of tunnel between London and the West Midlands for Britain’s high-speed rail project.

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Heritage

Celebrating the heritage railways The restoration of the Black Five and Seaton Tramway were among the big winners at the annual Heritage Railway Association Awards

Preservation and restoration The Morgan Award for Preservation, which recognises rolling stock restoration, was handed to the Great Central Railway-based Quorn Wagon and Wagon Group. The 17-wagon box van train completed by the team, which is dedicated to non-passenger rolling stock, saw them pick up the trophy. The Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award, sponsored by Morris Lubricants, was presented to the Strathspey Railway for its restoration of London Midland and Scottish Railway ‘Black Five’ No. 5025. The hotly contested title of Outstanding Visitor Attraction, sponsored by Hallett Oils, was this

Historian and TV presenter Tim Dunn was guest speaker at the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2022

The Young Volunteer Award was one of the most hotly contested of all year taken by Seaton Tramway. The 2ft 9in gauge tramway’s entry demonstrated the huge amount of digital work that has been carried out as well as a real attention to detail in customer satisfaction. In the HRA Award for Diesel Locomotion, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s transformation

Seaton Tramway picked up the award for Outstanding Visitor Attraction

58 | April 2022

Image: Heritage Railway Association

ntries for the 2022 Heritage Railway Association (HRA) Awards reached a record-breaking high this year, with more than 75 submissions covering almost every element of railway preservation in the UK. Hundreds of heritage railway volunteers and staff gathered in Birmingham in March to find out who had been crowned as winners at a celebratory event hosted by Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways general manager Paul Lewin and guest speaker Tim Dunn. Steve Oates, HRA chief executive, said: “This awards event means a huge amount to the heritage rail sector. It’s our chance to celebrate the railways and individuals who have gone above and beyond to deliver the quality, experience, ingenuity and passion that heritage railways depend upon.”

Image: Heritage Railway Association

of pioneering 1920s Drewry railcar No. 2 swept aside the other contestants to claim the trophy. The judges were impressed by the return of a vehicle, that many had forgotten even existed, to first-class condition by the line. The shortlist for the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award had no fewer than 11 names on it, but 25-year-old Kent and East Sussex Railway volunteer fireman and guard Sarah Tagart pipped all of the others to take the trophy. As well as her operational duties, Sarah was responsible for the recruitment of a record-breaking number of new volunteers at the Tenterden-based line. Record breaking Steve said: “We had a record-breaking number of entries this year, and the Young Volunteer Award was one of the most hotly contested of all. I’m sure the judges would have given all 11 an award if they could, but Sarah’s work really shone, and it’s terrific that she took the top prize.” Young people also triumphed in the Most Innovative Fundraising Idea category, sponsored by Hallett Oils. Downs Light Railway teenage volunteers Thomas and Lucy Isherwood set about fundraising for the miniature railway during the coronavirus pandemic and managed to turn their target of raising £2,000 into £50,000 of funding for the line. The HRA Award for Environmental Innovation, sponsored by Direct Track Solutions, was won by the Bure Valley Railway. railbusinessdaily.com

The 15in gauge railway has been taking a pioneering role in trials of biomass blended fuel to replace traditional coal and has also adopted a raft of other initiatives in an effort to prove that steam railways can respond to increasing concerns about the environment. There were so many entries for the HRA Award for Communications, sponsored by Wrigleys Solicitors, that it had to be split into internal and external categories. In the internal competition, the West Somerset Railway Association triumphed with its publication West Somerset Railway Journal. The East Lancashire Railway took the award for external communications back to Bury after judges recognised the railway’s efforts in transforming its digital presence to better capture the heritage nature of the line. Standout winners The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway was the standout winner in the HRA Award for Small Groups, sponsored by Allelys Heavy Haulage. The railway attracted record numbers of visitors even in the face of a curtailed operating season due to the pandemic. It also completed the award-winning reconstruction of the Maidenhead canopy.

The Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award was presented to Sarah Tagart from the Kent and East Sussex Railway

Image: Heritage Railway Association

Heritage

In the HRA Award for Large Groups, also sponsored by Allelys Heavy Haulage, the Bodmin and Wenford Railway won for its work to transform its business operations. The line totally revised its marketing operations to reduce costs, changed its catering operations and moved to pre-booked ticket sales. The changes brought a bumper 55,000 visitors to the railway. The HRA Chairman’s Special Award was awarded to Railway Vehicle Preservations Ltd for the rebuild of London and North Eastern Railway ‘beavertail’ observation saloon back to

its 1937 condition. The judging panel felt that the restoration of such a historically important carriage deserved special credit and that the Chairman’s Special Award was the best way to show that. Enormous contribution To mark 70 years of preservation, the Talyllyn Railway was given the Manisty Award for Excellence. The most prestigious award given by the HRA, the accolade was presented to honour the enormous contribution that the Welsh narrow-gauge line has made to the whole heritage railway sector and the inspiration it has provided to others for seven decades. Steve concluded: “The awards were a great opportunity to look back to the birth of heritage rail and take new inspiration from the massive success that the Talyllyn spearheaded all those years ago. “After another really tough 12 months, not just for heritage railways but for the whole country, it’s been immensely satisfying to see and hear what a fantastic job volunteers and staff across the industry have been doing. It fills me with pride and with optimism that we will overcome whatever challenges face us next.”

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April 2022 | 59

IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

No dig? No doubt who you should turn to Nationwide suction excavation experts Force One Ltd have carved out their own rail industry niche

orce One Ltd aims to be the ‘go-to’ supplier for the rail industry’s suction excavation needs. The business, operating nationwide from its base in Cambridgeshire, was established in 2004 as a utility contractor and, by 2011, had grown to be one of the largest independent operators in Europe of 26, 32 and 41 tonne road-based suction (also referred to as vacuum) excavators, serving high-risk nuclear, airport and refinement sectors. In 2013 the business was approached by Network Rail to carry out the excavation of ballast and excavations around level crossings with good road access, which led to the decision to design and develop a dedicated and fully bespoke rail-based high power, no-dig suction system. This new system operated on track for the first time in 2018 and a significant investment in these multi-option on track plant solutions allowed Force One Ltd to be more mobile when serving the growing needs of rail. Duplicating the same excavation techniques and safety expertise acquired in the preceding years with its road-based plant, Force One Ltd’s on track solutions sees its machine primarily used for ballast replacement works and wet beds, leaving the track in situ, which is ideal for Network Rail’s Maintenance and Works Delivery Units. Other works see Force One Ltd reconfigure its machines for safe dig options for trial holes works and under track crossing (UTX) excavations. Growth and expansion Force One Ltd now has 19 non-rail mounted suction systems and three rail mounted systems, while over next 18 months its road fleet will grow by another six units and an additional Road Rail Vehicle (RRV), with more rail units also on order. With its range of RRVs, in conjunction with its fleet of road-based plant, support vehicles and equipment, the business offers on track material containment to systems ballast containers, on track extraction to RRV ballast container/wagons, off track extraction to road suction vehicles and on track extraction to adjacent engineering trains. 60 | April 2022

Declan Burke, rail director, Force One Ltd.

The business also provides a hire service for nationwide projects across the UK.

carving out the company’s niche in rail saw Declan take the lead.

“We identified that we had a specific niche expertise that would be of benefit to the rail industry”

Approvals, demonstrations and trials Declan was responsible for ensuring that the new rail-mounted systems went through the necessary approvals, demonstrations and trials and, as a registered Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) tester and assessor, also took the team on the journey with him (the business operates one of the first national training and test centres for the A78 suction excavator certification). Declan said: “We identified that we had a specific niche expertise that would be of benefit to the rail industry and seized on the opportunity that came our way. Since then for us it’s been about taking small steps, learning along the way, sticking to our niche market and growing gradually. “From the point Network Rail approached us in 2013, the word spread about what the company was capable of.

Playing an instrumental part in the journey of Force One Ltd is rail director Declan Burke, who joined the family-owned business after graduating university with a degree in architecture. Initially taking a hands-on role, operating plant and machinery, Declan moved into an onsite supervisor role before the conversation with MD Patrick Burke about Advertorial

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

“We established a good name for ourselves, via word of mouth our reputation for delivering suction and vacuum excavation grew and we were getting queries about what we could provide, what we could reach. That’s when we took a step back and realised we had the opportunity to create a fully bespoke system for rail and we decided to make that happen. “We’ve made a significant investment for a company of our size. Over the past three years we’ve invested £1.3 million in our on track system and £600,000 on back-up support vehicles, attachments, trailers and additional civils plant to support our service.” Network Rail link Force One Ltd currently has framework agreements on a route level basis. Around 80 per cent of its suction excavation work for rail comes directly via Network Rail. The company has carried out work extensively in Anglia, Sussex and Wessex, its road-based machines were used to uncover cables through a 500m tunnel at London Kings Cross, while at Wickenby the company, having been granted its On-Track Plant Operations Scheme (POS) Licence in 2021, provided a full POS scheme which included re-ballast.

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In addition to its Network Rail approvals, Force One Ltd has HS1 approvals and is in the process of obtaining plant approvals for London Underground Limited. Declan added: “We’re slowly getting recognition for our work. There will still be Network Rail delivery units that haven’t heard of us yet, but they will. In the areas we are working we have a good reputation and we’re taking the right approach in this high risk industry.

“Our family values run through the business” “We’re developing slowly and getting everything right. It is key for us to grow at the right speed and to continue to provide a tailored and personal service to our customers, ensuring that the correct machines are allocated to the correct works.” Engaging with a family-owned and family-led business has some key advantages for clients and customers.

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Building up its team incrementally as the company has grown in size, scale and ambition has also provided Force One Ltd with the opportunity to instil a good workplace culture and to provide career development for its people. Including its management team, the business currently employs 57 people and has a strong track record of promoting from within and upskilling its team members, with those entering the company directly from school getting the necessary training and support to become POS supervisors and lift planners, and office administrators rising through the ranks and training to become health and safety managers. The company is RISQS audited and its directly employed PTS certified operational teams are capable of undertaking a range of rail projects efficiently and effectively. Declan said: “We believe our people are what sets us apart and allow us to provide the high levels of customer service we provide. We like to promote the upskilling of staff members at all levels and provide the necessary training and investment in people. Our family values run through the business, we reward the effort of our team members and whenever possible we promote from within.” New facilities Force One Ltd has outgrown its depot in March, Cambridgeshire, and over the next 24 months the company will expand its facilities to incorporate a new state-of-the-art maintenance, office and training facility. Registered and approved to deliver suction excavation training, the new training facility will be a new area of growth for the business. Force One Ltd is also investing in health and safety compliance systems and new technology – its bespoke app provides access to customer site surveys, quotations, POS and planning documentation. Declan added: “We’re always looking ahead to invest in the best technology available. We’re in a highly competitive market so if we can gain an edge with our use of technology, we will. “We will be expanding both our road and rail fleets throughout 2022 and beyond with the ultimate aim of establishing ourselves across the rail industry. We want to be the go-to for suction excavation in both the rail and civils environments. From day one it was very important to us that we procured the very best equipment and services. I feel we have built a strong supply chain and we look forward to continually working with them as we continue to grow. “We’re highly skilled at what we do and concentrate on being specialists in our field. We’ve grown slowly together and the next decade looks very exciting for us as we continue to evolve to serve the needs of UK rail.” April 2022 | 61

People

Achieving safe and healthy working practices Rail Director meets James Adshead, the former firefighter, London cabbie, and lecturer, who is now head of workforce safety for Network Rail’s Southern Region

or more than 30 years you’d have been more likely to see James Adshead driving a fire engine than working on the railway, but a track change 13 years ago saw him take on an equally important role, helping to keep Network Rail’s staff safe. He credits the experiences and opportunities at the London Fire Brigade (LFB) – latterly as its group manager in the health and safety department – to him developing an eclectic set of skills that have put him to good use in a variety of roles and situations. Advice and guidance No more so than at Network Rail where he is head of workforce safety for the Southern Region, a role that also sees him providing advice and guidance around applying the company’s standards, working within the Rail Safety and Standards Board rules to improve both safety and performance by working smarter. 62 | April 2022

Driving a cab was something I did to make ends meet, plus I was always fascinated by London “Both jobs at the fire service and Network Rail involve teamwork and shift working and of course there is the working over Christmas and New Year,” he said. “There were lots of similarities to our frontline teams and I worked in health and safety for the fire brigade where we had to overcome issues with trying to fit the rules to the ways of working. “Attending emergency calls is dynamic and there are no sets of rules that can provide the

answer to what you might be called out to, so you have to adapt what you have. “The railway feels like this in many instances. We have a lot of rules but having to negotiate which ones apply at which time and choosing what is appropriate for the occasion is not always easy.” Politics and philosophy While working at LFB, James was also a London taxi driver, holding a cab licence for more than 20 years. “Driving a cab was something I did to make ends meet, plus I was always fascinated by London, its buildings and history,” he said. “I did a degree in politics, philosophy and history and then went to work at Birkbeck College as a part-time lecturer on the degree course. I taught first-year students, advised on essay and exam techniques, marked essays and generally supported students through the course. railbusinessdaily.com

People

“A skill I learned from this was how to take complex ideas and present them in a way that people could understand, which is really useful in my current role.” James joined Network Rail in June 2009, initially working in rail maintenance, before becoming a health and safety manager, and then principal health and safety manager (head of workforce safety). Flexible needs “Working for the LFB was about balancing risk and benefit,” he said. “Safety was really important but so was rendering the service the public expected. There were lots of rules, but these needed to be flexible to enable staff to do their job. Training and familiarity with tools and equipment were key elements to delivering performance. “I had never thought about a career on the railway. When I left the LFB I wanted to do something completely different and saw an advert for jobs with Network Rail. “Although I was a senior officer with the LFB, by the time I left I started as a workforce health safety environment advisor with Network Rail. I knew nothing about the railway but saw it as somewhere exciting to work and completely different from what I had been doing.

“I was not disappointed. I don’t think the general public have any idea what goes on in maintaining and enhancing the railway, about the number of staff employed, the type of work they do or the commitment it takes. I don’t think we have been good at promoting it.”

Working for the LFB was about balancing risk and benefit, safety was really important James is currently working as the head of workforce safety for the Southern Region, as well as providing advice and support to the track safety team and running a team of safety coaches, that provides second line assurances to activities. “My current role involves providing advice and guidance to the region and route on safety related issues, primarily around how the workforce use

and interpret the rules and standards and how we can use them to improve performance. It also involves engaging with the technical authority to look at ways we can improve safety for staff with new equipment and new ways of working. “During my time at Network Rail there continues to be an increasing focus on health and wellbeing, which has become increasingly important since COVID. The importance of good mental health is being recognised not just for the benefit it brings, but because of the impact of poor mental health on all other aspects of health and safety. Fulfilment “Being fit and healthy is a key part of being safe, enjoying coming to work and feeling fulfilled. That is why having the right organisational culture is important. Technology can play a big part in reducing physical activity, reducing time on track, speeding up work and improving performance, but we need to make sure we can integrate the technology in a way that reduces the workload rather than increases it.” James is calling time on his career at Network Rail at the end of July and is looking for a new challenge, which based on the wide range of his previous roles could lead to anything.

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International News

Hitachi names location for $70 million factory

itachi Rail has announced that Washington County, Maryland, will be the location of its state-of-the-art $70 million factory that will build the new fleet of 8000-series railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro). In a major expansion of Hitachi Rail’s presence in the US, the new site will manufacture modern railcars for the Washington DC region and will have the capacity to serve the wider North American railway market. Hitachi Rail has taken the strategic decision to make its new facility a central manufacturing hub for its Americas business. The factory will develop a skilled new workforce, create a broad local supply chain and bring extensive

Image: Hitachi Rail

economic value to the region. The site in Washington County, Maryland, is well located to serve the Washington metro area – and is 90 minutes from Metro’s Greenbelt Rail Yard, where the completed trains will be delivered. An important advantage of the location is that the Greater Hagerstown region is

a major centre for logistics and has excellent connections to the northeastern United States and beyond. Andrew Barr, group chief executive officer, Hitachi Rail, said: “I’m delighted to confirm the location of our new state-of-the-art US train factory in Washington County, Maryland. From here, our

460-strong American workforce will build a fleet of modern metro trains and have the capability to build trains for towns and cities across North America. “Hitachi Rail’s mission is to provide more seamless, sustainable journeys for passengers, customers and cities, and the creation of a new American train factory reflects our ambition to deliver for the United States.” Having acquired the plot, near the growing Hopewell Valley industrial park in Washington County, Maryland, the next stage will involve preparing the land for construction. Once the process of grading the land is finished in the autumn, the construction of the factory will begin in earnest, with the site scheduled to be operational in winter 2023/24.

Regionerate to deliver major part of Australian Inland project

he Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has picked the consortium that will deliver a major leg of the Inland Rail project. Regionerate Rail, a consortium comprising Clough, GS Engineering and Construction, Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo), Service Stream and Plenary Group, has been chosen for the section spanning Gowrie (near Toowoomba) and Kagaru (near Beaudesert).

Inland Rail is a public-private initiative designed to dramatically improve how freight crosses Australia. The section Regionerate Rail will be responsible for will be approximately 128km of new and upgraded rail track through the most geographically challenging section of the 1,700km rail line from Brisbane to Melbourne, and it includes a 6.2km tunnel through the Great Dividing Range – the largest diameter freight tunnel in the southern hemisphere.

ARTC Inland Rail interim chief executive Rebecca Pickering said the decision to select Regionerate Rail followed a two-year process with the best of international expertise competing to be part of the project. “This landmark agreement is huge for Inland Rail and puts billions of dollars in stimulus, jobs and long-term economic growth on the table for Queensland – through construction, Inland Rail is expected to support more

than 11,800 jobs and deliver a $7.8 billion boost to the state’s economy during construction and over the forward operations,” she said. “I am looking forward to seeing this solution become a reality. The project is a game-changer for the way we will deliver freight around the nation and during the past two years we have been reminded time and time again how important our future supply chains are.”

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International News

First hydrogen-powered train for Bavaria B

avaria has signed a contract for its first hydrogenpowered train. Representatives of Siemens Mobilit y and B ayerische Regiobahn (BRB) have signed a leasing contract for a prototype in the presence of Bavaria’s economic affairs minister Hubert Aiwanger and Bavaria’s transport minister Christian Bernreiter. The contract is a follow-up to the letter of intent signed by all the participants in July 2021. The two-car hydrogen-powered trainset of the latest generation will be presented to the public in the spring of 2022. The train will be tested on the Augsburg-Füssen route, among others, beginning in mid-2023. Pilot operations in the rail network of Bayerische Regiobahn are initially planned for 30 months. The train is expected to officially enter passenger service as of January 2024.

Christian Bernreiter, Albrecht Neumann, Arnulf Schuchmann, Hubert Aiwanger

Bavaria’s economic affairs minister Hubert Aiwanger said: “Green hydrogen is becoming a key pillar for comprehensive climate protection in the areas of transportation, industry and energy. “As minister of economic affairs and energy, I am pleased that our Bavarian Hydrogen Strategy can increasingly address concrete issues. This train is an important part of this strategy towards a ‘transport turnaround’ with hydrogen, which is

why we are promoting this project. “I am convinced that with green hydrogen propulsions we can significantly reduce pollutant emissions in heavy-duty and rail transport and contribute to decarbonisation. The one-sided dependence on energy supplies can also be reduced and spread across many regions of the world.” Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter explained: “I’m really pleased that we’ll soon be

able to introduce this innovative technology in Bavaria and test it in regular operation. We’re working closely with our partners to get this lighthouse project under way because we’re convinced hydrogen propulsion can also contribute to attractive and even climate-neutral passenger rail transport. Our goal is to achieve this by 2040 at the latest. Bavaria’s support of the pilot project with funding of several million euros is more than well-invested.”

Wabtec brings sustainable locomotive to Brazilian rail freight

abtec Corporation is bringing a new locomotive model to Brazil’s freight rail market with deliveries to Suzano, MRS and Rumo. The business says the introduction of the ES44ACi dieselelectric locomotive provides Brazil’s railroads improved performance on their decarbonisation journey.

Daniela Ornelas, vice president of products at Wabtec, said: “The ES44ACi locomotive features the Evolution Series diesel engine, producing the same 4,500 horsepower with just 12 cylinders compared to its predecessor the 16-cylinder FDL engine. “This represents greater energy efficiency and lower emissions,

thanks to a project aimed at the thermal efficiency of combustion combined with a dual-intake air cooling system adopted in these four-stroke turbocharged engines equipped with electronic fuel injection.” This engine technology enables the locomotive to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by

more than five per cent compared to its predecessor. The high-strength materials used in the ES44ACi also improve the reliability of the diesel engine and dramatically increase intervals for major maintenance by approximately 28 per cent, lowering operating costs over the locomotive’s life cycle.

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IFnedaut us tr rey S p o t l i g h t

A decade of serving the railways Jamieson Contracting is celebrating its 10-year journey in the rail industry

amieson Contracting, a multi-disciplinary construction and engineering company based in the North West, has recently celebrated 10 years working within the rail industry. Over the past decade, it has built strong relationships with clients including Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Network Rail, and Merseytravel, and delivered more than 150 projects across the country. In late 2011, Jamieson Contracting was selected by TfGM to complete works at Brooklands Tram Stop. The project involved building a new staircase to provide better access for passengers at the station. After the appointment, it became clear that the poor ground conditions were unable to support the works, and Jamieson provided an alternative solution involving the installation of cross piles, which substantially minimised the cost of the variation. Cost effective This proactive approach and ability to provide cost-effective solutions led the company to secure further works with TfGM, including returning to Brooklands 10 years later as part of TfGM’s cycle improvement scheme in late 2021. In 2012, Jamieson was chosen by TfGM to provide the refurbishment of Piccadilly Undercroft Metrolink station. The line had been extended to reach Ashton-Under-Lyne, and Jamieson provided a complete refurbishment and renovation of the existing station, including new entranceways and doors, lighting, ticket machines, crowd control barriers, traffic barriers, and signage. Jamieson Contracting has continued to support TfGM with various improvement projects, including the completion of Rochdale Underpass Refurbishment, which was awarded the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) North Small Project of the Year 2016 and was shortlisted for Small Rail Project of the year at The UK Rail Industry Awards. In 2018, the company was appointed to Network Rail’s five-year Buildings and Civils framework for both the LNW routes, North and South. Over the past four years, it has delivered a multitude of projects, including repairs on live railway tracks requiring possessions, level crossing repairs, platform renewals, refurbishment of live signalling offices and maintenance centres, and creating new ticket offices in operational stations. 66 | April 2022

Piccadilly Undercroft Metrolink Station

Their first project involved a car park renewal at Maidenhead station, providing the repair and reinstatement of surfacing, curbs, and linemarkings. The works were undertaken over the weekend to avoid affecting commuter parking, and were completed in under 72 hours.

“We have recently been selected for a number of new projects, and we look forward to continuing to deliver a high level of quality and customer satisfaction” Recent projects include the internal and external refurbishment of Stoke NMC, which incorporated a number of sustainable features such as electric car charger points, sunlight tunnels to bring natural light into the office areas, and off-site construction of the new modular security guard office. Jamieson Contracting has also recently delivered a project at Coventry station, involving upgrading and replacing the existing main water supply to the island platforms. This complex scheme has required under track crossing (UTX) between platforms one and two with possession management and platform resurfacing of all disturbed areas. Currently, Jamieson is working on the TfGM decarbonisation scheme, supporting TfGM in its carbon reduction aims across various sites in the North West. The project delivers solar installations, mechanical and electrical alterations, lighting upgrades, and upgrading boiler systems to externally mounted air source heat pumps to provide significant energy savings. Advertorial

They have also recently secured a number of projects with Network Rail, including the design and build of occupational health clinics, which will provide walk-in centres for Network Rail employees at Birmingham, Crewe, and Lancaster stations. The development is currently in the design stages and will be due to commence on site in summer 2022. Andrew Jamieson, director at Jamieson Contracting, said: “It’s fantastic to reach this milestone of 10 years within the rail industry. Our teams have been instrumental to our success with their hard work, dedication, and effective approach to communication, health and safety, quality, and environmental issues resulting in regular, repeat business with our transport clients. Knowledgeable team “We have recently been selected for a number of new projects, and we look forward to continuing to deliver a high level of quality and customer satisfaction to all Jamieson clients.” Jamieson Contracting is a Network Rail Principal Contractors Licence holder and employs an experienced and knowledgeable team, including a Network Rail Contractors Engineering Manager (CEM) and Contractors Responsible Engineers (CRE). The company provides a full turn-key solution for clients in both civil engineering and construction, with the ability to lead the design process and provide technical advice to maximise both budget potential and project quality. For more information, Visit http://jamiesoncontracting.co.uk/

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RBD Community

Out and about with the RBD Community Eli Rees-King, head of RBD Community, rounds up some of the highlights of the past few weeks

he RBD Community team works hard for its members and with a focus on supporting profile-raising activities and providing new business development opportunities, members often consider us as an important extension to their own team. This is something we are very proud of and it is a great accolade for us to be considered in this way. KTN Innovation Exhibition London: Nigel Wordsworth (Editor of Inside Track) and myself went down to the Innovation Exhibition in London on Tuesday 22 March – a showcase of the best in rail innovation organised by Department for Transport (DfT), Innovate UK, Innovate UK KTN. It was an excellent event and very well attended. It was great to see RBD Community members exhibiting there too including Composite Braiding, KONUX, One Big Circle and RASIC.

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RBD Community Member visits When we can, we try to get out to meet members of the RBD Community to find out how we can provide the best level of support and understand more about the needs of the business. This month we have been to see:

Achilles – based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, we spent the day finding out more about the supply chain verification solutions they provide and how they work with organisations in rail to offer cross sector visibility with buyers. We also discussed opportunities for further collaboration, and we will be sharing this with you all as soon as the plans have been agreed. IM Kelly Rail & Aerospace – part of the IMK Group that serves the automotive, aerospace, rail and leisure sectors with natural high quality leather, technical fabrics and man-made material as well as trimmed components. I really enjoyed finding out more about the business at the facility in Coventry and it was so interesting to discover how many members of the community collaborate. More on that next time!

CB Frost – specialists in the conversion of rubber, sponge and plastic materials, where we met with Daniel Brock, business development manager and also a member of the RBD Community. Dan told me more about the business and how they continuously strive to meet the stringent needs of their customers in the rail sector. You can read more about this on the RBD Community’s LinkedIn page. Railway Children Sleepout Rachel Woodman and I took part in the Railway Children Sleepout on Thursday, 31 April. There were 350 people sleeping out on stations all over the country and more than £170,000 has been raised as a result. We stayed at Derby Station, and despite our high spirits early on in the evening, by 2am the experience became very

real with freezing temperatures, noisy trains and generally feeling pretty uncomfortable. We were, however, able to pack up in the morning and have a nice cup of coffee and a bacon roll before heading home. These vital funds will be used to support the hundreds of children who face hardship every day around the world. Thank you to everyone who sponsored us.

Looking ahead We have our Rail Safety and Infrastructure event to look forward to on 3 May at the University of Birmingham and then it’s off to Railtex/Infrarail 10-12 May – please come and

see us. It’s certainly all go! If you would like to speak with us about the RBD Community and how we can help your business, please contact eli@railbusinessdaily.com railbusinessdaily.com