July 2023
Mark Chapman
Denmark: A land of opportunity
Alison Hanscomb
Honour is crowning glory of railway career
Rob Capener
The race to get to children before the streets get to them
Daisy ChapmanChamberlain
“What do we mean by innovation?”
A passion to push technology forwards
With over 30 years’ experience working in the rail industry, specialising in the safety sector, the OPC provides practical, reliable ways of improving performance and assessing ability.
Acvery warm welcome to the latest Rail Director. We are on the cusp of the third birthday of the magazine, a fantastic achievement, particularly as it was launched during the COVID pandemic and at a time when fewer new publications were being launched.
But as I write the editorial for issue 35, I feel it was a great decision to launch the monthly magazine and I hope you feel it is still a highly relevant and essential platform. Rail Business Daily has always been guided by a simple mission to serve as a force for good in UK rail and Rail Director has played its part in celebrating the people and projects at the heart of the sector.
As an organisation always looking to improving its offering, a huge step was taken last month with the launch of The UK Rail Report, putting the right information in the hands of those who need it – particularly if they’re new to this industry. A huge amount of work went into creating this work which demystifies UK rail, explaining how it’s organised, governed, built, operated and maintained.
It is an ongoing journey, further strengthening our RBD Community offering. It really is an exciting time to be part of the membership, and over on pages 92 and 93 of this magazine you can find out about the new enhanced member benefits package and what’s new in the One Place member portal to help you do more business in rail.
This month’s magazine features Linbrooke’s William Wilson on its cover. William has had a fascinating career, probably most famously for having held several senior leadership positions at Siemens. What was refreshing in speaking with William was his passion to push technology forwards and his optimism for the future of the railways.
I share his optimism for the UK rail sector, strengthened following a chat with Mark Chapman, the head of the trade team at the Department for Business and Trade in Denmark. As well as the opportunities here, there are also many major projects around Europe and beyond looking to the expertise of workers from UK.
I will be surprised if there isn’t a railway in the world that hasn’t been helped along the way by workers or businesses from here.
Being relatively new to the rail industry, one thing that has amazed me has been the impact of the rail industry beyond the movement of passengers and goods. There is a real unity in creating change. Rail Safety Week was a prime example of that last month, and also heartening is workers commitment to help charities. This month I also spoke with Rob Capener, the new group chief executive of Railway Children, who explains about the impact the industry’s fundraising is having on the most vulnerable.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the latest edition of the magazine and do get in touch if you would like to feature in our third birthday edition. We have some cracking features lined up, so get in touch with Chris quickly to reserve your spot.
All the best,
Danny Longhorn Editor
Rail Director magazine is part of the Business Daily Group of companies, which includes the hugely popular railbusinessdaily.com. We deliver more than 70 stories a week to +70,000 rail industry professionals who now subscribe to our 7am daily newsletter. Please subscribe and encourage your colleagues and team members to do the same. It’s free and it’s easy: www.railbusinessdaily.com. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on Britain’s railways. There is a digital copy of Rail Director on our website.
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Rail Director has played its part in celebrating the people and projects at the heart of the sector
Is
William Wilson has recently become chief executive officer at Linbrooke Services. He shares his journey in the rail industry
10 News
Mark Chapman, the head of the trade team at the Department for Business and Trade in Denmark, discusses providing a platform for UK organisations to get involved in the country’s railways
Rob Capener has been appointed as the new group chief executive officer at Railway Children. He shares his journey and aspirations for the charity
Professor Clive Roberts has said that with the new funding the aim is to have the capabilities and tools to enable innovations to progress from a great idea more effectively
Great Western Railway’s Alison Hanscomb has been granted a British Empire Medal (BEM) for meritorious service. She shares her story and reflects on her 30 years working in the rail industry
An in-depth look at what is happening across the industry by those who make the decisions. This issue’s features include: An overview of the new Marsh Barton station in Devon, a look at Orange Train Wash’s revolutionary demo unit. Plus a comprehensive overview of the work undertaken on Carstairs junction in Scotland.
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William Wilson is the first to admit he loves doing things differently.
“Some might describe it as being a disruptor, but I view it as actually just pushing technology forwards,” said the chief executive officer (CEO) at Linbrooke Services.
It goes back more than 20 years ago when he first entered the rail industry at GE Transportation at which time the company had a new control centre based on air traffic control.
“We had the contract for the interim control points for West Coast Mainline and so my first foray into rail was actually the control of West Coast during the upgrade,” he said. “It was then introducing new interlockings and how you interface that with axle counters which was a really good grounding as to what can be done. It was pushing the boundaries of what had been done before and I suppose my whole career right the way through rail has been pushing those boundaries. Formerly at Siemens, it was pushing to European Train Control System (ETCS), but it was also pushing the modular solution.
“At Linbrooke we centre on the aspects of the railway that economically cannot be renewed and coming up with the solutions to make them as reliable as the sections that have been fully renewed.”
Linbrooke is a leading UK engineering company specialising in the design and integration of multisector power and telecom solutions, combined with rail-related signalling, telecoms and power systems and multi-sector, multi-discipline consultancy.
William was appointed CEO in March, bringing with him extensive rail and transport experience on an international basis majoring in railways, aerospace, traffic and general transportation for more than 27 years.
“Signalling is back to my roots and what I have enjoyed for the last 21 years,” he said. “I don’t think I’m regarded as a newcomer in that sector; people have always said it takes 20 years to get into signalling and I’ve now surpassed that. With the role at Linbrooke, I’m also enjoying the opportunities outside of rail. The company is dynamic and if there is a market opportunity that fits our skillset, we will pursue that.
An example is the booming electric car charging market. Within the company’s portfolio, we have a very strong power business and we’ve grown that segment by 60 per cent in the last six months in terms of output.”
Reflecting on the changes over the last 20 years, William says the core values of new technology, hitting budgets and the signalling equivalent units curve are as relevant today as they were then.
“What has moved on is around modular signalling and we’ve got this life extension offering, which is a forerunner to ETCS, so we can come up with a cheaper solution that will extend the railway for 10, 15, 20 years until the other technology catches up.
“In my old world we were doing East Coast Digital and that is a phenomenal project pushing the boundaries of most of what has been done, but now we are doing it to a different level, making sure we keep the reliability and availability of the railway up at its highest possible level on some of the critical lines.
“An emerging market for Linbrooke is around life extensions. It’s an area I don’t think many others, particularly the big original equipment manufacturers, will come into as it doesn’t fit their market. It is something we have developed and will continue to do.”
Prior to joining Linbrooke, William held senior leadership positions at several global companies including Siemens, Alstom and GE Transportation. He spent more than a decade at Siemens, latterly as UK chief executive officer at Siemens Mobility Limited, a job he left due to medical reasons, which among many things included suffering from longCOVID.
He initially got involved with Linbrooke, an approved Network Rail Tier-one principal contractor, in an advisory capacity, but that very quickly developed into a more prominent role in driving the company forward.
“Perhaps I wasn’t a very good advisor, because I couldn’t help but become more and more involved, but maybe that’s me as a person, as if I’m going to do it, I want to be in control and I want to be measured on my success,” he said.
Signalling is back to my roots and what I have enjoyed for the
“I met Lee Hallam (executive chairman of Linbrooke) and we hit it off with a strong relationship and a mutual understanding of how businesses should be run, how to move forwards in a very diverse market sector and that led to his asking if I wanted to run the business for him.
“It seemed a really good challenge with similar challenges to that at Siemens; we still have to win work, we still have to look after our people because we are a non-product related business, integrators selling people and solutions with everyone else’s hardware and software and systems. It stands for an awful lot of my own personal values in terms of its inclusivity agenda and safety regime.
“There is a strong platform for me to build on, with Linbrooke very highly respected in Network Rail’s eyes in being the company that you go to for a solution when there is something that is really difficult to do or on a tight budget.”
An example William gives is the 50 miles of Midland main line life extension work.
“50 miles of re-signalling would be in the region of between £350 million and £500 million, however, we’re going along renewing every asset with a new telecoms backbone for an absolute fraction of that price,” he said. “It is this sort of approach and an exemplary delivery record on this and other projects that really attracted me to Linbrooke.”
And William’s job is to continue on that track with the executive chairman challenging him to lead the company into the next phase of growth, using his wealth of experience in the engineering and rail industries.
“We have an important role to play in keeping the railways running, doing the life extensions, ensuring level crossings are safe and just continuing to push to be the specialist in our market level,” he said. “We can do interlocking renewals, and support the Original Equipment Manufacturers with extra capacity to deliver incremental projects over and above what they are able to do themselves.
“Our capabilities centre on delivering not so much the major signalling schemes, but the smaller schemes which not so many others want to do, but which are critical to keeping the railway running. It is all about creating a reliable railway combining systems with 5G technology, upgrading power systems, new location cases and ensuring there is no degraded wiring.
“By the same token, we do have a framework with Hitachi, and I’m really excited about bringing forward another mainline interlocking system on the back of the relock in Gloucester, which is imminent.”
Earlier this year William was one of 60 rail business leaders who wrote to the Prime Minister urging him not to delay in bringing forward legislation to enact the government’s rail reform plans in the coming Parliamentary year, vital in the creation of Great British Railways, which will bring track and train operators within one body.
The proposed legislation has been delayed since the government published its reform proposals in 2021; however, rail business leaders are concerned that failure to legislate within the next Parliamentary sessions means the railway will have no clear direction.
“We’ve got to take the complexity out of our railway and actually simplify it,” he said. “We are the oldest railway and probably the most complex railway, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to stick with those shackles that we’ve had since Victorian times. You look at what’s been done around London, you look at those stations that have been remodelled, rebuilt in some cases; superb examples of what can be done, superb retail for passengers, it is that side of things that really needs to be expanded across the rest of the UK.
“Health, education and defence will always take precedence over having a sustainable railway, but at the end of the day we are slipping behind economically as a country, we’ve got probably the highest inflation out of all the developed countries in the world and we need that infrastructure, we need to be able to further enhance the north, south, east and west with a reliable railway.
We have an important role to play in keeping the railways running
“We’ve all got our part to play in it and it is linking that all together. Great British Railways, whatever form it ends up taking, the reform that will come in the railway and bringing together the operators with the infrastructure owners just so that one can understand the other and so we don’t waste so much money paying penalties both ways must help us as well wherever we are in the supply chain.”
Concluding the interview, William is optimistic for the future, not just for Linbrooke, but for the rail sector.
“As an industry, it is ours to lose,” he said. “There is
a market out there, the infrastructure is becoming life expired, and we need to come up with cheap solutions that enhance the railways and enable more trains over the same infrastructure. We need to think about how we standardise and reduce the cost of rolling stock and we need to make sure that we can actually operate a greener railway.
“I’m not sure it needs to be 100 per cent, 90 per cent for the benefit it gives taking all of those motor cars and freight off the roads is a pretty good target. But as a supply chain we’ll do whatever is needed to play our part in ensuring the rail industry thrives.”
Visit https://linbrooke.co.uk/ for more details
We’ve got to take the complexity out of our railway and actually simplify it
he start of a new era for the Caledonian Sleeper.” That was the message from Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s minister for transport, as services come into public ownership.
This new arrangement replaces the previous Caledonian Sleeper franchise, operated by Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited.
This is a result of the Scottish Government’s decision to run Caledonian Sleeper services, from the expiry of the current franchise, through an arm’s length company owned and controlled by the Scottish Government, in line with its Operator of Last Resort duty.
“It is fitting that we recognise the successes of the staff and management at the Caledonian Sleeper who have transformed this service, and who will remain as valued members of the team,” said Fiona. “I give my reassurances that there is a continued role for them to play in the future success of the service.
“In recent years, the Caledonian Sleeper has flourished, with increasing numbers of people using its unique journey opportunities. The service plays an important role in showcasing the best of Scotland and I look forward to building on that success in the years to come.”
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has agreed on a seven-year deal with Caledonian Sleeper Ltd to continue hauling the Caledonian Sleeper coaches.
The services will see GBRf support the new era of the Caledonian Sleeper, operating seven trains
a night, six nights a week, hauling the Mk5 coaches between London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen & Fort William.
Operations will continue to use Class 92s and Class 73s to haul the service, with the length of the new agreement offering the potential opportunity to consider incorporating GBRf’s new bi-mode Class 99 locomotives in the future. Utilising the Class 99s would create a significant reduction in the volume of carbon created by the service.
Having provided services since 2015, this
agreement remains in line with the original 15-year contract length – until 2030.
John Smith, chief executive officer of GB Railfreight, said: “This new partnership with Transport Scotland is another great example of GB Railfreight’s ability to deliver an excellent and reliable haulage service.
“As the iconic Caledonian Sleeper enters a new era, we are extremely proud to be working with Transport Scotland and look forward to continuing to deliver fantastic service to passengers for many years to come.”
HS2 has begun assembling the UK’s first major railway viaduct to be entirely manufactured off-site.
Unlike more traditional viaduct designs, every major element of the 880m long Thame Valley Viaduct is being manufactured in a factory before being slotted together on site like a giant Lego set, cutting its carbon footprint by around a third.
Crossing the flood plain of the River Thame, just outside Aylesbury, the viaduct will carry HS2 trains at speeds of up to 360km/h between London, Birmingham and the North.
The 68 giant concrete piers – each weighing 42 tonnes - are being cast at PACADAR UK’s factory on the Isle of Grain, in Kent, before being transported to site by road. The first 14 piers were lifted into position on top of their foundations over the last four weeks.
Tomas Garcia, HS2 Ltd’s head of civil structures said: “Thame Valley may not be HS2’s biggest viaduct, but it does represent a major step forward in terms of its structural design.
“The post-tensioned double-beam approach used here has enabled the whole viaduct to be manufactured off-site – dramatically improving efficiency, safety and quality while delivering outstanding performance and durability.”
The viaduct was designed by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor, EKFB - a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall - working with specialist on-site construction partner, FC Civils Solutions.
here is a contractual chain between the parties on any railway contract site. Typically Network Rail will issue the main contract written on one of their NR wordings. The PCL will generally allocate some of the work on a subcontract wording to the Tier 2 contractors.
The Tier 2 may use a labour agent who contracts either directly with the individual operative or via an umbrella/payroll co.
Courts considering a site accident will look at who provided supervision, direction and control, and who wrote the method statement, safe work pack and risk assessments. They will also look at causation. These are all factors
in determining where blame for the accident lies.
However, the liabilities accepted under the contracts interfere with where the insurance claim will likely be directed to. Many contracts push liability to the labour agents even though they were not supervising the work.
If the labour agents buy cheap EL PL insurance from “recruitment insurance” schemes, those insurers are usually not intending to accept any railway contractual liabilities. The labour agencies can find themselves badly exposed if they have accepted contractual indemnities for site injuries and site damage but have no insurance to back them.
The courts very rarely accept that liability can be passed down to the COSS operative who may have failed to do their job and partly or wholly caused the accident, so their own personal IR35 mini PL insurance policy rarely has to pay.
The insurance held by PSC Ltd cooperatives actually provides no protection to the labour agents or Tier 1 & 2 contractors that employ them.
A good insurance broker will understand these complex indemnities, and will be giving advice on each contract wording to their labour agent clients. They will also ensure that there is full disclosure to insurers of these material facts, so that the railway company is not in breach of their statutory disclosure obligation as defined in the Insurance Act 2015.
If you would like advice around your insurance and these contractual indemnities, please call the team on 07816 283949.
Denmark’s railway is undergoing transformational change with huge new projects and a major overhaul of its infrastructure renewing tracks, electrifying lines and installing digital signalling.
Providing a platform in enabling UK companies access to the opportunities is Mark Chapman, head of the trade team and Europe North lead for infrastructure at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
“There are some amazing projects and as a country of 5.8 million people they certainly don’t have the capacity in house to manage these alone, so they are looking for skilled foreign companies,” he said.
“There is a great amount of respect for the UK rail sector and the competencies that the companies can
bring to the market. The history and the reputation of the UK rail industry is widely recognised in Denmark and I know a lot of the key organisations are really keen to learn from the experiences of the UK rail industry, particularly on projects such as Crossrail and HS2.
“We work with a variety of companies, but it tends to be the tier 2 and tier 3s that want to plug into a particular project. There are plenty of opportunities and we will work with organisations putting them in touch with the right people, match making and opening doors.”
Based out of the country’s capital Copenhagen, Mark has a proven track record of working with international trade and development assisting UK companies wanting to export outside the UK.
“I am frequently asked how I landed a job at the British Embassy! The rather boring answer is that I saw a job advert and applied (and was subsequently successful with my application!),” said Mark, who is originally from Kent. “I started off working as a trade advisor more than 10 years ago back then for UK Trade and Investment and I was given the responsibility of working with the rail sector.
“I didn’t have a background in rail, so it was a steep learning curve for me at first, but quite quickly I developed a substantial network in Denmark and the Nordics and have been working ever since with rail, but also across several sectors we class as infrastructure, so construction, rail, airports, mining and water, but most of what I do here in Denmark is within the rail sector.
“Among the successes includes leading a Nordicwide campaign for infrastructure, and working very closely with my colleagues in the region and also outside of the north of Europe in markets like Poland and Austria. Nowadays I head up the trade team in Denmark, but I retain the high-value work on major infrastructure projects in the region, particularly if there is a rail element to them, which is a great sector to be involved in.”
It is the railways that Mark is particularly excited about when it comes to opportunities for UK companies, with just some of the ongoing projects including:
The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) re-signalling project;
The expansion of Copenhagen Metro with five new stations scheduled to go into service in 2024;
Connection from Ringstead to the new tunnel at the Femern Belt with the connection to the German rail network;
First contract now signed for battery trains and the next tender in progress;
Converting the S-bane system in Copenhagen for driverless operation.
“As well as several high-profile projects, there’s the major overhaul of the Danish railway infrastructure, a lot around track renewal, electrifying lines, installing digital signalling,” he said. “But certainly the biggest project is Femern, which is not only the largest
construction project in the history of the country, but one of the largest in Europe at the moment.”
The project mentioned latterly is the fixed link tunnel between Denmark and Germany, which includes a sizeable rail element connecting Ringsted Femern railway to the tunnel portal. Work is underway on the new 30km double track line which will feature a new station as well.
“This is something I have worked with for quite a few years now and we’re in a good place with the team behind the project,” he said. “Another one to mention is the new railway bridge across Guldborgsund. That was awarded to a Danish company called MT Højgaard to the value of 68 million euros, that one is going to be a single track railway folding bridge. There are further bridges planned, including in Falster, which is being tendered as a design and build contract and that needs to be handed over to traffic authorities at the end of 2026.
“Otherwise, there is a lot of collaboration across our DBT Nordic regions focused on the digitalisation of the railways, and that is just a snippet of what is on offer.”
Offering advice to UK companies, Mark says they should come fully prepared to find a good local partner. DBT works with a number of service providers, called the ‘Overseas Referral Network’, that can assist UK companies to navigate the Danish tax and labour laws or anything around work permit requirements, which he says are taking a little bit longer currently due to resourcing challenges at the Danish Ministry for Immigration.
Our services include:
• Access and Inclusive Design Appraisals
Access and Inclusive Design Training
• Access and Inclusion Project Management Support
• Access and Inclusion Strategy Reviews
• Access Audits/Reviews
• Digital Accessibility Reviews
Diversity/Equality Impact Assessment Training and Development
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audits/Reviews
• Inclusive Customer Service Training
• Policy/Practice Development
• Stakeholder Engagement
We are supporting the transport sector to future-proof the Rail Industry, for all.
Clients include:
Nowadays I head up the trade team in Denmark, but I retain the high-value work on major infrastructure projects in the region
Registering on Banedanmark (infrastructure manager) suppliers’ portal for updates on upcoming tenders is also recommended. DBT is also running a campaign in the Europe North Region at the moment called ‘Growing Green Together’, with one of the four strands of the campaign around smart mobility.
“You can go in and subscribe to receive updates and newsletters on upcoming trade missions, events and conferences that are happening in market,” Mark said. “A good idea is to get over to Denmark, come and meet with us, come and shake the hands of the people that we work with, and you will be surprised by the amount of rail opportunities and support available here really.
“But be prepared to be patient, work through your DBT network. Don’t be worried about a language barrier too much as English is widely spoken through Scandinavia to a high level, so it is quite normal when doing business with the Danes that that initial meeting and those that follow are in the English language.
“There are some cultural differences between the two countries, although they are fairly insignificant and DBT and our various partners will work with companies to help. We do have quite a flexible approach to worklife balance which is a really positive thing. There are no extra points for hanging around in the office late and it is something you will not see in this country. There is a lot of flexibility around the work environment in Denmark, not just here but in the Nordics in general.”
Like in the UK, the global COVID pandemic caused a severe drop in the patronage of public transport and although figures are rising, they are still nowhere close to the pre-COVID level.
“It has had an impact, but the project pipeline proposed by the government has not taken as big of a hit as we anticipated,” he said. “The attitude has very much been that we’ll press on as much as we can. Regarding passenger numbers, there is definitely a push to get more people on trains.
“I had a look at the annual report for 2022 for the Danish State Railways which acknowledged that the number of trips since the COVID pandemic were 39 per cent higher in 2022 than in 2021, but 13 per cent lower than the pre-COVID times. We are slowly recovering but not quite at previous levels yet.
“The positive story is particularly on regional traffic where the market share in July of that year was historically higher 27 per cent versus 19 per cent and there was another comment that during that summer people took advantage of the possibility of buying
orange tickets (which are discounted rail tickets). For example, in August 2022 100,000 more orange tickets were sold compared to the previous year.”
Overall, Mark is very optimistic about the future of the railways in Denmark, and the role UK companies can play in their future.
“Brexit did have some sort of impact, but the trade team here in Denmark haven’t felt it too much, and if anything, the immediate aftermath saw an influx of new enquiries coming into the team,” he said. “Things have settled down now and there continues to be a lot of interest in the Danish market and we’re as busy as we’ve ever been.
“The overall impact isn’t as great as first feared. That said there are challenges and as a result, we as an organisation appointed a number of market access officers to support UK companies with any market access barriers or issues which may or may not come up. The Danes and the Brits both want the same thing, the attitude towards this is things might be a little trickier, but we’ll work our way through it!
“When you look at the Nordics on the whole it is quite a sizeable market, they are geographically close to the UK, the culture and the language is not an issue. Denmark is consistently voted among the world’s top three countries for ease of doing business, so there are a lot of interesting opportunities particularly for new exporters to come and get a feel of the market. A lot of the work we do with rail companies is bespoke, so my message would be, come prepared, come with an open mind, do your homework and come and be a part of what is happening here.”
Visit https://community.railbusinessdaily.com/ wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Danish-RailwaysProjects_April-2023.pdf to read Mark’s latest report on Danish railway projects
Growing Green Together (GGT) is a regional campaign from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade in Europe spanning the Northern Europe and the Baltic region.
UK-Nordic-Baltic collaboration is not new. There is a long list of great examples that have been able to develop solutions faster, increase economies of scale and bring down costs more quickly.
Against a geopolitical backdrop in which the importance of a connected Europe has never been so important, GGT is business platform covering digital, live events and webinars, connecting businesses with opportunities in energy, future cities, mobility and sustainable consumption.
Visit https://eu.eventscloud.com/ehome/ggt/ about/ for more details.
Visit https://youtu.be/hq9797r_eBk for more details on the opportunities from the Femernbelt Fixed Link.
When you look at the Nordics on the whole it is quite a sizeable market, they are geographically close to the UK, the culture and the language is not an issue
Rob Capener has been appointed as the new group chief executive officer at Railway Children. He shares his journey and aspirations for the charity
n assault on all of my senses.” That is how Rob Capener describes his first trip to India on behalf of Railway Children, an international children’s charity working with street children in India, East Africa and the UK.
“The noise, the smells, the lights, it was quite a shock to the system and we visited a railway station in Kolkata and I remember seeing hundreds of families just existing outside the station under tarpaulins – they weren’t even slum dwellings – and they were trying to raise children in this environment with no toilets or hygiene facilities,” said the recently appointed chief executive officer.
“I remember just feeling despair and that this was hopeless and why were we even bothering here, but then I went around the corner to our shelter where our outreach workers were taking children who had been found abandoned or alone, or detached from their families, and seeing all these children in our shelter and thinking ‘Wow! This is amazing. This is why we are here.
“These kids had clean clothes, three meals a day and were so happy and resilient and I thought, ‘this is the difference we are making, and this is why we can never give up, we have got to keep pushing on to change this situation so that more children can have this kind of support.’
In 2008 Rob joined Railway Children. The charity
was initially one of his clients when he worked for a local advertising agency, but he was so enthused by its work he joined the organisation full-time to set up its first marketing department.
“I’d worked for a creative advertising agency, and I had real aspirations to work in TV, but then Railway Children became one of my clients,” he said. “I worked on that account for three years and just absolutely loved it because the work was totally different.
“Knowing that we were producing great creative content that actually helped children really gave me a different outlook on advertising. Then Terina (Keene, the former chief executive officer) asked me if I’d come on board to set up a marketing department.
“I thought I’d go and do that for a couple of years and here I am 15 years later. I’ve never looked back and feel so proud to work for this amazing organisation. Since my very first visit to India in 2009, this work has got under my skin, it changed my perspective on life and gave me a purpose many aren’t so lucky to experience in their careers.”
With a background in sales and marketing, Rob was appointed as group chief executive officer in May having previous been the charity’s group director of brand and external affairs.
“Even though I’ve been at Railway Children for 15 years, there’s a lot to learn in the chief executive seat and I’m seeing the world through a very different lens,” he said. “Coming from a communications background, it was always my job to push other people into the spotlight or in front of the microphone, and now I’m looking over my shoulder saying who can do this, and it needs to be me.
“We have some incredible people though and reflecting on the journey so far it is something I’m really proud of. We have an amazing team whose values are centred on being tenacious and never giving up and being pioneers for children who are street-connected or live on the streets.
“Because we have that core of talent, we have grown our income, our programmes have grown and become more sophisticated, and we genuinely have changed children’s lives. The progress made has been incredible and the respect that we have with both the
rail industry, governments and funders, we wouldn’t have those relationships if what we did wasn’t special and of a high quality.”
It is the stories of the life-changing impact that the team are having on individuals that drive their passion. In just a few of the thousands of examples, Rob describes a group of rail workers doing Ride Kenya who met a four-year-old boy who had previously been found tied to a tree with his arms broken. It took nearly a year for the outreach workers to get him to speak, and during a really long process of rehabilitation at a Railway Children-funded centre, he met the cyclists.
So moved by his story, a few years later the charity tracked the boy down to let the fundraisers know how he was getting on. He had an adoptive family, he was thriving in school and he was a completely different child.
“I also remember in the UK we met a young girl who had had a terrible past with a mother who was a drug addict, and the child had been injected with heroin, and with the support we gave her she went through rehabilitation and she now has a young family of her own and her life path is completely different because of the work we did with her,” he said.
“I’m really fortunate that I get to hear all of those stories and experience some of those young people in my work and I consider that to be a privilege when I get out of bed in a morning and I think ‘this is why we do what we do and this is the difference we are making through the charity’s work’.”
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I’m seeing the world through a very different lens
Rob takes over from Terina – who was chief executive for 21 years – at an exciting time for the charity, which has recently launched a new five-year strategy that aims to continue creating and enabling sustainable change for children living alone and at risk on the streets through its work at street level, community level and government level.
“Among the first challenges is navigating our way through the post-pandemic environment,” he said.
“We’re not alone in this, so many businesses and charities are in the same boat with the cost-of-living crisis, climate crisis and the conflict in the Ukraine among just a few of the issues.
“It is really having an impact on the work that we can do and how long we can sustain it for. Lots of the large grants just aren’t there at the moment so the first aim is to ensure we have a consolidated programme across our three regions in India, Tanzania and the UK.
“Beyond that there are so many opportunities that I can see for us as an organisation to be able to make a very real and sustainable difference to so many children and their families and it is my aspiration to keep driving that forward and building on the strong foundations we have.
“We also need to elevate our presence as a charity because we have a real desire to influence the United Nations (UN) space and I think we can make a real contribution to the UN development goals beyond 2030 so we need to amplify Railway Children’s voice in that sector. We are the experts in street-connected children and we have to be able to influence that picture so that there are more sustainable solutions in the future.”
At the heart of the future success of Railway Children will be the ongoing support of the UK rail industry. Earlier this year its annual Sleepout event raised more than £170,000 after over 360 members of the public and representatives from across the sector swapped warm beds for station floors. Workers have also raised thousands by taking on walking, running, and cycling challenges and parachuting. No more has the industry’s love for the charity been more apparent than during its first ever Rail Aid in 2020, dubbed the railway’s answer to Children in Need.
“We have been extremely lucky to have such loyal support in the rail family and that came to the fore for me during the pandemic when we were looking at a very serious situation with our income and our ability to keep going as a charity, but our contacts and the loyal relationships that we have built in rail weren’t going to let that happen,” he said.
“I remember us launching Rail Aid and thinking ‘how are we going to bridge this gap in our income?’. The whole industry united behind it and during that two-year period, we raised more than £1.2 million. That was one of my proudest moments at Railway Children, seeing all of those people come together and do so many different things for the charity, it was very humbling.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do on a daily basis without all of those companies, their supply chain, all of those volunteers and all of those people who get together year on year on year to keep
supporting Railway Children. It goes beyond the fundraising though. The partnerships we have with the industry make the whole rail network a safer place for young people and together we are reaching some of the most vulnerable children in the UK.”
During previous chief executive Terina’s tenure, the charity transformed hundreds of thousands of lives. In her leaving note, she spoke of her confidence in Rob’s leadership in Railway Children continuing to deliver transformative change for children, families and communities for many years to come.
Rob is passionate to ensure that is the case. “We’ve spent many years building and evidencing innovative programmes that help children in the here and now, and we know that to really change outcomes and life journeys for young people, we must help change the environment around them too. We can’t do that alone, and a key focus of our new strategy is around collaboration – bringing together other organisations, governments, partners and networks to share their learning and work.
“It is not about Railway Children painting the map lime green (the charity’s logo colour) it is about taking a leading role in supporting governments, sharing our knowledge and building the capacity of others. If we can unite the efforts of many and enhance the quality of responses, then we can help others to be part of a joined-up solution and create healthy, safe environments for children to thrive and not just survive. If we can replicate that in more places, that will feel like success in five years.”
Visit railwaychildren.org.uk for more details
We wouldn’t be able to do what we do on a daily basis without all of those companies, their supply chain, all of those volunteers and all of those people
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With over 100 years of experience between them, Paul Bolton and his team are seasoned engineering professionals – but that doesn’t mean they’re about to stop learning.
“If we don’t learn, we don’t progress,” commented SEP Rail Engineering managing director Paul, who joined the industry in 2005. “If we don’t progress, we don’t innovate – and if we don’t innovate, we’re already failing.
“That’s why we need to ensure we’re doing everything we can to teach people, wherever they are on their journey.”
A new generation of rail professionals
And, after several years of growth for SEP Rail Engineering (which provides expert engineering support to projects across the UK), Paul is now turning his attention to those at the beginning of their professional journey.
He’s keen to invest in the next generation of rail industry talent, and is currently preparing to appoint SEP Rail Engineering’s second apprentice.
“Our first apprentice has been with us for just over 12 months, and recently finished his first year at college,” explained Paul, who began his own career with an apprenticeship. “And then we’ve got another employee who’s fresh out of university.”
Paul added that, while these two routes into engineering come with their own unique set of challenges, graduates and apprentices alike need the right guidance – and practical experience.
He said: “It’s about giving them the exposure to real live engineering sites, and access to experienced talent. That allows them to back up their underpinning knowledge from college and university. What we’re teaching them is real-world engineering – how you can apply knowledge from the classroom onsite.”
Paul believes that engineering success and academic achievement don’t necessarily go handin-hand, explaining that “someone might not be academically strong, but can still make a very good engineer.” He is keen to give opportunities to those who might be overlooked by bigger organisations, which tend to have a more rigid set of entry requirements for engineering positions.
“It’s more about the person – whether they’re the right fit, and have the right mentality,” he added.
“They need to be willing to learn, and understand that engineering can be pretty full-on, particularly in the railway. An engineer’s job isn’t nine to five, and you essentially live and breathe projects – although you need to look after your mental health, of course.”
In an industry that often turns on collaboration, Paul explained that social skills are equally important.
“It’s about getting on with people. The engineer needs to be able to communicate with people at all levels and be confident enough to do so well. They are usually the individuals that people are asking questions of, and they’re expected to know the answers,” he said.
Paul and his team (who specialise in everything from engineering management to project delivery) are on hand to help SEP Rail Engineering’s apprentices develop these critical skills, providing support and guidance. He encourages them to pursue civil engineering rather than a rail-focused qualification, believing that this opens up a wider range of opportunities for young learners.
If we don’t learn, we don’t progress. If we don’t progress, we don’t innovate – and if we don’t innovate, we’re already failing
Providing critical support to projects throughout the UK, we work alongside the leading names in rail, delivering the engineering, management and consultancy their schemes demand.
Provision of site engineering expertise to support the preparation, core delivery and commissioning/entry into service deliverables.
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Provision of key engineering assurance and delivery roles to align with the Engineering Management for Projects standard.
Provision of experienced professionals to support the client with the planning and delivery of projects.
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“They need support, because juggling studies with a full-time job is challenging, and is a test of your organisational skills,” he added. “They only need to ask, and we’ll give them all the help we can – whether that’s time off, financial support, or sitting with them to run through college work.”
Paul explained that the “little things” often make the biggest difference to engineering apprentices –ensuring that they are not expected to work a Sunday night shift before college, for example, or planning the roster around their exam timetable. Going forward, diversity is a priority for Paul, who would like to see more women join the SEP Rail Engineering team.
“It’s something we really want to encourage,” he commented. “We want to bring more women into the team, and for it to be as diverse as it can be, because it will make the business a better place.”
He also hopes that the company (whose clients include CRSA, Tata Steel, and Network Rail) will work closely with schools and colleges in future, engaging a new generation of budding engineers.
“It would be great if we could show them the equipment (particularly the total stations) we use, because it is quite impressive,” he said. “And discussing our work with people actually reaffirms my own learning and knowledge.”
Experienced engineer Paul is always keen to build on this knowledge – an attitude that has shaped SEP Rail Engineering’s approach to innovation.
“I believe that, if you fail to innovate, you fail anyway,” he commented. “If we try something, and it doesn’t work, we can learn from it. And there are different strands of innovation; for me, it’s about staff development – seeing what they want to do and listening to them, because they have brilliant ideas. We’ve employed some very clever people, after all!”
He and his team have embraced advances in technology, employing the very latest engineering and surveying equipment on projects ranging from track renewals to maintenance inspections. For Paul, it’s about capturing valuable data and providing assurance, rather than automation for automation’s sake.
“The advances in equipment in the last seven to eight years have been astonishing, and we’re constantly pushing that as well,” Paul said. “We have three owned items of equipment, and are always looking for the next piece.”
Paul is keen, not just to invest in the latest technology, but to ensure that SEP Rail Engineering’s existing equipment is performing optimally.
This is the focus of a forthcoming ‘innovation day’, scheduled to take place in September. At the top of the agenda is the business’s highly accurate Trimble SPS 930 Universal Total Station, which Paul believes could be employed more efficiently.
“It’s the most powerful bit of equipment we’ve got, but it’s probably only in third gear at the moment,” he explained. “The innovation day should give us a chance to try out different things in a safe environment, and see what efficiencies we can get out of it.”
During the event, employees from SEP Rail Group’s engineering and surveying businesses will explore the total station, sharing their ideas and discussing how it could be used more effectively. Paul hopes that, in the future, he and his team may be able to develop their own engineering equipment, benefitting both clients and the wider business.
He added: “We understand the problem statement, we know what we want out of things, and we know the data set we want. We should be able to develop a piece of equipment that does that.
“And isn’t that really what engineering is all about –research and development?”
We want to bring more women into the team, and for it to be as diverse as it can be
Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK and Charles Brand Group have announced the formation of a new joint venture, Rhomberg Sersa Charles Brand JV, which will provide complimentary civil engineering and permanent way services to the UK rail industry. The focus is initially orientated to infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland and key projects in Great Britain where the joint venture can add value throughout the life cycle of the project and beyond.
Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK is a leading railway provider offering a comprehensive range of railway infrastructure services and products for design, engineering, construction, renewal, and maintenance.
Charles Brand is a leading provider of complex civil engineering solutions, with over 180 years of experience in both the UK and Ireland, working across infrastructure, marine, utilities and telecommunications.
The joint venture announcement follows the award of several infrastructure maintenance contracts including an Active List position on the prestigious Translink FW073 Civil Engineering Contractors Framework.
Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK is the UK arm of the Austrian-based Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group, which was founded over 150 years ago.
Operating throughout the project lifecycle, they deliver solutions including track renewals and maintenance, overhead line, tunnel refurbishment, gauge enhancement, and specialist on-track plant and machinery such as the unique in-line excavation and material handling system. Furthermore, they are one of Europe’s leading slab track design and build specialists.
Innovation is at the heart of the business and the focus is on driving products and solutions that enhance the customer experience with customeroriented and tailor-made solutions working collaboratively with clients and partners.
Discussing the announcement of the joint venture, Niall McGill, Managing Director of Charles Brand Ltd, said:
“Charles Brand is delighted to be partnering with Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK and launching our services to the industry. As two longstanding, family-
owned businesses we believe we bring an exciting new combined offering that can add real value to the UK rail network and its infrastructure owners and managers and we look forward to showcasing our services.”
The two companies both have shared principles; both are well-established contractors with a history of more than 150 years respectively, both are familyowned businesses with an emphasis on great delivery and customer satisfaction, and both have a proven track record of project delivery in the rail sector.
Tony Kearns is Rhomberg Sersa UK’s recently appointed managing director and discussing the new partnership, said:
“At Rhomberg, our focus is on driving products and solutions that enhance the customer experience by working throughout the entire project lifecycle as a consultant, designer and contractor.
“By combining our in-house capabilities with Charles Brand’s outstanding civil engineering knowledge and expertise, I firmly believe we will deliver a truly unique offering to the marketplace, leveraging our diverse skillsets that cover the full project lifecycle. Both companies have extensive experience working collaboratively and intend to pursue further relationships with others and bring a step change in delivery of infrastructure projects ”
With a focus on modern engineering projects now increasingly shifting towards social value, Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK & Charles Brand has worked hard to incorporate training, apprenticeships and local recruitment into their wider business strategy.
Examples include offering apprentice and degree apprenticeships, student placements and graduate plans, while also incorporating sustainable recruitment. Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK supported and built rail facilities at National Highspeed College for Rail in Birmingham and Doncaster, as well as a connection to Wolverhampton College. The joint venture is also building a new training facility at Pond Park, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Charles Brand’s offering is bolstered by its sister company, FK Lowry (FKL), a specialist piling and plant hire company providing strategic project support. FKL provides an extensive fleet of modern specialist plant and equipment which meets the latest EU Emissions to Tier 4 & Tier 5 standards.
The firm’s fleet includes Mobile Concrete and Mobile Asphalt Batching Plants, Crawler Cranes and Concrete & Asphalt Paving Equipment, amongst others.
Two of the industry’s longest-standing family-owned businesses are joining forces to bring a new offering to the market, targeting civil engineering and permanent way works across Northern Ireland
FKL is headquartered in Belfast, with plant facilities in Lisburn and Greater Manchester and regional offices in Dublin and Manchester. The firm offers specialist plant supply throughout the UK and Ireland, meaning Charles Brand can utilise a nationwide supply of plant when delivering infrastructure projects.
Charles Brand also provides a range of employee initiatives and benefits aimed at supporting staff development and wellbeing. As well as an attractive salary, the company provides a wide selection of lifestyle offers, development and learning programmes, services and support designed to help staff manage and balance work/life priorities.
The firm also recently opened a £250,000 health and wellbeing centre, consisting of a gym, canteen and health monitoring facilities. These facilities are aimed at supporting staff and maximising their performance by making their health and wellbeing a priority.
“We believe in the mantra of ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ and we want to provide the best facilities possible to our people to ensure they feel their best and bring their best performance to work every day. Staff sickness rates in our industry increased by 42% last year compared to pre-pandemic levels and many frontline employees are feeling increasing pressure, with factors such as the uncertainty brought on by COVID and the cost of living crisis.
“At Charles Brand, we have taken measures to make us an attractive employer, looking beyond just our employee’s day-to-day role and taking a holistic approach to their wellbeing. The benefit of doing this is helping to retain our staff, improving our recruitment and seeing a fall in sickness rates. It’s no coincidence that wellbeing and productivity go handin-hand.”
With a selection of unique and specialist in-line excavation and re-ballasting machines, Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group UK can provide a versatile scope of services for track renewals on the UK’s rail networks.
The specialist on track plant and machinery, an in-line excavation, re- ballasting and material distribution fleet consists of an in-line excavator, MFS+ on-track machines (OTM) and Universal Material Handling Vehicles (UMH). These machines are supported by a fleet of standard MFS wagons.
The system undertakes re-ballasting works on sites such as single lines, single bore tunnels, terminus stations, island platforms and greenfield sites where using conventional techniques would be difficult and very time-consuming. The system has potential for ALO working where appropriate.
Using this system Rhomberg Sersa UK can deliver in-line excavation, parallel working, single line and single bore tunnel working, through stations and platforms using a production line approach supported by a dedicated, experienced and multiskilled team.
As Rhomberg Sersa Charles Brand JV prepares to launch its services on the first of its infrastructure projects in the UK, Tony says the goal is to work together to add real value, while also delivering wider benefits to the areas it will serve:
“We are in a great position to utilise partnerships within our group that bring strength to our offering. We are now aiming to tie our capabilities up with further skillsets by partnering with other UK suppliers, particularly SME’s. This holistic strategy of operating throughout the full project lifecycle will enable us to influence outcomes to achieve the best value in all that we do.
Tony added: “We want to leave lasting legacies in the communities we operate in on the projects we’re working on. By that, I mean that we’re committed to enhancing the fortunes of people in the areas we work, both by supporting community organisations and giving local people the opportunity to play their part in the major infrastructure projects we deliver on UK railways.”
We believe in the mantra of
‘healthy body, healthy mind’ and we want to provide the best facilities possible to our people
The University of Birmingham and a consortium of Welsh universities have been awarded £15 million by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) to establish a new world-leading railway research and innovation centre in South Wales.
The UKRPIF investment will enable the University of Birmingham, working with Cardiff and Swansea Universities, to establish a new Centre of Excellence for Railway Testing, Validation and Customer Experience at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) site, currently under construction.
The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) at the University of Birmingham is Europe’s largest specialist railway research, education, and innovation centre. BCRRE is the lead institution for the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) and leads the UKRRIN Centre of Excellence in Digital Systems that works on the development and application of digital technologies for the railway.
It will now also lead the Centre of Excellence in Railway Testing, Validation and Customer Experience, working with Cardiff and Swansea Universities.
Professor Clive Roberts, BCRRE director, said: “As a global leader in railway research and education, we work with partners across the world to develop their workforce and their technical and operational capabilities. We are also a leader in railway enterprise and innovation, the team here continues to work with SMEs through to OEMs to keep the railway in operation.
“With this new funding our aim is to have the capabilities and tools to enable innovations to progress from a great idea more effectively to a commercial solution by reducing the cost and risk of projects through the development process.
“Our focus on railway testing and validation is targeted at the whole innovation process with realworld impact at the forefront of our offering.”
The funding is part of £30 million announced through UKRPIF to establish two new world-leading railway research and innovation facilities, with the other being a new Centre of Excellence for Railway Through-Life Engineering in Goole.
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, executive chair at Research England, said: “Building on investment from UKRPIF in round 5 of the scheme, I am pleased to announce funding of £30 million for this consortium, led by the University of Birmingham, which will continue to ensure that the UK is an international leader in developing revolutionary rail technologies. These are essential to create a more efficient, sustainable and productive railway of the future.
“The creation of two globally unique rail research centres in South Wales and Goole will foster key partnerships between academia and industry, help drive the deployment of new innovations into the sector and develop regional clusters of excellence.”
The successful funding bids include a wider commitment from the rail industry to co-invest £60 million, with a further £16 million being invested by the University of Birmingham. In total the package represents a £106 million boost for UK research and development.
The new Centre of Excellence for Railway Testing, Validation and Customer Experience at GCRE will provide purpose-built facilities alongside major UK railway industrial expertise to support railway innovation, research and development, in collaboration with leading industry partners.
The GCRE in which the new centre will be housed will be a facility for world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new rail technologies. It will support the UK and European rail industry in speeding up innovation; supporting decarbonisation and the development of more cost-effective rail infrastructure.
Simon Jones, chief executive of GCRE Limited, said: “World class research and innovation is at the heart of the GCRE mission. Working with University of Birmingham and their partners, which now include the universities of Cardiff and Swansea, will allow us to make this ambition a reality.
“Developing unique R&D facilities that will benefit academia, industry and most importantly passengers and taxpayers is why we have been established. Today’s announcement is the fruit of a lot of hard work and we look forward to taking the next steps together with our internationally renowned partners.”
Professor Clive Roberts has said that with the new funding the aim is to have the capabilities and tools to enable innovations to progress from a great idea more effectively
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e are constantly evolving and aspire to be design partners of choice for a variety of infrastructure projects, ensuring a right first-time approach by embodying the one-team approach.” That is the message from Neel Anand, managing director at IPS Design and Consultancy.
The business might have only been set up little over five years ago, but its staff have decades of experience in providing a vast array of engineering design solutions to the rail and infrastructure sectors, and a reputation as revolutionary designers and pioneers in customised consultancy services.
Among its area of expertise includes engineering solutions, temporary works design, multidisciplinary design and consultancy propositions, with a list of clients which includes Network Rail, Greater Anglia, Abellio group, West Midlands Trains, Transport for London, South Western Rail, Pod-Trak, Graham, Dura Composites, Costain and Keltbray.
“We strive to bring clients a one-stop service with our engineers involved at every stage,” added Neel, who himself has a deep civil engineering professional capability across several sectors. “Our core values revolve around delivering cost-effective, collaborative, and comprehensive solutions for all types of infrastructure projects, irrespective of their size and/or nature, with high levels of synergy among all stakeholders.”
It is that emphasis on working with stakeholders that Neel is keen to highlight in getting the job done right first time. Among his vast experience has included work in the marina industry before the railway, so he knows all too well the importance of work being carried out
efficiently, now minimising the time on track blockades, in the past working against the tide.
To achieve this IPS Design integrates stakeholder requirements into the front end of the design, ensuring that what is designed is the best for everyone involved in the project and those using and maintaining the asset down the line.
“Success for us is not just about the design delivery, but around the overall project and its use, and to achieve that engagement is key; it has to be a success together,” explained Neel, whose previous experience also includes the high rise, airports and marina sectors, ahead of the railways.
“We are not afraid to challenge the way designs were done in the past and that is playing a part in our continuing success, having seen the turnover double year on year since the business was set up.”
The company’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. IPS has been shortlisted for three awards at the upcoming Railway Industry Association’s Railway Supplier Excellence Awards; two in the Partnership category –one with Dura Composites, the other with Hammond; and employee Michael Hanson in the Employee of the Year category.
“There is nothing more valuable than my people and the people we work with, and ensuring they are looked after and working in the right environment,” he said.
Looking to the future and IPS Design is set to have an even greater impact further afield than in the UK. The company has recently opened an office in Dubai, alongside its office in Slough.
“The aspiration is to go international, penetrating the infrastructure market and sharing our knowledge from other industry markets,” he said.
“In the UK the rail industry’s challenges are our challenges, so we will be looking for solutions for those. One area is the changing landscape of the track access as I don’t think two major blockades each year is sufficient.
“We are coming up with innovative solutions to allow for smaller blockades.
“Overall, we will continue our work in creating solutions to make it a safe, efficient railway and provide value for money for taxpayers.”
Visit http://www.ipsdesigns.co.uk/ for more details
managing
at
and Consultancy, on his passion for delivering innovative, sustainable, and tailor-made design and engineering management solutions for the
The rail industry has embraced the need for carbon reduction with Anderton Concrete leading the sector on that journey. Part of the Ibstock group, the UK manufacturer of precast concrete products has been supplying the infrastructure markets for nearly 40 years.
With a proven track record in manufacturing excellence and a dedication to customer service, the company is now accelerating its commitment to investing in its solutions to make them greener and more sustainable.
“Our product portfolio has changed vastly in the last five years,” said Shaun Forrester, commercial director at Ibstock. “For many years, Anderton successfully supplied traditional precast concrete solutions, where the drivers were very much volume and price.
“There has been a huge philosophical change from both the client and industry in general and now we are giving more and more thought to the materials that go into the products, dematerialising, and driving down the embodied carbon within our products.”
Anderton is driven by its ethos of ‘we listen, we collaborate, we innovate, we evolve’ and is extremely proud to be a UK manufacturer, operating and supplying the industry with products from Northwich in Cheshire, Bootle in Liverpool, Barnwell in Cambridgeshire and Thornley in County Durham.
“Business is great at the moment,” said Shaun, who recently marked 30 years in the precast/rail industry.
“The distinct changes happening within the industry are exciting and opportunities are plentiful. We are in the sweet spot of the Network Rail control period
spend cycle, and there’s also been quite an evolution and we’ve brought a lot of new products to the market over the last few years, cementing our position as a one-stop shop for precast concrete. As well as work for Network Rail and previous HS2 work, we’ve just won a further big order for HS2 which will certainly keep our factory in Northwich busy for quite a while.”
Particularly exciting is the company’s supply of carbon efficient and innovative products and its responsibilities as a manufacturer regarding sustainability with its environmental awareness challenging the perception of the industry.
The next product awaiting market launch is the new ‘Eco’ troughing range and is yet another example in which innovation has come to the fore and where Anderton and its in-house technical team have worked in collaboration with its customer base to jointly provide game-changing solutions.
“The very purpose of concrete is its strength, and you can’t compromise on that,” said Emily Landsborough, head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at Ibstock. “It is about finding the balance between the product design and the material mix to reach optimum solutions.
“We are always going to need strong products in infrastructure, so we are looking at how different materials and different designs can provide that strength in a more sustainable way. What is unique about the rail market is that we are innovating and learning together with the customer and that accelerates the pace of change. It has been really exciting to be part of that shift in culture around collaboration and the importance of ESG.”
Last year, Ibstock launched its ESG strategy until 2030, setting ambitious targets for carbon reduction. This includes reducing its absolute carbon emissions (scope one and two) by 40 per cent and to be net zero in scope one and two by 2040; scope three to be net zero by 2050. Another key target is for 20 per cent of sales turnover revenue to come from new products and solutions.
“Certainly, for the concrete side of the Ibstock business, that scope three element is really important. The biggest carbon impact in concrete comes from the cement that we purchase so that is a real area of focus for our scope three carbon reduction,” added Emily.
“The implementation plans for the ESG strategy are to innovate, dematerialise and become more circular. The concrete team have embraced that, looking at alternative cements, product design enhancements, lighter-weight materials and increasing recycled material content. It is fascinating to see how quickly we are moving to evolve the products to still provide customers with the strength and quality that is needed, but with much lower carbon.”
Last month the organisation broadened its offering with the trade and assets acquisition of G-Tech Copers Limited, an innovative designer and supplier of concrete railway station platform copers.
Anderton and G-Tech partnered in 2020 to develop a more sustainable platform coping product to help the rail sector work towards increasingly stringent and binding carbon reduction targets. The result was a concrete platform coper with embodied carbon reduced by 80 per cent, dramatically outstripping the 30-40 per cent reductions typically achieved by other competing solutions.
“The acquisition represents a huge step forward in sustainable platform edging solutions, and is the result of a significant amount of research, development and collaboration between the Ibstock and G-Tech teams,” said Shaun.
“It spreads our portfolio and we’re already working with Network Rail on new developments around supplying products into the market that have vastly reduced embodied carbon elements. It fits in with our passion as a business to continue investing in our solutions to make them greener and more sustainable.
“Our aspiration is strengthened by having Ibstock, which is uniquely positioned to influence positive change across a variety of sectors, by our side.
“Working closely, we are continuing to focus on lowering the embodied carbon of our products and expect further enhancements as we move forward.”
The key to success
Ibstock has more than 50 years’ experience in supplying products to the Rail and Infrastructure sector. In addition to its concrete platform coper, Ibstock’s rail offering also includes lightweight precast cable troughing, cable theft deterrents, reduced carbon precast signal bases and retaining wall solutions as standard.
“A key to our success is that alongside the innovation, we lead the way in customer service,” said Shaun. “We wouldn’t have lasted this long if we didn’t put the customer first and continue to evolve.
“In the model that Ibstock work with they give us the support of the PLC but they do allow us to have the agility of an independent SME so we can move quickly. We listen, we’re agile, we’re innovative and we’ve got a great team.”
Emily, who joined the company in 2020, concluded: “Carbon reduction is hugely important in our evolution, but to achieve our ambitions as a sustainable business we need to ensure the whole business is fit for the future, which includes developing our culture, our skills, and our relationships with communities.
“Being a UK manufacturer, we are a part of the fabric of society, and we want to be attracting the best people and bringing the right skills into the business. This isn’t easy with the skills shortage in our sector but by developing an inclusive culture where everyone has the chance to develop, we are in a strong position to achieve our goals.”
Visit www.ibstock.co.uk for more details
We want to be attracting the best people and bringing the right skills into the business
Great Western Railway’s Alison Hanscomb has been granted a British Empire Medal (BEM) for meritorious service. She shares her story and reflects on her 30 years working in the rail industry
It is a moment Alison Hanscomb will never forget. Eight years ago, she had the honour of welcoming Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to Slough station as Great Western Railway (GWR) recreated Queen Victoria’s historic first royal train journey to London Paddington in 1842.
Although unforgettable in many ways, Alison can remember curtseying but has no recollection of the exchange of words while she was station manager.
“That particular visit I met and greeted the Queen and Duke as they came into the station,” she said. “I remember curtseying, but I can’t recall what I said to her; I couldn’t even remember five minutes after, it was such a blur.
“It was really enjoyable, but very nerve-racking. When it comes to organising these events, there are a lot of risk assessments and meetings, ensuring you have the volunteers and queuing systems in place. There is a lot of work, a lot of planning in some cases starting six months before the event, with the success down to a lot of people in the background who work so hard.”
Alison has become quite experienced when it comes to royal events. As well as the visit of the late Queen and Duke in 2017, she also helped oversee operational plans as GWR welcomed thousands of royal fans flocking to Windsor for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018 and last year she was at the heart of the train operator’s involvement in Operation London Bridge, the funeral plan devised for Queen Elizabeth II.
“There were already in-depth plans in place for the funeral, the issue was that we didn’t know when those plans would be put into practice,” she said.
“Harry and Meghan’s wedding took a lot of planning and we had to devise a way for the customers to leave the station and come out of the station and come back onto the station in a safe manner. We did that by putting in a temporary walkway bridge across the track for platform one, which was the Windsor branch. It meant we had to bring in temporary buffer stops, and the drivers had to be briefed on the stopping location.
“It is enjoyable to be part of the momentous occasions. Once the day arrives there is an element of excitement and apprehension of how many people are going to come. Harry and Meghan’s wedding was such a joyous occasion, the whole country was getting involved and we all felt an enormous sense of pride in doing our bit by moving people to Windsor to see the event.”
Alison’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed and last month she received a King’s Birthday Honour; granted a BEM for meritorious service, particularly her support in several events involving the royal family, as well
as heading up the team at Slough station for such a considerable time.
Leading the praise was GWR’s managing director Mark Hopwood CBE, who described her as ‘a great example of the type of person who makes Great Western Railway so special’.
“I was very surprised, to say the least,” she said. “When I saw the letter headed ‘His Majesty’s Service’ all I could think was how nice the paper was. Then I read I was receiving a BEM... it still doesn’t make sense and I am very honoured and humbled.
“You are only as good as the rest of the team, and I’ve always been blessed with an outstanding team so I must say a huge thanks to my colleagues at GWR. There’s a lot of planning that goes into events involving the Royal Family and I’ve always had the assistance of really, really good people.”
Alison found out about the honour more than a month before the announcement was made, but has had to keep quiet about it.
“When I told my mum she was absolutely made up,” she said. “It was easy in one sense to keep it quiet as I don’t like the limelight, so I was never going to shout it from the rooftops, but it was difficult to keep it quiet as it was such a huge honour to receive the recognition in the King’s first Birthday Honour’s List. I’m still lost for words really.”
Alison has held numerous posts in a railway career spanning almost 30 years, having joined Thames Trains as a trainee straight from school at 16, and, after a short stint at Network Rail, returning to the Greater Western franchise.
You are only as good as the rest of the team, and I’ve always been blessed with an outstanding team
She was station manager at Slough between 2005-2009, and after a short spell as station manager at Paddington, returned as station manager at Slough in 2012 – a position she held for the next 11 years.
A whale of a time
“My dad initially worked on the railway, and he said about a railway training scheme, so I applied for the business admin side,” she said. “When I joined, I was told they no longer did this and that I would instead go into operations. I wanted to sit in the office and push paper, so I thought I’d do it for six months and then see what else was around and find another job.
“Within those six months, I had an absolute whale of a time experiencing different departments and learning about ticket offices, platforms and telephone enquiries bureaux. I loved it and decided to stay and was lucky enough to get the station announcer’s job which was based at the signal box at Slough and my railway career has gone from there.”
A large amount of her career has been spent at Slough station, a role she says is more difficult than people realise.
“It can be very demanding and if you’re based at a station like Slough or Oxford you are responsible for the safety of the station, the maintenance, the risk assessments as well as the trains, the staff, the gate line, ticket offices,” she said. “You are also working with local councils, community partnerships and railway groups so it really is all-encompassing and every day is quite literally different.
“It’s good but it is hard work. People sometimes think it just involves having a cup of tea, sitting down and making sure the ticket office is open and you’ve got people on the platform, but it is certainly not as simple as that.
“The best bits have been the events and seeing colleagues come in, be trained up and seeing them progress as a train manager or a driver, when you’re working with community partnerships and educating people about the railway.”
In May, Alison fancied a new challenge and switched to the GWR performance team, focusing on how to improve the performance of train services and finding solutions to improve reliability and punctuality.
She said: “I’ve only been in the role a few months so I’m still finding my feet, which sounds silly when I’ve been around the railways for so long, but it’s completely different to what stations is. The new job is all about looking at the performance within the inner London Thames Valley area, trying to see what we can improve and what does and doesn’t work, and working closer with Network Rail and other industry partners to deliver a better service.
“I’m thoroughly enjoying it and excited for what the future holds. After being the person who knows everything and what to do and where to go when I was working at Slough station, I’m now the newbie and learning from a great team, although every day in the rail industry is a learning day.”
It can be very demanding and if you’re based at a station like Slough or Oxford you are responsible for the safety of the station
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Marsh Barton Railway Station has welcomed its first passengers. The £16 million project has been delivered by Devon County Council (DCC) in collaboration with Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) and built by construction and civil engineering specialist firm GRAHAM.
The £16 million station features two 124-metre long platforms capable of handling six-car trains and is part of the ‘Devon Metro’ scheme designed to make rail travel easier across the county by improving connections for passengers and making access to education, employment and entertainment easier.
The scheme also involved the construction of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge that will supplement the new station, providing step-free access and improving active travel links between Alphington, Marsh Barton, and the Riverside Valley Park.
GRAHAM utilised its vast civil engineering expertise to deliver the bridge in addition to the station,
overcoming various planning and design challenges along the way.
Utilising a low headroom rig along with down the hole hammer piles (ODEX) which, along with an innovative Trackside Hoarding system, enabled GRAHAM to install over 280Nr 11m (average length) piles in close proximity to the track with 40% of those less than 1.5m away from the live track with no disturbances to the main line trains encountered throughout the duration of the piling on the project whilst satisfying stringent Network Rail standards successfully.
Key drainage pipe was also undertaken with a pipe jacking process which again was completed in a high street environment during standard working hours and meant that no possessions or blockades were utilised during this critical activity.
GRAHAM’s usage of precast elements in place of traditional brick crosswalls also reduced the number of possessions and allowed for a significant programme saving with regards to the actual platform construction. Due to the necessity for step
free access between platforms and given restricted options available due to significant land constraints, GRAHAM’s project team designed a reinforced earth systems solution that would reduce footprint required whilst providing full unfettered step free access, necessary for crossing between platforms.
The Reinforced Earth system then required an in-situ beam that acted as a permanent shutter, but given, that this was on the crest of the reinforced earth it became both extremely difficult to install and a major safety concern. The team replaced this with a precast beam that promoted time and cost savings, along with providing a safer installation.
“The new Marsh Barton station will reduce road congestion and offer more sustainable travel choices for passengers in the region,” said Andrew Henry, contracts director at GRAHAM.
“With thousands of people using the route for both work and leisure travel, the station will provide a boost to the local economy and reduce the region’s carbon emissions, providing lasting impact to the communities it serves.”
The aim is to develop cross-city travel in Exeter and for travel further afield, such as to Torbay on the Riviera line or Okehampton on the Dartmoor line.
Marsh Barton, along with Edginswell (near Torquay, on the Riviera line) were both included in the joint Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan, the Exeter Local Development Framework and the Torbay emerging Local Plan. They form important pieces of infrastructure designed to reduce the need to travel by private car and increase the range of alternatives available.
Andrew added: “This project presented several logistical challenges, but our innovative approach and strong working relationships enabled us to overcome them successfully. We are grateful to our project team and supply chain for their hard work and dedication to delivering this important new station and footbridge.”
The scheme has been funded by the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund, Devon County Council, Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Exeter City Council, Teignbridge District Council, Network Rail and GWR.
The fully accessible platforms are equipped with ticket machines, smart ticket readers, live train departure screens, waiting shelters and help points.
Andrew added: “The new station accommodates services for more than 7,000 people employed at Marsh Barton, while there are also development plans for around 2,500 new homes across the estate, which is currently used for light industrial and office space, along with several car showrooms.
“This project emphasises GRAHAM’s commitment to providing projects that deliver lasting impact and is further evidence of our experience in the rail sector as vast and wideranging. This latest scheme adds to our impressive portfolio, which also includes several recent projects for Crossrail alongside Network Rail.”
The station’s impact shouldn’t be underestimated. The Devon Metro Appraisal Report, published in the first half of the last decade, forecast that there would be around 360,000 annual trips at Marsh Barton station, and that this would soon grow to 500,000. This equates to 150 passengers in the peak hour.
This planned growth of the area was restricted by the poor transport link that was acting as a barrier to development and reducing the visibility of existing businesses. The opening of the station improves access to strategic employment areas and the hospitals for east, south and mid-Devon. This is deemed particularly important for less affluent socialeconomic groups where car ownership is lower.
Now open, the station will be served by hourly GWR services between Paignton and Exmouth, with half-hourly services at peak times.
“New stations such as this are vital in bringing the railway closer to people as we become mindful of the need to live and travel more sustainably,” said the train operator’s business development director Tom Pierpoint.
“Marsh Barton will help to ease congestion on some of Exeter’s busiest roads and offer a more environmentally friendly option for those who normally drive into the area.
“Marsh Barton is one of three GWR stations to open this year along with Portway Park & Ride in Bristol and Reading Green Park, and we are excited for the benefits these stations will bring to the local economy, to residents, businesses and leisure travellers in the areas they serve.”
The new station is located west of Exeter St Thomas, on the main Exeter to Newton Abbot line. Its exact location is south of Clapperbrook Lane adjacent to the new energy from waste plant in Exeter.
Marsh Barton is the city’s largest trading estate and one of the largest employment sites in the region. It covers 1.2 square miles (3.1 square kilometres) and supports more than 500 businesses, including one of Europe’s largest motoring centres, showrooms, builders’ merchants, tool and plant hire.
Councillor Yvonne Atkinson, County Councillor for Alphington and Cowick, said: “I see cyclists and walkers stopping to admire how beautiful the station is. It nestles perfectly into the Exeter City Council (ECC)/Devon Wildlife Trust Riverside Valley Park which is a haven for wildlife. Now people will be able to enjoy this straight off the train. It is a credit to the partnership between DCC, ECC, Network Rail, GWR and GRAHAM.”
Bogdan Lupu, Network Rail’s industry programme director for the South West, concluded: “Working in partnership with DCC, GWR and GRAHAM, we are delighted to welcome this brand-new fully accessible station in Marsh Barton onto the rail network.
“It will unlock better connections to jobs, events, and opportunities for people in Exeter and across the South West.”
Inventor Martin Whitbread explains more about the innovative train wash that’s raising the bar in train cleanliness with its ground-breaking cleaning concept
With a beaming smile on his face, Martin Whitbread couldn’t hide his excitement and passion as Orange Train Wash (OTW) unveiled its first-ever demonstration unit at Rail Live 2023.
For the past three years, OTW has generated excitement and captured the curiosity of rail industry professionals with its ground-breaking cleaning concept.
The sector’s appetite had been whet by the fact this revolutionary product would see train washes created and installed 75 per cent cheaper than current/ conventional systems, within as little as four days, and utilise deionised water of which a minimum of 90 per cent would be reused/recycled.
And last month, visitors to Rail Live 2023 could see it in the flesh, as Martin and the team used the huge outdoor rail show as the perfect platform to demonstrate the effectiveness of its revolutionary modular system in maintaining train exteriors to unrivalled cleanliness standards.
“To be able to demonstrate the first-ever operational Orange Train Wash is a proud moment for our team,” said the founder and designer. “It showcases our commitment to innovation and determination to revolutionise the way train exteriors are maintained.
“We are excited about the huge possibilities and positive impact our solution will have on the industry.”
The operational unit on display was the result of a successful collaboration between OTW and Dura
Composites, the company’s technical developer and manufacturing partner. This partnership has enabled OTW to bring its vision to life and present a tangible solution to the industry.
Martin said: “Our excitement was shared by those at Rail Live 2023, with the response far beyond our expectations. The stand was bustling with industry professionals, enthusiasts, and potential clients who have shown high levels of interest and excitement at the Orange Train Wash’s capabilities.”
The concept is fuelled by Martin’s passion to drive a new era of train maintenance, setting a new standard for cleanliness, efficiency, and sustainability in the industry.
“With its compact footprint of just 3m by 1m on each side of the train, the solution eliminates the need for shunting trains around a large and expensive train wash,” explained Martin. “Instead, trains can now be cleaned quickly and efficiently, with a staggering rate of one carriage every 30 seconds.
“Our chemical-free solution uses 85ºC deionised water and powerful air blades and brushes, which push the water back down into the Envirosump water catchment system, ready to be pumped back into each machine for recycling. The filters clean the water at 15 litres per minute back into the larger clean water tank ready for the next clean, with no drainage required.”
Its 60 water jets allow for an eight-car train to be cleaned within less than four minutes, and with a minimal footprint either side of the train, it provides huge savings on the civil engineering costs required for other cleaning solutions. The modular system can be moved where it is needed, rather than shunting
trains within the depot and cleans trains at a speed of three miles per hour.
The wash maintains water temperature at 20ºC before heating it back to 85ºC for the next approaching train. This means that unlike conventional train washes, winter conditions won’t disrupt train washing programmes. Featuring easy
to use reporting software, the system also provides accurate reports of carbon and water savings.
The product follows several years of extensive research. Testing discovered that 38 per cent of dirt from traditional cleaning solutions was detergent that had not been removed. This is completely eradicated by OTW’s chemical-free operations.
Trains can now be cleaned quickly and efficiently, with a staggering rate of one carriage every 30 seconds
Traditional solutions also use cold water which increases the need for legionella testing. OTW’s risk of legionella is at zero as it heats the water beyond the 60 degrees required to kill the bacteria.
“A system like this proves that sustainability doesn’t always have to come at a cost,” said Martin. “By doing things in a more efficient way operators
and asset managers can also realise cost saving and operational benefits. OTW allows for the system to be deployed as either a temporary or permanent solution, which is particularly useful as depots continue to scale.”
The first operational unit at Rail Live is the latest in several recent milestones for the company.
Earlier this year the company and the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) agreed an innovative commercial partnership.
The deal, signed at the industry conference Railtex 2023, will see OTW demonstrate its train washer at the £400 million GCRE currently being constructed in south Wales. The deal builds on the partnership first set out in September 2022, with OTW signing a heads of terms to become a commercial client of the facility.
The GCRE site will become the international showcase site for OTW, providing clients with a hands-on opportunity to see the innovative system in action.
“Having the GCRE as our international showcase is a significant step in demonstrating our capabilities and the difference OTW will make to the rail industry worldwide,” said Martin.
“The interest in OTW already spans the globe and, to work collaboratively with an innovative world-class facility will bring to life the environmental, practical and financial benefits to organisations in a hands-on environment.
“The journey ahead is looking very exciting and I’m so proud that the idea to transform train cleaning for the better is coming to life. The future of train cleaning is orange.”
Following the success of RaiLive 2023, OTW is now turning its attention to RSN 2023, with a presentation of the demonstration unit outside the Derby Arena during the event.
Visit theorangetrainwash.com/ for more details
Supporting a sustainable railway is a key priority for Wabtec UK. Through our refurbishment, overhaul, upgrade and maintenance services, we are committed to reuse and recycle as much material as is possible.
The village of Carstairs lies five miles east of Lanark and is equidistant from Glasgow and Edinburgh – 29.3 miles (47.2km) by road from both.
But it is not the road that is important at Carstairs, as it is as a railway station and junction that it is perhaps best known.
Carstairs station itself lies on the West Coast main line (WCML). A triangular junction, just to the London end of the station, connects to Edinburgh. This results in four different train services using the area.
Services between London and Glasgow on the WCML pass through the station, usually without stopping.
Services between London Euston and Edinburgh, currently run by Avanti West Coast, divert at Carstairs junction from the WCML onto the Midcalder line to Edinburgh just short of the station, so they don’t actually pass through the platforms.
Some services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverly pass through Carstairs. This is the southernmost of four lines connecting Scotland’s two major cities.
Some Caledonian Sleeper services from London divide at Carstairs. Loco-hauled, the front portion of the train continues on the WCML to Glasgow Central. The rearward portion is hauled out of Carstairs in the reverse direction and thence to Edinburgh Waverley via Carstairs junction.
In earlier times, WCML express trains also divided at Carstairs. However, with the introduction of multipleunit trains with fixed formations, this became difficult and largely ceased in the 1990s.
The legacy track layout made things awkward for express passenger trains passing by on the WCML. The Up line to London passed alongside the island platform so any train calling at Carstairs blocked the line.
be undertaken lightly
The Down line to Glasgow had to access the platform by first travelling the wrong way on the Up line before turning into the loop alongside the platform and then back to the Down line.
Through trains could avoid the platform by remaining on the Down line and there was an additional loop as well.
So, the layout was complex. In addition, some of the tracks were canted to accommodate the tight curves, which made maintaining switches and crossings difficult and resulted in speed restrictions through much of the station, down to 15mph in some places.
In short, the layout of the junction was no longer suited to today’s pattern and volume of service, with over 200 trains passing through the junction on an average midweek day.
To address this, Network Rail and Scotland’s Railway planned a £164 million remodelling of the entire area in three phases. The result would be both Up and Down Fast lines bypassing the platform and continuing straight through the station area at a linespeed of 100mph (110mph for tilting Pendolinos).
Trains calling at the station would turn off the through lines to access the platform. There would also be a long freight loop to accommodate 775 metre long freight trains, allowing them to pull off the main line to let fast passenger traffic through.
In designing the new layout, there were several limitations that had to be managed. Network Rail
programme manager Jim McCleary explained: “We got initial authority round about September 2018, and we spent a good while looking at various designs and options – we looked at introducing
additional platforms for example. But there’s a limit to the space between the Down Platform line and a high retaining wall, so no matter what we did there is only space for three lines.”
In the new layout there are still three lines, but two of them are now the through lines and the third is the Down Platform.
Phase 1 – South Junction
Work began on phase 1 – the remodelling of the South Junction and the line to Edinburgh – on 4 March, closing the WCML completely for 16 days. During this time, track was replaced, redundant switch and crossing (S&C) panels were removed and four new sets of points installed.
The work was supported over the 16 days by 29 engineering trains. These moved 13,497 tonnes of spoil, 2,684 tonnes of sand and 10,777 tonnes of ballast. 3,780 metres of new continuous welded rail (CWR) was laid as were 2,899 new sleepers.
Overhead, six redundant OLE (overhead line equipment) portals were removed along with 27 masts. 5,830 metres of old wire were taken down and 1,005 metres of new wire runs installed. The remaining wires were adjusted for height and stagger and four new OLE disconnectorsinstalled.
Signalling was modified to suit the new layout. The workstations at the West of Scotland Signalling Centre were updated, two gantries removed and two installed, and 14 signals refurbished along with six new ones.
The work was delivered by Network Rail and delivery partners were Siemens, Rail Systems Alliance
Scotland, and SPL Powerlines on time and the line reopened on 20 May as planned.
Phase 2
The second phase of work was to install the Up and Down through lines along with the Down Passenger loop along with their OLE and signalling. This took place between Monday 20 March and Friday 21 April with part of the junction re-opened to allow some trains to run directly to Edinburgh – and via diversion routes to Glasgow – on weekdays, with longer than normal journey times. The redundant rail, sleepers, S&C panels and ballast from the old layout were removed and the new track installed. This time 35 engineering trains were needed, totalling 570 wagons. They moved 23,375 tonnes of spoil, 5,872 tonnes of sand and 17,758 tonnes of ballast. The new track layout used eight S&C panels, 5,054 metres of CWR and 4,699 sleepers. 6,830 metres of new wire went into the OLE and 28 signals were sited, 17 of them new ones. Three new signal gantries installed and commissioned.
The third and final phase of the project ran from 24 April until 30 May. The intention was to remodel and upgrade the platforms at the South Lanarkshire station and to complete work on the passenger lines and get everything ready to open to traffic on 30 May.
In short, the layout of the junction was no longer suited to today’s pattern and volume of service
S&C panels, track and ballast were removed and five new S&C panels and 3,664 metres of CWR installed along with 3,040 sleepers. 43 engineering trains moved 18,786 tonnes of spoil, 3,003 tonnes of sand and 15,100 tonnes of ballast. The track throughout the site was tamped.
Three new OLE wire runs totalling 2,340 metres were installed, heights and staggers set and neutral sections replaced. 20 signals, 18 of them new, were tied into the signalling system and 69 hours of intensive signalling testing to ensure the system was safe for the operational traffic.
The final result of all that work is a layout that will deliver increased asset reliability and provide operational resilience and flexibility to benefit both passengers and freight customers in the following ways:
Removal of West Coast main line temporary speed restriction from 100mph with EPS 110mph;
Improved complex junction speeds;
Improved journey times by provision of a station bypass line;
Space to hold freight trains, capable of accommodating 775 metre train lengths;
More flexible layout allowing multiple train paths;
Reduced maintenance burden and improved workforce safety;
New signalling fit for the future;
Independent registration and improved switching arrangements on overhead line system will mean better isolation flexibility and reduces impact on services during perturbed working and maintenance activities;
Working with train operators to ensure future rolling stock introduction can take advantage of available higher line speeds.
For Jim McCleary, one of the major benefits is not so much the increase in line speed, though that is important, but the reduction in the length of time the junction is blocked to traffic by one train turning across the high speed lines.
Trains from London to Edinburgh have to cross the Up line to reach the Down Midcalder. Trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow similarly have to cross the Up line, as do trains on the Down line calling at Carstairs station.
“We’ve managed to step up the linespeed on the West Coast main line south of the station from 90 to 100mph, and we’ve got EPS (enhanced permissible speed) for the Avanti Pendolino tilting trains up to 110mph,” he explained. “And we’ve managed to move the South Junction much further to the south and install larger switches – G switches – so that has got the speed up to 50 crossing from the Down to the Up line, instead of 30 previously, and then up to 40 turning onto the Midcalder lines to Edinburgh –up from 15.
“The other benefit with the low differentials between those speeds is that we can introduce flashing aspect signals rather than mark controls. So rather than bringing trains up to a red aspect we can bring them up to flashing yellows to take the right hand move over the crossover to Edinburgh.
“So, we can basically keep trains moving at a fairly good speed. And there are a lot of benefits from doing that – it’s not just the increase in line speed, it’s the reduction in junction occupation time by about one and a half to two minutes.
“And we’ve done that at every corner of the triangle at Carstairs. That saving hasn’t been built into the timetable yet, but it gives us additional flexibility in the future.”
Carstairs station reopened with full layout on 30 May. It had been 12 weeks of hard work, with around 300 people and a mix of engineering trains, rail vehicles, construction plant and machinery all carry out work on site on a daily basis.
Jim McCleary reflected on the success of the project: “Closing such a key junction on a critical cross-border route has been a massive undertaking for everyone involved in the project – and for the rail industry generally.
“Incrementally, over the 12-week period, we’ve re-opened the new, modernised railway at Carstairs –delivering greater reliability, flexibility and increasing line-speeds to this critical junction on the West Coast main line. The volume of work achieved during the line closure was huge and could not have been delivered practically or efficiently in any other way.
“By completing this crucial upgrade work we have improved the capabilities of the junction, providing better future journeys for passengers and more capacity for freight.”
The final result will deliver increased asset reliability and provide operational resilience and flexibility
An exciting new programme harnessing the power of SME innovation has launched in the West Midlands region, with some amazing opportunities on offer
The Clean Futures Accelerator is set to help drive innovation in the region’s economy.
It is being led by Connected Places Catapult, the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) and Coventry University, who will be coming together to support the development of clean technologies to drive a better transport sector in the West Midlands.
We’ll be providing a package of support that will allow innovators to demonstrate their clean technology products and solutions, with a funding grant available and access to testing facilities to help provide a clear route to market for applicants.
Connected Places Catapult is managing the programme and we will bring together the challenge collaborators that are looking for solutions to clean transport challenges.
For organisations looking to work in the Very Light Rail (VLR) space, BCIMO will provide ongoing support and expertise on product testing and development using its Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) and its Rail Development and Test Site facility.
Coventry University will then provide support via its Clean Futures Catalyst programme, offering collaboration opportunities for organisations interested in working with the organisations in the wider transport sector in the West Midlands.
The Clean Futures Accelerator programme will address a range of challenges in the West Midlands region, focusing on clean transport technology, with topics such as the transition to net zero, future fuels, freight innovations and enabling of clean transport infrastructure.
So why get involved? For organisations working in rail, the Clean Futures Accelerator is a unique and unmissable opportunity to respond to these challenges and drive economic growth, increase industry engagement and accelerate commercialisation in the West Midlands.
You’ll be creating a legacy in our region and developing a new market for your products and services, supported by our collaborators’ knowledge, facilities and funding.
Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that take part will be able to draw on support from the partner organisations, with a £50,000 grant available for each applicant and funding available for the testing and trialling of your solution. Importantly, we’ll also work with you to promote your innovation to the end user and ensure you have a clear route to market.
We’re looking for cross-sector collaborations too, so organisations from outside their usual spaces are encouraged to apply. Whether you’re working in automotive, digital, rail, telecoms or other associated industries, we’d love to hear from you.
The Clean Futures programme is an incredible opportunity for SMEs to engage with organisations that have a need for their products and solutions and anyone with a focus on clean technology is invited to get involved. We look forward to receiving your applications and hope to work with you soon!
Alan Peters, Ecosystem Director- Rail and Stations, Connected Places Catapult
For organisations working in rail, the Clean Futures Accelerator is a unique and unmissable opportunity
Up to £50K in testing and development funding which must be matched in-kind (e.g. labour time)
Collaboration with industry leaders
Bespoke coaching and mentoring
Access to technical experts
Tailored business support
Marketing and profile raising support
Introductions to investors and customers
Access to the Clean Futures Catalyst, bringing together the wider West Midlands transport community
Showcase events
Connected Places Catapult
Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place leadership. They provide impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers to catalyse step-change improvements in the way people live, work and travel.
They connect businesses and public sector leaders to cutting-edge research to spark innovation and grow new markets and run technology demonstrators and SME accelerators to scale new solutions that drive growth, spread prosperity, and reduce carbon emissions.
The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO)
BCIMO is a not-for-profit Company Limited by Guarantee and the driving force behind a new state-of-the-art rail research and development facility based in Dudley in the West Midlands. This £32m multi-purpose centre, situated at the heart of the Black Country, offers a host of unique facilities including a Rail Development and Test Site, engineering laboratories and equipment, serviced offices and meeting, conference and events spaces.
Coventry University
Coventry University is a forward-looking, modern university who provides high-quality education with a focus on applied research.
The Clean Futures programme provides SMEs with access to the facilities, skills and experience of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) and Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS).
Coventry University (CU) Services Limited
CU Services is part of the Coventry University Group of companies and is where the enterprise, innovation and commercial-related activities that are undertaken across the group of companies is managed. With over 25 years of experience in delivering support to businesses in Innovation, growth and internationalisation; CU Services delivers over 500 business assists a year, from proof of concept through to commercialisation stages and is a delivery partner in Innovate UK Edge, with around 20 senior Business advisors.
Over the course of two years, 40 SMEs will be selected to join a 6-month, challenge-led accelerator where they will receive up to £50K to develop their solution. The challenges in the accelerator will be built around Very Light Rail (VLR) and Automotive manufacturing, along with related supply chains.
The accelerator will also provide bespoke technical and commercial support as well as networking and showcasing events to connect the SMEs with industry and financial collaborators.
This accelerator will attract high-growth SMEs from existing supply chains as well as those looking to move into new sectors. It will support them in developing clean technology transport solutions and demonstrating their value to Tier 1 vendors and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers).
To ensure sustainability and long-term benefits, the Clean Futures Accelerator will establish the Clean Futures Catalyst, which will bring together the wider West Midlands transport community to enhance the region’s capacity for clean technology across all sectors. It will support the development of a pipeline of capable innovators for future accelerator programs and engage local businesses, industry collaborators, service providers, and local government bodies in making the region a leader in the technologies required for cleaner industry and transport.
“The West Midlands has an extraordinarily rich history of innovation and I’m thrilled that Connected Places Catapult will be deepening engagement across this region.
These projects will work to support local innovators, attract investment and realise the benefits of inclusive innovation for the community.
“By understanding a place as a whole, working in partnership, and making choices that are right for this region, we can maximise the jobs and growth that innovation unlocks.”
Nicola Yates OBE, CEO at Connected Places Catapult
By understanding a place as a whole, working in partnership, and making choices that are right for this region, we can maximise the jobs and growth that innovation unlocks
Nicola Yates OBE, CEO at Connected Places Catapult
Greener EV components
Design or produce components which reduce embodied carbon across the vehicle lifecycle
Circular economy of transport
Design or manufacture solutions to reuse or recycle batteries and other vehicle components
Road freight alternatives
Design or produce systems or sub-systems enabling alternatives to traditional road freight, including using existing infrastructure, facilitating multi-modal freight transportation and exploring shared transport solutions
Greener transport infrastructure
Design or produce cost-effective solutions for clean transportation infrastructure
Future fuels
Produce, transport or store alternative fuels such as hydrogen, biofuels or synthetic fuels
Apply today at: https://community.cp.catapult.org.uk/en/page/clean-futures-en
BCIMO facilities
2.2km rail test track
15m radius test loop
870m long tunnel with test track
World first rail rapid charger, supporting up to 450kw
Split level platform
Mule vehicles
Mobility hub
Coventry University facilities
E-mobility and clean growth
Manufacturing and materials
Design and human factors
Advanced systems to support R&D
Applicants will be applying for up to £50k of funding, which must be matched in-kind (e.g. labour, materials), to design a testing project of their solution. Testing could include trialling a solution on test facilities, conducting a pilot project or developing a prototype. During the first two months of the programme (November to December 2023), SMEs will design a project to be carried out during the testing phase. Providing funding for testing through the accelerator enables us to de-risk innovation through giving the cohort access to facilities and end-users to develop, test and showcase their technology and solutions.
Successful applicants will be linked with the right technical experts within partner organisations to help shape and evaluate their trial proposals.
During the 6-month programme, the cohort will receive bespoke coaching and mentoring from a variety of trusted experts, based on an initial assessment of your unique business development needs. For example, we could link you up with a marketing coach to develop a bespoke marketing plan, or you could work with our investment advisors who will help you get investor-ready and make meaningful introductions with relevant investors.
Applicants will receive marketing and profile-raising support through Rail Business Daily, helping them position their solutions within the rail and associated marketplaces.
By joining the Clean Futures Accelerator, the cohort will automatically be involved in the wider Clean Futures Catalyst. This will bring together the wider West Midlands transport community, encouraging networking and knowledge sharing between innovators, local businesses, industry collaborators, service providers, and local government bodies.
At the end of the programme, the Clean Futures Accelerator will run a ‘Demo Day’ event where the cohort will be able to showcase their solutions and results of their trials in front of a tailored audience of end-users and investors. There will be a focus on celebrating the success of the accelerator and building valuable connections for the cohort.
The following are examples of organisations which have joined forces to set the challenges SMEs will address:
If your organisation is facing challenges that could be addressed by the Clean Futures Accelerator please contact us for information about how to get involved:
On 1st August, Connected Places Catapult will host an application support webinar, covering the technical description of the challenges; details on the application process; and a live Q&A session.
The Clean Futures Accelerator is open to small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in existing supply chains as well as those looking to move into new sectors. Clean Futures also welcomes bids from consortiums of collaborators, with a lead applicant who will be the funding recipient. In addition, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Your business must have a UK-registered office or address, and ideally, you will operate in the West Midlands*
Your innovative solution will be at least Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL 5)
Your technology or solution must be able to address at least one of the challenge statements
You must be willing to travel on occasion to face-to-face meetings and events in the West Midlands
You must be willing to complete a development, testing or demonstration of your solution in a real or relevant environment, using the BCIMO or Coventry University test sites
You must be willing to match fund your grant (up to £50K) with in-kind support (e.g. labour, materials)
*Ideally, applicants will already have an operational presence in the West Midlands, and we emphasise that most successful applicants will have a registered office there (although this need not be the HQ). It is also possible to engage with SMEs that do not have a presence in West Midlands, providing a) you have aspirations to deploy your resulting technology or solution in the region and b) you can expect regional impact from this deployment, in the way of future job or investment opportunities. An applicant based outside of the West Midlands (e.g. Scotland) that wants to join the accelerator to conduct technology development testing in the region but has no intention of creating an on-going presence, would not meet the eligibility criteria.
For more information on the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme, please visit: https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/clean-futures-accelerator/.
Applications close midnight 10th September 2023
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In her latest quarterly column in Rail Director, East West Rail’s Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain explores what the the popular term actually means
nnovation’ has become something of a rail buzzword in recent years. Taking its place alongside ‘agility’ and ‘resilience’, the word ‘innovation’ seems to crop up in almost every speech, article, and podcast; linked to every type of initiative from customer service to track maintenance.
But what does it actually mean? How do you know you’re innovating, and is standalone innovation actually the most effective?
The basic definition of innovation is “(the use of) a
new idea or method” – so far, so good. We’ve all been impressed by shiny new technologies and products that appear, promising to solve every problem we’ve ever had, and make us a cup of tea at the same time. But these ‘inventor’ type innovations are only the tip of the iceberg; it’s what lies beneath the water that forms the bulk of the work.
According to Forbes, there are three main innovation categories. Radical innovation describes the inventions above – these are the ones that get all the media attention, and in their own right can be
transformative for a business or even an industry. But they are also the rarest type. Most innovation comes from core innovation and adjacent innovation.
Core innovation is the bulk of the work. These are the hundreds and thousands of ongoing tiny changes and adjustments to models, strategies, ways of working, training processes and so on which offer incremental and continuous change. This is not the work that attracts media attention or often even praise, but it’s absolutely crucial to any business or industry.
Adjacent innovation does make significant changes to your ways of working and sits between core innovation and radical innovation; adjacent innovation is serving a new market, or changing how you sell a product. They’re bigger changes, but they don’t class as ‘radical’ innovation.
A combination of all three types of innovation is vital for real progress and change to be made. In rail, there are thousands of opportunities for each type of innovation, in areas from tackling the climate crisis to ticketing, active travel, safety of marginalised communities, construction, maintenance, design… The list is endless. Innovation is not just about technology, but about creating the right culture, seeking the best processes, engaging with the best people, and leveraging knowledge in the most effective way.
It’s crucial to note, however, that innovation can’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not simply the job of an innovation team; it has to be embedded in the culture of an organisation, and every person within that organisation has to be supported in engaging with the process. This is how innovation works at East West Rail; the innovation team works across the business to offer support where needed, with the ultimate aim of bringing everyone along for the journey. We’re also committed to engaging with the wider industry; ensuring we are learning from and sharing best practice across industry partners and innovators. This is where all types of innovation, but especially core innovation, can take place.
Of course, there’s also a lot of room for radical innovation at East West Rail; our key aim is to increase prosperity and improve well-being for communities between Oxford and Cambridge by transforming their everyday journeys. We will deliver a railway that is better for customers, cheaper for the taxpayer, greener for the environment, delivered quicker than before, and safe and secure. It’s easy to see how radical innovation (and all types of innovation) can help us meet some of these goals.
2023’s First of a Kind rail innovation competition, funded by the Department for Transport and a High Speed Rail Partner, and delivered by Innovate UK, is just one way in which we are looking to innovate radically. We are actively looking to partner with organisations interested in bidding into First of a Kind, in order to enable demonstrators at East West Rail sites, in the following safety areas:
Wearable technology to enable geofencing; within this, ongoing monitoring and reporting, and the ability to generate heatmaps based on pinch-point areas on site.
On-the-spot reporting of incidents or potential risks, with a focus on reducing delays as well as increasing safety.
Digital rehearsals to enable safety, linked to digital twin and digital railway aspirations and opportunities.
We are also investing significant work into construction and design, with information soon to be released on opportunities in these spaces at East West Rail, specifically focusing on delivering the railway faster and cheaper, in areas such as concrete reduction, use of AI, predictive maintenance and more.
Innovation isn’t just another buzzword, and often isn’t akin to inventing the wheel or sliced bread. Innovation is most often all the tiny incremental changes that add up to a big difference across a business and within rail; if we all keep our minds open to change and opportunity, this is where the real transformation can take place.
Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain is the Innovation Manager at East West Rail. Email: daisy.chapman-chamberlain@eastwestrail.co.uk and will.reddaway@eastwestrail.co.uk
Innovation can’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not simply the job of an innovation team; it has to be embedded in the culture of an organisation
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Linbrooke Services Ltd (Linbrooke), a leading contractor providing advanced signalling, power, and communications solutions across the UK Rail Network, has welcomed Miriam Cates MP to its headquarters in Chapeltown, Sheffield, as part of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) Rail Fellowship Programme.
Ms Cates’ visit, which was attended by Rail Business Daily on Friday 16 June, was led by Linbrooke’s recently appointed CEO Will Wilson and provided valuable insights into the techniques employed by the company to reduce costs for the taxpayer on the Midland Main Line and the wider work the company does in training and supporting the local economy.
Linbrooke, known for its innovative technology, has developed solutions that have been instrumental in cost reduction efforts on the signalling of the Midland Main Line.
The company takes pride in the fact that the technology was developed in the company’s founding location of Sheffield reflecting the city’s longstanding expertise in the rail industry.
During the visit Ms Cates met Jason Garside, a former Marine who now leads Linbrooke’s scheme supporting those with ties to the Armed Forces. Remarkably, 10 per cent of the company’s workforce has links to the military, reflecting Linbrooke’s dedication to providing employment opportunities to people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Ms. Cates also took the opportunity to meet with the dedicated workforce at Linbrooke’s distribution centre. The discussions highlighted the company’s emphasis on training and employing local talent, ensuring that the community benefits from job opportunities and skills development in the rail sector.
Linbrooke’s commitment to empowering the local workforce resonated with Cates, who sits on the education committee, and has spoken of the need to create sustainable employment opportunities for young people.
The visit also included a presentation delivered by Linbrooke’s CEO Will Wilson and Director of Rail Ben Lynch, who discussed the company’s work on the West Hampstead Life Extension project, which involved a collaborative approach to life extending the railway assets without the need for a wholesale renewal.
The presentation also explored Linbrooke’s approach to employment, upskilling and creating opportunities for ex-forces personnel, of which over 1000 have been supported by the firm since its inception.
Commenting on the visit, Will Wilson, CEO, Linbrooke, said: “I was delighted to welcome Miriam Cates MP to Linbrooke so that she could meet some of our employees, tour the Optical Networks ISO Class 7 Clean Room facility, and see the tremendous work we do to support the wider community not just in Sheffield but nationwide. Linbrooke is vital to the economy, preparing next-generation talent to lead the reform of British railway upgrades and maintain Britain’s infrastructure network. I was very proud to show Miriam what Linbrooke is all about. After all, we are located on her doorstep, and who is better to champion SMEs in the Parliament than an MP that has seen the great impact we are making first hand.”
Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: “It was a privilege to visit Linbrooke in Chapeltown and witness the impressive techniques they employ to reduce costs for the taxpayer on the Midland Main Line. I was particularly impressed by the commitment shown to the local community, with 10% of the workforce having connections to the Armed Forces. Linbrooke’s dedication to training and employing locals is commendable and contributes significantly to the economy of our region.”
Ruby Sampson, public affairs & PR executive at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), commented:
“We are delighted to have Miriam Cates MP participate in the RIA Rail Fellowship Programme and visit Linbrooke in Chapeltown. The programme aims to foster closer ties between parliamentarians and the rail supply sector, enabling them to gain valuable insights into the industry.
“We thank Linbrooke for hosting and demonstrating to Miriam Cates their dedication to reducing costs on the rail network through innovation, while supporting and training the local workforce. They exemplify the reason we run the programme.”
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Protecting the environment has been part of Garic’s DNA since it first started serving customers, whether that be innovating products to prevent fuel and oil leaks (the Interceptor Drip Tray), or its Solar Loo, which won its first innovation award more than 20 years ago.
Reducing its impact while helping customers to reduce their impact on the environment continues to be the driving force for the business in the railway sector – an ongoing journey which is lowering emissions on sites.
“We’re in a great position to provide for the rail industry because we’ve always had sustainability at the forefront of what we do with two decades of experience harnessing solar power with our award-winning solar products,” said Mark Albiston, chief executive officer (CEO) at Garic.
The company has a range of site solutions, from comprehensive site setup solutions to towable welfare units which are perfect for trackside working without the need for a Hiab to get them on or off-site; and tower lights (either eco or hybrid), an essential product in hard-to-reach areas and railside locations.
One of the many leading rail organisations to benefit from its solutions is Siemens, with its purchasing commodity manager Paul Duncombe leading Garic’s praises.
“Siemens wants to lead the way in the sustainability field, and it is important to work with suppliers like Garic that have the same goals and ambitions as your own organisation,” he said. “Siemens is striving to deliver carbon neutral project sites and Garic is helping achieve this by providing a range of sustainable products such as solar energy stores, EPC equivalent-rated cabins, upcycled units, a range of telematics and its new microgrid system.”
To further strengthen its support to the sector the company has worked with tier 1 customers and clients to develop standard sites, centred on ease of use, comfort, and sustainability, with Babcock among the first to reap the benefits.
Its technical services team develop site solutions for organisations, initially using 3D design, with Garic providing whatever is within the fence and whatever is needed to go and operate the site safely, from the welfare facility and lighting through to the water, fuel and power.
“For Babcock, they are the same sites down the track and when the workers turn up everything is in the same place, with the site (created via a partnership and consultation) designed to provide a high level of service and sustainability, with sites that are effectively zero carbon,” said Mark, who has been at the company more than seven years, and CEO for the last two.
“It is all about developing the solutions to provide the full site service. It makes complete sense to turn to us to deliver welfare solutions with 35 years’ experience, and for the last 20 years, we have been leading on sustainable products. We have been in clean tech for a long time now which gives us a very renewable fleet and our values are centred on delivering quality, a really strong level of customer service, and innovative solutions to our customers.
“By providing the full service rather than just the equipment, it allows the customers to focus on the job they do, knowing that we will align ourselves on their values on sustainability, ESG (Environment, Social, Governance), safety and helping them to reduce their carbon footprint.”
The company itself is on a journey to be net zero by 2040, which includes the elimination of single use plastic. Among the successes so far includes 80 per cent of company cars being hybrid or electric, a decrease in emissions associated with business travel (these emissions decreased by 11 per cent in 2022 compared to 2021) and 100 per cent of energy used throughout its depot network being from renewable sources and backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO).
Garic also recently won a Hire Association of Europe Sustainability Award for ESG, an accolade that cements its position as a leader in this field.
Mark said: “All of our sites work off renewable electricity, green sources REGO certificated, and are effectively carbon-free from an electricity perspective, but we are still working further to reduce our electricity consumption. All of the vehicles we bring into our business are at least hybrid if not fully electric and all of our depots have electric charge points for colleagues and customers.
“We are currently undergoing a programme about reducing single-use plastic, and the last four of our new innovation products have got fully recycled plastic floors.”
In one recent example of a welfare facility, the team has taken a 20-year-old product back to a raw shell, configured it to surpass the latest regulations and demand from a market perspective (supporting more people or geared around both males and females), repurposing that into a circular economy product.
Mark added: “It is fully insulated to a very high thermal performance, and we’ve used 2.7 tonnes of recycled material from the original giving it another life of 15 years plus. We’ve also invested in our solar know-how and hybrid technology now and typically the generator will only need to run for 10 per cent of the time in a 24-hour period saving a significant amount of fuel and carbon.
“What has been created is a fresh and pleasant environment to work in and is part of us playing our part in making things more accessible and inclusive, which is important when it comes to our designs. It is not just about eco, it is about inclusion and sustainability in a wide sense around the circular economy.”
And this goes beyond just Garic’s designs. The company is passionate about its people and the communities it serves. It recently partnered with PHS Group to make a difference to period poverty and male incontinence. It has also signed up to The Disability Confident scheme.
Value driven
“Everything we do is driven by our values as an organisation which is deeply ingrained in the business about working well with customers to deliver valueadded solutions, working well in our communities to be a good business, and driving sustainability,” Mark said. “This really is the bedrock of the organisation and has been for over 20 years, and what you see at the end is a quality service-led approach working in partnership with our customers.
“We’ve always had a goal to be the most sustainable business possible. Smart tech, biofuel and a circular economy are some factors we can use to positively impact the environment when buying. From emission-tracking systems to completely re-imagining the manufacturing process; any action we make, small or large, is to help the industry operate more sustainably.
“The vision for the future is to become the partner of choice for our customers in creating sustainable sites and solutions, working with them to make it easier to turn equipment into a wider service offer and that is where the true partnership and working together comes from.
“We have strong aspirations for our business. Over the last few years we’ve more than doubled in size but we’re not stopping there and have ambitious growth plans. We’ll only get to our goal though by working with our customers and developing new partnerships and solutions in the markets in which we operate.”
Visit https://garic.co.uk/ for more details
It is not just about eco, it is about inclusion and sustainability in a wide sense around the circular economy
Shona Clive, vice chair of Women in Rail, has described this year’s The Big Rail Diversity Challenge as the largest one so far
ompanies representing the UK’s rail industry have come together at Newark Showground to participate in the seventh annual Big Rail Diversity Challenge. First held in 2016, The Big Rail Diversity Challenge has captured the hearts and minds of the
industry – demonstrating the passion, support and enthusiasm for the brilliant work that Women in Rail undertakes.
Growing by a staggering 80 per cent since its launch, The Big Rail Diversity Challenge has become a staple in the industry’s event calendar,
with many key industry stakeholders supporting it year-on-year.
As one of charity Women in Rail’s annual flagship events, The Big Rail Diversity Challenge is the only team-based rail event showcasing the diversity the UK railway industry is seeking to achieve.
The challenges are designed to promote the message that diverse teams work better together, with companies taking part in a series of physical, mental and skill-based sessions including: Catwalk Challenge, The Great Diversity Bake Off, Human Table Football, Shelter Building, and the Mighty Quiz and Dancing with the Shows. Designed to put a team’s communication and teamwork skills to the test, the challenges are developed to ensure that everyone has a role to play.
Shona Clive, vice chair of Women in Rail, said: “This is the eighth year of The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and the largest to date. It’s one of our key events in the Women in Rail calendar and is a dynamic, fun-filled day with gender balanced and diverse teams participating, networking and competing with peers across the sector.
“The event highlights an important message that diversity is good for people, good for business and good for the rail industry and raises the profile of EDI and the rail sector’s commitment to improving diversity within its workforce and fostering an inclusive culture. Thank you to everyone who took part.”
On the day, there was also a charity tuck shop and a hamper raffle which helped raise over £800 for the Women in Rail Charity.
If your company would like to join The Big Rail Diversity Challenge 2024 contact Nimble Media to secure your place. Add 19 June 2024 to your diary and we hope to see you at #BigRail2024!
The Best Team Name Award went to Alstom for Lock, Rolling Stock and Smoking Barrel.
The British Transport Police Lines of Duty Award was won by CRSA – Systems from Central Rail Systems Alliance.
The Railway Children Shelter Building Challenge went to Railhouse Rock from Atkins ECP.
The Railway Benefit Fund’s Bring on the Beans Award was presented to The Determinators of LNER.
The Most Collaborative Teamwork Award, judged on It’s a Knockout and Walk the Plank challenges, went to Porterbrook.
The Team of the Year Award, the highest score overall, went to Team Frauscher from Frauscher.
The event highlights an important message that diversity is good for people, good for business and good for the rail industry
■ Quickly measure the track and rail corridor to Band 1A accuracy
■ Significantly reduce the risks associated with trackside working
■ Avoid disruption to rail services by removing access possessions
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Amulet is an agile and proactive organisation that sees security as an enabler, a critical business function that creates positive and safe environments for its clients so that everyday life and core business operations happen.
The company is part of the Churchill Group – one of several expert businesses within the FM and compliance industries, which further provides financial stability and sustainability for the impressive growth Amulet has seen in recent years.
The company’s name derives from the Latin ‘amuletum’ – an object that protects a person from trouble, very apt for an organisation offering a wide variety of services. Specific to the rail industry it offers:
Gateline management;
Railway Safety Accredited railway teams;
Personal Track Safety trained staff; Command and Intelligence vehicles;
CCTV installation / monitoring ; Responsive patrols;
Revenue protection and pushback staff; Specific Help and Liaison Teams (HALO) to work alongside existing security. Hannah has worked with 17 train operating companies over the last 15 years, while Amulet also has its own in-depth experience and longstanding partnerships with the rail industry, working with the likes of c2c, Northern, LNER, and West Midlands to name a few. It therefore seemed like a no-brainer for Amulet and Hannah to join forces.
“We are transforming security delivery through our strong commitment to working in partnerships, providing quality of service and continuously striving to seek new and better ways of doing things,” said Hannah.
“Driving forward new initiatives, ideas and solutions is my passion and what attracted me to Amulet, who do not shy away from trialling new initiatives, and are keen on improving and complementing our highly trained personnel with leading technology to provide security that helps organisations operate efficiently.”
Amulet has a track record of being a specialist intelligence-led security partner, providing a complete suite of security services.
A jewel in the crown for the company is the Project Blueprint application, a situational awareness tool that allows private companies and the emergency services to work together in the event of an incident. Amulet is the only provider that can sell it to the private sector.
“It offers the ability to share real-time information across all responders to deliver a coordinated response to incidents and emergencies,” said Hannah. “For the rail industry this could be key to support with trackside possessions or during disruption, to ensure all key stakeholders can respond quickly, safely and effectively.”
The team at Amulet knows that one solution does not fit all and most recently has been working with its rail clients to find the best combination of technology and the highest calibre security professionals to minimise damage and costs in the event of stabling trains.
“Our values are to always seek better, always do the right thing and always put people first,” said Hannah. “We are keen to use technology to help support the reduction of our carbon footprint and provide a transparent service to our clients. Therefore, we provide all our clients with a bespoke in-house dashboard called Modus, which we use not only as our reporting system to allow informed decisions to be made from data analysis and trend identification but also as a means for our clients to have full visibility of everything that is happening on their contracts.
“We also have a Control Command and
Intelligence Centre that works alongside our Specialist Services division that Iain Chorlton heads up. The team provides intelligence reporting to our teams and clients as well as advice and updates on any counter terrorism, protesters or other security threats that may impact the operations.”
But Amulet’s impact goes beyond the work it does for the customers. Staff engagement and giving back to the community are regular occurrences within Amulet.
Most recent examples include staff volunteering to transform the tiger pond at ZSL London Zoo, and raising money for the Railway Children charity by sleeping out at a station. Employees have also raised funds for a client by completing the Tough Mudder, and supported other charities through companysponsored runs, including the London Marathon, and singing around the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square to raise awareness and money for Save The Children.
Hannah said: “It all comes back to the company’s values, a passion to put people first and seek the best way to do things. The work we do day to day transforms the industries we work in, the other work we do alongside to support the communities we work in is the cherry on the cake.
“The journey ahead will see Amulet continue to evolve and build relationships with customers to share best practice and find ways to collaborate that will also support the future of the railway.”
Visit www.amulet.co.uk/ for more details
Amulet’s commercial relationship director, explains more
The SRTS field engineers carry out inspections of rail vehicle wheels and axles using ultrasonic tests in a safe and reliable way, identifying and locating cracks, flaws and defects that could lead to significant component failure, a preventative asset management approach. It allows assets to be quickly and accurately evaluated without impacting operations, causing downtime, or affecting the integrity, reliability, structure, or quality of an asset.
SRTS is extremely fortunate to have its own metallurgical laboratory and test facility that enables it to provide a wide range of component metallurgical analysis and material suitability advice services. By working closely with its customers, it helps them understand how components interact and determine the root cause of defects to improve operational and asset performance.
It’s vital that organisations are aware of the associated risks of operating in the railway or engineering environments and actively work towards implementing safe working practices.
For Serco Rail Technical Services (SRTS), protecting its staff and providing a safe working environment is a key priority. Second to that is how the services SRTS is delivering to its customers are contributing to a safer rail network and in-service assets.
The obvious hazard when working on the rail network is being struck by a train, but for those who work on the railway, other hazards include slips, trips, and falls from items and terrain in depots and yards, mobile equipment, falls from height, electrocution from both overhead and ground supply, striking against objects whilst under or around vehicles and many more.
Among the safety measures to prevent these risks includes high-visibility workwear, safety boots, glasses, head protection, gloves, training, inductions, hazard awareness, procedures, and competence. Risk assessments are undertaken prior to work being carried out and remain under review throughout the entirety of a project.
Another key factor is how to manage fatigue of safety critical staff, which involves people working to defined hours with exceedances of these hours only occurring in exceptional circumstances and in a controlled and assessed manner. In addition to management controls, physical measures can also be implemented such as track derailers, barriers,
warning systems, fall prevention systems and Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) processes. Only once these are implemented can work proceed safely.
These hazards and safety measures are associated with people being in or around the rail network and environment. However, safety is a key factor and plays a crucial role for the rail vehicles and infrastructure that are in-service. It also includes the safe operation and maintenance of these assets. SRTS plays a significant role in providing services that enable rail vehicles and infrastructure to be maintained and repaired, ensuring they continue to operate safely for many years. Services include:
Vehicle and infrastructure testing, certification, and monitoring ;
Non-destructive testing of wheels, axles, and rail; Metallurgical analysis and investigation; Bearing inspections;
A dedicated training school providing safety critical training and examination.
SRTS provides bespoke packages of working, including vehicle and infrastructure testing, overhead line and pantograph performance certification, strain gauging and condition monitoring. The Engineering Services team provides and delivers key services where safety is a key driver. It enables performance to be accurately monitored, allowing for data to be gathered and interpreted, which in turn allows governance and compliance requirements to be met.
This contributes to reducing maintenance costs whilst extending the life of assets in service; preventative actions can then be implemented to reduce repeat failures.
The condition of bearings is crucial to the safe riding of a rail vehicle; poor maintenance, defects, or damage to these components can be the cause of derailments and/or damage to both the track and the vehicle. SRTS offers a service whereby bearings are inspected assessing their condition for defects or damage, allowing for repair and maintenance to be conducted. This activity is paramount in ensuring safety of the vehicle and associated assets.
The SRTS Derby-based training school provides the theory, practical training, and examination in NDT techniques for rail professionals to carry out tests and inspections on the rail network. To inspect a material, component, or structure in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective way without causing damage to the original part requires a comprehensive understanding of the NDT process and requirements. All courses are designed to provide both new and experienced rail professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to operate safely, through practical, hands-on training.
There are a host of services, companies, and factors all playing their part in ensuring a train reaches its destination safely on a network that is fit for purpose. SRTS is passionate about delivering value through collaboration and working with its customers to deliver services that have safety at the centre of everything it does. Everyone home safe, every day.
www.serco.com/srts | enquiries.srts@serco.com | 0330 109 8852
Steel is a vital component for a number of key projects, especially in the rail sector – with applications ranging from platforms and stations, large components including gantries, fencing and overhead signalling systems, through to smaller nuts and bolts.
But due to steel’s high susceptibility to rusting, an appropriate finish is crucial to ensure it meets its purpose for many years to come. Plus, with national, environmental, and business targets ever-evolving – especially with regards to sustainability – the pressure is on for the rail industry to adapt to ensure they continue full steam ahead.
Andy Harrison, Sales and Marketing Director at Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd, explains the galvanizing process and why it continues to be one of the most sustainable and appropriate finishes for future-proofing the rail industry.
“Steel has a number of brilliant qualities that make it the perfect partner for the rail industry, as it can withstand immense weight, intense pressure, and endure harsh weather conditions (when finished appropriately). But it’s estimated that one tonne of steel turns to rust every 90 seconds worldwide, and so effective solutions must be implemented to maximise its potential, future-proof the project, and extend the lifecycle of the components. That’s where galvanizing comes in …
“Hot dip galvanizing has been the finish of choice for hundreds of years, originally introduced in the mid-1700s. All these years later, it is still used widely across a multitude of sectors to protect steel from rust and corrosion for more than 70 years, without need for maintenance.
“The process involves the steel parts being completely immersed in a bath of molten zinc at around 450°C. A metallurgical-bonded coating forms to the metal, which is tough and durable. We boast the largest galvanizing bath in the UK at 21m long, allowing us to entirely coat steel up to 29m in length. Plus, we also have a dedicated spin galvanizing plant for more intricate items.”
“Many organisations throughout the entire supply chain of the rail industry are becoming more conscious about the ever-changing legislation around meeting – and exceeding – environmental
targets, needing to protect both the future of the project but also the future of habitats, animals and nature. One of the biggest benefits to galvanizing is its sustainability, making its collaboration with the rail sector a hugely positive partnership,” Andy added.
“Galvanizing provides protection that can last for more than 70 years, depending on the environment it is used in. It doesn’t require any time or resource-intensive maintenance or replacement, allowing for the whole lifecycle cost to be low. Plus, unlike some protective coatings, galvanizing results in minimal waste – zinc can be reused and recycled without a loss of any physical or chemical properties.
“At the end of the project, the galvanized metal can be recycled with scrap steel, or the original coating can be removed, the steel re-galvanized and reused elsewhere.”
How is the galvanizing process sustainable?
“At Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd, we’re aware of our impact on the environment, and are committed to improving our sustainability, and that of the overall galvanizing process,” Andy said.
“We’ve invested across our 14 plants to enhance operations and implement innovative procedures, including an introduction of high-velocity ‘smart’ furnaces, fume extraction units, and heat recovery systems. Plus, our bespoke rainwater collection and harvesting system helps to reduce waste and recycle
rainwater back into the galvanizing process, and our specialist inverters have provided significant savings in power consumption.”
Andy said: “Over the years we’ve worked with many businesses in the rail industry, assisting in futureproofing projects – including refurbishing the Hull and Barnsley railway bridge, and galvanizing steelwork for a multi-million-pound development on the Midland Metro line between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Currently, we’re supporting customers with the HS2 high speed rail line from London to the North West.
“But the possibilities are endless. Thanks to its qualities and significant benefits, galvanizing is becoming an increasingly popular finish of choice across the rail sector, helping to lead the way in achieving low emission railways and future-proofing the industry.”
Wedge Group Galvanizing Ltd is one of the largest hot dip galvanizing organisations in the UK with a history dating back over 150 years. With 14 plants strategically placed across the country, it offers a truly national galvanizing service.
For further information, please contact Wedge Group Galvanizing on 01902 601944 or visit www.wedge-galv.co.uk
explains why it is one of the most sustainable and appropriate fi nishes for the industry
Salcef Group S.p.A. has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the share capital of Colmar Technik S.p.A. The acquisition will allow the group to consolidate its presence in the railway machinery industry. Colmar, established in 1963, designs and manufactures machinery for the construction and maintenance of railway lines at its facilities in Arquà Polesine and Costa di Rovigo. With this strategic move, the Salcef Group aims to expand the product range of its railway machinery business unit, both for internal use and the external market.
The board of directors of RENFE has confirmed its decision to make use of the option to extend the amount of medium-distance electric units provided for in the contract which was awarded to CAF at the end of 2022. The initial contract, awarded in October last year, established the initial supply of 28 electric trains to run medium-distance services, together with the supply of their relevant depot parts and train maintenance services for 15 years. This agreement includes further options to extend the scope in the future. One of these was the production of up to 42 additional trains and it is part of this option that RENFE has now enforced; specifically, 32 electric trains, of which 24 will be three-car consists and the other eight trains will be four-car consists. This extension is worth approximately €190 million.
Arriva Group has been awarded a rail contract for the operation of trains in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. This signing follows the recent 15-year rail contract awarded to operate services in the Pilsen region of the Czech Republic, securing Arriva’s position as the second largest private rail operator in the country. The new train services are due to start operating in December 2024 and the contract will run for 10 years. Passengers in South Moravia will be served by 13 new trains, which will be able to carry 100 seated passengers, with additional spaces for prams, wheelchairs and bicycles.
itachi Rail has completed phase one of its production of the ground-breaking battery Masaccio train at Hitachi Rail’s factory in Pistoia, near Florence, and is operating on routes across the length and breadth of Italy.
The completion of 20 trains – branded as ‘Blues’ by Trenitalia – marks the first tranche of an order that sits as part of a €1.23 billion framework agreement with Trenitalia for up to 135 trains that will run across Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Tuscany, Lazio and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The Masaccio’s hybrid technology allows the train to seamlessly draw from battery, electric, hybrid and diesel power. While Hitachi Rail already uses diesel-electric hybrid technology – pioneered on the UK’s Intercity Express fleets – this is the first time batteries have been deployed as a major power source on a train fleet for commercial use anywhere in Europe.
The ability to recharge while in service using the pantograph or traction motors means it can deliver seamless green journeys without cutting availability.
Offering more sustainable rail travel, and with compatibility with other European railways, the trains reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption by 50 per cent vs standard diesel trains.
By running on battery power when traveling through non-electrified urban areas, the train can eliminate emissions, including harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx), while also reducing noise pollution. The Masaccio train’s DAS (Driver Advisory System) also helps cut emissions by identifying the optimal speed for timetable reliability and the reduction of energy consumption. In a further boost for sustainability, Masaccio trains are made with 93 per cent recyclable materials.
The Masaccio train will continue to evolve and its next model – anticipated in two years’ time – will operate as a battery-only train with a journey range of over 100km. The technology is also retrofittable, meaning that the hybrid trains of today are likely to become battery-only in the future.
Luca D’Aquila, chief operating officer Hitachi Rail Group and chief executive officer of Hitachi Rail Italy, said: “The roll-out of our cutting-edge Masaccio battery train marks an important step in our efforts to decarbonise European rail.
“With around 40 per cent of regional lines across the continent remaining un-electrified, battery hybrid technology can have an immediate impact. In Italy, the tribrid Blues train is helping cut carbon emissions by 50 per cent compared to existing diesel services.
“We know that consumers increasingly prioritise the sustainability of their travel choices. Trains like the Masaccio mean that we can ensure comfortable, clean and efficient rail is an option for as many people as possible across Europe.”
The NIC (Non-Intrusive Current Monitor) is used as part of the preventative maintenance systems on wayside / Rail Infrastructure applications.
The DIN rail mounted NIC units are designed to measure AC/DC currents, using “Fluxgate Technology”, up to +/-600mA when the primary cable is passed through the hole on the side of the unit.
The NIC provides a scaled 4-20mA current output to the end users’ equipment. This may take the form of a data logger which stores the raw data that can then be remotely downloaded for analysis.
Data analysis allows for trends to be visualised for equipment that might show degradation, i.e. current variations outside normal limit, thus allowing targeted maintenance to be carried out before actual failure.
he Coradia iLint hydrogen train has carried its very first North American passengers as part of a demonstration project during summer 2023.
It is a first in Canada and in the Americas, driven by Alstom with its partners the Government of Quebec, Chemin de fer Charlevoix, Train de Charlevoix, Harnois Énergies, HTEC and Accelera by Cummins.
On June 17, 2023, 100 passengers boarded the Coradia iLint for the first hydrogen train journey ever on the North American continent.
The train connected the Parc de la ChuteMontmorency in Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul, a 90km trip in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve along the St. Lawrence River.
The Coradia iLint, which generates its own energy using fuel cells supplied by Accelera by Cummins, which has operations in Ontario, is powered by green hydrogen produced by Harnois Énergies at its Quebec City site.
Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, said: “We are very proud to see our Coradia iLint hydrogen train onboard and carry its first North American passengers here in Quebec.
“Alstom is fully involved in the decarbonisation of mobility in the world and particularly in America. Hydrogen technology offers an alternative to diesel and demonstrates our ability to provide more sustainable mobility solutions to our customers,
agencies and operators, as well as passengers. It will also provide an extraordinary showcase for Quebec’s green hydrogen ecosystem, which is under development.”
Claude Choquette, president of Groupe Le Massif and Chemin de fer de Charlevoix, said: “This project is made possible thanks to the collaboration
of Chemin de fer de Charlevoix, which is owned by Groupe Le Massif.
“In addition to defining new foundations for sustainable tourism, the hydrogen train’s launch allows many visitors from around the world to discover Charlevoix while creating value for the entire region.”
koda Group has signed contracts with Egyptian National Railways (ENR) to modernise and maintain at least 280 electro-diesel locomotives.
The project, marking Škoda Group’s expansion into Africa, consists of two contracts.
The first is for the overhaul of locomotives over a period of nine years, followed by a full-service maintenance for up to 15 years.
Most of the works will be carried out directly in Egypt, which will support the localisation and include work in all production positions.
These large contracts underscore Škoda Group’s focus on also providing life cycle full-service and modernisation. Total value exceeds 1 billion euros.
Didier Pfleger, chief executive officer of Škoda Group, said: “These contracts mark a historic milestone for Škoda Group. With our strong record of accomplishment in servicing and modernisation, we are uniquely positioned to deliver superior locomotive rehabilitation and overhaul services.
“Our aim is to use our skills and experience to build lasting relationships and make a long-term
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David Davidson has been appointed by Network Rail to run the railway in Kent and South East London. He succeeds Fiona Taylor and Adrian Hanstock, who were the fi rst in the company’s history to share the directorship. David joined from Network Rail’s Western route, where he was interim route director from October 2022, overseeing efforts to improve train performance and preparing for the introduction of two timetable changes
How does it feel to be appointed to run the railway in Kent and South East London?
It’s a real privilege to come back to Kent as route director of what is one of the busiest and most congested routes in country.
Our colleagues at Southeastern run more than 1,600 trains every day and carry more than 400,000 passengers, so it’s clear that we have a huge job to do to support commuters, leisure travellers, the safe passage of vital goods and crucial connections to Europe and beyond.
In addition, we have a number of freight flows across the Kent route, so I am keen to work with the freight community to support freight growth on our route.
You are taking on a role which was previously covered by two people, how do you hope to achieve this?
I’m following in the footsteps of Fiona Taylor and Adrian Hanstock, who were the first in Network Rail’s history to share a route directorship in a part-time capacity. Fiona is taking her well-earned retirement, but she’s still in the business for a few more weeks. Adrian is staying with the Southern region as a senior programme manager, so I have both of them to lean on for advice, and we’ve carried out a thorough handover to bring me up to speed on the business, our objectives and our biggest challenges. Prior to taking on this role, I have spent the last eight months as route director Western
so will draw on this experience and my wider rail background to hit the ground running.
What are the priorities moving forward?
Without our passengers and rail freight the railway doesn’t exist. So one of the top priorities is to focus on improving performance because we know that’s a key driver of satisfaction. We’ve seen some incredible collaboration with our train operator colleagues recently to drive improvements and in the past month, we saw our o n Time performance – that’s trains arriving at each station on their journey within 59 seconds of their scheduled time – hit 72 per cent, which is above the industry average.
So, if we’re going to keep our passengers and freight customers happy, performance will continue to be our key priority, with a focus on:
Responding to and managing incidents when things do go wrong, so we can limit the impact on passengers
Reducing the number of infrastructure faults which impact our passengers’ journeys.
Improving the railway’s resilience so we’re more capable of coping with extreme weather.
To achieve this, we will need a strong focus on our safety culture, we will need to invest in and empower our people, and spend our money wisely.
The next year is going to be critical. It’s the final year of CP6 – our current five year funding period – so we need to stay focussed on delivery and completing everything we promised so we’re in a strong position for the start of CP7.
What did you learn as interim route director for the Western route?
Our railways serve many and are critical to our communities and economy. As route director, I know just how big a job I have on my hands, and I want to be accountable to passengers, freight users and stakeholders.
Listening to our customers and stakeholders is critical to understanding the issues and fixing them.
I also learnt that our railway is blessed to have so many fantastic and dedicated railway professionals. Supporting them and empowering them is critical to improving our industry and overcoming our challenges.
Prior to this, you were operations director for the Anglia route, leading the team through COVID, industrial action and Operation London Bridge. Having overcome these must give you confidence for the journey ahead?
I always believe there is nothing like a crisis to show what the railway can do. Throughout my time in Anglia, we had multiple crises. This put a lot of strain on the team and myself, however through excellent problem solving we were able to work through challenges.
Through COVID we had to be very adaptive, changing the train service and our plans to meet the demands of our passengers while supporting social distancing and looking after our colleagues. Through industrial action, we focussed on providing the best train service we could while continuing to engage and care for all our colleagues.
On Anglia my team and I did not allow the crises to distract us from making critical changes to support train operating companies and deliver excellent train performance.
While it’s been a really tough period for everyone, it’s shown just how much the industry can achieve when we work closely together. It seems there’s never any challenge too great, we can always work together to find a solution and we have some fantastic people to make it happen.
Reflecting on your career, how proud are you of your journey and what one piece of advice has stuck with you throughout your career? I am very proud to work in our industry and have enjoyed a varied and rewarding career to date. The advice that has served me well is not to forget what our industry does; to move people and products safely and on time.
With great change happening in the railways, how optimistic are you for the future? We’re finalising our CP7 plans which will see the Government invest £44 billion into the operation, maintenance and renewal of the railway from 20242029. That’s a real vote of confidence for the industry and the role it plays in supporting the economy. There’s increased investment in tackling climate change, so we can make our railways even more resilient and reduce delays for passengers. Plus we’ll be investing in the things that matter most to them, improving performance where we can, renewing lifts and escalators, and improving passenger information systems to make their experience even better. There’s loads to be excited about.
LECM Industries Ltd, is an innovative family company with more than 49 years of tradition and knowledge in the scientific evolution of environmentally friendly cleaning and protection products. For more than 25 years, we have specialised in graffiti removal and protection systems for the interior and exterior of railway vehicles, buildings and stations. The satisfaction of our customers is of great importance to us and we strive to meet the highest expectations and guarantee professionalism and reliability.
We are currently a market leader and partner of many major companies in the private and public sector in Europe. For many years, we have been a Q1 supplier to Deutsche Bahn AG, Stadler Rail, SBB AG, ÖBB, private railways and transport companies as well as many state municipalities over Europe and some in the UK.
Karen Schofield has joined the railway as the new Railway Mission Chaplain for the Northwest and North and Mid Wales area.
She will work alongside Mike Roberts who covers the Manchester area and north via Preston and Andrew Hall who covers the West Midlands area centred on Birmingham.
Karen said she has already been struck by the huge ‘railway family’ feel of the industry, where people look out for one another, even if they don’t always get on.
She said: “The best thing about the railway is meeting new people, everyone is welcoming. I hope that as I develop in the role, I will become a familiar face at depots and offices, not just stations.
“I have really enjoyed learning about the working of the industry, from the roles and responsibilities of station staff to the incredible workings of the mega machinery of the track
Kerry Peters has been appointed regional director for Northern in Yorkshire, Humber and the East Midlands.
She takes up the post at the end of the summer, when the current regional director, Tony Baxter, leaves to become operations director at Chiltern Railways.
Kerry said: “I look forward to joining the team in Leeds and working with them to ensure Northern continues to deliver for people across the region.
“As a Yorkshire adoptee, it’s great to be ‘coming home’ and helping contribute to the success of the region through its rail connectivity.
“I still have a few months in the North East and will be working hard to ensure a smooth transition to my successor – who will be inheriting a great team from Carlisle on the west to Whitby in the east.”
Experienced rail industry leader Mal Drury-Rose has been appointed to the twin role of director of rail for transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and executive director of the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE).
The job involves leading on the delivery of the region’s Rail Investment Strategy, including development of new stations and services and overseeing the West Midlands Railway franchise.
Mal brings more than 30 years’ experience to the WMRE and TfWM having held senior roles with Virgin Trains, First Great Western, National Express, the Rail Delivery Group and having spent more than 10 years as head of rail with the Welsh Government.
Mal said: “I am absolutely delighted to join the team at WMRE/TfWM and build on the achievements to deliver the region’s current and future priorities for rail and integrated transport.
“I am looking forward to working with colleagues, partners and stakeholders, using my skills and experience, to make a lasting positive impact to the transport system for the West Midlands.
Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, has said he will do everything he can to move the reform agenda, and the creation of Great British Railways, forward as soon as possible.
His comment came as he was reappointed as the chair of Network Rail to serve a further two years, continuing to oversee the organisation’s multi-billion-pound budget to efficiently run 20,000 miles of railway track and provide reliable services for passengers and freight customers across England, Scotland and Wales.
He said: “I am looking forward to supporting Andrew Haines, chief executive, and his team, in maintaining and improving Network Rail’s delivery, now and into the next five-year funding period.”
He added: “Passengers and freight customers deserve a better, more costeffective railway which only reform and an integrated railway can deliver. I look forward to continuing to support Network Rail’s transition to Great British Railways.”
Image: Railway Mission
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D/Gauge are specialists in gauging and clearance assessment. The expert gauging consultants unlock insights from data and apply generations of experience, no matter the size or complexity.
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Dywidag work to make infrastructure safer, stronger, and smarter with data-driven systems extending the lifespan of new and ageing track, roads, tunnels, and bridges. sales.uk@dywidag.com
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HR Kilns is the premier supplier and manufacturer of GRP/FRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) products, Embankment Steps, Walkways, Gratings, Stair treads, Handrails and ATP Panels. sales@hrkilns.com
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Park Signalling offer unrivalled signalling system knowledge complemented with in-house hardware and software design and build expertise. sales@park-signalling.co.uk
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RCC Ltd, looks after your rail-based training, assessment and competence management. david.brough@rail-cc.co.uk
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Railsy offers an unmatched variety of courses and programs across the rail industry, created for individuals or groups of all academic levels.
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Since 1961 Rittal has been a global leader in innovation for its products, including enclosures, cooling solutions, power distribution, and IT infrastructure. Rittal’s robust enclosures are a functional solution for the rail environment.
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Schweizer Electronic is the market leader in Europe for on track automated protection on busy railways for both passenger and freight lines. info.seuk@schweizer-electronic.com www.schweizer-electronic.com
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TRB is a Tier 1 supplier to the UK and European train builders, providing high-quality, lightweight solutions and has been manufacturing products for over 40 years. sales@trbls.com
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It’s an exciting time to be part of the RBD Community, as we’ve enhanced all of the RBD Community membership benefits and taken the membership portal One Place to the next level.
Each member benefit has been carefully selected to ensure that they increase our members’ visibility and credibility with industry influencers and decision-makers; help you to open doors to valuable new connections and partnerships; and that we collaborate with you to unearth, highlight, and share new work-winning opportunities.
And we have also enhanced One Place so that whether you are a business owner, investor or work in operations, marketing, sales, business development or you are completely new to rail, you can get everything you need, well, in One Place!
First, let’s take a look at the enhanced RBD Community member benefits:
Profile enhancement:
Rail Director magazine and Rail Business Daily subscriptions
Microsite within the Rail Business Daily site (23m page views)
Two news stories with social media support
Three ‘Directory Spotlights’ in the RBD newsletter (75k daily distribution)
Featured Directory for one week
Welcome social media post (20k followers)
Promote your business with an offer for other members
Post your events in the Ultimate Rail Calendar
Advertising spot in Rail Director magazine
Win a ½ page feature in Rail Director
Marketing and website review
20 per cent off all marketing, recruitment and profile enhancement services
Intelligence:
Insights and resources
Tender, bid, grants and funding opportunities
Monthly community newsletter and special alerts
Free unlimited access to The UK Rail Report
Rail Director and Inside Track magazine archives
Unlimited company logins to member portal One Place
Networking:
Access to live roundtable events
Four webinar masterclasses
Introductions to other community members and broader rail community
You could call me biased, but honestly, I’ve never seen such an extensive package of benefits for less than £1 a day!
Next, it’s well worth exploring One Place if you are a new member or haven’t visited it in a while. One Place now houses everything members need to get ahead in rail, and it’s updated weekly.
Log in to get:
Latest bids, tenders, grants, and funding opportunities – all in the portal and updated weekly to save you time
International contract opportunities – and links to useful resources to get you started
Insights and reports – on everything from CP7 updates and key announcements to consultations and reports from community members
The UK Rail Report – the insider’s guide to unlocking new opportunities in rail, packed with insights, facts, stats and who’s who in rail. Only our members get this free
Webinars section – to promote member webinars and share relevant online recordings and events with the community
Rail Director and Inside Track archives
Dedicated Business Support and Marketing Support sections – with useful resources for you
New to rail section – with general information, glossaries reports and associations – serving as a solid induction or refresher tool
Ultimate Rail Calendar – regularly updated with all UK and international rail events
Link to RBD Advisory bid and tender writing consultancy services – members get 20 per cent discount
Community newsletter archive – and link to join the mailing list
Member directory – search and connect with other community members working in rail
Links to claim your discounts on extras
And a reminder about your benefits at a glance
Members can log into One Place here https://community.railbusinessdaily.com/members/ Forgot your logins? No problem, email fiona@railbusinessdaily.com and we will get them reset for you.
Make sure you’re following RBD Community on LinkedIn for new opportunity alerts and have signed up to our RBD Community newsletter mailing list for the monthly newsletter and special alerts.
If you’re not a member and want to join, email fiona@railbusinessdaily.com – it’s quick and easy to get started.
Advanced Power Services are a specialist Electrification Contractor working in Rail Infrastructure providing Medium Voltage & High Voltage, Cable Jointing & Termination services on all cable types on the Network. We offer specialist Cable Testing that includes Withstand Testing using DC and VLF and Tan Delta alongside Partial Discharge and Cable Fingerprint Reports. We also provide Maintenance Services, Cable Fault Location and Repairs, commissioning and Cable Installation and Route Repairs plus an out of hours response 24 hrs a day 365 days a year.
Predominantly involved in major power projects and supporting faults on the network across the UK we are one of the largest Jointing contractors on the network with directly employed full time qualified Cable Jointers, Testing and Commissioning Engineers allowing flexibility on deployment of staff and fast response times.
We pride ourselves on our efficient, professional, and friendly service. Our expertise and extensive experience complement our exceptional safety record in the challenging infrastructure we operate in. Holding a PC Licence, we manage all our safe work planning, line blocks, track access in-house, owning an extensive range of specialist test equipment alongside holding a vast volume of Jointing materials and High Voltage cable supports our efficiency. We are also able to provide additional product warranties on 3M products. Please visit our website for more details www.advancedpowerservices.co.uk or email our Business Development Manager heather.andrews@advancedpowerservices.co.uk
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The Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) has seen its highest-ever demand for its services last year with more than 700 applications, with chairman Tim Shoveller warning of “no let-up in that so far in 2023”.
Analysis from the charity has found that in 2022, rail workers were facing increasing hardship because of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, with trends showing younger people were most affected, needing help with debt support and feeding themselves or their families.
One in four of all RBF cases are people who face losing their homes.
On average two people came to the charity every month because they couldn’t feed themselves or their families – usually after they had accessed local food banks.
The average demographic has changed from a former railway worker in their 60s in need of funeral support (2018) to a current railway worker in their 40s in need of debt support (2022).
Total financial support increased by 25 per cent on 2021 and demand has more than tripled in the last five years (204 applications in 2018 to 729 applications in 2022).
The charity’s energy support fund has received more than a thous and enquiries with grants awarded totalling £39,000.
Tim said: “We are extremely grateful to the many people who support us by donating, fundraising and volunteering. It means we can continue to support railway people and their dependents through difficult times.
“We provide preventative support for people who might be heading towards unmanageable debt, so we are calling on colleagues across the rail industry to work with us to help their staff to prevent debt, associated mental health and therefore impact on their ability to work.”
The RBF is a leading rail charity which raises vital funds to support people in need across the rail industry in the UK. The RBF offers financial support to current, former and retired railway workers facing crisis such as debt, redundancy, illness and domestic abuse.
Claire Houghton, RBF chief executive officer, said: “The RBF, like many charities, has seen a real shift in recent years. While debt support has previously been a significant part of our support, it was unprecedented in 2022, particularly for rent and mortgage payments. The debt cases are more complex as the cost-of-living crisis plunges people into unsustainable financial situations.
“With increased inflation we are now seeing the effects of the pandemic on people’s finances. With the latest Joseph Rowntree Poverty Report estimating that one in five people are now in poverty, the increase in support required for rail people is not surprising and is likely to increase as anticipated in 2023.”
If you or somebody you know needs the support of RBF contact support@railwaybenefitfund.org.uk
If you want to help or get involved contact fundraising@railwaybenefitfund.org.uk
We are calling on colleagues across the rail industry to work with us to help their staff to prevent debt
The UK rail industry needs to adapt their existing energy infrastructures to keep up with evolving customer demand.
We take the time to understand individual rail energy requirements which allows us to develop technologically advanced solutions tailored to our clients needs to increase productivity and decarbonise infrastructure.
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