Ed Akers and Toufic
Machnouk
A digital railway journey
Shamit Gaiger
Creating an innovative culture
Laura Strangeway
Taking North Yorkshire Moors Railway forward
Mike Roberts
Changing as a community and collectively
August 2024
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very warm welcome to the latest edition of Rail Director – a particularly special one for our readers and the team at Rail Business Daily, as we mark the magazine’s fourth anniversary. It feels like only yesterday that we launched the magazine, with the aim of creating a highly relevant and essential platform sharing key and essential rail business messages, while at the same time highlighting the amazing efforts of individuals and organisations working in the rail industry.
I hope you agree that that is something we have, and continue to achieve, getting stronger with each edition. Over the last four years, we have interviewed more than 500 people, each with a fascinating story to tell, and each playing a vital role in ensuring the rail industry is the success it is. This has been thanks to the amazing efforts of the entire team, from sales through to design, to those who have featured in the magazine, organisations showcasing their products and services, and those sharing their railway journeys.
We have covered some wonderful stories, something that continues this month, with the edition themed around railway systems. The cover feature is John Dowsett, Chief Executive Officer at Octavius Infrastructure, who reflects on the first three years since the company went it alone from the Geoffrey Osborne Ltd Group. It’s been a fantastic journey and one that is only going to grow, particularly with the strong successes in Control Period 7. You can read the full feature from page 6.
A particularly exciting project, which is gathering momentum, is the East Coast Digital Programme and the wider masterplan to build capability in moving to the renewal-led deployments of digital signalling across the network. Rail Director was recently invited to an update on the project, speaking with Network Rail’s Ed Akers and Toufic Machnouk. The sheer scale of this project shouldn’t be underestimated, but great progress is being made. As Ed explains in the article from page 10, “it is vital every partner succeeds”.
Also in this edition, Nigel Wordsworth attended the Railway Challenge, an annual competition for teams of apprentices, students and recent graduates, organised by the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Teams have to design and build a miniature locomotive running on 10¼” gauge track and use it to attempt a number of challenges. You can read his report on page 22.
There is also news from RBD Community (RBDC), which has announced plans to cease operating as a standalone membership organisation at the end of 2024. From 2025 it will provide its valuable package of benefits exclusively to Railway Industry Association (RIA) members through Rail Business Daily. Member Relations & Content Manager Fiona Broomfield explains what this means for RBDC and RIA members on page 70.
As always, we are eager to hear from you, so please talk to us about how we can help you to tell your story and help your business succeed. Next month’s magazine will be themed around stations, and space is filling fast, so if you would like to be included please get in touch. Thank you for all of your support, I hope you enjoy the latest Rail Director.
All the best,
Danny Longhorn Editor
It feels like only yesterday that we launched the magazine
Rail Director magazine and Railbusinessdaily.com are assets owned by the Railway Industry Association. Railbusinessdaily.com delivers more than 70 stories a week to +73,000 rail industry professionals in our daily 7am newsletter. If you have not already subscribed, it’s free and it’s easy to do so at www.railbusinessdaily.com, please also encourage your colleagues to do the same. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on the UK’s railways. There is a digital copy of Rail Director on our website.
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John Dowsett, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Octavius Infrastructure, reflects on the first three years since the company went alone from the Geoffrey Osborne Ltd Group
Network Rail’s Ed Akers and Toufic Machnouk outline the journey ahead in the East Coast Digital Programme and the wider masterplan to build capability in moving to the renewal-led deployments of digital signalling across the network
A time-expired bridge which carried a road junction over the main line has been replaced during a 16-day blockade
After 10 years of trying, a team from the University of Sheffield, with support from Furrer+Frey and other local companies, has won the Railway Challenge in the face of fierce international competition
Reports of landslips and washouts are becoming all too common recently. Mona Sihota, Network Rail’s Technical Head Drainage & Lineside, has long-term plans to reduce their occurrence
As the rail industry strives to reduce carbon output and reach its zero carbon target by 2050, Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) experts have been working on a raft of measures to make this more possible
Shamit Gaiger OBE, Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development, told the Modern Railways’ Railway Innovation Awards audience about the company’s ambitions and the challenges it faces
Rose Garber, Member Relations Director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), explains more about its Members Connect events, which are providing a platform for collaboration
50 Latest section of Midland Main Line is electrified
New overhead line equipment has been installed over a 36km stretch of the Midland Main Line. Network Rail’s Chris Morgan-Jones and SPL Powerlines UK’s Simon Skinner and Lee Farmer explain more
52 Taking North Yorkshire Moors Railway forward
Laura Strangeway has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of North Yorkshire Moors Railway. She explains more about the journey
60 Driving change in innovation and sustainability
Rail industry leaders and stakeholders will be in West Sussex on Tuesday, September 10, for RIA’s London and South Rail Summit. Region Chair Ryan Anderson and Vice Chair Bryony Goldsmith explain more
62 “Everything is possible”
Mandy Duncan, Managing Director of Rail and Aviation at Kier Transportation, discusses providing transport solutions that are sustainable, long-lasting and delivering infrastructure that is vital to the UK
64 Changing as a community and collectively
Railway Chaplain Mike Roberts writes about the importance of fixing our eyes on a railway that is reliable, better value, better performing and safer
70 Better together
RBD Community’s Member Relations & Content Manager Fiona Broomfield discusses plans for the popular RBD Community benefits package to be made exclusively available to RIA members from 2025
78 Simplicity and the ability to multi-task and compartmentalise
Joanna Davey has joined Winder Phillips Associates (WPA) after 20 years spent working across the wider rail industry
82 Northumberland Line: Major milestone as signalling and track install completed
David Ball, Network Rail’s Senior Sponsor for the project explains how the programme has been much more than dusting off some old infrastructure
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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 Rail Director please ring 01132 082620 or email info@railbusinessdaily.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.
John Dowsett, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Octavius Infrastructure, reflects on the first three years since the company went it alone from the Geoffrey Osborne Ltd Group
It was three years ago that Osborne’s former infrastructure business officially became an independent entity and subsequently rebranded as Octavius Infrastructure.
John Dowsett had been part of Osborne for 25 years and Managing Director of its infrastructure business for more than six years, before becoming CEO of Octavius Infrastructure under the ownership of Sullivan Street Partners.
“It has been an exciting ride,” he said. “There was a little apprehension initially, leading a group of fantastic people, some of whom I had worked alongside for 25 years, into a new chapter in the organisation’s history, but any worries I had around moving from family ownership to private equity ownership were quickly dissipated when I met the founders of Sullivan Street Partners whose values, ethos and approach were very much aligned with mine, with a real people and customer focus.
“The partners take a very responsible approach as stewards of their businesses. They provide very strong non-executive input and look at things from a different perspective, which has enabled us to think differently about how we do things. They challenge our traditional approach, particularly around aspects such as lean thinking and developing a systemised approach to project delivery, which has allowed us to support the rail industry in a slightly different way.”
Octavius Infrastructure is a specialist transport infrastructure business that concentrates on railways and highways. With a strong focus on its core project management skills, the business designs and delivers a wide range of both civil engineering and electrification solutions, including structures, stations and depots, earthworks, reactive maintenance, track, commercial property, sub-stations, switchgear renewals and NSCD’s, amongst their multi-modal transport hubs, car parks and wider highways offering. The business is a Tier 1 supplier to key public bodies such as Network Rail, National Highways and Transport for London.
“The initial target as Octavius Infrastructure was to double the size of the business over a five-year period,” he said. “We are halfway through that plan and exactly halfway to achieving that target, having now grown the business to over £300 million per annum. We have been careful to ensure that this growth has
been sensibly achieved through the right type of work where we can build good solid relationships and really add value to our customers.
“Building on the great foundations from when we were part of the Osborne Group has been key, focusing on our people, our customers and the embedded values and principles that have made us successful to date. It centres on bringing people together; collaborating with our customers, integrating our suppliers, and developing our people to deliver assured, sustainable and efficient transport solutions.
“Staying true to our heritage, together with renewed investment, a dedicated focus on transport infrastructure and adding a more progressive, more disruptive and a more innovative approach has enabled us to continue to grow both our reputation and our order book.”
The organisation is proving particularly important to the rail industry with strong successes in Control Period 7 (CP7) in new regions for the business, whilst retaining a key presence in its historical heartland of the Southern region of the UK. John is particularly excited by its involvement in Network Rail’s Southern Renewals Enterprise (SRE), which represents a radical departure from traditional ways of delivering the renewals workbank. It is based on Project 13 principles, which drives an aligned way of working with the capable owner (Network Rail) and the delivery partners. The SRE has created an integrated team that is focused on aligned outcomes, greater adoption of modern methods of construction, efficient access and reduced customer impact, and the creation of an aligned ecosystem that is incentivised to achieve the aligned outcomes.
“The £9 billion, 10-year renewal programme is being executed by the Southern Integrated Delivery (SID) Partnership which started at the beginning of CP7, and we’re delighted to be part of this integrated team, delivering efficient renewals which are focused on providing value to the customer,” he said. “The key difference is working as one to deliver better outcomes that look to minimise disruption, to improve sustainable outcomes, and to share both working practices and innovative ideas – an approach where we truly put the travelling passengers at the centre of our decision making.”
Within the SID, Octavius is leading the
Staying true to our heritage, together with renewed investment, a dedicated focus on transport infrastructure and adding a more progressive, more disruptive and a more innovative approach has enabled us to continue to grow both our reputation and our order book
electrification and plant workstream, working closely alongside VolkerFitpatrick (building and civils), AtkinsRéalis (signalling), VolkerRail (track) and Network Rail (minor works).
“The SRE is helping to share different kinds of relationships that transcend client-contractor models, with a focus on building long-term partnerships that deliver better outcomes for taxpayers and the travelling public,” said John, who adds that the company is also on the buildings reactive framework.
“We’re also organically moving into new regions for us, including Wales and Western, North West and Central, and Eastern, building a balanced portfolio between the building and civils for which we have been renowned for 30 years in the rail industry, and the electrification and plant capability that we have been growing over the past decade. With our CP7 successes, we now have a similar amount of work in each of these disciplines.”
Regarding electrification and plant, the organisation now delivers a full range of power and plant upgrades and renewals, after initially being approached by clients to support those kinds of projects in around 2015.
“When we were first approached, we thought about how we can apply our proven project and programme management capability to support that discipline and realised that the strategy needed was essentially the same,” John said. “It is ultimately still about fundamental project management; properly planning the work, developing
clear programmes, using reliable reporting tools, managing budgets effectively, considering stakeholders and consents, understanding the access challenges, and all while instilling a safety culture in the people delivering the work.
“In addition, it is about plugging in the required technical expertise, and over the past few years we have brought a number of people into the business with really strong technical capability and a proven experience and pedigree in delivering electrification projects. We have then wrapped our project management framework around them. This has been a really effective formula for us and a good example of how our more progressive approach has culminated in the successful awards on two Network Rail electrification frameworks – in the Southern and Eastern regions.”
This expertise in the electrification field further increased towards the back end of last year when Octavius Infrastructure completed the acquisition of specialist rail electrification consultant, Navitas Engineering Group. The 30-strong Navitas team offers value-added solutions throughout the asset life cycle, with services ranging from technical specifications and standards and feasibility studies, through to outline and detailed design, as well as engineering support during scheme implementation, operation, and maintenance. The completion of the Navitas acquisition comes several months after the business assets and most of the customer contracts of R&W Civil Engineering were acquired by Octavius through an administration process.
“Navitas had been working for us previously, providing design support on projects such as substation design and switchgear renewals,” said John. “The acquisition gives us an opportunity to influence more strategically across the network, to really support the decarbonisation agenda and move to greener travel, whilst helping to improve passenger and workforce safety through the work the company is doing to support the Electrical Safety Delivery Programme.
“Navitas continues to work on several research and development projects for both Network Rail and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). Innovation projects for Network Rail include a new optimised earthing solution to provide safer and quicker OLE isolations, remote securing of isolations that will avoid the need for operatives to attend site to fit manual padlocks, and mapping of standard isolations to develop tools to support and optimise the isolation planning process and implementation.
“As part of their research with the RSSB and wider traction power modelling capability, Navitas has undertaken feasibility work for a smart traction power management system on the Western route that will optimise traction system use, maximise system availability in times of disruption, and enable solutions such as hybrid electrification to support removing diesel rolling stock from the network.”
With a new energy created by a change in Government and the heightened focus on rail reform, the future is something that John looks at with a glass half full. Whilst he stresses the need to see a longerterm pipeline, John also recognises the role that the industry must play in increasing confidence and
There is a great opportunity in rail and so much to go at, but we need a clear strategy and committed spend
providing a more efficient, affordable and reliable service to its passengers, commenting: “Our industry must continue to engage closely with Government and promote the industry’s contribution to drive economic growth, given every £1 billion invested in infrastructure construction increases overall economic activity by £2.8 billion.
“A lack of visibility around enhancement funding has impacted ours and the wider industry’s ability to really invest and bring in the apprentices and graduates needed to address the skills shortage that we are facing. The industry needs to be able to plan for the future with real confidence that sufficient volume is going to follow.
“There is a great opportunity in rail and so much to go at, but we need a clear strategy and committed spend. If we can get the pipeline set out, including a clear electrification and decarbonisation strategy, it will enable us to learn lessons from past projects, focus on continuous improvement, and build an enhanced capability to drive green travel in rail in an affordable manner that delivers huge environmental benefits, whilst providing a safer and more reliable railway for our passengers.”
There is also learning that can be taken from other industries, something that John thinks puts Octavius Infrastructure in a prime position, with the company’s experience working on highways and with numerous local authorities.
“To deliver efficiency targets and seek the
investment needed, we need to challenge the normal ways of doing things,” he said. “If there are lessons we can learn from other market segments, then why wouldn’t we look to do that.
“Most of the work we do in Octavius is across the Department for Transport family and there is much we can do to share best practice across our customers; whether it be the approach we take on carbon and increasing inclusivity with National Highways, or the social value and community engagement approach driven within local authorities. There are things we can bring from other strands of our business into Network Rail, and equally take some of the great things that we are doing in rail back to those other areas.”
Although there will undoubtedly be many changes ahead, one thing that shows no sign of changing is John’s passion for the railway. It is a journey that began when he combined his enjoyment of working on site for a construction company with his love of maths and gained a Civil Engineering Degree. When he then joined Osborne in 1996, his first project was at Paddington Station, building the Heathrow Express baggage tunnel.
“From that point onwards, we were growing in rail, and I naturally grew with the business, spending the first 15 years of my career doing almost exclusively rail work,” he said. “Since then, I’ve met many great people, and the industry has given me the opportunity to learn an unquestionable amount on both the railway and business. Every day is a different challenge, but it is very rewarding to see the positive impact that our work has on so many people.
“When we became a standalone business, we reflected on our purpose, and from our experience it felt entirely appropriate to centre this around ‘bringing people together’. The infrastructure transport systems that we work on connect communities in villages, towns and cities; and in delivering these projects, we bring many people together, building teams within Octavius, bringing in our key suppliers and working collaboratively with our customers. Our ability to bring people together successfully has been a key part of our heritage and will remain an essential ingredient as we embark on the next part of our exciting journey.”
Network Rail’s Ed Akers and Toufic Machnouk outline the journey ahead in the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) and the wider masterplan to build capability in moving to the renewal-led deployments of digital signalling across the network
It is no exaggeration to say the ECDP is among the most complicated of tasks facing the UK railway since it was first built.
The landmark scheme, which will introduce in-cab digital signalling on the southern part of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) between London King’s Cross and Grantham, involves over 30 organisations working together, 40 vehicle types, six onboard systems, more than 3,000 drivers to train in level two ETCS, and 700 rail vehicles to prepare.
“To deal with the industry complexity you have to bridge the realities of our complex industry system, and the only way to do that is to work in partnership, and with engineers and operators together designing
the system,” explained Ed Akers, Network Rail’s Industry Partnership Director on the ECDP. “As we mobilised the programme it was important that no one got left behind, and now we’ve mobilised and we’re into delivery, it is vital that every partner succeeds.”
The effort will be worth it. The ECML has been in use for more than 150 years and with demand on the infrastructure set to increase, these upgrades and efficiencies are important in ensuring the route can continue to serve passengers and freight for decades to come. Putting the benefits into figures, it will lead to a 42 per cent reduction in signalling unit costs, 46 per cent less track access to renew signalling, up to 33 per cent improvement in system capability and
performance, and 39 per cent reduction in embodied carbon.
Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail’s Director of Industry Partnership for Digital Railway, said: “The optimal way to tell a driver what is five miles ahead is to give them that view into the cab rather than looking out of the window and trying to catch a signal for a few seconds to tell them what is happening a few sections ahead. But to migrate a legacy railway requires a long-term view as this is not a singular project.
“There are lots of things that need to evolve and transition over time, and it requires a very different approach in the regulatory and commercial structures that we have in our industry because they
Building strong foundations
With a keen eye on the future, Kieran recognised there was a gap in SEP Geotech’s offering:
are not really designed well for this scale of change. It has got to be a renewal-based approach and it needs to be an industry partnership, not to sound fashionable, but to stress the fact that we can’t deliver this scale of change in isolation.”
“What SEP Geotech does ties together perfectly with piling. The purpose of our investigation forms the basis of the pile design, and our sister company, SEP Rail Design, designs the piles; now we will install them.”
The digital signalling masterplan is made up of five phases, some of which are well underway and even completed:
deliver the digital railway masterplan.
While the demand is always there for new staff, Kieran knows the value of hiring the right people:
“This industry isn’t for the faint-hearted. Late nights, early mornings. Long periods of time away from your family. My office is my mobile phone and my van; we’re always on the road, on-site, and getting our hands dirty.
Piling, in engineering terms, involves the installation of foundations driven or bored into the ground to transfer loads to deeper, more stable soil. These structural elements are essential when the natural bearing capacity of the soil is insufficient for supporting heavy construction loads.
The pilot – foundational technical development (2007-2011). (Cambrian)
The pathfinder – the delivery and commercial model development (2020-2024). (Northern City Line)
Kieran’s extensive engineering experience, developed since his teenage years, has been centred around piling. He explained:
The pioneer – to migrate tens of organisations to operate with digital signalling (2018-2028). (ECDP)
The portfolio – building the industry capability for multiple route-based deployment (20242034).
“This is a critical moment for the piling and foundations industry. Exciting innovations within pile design and installations are allowing for improved project turnaround times and more technically demanding programmes.
The paradigm – multiple progressive routebased digital signalling renewal 2029 and beyond (2029-).
“By leveraging our team’s experience, alongside utilising the wider SEP Rail Group’s capabilities, SEP Geotech is in a perfect position to deliver projects from feasibility to design through to completion.”
growth and expertise
Investing in the professional development of the current team is also not just a priority; it’s a key part of SEP Geotech’s vision for the future.
Last year it was agreed that the digital railway portfolio should be a track and train cross-industry enterprise and that it should be funded as such, leading to integrated funding for the first time, with the industry partnership holding all the funding to
“Our team shares a deep commitment to the enduring success of our business and is constantly seeking ways to enhance their skills and improve our services.
For Control Period 7 (CP7) the portfolio has the funding in addition to the ECDP to progress passenger and fleet activities that support multiple future schemes, the continuation of the national freight programme, and running a national industry portfolio. It allows for capability to be built over the next five to 10 years to get to the point where there are multiple lines of routes with European Train Control System (ETCS) deployment.
This is a critical moment for the piling and foundations industry
Toufic added: “How we do this has been instrumental to the progress that has already been made. It has formed the foundations for how the industry can work together in a Great British Railways context, breaking down commercial barriers around the industry around a shared mission. We would not have got this far had we not focused so much on how we do this, which is crucial.”
“We take pride in being one of the few geotechnical companies that offer specialised drilling NVQs to our team, ensuring that our workforce remains at the forefront of industry expertise and quality.”
Investment in staff is one thing. But the evolving rail industry landscape also demands industryleading equipment. To address this, Kieran provides a candid glimpse into a forthcoming investment at SEP Geotech:
As we mobilised the programme it was important that no one got left behind, and now we’ve mobilised and we’re into delivery, it is vital that every partner succeeds
The journey ahead
“We’re investing in a new, state-of-the-art solution designed for safe work on embankments, slopes, and even over water. This innovation eliminates the need for traditional rope access, streamlining our processes even further.”
In a UK first, the ECDP recently operated the first digitally signalled train on an intercity main line route. The test was part of the early stages of an ongoing process to prove that trains fitted with the necessary on-board technology work with the new digital signalling infrastructure between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin on the ECML.
“I can’t stress how fantastic that milestone was,” said Ed, who was speaking to Rail Director with Toufic at the York Rail Operating Centre. “This is an overlay system, overlaying ETCS on top of the existing
As SEP Geotech continues to evolve and expand its offerings, one thing is clear: Kieran Moran’s experience, dedication, and vision will remain at the forefront, driving the company to even greater heights in the geotechnical engineering industry.
Phase 1 – Pilot – In 2011 Network Rail implemented a pilot ETCS level 2 project without lineside signalling on the Cambrian Line, in mid-Wales. Sub-pilots on the Crossrail and Thameslink projects followed which enabled the market to gain UK experience of the delivery of ETCS.
Phase 2 – Pathfinder – Last year digitally signalled passenger services on Great Northern’s Northern City Line (NCL) commenced. The NCL project has proved the delivery and commercial model and highlighted areas of development.
Phase 3 – Pioneer – The introduction of in-cab digital signalling on the ECML, between London Kings Cross and Grantham. This phase is a leap into a multi-operator environment, which won’t just improve the ECML, but gets the operators, and the entire marketplace, training themselves and building the capability for validated, certified, approved ETCS operations.
Phase 4 – Portfolio – Building the industry capability for multiple route-based deployment from 2024 to 2034. The objective is to provide strategic clarity and delivery of initiatives and national projects to enable multiple route-based digital signalling renewal schemes to commence.
Phase 5 – Paradigm – The indefinite embedded state of progressive route-based digital signalling renewals within a capable industry and marketplace that continues to learn and mature. At this point, digital signalling ceases to be a novel enterprise.
Although there is a long way to go, we have achieved so much collectively and proven so much already thanks to the hard work of so many people
signalling system. The importance of that is that it allows operators to do this in varying timeframes that work around when their vehicles are upgraded, and around driver training. We expect it to take around two years before we go signals away in the first area, but it allows us to learn in an environment where, if the circumstances dictated, we could fall back on the conventional signalling system.”
The ECDP team is currently testing and proving this piece of railway and checking geographically that everything is correct and the integration between trains and the Radio Block Centre works, and the functionality of the system operates, validating the operational design and ensuring that all of the many systems are integrating together.
Outlining the timescales, Ed added: “We started our migration to ETCS operation on NCL in late 2023, and that migration will complete in Spring 2025. In parallel whilst we do that we will be testing, proving, assuring and getting the right safety approval to then start our migration on the ECML sometime in the second half of 2025. We will not move to migration on the ECML until we have done testing, proving, assurance and approvals to the satisfaction that means that we are confident the system will work.
“The period of migration on the East Coast will be around two years, but we expect to complete our ETCS migration in late 2027 and then we will be able to go live with our first no signal section on the ECML, which could be Biggleswade to Fletton or the Hertford Loop. Then we will continue the roll out of no signals deployments all the way from the buffer stops at London King’s Cross, through to Stoke Tunnels (Grantham). We expect that to be complete by around about 2030, but there is a huge amount of work before we get to the end of our progressive roll
out, no signals. For us at the moment, the focus is on getting through migration, making sure our partners are able to operate in this way and getting to our first no signals deployment.”
“Creating possibilities”
The task of retrofitting hundreds of freight locomotives is one of the biggest challenges being faced in the transition to a digital future, but one in which great progress is being made in national labs in Chippenham and Egham, and more dynamic testing at the Rail Innovation and Development Centre (RIDC).
Earlier on this year the first locomotive in Britain’s principal freight fleet (Class 66s) to be fitted with digital signalling equipment moved on to dynamic testing on a test track, having successfully progressed through static testing thanks to what Ed describes as “innovation, tenacity and perseverance”.
“Probably the most challenging aspect of this programme is freight given the scale of the fleets and all of their variants,” he said. “But while it is a challenge it is also an area I’ve taken a huge amount of pride in seeing the freight operators, Siemens and Network Rail, working together to agree a single-based design, for example the core class 66. Everyone appreciates that the work done to agree that core design is nationally important given the fact the whole fleet will need to be fitted over time.”
This is an evolving picture with new freight fleets coming in. The Class 66 ‘first in class’ transitioned to level two ETCS in July at RIDC for the first time, with the first variant of the fleet now entering fitment as part of a trial of a new approach with the operator.
“Freightliner is going to fit that vehicle itself,” said Ed. “This could lead to a wider use of that fitment model which could be more efficient and
less operationally and logistically difficult for the operators. The third vehicle in fitment is the 67 first in class. That is nearly fitted and will go to RIDC in the autumn this year. The Class 88 is hot on the heels with the design complete, so overall we are making significant progress with freight first in class technology. The next challenge will be to start to ramp up production of fleet fitment.”
Alongside this is the ongoing progress of the passenger trains. The Class 387 first in class is currently being tested at RIDC and they will be fitted by train operator GTR itself. The Class 700 fleet upgrade is in contract, closely aligned to the 717s that are operational on the NCL. Likewise, the Class 800 fleet is also in contract and progressing well.
“Given they are the biggest fleet types that we have, they are critical in terms of our successful migration and beyond the ECML,” said Ed. “The 800 LNER fleet is particularly critical, as LNER has gone first and is shaping the way all the other 800 series trains will be upgraded in the future. Finally, on the Class 180s, we are working towards our final approvals to place in service. They are all already fitted so they might well be the first passenger train to be tested and approved on the ECML itself.”
There is also the question of heritage and charter trains, something Toufic discussed.
“It is a national challenge blending steam engineering with digital technology,” he said. “No one has really cracked this from an ETCS perspective yet so we adopted an approach which was to use ECDP
as an avenue to run a technical pilot on a major overhaul on Tornado to see if it is technically viableoff the back of which we can figure out whether it is commercially and financially viable.
“What has been particularly interesting is that we have learnt a lot about how to make train modifications easier and the way the team has worked together to solve first-of-type engineering problems has given us huge confidence in the ability to do train modifications. It has made it a lot clearer to us that the complexity is firmly in the fact that they live in very complex commercial settings, not that they are technically complex to do.
“The actual ETCS implementation took about a year to complete, which for a technical pilot and a first in the world is quite an achievement. We are now going through functional and dynamic testing and out of the back of that, viability testing, and using that pilot and the modularisation of various designs we’ve done off that pilot to look at where we go from there. The work we are doing is creating possibilities.”
Discussing the fitments of Network Rail’s on-track machines, Ed explained how around 20, including brand new stone blowers, tampers and grinders, are being fitted. He added that three Class 43s have been fitted, with another 12 in contract, with the first ones close to being placed in service.
Concluding the briefing, Toufic said: “Digital signalling goes to the heart of how you run a railway with the whole rail system, including every rail vehicle, standards, rules and regulations geared around this.
Transitioning to digital signalling touches so many aspects of the railway, from vehicle type, how drivers are trained, and signallers work, to how people access the railway for maintenance of structure activities.
“Although there is a long way to go, we have achieved so much collectively and proven so much already thanks to the hard work of so many people. All this work won’t just benefit the ECML but will build a foundation for other projects. It’s off the back of the East Coast that we will have trained several thousand drivers and really learned that process and evolved it, and gone through system approvals many times over and really made sure of that process and requirements, which will pave the way for other projects around the country, which will transform the railway for the better.”
When someone listens, people will make the right call.
Thousands of organisations in the transport sector are members of CIRAS. We build a strong listening partnership with our members to improve safety. Our confidential safety hotline provides extra listening to help staff make the right call and report their concerns even when they feel they can’t use other channels. When we listen, we learn.
Learn how you can build your listening partnership with CIRAS at ciras.org.uk/rightcall.
A time-expired bridge which carried a road junction over the main line has been replaced during a 16-day blockade
ome of the earliest passenger railways in the world were built in Great Britain. That’s a well-known fact and the source of considerable national pride.
On the downside, that means that a number of the oldest railway structures in the world are also in Great Britain. Many have been modified over the years –strengthened, raised up to make room for overhead electrification wires to run underneath, widened, lengthened and waterproofed.
junction of Downs Park Road and Bodney Road over the line between London Liverpool Street and Chingford, used by London Overground, Greater Anglia and Stansted Express, was in urgent need of replacement.
But there comes a time when the only remaining course of action is to remove the tired structure and replace it.
Network Rail and its contractors have become past masters at replacing simple bridges quickly. Lift out the old bridge, repair or replace the abutments, lift in the new bridge deck – all in a weekend. The railway is shut for two days, though the road above often takes longer to bring back into service as utility services have to be replaced, the road surface reinstated and lighting and pavements reinstalled.
At 33 metres, Downs Park Road overbridge is wider than normal as it carries the junction of the two roads. The bridge also forms the portal to Queens Road Tunnel, a short, one-mile tunnel under Hackney Downs Park. It is situated in a suburban residential area in the borough of Hackney and is surrounded by residential homes, Hackney Downs Park and two schools: Stormont House School and Mossbourne Community Academy. Stormont House Special School has access immediately adjacent to the structure to the north-west side and Mossbourne Community Academy has access from Downs Park Road to the west side of the bridge.
However, that is not always the case. In Hackney, London, a 150-year-old bridge that carried the
needed replacing to avoid an unplanned closure and keep everyone safe,” he said.
As Network Rail Senior Portfolio Manager Will Southward explained, the bridge was in a very poor condition and needed to be replaced while the project could be planned properly, rather than leaving it until an urgent intervention would be needed. “It really
Network Rail and principal contractor Murphy planned a 16-day blockade of the line to run between Saturday 20 July and Sunday 4 August. During the work, London Overground ran rail-replacement buses between Hackney Downs and Chingford, while Liverpool Street to Cambridge/Stansted Airport services were diverted to call at Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale.
Several months of enabling works and utility diversions were undertaken prior to the blockade, in readiness for the demolition of the bridge – a singlespan structure with 25 simply supported cast-iron girders with brick jack arches spanning between the girders and one additional replacement concreteencased steel girder supporting adjacent reinforced concrete decks with steel soffit plates. The jack arches were bedded on the bottom flanges of the girders and supported infill up to the carriageway/ footway surface. The vehicle containment barrier
on the south side of the overbridge was a brick wall parapet separating the road from the railway environment.
As already mentioned, the overbridge carries the junction between Bodney Road (7.2 metres wide twolane carriageway) and Downs Park Road (6.8 metres wide two-lane carriageway). In relation to Downs
Our project is vital to keeping their future journeys safe and reliable
Park Road, the bridge is set at a skew angle of 45° but is square to the alignment of the railway tracks, hence the need for the bridge to be 33 metres wide.
The line is electrified using a 25kV AC overhead system. The wires and overhead line equipment (OLE) had to be removed and protected before demolition of the old bridge could begin. In addition, special access to the site had to be installed along with a protective deck so that the track wouldn’t be damaged.
Once work could commence, the bridge parapets and brick arches were demolished down onto the protected track and the cast-iron girders that gave the bridge its strength were lifted away. They were in such poor condition that they needed to be removed carefully, using demolition-specific excavators.
The rubble resulting from the demolition was removed from the deck protecting the track so that construction could begin.
With the help of a 500-tonne crane, six pre-cast concrete cill beams and one end slab were then installed. The most technically challenging aspect of the work followed, as the 28 weathering-steel plate girder filler beams had to be installed at specific angles, each one different, in a fan arrangement to accommodate the multitude of utilities that are to be re-introduced through the structure while maintaining headroom below.
Due to the constraints at either end of the structure, with the tunnel portal at one end and the new plategirder parapet at the other, the steel reinforcement had to be fed through sectionally. This slowed the construction methodology as engineers installed several beams, followed by permanent formwork and steel reinforcement. This process was repeated until reaching the parapet unit.
To facilitate the concrete pour, while ensuring the permanent formwork did not leak when the concrete deck was poured, a full grout check of the 33.5-metre structure was required on each beam.
Once the new bridge deck was complete, finishing touches could be undertaken, such as reinstating the brick walls on each side of the new steel parapet, removing the scaffolding and the crash deck that was underneath where engineers had been working on the deck, taking up the protection over the track and reinstating the OLE throughout the length of the structure.
The railway reopened, as planned, on the morning of Monday 5 August 2024. The road still needs work, but Downs Park Road should be fully reopened by early 2025.
Following successful completion of the bridge reinstatement, Simon Milburn, Network Rail Anglia Infrastructure Director, said: “Thousands of people travel under and over this bridge every day by rail and road, and our project is vital to keeping their future journeys safe and reliable. We’re sorry to have caused the disruption to people’s journeys this summer, but the replacement bridge will serve the community for generations to come.”
Antoinette Stevenson refl ects on the essential marketplace for professionals in the rail sector
ail Infrastructure
RNetworking (RIN) events are recognised as some of the leading events in the UK rail infrastructure calendar. These flagship events, held three times a year across London, Derby, and Harrogate, create an essential marketplace for professionals in the rail sector.
Antoinette Stevenson, Marketing & Events Manager at Jobson James Rail, the organiser of RIN events, explained: “We provide everything that a busy rail infrastructure professional needs for a successful visit. All RIN events are free to attend, competitively priced exhibitor tabletop space makes it affordable for all, a high-quality footfall ensures that there are decisionmakers in the room from the biggest buyers in the rail industry, and for the
exhibitors, we provide a portal to apply for private meetings, held with the heads of procurement from Principal Partners and Tier 1’s on the day.”
A visit to RIN is also great for buyers, who can meet with a wide variety of supply chain companies all in one place, giving them every chance to fill gaps in their rail infrastructure SME
support network.
Antoinette added: “The culture encouraged at RIN is that everyone comes with a ‘we are here to do business’ attitude, the events are a place to showcase products and services and promote your own brand. Opportunities are shared and discussions move quickly, encouraged
by the intense trading atmosphere.”
The next event, RIN Derby, takes place at the Derby Arena on Thursday, 12 September 2024. This year’s extended floorplan accommodates 175 exhibitors, and the Jobson James Rail team are set to welcome an anticipated footfall of 1,200+ visitors, representing 800 railway companies.
“The growth in RIN events year on year is not only driven by the supply chain seeking an effective platform to market their business but also represents the collective commitment to excellence, collaboration and support that Jobson James Rail, the specialist rail insurance broker and host of RIN events, offers to the wider rail community,” concluded Antoinette.
www.rinevents.co.uk 07849 835412
RIN Derby
12th September 2024
Derby Arena 9.30am-1.30pm RIN Harrogate
7th November 2024
The Yorkshire Event Centre 9.30am-2.00pm
London 6th March 2025 Business Design Centre 9.30am-1.30pm
As companies up and down the supply chain anticipate the release of work from CP7, SEP Rail Group is continuing to strengthen its commitment
to being a truly multi-disciplinary
organisation
y being reliable and adaptable.” That’s how Rikki Morrow, Managing Director at SEP Rail Services, describes the group’s approach to work in light of the lengthy transition period the rail industry is currently facing.
Rikki explained: “The whole group has built up a reputation for having the breadth of knowledge required to deliver across all stages of our clients’ schemes. This means we’re ready to deploy, no matter what stage a project is at.”
Week 17 provided a prime example of this approach in action. SEP Rail Engineering, SEP Rail Design, and SEP Rail Services jointly worked alongside supply chain partner, Phase Design & Engineering (Phase) to deliver Plain Line Renewals to the client, VolkerRail, across the Kent, Wessex, and Sussex regions. This collaboration leveraged each company’s strengths, with SEP Rail Services providing topographical surveying, SEP Rail Design delivering track design and managing Phase to provide the ETE elements.
SEP Rail Engineering reviewed survey results and managed stakeholder discussions.
Commenting on the project, Rob Brotherton, Rail Design Director at SEP Rail Design said, “These renewal works provided a significant opportunity for collaboration between three of our six companies. Phase is a new partner for us and so far, the relationship has been exceptional.
“This is one of the first CP7 projects we’ve been involved in and the opportunity to deliver multiple capabilities under one roof resulted in an efficient delivery, that stayed within budget.”
Paul Bolton, Managing Director at SEP Rail Engineering added, “Delivering cost-effective outcomes is one thing, but there’s so much more to it. Clients rely on you to provide transparent and proactive feedback.
“They rely on you to integrate into their teams and adapt your support accordingly.
“When they pick up the phone, they know they’re
going to be able to rely on the support that the group offers – and that’s exactly how it should be.”
Rikki continued, “You need to understand what stage your client’s project is at and what support they need. Then you can tailor your services so that the correct people are deployed, and the correct level of support is supplied.
“Adapting to the scope means each company plays its role, no matter how far along the project is. This is something our clients deeply value.”
Each company under the SEP Rail Group umbrella brings a unique background of dependable experience. For clients, this means a unified approach, especially when a project demands services across multiple disciplines.
As the stream of work begins to increase into the industry over the coming months, the SEP Rail Group is perfectly positioned to provide the peace of mind that the next five years’ worth of projects require.
A new train operator offering a zero-emission express rail logistics service for the UK and Europe recently showcased its automated system to reduce loading and transfer times during the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme’s demonstration day
Varamis Rail is the UK’s newest train operator and the first high-speed, fully electric logistics operation on the UK rail network. Operating from Birmingham International to Glasgow, Varamis Rail’s express service is fully electric and supports the targets of the Government’s net zero policy, as an environmentally friendly alternative to road haulage.
The operator aims to provide a viable alternative to traditional road and diesel-powered freight transportation, with a solution that is completely emission-free and sustainable because it doesn’t require the construction of new trains or infrastructure to facilitate journeys.
The company’s vision was heavily driven by the environmental benefits of light rail and the need for the logistics industry to reach net zero and the complexities around decarbonising long-distance road haulage.
Unlike conventional rail freight, Varamis’ concept utilises repurposed passenger trains that can pull into end-of-the-line stations and drive out in the opposite direction.
The trains can also run on the regular UK passenger network, accessing stations that regular freight trains are unable to.
Through the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme, which is led by the Connected Places Catapult, Varamis Rail has been working to test and demonstrate its logistics service using a pre-programmed automated system to reduce loading and transfer times in a relevant rail freight environment.
Working at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO)’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre, the operator has developed an automated solution to deliver goods from the track onto the train safely and effectively.
During the programme, Varamis Rail tested its pre-programmed automated system in a rail freight environment, utilising BCIMO’s recently refurbished T69 Tram. The solution was then showcased during the Clean Futures Accelerator Demo Day, which took place on 30 April at BCIMO.
Discussing the project, Phil Read, Managing Director at Varamis Rail explained: “The innovation of our service relates to the speedy process in cross transferring goods from a transfer dock onto our train. Our solution is about making that process quicker, whether by automation or a system put in place to ensure the service is fast and efficient.
“The goal was to create a new solution that is quicker and more efficient than existing logistic methods and can eventually be scaled up to other sites around the UK. This is the first of a kind for express rail freight in the UK.”
Regionalised sustainable deliveries
Express rail freight is a potentially huge market in the UK rail industry. Phil explained that all of the UK’s major towns and cities can play a critical role in delivering a decarbonised transport model to their local areas: “We are promoting a trunk line haul element of goods distribution with electric trains supported by regionalised sustainable delivery solutions in towns and cities, including at our current site at Birmingham International.”
Varamis Rail’s first ‘proof of concept’ route is now in operation between Scotland – Birmingham International. Taking just four hours each way, this service is delivering a step change in overnight Anglo-Scottish express linehaul.
Operating overnight, the service is ideal for express parcel companies or 3PLs with fast-moving consumer goods looking to transport volumes for next-day delivery between Scotland and the Midlands.
Taking part in the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme has brought numerous benefits to Varamis Rail’s solution, ranging from commercial support to providing a live testing facility at BCIMO.
BCIMO has been instrumental in supporting the technology and commercial aspects of Varamis Rail’s innovative service. The organisation has provided brand development, marketing solutions support and insights into data and research activities that can be undertaken, all funded through the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme.
Terry Livingstone, Finance Director at Varamis Rail explained:
“We were very proud to be part of the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme and to receive the support for our innovation. We believe it will be critical in offering a viable solution to the logistics sector in the future.
“One of our USPs is the speed of our deliverycross-docking is important for us. BCIMO helped us find a cross docking solution to support the speed of service required. We’ve worked on an autonomous robotic solution that takes trollies off trucks and onto the train.
This solution understands the path we need to be taking and has anti-collision mechanics to ensure our safe system of work remains intact throughout our service.”
Varamis Rail has calculated that for every fourcarriage train that it runs, the equivalent carbon emissions of six HGVs are saved. In addition, the express service also takes congestion off the roads and lessens the burden on infrastructure.
“If you look at the benefits of our service using a four-carriage train, on each delivery service from Birmingham to Glasgow on an annual basis, we can save 2,050 metric tonnes of CO2e. In terms of congestion, we take off 1.2 million truck miles which is the equivalent of 49 trips around the world. These benefits will be 41,000 metric tons of CO2 and 24 million truck miles saved once our fleet of 10 trains are fully operational and utilised.” Added Terry.
Looking to the future, Varamis Rail’s automated solution will enable it to grow the business through the acquisition of customers that can deliver on the platform and take the goods from the platform on the end journey.
Progress continues to develop quickly. In March, Varamis Rail unveiled its fifth train, only weeks after adding a fourth electric multiple unit to its uniform fleet of repurposed passenger trains. It now runs services into central London and has ambitious plans to stretch its services even further, eventually into Europe.
“There is a perception that rail is slow, unreliable and costly. Varamis Rail aims to educate people and change that perception. Its high-speed logistics service is quicker, cheaper and greener than any road travel.” Phil concluded.
www.varamis.co.uk
The innovation of our service relates to the speedy process in cross transferring goods from a transfer dock onto our train
After 10 years of trying, a team from the University of Sheffield, with support from Furrer+Frey and other local companies, has won the Railway Challenge in the face of fierce international competition
The Railway Challenge is an annual competition for teams of apprentices, students and recent graduates, organised by the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Teams have to design and build a miniature locomotive running on 10¼” gauge track and use it to attempt a number of challenges over one weekend at the end of June. Although ‘miniature’ locomotives, they are not toys. They weigh around 800kg and are packed with the latest railway technology – traction control, energy recovery, auto-stop and a number of other features.
The Railway Challenge first ran in 2012, when there were four entries, and the competition was won by a team from Interfleet. In 2024, there were 13 entrants, three from overseas universities – two of which were previous winners.
To stop competitors from just wheeling out the
previous year’s successful entries, the challenges change every year, usually by incorporating an additional one although sometimes challenges are dropped as well.
When the 2024 entrants gathered at the Stapleford Miniature Railway, outside Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, there were several changes.
One of the more obvious was that three of the entrants were classified as ‘entry-level’. This allowed them to take part in only the ‘presentation’ challenges, the preparatory work and the paperwork and theoretical exercises, without building an actual locomotive. They can then build on this year’s experiences and field a full entry, with their own locomotive, in 2025.
Heriot-Watt University from Edinburgh, a company entry from Siemens Mobility at
Chippenham and ITT Kharagpur, the Indian Institute of Technology located 12km west of Kolkata (Calcutta), were the three entry-level competitors that were not required to manufacture locomotives but instead only to develop a design in order to compete in a subset of the challenges.
Of the remaining 10 entries that were to field a locomotive and participate in the on-track challenges, the University of Warwick withdrew as its team was not ready. However, nine locomotives took to the track and ran over the weekend. These were the entries from FH Aachen & Alpha Trains (Germany – 2022 winner), Network Rail/Colas, Newcastle University, Pozna University of Technology (Poland, 2023 winner), University of Sheffield with support from Furrer+Frey, Transport for London (TfL), University of Birmingham, Alstom/University of Derby and the University of Huddersfield (2021 winner).
All of the teams participated in the presentation challenges, with an extra one just for the entry-level competitors.
The Design Challenge requires teams to prepare a report that includes sections on costing and maintenance as well as the key engineering concepts. In addition, entry-level competitors have to write a report on the computer-aided design of their virtual locomotives – the CAD Challenge.
For the Business Case Challenge, teams had to consider themselves as representatives of a manufacturer that has produced a prototype locomotive which they wish to tender for a locomotive procurement competition. As part of the challenge, The Railway Challenge judges formed a large ‘company’, IMERC Limited - stating that this company wished to procure a number of 101/4 inch gauge locomotives for lease to commercial attraction operators, school/college engineering courses or other applications.
All locomotive manufacturers (the competitors) had to present a business case for their locomotives to the executives of IMERC (the Railway Challenge judges), with a view to winning an order to supply a fleet of 50 locomotives.
The Locomotive Aesthetic and Technical Poster Challenge required teams to create a technical poster which informed readers of the design of their locomotive. These were displayed in the marquee and members of the public were invited to review them and judge them against a range of headings.
Three teams were also asked to make a formal presentation of their written submissions for the Innovation Challenge, an academic journal article or conference-style research paper that described a novel and innovative aspect incorporated into the locomotive.
A healthy crowd descended on the Stapleford Miniature Railway to witness the on-track challenges. There were several changes this year. The Noise Challenge was dropped – with all competitors bar one now fielding electric locomotives there was little further reason for it.
Four new Optional Challenges were introduced –teams had to enter at least one. If they entered more, then only their highest score would count.
The Optional Challenges were:
Autocoupler Challenge – to design, implement and demonstrate an automatic coupler system to interface with the coupler on one of the railway’s wagons. Three teams demonstrated their couplers in design papers and on the railway and two more contributed design ideas.
Aerodynamic Challenge – although a top speed of 15 km/h is unlikely to be challenging aerodynamically, teams were invited to simulate their loco running at a much higher speed to demonstrate their aerodynamic performance. Three teams contributed high-quality simulations,
and one team even built a model which it demonstrated in a wind tunnel.
Location Announcement Challenge – teams had to design an audio-visual announcement/ display system that would announce key locations around the miniature railway. Seven teams contributed design ideas, and three teams demonstrated their system on the railway.
Remote Data Recording and Monitoring Challenge – teams were required to transmit data about the performance of their locomotives and the results of some of the challenges to a central location near the railway’s station. This was particularly challenging as 4G coverage on the Stapleford estate is patchy. Six teams submitted ideas but only two teams were able to demonstrate their designs. Those teams took away several ideas to improve performance next year.
These new Optional Challenges joined the list of challenges from previous years:
Autostop Challenge – to stop at a precise location automatically.
Ride Comfort Challenge – measuring the ride quality of the locomotive.
Energy Recovery Challenge – Use regenerative braking to stop and then use only the energy recovered in that stop to propel the loco as far as possible.
Traction Challenge – time taken to travel between two points uphill just after starting.
Maintainability Challenge – time taken to remove and refit a motored wheelset.
Reliability Challenge – marks deducted from a 200-point allowance if teams were not ready at the scheduled time or if their locomotives broke down on track.
The first locomotive to take to the track was the entry from the Pozna University of Technology in Poland. Slowing for the Autostop Challenge, it overran the target by 5.065 metres – 65mm too far for it to count (there was a cut-off at five metres)! Judges on their hands and knees made sure that the measurement was accurate.
Having proceeded around the track loop, during which run ride comfort was measured (a very creditable 3.27NMV), the loco braked to a stand from 15km/h. The energy recovered in that process was sufficient to propel the loco 5.1 metres from a standing start.
Another standing start at the bottom of the hill formed the beginning of the Traction Challenge – with the loco timed over a fixed distance as it accelerated up the gradient. 5.3 seconds would turn out to be a fairly average result, and the loco continued on to the top station and the base of operations.
On the previous day, teams had undertaken the Maintainability Challenge, removing and replacing a motorised wheelset. Pozna ’s time of 86.8 seconds would turn out to be the quickest of the day.
Alstom’s joint entry with the University of Derby was next to run. The Autostop result was good –only 1.86 metres over the target. Ride comfort was slightly better than Pozna (2.36NMV) and would turn out to be the winning score. Energy recovery was also excellent (25.9 metres) and traction was good too (107.5 seconds). All in all, a very good result for Alstom/Derby.
The University of Sheffield’s entry – a locomotive with transparent bodywork, a number of LED lights internally and livery that reflected its support from Furrer+Frey, stunned the crowd by stopping exactly on the mark for the Autostop Challenge. Back on their knees, the judges ascertained that it had, in fact, overshot the mark by 0.04metres – four centimetres!
An excellent performance that the spectators really appreciated, and which worried the teams yet to come.
The Energy Storage Challenge gave a result of 6.7 metres – better than Pozna but down on that of Alstom/Derby, but the Traction Challenge result was good at 4.8 seconds.
TfL, previous winners of the event, had significant problems with the Autostop Challenge, stopping 13.61 metres before the mark. No score was recorded for the next two challenges and the traction time was slow at 9.37 seconds. A repeat victory for TfL seemed unlikely.
Newcastle University also undershot the mark in the Autostop Challenge, didn’t record a distance on the Energy Storage Challenge and recorded a slow time for the Maintainability Challenge.
The University of Huddersfield’s entry was the only one still using an on-board generator – it should go all-electric next year. As a result, maintainability was a problem as the mechanical chain drives weren’t easy to remove and replace and no attempt was possible for the Energy Storage Challenge.
The FH Aachen & Alpha Trains entry had stylish bodywork but struggled on ride comfort, while the University of Warwick had a torrid time but managed a run at the end of the event. Network Rail/Colas also struggled but recorded a good Traction Challenge score and was one of only three entries that posted a time in the Autocoupler Challenge.
It must be said that all teams had problems (or faced challenges!) which reflects the difficulty of the event. However, all have vowed to be back next year and, with the entry-level competitors hopefully bringing locomotives with them in 2025, the Railway Challenge seems to have a bright future. In
preparation, the railway itself is being upgraded with a new turntable and extra roads to accommodate more competitors.
With the on-track action over, everyone repaired to the marquee for the prizegiving. Head Judge Bill Reeve, otherwise Director of Rail at Transport Scotland, thanked all of the competitors for their efforts, reminding everyone that there were no losers, and everyone was a winner in their own way. He also thanked the Friends of Stapleford Railway, without whom the competition couldn’t have taken place, the railway’s owner Lord Gretton and the event’s sponsors - Angel Trains, AtkinsRéalis, CAF and RSSB, challenge supporter Network Rail and category sponsor The Pamela and David Rollin Foundation.
The individual challenge winners were then announced. Five entries (Pozna , Sheffield, TfL, Derby/Alstom and Heriot-Watt) won at least one challenge, with TfL winning three, Derby/Alstom winning four and Sheffield winning six. It therefore came as no surprise when Bill announced that the University of Sheffield was the overall winner.
Noel Dolphin, Director of Sheffield University’s sponsor Furrer+Frey GB, was delighted. “The University of Sheffield team really personifies incremental gains to achieve greatness,” he said. “Every year they have improved the engineering, and steadily learned and grown. They are all volunteers working in their own time, so this is an impressive win.
“We have supported Sheffield since 2016, and worked embedding lessons learnt, so it means a lot to see them win. It is through programmes like this we encourage and enthuse the next generation to come into rail.”
Furrer+Frey Principal Engineer Rob Daffern had also been part of the winning team’s support. “It’s great to see Sheffield team have won the railway challenge,” he commented. “I am proud to have been a part of it. I’ve been impressed with their professional approach and willingness to learn from past problems. It’s a true reflection of engineering improvement and relentless focus on success.”
In addition to Furrer+Frey, the winning team was also supported by Accu, ClearVue Technologies, Eaton, Ecobat, LB Foster, Lynch Motor Company, Rail-Ability, Thorite, MERail & RITC and the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust.
Reports of landslips and washouts are becoming all too common recently. Mona Sihota, Network Rail’s Technical Head Drainage & Lineside, has long-term plans to reduce their occurrence
As the world’s climate changes due to the effects of global warming, the UK’s weather is getting wilder. Storms are more violent, and rainfall has increased, as have summer temperatures.
All of this spells trouble for the railway. High temperatures can bring buckled rails, sagging overhead wires and overheated electronics in lineside cabinets. Storms can spell trouble for sea defences as waves batter the shoreline and, often, the railway that runs behind it.
And high rainfall soaks the ground, overloads drainage systems, and can result in landslips of embankments and cutting slopes, undercutting or burying the railway’s tracks.
Over the last few years, there have been many examples of the railway’s support being suddenly washed away, or of piles of mud and fallen trees sitting on the tracks.
Wake-up call
Probably the worst example of the latter was at Carmont, Aberdeenshire, on 12 August 2020. A passenger train collided with debris washed from
a drain onto the track following exceptionally heavy rainfall. There were nine people on board, six passengers and three railway employees (one of whom was travelling as a passenger). The collision caused the train to derail and strike a bridge parapet, which caused the train’s carriages to break apart, with some being thrown down the embankment towards the river while others piled up on the railway. Three people died.
Investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) showed that the source of the debris that caused the derailment was a badly installed ‘French drain’. When surface water flows were concentrated into a short length of gravel-filled drainage trench, gravel and other stony material were washed out, down a steeply sloping trench towards the track.
The accident at Carmont was the first fatal accident involving passengers on a train in the UK since Grayrigg in February 2007. The fallout was farreaching.
“For us, in Network Rail and the drainage community, it was a kick in the stomach – we were shocked!” Mona Sihota, Network Technical Head
Drainage & Lineside, told Rail Director. “We all felt it as an industry and, when the recommendations came in, we weren’t surprised by them, but it still hurt a lot.”
Developing a strategy
Mona and her team addressed the specific recommendations made by the RAIB and also other areas that they themselves identified as needing improvement. “These included things that are difficult to document,” she explained. “Specifically, we had to improve the culture, improve the importance of drainage and water management in the business.” They adopted a three-pronged attack – people, processes and technologies. “You can’t just update the standard and say: there you go, standard updated, job done! The three things had to come together – we needed a long-term vision,” Mona stated.
The result was Network Rail’s Drainage Technical Strategy, an interactive document that outlines the company’s 30-year strategy. Each of Network Rail’s five regions is at a different place in their maturity, but they can use the document to pick out what they need to do.
“Then we have our policy document, which talks about how we’re going to create our work banks, both for capital investment and then operational investment,” Mona continued. “What are the things that we should be thinking about? How do you prioritize work? What sort of areas should we be thinking about when we come up with schemes? That’s all in our policy document, along with details of the benefits we hope to achieve.”
Mona, in her role of Technical Head Drainage & Lineside, isn’t the only person responsible for water management on the railway. Buildings, operational property, car parks and structures (bridges and tunnels) don’t fall within her remit. But everything around the railway track itself is.
Controlling water is almost an art as much as a science. How do you make water go down the drains and not use the cable troughs as a handy escape route? Signalling engineers, installing a brand-new cable trough, have to be aware that they may also be installing a new drain if they aren’t careful!
That’s why Mona sees education as an important part of her job – getting engineers in other disciplines to take account of water and how difficult it can be to control.
One example is the care Network Rail is taking in the identification of all the catchments on the railway network. A catchment is defined as the area of land, including hills and mountains, woodlands,
and buildings, which water drains from before flowing into streams, rivers and lakes.
So, in a hilly area, nature has, for thousands of years, sculpted the land so that rain falls on a hillside and then the resulting water runs down the slopes to a stream or brook at the bottom and then off to the wider river network and eventually the sea.
Then man comes along and builds a railway alongside and slightly uphill of the stream. It is a wide formation, possibly sloping gently downhill, that gives the water running down from the
catchment an alternative path.
This doesn’t only happen in hilly areas. Even comparatively flat land will have some sort of gradient and a catchment which flows towards a funnel point. And if the route to that funnel point now has a railway in the way, then the funnel point moves onto the railway.
The Environment Agency has carried out an analysis of catchments around the country but focusing on rivers. “We wanted specifically to look at where the catchments were for the railway,” Mona explained. “And then, once we identified the land, we ran a hydraulic analysis to say how much water would come off that land towards the railway based on different rainfall return periods – one in two, which is normal weather, then one in 100, one in 300 and so on. We calculated how much water in cubic metres per second was likely to be coming towards us.”
The calculation takes into account the area of the catchment, the slope angle, the type of soil, and weather events that have happened in the past. Using the Flood Estimation Handbook, published by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the amount of water that will flow towards the railway from each catchment can be estimated, along with the Water Threat Index. Areas that have a high Water Threat Index are mapped in red, those that do not are mapped in green.
Dealing with the threat
“Our next step is to take that Water Threat Index and look at the impact on our operations,” Mona said. “If we have a storm event coming, where are the areas that will go red, because water will flow to them? And that’s where we can say maybe we need to slow down there, because we might have flooding or a washout due to a large amount of water.
“The flip side is we can identify where the water will be flowing away. So, we don’t have to worry, we can run the trains.
“Then the next question, for me specifically, is whether the drainage is suitable to take that much water in that place. Have we designed it correctly?
“If we’re at the low point of the catchment, then we’ve got to manage the water. We’re going to get all of it. But even if we’re in the middle, we have to shift
People think it’s not important because they don’t understand the science and engineering that’s behind it
half of it, and then it becomes a question of how fast the water is flowing. And how much of it will there be?”
If the railway is between the slopes of the catchment and the watercourse, it may simply be a question of having culverts under the railway to let the water go safely on its way. Understanding the funnel points will allow engineers to place those culverts correctly. But if those culverts are blocked by debris, or a fallen tree, then the water will find an alternative path – and that could wash out ballast or create a landslip.
However, if the railway itself is the low point – the funnel point – then the trackside drainage needs to be built to withstand those one in one hundred events, or one in two hundred events, which may mean they are
very over-engineered for everyday use but are there to cope with the infrequent events that would otherwise destroy the railway.
Understanding where to build normal drainage, or even where not to build any at all, and where huge drainage systems will be required to safeguard the railway, is what the Water Threat Index is all about.
Now lineside engineers have to understand the ramifications of it all. “We’re developing a huge training programme,” said Mona. “Our e-learning courses went live this summer, and our face-to-face courses will be available in October.”
Drainage used to be the poor relation, the first thing to be cut or downsized when money was tight. Now, post-Carmont and with the wild weather that global warming is bringing, times have changed.
“In the past, drains were not often seen as key railway assets, but now everyone understands how important they really are,” Mona enthused. “For example, the catchment analysis, when you start getting into the proper science of it – people are beginning to see the importance of understanding the water flow and its impact is significant to every asset.
“It’s not just a question of putting a pipe into the ground. We have to consider what size pipe? What material of pipe? What gradient are you going to put this pipe down in? It’s all massively important, and has to be done right because, once it is finished, you can’t see it – it’s all underground.”
Out of sight but not out of mind, at least for Mona Sihota and her lineside and drainage team.
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Brett Hawke, Rail Director at NRL, explains more about one of the country’s leading rail contracting companies
With a smile, Brett Hawke describes the first 18 months as Rail Director at NRL as “really busy”. It should come as no surprise; in the last financial year the organisation which specialises in rail maintenance and improvement works delivered 62,504 track hours, 2,680 shifts, and 100 per cent regulatory compliance.
“We have a fantastic team within NRL’s rail contracting business, many of whom have been with us for a considerable time,” he said. “Together we are working hard to gain and maintain a renowned reputation within the industry for delivering innovative solutions, meeting clients’ challenges and doing so with safety at the heart of how we operate.”
Brett can include himself on the list of long stays at the organisation, having joined as Grinding Supervisory Manager more than 20 years ago, progressing through the business to oversee all rail maintenance operations, as well as back-office
administration and compliance, before taking on the Rail Director role.
Brett’s rail expertise stems from his time-served experience delivering maintenance, repair and upgrades on the tracks. His current role sees him manage the delivery of services for major infrastructure projects across the UK, whilst ensuring back-office processes run smoothly.
“It doesn’t feel more than two minutes ago that I joined the company and was picking up a new, shiny Volkswagen Crafter,” he said. “It has been a great 20 years, and it is an industry that I thoroughly enjoy working in. The tenacity and passion, not just in myself but all my colleagues, is as great now as it was on day one, and it’s a real honour to be able to pave the way to continue to develop our expertise.”
The rail contracting business is a key service capability within the wider NRL Group’s portfolio of engineering businesses. The rail offering has evolved extensively since its establishment in 2001 to deliver
asset inspection, ultrasonic testing, non-destructive engineering, signalling, and grinding services. As a RISQS audited supply chain partner, it supports rail infrastructure programmes with a constant focus on safety and an exemplary track record for compliance.
Among a long list of recent success stories was the organisation’s work at Eastleigh Railway Depot, where it inspected and refurbished a number of switches, a project which lasted 16 weeks and led to more work from other companies impressed by what had been achieved.
“We are slightly different to a lot of other contractors in the fact that we stick to the specialist works, with the main part of the business being the grinding,” added Brett, whose background is in grinding. “We hold a national contract for the grinding of S&C, and we do a lot of private work for quarries, cement works, sidings and locations like that, bringing their track back into commission.
“We also hold a national contract for ultrasonic
testing and again we do work in sidings and our signalling expertise includes testing and commissioning.”
Under Brett’s direction NRL has welcomed new talent into the rail industry, through the personal mentoring of a number of young apprentices through the Government’s apprenticeship levy scheme, sharing his expertise to help others start a career in rail and supporting their college training with firsthand trackside experience. The company has also recently celebrated Great Place to Work certification, with a 97 per cent colleague satisfaction rating “NRL is a family-run business in which we ensure all staff are well looked after, evidenced by the fact we have so many people that have been with the company for so many years,” he said. “We have a very good team of experts which means we always perform well. There are also opportunities for progression such as my journey at the company and the director before me came on as a recruiter. We’ve also got an apprentice who is now a planner.
“Our success is also about the relationships we create with contractors who all have a login to our dedicated contractor dashboard for fatigue monitoring and asset checks. We also run a bonus scheme for the contractors. If we have that relationship with them, we know the job will get completed to the level that we expect, and if there are any issues they know they can come to us.”
Another passion of Brett’s and the wider company is supporting local communities. Earlier this year the NRL Group launched a new match funding scheme which allows colleagues to secure a company donation to support their own fundraising activities. The £90,000 charity donations pot has been made
Together we are working hard to gain and maintain a renowned reputation within the industry for delivering innovative solutions, meeting clients’ challenges
available to colleagues to access over the next three years, providing the potential for the business to work with employees to raise up to £180,000 for charities and causes when personal fundraising is combined with company match funding.
It was introduced thanks to the success of fundraising efforts last year as part of the organisation’s 40th year in business in which colleagues worked together to support 40 charities, with a £500 company donation made to each in celebration of each year of the company’s existence.
Brett is also the Chairperson of Barnsley FC Ladies, supporting the commercial and community engagement aspects of the grassroots sport, and has taken part in charity golf days. He commented: “It’s really important that as we continue to grow the business we can give back and support local communities.
“NRL is a really good community champion, from the work we do for charity, and having achieved the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, but also from a net zero aspect, in which we are very proactive and have been carbon neutral since 2020. We are always working to reduce air, light and noise pollution and environmental distress as much as safely possible during our operations and are constantly striving to procure the equipment and materials we need sustainably and ethically, while ensuring we keep waste to a minimum.
“Overall I’m very excited about what the future holds especially with the experience and ambition that we’ve got, but the vision will be to not run before we can walk, so to consolidate what we’ve got and then build on that ensuring that we continue to offer the expertise that we have become renowned for.”
Rail maintenance – Ensuring clients have a proactive supplier to maintain their assets and reduce risk.
Private track – Drawing on 20-plus years of expertise across the UK’s train tracks to manage independent infrastructure.
Asset inspection – An external audit to help clients proactively manage their infrastructure maintenance requirements.
Ultrasonic testing – Specialist Ultrasonic Rail Flaw Detection Operatives provide precision defect detection to keep the railway safe.
Grinding – Experienced in delivering grinding services to support maintenance projects to optimise track performance.
www.nrlrail.co.uk
Steve Stocks, Managing Director (MD) at Wakatipu Consulting Ltd (WCL) discusses managing and delivering complex signalling and telecoms, track, electrification, plant or organisational change works worldwide
Large, complex or multi-stream projects are prone to difficulties, risking underdelivery, critical risks, or even project failure, which is why it is essential that programmes set out on the right foundations.
“Pretty much every rail project these days ends up with an overspend, sometimes more than double its initial estimated cost,” said Steve Stocks, MD at WCL. “This might be because of the naivety of people when they start out about how much they can do the job for, the understanding of the intricacies of what is actually involved in delivering that project, or even just estimating a figure that they think people want to hear to open up more funding for the next stage of the project.”
It is something that is of particular concern to Steve, especially when his team has the expertise to solve these tricky issues, with WCL existing to help organisations eliminate risks, deliver excellence, and get maximum return on investment. Although the company is happy to come to the rescue mid-
We’re looking for the best and brightest to continue our work of helping on the biggest challenges
project, he’d like to be involved from the early stages to have the biggest impact and save costs and prevent problems down the line.
This wish is coming true as WCL’s reputation gains momentum. The agile, fast-growing consultancy firm is developing and delivering major works for
customers across the rail sector, bringing together the best minds in planning, programming, engineering and management as it works with large corporates and SMEs.
“We’ll evaluate your situation, provide an honest appraisal or reality on the ground, and chart your best route to success,” added Steve, who founded WCL 12 years ago along with Nick Cole, Jim Gilliatt, and Paul Ainsworth. “As expert consultants, we provide the kind of clarity, honesty and propulsion that is often difficult to get from inside a complex project or programme.
“But I don’t recommend waiting until your risks become threateningly large, your stakeholders splintered, or full delivery has fallen into question. The earlier you have WCL by your side, the better we’ll be able to help you reset, dislodge deep rooted issues, and maximise your chance of successful delivery.”
WCL specialises in integrated solutions for complex projects, complementing customers’ existing teams with hand-picked experts, offering
tailored insights and support, and ensuring exceptional outcomes. It works across four areas: project management and consultancy, engineering and construction, commercial management, and integration and controls.
“If you just need a project manager for your team, we can help – but so can plenty of other organisations,” said Steve, who has been working around the globe on rail, defence and construction projects for more than 30 years. “We’re different. First, we’re a source of highly skilled and experienced project professionals, at the top of their fields, rapidly available to rail organisations that need them.
“But more than that, WCL exists as a leading provider of comprehensive ‘turnkey’ packages of project and programme management delivery or consultancy services, including a complete management solution including exceptional personnel, powerful executive-level and organisation support, change and integration management, widereach technical expertise, and bespoke, cutting-edge technology and systems integration.”
The founders of WCL are a group of like-minded individuals, who Steve describes as “changemakers at heart”, each with years of experience in complex and large-scale projects, who bonded over their shared views on how projects could be improved for both the client and contractor.
The inspiration came from Steve, while in New Zealand, after seeing how the flexibility of specialist contractors could address specific projects or organisational skill gaps and could make all the difference in ensuring successful delivery. It was an ethos he carried back to the UK, joining with Nick, Jim, and Paul to form a group of roaming experts, all of whom thrive on working with the UK’s largest infrastructure companies to untangle knots and deliver tomorrow’s railway. This team has now grown to more than 50 consultants, evidence of the success and demand for WCL.
The organisation hasn’t looked back since Network Rail tapped into its expertise and passion, with WCL providing senior project managers, commercial managers, engineers and construction managers to help manage and develop delivery teams and methodologies. This enabled Network Rail to enhance operations and unpick issues throughout its five-year control period.
“We achieved a significant boost to staff morale on the Wessex works delivery team, as they were able to see positive changes and investment in the organisation after we identified resource requirements required to meet the projected CP6 work bank expenditure and those were addressed,” explained Steve.
“Further confidence was gained from the RAM and sponsor teams. Ultimately our intervention contributed to the portfolio of work doubling at the end of year one, with a further 50 percent increase at the end of year two without an ocean of recruitment or fresh wallpaper stuck over old processes. On top of that, through this work we also delivered over a year of operation without a single safety incident.”
The demand shows no signs of slowing down. WCL is currently working on a large programme of works for Transport for Wales, which includes major
resignalling and re-control, introduction of 25Kv overhead lines, track re-doubling and re-modelling and major civils interventions as part of the £738 million multi-disciplinary overhaul of South Wales infrastructure.
There is also its involvement in the KiwiRail Wellington Resignalling project in New Zealand, which includes the signalling design and integration as part of the Wellington Master Plan, the engineering support for the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), and the recent work on the Bristol Area resignalling enhancements.
On the latter, Steve said: “It was a fascinating project to be involved with. We collaborated with Alstom to construct an effective ID for the project through the GRIP 4 scheme, managing it to a successful completion.
“We led on the tender for Alstom for the GRIP 5-8 (detailed design, construction test and commission, hand back and close out) scope. We then provided lead project management consultancy services throughout the design, build and successful commissioning of all the major stages.
“WCL also provided additional commissioning management and administration support throughout the shutdown period of works, ensuring a successful conclusion to the works.”
Looking to the future and Steve hopes to continue the company’s rapid growth, which has been more than double its turnover year on year since the pandemic. Its work in Wales has been particularly successful and is something they’re looking to grow, while expanding the WCL offering through the whole of the UK. Its activity is also gaining momentum around the world, winning more work in New Zealand and having exciting conversations with partners in Canada.
“We’re also looking at frameworks and funding sources outside of the Network Rail ecosystem, identifying a myriad of opportunities for us to assist with urban transportation networks and intermodal innovations,” added Steve.
“WCL is continually expanding its team, supporting our growth through a larger roster of highly skilled permanent staff. We’re looking for the best and brightest to continue our work of helping on the biggest challenges.”
We’ll evaluate your situation, provide an honest appraisal or reality on the ground, and chart your best route to success
As the rail industry strives to reduce carbon output and reach its zero carbon target by 2050, Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) experts have been working on a raft of measures to make this more possible
The UK economy, including the whole transport system, needs to reduce its overall carbon emissions to reach net zero by 2050. Based on the Office of Rail and Road’s figures, electrified train journeys for passengers generate between 52 per cent and 92 per cent less carbon per mile than diesel ones.
For rail to become the backbone of a sustainable transport system, it must continue to be the lowcarbon leader among mass transport modes. It also needs to intensify that leadership and show the way forward with new technologies and tools.
In electrification, there are many practical ways that RSSB has already helped and will continue to do so. As of October 2023, 6,065 kilometres (3,769 miles) of the British rail network was electrified. That may sound a lot but only 38 per cent of the network is currently electrified. Industry leaders seeking to expand the electrified network need to understand the reality of electrification, both its challenges and opportunities. These challenges are not only about
the technical solutions needed for electrification, but also about knock-on effects from other areas, such as disruption due to line closures and the costs of altering structures.
In 2022, RSSB comprehensively revised the existing standards for AC electrification, finding ways in which AC electrification could be undertaken safely and more cheaply. For instance, AC electrification does not now necessarily require the wholesale rebuilding of some bridges. Partial rebuilding, or even no rebuilding at all, substantially reduces costs. The revised standard shows how this can be done while maintaining safety.
Before the comprehensive revision, in each of the two years before 2022, RSSB received, on average, 25 applications to deviate from Railway Group Standard GLRT1210 Issue 2 ‘AC energy subsystem and interfaces to rolling stock subsystem’. Since the publication of Issue 3 in 2022, there has only been one deviation request, even though
network electrification is continuing.
Mike Tatton, Professional Head of Energy at RSSB, commented: “Talking to our stakeholders, it is great to hear that they are really benefiting from the comprehensive revision of the AC electrification standards. Also, it is good to see that the changes made have delivered a big reduction in the need for electrification projects to deviate from these requirements.”
Continuing to respond to member feedback, RSSB standards experts have now turned their attention to DC electrification, making the standards for the DC electrified network and rolling stock more straightforward to implement.
In addition, further research has been conducted into electrification. Outputs include practical recommendations that rail companies can implement now. One example is the introduction of insulated pantograph horns, where the end of the pantograph head is an alternative material that doesn’t conduct
electricity. This reduces the risk from insufficient electrical clearances under bridges in some situations and can reduce the costs and disruption associated with bridge reconstruction. Network Rail has found in several trials that insulated pantograph horns can work well.
In another project, RSSB explored the range of battery trains available, looking at charging options, operation needs and considerations, their fire risk, and the risk of getting stranded. This helps the effective deployment of battery trains.
Current electrification also has capacity constraints. On some electrified routes, there isn’t enough capacity to run only electric trains, so diesel trains still have to be used for some services. Enter intelligent energy management, which can work out how to make the most of the electricity available. This involves the development of new tools to smooth out peaks and troughs in supply and demand. So, for instance, one current research project is about getting more throughput of trains using existing electrification so more trains can operate on the electrified network.
But capacity is also increased through the use of a broader range of electrical technologies. One way of doing this is by using batteries to remove reliance on diesel traction. Battery traction, especially on bi-mode and tri-mode passenger trains, can also result in increased flexibility. It can fill gaps in the electrified network in ways that would otherwise be deemed too costly.
The industry is making progress in this field. A good example is the collaboration between Angel Trains, Hitachi and TransPennine Express to trial the first hybrid intercity train. There is, no doubt, much the industry can learn from such initiatives.
George Davies, RSSB Director of Sustainable Development, commented: “I look forward to battery hybrid rolling stock coming into widespread use for passenger services. The tech is proven, it just needs to be scaled up and rolled out – it’ll be crucial for rail to play its part in improving local air quality.”
It’s important not to apply a single ‘solution’ to everyone, everywhere
Batteries aren’t only necessary to fill gaps in an electrified network. They’re also a potential game changer for air quality in rail. From its work with the Air Quality Monitoring Network, RSSB already knows that 100 per cent of problematic railway stations, from an air quality perspective, are strongly related to older and particularly more polluting types of diesel trains. Adding batteries to some of these diesel trains could significantly improve air quality, by reducing the amount of time the most polluting trains spend idling at stations.
It’s important not to apply a single ‘solution’ to everyone, everywhere. There are many different organisations with different types of equipment
that contribute to air quality issues, including train operators (TOCs), rolling-stock companies (ROSCOs) and local authorities. RSSB is working with the rail industry to explore optimum solutions and facilitate collaboration to solve air quality problems.
This illustrates a useful principle to bear in mind when adopting a new technology: be aware of the whole context for the new technology. A wider perspective has enhanced recognition that a technology introduced for electrification benefits, battery traction, also has powerful benefits for another seemingly intractable challenge, air quality. But a wider perspective has other benefits too. It shows that electrification also offers opportunities for the rail industry to optimise value and work with others in new ways. For instance, smart electricity management includes the effective deployment of buffer resources to provide electricity backup. The rail estate could house equipment for this purpose.
How can the impact of all this electrification activity be calculated? The RSSB sustainability team is currently producing a Rail Carbon Accounting Framework. This will enable rail to account for the carbon emissions from its activities, accounting for changes to the electricity grid as more renewable energy becomes available. It will also help rail companies develop their plans to get to net zero. The Sustainable Rail Blueprint sets out the framework for rail to reach net zero by 2050, so it can help individual organisations here too.
While all of these developments are underway, it is important to remember to maintain new skills, new supply chains, and the new technologies used in trials and rollouts. Building them is necessary, but not an end in itself. It is counterproductive and inefficient to assemble and trial a new electrification technology, only to disassemble it to go back to old technologies. Electrification in rail needs to keep moving forward. To this end, RSSB will continue working collaboratively with the industry to achieve this for the benefit of all concerned.
Slingco develops cable installation and support products for overhead line installation. Dave Diggle, Technical Product Manager, discusses its latest range of products which are increasing efficiency and reducing costs over the live railway
There is more than an air of excitement over Slingco’s twin CatchBlock, the latest in its range of overhead line (OHL) stringing products, which is helping contractors transform works over the live railway.
Previously approved by Highways England for use over live roads, the overhead line twin catenary roller system has recently been approved by Network Rail, allowing contractors to carry out not just single but also twin conductor stringing works over infrastructure assets without the need for costly scaffold or possession orders.
“The challenges faced by the OHL industry due to the growing number of infrastructure projects built beneath existing transmission and distribution networks – alongside increasingly stringent OHL regulations - can make maintenance and new installation costly, time-consuming and challenging,” said Dave Diggle, Technical Product Manager at Slingco. “Lightweight, robust and easy to deploy, CatchBlock helps overcome these issues, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.”
The CatchBlock product significantly reduces the need for the erection and dismantling of scaffolding,
Available for a number of conductors.
Removes the need to close down essential infrastructure for conductor repairs or in the event of an emergency.
Cuts down the need for scaffolding, reducing cost and accident risk.
Lightweight, robust, weatherproof and easy to deploy.
Twin rope system allows for recovery and redeployment.
High conductor range, including the ability to allow mid-span joints/repair sleeves to pass through safely.
Blocks can be connected for use on multiple bundle conductor systems.
Both ropes are tensioned simultaneously, removing the need to ‘flip’ blocks.
Ropes are controlled to avoid the build-up of slack in any sub-spans.
Lightweight, robust and easy to deploy, CatchBlock helps overcome these issues, increasing efficiency and reducing costs
cutting down the risk of accidents and harm to site workers, with the reduced need for scaffolding, ease of deployment, and the ability to recover and redeploy, resulting in a faster, more efficient operation.
“Though the majority of off-the-shelf systems offer single support rope deployment, they frequently fail to meet the specifications required by third party clients
who own property below overhead conductors,” continued Dave. “The CatchBlock system not only satisfies the most demanding requirements, but also – because it removes the need to close down essential infrastructure for conductor repairs or in the event of an emergency – means that estimating the costs of maintenance and refurbishment schemes is made far easier and more accurate. These benefits apply to both the single and twin conductor versions.”
How does CatchBlock work
CatchBlock is used wherever the OHL route crosses an obstacle. This can be a road, housing development, a sub-station, or a railway.
“The CatchBlock utilises two ropes, both encapsulated in the housing, one on the inside and one out,” explained Dave. “These are essentially a support rope and a recovery rope so that in the event of conductor failure, after being contained by the Catchblocks, both the conductor and our system can be recovered to the towers on both sides of the obstacle by pulling back the support rope and leaving the recovery rope in place. There is no requirement to lower any conductor that has failed to the ground.
“The CatchBlock system can then be easily re-deployed on the recovery rope and tensioned as normal. The initial recovery rope is then disconnected and joined up to the two conductor tails in order to pull one tail towards the other and reconnect them.
“Unlike conventional systems, the CatchBlock retains both deployment ropes at all times, avoiding any slack between the rollers. This means that even during the recovery phase the support rope is captured and distance is maintained between the rollers. Both ropes are controlled at all times and are not allowed to run freely in any of the roller mechanisms.”
High voltage, di-electric pulling rope, rope shorteners (also referred to as bollard clamps) and a Slingco tug and recovery unit complete the product portfolio.
“The tug unit is of particular interest to contractors,” commented Dave, “as they value the light weight and ease with which the off-the-shelf 18V battery can be easily fitted and exchanged.”
Dedication to innovation, quality and safety
CatchBlock is the latest addition to award-winning
Slingco’s list of high-quality cable grip and wire rope products. The company has more than 40 years of industry experience, now serving customers in more than 60 countries worldwide.
“Our products are used in safety critical applications for a wide range of markets where there is no room for error,” said Dave. “That is why we do everything with the utmost care and precision, designing and manufacturing to the highest specifications and testing to destruction. If our products don’t meet and exceed the most stringent national and international standards, they’re not good enough for our customers.”
CatchBlock joins Slingco’s cable pulling grips, cable support grips, and a growing range of ancillary products that are widely used in the installation and maintenance of overhead power lines. Slingco has developed a range of high-strength cable grips which are hand woven from galvanised, stainless wire, for use in the pulling of cable and all common conductors.
The flexible eye of the grips is compatible with the range of Slingco line pulling swivels which help reduce torsional strain and ensure trouble-free pulling operations. “These are made by us in our factory in Rawtenstall, and really are great examples of British engineering and manufacturing,” explained Dave.
Dave added: “At Slingco our goal is to create innovative high-quality products that our customers can depend on, whilst providing a positive experience for our customers and our employees. Quality matters in all industries, but none more so than those we service, which is exactly why the quality of our products is critical.
“Every Slingco product is designed, manufactured and tested to exacting standards to ensure safe and reliable operation under the most challenging conditions. The company was founded on engineering excellence and a total commitment to quality, always looking for how we can better our products to make the industries we serve safer and even more efficient.”
dave.diggle@slingco.com www.slingco.com/uk
Shamit Gaiger OBE, Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development, told the Modern Railways’ Railway Innovation Awards audience about the company’s ambitions and the challenges it faces
The brief for the West Coast Partnership Development, the shadow operator for HS2, is to set new standards in operations and customer experience.
“We are challenging every aspect of this –innovation is at the heart of everything we do,” explained Shamit Gaiger OBE, Managing Director of West Coast Partnership Development, at Modern Railways’ recent Railway Innovation Awards. “We can only be successful together, working with the supply chain and our partners at HS2 Ltd, Network
Rail and the Department for Transport (DfT).”
Shamit was speaking at the awards ceremony, founded in 1998, which celebrates the brightest ideas in the industry.
“We need to work as a system to understand what good looks like from a customer perspective,” said Shamit, who joined the business two years ago. “From there, I believe we have three key challenges to address. The first is personalisation for customers –we need to understand what our customers want. We need to work out how to deliver the right information
to the right person at the right time – it’s about knowing our customers and them knowing us.
“When HS2 opens, it will offer a reliable new railway with huge benefits. But trains will also run onto the conventional network, which is much older, so our second challenge is increasing the reliability of the conventional network to at least close that gap, something we’re working closely on with Network Rail.
“The third challenge is modernising the railway – we’re looking to develop a new operating model for the railway, with better processes.”
Shamit boasts an extensive career in the rail sector, with previous roles at the Rail Safety and Standards Board, as Director of Strategy at the National Skills Academy for Rail, and at the DfT, the latter at which she led the Rail Sector Deal negotiations on behalf of the UK Government and was Non-Executive for Passenger Services.
Discussing the barriers to innovation for the audience at Marriott Grosvenor Square in London, she said: “There are political barriers: the goalposts are changed frequently – HS2 has been defined, redefined and descoped in recent years. And if we are to innovate, we must be able to fail, but it is deemed unacceptable to fail on a large infrastructure project as there are significant financial and economic implications. It is hard to see this landscape changing.
“There are cultural challenges – project managers say they want innovation but may be unwilling to take the risk. We cannot innovate alone – but our commercial incentives are not aligned with those of HS2.
“HS2 is brilliant at innovation around civil engineering – some of the things it is doing are the best in the world. But it is a construction scheme, delivering a minimum viable product, whose output is not linked to customer outcomes, whereas our focus is on delivering passenger benefits. Costs and benefits are not under the same entity.”
Talking about the solutions, Shamit explained how the industry needs to start with the market and the end user – the customer, understanding who the customers are, and what their behaviours and attitudes are.
“If we start with the customer, innovation and benefits will go hand in hand,” she said. “We developed a shared vision with our partners of what we will achieve for our customers. There will be tradeoffs – we will need to prioritise and use that as a framework to test our decision-making.
“We have an integrated plan with HS2 Ltd – we are looking to understand what the railway needs to look like on the first day of operations and working backwards from there. What are the big challenges over the next five to seven years, before the railway opens? What ‘no regret’ decisions can we take now, and what decisions do we need to leave until the last responsible moment?
“One of the key principles is that we are solution agnostic, an example of which would be if we needed to specify what gatelines at stations look like, we would look at the outcome specification – what they want to do and what they don’t want to do.
“We are working with the regulator to examine the challenges and identify novel solutions,” she said. “It is important we prioritise managing benefits over managing costs. For example, prior to the changes announced with the publication of the Network North document last year, by taking a novel approach to timetabling we were able to add £1 billion in net present value benefits to the business case for HS2 over 10 years.
“We need to have the right culture in place to embrace innovation – it’s easy to go back to what we know and are comfortable with. Innovation is a key part of our values and strategy – we have an innovation champion on our exec team, we train our
To innovate we need a culture that accepts that some innovations will fail
people on innovation design thinking, and we have put innovation into our assurance processes. But we can’t do this alone – we have to work with our supply chain and partners to develop our thinking. We don’t have all the answers.”
Shamit is passionate about delivering improvements and great change within the industry, and as well as the full-time job also sits as a NonExecutive Director of Women in Rail and is now the Chair of Trustees at Campaign for Better Transport. Her efforts haven’t gone unrecognised. Earlier this year she received the Order of the British Empire for services to rail.
Concluding her speech at the Railway Innovation Awards, she said: “For policymakers, we need the right incentives to be innovative, not only to take the pain away but to create a push for innovation and make risk worthwhile.
“For innovators, I challenge you to start with the end user – keep thinking about outcomes and spend time in the planning phase before moving to detailed design.
“For leaders, I understand that to innovate we need a culture that accepts that some innovations will fail. I also know that allowing things to fail is problematic, and the financial cost of failure is potentially unacceptable. But we need leaders who are willing to take that leap of faith and do what they think is right, without fear.”
Major Project
HS2 Chiltern Tunnels – Align JV
Cross-Industry Partnership
Passenger Data Initiative – Network Rail
Engineering and Safety
Remote Disconnection Device – Network Rail
Environment and Sustainability
Implementation of HVO Fuel in Class 68s –Chiltern Railways
Operations and Performance
Deer Deterrent System – LNER
Passenger Experience
Superfare – Avanti West Coast
People, Skills and Diversity
CGA Empathy Lab – Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and CGA Experience
Small Scale Project GUSTO – Network Rail
James Owen, Managing Director at JRS Training, explains more about providing a wide range of construction training courses and NVQs, and exciting developments including railway brickwork repairs
The team at JRS Training takes a huge sense of pride in putting in place the building blocks for individuals and organisations to succeed in the construction industry.
The business has recently passed its eighth birthday, now offering a range of NVQs, CITB courses, NPORS training, and bespoke programmes.
“We’ve got the boots-on-the-ground experience delivering construction projects within the rail industry, so we have both the passion and expertise to support people to get their qualifications, from those just entering the industry to those who are wanting to progress on to become chartered with the CIOB,” said James. “Our success comes from our consistent delivery of essential, industry-recognised qualifications.”
The service centres around four key areas –construction management and plant NVQs, CITBaccredited short courses, NPORS plant training, and bespoke course development to fulfil the growing needs of the industry.
“Just one example of a programme we have developed is our Bespoke Brickwork course which covers heritage railway brickwork repairs in line with Network Rail standards. We’ve been working closely with one of the industry’s leading companies who had identified a skills gap left by skilled workers progressing into supervisory roles. The 42-week course has been a great success, with a second round coming up.”
There is a genuine passion to give both young people and the construction industry a better future, emphasised by JRS Training’s work with The Prince’s Trust, which offers free support to develop skills and confidence.
JRS Training has been supporting The Prince’s Trust with its Get into Construction course, having worked with several groups of young people to deliver essential entry-level qualifications such as Emergency First Aid at Work and Health and Safety Awareness.
“It has been a fantastic experience getting to work with the next generation of construction professionals and we feel privileged to have a hand in their development, which is not just helping them, but also an industry desperate for more workers,” added James, who said that people who have attended the
course have gone on to gain full-time employment.
“The construction skills shortage is a massive problem across multiple sectors. A huge amount of new talent needs to come through to fulfil the needs of the industry over the next few decades. We’re tackling this issue head-on with our work with The Prince’s Trust, supporting people who are not in work or education to enter the construction industry.”
Shaped by industry needs
Looking to the future, JRS Training will continue its mission to meet the needs of the industry by diversifying and expanding its offering.
“We are hugely passionate about upskilling young people and working with employers to get them out into industry. We want to continue working with organisations to deliver exactly what they are looking for,” added James, explaining how as well as a railway brickwork course, the company has created a Supervisor Development Programme.
Our success comes from our consistent delivery of essential, industry-recognised qualifications
“Through engaging with employers and learners, we identified a gap in the industry whereby up and coming supervisors needed further development prior to being assessed in the workplace. The Supervisor Development Programme equips staff with the necessary skills, knowledge and training to go back out to the workplace as competent supervisors, achieving their NVQ Level 3 in Occupational Work Supervision and CSCS Gold Card.”
Another exciting development is the delivery of NPORS courses, one of the leading plant-accredited bodies.
“We are always looking for new ways to expand our offering and provide the industry with exactly what it needs,” he said. “We’re forward-thinking, and constantly excited about the challenges ahead.”
To find out more about how JRS Training can support you with your training needs, get in touch today.
www.jrstraining.com
Keith Middleton, Transport Managing Director (MD) at Bidvest Noonan discusses the role the organisation plays in providing a seamless, safe, and enjoyable experience for rail passengers
Bidvest Noonan’s deep expertise, award-winning innovation, highly engaged teams, and commitment to sustainability are what make the company a trusted partner for thousands of customers across the UK and Ireland.
It has over 25 years’ experience in the transport sector working with some of the largest rail and bus operators, providing security, cleaning and support services, with its work impacting more than 14 million commuters and over 1.5 billion journeys every year.
“We help our clients to provide safe and comfortable environments for their passengers,”
explained Keith Middleton, Transport MD at Bidvest Noonan. “Don’t take my word for it, come and talk to some of my customers.
“What you will get from Bidvest Noonan is the whole team dedicated to you, staying connected, staying in contact and making sure that we are delivering what we said we would. We will bring new ideas to the table, we will bring innovations because we are doing that all of the time, and overall we will ensure great results.”
Bidvest Noonan efficiently cleans more than 10,000 vehicles across rail, light rail, and bus operations every day, never compromising on standards but ensuring the fastest turnaround times
possible. When it comes to security, its employees are passionate about keeping people safe as they travel, and that goods are protected in transit.
Among its rail customers are many of the leading companies in the sector.
“It’s a family feel among the team, and we all care about doing a first-class job,” said Keith, who is this month marking his first year as MD. “In this world of big businesses, none of our customers feel overlooked. At the end of the day, we are a large business in the transport sector, but every single one of my customers has a direct line to me.
“This year our senior executives aim to meet all of our customers to hear directly from them. We have
also got an excellent customer experience team who speak to customers independently to ensure we are doing a great job. These initiatives help to foster a more open style relationship that also allows us to talk about other things and come up with other solutions.”
To provide the best possible experience for customers and their passengers in the transport sector, Bidvest Noonan continuously invests in technology and systems to ensure it remains at the forefront.
A particular area of success is its efforts in keeping customers informed, investing in technology to provide real-time data and a bespoke 24/7 performance measurement solution. This allows reporting, auditing, tracking, monitoring, and risk identification to be easily managed.
“We’ve got Bidvest Noonan Task, which gives customers the data they are looking for, and enables us to capture in real time the cleaning that is going on, or the security work we are doing,” said Keith. “For some customers we have created a map so customers, at any time, can see the last time somewhere was visited, giving them real-time information.
“What is pleasing though is the amount of times I go to a site and they’ve been trialling a piece of equipment or a new chemical. The team just do that naturally, and although in some cases those trials might not go anywhere, if you don’t do it, you won’t find out what is right for the market.”
One example of success has been with Go-Ahead London, in collaboration with Chela, in the development of a range of powerful plantbased cleaning agents for vehicle cleaning, depot cleaning, and facility cleaning. It was recognised last year with a 2023 Green Apple Award, run by The Green Organisation, an international, independent environment group promoting best practice.
“We’re currently working with that supplier to build that portfolio of products out to bring to the market,” he said. “We are constantly trialling different chemicals to find the best solution for customers, while at the same time also offering them the best value.
“There are also many other things we are working on, whether it is a new piece of equipment or a slightly different way of doing things, we always have our finger on the pulse. We recently invested in specialist vehicles that are fully equipped, ensuring our teams have everything needed to perform deep cleans. We are making significant investments into these new ways of working that ultimately enable us to work better and to do more than ever before.
“The progress is driven by our innovation team and innovation centre, which is constantly trialling new products. For example, we recently brought in digital twin technology, with Bidvest Noonan purchasing cameras to map buses, trams, trains or platforms and overlaying training instructions and health and safety information.
“This is particularly useful when looking at different fleets that we are cleaning and taking new trainees through the different elements of this on a computer screen,” he said. “They still have to go and do the live environment training as well, but it is another step forward and an innovation that is going to bring to
life the importance of what our teams do every day. Another thing for me is how I can use that to benefit the health and safety message in that environment. That is something I’ve really focused on in recent months, ensuring it is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.”
Operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner
Bidvest Noonan embeds sustainability into every facet of its business and is working with clients to maximise its environmental performance and protect the planet.
“We are working hard with our colleagues and supply chain partners to reduce our impact on the environment, from removing single-use plastics and minimising the waste we generate to embracing technological change,” added Keith.
Last month the company announced the completion of its first comprehensive carbon footprint assessment, which adheres to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Science-Based Targets initiative standards. The process involved a detailed analysis of emissions from the supply chain, employee commuting and operations, with the company engaging with suppliers and various departments to identify key impact areas and opportunities for emission reductions.
“Sustainability is a key factor in our decisions and something we are passionate about,” explained Keith. “ We have an electric first policy in our business, many of our team members have transitioned to electric vehicles and we are continuing to roll them out. By empowering our people and collaborating with our supply chain, we significantly reduce our carbon footprint. The progress we are making is important to both us and our customers.
www.bidvestnoonan.co.uk/
We will bring new ideas to the table, we will bring innovations because we are doing that all of the time, and overall we will ensure great results
Andy Slater, Global Managing Director (MD) of TXM Consult, discusses bringing the broad thinking of an integrator of integrators and how you can change behaviour in complex programmes through the use of visualisation
etting the basics done well are the foundations to becoming smarter” is the piece of advice Andy Slater, Global MD of TXM Consult offers when it comes to complex rail programmes. His advice shouldn’t be ignored; since 2020 the organisation has provided consultancy and solutions worldwide, including on Crossrail in the UK, and Metrolinx’s CAD $100bn capital project portfolio in Canada. In each case, his team of experts have put the project on the right track to success.
“If you try and be smart without fixing the basics it is a piece of wallpaper that is going to fall down because you’ve not put it up properly,” he said. “We have demonstrated on several very complex
programmes in different countries, with different types of clients, and different commercial structures, that what we teach provides success. We are proving ourselves as the go-to experts for when complex programmes are being launched, or we’re the tiger team who comes in and helps rescue a project.”
Set up four-and-a-half years ago by Andy, TXM Consult has very rapidly grown into a global consultancy partner with offices in the UK, Europe, Australasia and North America. It is part of the TXM Group, a global organisation providing consultancy and resourcing solutions worldwide, specialising in engineering, healthcare and technology.
“Considering TXM Consult was started as just me three months before the first COVID lockdown in
the UK I am very proud of where the organisation is now with 100 permanent employees, global clients, and key supply partners that support us around the world,” he said. “What I am most proud of are the people who have joined the company and the way they have supported what I wanted to do.
“I set out with the strategy to employ good senior people, who I have worked with or for, and have a trusted relationship with, knowing they would go into clients, and help and support them as well as be part of delivering. From there, we have been building teams around and below them, built on their reputation and peoples’ trust of them as individuals. That is what we’ve done, and it has been a real privilege to be able to operate like that and see everyone at TXM Consult
playing their part in growing the company and in doing so helping clients on complex programmes.”
TXM Consult’s systems thinking, data-driven and digital insights approach is designed to bring clarity and embed resilience in clients’ businesses, teams, and people to enable them to navigate any unexpected twists and turns. Its experts, many of whom have held high-profile positions, dedicate time to developing client relationships to be recognised as trusted advisors. This means partnering with senior management to anticipate, identify and resolve complex business challenges through the creation of long-term sustainable relationships, strategy, advice, and solutions that make a difference.
“You can paper over cracks, but they will soon reappear,” added Andy. “What is important is getting rid of the waffle and not hiding behind the fact by saying something is too complex. What we do is strip everything back to basics and make sure the changes are being led from the top using our methodologies as an integrator of integrators, centred around visual management and critical chain project management.
“The visual management side of things is a great way - in big programmes with lots of interfaces and work packages - to bring that clarity, bringing everything down into its simplest format, taking that complexity out of it and ensuring there are no gaps, challenging the issues and supporting the people. It is about effective behaviours in leadership, creating an environment and climate for high performing teams, and as a consequence you get far greater collaboration going on.”
The team at TXM Consult thrives on being involved in complex rail projects and Andy feels that is where the team can make the biggest difference, drawing on their experience and expertise and the methodologies, understanding the importance of ensuring the people are onboard before you try and change things.
“We are quite happy to get our hands dirty and the people we have really enjoy what they do, the energy levels are high, we are very personable and there is a determination and dedication to add value to clients and their programmes,” he said. “Overall, our aim is to take away the complexity, working on the principles that you should always start with the end in mind and plan back from it, ensure a climate or environment of transparency and trust and if things are slipping, challenge it, find out what the problem is and get the right support to find a solution.
“As a company we avoid getting dragged into the vortex of chaos, keeping out of being sucked into what everyone else may have got dragged into, bringing fresh, positive views to the potential problems. The last aspect is around ‘owning the whole’. The systems specialists, programme experts and the organisations all have to work as one team, collaborate and understand the perspective of others. You’ve got to use system thinking and just operate as a single team, which is vital in completing the ultimate aim of the delivery of the programme.”
For Andy, the journey ahead is continuing to advise and deliver, with the advising centred around the commercial, technical or transformational remit,
and the delivery around a technical systems point of view, programme management and/or process optimisation. Overall, he wants TXM Consult to be seen as the ‘go-to’ advisor around establishing the right management techniques for complex programmes and ideally to be brought in at the initiation phase of programmes to help set them up and provide the biggest impact.
“We don’t seek to be involved in the project for 10 years, although we will be there to offer continuous support if needed,” he added. “We want to make a difference, whether that is from the systems integration point of view, the programme integration point of view, helping people around their organisational processes, or by bringing all three of those things together as the integrator of integrators.
“We feel we can do that in the way we stand things up and we pass knowledge and processes into the existing teams. Part of what we seek to do is all about knowledge transfer and behavioural change, to create that sustainable solution where you can then walk away and help with the next programme.”
Growth will be inevitable as the company’s reputation continues to grow, covering that broad range of activities from physically doing the maintenance for organisations to c-suite advisory transformation change. At the same time, Andy is keen to build an organisation where people’s careers can evolve and develop.
“We’ve now got eight graduates in the business so we’re looking to invest in people, we’ve developed our employee value proposition, we can give people international mobility as part of their career development, and give them the opportunity to work in an advisory capacity, as well as hands-on capacity,” he said.
The business is evolving, with TXM Consult also working in the defence sector as well as automotive, with geographical and sectorial diversification. The wider TXM Group has also recently purchased an energy and resources recruitment business with a large footprint in America.
“There is the potential to leverage some of that (purchase of the energy and resources recruitment
business) to then create the start-up of our own renewable energies consultancy business, so the next phase for us is to move into energy and particularly renewables, and then further establish ourselves in the defence sector and retain what we have already created in the mobility sector which includes light rail, metro, heavy rail and freight.
“Those are the things we are going to carry on working on, but the key features for us is in bringing the broad thinking of an integrator of integrators and how you can change behaviour in complex programmes through the use of visualisation. It is very supportive in creating the right culture and climate for the right levels of transparency and collaboration you are going to need. Without that you are going to struggle.”
www.txmconsult.com
We have demonstrated on several very complex programmes in different countries, with different types of clients, and different commercial structures, that what we teach provides success
Rose Garber, Member Relations Director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), explains more about its Members Connect events, which are providing a platform for collaboration
Collaboration is vital in ensuring a thriving, efficient UK rail industry. An important cog in that wheel is RIA’s Members Connect events, which give its 360plus companies in membership the opportunity to network and flourish collectively.
“RIA’s Members Connect events are crafted to help members build relationships, share experiences, and connect with the RIA team,” explained Rose Garber, Member Relations Director. “These sessions are invaluable for fostering connections among members, allowing for the exchange of best practices and insights with peers facing similar challenges.
“Additionally, these events provide a platform for discussing the extensive benefits offered by RIA membership and understanding the specific needs of members.”
Members Connect are an important element of RIA championing a dynamic UK rail supply sector, helping to grow a sustainable and high-performing railway as well as promoting UK rail expertise and products to international markets.
Its membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60 per cent by number).
Rose, who will soon be celebrating five years at RIA, works hard to strengthen current relationships with members, seeking to enhance the value they receive from membership as well as building new connections in the rail industry.
“RIA continues to make a significant impact with its Members Connect events, drawing praise from participants for their networking opportunities and
valuable insights, which is wonderful to see,” added Rose, who said her colleagues are always looking to enhance the membership experience.
“Attendees have the chance to explore a wide range of member benefits, from policy-led opportunities to insights on innovation and much more. It is particularly pleasing to see the collaboration and friendships formed or grown when like-minded people, passionate to ensure the railway thrives, come together.”
Among those to benefit from the Members Connect events is WAGO. Phil Judge, Industry Manager – Transportation for UK & Ireland, said: “Being part of the RIA Member Connect events has given me a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders to gain insights, market trends and innovational relationships within the industry.
“These are not just events to discuss ideas, but they encourage collaboration and learning. I don’t just leave each event with new contacts, but friends and long-term relationships in the industry – this is highly encouraged and celebrated by the RIA Team.
“What truly sets RIA Member Connect events apart, is the sense of community and knowledge sharing by peers who are equally enthused about advancing the railway industry. I am grateful for the exclusive access to these events, as they have been instrumental in my professional growth and have provided a platform to contribute to the collective progress of our industry. I look forward to many more years of engaging, learning, and growing with RIA.”
Denise Watkins, Head of Sales at Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe Ltd, said:
“Attending the pre-conference networking Members Connect event was incredibly valuable. It provided the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to industry peers in a more personal setting before the main event.
“I was able to share my background, exchange insights, and establish connections that made the rest of the conference even more rewarding. This early interaction truly set the stage for meaningful discussions and collaborations throughout the event.”
For more information, email rose.garber@riagb.org.uk
These sessions are invaluable for fostering connections among members, allowing for the exchange of best practices and insights with peers facing similar challenges
Gareth Roberts, Managing Director (MD) of UKRL, explains more about building on the company’s solid foundations in the freight sector as well as building on its passenger and components expertise
IMD of rail vehicle engineering, fleet management and train care service provider UKRL. He has been challenged to take the company forward, building on its strong franchise underpinned by a reputation for engineering excellence and innovation, combined with firstclass customer service.
“It has been a great opportunity for me personally and one that I am thoroughly enjoying, having inherited a superb team of people who have a great reputation in the rail sector,” he said.
To help in the next stage of the journey Gareth has bolstered the team with several high-profile appointments, including Paul Woolley as Sales and Commercial Director, John Steeples as Operations Director, and Steve McBride initially as Non-Executive Director but recently appointed Chairman of the Board.
“Building a strong leadership team was one of the first priorities since being appointed MD and I’m
he said. “Secondly, I wanted to raise the profile of the business and bring people to our sites to show them our facilities and capabilities. The interest has been overwhelming and the message seems to be landing. We appear to be creating a bit of noise about the exciting services we can offer the railways”.
“The third priority has been around engaging with customers both current and prospective in parallel with our staff to help shape what the strategy is moving forward. It has been important to listen and develop our growth strategy around what our customers want and what our team can best offer. This builds upon UKRL’s historic approach which has been about how we shape the edges of our business to act as an extension of our customers’ operation. The organisation has grown off the back of the fact that we will shape and adapt to suit your requirements rather than expect our customers to fit a rigid supplier business model.”
An example Gareth gives is around the new depot
“We are working in partnership with GB Railfreight and Stadler and we have adapted our business to suit that, with a significant amount of investment,” he said. “Likewise in Loughborough, we have invested in increasing our heavy maintenance and component overhaul capacity. We have engaged with customers to help us shape our future capability. Equally, we are working with our people to understand where their expertise lies so we can tie the two up.”
It has already been some journey for UKRL which was set up by Mark Winter and Edward Stevenson in 2013 when they took a lease on DB Schenker’s long-disused depot, initially with the idea of being a loco leasing company, before quickly expanding into maintenance work and acquiring the depot freehold.
Fast-forward to the present and the organisation continues to go from strength to strength having grown almost 300 per cent in the last four years,
made large investments into its Leicester depot, and expanded into the former Brush Loughborough site.
“It has already been a fantastic story from UKRL’s roots of being a leasing company and pivoting into maintenance,” said Gareth. “So much of the success has been about good timing, seeing a great opportunity and going for it, not being bound by corporate governance and red tape.
“Brave, bold and entrepreneurial decisions have been made, and looking forward it is about how we keep that level of agility, entrepreneurial spirit, and calculated risk-taking with the market in mind, while continuing to grow. Hats off to what has been achieved so far, which has been down to having a focus on the customers, adapting with agility and employing a true multi-skilled workforce.”
The success is set to continue, with one example being the news of DCRail entering a three-year Class 60 heavy-freight locomotive servicing contract.
Gareth also explained to Rail Director how the company plans to build on that core capability around all things freight and grow passenger work – the latter playing to his strengths, having previously worked at Hitachi Rail and Bombardier Transportation.
Despite the success and optimism for the future, there will be challenges to overcome. The first Gareth is keen to mention is around growing and retaining talent, something the company is trying to address through a successful apprenticeship programme, set to continue next year.
“Our two main unique selling points are people and facilities,” he said. “We’ve got fantastic facilities at Leicester and Loughborough, but without great people, we’re just a company with a couple of hefty sheds, so it is vital we protect and enhance what is a truly multi-skilled workforce. We’ve got to transfer that knowledge from the people edging towards retirement into the next generation. We’re a service business and we’re only as good as the people who we’ve got, retain and develop, while also building on that knowledge to bring it into today’s era.”
Another challenge centres on the wider political and economic landscape and the impact on the future pipeline, not just for UKRL but the industry generally. Having visibility to see what the next five years look like and what it means for organisations’ ability to spend and invest when it comes to new trains and keeping existing rolling stock safe and reliable.
Another hurdle and one he describes as having been an increasing issue for the industry over the last decade has been a race to the bottom when it comes to price.
“Quality, time and cost are firmly linked, and you don’t drive the price down without detriment to the quality our customers expect,” he explains. “We will strive to be competitive on price, but it won’t fundamentally drive what we do. What is important is that we continue to offer a level of skill that is difficult to replicate and that we deliver what we say we’re going to do to our customers with care and pride. We don’t want to dilute our talent base and get trapped in a downward spiral to chase the lowest hourly rate. As a former customer to this market myself, it’s a tough
lesson to learn that if the output isn’t reliable and to a high quality, a marginal saving on price doesn’t add value or build long-term relationships.
“But I am positive for what the future holds. Freight continues to be our nation’s workhorse and the skills base to take care of these impressive machines is declining. We have great people who are passionate about rail and the best facilities to serve that market for years to come – cementing our place as a centre of excellence. There is also more potential for the role we can play when it comes to passenger trains and the same for the component work.”
Concluding the discussion, Gareth explained why rail organisations should turn to UKRL.
“I like to keep things pretty simple. Our customers benefit from a level of expertise, pride and quality to meet their needs. We strive to do exactly what we say we’re going to do with operational transparency and low friction in order to be an easy partner to work with and establish a relationship built upon trust. I think we’ve demonstrated this over the last 10 years, and it is the philosophy and culture we’re looking to promote going forward. Growth will be a by-product of just doing the right thing for our people and customers.”
Growth will be a by-product of just doing the right thing for our people and customers
www.ukrl.co.uk/
New overheadline equipment (OHLE) has been installed over a 36km stretch of the Midland Main Line. Network Rail’s Chris Morgan-Jones and SPL Powerlines UK’s Simon Skinner and Lee Farmer explain more
Network Rail teams have successfully electrified the line between Kettering and Wigston, allowing for greener and quieter journeys along the Midland Main Line in the future.
Last month 25,000 volts were switched on comprising 77km of new overhead line electrification which will power bi-mode trains.
“This fantastic achievement has taken a huge amount of hard work, commitment, collaboration and professionalism and I am immensely proud of what the team has achieved,” said Lee Farmer, SPL Powerlines UK’s Project Delivery Director for England and Wales. “The worksite and possession were handed back five hours early, and that is testament to the level of planning, integration, and preparation implemented.”
SPL Powerlines UK implemented the system into the newly commissioned Derby Electrical Control Room (ECR) which was also constructed and commissioned by the company.
Simon Skinner, Engineering Director at SPL Powerlines UK, said: “A major milestone has been achieved. The commissioning works add resilience with the introduction of a Braybrooke Feeder Station, which feeds 25,000 volts to Corby and down to Sharnbrook, ensuring that existing and future train services are more reliable and can be more frequent.
“This is our company’s second commissioning project on the Midland Main Line in four years, delivered on time and under budget and accounting for almost 300 single track kilometres of OHLE.”
Network Rail is electrifying the railway as part of the multi-million-pound Midland Main Line Upgrade, the biggest programme of improvements to the line since its completion in 1870.
Ahead of the electrification, Wigston fire service has received additional training on how to safely respond to emergencies on the railway. These were held at East Langton substation, which is one of the three new substations that is providing power to the route.
The sessions were delivered by Network Rail and SPL Powerlines UK teams. Fire crews were able to examine the overhead lines and substation to understand the potential dangers of live power lines and how to best manage these in an emergency.
Chris Morgan-Jones, Senior Project Engineer for Network Rail’s East Midlands route said: “Electrifying the line between Kettering and Wigston is a major
milestone in the wider Midland Main Line project, allowing for more, greener and quieter journeys for passengers travelling through the area.
“Safety is Network Rail’s top priority, and while this is a huge moment for the project, we want to remind residents of the potential risks of overhead power lines. These wires carry 25,000 volts of electricity and make trespassing on the railway even more dangerous.
“We would like to thank passengers and residents for their patience and understanding while we have been electrifying this part of the route.”
Electrifying the Midland Main Line will help reach Network Rail’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
The worksite and possession were handed back five hours early, and that is testament to the level of planning, integration, and preparation implemented
Laura Strangeway has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). She explains more about the journey ahead
ough, exciting and interesting” are the three words Laura Strangeway uses to describe her nine months as Acting CEO of NYMR. But she wouldn’t have it any other way, evidenced by the fact she has recently taken on the role permanently.
“It’s an honour to have been asked by the Trust Board to be the next caretaker of the NYMR,” she said. “Of course it was an instant yes, who would turn down the opportunity to take the helm of one of the best heritage railways in the country, maybe even the world.”
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is an awardwinning charitable trust that carries 300,000 passengers every year. It is Britain’s most popular heritage railway, running services from Pickering to Whitby, and is one of the best visitor attractions in the North East.
“I love my job and am very passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to travel with us on the NYMR, dine on one of our wonderful Pullman services or enjoy the magic of our Santa Specials,” she added.
Something Laura is keen to praise is the team, particularly the volunteers. As a registered charity, the NYMR requires between 300-500 hours of volunteer support every day to bring its story to life.
Among the team are a few long-standing volunteers who have been at the NYMR since the first day in 1973 when the Duchess of Kent officially opened the railway. Fifty years on, and John Bruce, Chris Cubitt, John Hunt and Terry Newman are still firing on all cylinders as the NYMR steams into the future.
“I’ve got such a good team around me that have supported and got behind ideas,” she said. “I have learnt that good communication is key and is
something we strive to get better at each day.
“We’ve worked with great partners who make events like our Steam Gala and recent highly successful Diesel Gala work so brilliantly and I would like to continue to do more of this.”
Laura brings with her a wealth of experience in tourism and heritage management and a passionate commitment to preserving and enhancing the cultural legacy of one of the UK’s most beloved heritage railways.
Since 2015, her time at the NYMR has included working on a huge rebrand, TV and filming projects, the introduction of a new ticketing system and the launch of the huge Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey initiative.
Laura also helped the award-winning attraction navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded numerous crisis fundraising campaigns to keep the
railway steaming on.
She said: “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved through the Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey project, including our accessible carriages, carriage stable and bridge replacements, plus all the wonderful partners we’ve worked with including Visit Britain, North York Moors National Park, and Allerton Steel/ Volker Laser to name but a few.
“One of the great highlights of my time at NYMR so far must be the 50th anniversary of our heritage railway when King Charles III travelled along our line behind Flying Scotsman and visited Pickering Station to meet some of our staff and volunteers. It was such a great honour to highlight the important work we do for heritage rail preservation.”
Looking to the future and although the heritage railway is facing numerous challenges, including still feeling the aftereffects of the COVID pandemic which decimated services, and the ongoing costs to maintain the trains and infrastructure, Laura is optimistic for the future.
“The pandemic was certainly a challenging time with a lot of unknowns for everyone and we had our fair share of worrying times,” she said. “Our greatest asset is our people - volunteers, staff, members and customers who have supported and continue to support and enjoy the NYMR. We could not do it without them. It’s my plan to continue to be innovative in how we tackle the issues of running trains and looking after our locomotives and stations to ensure that the railway will run for another 50 years and more.
“Overall my aims and aspirations are to make the NYMR the most successful, sustainable, resilient and cherished heritage railway in the UK. The team has worked tirelessly this past year, and we are now in a great position. We have a 10-year maintenance programme, we have identified our fundraising priorities for the next five-year period, and we are shortly about to announce new projects which are focused on retaining and sharing our heritage rail skills and more news on locomotive oil conversion.”
Our greatest asset is our peoplevolunteers, staff, members and customers who have supported and continue to support and enjoy the NYMR
Hitachi Rail has been awarded a contract to deliver 46 of its new battery trams, as well as the digital signalling to operate them, for the Italian city of Florence. The business has also won a €17 million contract to deliver the maintenance for its Sirio trams, which are already serving passengers across Florence.
The new trams use cutting-edge battery technology to remove the need for electrified infrastructure. Delivery of the new vehicles will begin in 2026, with the possibility to be used on all tram lines across the city.
The trams will have a maximum speed of 70 km/h, are 33.5 metres long with 54 seats, and have a maximum capacity of 278 passengers. The trams will also harness regenerative braking, allowing power to be returned to the batteries when the train brakes, reducing the overall amount of energy consumed and protecting the environment.
The Central Communication Port company (CPK) has announced a tender for the construction of a 4.6km tunnel for the high-speed r ailway in the Łód Fabryczna area in Poland.
This will be the third and largest contract for construction works for what is currently the most advanced CPK railway project. The other two are already being implemented in the centre of Łód Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure, said: “The CPK long-distance tunnel is a key element of the so-called ‘Y’, i.e. the planned high-speed railway route between Warsaw, CPK, Łód , Wrocław and Pozna .”
The CPK company plans to open the tender offers at the end of September.
Alstom will actively participate in the modernisation of the E65 railway line in the section: Katowice Szopienice South – Katowice – Katowice Piotrowice – an important railway infrastructure investment in Silesia.
Alstom has signed a contract with Torpol S.A., general contractor, and will act as subcontractor. The works will include separating urban and long-distance railway traffic through changing the double-track system to a four-track one from Katowice Szopienice South to Katowice Ligota with a departure route towards Chorzów Batory. Approximately 100km of tracks and 270 turnouts will be reconstructed, and over 130km of new traction network will be built.
The high complexity of the reconstruction of the signalling equipment is due, among other things, to the construction of more than 130km of new overhead line, the modernisation of 120 engineering
structures and 14 platforms, and the creation of six new platforms at Katowice Uniwersytet, Katowice Kokociniec and Katowice Akademia stations.
Adam Juretko, the Managing Director of Alstom Katowice, said: “At Alstom, we work every day for modern and sustainable mobility, both in rolling stock and traffic control solutions. We are bringing unique competences - acquired through the implementation of projects in Poland and in the world - to the consortium.
“We are constantly developing our branch in Katowice, which brings together several hundred engineers, programmers, testers, and IT specialists with extensive experience in the Polish and international markets. I am glad that the technologies and solutions developed by our team will have a significant impact on the quality and safety of railway services in the Katowice agglomeration.”
The Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF) has awarded the project management assistance contract for the infrastructure of the high-speed line between Kenitra and Marrakech to the FrancoMoroccan consortium comprising Egis (lead), SYSTRA and Novec.
With a view to hosting the football World Cup in 2030, organised jointly by the Kingdom of Morocco, Spain and Portugal, Morocco is speeding up the implementation of its high-speed rail network to Marrakech and plans to modernise its conventional network (RER in Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech)
by launching an investment programme over the next seven years. ONCF has enlisted the support of Egis, SYSTRA and Novec to help it carry out this programme.
This investment, in line with the Rail Morocco 2040 Plan, includes the extension of the existing high-speed line between Tangiers and Kenitra to Marrakech, providing a high-speed rail link between the capital Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangiers.
This new infrastructure will enable trains to travel at 320km/h over 430km of new high-speed line,
Image: Egis
making Morocco’s rail network one of the most modern and efficient in the world. The project is due to be inaugurated at the end of 2029, before the start of the World Cup.
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When it comes to metallurgical defects, Serco Rail Technical Services (SRTS) draws on over 30 years’ experience in locating them early, keeping the country’s trains moving and rail passengers safe. The company explains more
When it comes to Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), we’ve not found anyone yet who says it’s not valuable or they don’t need it (or haven’t needed it at some point).
NDT services in the UK rail industry are crucial for ensuring safety, reliability, and compliance with regulations. Deeply embedded in Britain’s rail industry, at SRTS we use NDT methods, old and new, to routinely inspect the country’s rolling stock. All the NDT methods stem from early advances in electromagnetism, and have been refined and coupled with modern technology to provide the most precise instruments for defect detection in metals.
Today we use the best inspection instruments that the industry has to offer, many of which have been designed specifically for use in the rail industry.
The methods are not only non-destructive, but also non-intrusive, meaning much of the inspection can go ahead with minimal labour costs and downtime to the customer. We use ultrasonics to locate defects in solid or hollow rail axles, where we can examine under gears, wheels, and bearings without them needing to be removed, whilst eddy current can be used to detect defects hidden under paint. Magnetic particle and dye-penetrant techniques can be used to locate early minute defects in bodywork, components, and load bearing welds. In fact, if there’s any aspect of your rolling stock that you think requires inspection, we can find a way.
Our dedicated rail specific NDT team provide the broadest array of in-service inspection methods in the UK, including:
Ultrasonic Axle Testing (UAT)
Ultrasonic Tread Testing (UTT)
Ultrasonic Testing of Wrought Products (UT)
Ultrasonic Testing of Welds
Eddy Current Testing of Forgings (EC)
Eddy Current Testing of Welds
Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI)
Dye Penetrant Inspection (DPI)
Bearing Inspection
Visual Testing (VT)
Level III Consultancy
At SRTS we are structured to be flexible to meet the needs of our customers at short notice. Our highly experienced and PCN-certified field engineers can rapidly mobilise to any site throughout the UK, and can be onsite within as little as two hours.
With our comprehensive NDT services, we can identify defects early, prevent costly failures, and help our customers maintain compliance with industry regulations.
Partner with us for precise, reliable, and convenient onsite testing solutions tailored to your specific needs. Trust in our commitment to deliver swiftly, helping customers to minimise downtime and costs.
For further information on our onsite NDT services, get in touch to see how we can help support you.
0330 109 8852
enquiries.srts@serco.com www.serco.com/srts
We use the best inspection instruments that the industry has to offer, many of which have been designed specifically for use in the rail industry
A replacement for the existing Block Controller for single line track.
Our fully digital version of key token equipment communicates digitally through IP based systems, including provision for TPWS and section signal release.
The DiBloC features:
• IP connectivity with two redundant connections
• Physical key compatibility with existing key token machine equipment such as ground frame locks
• Ability to work in sets of 2-6 units
• Ability to operate TPWS and/or single throw/starting signals
• No on-board equipment – compatibility with all rolling stock
Paul Davison, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of PPWD,
explains more about creating workplaces for people to thrive and flourish safely
“Everyone home safe, every day within safety critical environments.” This is our vision of PPWD, explains CEO and Founder Paul Davison.
This year marks 13 years since he co-founded the award-winning end-to-end training solutions provider for leadership, human performance and cultural development. Its approach focuses on safety by people, not by numbers.
“Through partnering with organisations, we work together with our clients to evolve fairer cultures to achieve compassionate safety and our purpose of making a world where there is zero harm to people,” he added. “By focusing on prevention through nontechnical skills (NTS), wellbeing, coaching and learning reviews, we set individuals up for success.
“Fair cultures empower and engage workers to be problem solvers, through the integration of safety with performance and customer experience ambitions.”
Paul’s dedication comes from his time serving in the Royal Air Force and is particularly driven by a Puma helicopter accident resulting in fatal injuries to the pilot and the navigator. He describes it as a significant moment in honing his purpose, which was captured in a single phrase following the accident: “This must not happen again”. “We know all the factors that trigger accidents and incidents and they have been repeated by many people; therefore, it is an education piece in preventing their reoccurrence,” he said. “What we do at PPWD is place people at the centre of everything that we do, creating an environment for them to thrive and flourish. The workplace ought to provide meaning and fulfilment to our lives and be a place where we can be our best person, and where work-asdone is both safe and has meaning.”
PPWD, which was co-founded by Paul with the now-retired Paul White in 2011, provides a compassionate safety approach that aims to generate environments that accommodate humans for being human. Its approach aligns personal and organisational mindsets, beliefs and values.
In the rail industry the organisation’s work started following a conversation with an individual talking about the challenges facing train drivers. Paul
recognised the similarities that he faced during his time in the military around human performance, and that the organisation could add some real benefit to the industry.
“We saw an industry in which we could come and help,” he said. “An awful lot of the challenges are to do with the infrastructure of the railways, and its compliance-led nature. This provides both historical baggage as well as the opportunities and strengths which cause individuals to behave the way they do.
“Through our compassionate safety approach, which centres on the development of self-awareness and awareness of others, the physical, psychological and emotional factors become equal safety priorities and result in colleagues who possess a clarity of vision, are calm, understanding, and agile in action.
“The approach and methods bring together individual and organisation safety motivations, values, beliefs and mindsets, shifting safety cultures from ‘doing’ safety to ‘being’ safe. As part of our offering, we provide a management tool for safety leaders to both control hazards, and more accurately quantify risks and care for colleagues.”
PPWD offers learning interventions and workshops from the boardroom to the classroom, with proprietary sticky learning methods delivered by its expert facilitators. It specialises in NTS, human factors, human performance, learning reviews, culture leadership and coaching, communication workshops focused on NTS that support safety critical communications, and pre-trauma workshops focused on the NTS and preventative measures required to develop trauma resilience, management and recovery.
“There are two elements to what we provide,” he explained. “There are the overall cultural evolution programmes which are taking people and organisations to just or fairer cultures and within that, there are very specific products that we offer within the classroom all the way from the boardroom to that frontline.
“It is around the idea of what it is to be a ‘well being’, as in well beings make the safest beings, so from a safety critical role let’s set people up for success. It is then about what that means in relation to things like equality, diversity and inclusivity. The latter is another phrase for psychological safety, which leads to feeling included and safe, and being able to be your best person and share all that is going on in your head.
“That approach has worked really well, and bringing adult learning-based techniques to the classroom that demonstrates that there is a real power here that people can take into all of their lives, but equally into the job, to have discussions around safety and mental health, NTS and so on.”
It is proving a success. Among its partners’ results include reductions in adverse event occurrence of 50 to 64 per cent for its closest partners, a net promoter score of 93+ achieved by its expert facilitators using sticky learning, reduced staff turnover, disciplinaries and absenteeism, and increased dialogue between frontline and management, focused on co-creating safety.
A track record in improving company cultures
PPWD has won four awards in the last year, including a recent Stevie Award for Great Employers - Health, Wellness and Safety Solution Provider of the Year. The firm’s partnership with Southeastern Railway has also won a coveted 2024 UK Company Culture Award for the ‘Best Culture Transformation Initiative’.
It comes after the train operator selected PPWD to deliver a comprehensive NTS course to its train drivers as part of a larger train services incident reduction strategy.
The judges described the courses, which were centred on the information processing model the ‘rules of the mind’, as “a beacon of proactive change and employee empowerment”.
“The idea behind this is that if those in safetycritical roles understand the limitation of their senses, memory and processing abilities, they will make more effective decisions, hopefully resulting in safer actions,” explained Paul.
“Overlay this understanding with wellbeing, mindfulness, and a better understanding of the impacts of pressure, stress, sleep and fatigue, and you arm safety-critical staff to more effectively manage daily stressors.”
Such was the success that the learnings have been migrated to all business areas, with passenger, engineering, commercial and HR all part of a cultural evolution, weaving a cultural tapestry including psychological safety, inclusivity, equality and diversity.
Paul added: “All Southeastern employees had a role in being safety leaders and generating a fair culture. This has developed with the change from investigations to learning reviews, a shift towards prevention of recurrence, which has informed business plans, resource allocation and an investment in safety capacity.”
Paul is realistic that the company may never achieve its aim of a world where there is zero harm to people at work, but he is confident that the work PPWD is providing will continue to reduce the risks.
“Zero harm in the workplace may be unachievable, we set it as an infinite vision, yet that ought not prevent us from striving to reduce it to as low a level as is humanly possible,” he said. “Zero harm goes beyond the physical to include the psychological, emotional and spiritual safety of people.
“Hearing the anecdotal stories of the impact we are having is great, but we are mindful there is a lot of work to do and that we can only change cultures one authentic conversation, one person, at a time.”
PPWD is ready to work with more organisations in the rail industry, but they have to be in the right place of cultural maturity for what PPWD offers to land appropriately.
“There has to be an open door for us to get some traction,” he said. “If there is a desire to unlock the potential in the rail industry, that is held within the people, then it is by taking an absolute focus on them as human beings, as a long-term investment.
By focusing on prevention through non-technical skills, wellbeing, coaching and learning reviews, we set individuals up for success
“The UK is fortunate to have one of the safest railways, yet the industry faces very real pressures and challenges as we move into CP7. A new Government, the formation of a GB railway, and climate and sustainability targets. Yet the people remain the most flexible and adaptable factors, like Blue Tack they hold it all together.
“People are the most valuable asset, often they stay within the industry for decades, so that upfront and continual training investment is crucial. It is all about understanding how humans function, and how we can create environments around them that enable them to thrive and flourish.”
www.ppwd-consulting.co.uk
www.linkedin.com/in/pauldavisonppwd
Rail industry leaders and stakeholders will be in West Sussex on Tuesday, September 10, for the Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) London and South Rail Summit. Region Chair Ryan Anderson and Vice Chair Bryony Goldsmith explain more
Bryony Goldsmith said she is “incredibly optimistic” for what can be achieved together in the rail industry. Alongside her full-time job at Arcadis, she is also Vice Chair of the London and South Region of RIA, which champions a dynamic UK rail supply sector.
“We’re seeing more collaborative procurement models, greater visibility of pipeline and more trust building, but there is still a long way to go,” she said. “Key for the region will be the continued investment, innovation and diversity of thought to drive new ways of working.”
Bryony was speaking to Rail Director alongside Ryan Anderson, Chair of the region, ahead of the RIA London and South Rail Summit on Tuesday, September 10. It takes place from 10am at the Ricardo Innovation Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea, and is expected to attract more than 100 industry leaders and senior leaders to discuss the strategic direction of the industry in the region.
“This will really be the go-to event in the London and South region when it comes to meeting with senior decision makers in rail while also getting the chance to effectively network and learn how we might drive change in innovation and sustainability in rail,” said Ryan, who works full time at the BES Group.
Bryony added: “We are still recovering from COVID in all aspects. Increased home working, reduced train travel, increased Teams calls and reduced face-to-face interaction. These in-person events are so great not only to build networks, but also to build individuals’ confidence and share ideas. Those are two powerful ingredients that could lead to greater collaboration and improved outcomes.
“At the summit, we are focusing on efficiencies and innovation through showcasing, storytelling and exhibiting, and we’re hoping the outcome will be powerful and impactful for all involved.”
The speakers lined up so far include Claire Mann, Chief Operating Officer at Transport for London, Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Capable Owner representative on the Southern Renewals Enterprise and Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Network Rail Southern, Rupert Clubb, Chief
Officer for Transport for the South East and James Heslop, Head of Strategy at Network Rail.
“It’s a great opportunity to hear from our amazing speakers around the challenges they are facing and the help they need from the supply chain to drive innovation and create efficiencies,” said Bryony. “The location is also amazing, and there will be so much to see and do there, along with some great networking.
“We’re really focusing on driving collaboration across the London and South Region, driving an agenda of sustainability and social mobility, improving client and supplier relations, and helping to open the door for third-party investment. None of these things are easy, but we are proud of the progress we have made so far and excited for what we can achieve in this new control period under a new Government.”
The event is open to all rail suppliers and stakeholders in the region and will feature panel discussions, presentations, and exhibitions throughout the day. There will also be a tour of the Ricardo Innovation facility, which is where they are developing energy efficient engines, hydrogen fuel cells for ships, testing acoustic environments for cars, and is also the facility where engines for McLaren sports cars are constructed.
Ryan, who previously worked at Ricardo, said: “The Innovation Centre at Ricardo is second to none in the UK when it comes to research and development and innovation in sustainable practices such as battery fuel cell and hydrogen development. It is also a great chance to see what the automotive industry does in terms of testing and development, and how we might learn lessons in rail.”
The RIA London & South Leadership Group works to foster collaboration among industry stakeholders, provide strategic direction, and advocate for the continued growth and development of the railway sector in the region. The summit comes shortly after Ryan and Bryony will be marking their first year in the posts.
Bryony said: “I’m really enjoying the role, every week is different, whether working with clients in the region to promote better communication (both ways), hosting regional-specific events, or working with our amazing leadership group to drive progress on our priorities as a region. It’s great to see so many key leaders from across the supply chain working together, with our clients.”
Ryan added: “The role of Chair is a fantastic opportunity for me both professionally and personally and one that I have enjoyed immensely so far. RIA plays an integral part in the UK rail ecosystem. Without RIA championing and being the voice of the supply chain, I don’t think many issues or challenges would be raised or opportunities for improvement realised.”
There are opportunities available for sponsorship. For further information and to reserve your place, visit https://rb.gy/n2unsz or contact neal.blackman@riagb.org.uk
Tackling health and safety challenges is the right thing to do – but it can also help rail make significant financial savings. We could identify health risks sooner and intervene more effectively. Sometimes before problems even start. And reduce operational risks, making the network more reliable and resilient.
But we need evidence to do this correctly and quickly, which means accurate, complete data. That’s why RSSB is leading an evidence revolution for rail. We want to establish a single source of health and safety data, and encourage cross-industry collaboration and innovation.
Find out more at www.rssb.co.uk/evidencerevolution
Mandy Duncan, Managing Director of Rail and Aviation at Kier Transportation, discusses providing transport solutions that are sustainable and long-lasting and delivering infrastructure that is vital to the UK
Mandy Duncan is bursting with pride when reflecting on her first year as Managing Director of Rail and Aviation at Kier Transportation. There hasn’t been too much time for reflection though; such has been the speed of the success that she has achieved her initial five-year plan within her first 12 months in the post.
“It has been amazing, dynamic, exciting and although very demanding I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said. “We’ve achieved in one year what I’d set out to in five years and that includes winning a place on the CP7 North West & Central (NW&C) Framework with Network Rail.”
Go back 12 months and Kier Transportation
had one major but complex project for Network Rail which is the £65 million main works package at Oxford railway station, and a signalling and telecommunications (S&T) portfolio team on its Anglia framework.
“I envisaged us demonstrating our works capabilities through our work on Oxford station, and developing the portfolio around the localised region that played to our incumbent geographical strength and skillsets, but things have progressed quite a lot further, with five key clients from the one last year,” Mandy said.
“We’re now across the breadth of the UK from Wales all the way up to Newcastle, and we’ve got significant multidisciplinary complex projects - so we’re talking embankments, enabling works, track,
a big factor in the success of the last year, proving an excellent strategic fit and accelerating our rail strategy, providing work with new rail clients and increasing our capabilities,” said Mandy. “We already knew that the Buckingham Group had excellent people delivering top quality work, and winning rail projects, and we had the leadership, governance and the safety case already in place for our railway works.
“The success has been down to the people and the will from them to make it happen. It was a Herculean effort which meant the time from going into administration to the time they were working back on site was less than three weeks. I feel we have now come out of this reactive stage of learning behaviours, culture, process and people, into a forward-looking space with an incredible amount of passion and energy to ensure the people that have joined us, and the organisation, thrive.”
The acquisition has just been the start. Earlier on this year, Kier was appointed to lot A1 of Network Rail’s North West and Central Region CP7 Framework, the first time it had been appointed to a Control Period for the region.
“This has been a key strategic win for the rail business, and it is so far going well,” said Mandy. “We’ve been engaging with Network Rail NW&C early on in CP7, much more than ever before and they’ve been incredibly open, proactive and engaging. We’re all focusing on mobilisation right now and the visibility of the pipeline we have so we can make sure we’re ready.”
The framework runs for five years until March 31, 2029, covering projects ranging from £7 million to £200 million in value. The works covered by the framework include civil engineering and building
It has been amazing, dynamic, exciting and although very demanding I’ve loved every minute of it
works to existing and new stations, depots, platforms, car parks and other lineside buildings as well as railway engineering works, such as signalling, switches and crossings, telecoms, and electrification work.
“We’re ready for the challenges, but overall there needs to be a different mindset when it comes to Tier 1s and supply chains,” added Mandy. “There is no point pursuing quick wins on contracts and getting your profit in the short-term. We’ve got a responsibility to work together with Network Rail, our designers and our supply chain much, much closer in CP7 than we ever have done before.
“We have to push those boundaries and challenge ourselves to look at the long-term efficiencies. I am passionate about early contractor involvement working together on the needs, the programme and the costs, knowing exactly what you are going to build and when to build it. I have seen a difference in how we interact with much more open and honest conversations, getting solutions together, less man marking to find efficiencies and all working towards the common goal of what we are trying to provide to stakeholders and the public.”
After the success of her first year as MD, Mandy jokes that the future is her initial 10-year plan being completed in the next three years.
“All these things have got to be done in a controlled way of course, and you’ve got to be bold and brave but in a manner that you are going to satisfy the business, our risk appetite and protect your stakeholders and shareholders,” she said. “But I believe the opportunities are out there and that we have amazing people and great capability ready to grasp these.
“At Kier, I really believe that our people are the backbone of the industry, we have an offering that considers all the great things we do such as environmental sustainability, D&I, governance and
social value - supporting our communities through added value is so important and is the right thing to do. We are strong in those spaces, and lots of others and my number one priority is that we continue to be a safe and competent contractor; we always say, nothing is so important that we cannot take the time to do it safely and it’s something we really believe – we want everyone to go home safe and well at the end of the day.
“I feel the energy and drive with our people, they really push to be the best they can. It is persistent greatness where everything is possible.”
Mandy has said she feels like the organisation is in a position of competitive space with the other Tier 1s in the market, and that there is more room and the capacity to grow
“I would like us to get involved in different complex deliveries such as light rail, sustainable solutions, local councils, and combined council funding,” she adds. “We have got self-delivery so I want to be able to provide one solution as a Tier 1 company where we can give our clients this whole asset, life-cycle offering where we do the design, the build and the maintenance. We can bring that all together and I see ourselves helping lots of different clients in that rail space, and holistically with the transportation offering we can bring highways into that solution as well.”
Mandy will soon be marking 35 years in the rail, nuclear and water industries, although she admits it is rail where her passion lies, having joined the industry from school, working as a temp in payroll for British Rail initially for a month, which soon turned into a year. Following a discussion with an engineer who said, “If you think you can do better come out here on track and see”. The challenge was accepted, and she turned up on a Sunday and was told they didn’t have any females on the P-way in the South and would she like to be one.
“Over the 35 years it has been a mix of engineering, project management for the first 12 years, then I
We have to push those boundaries and challenge ourselves to look at the long-term efficiencies
moved into commercial before I had the opportunity to become MD,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to work as a client, as a contractor, and also had opportunities in the water, defence and aviation industries.
“The majority of my time has been spent in rail and it is ultimately where my passion lies. I love the industry and particularly the people, who are sincere, warm and just want to do the right things to ensure the industry thrives. I am incredibly proud of the work that we do and continue to feel supported and energised by the people I work with.”
www.kier.co.uk/
Railway Chaplain Mike Roberts writes about the importance of fi xing our eyes on a railway that is reliable, better value, better performing and safer
Test Match Special used to be on Radio 4 long wave. I used to sit at home, listening to the cricket all day. Fascinated by the pictures that were painted by the words of the commentators, who would give you a clearer picture in their commentary than the pictures on television would. However, the downside of ‘TMS’ commentary on Radio 4 long wave radio was that at certain times of the day, the commentators would utter the words, “And now, we’re going to step away from the cricket here at Old Trafford, and head over for the shipping forecast…”
With that, the cricket commentary would disappear for three or four minutes, whilst the most received pronunciation voice you can imagine read out, “The shipping forecast, issued by the Met Office, at 1800GMT.” I never switched it off, knowing the cricket would return imminently, but as time went on, I started to listen more. I noticed the rhythm, regularity and almost poetry of the words.
Still a matter of life and death, it was unimaginable that a ship would set sail without consulting the shipping forecast in the days before satellite communication and online weather services. It was
a staple that people came to rely on.
“Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties. Northerly, becoming North Westerly. Four, occasionally five, six later. Moderate. Fog patches, moderate or good, becoming poor.”
It always sounded like a magic code, a secret language that was beyond someone who was raised in a town in Staffordshire that was as far from the seaside as it was possible to be. (In Tamworth, boats went on the canal, and the sea was a mysterious concept far away!)
The more I listened, the more it fascinated
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To see lasting change now, we need to ask if we know what our industry culture, values and aims are
me, and I actually read a book about what it all meant (I recommend the entertaining Attention All Shipping by Charlie Connelly) and how it helped safe and accurate navigation. As with many forecasts, it uses what has happened in the past, and what is happening now, to help us understand and be prepared for what is coming.
The shipping forecast is not about teaching people how to sail, or how to operate a ship, but it helps people mitigate risk and manage the adversity that they may face ahead. Each time a weather system does something, the knowledge we have to predict what will happen tomorrow, next week and next year increases. Experience gives birth to knowledge, and knowledge teaches us more about ourselves and our environment. Experience teaches us what risks we can take action to reduce, and what risks we should (must) take steps to avoid.
The railway runs on the knowledge and experience of thousands of men and women who daily apply rules, policies and procedures to complete tasks in their local settings safely and to the best standard possible. We have a lot of people who have years or even decades of experience and the question is, how do we grow out of their knowledge of the experiences of yesterday and today? I can think of many good people who, between them, have hundreds of years of service in driving trains, signalling, stations, P-way, HR, train planning and many more areas, and whose expertise we are on the verge of losing when they retire or step away from the industry. If it was as simple as plugging a USB memory stick into a retiring member of staff and downloading skills, competences and log data it would be easy, but the fact is that we need to learn how to pass on the stories and the anecdotal evidence from people, as well as editing rule books and operating instructions.
A friend of mine, who works in the performance team at a train operating company (TOC), would say to me (often) that good performance management is as much in the story and the narrative of the day and the route as it is in the tables and numbers. I am writing this against the backdrop of a new Government and an industry-wide curiosity about what a new agenda for rail will bring for the next decade. However, this morning, as I travelled through one of the major stations near me, someone said to me (with 36 years of rail employment behind him) that it was a case of, “new priorities, new press releases, nothing new though…”
In my six years on the railway, we have had more ‘once in a lifetime’ events than I can count, along with ‘once in a generation’ changes and ‘once in a century’ storms. Now we’re told again we have a once in a (blank) chance to reform the railway. If we see this change as something only for senior leaders, civil servants, parliamentary debate and select committee discussion we will be merely rearranging the deckchairs. We need to learn from experiences gained during the days of nationalisation (40s), rationalisation (60s), privatisation (90s) and now, potentially, reformation. Reform needs to happen in the light of the safety lessons learned since Clapham, Ladbrook Grove, Southall, Hatfield and Potters Bar, and bring those contemporary voices to educate us alongside the many voices that have spoken to
and from the railway in decades past.
We have an abundance of unique experience on our railway, and I think we benefit from it when we listen to that voice. When people feel that they have been listened to (this is different from being given a chance to talk) then we start to build back a strength within the railway community that has faded over recent years. At Rail Live in June I sat on a panel that was discussing safety and sustainability, and at the end I was asked to sum up my ‘final thought’. I spluttered a bit (I’m good at many things, but brief and summarised are not my watch words). What I ended up saying is that we are now ordering rolling stock that will have decades long life spans. The trains that TOCs like Northern order in the next year will still be in service in the late 2050s at least. Even the best fortune teller can’t predict what the railway will be like then, any more than the best weather forecaster can tell you what the weather will be like in 2059! We can extrapolate trends, look at data and hypothesise concepts, but we already have people joining the railway now who will still be on the railway, and potentially in the board rooms of the railway, in the 2050s.
As much as we invest in rolling stock and infrastructure, let us invest in the development of people around us to see a thriving railway that will be able to cope with the once in a generation/ decade/century challenges of the 2050s, 60s and 70s. Let’s learn from the shipping forecast and take on board the models that show and teach us about the coming inclement weather and apply that to the life of our railway family. How do we pass on the corporate memory and industry lessons in a way that enables tomorrow’s teams to grow out of them (do read Greg Morse’s The Clapham Junction Accident for more about this) and make tomorrow better than today?
That shipping forecast, inconvenient though it was when it interrupted Test Match Special, tells those facing a journey ahead how things are right now, and shares, based on what we’ve learned in the past, what is likely to come so that we can be prepared. It’s not about saying we definitely know everything that will happen tomorrow. It’s saying that when the wind rages, we are less likely to be shocked by it.
No one is in any doubt that reform on our railway is needed. What shape that might take will be a little more contentious. However, we need to change as a community and collectively. When Virgin became Avanti, overnight between Saturday and Sunday, branding teams changed signs and colours at many stations, and ‘Hello!’ posters appeared. To see lasting change now, we need to ask if we know what our industry culture, values and aims are.
Let’s not start a journey of transformation with the hope that we just “end somewhere better.” Let’s fix our eyes on a railway that is reliable, better value, better performing and safer. And let’s ask how we all make that journey together. Learning from yesterday, reading where we are today, and determined for a tomorrow that’s better for customers, staff and a brave new world.
www.x.com/birdsnestsblog
www.railwaymission.org
Alan Holford, CEO of BoxTube, has created a ground-breaking rapid loading system that could transform the landscape of UK logistics
BoxTube’s goal is to create a variety of interconnected solutions to enable the global supply chain to decarbonise, reduce material usage and reduce air pollution. The pragmatic approach encourages adoption by creating solutions which are both economical and convenient.
BoxTube, one of the first cohort of SMEs to complete the Clean Futures Accelerator Programe, is led by Alan Holford, a qualified vet who while working was inspired by the veterinary wholesalers, delivering in a reusable tote box every day, collecting it empty the following day and replacing it with the next load of stock.
Alan’s innovation is a rapid vehicle loading system for trucks and trains which enables up to 550 boxes to be loaded into a truck in under a minute, or 10,000 onto a 12-car train in under a minute.
Reducing empty road miles
In logistics there’s currently a significant amount of inefficiency around loading volume and not filling the capacity of vehicles, loading slowly and causing bottlenecks.
BoxTube addresses this by creating a rapid loader that fills vehicles to maximum capacity.
According to national statistics, three billion HGV miles are driven ‘empty’ every year, a problem which could be addressed by improving loading speed and utilising the full load volume of these vehicles.
BoxTube has designed a solution with a modular approach; with each element bringing its own significant benefits and sales drive, which is strengthened by network effects as the firm adds to its offering.
To achieve this, BoxTube utilises the power of standardisation. As the shipping container transformed shipping, and the pallet transformed bulk handling, at the granular freight level, BoxTube can be transformative by creating attractive conditions for the adoption of a 400x600mm tote box for nationwide rapid delivery.
BoxTube’s concept uses an innovative rapid vehicle loader to drive this adoption. Using this innovation, loading an HGV can be done in under a minute, while a train carriage can be done in just 11 seconds.
This could be transformative for the logistics sector when compared to the existing half-hour fastest time method for this type of freight, and in many cases BoxTube could also achieve a greater volumetric utilisation.
When the BoxTube solution is used on rail, its carbon-saving benefits can be significantly higher, as Alan explained: “Rail is up to 95 per cent loweremitting than road freight, but with current loading techniques there is only 10 per cent capacity in the UK network available for increasing its use.
“Due to slow loading times, rail freight is largely restricted to overnight use, end-to-end journeys with heavy bulk, which limits train speed.
“Being able to load light freight in such a short time means that BoxTube could run light freight trains amongst the busy passenger timetable throughout the day, making multi-stop line-side deliveries and transforming the network’s capacity for freight.”
With the potential benefits available using the rail network, BoxTube could also free up muchneeded capacity on Britain’s highways. A BoxTubeequipped train could displace 24 HGVs from the road, achieving cheaper carriage at a faster speed, with fast and easy transfer to and from road transport for the first and final mile.
These efficiency benefits allow better use of driver and vehicle assets, and ultimately better delivery capacity. These zero manual handling solutions can improve driver retention and recruitment with fewer injuries and restrictions on physical capacity for the driver role, as well as reduce overnight stays in the cab by reducing time spent on loading and unloading activities during the legally restricted driver shift length.
Transforming freight efficiency
“There is currently a major focus on alternative fuels and electrification, but this alone cannot solve our emissions problems. We believe we need to develop technology to transform efficiency in other areas to create solutions fit for the future. Solutions that complement all modes of transport are desperately needed.” Alan said.
“This is the potential circularity of a reusable box for delivery. I started to look at the use of totes as a standardised container and how you could then manoeuvre them around efficiently with the rapid loading of vehicles. Then we want to explore the potential idea of automated networks in cities and tunnels as well.”
The Rail Delivery Group’s report ‘The role and value of rail freight in the UK’ has outlined that in an offpeak rail slot, intermodal freight could generate £1.3 million a year, compared to only £170,000 for a passenger service.
Alan believes BoxTube’s rapid loading solution means it could help to introduce intermodal freight trains amongst passenger rail, in turn generating more revenue which is needed to invest in the UK’s rail network:
“For rail, I think BoxTube provides the opportunity to bring freight and passenger services together, rather than having them as two separate entities. You can generate the revenue to subsidise the passenger services or subsidise the improvement and electrification of the infrastructure that is desperately needed in Britain.”
Through the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme, which is led by the Connected Places Catapult, BoxTube has developed and tested a prototype of its solution at BCIMO’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley. The programme was a unique opportunity for BoxTube to realise its potential, as Alan explained:
“The Clean Futures Programme is perfectly aligned with our goals to reduce emissions using this technology and the association with BCIMO made it the perfect opportunity to develop the BoxTube solution on rail, which is the greenest transport mode.
“It’s enabled the development of the prototype to improve our technology readiness level and our manufacturing readiness level, with the eventual goal being to progress the solution to being trialled in a live environment.”
BoxTube’s six month participation in the Clean Futures Accelerator culminated in a Demonstration Day at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre on 30 April.
During the day, SMEs from the programme, including BoxTube, each delivered a three-minute elevator pitch to showcase their innovations.
With BoxTube’s technology, there is the capability to fully load a carriage with 800 boxes in less than a minute. This enables freight to be introduced within the passenger timetable. With rapid loading, freight could be added to the network without passenger disruption. This opens up a network with limited capacity to huge freight opportunities.
Alan foresees an ambitious future where operators introduce cross docks to distribute boxes around the country, connecting different locations with road freight industries, substituting the ‘middle mile’ long-distance road journeys which could enable much greener rail travel:
“We have conceptualised fully automated subterranean networks to be able to take the logistical load from city streets. These networks could be retrofitted around all existing infrastructure with minimal disruption, using our innovative construction concepts.”
“Eventually, we hope to connect our systems to autonomous subterranean delivery networks in our cities, to create a truly door-to-door, green logistics network.” Alan concluded.
www.boxtube.co.uk
For rail, I think BoxTube provides the opportunity to bring freight and passenger services together, rather than having them as two separate entities
RBD Community’s Member Relations & Content Manager Fiona Broomfi eld discusses plans for the popular RBD Community benefi ts package to be made exclusively available to RIA members from 2025
RBD Community (RBDC) has announced plans to stop operating as a standalone membership organisation at the end of 2024. From 2025, Rail Business Daily will deliver RBDC’s popular package of member benefits exclusively to Railway Industry Association (RIA) members.
The decision comes a year after RBDC became part of the RIA family, as it is now clear that – while RBDC and RIA are very good at what they do separately – when they bring their services together, they add much more value for members.
Fiona explained: “Over the past year, we’ve
RIA members will be able to access everything they need to succeed and grow – from one rail membership organisation
introduced benefits from RBDC to RIA members, and vice versa. This has resulted in many of our members attending RIA events at discounted rates and choosing to upgrade their membership to RIA membership.
“We have also onboarded all RIA members onto the RBDC benefits package, which was a huge project to undertake, and the feedback from RIA members has been unanimously positive.
“In 2025 we will bring the RBDC benefits package into RIA membership, making it an integral part of RIA membership, and ensuring that all RIA members enjoy the profile enhancing, intelligence and
networking benefits it brings to their operations. The mission remains to be a force for good in rail, giving members everything they need to do more business in the sector.
“RIA members will be able to access everything they need to succeed and grow – from one rail membership organisation. In addition, allowing RIA to continue to grow its reach and augment its ability to do even more to help develop a bigger and better UK rail supply sector for the future.”
RBDC members are being contacted this month to discuss upgrade options. Many RBDC members are also RIA members and so the only change these members will see is where they access the popular
RBD Community will cease to exist as a standalone membership organisation from 1 January 2025.
The RBDC package of profile-enhancement benefits, including microsite in the Rail Supplier Directory, PR and advertising spotlights and intelligence and networking benefits, will be available exclusively to all RIA members from 1 January 2025.
The member portal One Place will be rebranded
member portal One Place – which will move to the Member Area of the RIA website from 1 January 2025. They will continue to receive the benefits package from Rail Business Daily.
For more information contact Fiona on 07949 409 829 or email fiona@railbusinessdaily.com https://community.railbusinessdaily.com
Rail Business Daily, Rail Director magazine and RBD Community are owned by RIA.
Rail Business Daily and Rail Director magazine, headed up by Managing Director Dean Bruce, continue to operate as editorially independent media channels.
While RBDC and RIA are very good at what they do separately –when they bring their services together, they add much more value for members
RIA One Place and housed in the RIA website’s Member Area – meaning members only need one login to access everything.
One Place will continue to provide members with weekly bids, tenders and funding opportunities, access to The UK Rail Report and more resources. It will also be enhanced to include market intelligence and contract award intel to give RIA members access to even more valuable opportunities, information and insights.
Ampetronic is a leading designer and manufacturer of audio loop induction systems, to provide listening solutions and improve the lives of those with hearing loss – particularly on public transport. sales@ampetronic.com www.ampetronic.com
01636 61 00 62
Anturas Consulting Limited is a trusted infrastructure management consultancy business supporting and advising clients as they deliver major projects, prioritising agility, continual learning, and strong partnerships. info@anturasconsulting.com www.anturasconsulting.com
Craig & Derricott specialise in the design, manufacture and overhaul of rolling stock components including LED lighting, rotary switches, driver key switches, panels, and footswitches.
sales@craigandderricott.com www.craigandderricott.com 01543 375 541
Gleeds work with public and private sector clients in, primarily, the commercial aspects of the planning, development and delivery of railway assets, systems and services.
london@gleeds.com www.gb.gleeds.com 020 7631 7000
Real time- real smart. Helix is the digital hub that manages your project’s workflow from design to handback. Live maps, dashboards, trackers and KPIs show exactly how your project is progressing in real-time. www.helixworkflo.com
Angel Trains UK ltd is one of the UK’s largest and best-known train leasing companies, investing in and providing rolling stock that meets the changing needs of the UK rail industry. enquiry@angeltrains.co.uk
www.angeltrains.co.uk 020 7592 0500
Aquarius Railroad Technologies Ltd is a market-leading provider of transport solutions for track maintenance. It designs, manufactures, hires, and maintains a range of safe, efficient road/rail vehicles. enquiries@aquariusrail.com
www.aquariusrail.com 07771 117 988
Fujitsu UK is a leading provider of transformative technology and business solutions. With a reputation for innovation and expertise, it works to help its clients – and society – grow. askfujitsu@fujitsu.com www.fujitsu.com/uk 01235 79 77 11
Graffica provides simulation and modelling consultancy services, together with its simulation platform called HERMES (the Holistic Environment for Railway Modelling Evaluation and Simulation). info@graffica.co.uk www.graffica.co.uk 01684 567 200
Hey Me is a leading communications agency offering businesses PR, marketing and communications support and is highly specialised within the rail, logistics and transportation sectors. communicate@heyme.co.uk www.heyme.co.uk
Jobson James Rail is a national specialist railway insurance broker, the market leader in the UK by a huge margin with over 800+ rail clients across the UK, Middle East and Australasia.
kevin.parker@jjrail.co.uk jjrail.co.uk
07816 283949
Kilfrost is the global market leader in the supply of safety critical products across the transport industry, including materials for de/anti-icing rolling stock, infrastructure, and passenger areas. marketing@kilfrost.com www.kilfrost.com
01434 320 332
Morgan Sindall Infrastructure Ltd delivers innovative, responsible, and safe infrastructure, connecting people and communities. tom.appleton@morgansindall.com www.morgansindall.com 07963 010 027
Operating across 35 global offices, Mott Macdonald’s expert team specialises in everything from rolling stock and asset management to rail operations, railway systems, and infrastructure upgrade and renewal. www.mottmac.com
020 8774 2000
Netcall helps businesses to realise their goals with cutting-edge communications solutions and process automation. Based on AI, its versatile solutions engage customers and automate processes. David.oliver@netcall.com www.netcall.com 0330 333 6100
Pandrol engineer and deliver industry-defining solutions for the entire rail infrastructure sector, from inner-city light rail and ports through to large heavy haul and high-speed lines. info@pandrol.com www.pandrol.com
01909 47 61 01
A leading construction engineering firm, Keltbray specialises in fully integrated project delivery with multi-disciplinary teams providing innovative engineering solutions. rail@keltbray.com www.keltbray.com
020 7643 1000
MERMEC specialises in advanced technologies for rail transport, including signalling, measuring trains and systems, electric traction, telecommunication, urban electric mobility, and industrial application. andy.willetts@mermecgroup.com
www.mermecgroup.com
07944 264 803
Motion Rail is a provider of specialist railway communication services, working on Network Rail and London Overground infrastructure across the UK. info@motionrail.co.uk www.motionrail.co.uk 020 8090 0103
Neology partners with customers to help communities enhance mobility, increase sustainability, improve safety, and generate increased revenue. www.neology.com
Arup brings technical expertise and strategic thinking to rail projects around the world, helping to shape and deliver them for both public and private sector clients. rail@arup.com www.arup.com 0121 213 3000
At Quest Global we’re in the business of engineering, but what we’re really building is a brighter future with unique opportunities to solve the rail industry problems. info@quest-global.com www.quest-global.com
RADD Solutions Limited provide Enterprise web, desktop, and mobile software solutions whilst supporting clients and providing additional business value through integrations, hosting, training, consultation, and advice. info@raddsolutions.co.uk www.raddsolutions.co.uk
07813 490 246
Roxtec cable, pipe and conduit seals have been tested and approved by London Underground and Network Rail. They protect rail assets against fire, smoke, water, rodents, gas, vibration, humidity, dust, and EMI. info@uk.roxtec.com
www.roxtec.com
0161 761 5280
STAUFF are proud to manufacture and develop fluid power components, manipulated tube products, and finished kits. Tested, sealed and ready to install on production lines. uk.sales@stauff.com www.stauff.co.uk 0114 251 85 18
Synergy Rail is a market leader in the provision of specialist consultancy services to Metro, Main Line and High-Speed Line transportation systems. info@synergyrail.co.uk www.synergyrail.co.uk 07788 924 444
UK Power Networks Services solve your energy challenges through innovative solutions, delivering resilience, cost efficiency and sustainability to deliver a bright energy future. www.ukpowernetworksservices.co.uk 020 7397 7845
Reznet Rail provides global railway engineering solutions for mainline and metro projects. enquires@reznetrail.com www.reznetrail.com
RSK is a multi-disciplinary environmental, health, safety, sustainability and engineering consultancy and technical services company. notifcations@rsk.co.uk www.rsk.co.uk 01928 726 006
SVM Glasgow is an experienced and RISQS accredited E&P and building services engineering design consultancy based in Glasgow and covering all of the UK. elise.mclean@svm-glasgow.co.uk www.svm-glasgow.co.uk 0141 204 0951
Trough-Tec Systems (TTS) is a supplier of marketleading, sustainable cable management products and anti-slip walkways. ttsinfo@hird.group www.hirdtts.com 01302 343 633
Westermo offers complete data communications solutions for rail industry systems. Its networking technology supports both critical and non-critical rail systems installed in hundreds of applications around the world. sales@westermo.co.uk www.westermo.co.uk 01489 580 585
To be featured in the Rail Supplier Directory contact Fiona Broomfield on 07949 409 829 or email fiona@railbusinessdaily.com
Joanna Davey has joined Winder Phillips Associates (WPA) after 20 years spent working across the wider rail industry. She brings a variety of skills and experience from her time at four different train operating companies (TOCs) and a role within the Great British Railways Transition Team
What attracted you to join WPA?
I’ve enjoyed two decades in the rail industry this year and have always worked for TOCs so joining Winder Phillips Associates will enable me to work in more sectors of the industry because of the wide variety of clients we support, giving me a great opportunity to build on the learning & experience I have had so far and widen my skill set. We work in areas from performance and revenue modelling and analysis, to all areas of operations, customer experience, bid support and market reviews and many others – with so much variety it was a hard offer to turn down.
The other partners at Winder Phillips Associates (who are some of the friendliest people I have worked with!) have huge amounts of experience as well and we all support each other, meaning that there are over
Joining Winder Phillips Associates will enable me to work in more sectors of the industry because of the wide variety of clients we
support
200 years of combined knowledge and experience available from across a small team.
Explain your aims and aspirations?
My ambition in joining WPA is to complement the current seven partners and enhance our collective capability to provide even more support to the clients we work with. Although I have predominantly worked in planning & access, the variety of TOCs I have worked within and the geography of the rail network they have covered means I have worked with most of the Network Rail routes and other TOCs and freight operating companies (FOCs) that operate on those routes. That’s given me a good grounding and exposure to the variety of issues that can occur in the industry – we want to promote whole-system thinking, and help our clients to thrive.
Railway Competence Group (RCG) are a premier provider of comprehensive train driver assessment and training services. Our suite of offerings, including Train Driver End Point Assessment, Psychometric Testing, and Train Driver Incident Prevention Courses, are designed to elevate the standards of railway operations and safety.
Having previously overseen train planning teams throughout the COVID pandemic, new timetables and major engineering blockages over the last 10 years, you must feel like you can take anything the industry throws at you –what has been the key in overcoming these challenges?
It has been an interesting time. Collaboration and keeping calm have been the key. The railway comes together exceptionally well in a crisis, and I was so proud of what we achieved as a team, particularly in response to the COVID pandemic – I think the TOC that I worked for during that period had seven timetable changes in just 12 months which is unheard of and the whole team had to dig really deep to keep going. Being realistic and keeping plans simple is vital too.
Having worked in the railways for 20 years, was it an industry you always aspired to work in?
I have to be honest and say no it wasn’t my aspiration to join. It was an accident (well a job close to home after I had been made redundant) but I loved it so much I’ve never left. I’ve found it challenging, rewarding and at times frustrating, but at its heart are the people who move millions of customers and
Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) has appointed Hannah Ross as its new Chief Executive.
Hannah, who is currently Head of Major Projects and Commissioning at City of Edinburgh Council, will join SRH on 30 September.
She will lead the arm’s length company which was set up and is owned by the Scottish Government. It has responsibility for the ownership and oversight of both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper, following their transfer into public ownership in April 2022 and June 2023 respectively.
As well as becoming Chief Executive of SRH, she will also chair the boards of ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper.
Hannah said: “I’m passionate about growing public transport given the positive impact it can have on economic growth and opportunities for communities, and crucially, the part it plays in our drive to net zero.”
I have made friends for life and been inspired by colleagues throughout my journey
products each and every day around the network, and playing a part in that is so satisfying, be it changing timetables, or standing on stations helping during disruption.
I have made friends for life and been inspired by colleagues throughout my journey. It’s hard to pick a favourite moment having been lucky enough to do some amazing things in that time, but I think supporting and mentoring people just starting out on their journeys is a privilege and I’ve learnt just as much from them.
Reflecting on your time in the railways, what have been the biggest learnings?
Simplicity and the ability to multi-task and compartmentalise. We do a great job sometimes of overcomplicating projects, timetables, and
HS1 Ltd has appointed Virginie Merle as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as it continues the growth of the UK’s only high-speed and international rail line.
Virginie, who has been the UK, Middle East and India CFO for Keolis over the last few years, will take up her role at HS1 Ltd next month, and replace Claire Howling, interim CFO. Claire will stay with the company in a new Finance Director role.
The appointment comes at an exciting time for HS1 Ltd as international rail travel from the UK is set to grow, and planning for enhancements to meet long term growth at St. Pancras International is underway.
Virginie said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the new CFO of HS1 and I look forward to being a part of the exciting journey of growth for high-speed rail over the coming years. I am excited to know that I will be working with a highly professional and motivated team at HS1 and I look forward to collaboration with my new colleagues and the company’s stakeholders to build on the business’s already significant success.”
governance and keeping it simple pays dividends. Having a large portfolio and sitting in the executive team for a national intercity TOC, there were never any two days the same with so many projects and timetables to be delivered alongside a new National Rail Contract. Being able to quickly switch from one project to another and retain a wealth of information about them is one of the key skills I have taken with me to Winder Phillips Associates.
Are you optimistic for the future?
The future for rail has lots of opportunity to diversify and expand but it must also adapt to meet the changing requirements of the society we serve and the environmental challenges in decarbonising. Timetables and fleets fit for those requirements are key, as are continued close working relationships with our trade unions, customers and clients. Winder Phillips Associates have built our business by always focusing on what is right for our clients.
The approach we take to every project is based on our guiding values and principles, with a strong focus on client satisfaction, value, trust, integrity and teamwork, continuous improvement and sustainability. Eighty per cent of the work we do is repeat business or via referral, underlining the benefit of working with a small and specialist team.
www.winderphillips.co.uk
Balfour Beatty has announced that Nick Crossfield will join the group later this year as CEO of its UK Construction Services business.
Nick will be responsible for the strategic leadership of Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services business, delivering on its business plans with a focus on further developing its presence in the growing infrastructure market – including the energy, defence and sustainable transportation sectors.
Nick will sit on the executive committee and report directly into Group Chief Executive, Leo Quinn.
Nick said: “I very much look forward to joining Balfour Beatty. I have watched with interest over the last 10 years as the group has continued to position and win work in its core markets and I look forward to continuing the successful delivery of national and local infrastructure across the UK.”
Jones Nuttall Ltd, a precision engineering company based in Warrington, Cheshire, takes pride in its state-of-the-art CNC machining facilities. For over 50 years, we have delivered precision and efficiency in every project we undertake.
Our specialised Rail division boasts contracts with industry leaders such as Alstom, Unipart Rail, Metrolink, London Underground, and Network Rail. Our experienced engineers handle a diverse range of projects, including new builds, repairs, refurbishments, and modifications, including reverse engineering.
We manufacture components using a variety of materials, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals, exotic materials, advanced plastics, laminates, and composites. Our continually evolving manufacturing processes ensure that your products meet the highest standards, making us a trusted partner in demanding sectors such as oil, gas, energy, nuclear, and rail.
For precision finishing, we offer quality surface treatments, coatings, and other finishing services. These optional treatments enhance material strength, improve durability, and provide a long-lasting, high-quality finish.
With a comprehensive suite of services, our extensive experience has shaped our capabilities to meet our clients’ needs. Managing all aspects in-house provides valuable transparency, ensuring seamless project management from start to final delivery.
DEDICATED R AIL DIVISION
SURF REATMENTS TING MILLING & TURNING FABRICATING
WELDING S CRITICAL COMP TS ANODISING EMANAGEM
David Ball, Network Rail’s Senior Sponsor for the project explains how the programme has been much more than dusting off some old infrastructure
Network Rail and Siemens have installed and commissioned a new signalling system and major track work has been completed across the entire Northumberland Line, allowing trains to start running on the line for driver training for the first time in more than 60 years.
The final section of signalling was commissioned earlier this month between Bedlington and Benton Junction, where trains will leave the East Coast Main Line and serve passengers at six stations across the Northumberland Line.
This latest work follows an earlier system switch-on at Easter, when new signalling went live between Ashington and Bedlington, allowing freight services to operate between Bedlington and Lynemouth Power Station.
As well as the new signalling, Network Rail engineers have laid more than 25km of track and installed 22 sets of switches and crossings, the specialist equipment used by trains to change from one track to another. This will deliver smooth and reliable journeys for passengers when services start in the future.
David Ball, Network Rail’s Senior Sponsor for the
project, said: “This programme has been much more than dusting off some old infrastructure.
“Bringing this line back to life has meant renewing almost everything that remained since the last passenger service in the mid-60s, with a brand-new signalling system and new track both key to getting the journey times and capacity – alongside the existing freight services - that will make this line a critical part of the North East rail network.”
This work has been a major part of the near £300 million project to reconnect people living in Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth Bebside, Newsham, and Seaton Delaval to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years.
Network Rail continues to support its partners in delivering this project, with the line expected to open for passengers from December 2024, and services starting at Ashington, Newsham and Seaton Delaval. The remaining stations will open next year.
David added: “A programme of this scale has brought challenges, but we are now tantalisingly close to being able to catch the train on this line again, and, together, we’re working flat out to complete the final phases of work to get the trains up and running.”
Bringing this line back to life has meant renewing almost everything that remained since the last passenger service in the mid-60s
