Rail Director October 2023 by RBD Media

SP O N OT L FR IGH EIG T HT October 2023

EXCLUSIVELY FOR RAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS October 2023

Maggie Simpson Award-winning innovations help deliver freight growth Richard Moody Growing rail freight Mark Wyborn Working together to mitigate significant challenges RBF Taking the charity from strength to strength

TIM SHOVELLER

railbusinessdaily.com

Driven to make the rail industry better

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INTRODUCTION

The future of UK rail freight W

elcome to the latest edition of Rail Director, one that is shining the light on rail freight. At a time when the headlines seem to be dominated by rail strikes and the scrapping of the northern section of HS2, it is heartening to hear of the more positive news surrounding rail freight, a success story which can only be a good thing for the industry and the environment. Recent research by Rail Partners revealed that if the government sets an ambitious target to treble rail freight by 2050, the sector will deliver nearly £5.2 billion in economic benefits every year and take 20 million HGV journeys off the roads. The industry is ready for the challenge, and driven by a good mix of expertise and passion I am sure it will succeed. As Tim Shoveller explains in this month’s cover feature “rail freight is the right thing to do for the environment, the right thing for the country economically, and the right thing for the rail industry to diversify, especially with fewer passengers”. Tim joined Freightliner from Network Rail and shares his career journey and aims and aspirations working in freight. Richard Moody, Programme Director of Freight Reform at the Great British Railways Transition Team, also talks to Rail Director about what has been happening so far, a reflection on a recent call for evidence on how the sector can grow, and how the government might be revealing a growth target by the end of the year. Innovation is at the heart of the future of UK rail freight with numerous studies underway about how freight trains can be greener and more efficient. In the shorter term Porterbrook has recently seen the introduction of 100 new FEA-G intermodal wagons and 50 new JNA-X box wagons in the UK. Its Head of Freight Mark Wyborn explains how a pandemic, supply chain disruption and a surge in inflation didn’t impact their delivery. Although this edition centres on rail freight, it was also a real joy to speak with the Railway Benefit Fund’s new Chief Executive Officer Jo Kaye. The charity’s latest impact report revealed that every four minutes someone in rail reaches out to the charity for help and support so it was it was interesting to hear about the journey ahead for Jo. You can read more about her plans in this magazine. That is just a taste of what is in the pages ahead. Thanks as always to everyone who has played a part in this edition. It can be easy to get caught up in the negative headlines when it comes to the railways, but I hope the latest Rail Director highlights the fantastic work underway and why we should incredibly optimistic about what the future holds. All the best

Danny Longhorn Editor

The industry is ready for the challenge, and driven by a good mix of expertise and passion I am sure it will succeed

Rail Director magazine and Railbusinessdaily.com are assets owned by the Railway Industry Association. Railbusinessdaily.com delivers more than 70 stories a week to +73,000 rail industry professionals in our daily 7am newsletter. If you have not already subscribed, it’s free and it’s easy to do so at www.railbusinessdaily.com, please also encourage your colleagues to do the same. This is the very best way to keep abreast of what is happening on the UK’s railways. There is a digital copy of Rail Director on our website.

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October 2023

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CONTENTS

Driven to make the rail industry better

Tim Shoveller recently joined Freightliner as Chief Executive Officer of Genesee & Wyoming UK/Europe. He shares his career journey and aims and aspirations in his current role

10 A focus on high-end quality, safety standards and innovation

Rail & HS2 Minister Huw Merriman MP said he had a great discussion with the Polish Minister of Infrastructure & Construction Andrzej Adamczyk about what UK industry can bring to the Polish railway to help with its expansion

12 News

14 Award-winning innovations help deliver freight growth

Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General of the Rail Freight Group, reflects on a recent awards dinner and the state of rail freight

18 Growing rail freight

Work is well underway to increase the amount of freight transported by rail. Richard Moody, Programme Director of Freight Reform at the Great British Railways Transition Team, explains more

22 Enhancing rail freight connections to the EU market

John Keefe, Chief Corporate and Public Affairs officer at Getlink Group, explains the importance of going all in with loading gauge enhancements on the conventional railway lines through Kent

28 Raising the roof for rail freight

Niall McCarthy, Rail Development and Delivery Manager at Nestlé UK & Ireland, says the FMCG company’s plan to move more products by rail to support its drive to reduce its carbon footprint is gaining steam

30 Taking the charity from strength to strength

The Railway Benefit Fund has appointed Jo Kaye as its new Chief Executive Officer. She has vowed to harness knowledge and contacts gained from her experience to further the charity’s impact

32 Working together to mitigate significant challenges

100 new FEA-G intermodal wagons and 50 new JNA-X box wagons have all arrived in the UK. Porterbrook’s Head of Freight and Route Services Mark Wyborn explains how a pandemic, supply chain disruption and a surge in inflation didn’t impact their delivery

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Winter protection for turnouts October 2023

CONTENTS

38 The Railway Industry Association Conference 2023

RIA’s Award-winning Annual Conference is a much-regarded highlight of the UK rail calendar and 2023 will be no exception

42 Cutting-edge advancements in rail operations

Freightliner has opened a brand-new Operational Training Academy in Doncaster. Jonathan Ellerbeck, ERTMS Operations Specialist, explains more

44 Human performance in the rail freight yard

Rail professionals, stakeholders, human factor experts, technical specialists and academics have come together to discuss the challenges and solutions to safe, high-performance operations. Dr David Golightly explains more

46 PathPlanner: Powering freight through technology

3Squared has developed PathPlanner to help simplify the complexities around how paths can be opened to accommodate for the growth in rail freight. The company explains more

54 Improving wellbeing as one big railway family

Registration has opened for Rail Wellbeing Live. Ruth Busby, Chair of the Steering Board, explains more

58 End of the road for HS2’s northern section

The Prime Minister has said the government will deliver HS2 between Birmingham and Euston, but it will be extended no further, with the money instead invested in a range of alternative projects

64 International news 66 Powered axles are the way to go

New technology currently under development in Derby could cut emissions, increase efficiency and reduce cost for freight operations in the future

72 Slow travel, scenic suppers, and sleeper trains: the future of rail? In her latest column, East West Rail’s Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain looks at a perception renaissance in rail and the importance of making journeys fun again

74 Never miss an opportunity to network and raise your profile Hundreds of rail industry events are held in the UK each year, combine this with the countless global events and the numbers run into over a thousand, and with good reason

80 Movers and shakers 84 A cut above the rest

Marylebone station barber Demetris Georgiou (commonly known as Chris) hangs up his scissors after 25 years of serving Chiltern customers

www.rmf.co.uk

SP O N OT L F R IG H E IG T HT

EXCLUSIVELY FOR RAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS October 2023

TIM SHOVELLER Driven to make the rail industry better

Tel: 01924 665361 Sales: 020 7062 6599 Editor Danny Longhorn danny@railbusinessdaily.com Designer/Production Manager Chris Cassidy Writers Rosie Crampton Fiona Broomfield Nigel Wordsworth Advertising Team Christian Wiles chrisw@railbusinessdaily.com Amy Hudson amy@railbusinessdaily.com Published by RBDMedia (an asset of the Railway Industry Association) trading address 15 Mariner Court, Calder Park, Wakefield WF4 3FL Printed by The Manson Group © 2023 All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent from the publisher. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any manner whatsoever is prohibited without prior consent from the publisher. For subscription enquiries and to make sure you get your copy of RailDirector please ring 01924 665361 or email info@railbusinessdaily.com The views expressed in the articles reflect the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith.

RMF is a leading provider of railway reservation based international settlement and clearing services, providing sophisticated revenue and cost allocation, including business critical management information.

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October 2023

PEOPLE

Tim Shoveller recently joined Freightliner as Chief Executive Officer of Genesee & Wyoming UK/Europe. He shares his career journey and aims and aspirations in his current role

Driven to make the rail industry better I

t was the lure of the challenge that tempted Tim Shoveller to move away from his high-profile role as Network Rail’s Regional Managing Director for North West and Central to become Chief Executive Officer at Genesee & Wyoming UK/Europe. His task is to continue to drive growth in new markets in both the UK and Europe, as well as continuing to develop innovations already underway that will extend its industry leadership in safety, reliability, and sustainability. But beyond that, he is passionate about championing rail freight and removing the boundaries holding back its potential. “It’s the opportunity that makes me so enthusiastic about the role; rail freight is the right thing to do for the environment, the right thing for the country economically, and the right thing for the rail industry to diversify, especially with fewer passengers, so I’m enormously excited about the journey ahead,” he said. “Freight and the railways have grown up together – the railways were invented to carry freight. But we have a passenger-dominated railway in the UK which means that some of the value that freight can bring to the railway and the country’s economy and distribution network we’re not able to currently realise. “I like the idea of the challenge of growing it, I like the idea of making sure freight does deliver on its potential more so than perhaps it has been able to do in recent years. There are fundamental questions to answer, including are we cost competitive with road and if we’re not, what are we going to do about it? We have to act quickly because otherwise customers will choose road instead.” Tim’s background in the railways is predominantly on the passenger side of things, which included being Managing Director of Stagecoach Rail, which among other things saw him lead the development of a working alliance between operators and the infrastructure agency to collaborate on capacity enhancement to leverage more room for peak hour services at South West Trains.

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PEOPLE

Although seen as a newbie to the freight side of things, he is keen to stress he has been part of the freight family from a rail perspective both during his role at Network Rail, and previously in his time a decade ago in Wessex doing an alliance job with South West Trains and the route. “Freightliner was a big customer on the Wessex route down to Southampton, so I’ve been able to see it from the other side of the fence and now I’ve changed side and I can see it from the freight operator’s perspective,” he added. “This current role enables me to bring together all the things I’ve learnt throughout my career about people, safety, economics, and finance. “There are of course things to learn, especially around new customer commercial dynamics and we’ve got a road fleet of 300 lorries and more than 300 lorry drivers, which is a very different kettle of fish from a train driver. “There are also the terminal operations, where although there are similarities with stations, there are also differences which I’m excited to learn about.” When asked about the key to a thriving rail freight industry, it all comes down to one word, ‘collaboration’, an answer he says he’s given every time he’s done an interview. “Clearly Freightliner cannot be successful on its own,” he said. “We can be more efficient internally, but we’ve got to collaborate better with our partners such as Network Rail and the Department for Transport, and absolutely our customers.

“There is also a perception issue we need to work on when it comes to rail freight. Those who use it like it, those who don’t, don’t. It seems an obvious thing to say, but those who don’t use rail believe it is unreliable, so we need to get the message out there that freight traffic is reliable and has an incredible resilience. There is an opportunity to be more innovative in how we keep freight trains going even if we might have decided we don’t think it is the right thing to run passenger trains on that line, or at that time of the day, or in that environment. “Obviously safety is paramount but as long as we are looking after our operational crew and drivers then we can take a different approach to how we keep trains moving than we do passengers. But overall, we need to dispel this myth that we don’t run when the sun comes out, or when it rains or snows. Freight can run when it is hot, when it is snowing, and when it is raining because we have got a very different risk profile. Cancellation is not an option; a train loaded with goods and supplies must reach its destination, so we must have contingency in our plans.”

Freight and the railways Road versus rail have grown up The biggest competitor to rail freight is road. Tim believes that currently there isn’t a level playing together – the field between the two modes of transport. He wants to see this change, particularly given the railways were need to decarbonise and following the success rail freight proved to be during COVID, when with invented to carry fewer passenger services, goods moved quicker and freight therefore rail freight was more economic.

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PEOPLE

Getting GBR up and running would be a good start because clearly there has been something amiss for the last 12-13 years

“There is too much padding in rail schedules, a lot more than trucks have, which is a good example of how the road industry is better at sweating its assets,” he said. “A discussion we need to have is around careful planning and investment so we can make the railway more capable and so we don’t have to have hours and hours of padding in schedules. An example of what can be achieved is the great work with Network Rail that will see a new, more efficient train plan for the Mendip rail services that is being implemented in December - the first time the timetable has changed in a generation!

Net zero targets Tim added: “Rail freight is a key enabler for the UK to achieve its net zero targets, and unlocking modal shift to rail, including maximising the use of electric locomotives, is the most effective thing we can be doing in the short-term. Longer term we need to look at broader policies and the compromises required for the UK to decarbonise its economy and how rail freight is positioned to support that. “We need to come up with pragmatic solutions to ensure that rail freight is competitive and we see modal shift. Track access charges is an area to consider. These charges go up by RPI every year and then every five years are recalculated entirely - when was the last time the diesel fuel duty went up for lorries? I’m not anti-road, we have a large HGV fleet, but these vehicles are mainly used to distribute the final mile. It is important to ensure there is a level playing field between the modes so that rail remains competitive. Each mode has its own strengths, and we need policies that seek to leverage those strengths – that is the most efficient way to support UK economic growth and help achieve our environmental commitments”. “Safety is an interesting one. I am a guardian of rail safety, but if the price of rail safety is we don’t operate trains, or the cost of operating trains becomes prohibitive, all that does is push goods onto the road, which is environmentally worse and less safe.

“I think there is a need for debate within the regulator and indeed government to make sure we’ve got the balance right, because while the legislative regimes are completely different for rail and road, it seems perverse that things happen on road that we would never allow on rail and rail freight. Colleagues have said to me the cost of some of the things we have to do for safety on rail means we are not competitive with road, which doesn’t make sense, so we’ve got to look at that again.” Reflecting on his career, Tim has always been passionate about working in the railways. By his midteens, he was volunteering at Mid-Hants Railway, prior to being old enough to join British Rail, initially as a guard at Guildford. “My mother must have got me interested in trains, although both my parents were teachers so there was no link there, but I always wanted to join the railway,” he said. “I did initially go to university, but after three days I had had enough and wanted to join British Rail. “I never set out with any expectation of getting into senior management. I joined the railway because I liked running trains and I’m happiest when I’ve got my orange on and I’m doing some shunting. But because I have such a deep conviction and support for the industry, I know I can help make the railway better, which is my motivation. “Taking into account the environmental and societal benefits, if I can help make the railway a bit better using what I have learnt in the last 35 years, then that is great and I’m very lucky to be able to do that.”

A long road His journey has seen him hold managing director roles most recently at Network Rail’s North West and Central Region, but also previously at Stagecoach, South West Trains and East Midlands Trains. “With the career that I’ve had from starting as a guard and then Eurostar in 1993 before it had opened, I’ve had lots of different railway experiences, but actually it all comes back down to the people and if we get that right anything is possible,” said Tim.

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PEOPLE

“If we focus too much on the logistics, economics or the engineering then we miss the point, which is this is a system that is run for people by people and if we do that well the railways will have a successful future.” Tim is extremely excited to see what the future holds, both with his new role in rail freight, and also generally for the rail industry, particularly with the proposed transformation for the industry and the rail freight growth target being set by the UK Government. “I am a huge supporter of the Great British Railway (GBR) concept,” he said. “Getting GBR up and running would be a good start because clearly there has been something amiss for the last 12-13 years. “Roy McNulty’s independent study in 2011 pretty much hit the nail on the head in terms of what the issues were, but we’ve been caught up in a negative spiral since then and we’ve got to break out of it. I don’t see any other solution than GBR; staying where we are is not an option for the long-term survival of the railway.” Tim is under no illusions about the hard work needed to ensure freight really profits and grows but believes that with a freight unit and a strategy moving forward, and with everyone pulling in the same direction, it will succeed. “My one nervousness is that rail freight has massive value for the economy, but it doesn’t make a lot of money,” he said. “That isn’t sustainable, especially with rail costs generally being high, so I think GBR needs to help with some of those structural problems so that we can compete more with road and deliver on the sustainable benefits.

“Passenger trains have got fares revenue attached to them, which is important, but it can’t be the only consideration because rail freight has an essential role in society which needs to be recognised. Growth targets will be an important counterbalance, but we also need effective track access agreements that provide confidence and certainty, so that freight continues to flourish and grow and is not penned in by GBR teams that are chasing every passenger pound. “The challenge is for the political intent of freight growth to be translated into legislation and codified in a way that means that freight growth is encouraged and promoted, not just tolerated.”

We need to come up with pragmatic solutions to ensure that rail freight is competitive

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INNOVATION

A focus on high-end quality, safety standards and innovation

“W

e have a great reputation as the founder of the railway, and we’ve always been the innovators when it comes to rail offering high-quality safety and innovation and we look towards the future. That is really marketable for the UK rail industry and I’m here to play my part.” That was the message to Rail Director from the Rail & HS2 Minister Huw Merriman, who was last month supporting UK businesses at the TRAKO Railway Expo, which took place in Gdańsk, Poland. As part of a wide programme of support, the Minister had an in-depth meeting at the Railway Industry Association (RIA) lounge in the UK’s GREAT Pavilion with Andrzej Adamczyk, the Polish Minister of Infrastructure & Construction, before introducing him to exhibitors around the Pavilion. “We had a great discussion about what UK industry and private industry can bring to the Polish railways as they are expanding with their projects and then it was a great delight when the Minister asked to visit the stands of some of the companies,” added Mr Merriman. “All three gave brilliant presentations about what they’re doing, not just in the UK, but around the world. “He was really impressed with what we’ve got to offer with a real focus on high-end quality, safety standards and innovation. That is what they want to hear and that is what we were able to show them so big thanks to the RIA team and the UK Pavilion team for really impressing the Polish government.”

Infrastructure with me then of course I want him to see what we’ve got to offer. “My job then is effectively sales and marketing of

UK rail. I went from a guest meeting people to being a facilitator so we can win more orders, and hopefully that is what we will do.”

Supporting UK organisations The Ministers met with representatives from Muirhead, a supplier of high-performance, lowcarbon leather to the passenger transport sector, rubber and cork bonding specialist Tiflex Ltd, which demonstrated its Treadmaster fire-safe flooring, and the McCulloch Group, which outlined some of the innovative methods it employs to repair the operational railway. Mr Merriman added: “My role at the event was to support the UK organisations, but also to interact with my opposite number. It was great to tour the UK Pavilion stands and hear what they’ve got to offer, but what they’re all here to do is to be able to sell and export abroad, so if I’ve got the Secretary of State for

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INNOVATION

Mr Merriman spent most of his time in the UK’s GREAT Pavilion, but also had a chance to tour the fair and meet other exhibitors at the Expo. He added that, while he had been impressed by what he’d learned about the projects taking place in Europe – and the opportunity they represented for the UK – a team effort was needed to make sure the spotlight was on the UK’s rail organisations. “Looking at some of the projects in Europe it would be impressive to tap into them, but you also see the competition we have as well and we’ve got to be on our toes,” said Mr Merriman. “That is why the Great Britain and Northern Ireland stand, the marketing of it, and everyone being together as one team is important and why I wanted to be part of that. I’m proud to play my part and do my bit.” TRAKO is the largest rail industry meeting in Poland and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. It is a presentation of the state of the art in transport systems and railway infrastructure in Poland, Europe and around the world. “The UK has always been open for international trade and we are based internationally as well,” said Mr Merriman. “We want to continue to see the inward flows as well as the outward flows. As a country, as an island, that’s what it has been about for our entire history. “We’re keen to see more investment from outside, that’s another part of our reason to be at TRAKO to attract more, those alliances. But what I really want to see is exports out of the UK, so that we provide more jobs, more for UK plc and also more reasons why the UK taxpayer should always support the UK rail network.

“Because it is not just about creating a railway for the UK, it is about exporting it abroad and making money from it to return to the taxpayer. That is the journey we are on.” Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “It was great to see the minister supporting UK rail exporters at TRAKO. The Railway Industry Association has been working to provide a strong platform for suppliers at these expos for many years, and having the Rail & HS2 Minister attending and promoting UK rail abroad at events like TRAKO really does give a significant boost to these suppliers’ efforts to sell goods and services overseas, ultimately generating jobs and GVA for UK plc back home.”

Above (left to right): Darren Caplan, RIA Chief Executive, Huw Merriman MP, Rail & HS2 Minister; Polish Infrastructure & Construction Minister Andrzej Adamczyk and Tomasz Buczy ń ski, Director, Ministry of Infrastructure Opposite top (left to right): Huw Merriman MP, Rail & HS2 Minister; Polish Infrastructure & Construction Minister, Andrzej Adamczyk; and translator. Opposite bottom (left to right): Jeremy Oliver and Dan Hassam (Tiflex), Huw Merriman MP, Polish translator, Polish Infrastructure & Construction Minister Andrzej Adamczyk and Tomasz Buczy ń ski, Director, Polish Ministry of Infrastructure

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NEWS

Carousel Logistics teams up with Varamis Rail to electrify cargo route between England and Scotland

arousel Logistics has joined forces with Varamis Rail to develop a fully electric rail cargo route between Birmingham and Glasgow. The partnership was formed in February of this year, and now, following a successful trial, the electric route has officially become part of Carousel Logistics’ pan-European delivery operations. Andrew Lowery, Managing Director UK, Carousel Logistics, said: “The introduction of this zero-emission route out of Birmingham, our primary UK hub, is a real win-win for us. Not only does this high-speed electric train drive our journey towards carbon neutrality, it is also faster than the diesel-fuelled alternatives. “We’re looking forward to expanding our partnership with Varamis Rail as they add more capacity to this route, and sustainably connect more British cities.” Varamis Rail, the UK’s first electric-only express rail freight operator, is utilising former passenger trains and has converted them to carry cargo at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour between the Midlands and Scotland. The trains are powered by Network Rail’s overhead line infrastructure, with all electricity generated from environmentally friendly sources.

Phil Read, Managing Director, Varamis Rail, said: “Carousel Logistics has been instrumental in helping us design a route that meets the needs of time-critical delivery services – for this venture to be successful, it must serve the industry. “Like ourselves, they’re pioneers – their team is innovative and exploring new, green alternatives in a bid to make cargo transport more sustainable.”

Brand-new Operational Training Academy in Doncaster for Freightliner

GB Railfreight opens £5.75 million maintenance hub in Peterborough

Freightliner, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., has officially opened its second Operational Training Academy, located in Doncaster’s Frenchgate Centre. The Operational Training Academy will prepare Freightliner’s freight train drivers for the introduction of in-cab digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line – South. The academy, funded by Network Rail as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), marks another milestone for both Freightliner and ECDP as the second location dedicated to the upskilling of drivers on European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) operations. In May, this year, Freightliner opened its Ipswich Training Academy to serve its south-based employees. The opening of this new Training Academy in Doncaster will ensure northern-based employees receive consistent levels of training. Beyond their role in training, Freightliner envisions these academies as spaces for fostering connectivity and collaboration among ECDP colleagues.

GB Railfreight (GBRf) has opened its state-ofthe-art £5.75 million Maintenance Hub, which is located alongside the East Coast Main Line. The Hub, which is larger than six Olympic swimming pools, was completed in 10 months and brings back into use a derelict plot of land. The facility will be key to unlocking GBRf’s ambitious growth plans as it aims to run c.80 intermodal services a day by 2025. The building is fully powered by electricity and has been designed to support electric shunt engines and forklifts to reduce carbon emissions. By analysing four wagons per shift, GB Railfreight says the Hub will be a strategic enabler that creates a step-change in maintenance for the rail freight

Carousel Logistics is now running freight out of Birmingham on Varamis Rail’s midnight service that departs two miles away from the airport and pulls into Mossend rail hub terminal at around 4am. Varamis Rail says the electric route will save 1,350 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year under the current schedule of a return journey between the cities five nights a week.

industry. It will deliver significant safety and reliability improvements that will allow current and future customers to move an even wider range of goods by rail. As new smart technologies emerge, the Hub will be a testbed that will allow GBRf to identify innovative solutions that will drive continual improvement. John Smith, Chief Executive Officer of GB Railfreight, said: “It demonstrates our commitment to continued investment and innovation in the rail network. The role of the private sector cannot be understated as a tool to help Britain drive jobs and growth in its regional economies and achieve its net zero targets. “We are excited for the role we get to play in this important journey as we meet the demands of customers looking to decarbonise their supply chains.”

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ADVERTORIAL

Advice from Richard Allen, Dip CII NEBOSH Client Director at Jobson James Rail

Cyber Risk Update

uring 2022, Cyber related incidents have increased 38% globally compared to the previous year, with more and more businesses being impacted by these events, it’s crucial to understand how you can protect your business operations. Last year the most common cyber-crime came from hackers impersonating a supplier who is owed money. This involves sending an email in the supplier’s email style and personality and advising them of a change in bank details, immediately before an invoice is due to be paid to that supplier. When the supplier is paid, the money goes to the crook’s bank account and is lost forever; the theft is only discovered when the real supplier complains of nonpayment weeks later. This is why we

recommend ringing your supplier to check every bank account change. Ransom claims, where the hacker denies you access to your IT systems unless you pay a ransom, are becoming more common. Hacker’s approaches are becoming more and more complex. One of our clients was recently hacked, but the hackers were not interested in that railway business. Instead, the hacker uploaded 50,000 email addresses into the rail company’s Outlook account and the hacker issued emails to attempt to hack into 50,000 banks using the rail company as a ‘trojan horse’. Cyber insurance has become more expensive. We see new claims most weeks across our railway-related book of 600+ rail clients. The average claim is getting more expensive, and we estimate 10 per cent of our clients have suffered claims.

Complex claims are now costing up to £250,000 and involve up to 20 insurer technical staff, IT people who deal with the virus and cleanse the client’s data, engage with customers about lost data, advise the FCA, manage the PR, provide legal advice about GDPR and communicate with customers and third parties affected by the hack. Low-cost cyber policies are now rarely on offer as those policies have suffered

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large losses and have been uneconomic for insurers to continue. So premiums are now more expensive but the market is wider, with new insurers coming in and being offered wide coverage. The average policy premium for robust wide coverage is now £1,500 to £2,500 for an SME business, with coverage typically giving limits of £250,000 or £500,000 and upwards. It is critical that all businesses use multi-factor authentication to access their systems when working remotely and this is now a condition of many insurers’ policy cover. It is important that as part of your insurance review, you are talking about Cyber Liability and the risk that Cyber incidents may have on your business, any railway company is welcome to come to the Jobson James Rail team for advice. Richard Allen Dip-CII, NEBOSH Client Director – Jobson James Rail 07973 963350

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October 2023

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10/10/2023 11:19

FREIGHT

Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General of the Rail Freight Group, reflects on a recent awards dinner and the state of rail freight

Award-winning innovations help deliver freight growth A

t the start of September, Rail Freight Group (RFG) held its annual RFG Awards dinner, celebrating the very best achievements in rail freight over the previous 12 months. With over 200 members and guests present, it was a great opportunity to celebrate the individuals and teams who have worked to deliver rail freight growth and to improve the service offered to freight customers. The dedication of the winners – indeed of all our members – is even more impressive when viewed in the light of current market conditions. Over the last five years our sector, like the rest of the country, has struggled with the impact of the EU exit, the pandemic, soaring inflation, and an economic downturn. Add to that the challenges of the railways, industrial action, poor performance, and a stalled reform programme, and it could be hard to see how any business could thrive. Indeed, these challenges have been making themselves felt, particularly this year. The cost of living crisis has reduced demand for goods – we are all buying less – impacting intermodal rail freight. Meanwhile, the construction industry is struggling with soaring inflation, meaning that new projects are taking longer to start. In the year to 23 March, over 4,000 construction companies went into administration, and the scaling back of government infrastructure programmes (including road and rail schemes) is a further blow to this sector.

Moving ahead Yet despite these challenges, the rail freight sector is continuing to do well. Traffic levels, whilst lower than most would like, are keeping their heads above water and volumes are ahead of last year. Performance is recovering well now that Network Rail’s industrial action has ended, and the number of freight train cancellations is back close to target. The industry and government remain committed to rail freight growth and new customers continue to be attracted to rail. However, to deliver that potential, the industry needs to reduce costs, increase productivity, and modernise the service offered, all of which need innovation and investment in technology. Fortunately, as our awards winners demonstrated, there is no shortage of innovation in rail freight, and

that is supported by investment to deliver results for the industry. Our award winners highlight some of the key developments that are underway. Knorr Bremse, which won the runner-up award in the Sustainability and Safety category, has created a derailment detector which can be fitted to rail wagons. Working with Drax Power and WH Davis, it has demonstrated how the detector can help improve rail freight safety and modernise wagons. Freight wagons historically have had little technology applied but this is an excellent example of the new systems which are being developed.

Innovation is also changing the way that rail freight supports its staff

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FREIGHT

This has streamlined the arrival and departure process for HGVs collecting and delivering containers for the rail services, reducing wasted time and supporting increased train loading, as there is greater visibility of arrivals. Eco2Loco, which was runner up in the category, has also focused on improving rail utilisation, with a booking platform to help fill unused slots on container trains. This system not only helps trains run more productively, but provides a route for smaller freight forwarders and hauliers to access rail services.

A better railway

The cost of living crisis has reduced demand for goods – we are all buying less – impacting intermodal rail freight

Another wagon project was also awarded on the night, with Porterbrook, Greenbriar and GB Railfreight winning a highly commended in the category for Driving Rail Freight Growth. The new intermodal and box wagons that have been delivered will increase payload, allowing more goods to be moved on each train, increasing productivity and reducing carbon emissions for each tonne moved. Innovation is also changing the way that rail freight supports its staff. GB Railfreight has equipped staff with body-worn cameras, which is helping improve safety for all. This complex project showed excellent collaboration and good results, and was the winner of the Sustainability and Safety award on the night. Inevitably, data and systems are playing a major part in transforming rail freight – and with much more to come. Two projects, highlighted in our Innovation and Talent category, show how better use of data is improving outcomes for customers and driving productivity. Freightliner, which won the award category, has developed and implemented a new terminal gate automation and vehicle booking system at its rail terminals.

Innovation also comes through business change and by doing things differently to drive growth. The rail freight project of the year winners have demonstrated exactly this, working to supply materials by rail to support HS2. Working with industry partners, the team at Fishbone developed new railheads, and evolved the rail solution to meet the demands of the project, ensuring maximum use of rail. Our runners-up, Fox Group, Tarmac, and Freightliner demonstrated how unused rail sites can be brought back to life with innovative approaches, converting more goods from road onto rail. The winner of the Driving Rail Freight Growth and Business of the Year categories, Solent Stevedores, also demonstrated how innovative investment can drive more goods onto rail. Working with ABP at Port of Southampton, Solent Stevedores has made significant investments to develop and enhance the rail terminal, increasing throughput and efficiency of operations and ensuring increased capacity for customers, both on rail and onsite storage. The award winners demonstrate how innovation and technology are helping to transform the rail freight offer. These excellent initiatives are only part of a journey that is underway to modernise and grow, with many other projects in development across the sector. To support this, RFG has recently launched a members’ Digital Forum which has met twice, and provides a space for discussion of shared challenges, opportunities to collaborate, and information sharing on new developments. Together, we can help overcome the current economic challenges and drive rail freight forward to growth.

October 2023

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10/10/2023 11:21

ADVERTORIAL

Serco Rail Technical Services explains how it mitigates risk by collaborating with customers to build tailored packages of work that relentlessly drive to solution and delivery

Ready to tackle the unknowns T

he ‘unknown unknowns’: a pair of words that make any engineer feel a cold chill run through their spine. Unknown unknowns happen ‘in the moment’, and that moment can be anytime from the birth of an idea, up to completion of a project – even post completion when you (or someone) become aware that something is not right, or something has been missed. An unknown unknown should act as a catalyst – a decision point where commonly there are two courses of action, one being the correct course and one being detrimental with potentially dire consequences. When an unknown unknown is realised, engineering thought process kicks in to generate a solution, as what was once unknown is now known. Whether the solution is conceived by an individual, a team or an external resource, engineering of some guise will quash the ‘known’ issue and observe the effects of change in readiness n readiness for more unknowns to appear. This is a ‘good place to be’ – it inspires trust, it generates confidence, and it will lead to the ultimate solution.

Following in the footsteps of pioneers Fortunately for us, we live in a time when significant unknown unknowns rarely occur - and when, if they do, the result is rarely significantly detrimental. We live upon generations and generations of experimentation and pioneering actions, where people have exposed themselves to unbelievable amounts of risk as they entered unchartered territory where unknown unknowns can bite. With many historical actions, the rewards were high, but the cost was higher, and we have to be grateful for the daring and selfless actions of those before us. So how is any of this applicable to the work that Serco Rail Technical Services does? We pride ourselves on being ‘that team’ that industry reaches out to, primarily because of two things. The first is our long history of delivering successfully in our areas of expertise. Secondly, it’s because our customers know that with our depth of experience and knowledge, we are best placed to explore new and novel approaches to ‘pioneering’ packages of work and solving unique problems with minimal unknown unknowns occurring. Hang on a moment though – ‘minimal unknown unknowns?’ That’s not none!

Correct, but transparency and collaboration is where we overcome unknown unknowns alongside our customers, because when it comes to pioneering works it is virtually impossible to work any other way whilst also ensuring your reputation stays firmly intact. In recent times we have developed our processes and procedures to ‘bake in’ transparency so that we can do more than just work ‘for’ our customers; we work with them. First and foremost, we are engineers, we are technicians, and we are specialists in what we do. We mitigate risk by collaborating with our customers then we build tailored packages of work that relentlessly drive to solution and delivery. We are different, we are unique, we are there for you, we are the Serco Rail Technical Services team. To find out if we can help you, give us a call; let’s have a chat and see how we can work together. For more information, please contact us: 0330 109 8852 enquiries.srts@serco.com www.serco.com/srts

First and foremost, we are engineers, we are technicians, and we are specialists in what we do

October 2023

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10/10/2023 11:22

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05/10/2023 09:56

FREIGHT

Work is well underway to increase the amount of freight transported by rail. Richard Moody, Programme Director of Freight Reform at the Great British Railways Transition Team, explains more

Growing rail freight M

oving goods by rail in the UK delivers social and economic benefits worth £2.5 billion each year. It is also better for the environment compared to HGVs, producing up to three-quarters less carbon per tonne of goods transported, with every additional freight train representing around 76 HGVs taken off roads. Despite this, rail freight accounts for just 10 per cent of surface freight moved in Britain, something that is set to change. In response to the commitment from UK Government to setting a rail freight growth target, the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) is developing a range of long-term rail freight growth target options. “It’s really important to move more freight by rail because it supports the wider transport system in terms of moving to net zero and in reducing congestion on the roads,” said Richard Moody, Programme Director of Freight Reform at GBRTT. “There are also the environmental benefits and a productivity gain for the country as well in using rail freight. “The government’s commitment to have a rail freight growth target is hugely positive and one that will feed down through organisations and lead to some positive changes in behaviour at a time when we are already seeing lots of enquiries from people that don’t yet use rail freight.” To drive forward rail freight growth, GBRTT is setting up a Strategic Freight Unit (SFU) which aims to be a guiding mind for rail freight, providing strategic leadership to unlock opportunities for growth in the sector, and with a focus on innovation. Richard spoke with Rail Director shortly before the team submitted a range of rail freight growth target

options to the government ahead of a decision on a target which is expected by the end of the year. “We’ve submitted a broad range of options from modest growth to significant growth packaged up in different ways and based on what potential policy choices are available, the investment landscape, but also market conditions as well,” said Richard. “We’re pushing for something which is ambitious, but credible. “In a broad sense if we don’t do much it is going to be far more modest growth, with this being significantly higher with legislation, a government pro-rail and wanting to grow rail freight, and looking at policy choices against other modes. “How growth is achieved across all of them is a spectrum of different options including better use of what we have overall today, investment and other policy choices or trade-offs needed to grow freight. There are also some transformative schemes like Transpennine Route Upgrade which will support rail freight growth.”

It’s really The role of rail important to move The submission to government follows a call for evidence last year to develop an understanding of more freight by rail the current state of rail freight in the UK, how much of the current and future market demand for freight because it supports could be met by rail, and the role rail can play in the nation’s supply chains. the wider transport “We had a really positive response from those who both use and don’t use rail, and various trade bodies, system in terms of with around 88 responses, with everyone supportive of having a growth target,” he said. “Having one moving to net zero leads to a change in behaviours, and we’ve had that in Scotland already where they have one. It leads to more people thinking about rail freight.

October 2023

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11/10/2023 11:13

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09/10/2023 14:58 14:27 12/09/2022

FREIGHT

“Looking at the responses there are lots of barriers to rail freight. One is the cost between road and rail, particularly where road prices have come down through some of the interventions due to the HGV drivers’ shortages. Cost is a big barrier, but what can the rail industry do to help or to find efficient paths for freight trains that leads to better utilisation of those assets which hopefully will bring down the costs to customers. “Another barrier is the fragmentation of the railway. It can be a complex environment to navigate so we have to demystify some of those perceptions people have around rail freight, particularly around what people think are blockers. “There are also the challenges surrounding capacity and capability on the network. Capability is a hard one because we need to look at investment to unlock some of that. In terms of capacity there are choices that can be made around timetable structures and what is and isn’t in the timetable to provide more capacity.”

Greater connections There is also incapability between Europe and UK rail due to loading gauge restrictions. However, Richard points to Toyota Motor Europe last year starting to transport new cars by cross-channel freight train services between its Valenciennes vehicle logistics hub in northern France and the major UK rail depot at Toton, in Nottinghamshire, as an example of those issues being overcome. “This success was not reliant on changes to the infrastructure,” added Richard. “Having said that though, GBRTT and Network Rail are working closely together to understand incremental changes to the infrastructure to make the capability better. “The routes are clear to W9 gauge clearance; what we need as an incremental step is W9A, in which you are talking small differences, which is important when modern equipment has got slightly bigger yet our infrastructure hasn’t. If we can do it as an incremental step to sort of stimulate the market that should help. The bigger schemes to higher gauge clearance are something we can look to in the future.” Earlier this year it was reported that officials in the Department for Transport (DfT) had been told that GBR was not a priority for the government and would not be brought forward in the forthcoming King’s Speech, which sets out the legislative programme that the government intends to pursue in the next parliamentary session. “Changes and improvements for rail freight aren’t dependent on legislation happening, although it would give us more levers bringing track and train together,” said Richard. “But there’s lots we can do in the shorter term to move things forward for freight and we will continue working closely with Network Rail’s freight team and pushing a one freight team mentality, all towards delivering for freight customers and accelerating the shift to rail.” As well as the call for evidence and submission to the DfT, GBRTT has carried out a commission around why strategic rail freight interchanges are clustered in the middle of the country, which has turned into developing the intermodal rail freight interchange concept in areas of Great Britain that are not served by intermodal rail freight.

“It is a rail freight terminal mainly focused around containers, but it doesn’t have all the associated warehousing, giving the opportunity to interchange between road and rail,” said Richard. ‘‘We are looking at some trailblazer sites across the south west and north east through a public – private partnership. We are hoping to progress forward with these concepts in the coming months. This is all part of the work we are doing to not just do more of what we’ve got, but open up new markets and corridors.’’ “Alongside that we’ve got a lead who works on express freight, covering both parcels as passengers and dedicated parcel trains, and they’ve been heavily supporting growing that sector and getting it moving. They’ve played an active role in supporting the Varamis Rail service, which has started from Birmingham to Scotland.” Richard was appointed Programme Director of Freight Reform in December last year.

He’s worked in transport for more than 20 years, with more than a decade at Network Rail leading teams to deliver timetables, analysis and strategy, and the last four years focused on freight and decarbonisation. “It is an exciting role because there’s lot of things we can get on with to support the growth of rail freight and help be an enabler which we are on with and it feels really good to be playing a part in that and helping make growth happen,” he said. “It is also great to be part of the change of making the overall railway system and industry better, delivering for customers. Yes I focus on freight, but I have experience outside of freight and as part of the conversation we have, I want to make sure I contribute if I feel I can add value. “Being part of GBRTT is a generational opportunity to make things better. It is not often you get the opportunity to be part of something so transformative.”

October 2023

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10/10/2023 11:24

TROJAN SERVICES USA - CANADA - UNITED KINGDOM - SWITZERLAND W W W. T R O J A N - S E R V I C E S . C O M ADs.indd 1

07/09/2023 15:37

FREIGHT

John Keefe, Chief Corporate and Public Affairs ofﬁcer at Getlink Group, explains the importance of going all in with loading gauge enhancements on the conventional railway lines through Kent

Enhancing rail freight connections to the EU market

“B

ite the bullet, make the decision and go for the gamechanger that will make rail freight a real contributor to the road to net zero, to growing the economy and levelling it up across the whole of the UK.” That is the message from John Keefe, Chief Corporate and Public Affairs Officer at Getlink Group, who says rail freight’s potential is missing out by a matter of inches on the loading gauge on the conventional railway lines through Kent. Getlink manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between Folkestone and Calais, including high-speed passenger services and the Eurotunnel LeShuttle train service for cars, coaches and goods vehicles. Its LeShuttle services provide a cross-channel link which is used by 10 million passengers and 1.6 million trucks each year – carrying 26 per cent of UK/EU trade at a value of £144 billion. The organisation also gives passage to nearly 2,000 rail freight trains through the Channel Tunnel every year, carrying a variety of essential goods to and from the UK, including food for supermarkets, cars and materials such as steel for factories. John explained there is capacity in the tunnel for 8,000 rail freight trains per year, but this is being restricted by the loading gauge on the UK side tracks leading to the Channel Tunnel - the clearance around a rail track such as the height of bridges and tunnels, and width of station platforms. The tunnel was built to W12 loading gauge, in order to be compatible with the European standard for intermodal rail freight. However, the loading gauge on the conventional railway lines through Kent (which connect the tunnel’s freight depot at Dollands Moor with the East and West Coast Main Lines at Wembley) remains at W9 gauge. “This is too low and too narrow to carry European intermodal trains” according to John, who explained how W9 allows for trains of a height of 2.74m and a width of 2.6m to pass through, while W12 increases the height clearance to 2.9m, with the width remaining the same.

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FREIGHT

We could more than double the number of trains that we take through the tunnel

“Following the construction of the Channel Tunnel, the UK Government’s intention was to enhance the gauge on these lines from W9 to W12 to enable European compatibility. Thirty years later and despite support from the industry, the project has never been delivered. “This should have been delivered as part of obligations to provide correct access to the Channel Tunnel and when the two governments signed the Treaty of Canterbury (the original document providing for the undersea tunnel between France and England) to build the infrastructure necessary to promote travel and trains through the tunnel.”

End of the line The high-speed line between the Channel Tunnel and St Pancras, HS1, is capable of carrying European freight trains as far as Barking where containers are unloaded onto lorries. However, the line has a limited timetable for rail freight, weight restrictions and high costs, with currently only one freight train a day travelling on HS1. As a result, the vast majority of freight crossing the Short Straits travels by HGV. “The upgradewofvvthe line always comes out as one w of the top three enhancement projects in Network Rail studies, but it is never the top one so never has the funding to bring to fruition,” said John. “Network Rail has committed to convert the gauge incrementally, initially to W9A, but that isn’t going to be enough to enable European compatibility. It would still mean relying on running on Megafret wagons which aren’t as productive and aren’t what freight transporters want to run across Europe. So you’d either have to accept a non-productive

train across Europe on a less efficient wagon, or you have to run it up on a standard platform and then swap it across to a Megafret wagon in Dollands Moor to take it up the classic line through Kent. “That’s either lost opportunity cost or its additional manual handling costs and then you are running smaller, lighter, less efficient trains, so we really have to look to W12 rather than W9A.” In 2022 Getlink commissioned Volterra to produce an economic viability study into the gauge enhancement project. It found the project could be delivered for £42 million, which is a significant reduction on previous estimates of more than £200 million. The main construction work, which would be completed within five years, would involve converting the route via Maidstone to W12 including the boring out and squaring off by around 50mm Saltwood Tunnel near Folkestone, the chamfering of several platforms on the route and the installation of trackside equipment in some areas. Explaining the reasons for the differences between the two estimates, John said it comes down to rules for new routes and project management. “In the transition to Great British Railways (GBR), we understand the ambition is to remove a key project management issue which involves compensation pay to other train operators for disruption to their routes. Putting everything under the management of GBR, you can significantly reduce the costs private franchises pay to one another - it would in effect be one government department paying money to another which can be scrapped.

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FREIGHT

“The other change is on the rules for creating a new railway line - or a new business case on a line - in which you have to have an alternative route in case something goes wrong. The Network Rail cost assumed that you would have to upgrade both lines through Maidstone and through Redhill at the same time. “As identified in the Volterra report, you only need one line and a feasible alternative route which is HS1. Although you might not have the same capacity, you can run rail freight trains down HS1 in an emergency. So you don’t need to do double the work, you won’t need to do it under the current project regulations and you won’t need to pay the compensation.” The report also highlights the strong economic and environmental benefits of enhancing to W12 loading gauge. It is estimated that, apart from the benefits of modal shift from road to rail, this could also increase UK exports to the EU by between 0.2 per cent to 1.3 per cent and would also further reduce the UK’s reliance on HGV drivers and on traffic disruption in Kent.

Considerable savings To put this into context, the value of reducing UK freight congestion by 50 per cent would have a £3 billion saving per year for the industry. Moreover, Operation Brock, the current traffic management system for disruption in Kent, is estimated to cost the UK economy £250 million per day. “Rail is one of the greenest ways to transport goods, with one freight train taking up to 76 HGVs off the roads, so getting more freight on rail would also significantly reduce the pollution from HGVs travelling through Kent and improve the air quality for local residents,” said John. “We are looking at a cost of tens of millions to complete this project, and the benefits are calculated in billions. “The issue for this work not happening is around its investment, but I think this could be raised from a variety of different sources. Ideally the treasury would pay for it because it is a good sensible investment in UK/EU trade. It also brings in world trade if you take the pressure off your ports and bring goods into Rotterdam or Dunkirk and then you transfer onto rail and you take it all the way to the north of Scotland on a train. “As it stands, nobody dares jump in and the government is understandably nervous about spending. But the benefits are so significant that it is worth a more serious look

and conversations with industry around other ways of financing the project than the current incremental £10 million at a time by Network Rail.” Following the Prime Minister’s decision to reallocate funding from HS2 to other transport projects, now is the time for the government to be looking at enhancements like Dollands Moor to Wembley. We know that the investment – and increase in rail freight traffic it would bring – would have significant economic benefits for businesses in the Midlands and North of England. The proposal comes at a time of great promise for rail freight. In 2022, Toyota and DB Cargo announced they would export cars manufactured in the East Midlands to the EU by train via the Channel Tunnel. Tesco already imports fruit and vegetables by rail freight from Valencia in Spain, delivered by Transfesa Logistics. This includes five weekly train services from Spain to its Barking depot, carrying 35,000 loads of fresh produce such as oranges and lemons, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. Jaguar Land Rover and BMW also use crosschannel rail freight services to import car parts to their manufacturing sites in the UK. John said: “Our freight customers can’t get drivers in Europe because of the driver shortage, they want to reduce their carbon footprint, they want reliable delivery across orders - all of those things impact on the supply chain, they slow it down. “Another benefit from rail freight is that you don’t have border controls at the point of crossing. You have them at the departure depot and the arrival depot and in between there’s a lot more security for the goods, because they are in inaccessible locations. “The goal of net zero by 2050 in transport terms isn’t going to be reached unless we move a lot more stuff to rail. Here’s a relatively modest investment that will provide 6,000 more paths a year through the Channel Tunnel. “That would be 450,000 trucks off the road so it is a massive transfer. We’ve just upgraded the capacity in the tunnel itself this year. We’ve put a new static converter in to balance the pull on the power through the catenary and giving us the capacity to run up to 1,000 trains a day through the tunnel. “At the moment our maximum has been around 400, so we could more than double the number of trains that we take through the tunnel so that 8,000 a year could increase. The big number simple maths argument is pretty straightforward and the interest to move more goods by rail is there.”

We are looking at a cost of tens of millions to complete this project, and the beneﬁts are calculated in billions

October 2023

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ADs.indd 1

04/09/2023 13:33

ADVERTORIAL

Find out how the VTG iWagon is set to revolutionise freight performance on rail. VTG Rail UK Managing Director, Colin Denman, explains more

VTG Rail UK and Knorr-Bremse Systems UK lead the way with trial of UK’s FIRST digital iWagon

ritain’s largest private wagon leasing company, VTG Rail UK, and KnorrBremse Rail Systems UK, the market leader in braking and other systems for rail vehicles, have announced the network trial of the UK’s first digital freight wagon. The VTG iWagon is set to revolutionise freight performance on rail by introducing new and significant safety capabilities, creating operational efficiencies and increasing availability. The iWagon is capable of powering future technologies using VTG Connect as the gateway, incorporating 12 digital innovations on initial launch. The first phase of the nine-wagon trial will be focusing on ground-breaking technology developed in collaboration between VTG and Knorr-Bremse. The first three wagons to be fitted are VTG Rail JPA tank wagons which have been modified at Tarmac’s maintenance depot at Dunbar in Scotland. The further wagons for trial fitment will be deployed on the Hanson and Mendip Rail fleets. The features on the trial include Axle Lock Detection and Wheel Flat Prevention (WFP) technology – a patented system which monitors wheelset slide and brake condition. Each of the wagons has also been fitted with new wheelsets containing four axle end generators which provide power to the WFP system. These will power further digital innovations on future iWagon trials such as digital real-time maintenance, temperature monitoring, harmonics frequency monitoring, and many more.

The trial wagons went into traffic on 2 October to begin four months of testing on Tarmac’s daily return service from its cement plant at Dunbar to its depot at Seaham in County Durham. Initial data from the nine-wagon trial will be available in January 2024 ahead of the first 50 production-ready wagons planned for Q2, 2024.

A decade in development Launching the iWagon at the Rail Freight Group (RFG) annual conference in London on 5 October, VTG Rail UK Managing Director, Colin Denman, said: “The iWagon has been over a decade in development and we are delighted to be at the stage where we can commence countrywide trials of the UK’s first digitalised freight wagon which will enable realtime data to ensure safer railways and better wagon utilisation. “The launch of the iWagon is very exciting for VTG Rail UK, Knorr-Bremse, and the wider industry. For the first time, we can see how axles perform on the network in real time and see where adhesion issues are occurring. Locked axles, leading to wheel flats and derailment of freight wagons, have caused high profile incidents in recent years in the UK. “Digitisation allows us to prevent wheelset damage and axle locks in real time, ensuring multiple parties are given information quickly allowing appropriate corrective action.” Sanjay Albert, Director of Engineering and

Innovation at Knorr-Bremse, also spoke at the launch. He said: “Working in collaboration with VTG Rail UK is very exciting for us at Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK, especially as part of our mission to combine mechatronic expertise with our digital monitoring capability. “Our patented Wheel Flat Prevention technology increases wheel life and reduces potential deep wheel flats which may result in track damage, or in worst cases, derailment. Our digital monitoring capability will enable valuable insight generation to support our customers to achieve efficient operations and maintenance as well as extend to wider industry benefits.” The iWagon technology provides further benefits such as brake condition monitoring which will allow VTG to analyse the performance of a wagon’s brake system from its office in Bromsgrove, with the final goal of removing annual brake tests. It will also ensure that a brake system defect is highlighted on the day it occurs and potentially assist Network Rail in identifying low adhesion hot spots on the network. The new systems have significant advantages but are further enhanced when combined with VTG’s current innovation data platform i-Maintenance (wheelset damage prediction software) and VTG Connect and wagon / bogie imbalance, which will also feature on the iWagon. VTG Rail UK has been working with key industry partners towards the introduction of various major innovations within the rail freight sector for many years.

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FREIGHT

Raising the roof for rail freight

n August, Nestlé UK and Ireland successfully completed a firstof-its-kind rail trial, delivering a rail container that facilitates double-stacked pallets to Tesco. The advanced rail container utilises a roof-raising mechanism, allowing products to be double-stacked from floor to ceiling operating at full capacity before the roof is lowered for transit. This means it’s easier to carry up to double the amount of product compared to other rail container types. Evidence suggests that moving products by rail can have significant environmental benefits. According to the Rail Delivery Group, each freight train has the potential to take up to 76 heavy goods vehicles off the roads and one tonne of products moved by a rail journey produces 76 per cent less emissions than a diesel road journey1 , making it a worthy pursuit. Developing this bespoke rail container has been a two-year journey for us. While we aspired to move products by rail, we faced a challenge when trying

to transport them from our Hams Hall Distribution Park. The site wasn’t set up for rear door loading of containers, and we currently load curtain-sided trailers from the side. We needed a solution that was both rail-compatible and curtain-sided. As a company that manufactures and

distributes a wide range of products, including confectionery, water, cereal, and pet food, Nestle UK & Ireland naturally transports large quantities. This means we have tall pallets that couldn’t fit onto conventional rail assets. That’s where our bespoke unit comes in.

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FREIGHT

The raising roof of the container may only provide a few extra centimetres of height, but it makes all the difference. It allows us to smoothly load our tall double pallets onto the container and then lower the roof just enough to fit comfortably on the UK railway’s shared access network. It’s a small adjustment that has a big impact on our transportation capabilities.

Successful test The trial was ultimately a success. We transported Purina petcare products from our Hams Hall

distribution centre to the Tesco Thurrock distribution centre. But this is just the beginning; we see it as an opportunity for further innovation and development. There are still tweaks to be made, training to be done, and feedback to be gathered. We want to ensure that the container meets our and our customers’ needs. What happens next? Our goal is to refine the container for future delivery opportunities and see how it fits into our overall distribution strategy. We want to achieve a greener

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11/10/2023 11:01

RAILWAY BENEFIT FUND

The Railway Beneﬁt Fund has appointed Jo Kaye as its new Chief Executive Ofﬁcer. She has vowed to harness knowledge and contacts gained from her experience to further the charity’s impact

Taking the charity from strength to strength R

ailway workers are facing increasing hardship because of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, with trends showing younger people are most affected, needing help with debt support and feeding themselves or their families. Continuing to provide a lifeline, as it has done for more than 160 years, is the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF), which provides vital support to current, former and retired colleagues and their dependants across the UK. It is a commitment that is becoming increasingly challenging. For the past five years, demand for its services has more than tripled, with last year the busiest to date in respect of the number of applications received and the number of people supported. “It is heart-wrenching to see that people are working so hard in the industry that I love and yet still for reasons way beyond their control, they are struggling to make ends meet and that is what really brings home the value of what we do,” said Jo Kaye, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RBF. “In some cases, a relatively small sum of money has made a massive change to their lives, saved them from being evicted, and overall transformed their lives. It’s lovely to hear those stories and really makes you keep going.”

RBF has been here for railway people since 1858 and today, thanks to the generosity of the supporters, the charity is able to offer everything from financial grants and confidential advice to online tools and a legal helpline. Jo said: “We provide a range of services designed to provide support through life’s unexpected events. Our assistance is available to anyone working, or who has worked, in the railway, including passenger, freight, infrastructure, supply chain and ancillary services. “I am delighted to be taking on this role and look forward to leading RBF through its next stage of growth, harnessing the knowledge and contacts I have gained from my experience to further RBF’s impact.” Jo joins the charity at an incredibly challenging time for the industry. The charity’s latest impact report revealed that every four minutes someone in rail reached out to RBF in 2022. Other findings revealed earlier this year included:

Carlisle Railway Trust and in education settings, and is currently a Non-Executive Director at Transport for Greater Manchester. “Having worked at Network Rail for 24 years, a big feature of the railways was the whole family thing and the fact that you felt you were part of something bigger than just the job you were doing,” she said. “For me, this role seemed like a real mix of the industry that I love and a really important part of looking after the wider railway family, which is what RBF is here to do.”

services year on year and a big change in the demographic as well. Historically we were supporting lots of former railway workers or retired railway workers, but now it is dominated by people who are current employees, especially with the energy crisis, cost of living and inflation issues that we’ve been having across the nation. “One thing that is certain is the work that we do is so critical because many of the people that we help are potentially facing losing their homes and other issues which have a massive impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing.”

It is heartwrenching to see that people are working so hard in the industry New role Jo was appointed CEO in September, replacing that I love and yet Claire Houghton who has retired after three years, over which time the charity supported thousands of still for reasons railway workers and their families through hardship. way beyond their Initially looking to become a forensic scientist, when there were no trainee opportunities available, “Overall, the aim is to continue to ensure a brighter future Jo joined the graduate training scheme at Railtrack for those involved or who have been involved in the rail control, they are and hasn’t looked back since. Prior to her current role, industry,” said Jo. “One of my immediate priorities is to she was at Network Rail for 24 years, most recently as raise the profile of the charity to increase its visibility in the struggling to make Managing Director of the system operator. She has wider rail network and promote the work we do. previous experience as a trustee of The Settle and “We’ve seen a huge increase in the demand for our ends meet More than 700 applications for financial support were received, a 96 per cent increase on the previous year. RBF awarded £334,729 in grants, up from £263,037 in 2021. One in four of all cases were people who faced losing their homes. There was a 522 per cent increase in referrals to Citizen’s Advice Bureau. 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, meaning that RBF was their last line of support.

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RAILWAY BENEFIT FUND

Overall, the aim is to continue to ensure a brighter future for those involved or who have been involved in the rail industry

The charity relies solely on the generosity of the railway industry and those who donate time and money to look after fellow railway colleagues. Fundraising income required to run the charity increases year on year due to the rise in demand. For 2022, over £450,000 was raised through corporate support and continued growth in community fundraising, with particularly successful fundraisers including Railway Family Week, Heart of Gold Awards and its flagship fundraising event ‘The Royal Charter’. “It is much more challenging in terms of raising the funds, especially with people struggling to make ends meet, which is why they need our help in the first place,” said Jo. “Those very same people therefore don’t have very much spare to give to charity, but there’s lots of other ways to help such as initiatives with corporate partnerships, but also by way of volunteering for RBF, with your expertise and time as valuable as the cash. “Overall, the next steps for me are to develop a new strategy for the whole organisation, which includes developing our services to support the railway family even more. Although giving financial assistance is the core of what we do, we’d also like to develop further services that we have started over the last few years to stop people getting into debt in the first place. “We’re also developing our work with the retired community. I talked earlier about the railway family, and sometimes when people retire they really feel the loss of that family connection, so what we’re trying to do is run some events where people in the industry can come together and share their stories, get to know

each other and reconnect with the industry in a way that perhaps they might have found more difficult in retirement.” With longer-term plans being developed, the immediate priority turns to the fundraising events over Christmas.

A Christmas gesture This Christmas, the charity aims to send a £50 gift voucher to each child whose family has received RBF support in 2022. This is a small gesture from RBF, but it makes an enormous difference to railway staff and their children who are struggling. This year, the charity needs to raise an additional £10,000 to gift every railway child with a voucher to brighten their Christmas. Jo said: “We are very reliant on our partners in the railway industry to help us and I hope they will support some of the fantastic campaigns we have coming up in the coming months. “Christmas is a big push for us. I appreciate it is a difficult time for lots of people, but it is also a real opportunity to help out either financially or in volunteer time with a number of the exciting things we’ve got coming up. “The support of the industry is vital in ensuring we can support those in rail who are struggling. Overall, I am very excited about what the future holds for RBF, and the difference we can make to so many lives.” You can get in touch with Jo at jkaye@railwaybenefitfund.org.uk Visit www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk for more details and to view our Impact Report

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PEOPLE

Working together to mitigate significant challenges I

t could so easily have been a different outcome. When Porterbrook and Greenbrier signed a contract in 2021 to deliver 100 new intermodal twin wagons to GB Railfreight (GBRf), and subsequently a contract for 50 new box wagons, few could have predicted the myriad of difficulties that would be faced. Not only was the project impacted by the pandemic. Add to that supply chain disruption, a surge in inflation, and energy price increases due to the war in Ukraine, and it makes it all the more remarkable that the work was successfully completed on time, with the final wagons having arrived with GBRf last month.

Increased capacity The wagons have already increased the rail freight capacity in the UK, encouraging modal shift from road to rail. Today, they are being used by the rail freight company to move an extra 1.2 million tonnes of aggregate every year – with each tonne of freight transported by rail producing 76 per cent less carbon than road haulage. “I’m extremely proud of what has been achieved especially taking into account how many hurdles there have been to overcome,” said Mark Wyborn, Head of Freight at Porterbrook. “Delivering rail freight growth is the number one priority for us, ensuring we deliver value to our customers, clients and shareholders, which this partnership has achieved. “The key has been in bringing the teams together and having upfront, honest, and sometimes difficult conversations. Straight away we took the decision at Porterbrook to lead the project on the basis that we were in control of both parties (GBRf and Greenbrier) and overall, everyone was extremely happy with how it went.” When the contract was signed, it was believed that the worst of the pandemic was over, although heavy restrictions remained in place all over Europe. This was followed by the implications of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, with a number of Greenbrier’s factory workers in Poland called up to fight against Russia.

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PEOPLE

A key supplier based in Ukraine also had to restrict its supply to the factories, and the conflict resulted in a 125 per cent increase in steel prices by March 2022 and a significant rise in energy costs all in all, increasing the cost of producing a wagon significantly in a couple of months, threatening to derail the project. “We wanted to keep the deal together and ensure we could deliver. Our aim was to be transparent and adopt a solution-based approach,” added Mark. “There was no way we could have passed the cost increase on to GBRf and ultimately the end customer because the deal would have fallen apart, so it was Porterbrook and Greenbrier’s problem to solve.

A solution Mark added: “We started speaking to our shareholders about what risk we could realistically take on ourselves and what Greenbrier could do, which led to us taking additional commercial risk and providing additional capital funding. Greenbrier in turn absorbed some of the cost, with the remainder passed on to GBRf as this limited the exposure to the end customer. “The next problem to overcome was the delivery, particularly in sourcing the steel, which Greenbrier managed to achieve largely due to stockpiling and ordering more steel upfront. It was then all about keeping the project on track, holding weekly meetings which delved into the detail and involved open and honest conversations, ensuring we all worked together to overcome any hurdles. It was a true team effort.”

The project is already having a huge impact on rail freight in the UK. The new FEA-G intermodal high-density twin wagons mean that GBRf is able to increase the number of 20-foot equivalent units that can be carried on each service – fitting six in the same space that could previously only fit four. Meanwhile, the JNA-X box wagons feature additional strengthening on the box without adding any weight. They can each carry 101.6 tonnes, compared to a standard 90-tonne capacity box wagon. They are being used in the movement of construction materials for HS2 from the Peak District to Birmingham. “The first 25 JNA-X box wagons arrived on schedule at Wembley in London in November 2022 and were followed shortly by the first FEA-G intermodal twin wagons later that month. The full order for the box wagons was completed by January this year, with the delivery of the last of the 100 intermodal twin wagons in August. “This project has demonstrated our commitment to freight and has positioned us well for future growth in the sector. It is testament to the strength of our partnership with GBRf and Greenbrier that we’ve worked together and agreed ways to mitigate significant challenges.” It is the latest in exciting projects for Mark, whose extensive railway experience has taken him into roles within operations, engineering, sales, commercial and finance departments with train and freight operators, Network Rail, and for the last two-and-ahalf years at Porterbrook.

Delivering rail freight growth is the number one priority for us, ensuring we deliver value to our customers, clients and shareholders, which this partnership has achieved

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PEOPLE

“My simple motto is that the freight operators are there to run trains and my job and our job at Porterbrook is to give them the assets that they need to run those trains,” he said. “Looking to the future, I think new locomotives are a little while off (due to market conditions and lack of incentives), so at the present new wagons are absolutely the key thing that is required, particularly with such an aging fleet, so we need to be at the forefront of that. “More investment into wagons will lead to further investment into the decarbonisation of locomotives if freight growth is to be achieved, as more wagons will require more locomotives. “To make sure that is the case, my role is to understand what the challenges are for the people that we are selling to, or the people that are expected to run more freight on the rail network and in the case of construction and intermodal in wagons, looking at how they can be sustainable with mainline locos. “We’re also looking at shunt locomotives. There are about 60 British Class 08 diesel-electric shunting locomotives operating in the UK and we’re looking at how to decarb them. “These are 60-year-old assets that are operating in all sorts of different terminals, so we are building on some key partnerships.”

A long term view Porterbrook is committed to investing in rail freight for the long term and to providing affordable, innovative, and sustainable rolling stock options to the sector.

Mark is keen to dispel the myth that rolling stock leasing companies are about the profits and the short term, highlighting some of the longer-term projects underway. “Express freight is an area we are actively trying to pursue,” he said. “If you look at our Class 769s we have bi-modes, diesel, electrics, and some are trimode, which is significant because not a lot of rail freight terminals are electrified. We are in the process of converting some of them for express freight so we can offer a rolling stock solution that can truly go anywhere in the network. “The next part will be gauging and then it is our job to convert logistics providers by first and foremost proving the reliability of the 769s and then publicising it, and secondly looking at the support we can offer when it comes to property and land connected terminals. Ideally, I’d like to see facilities straddle across intermodal, bulk, and express freight. “As proven by the project with Greenbrier and GBRf, collaboration is key, and we are working with end users as to what their strategic asset plans look like for the next five/10 years and in coming up with solutions that compete with road from a commercial and performance point of view. “Looking specifically at Porterbrook and we have proven we have the ability to overcome major hurdles, so as long as we keep delivering on time, showing our value and innovating, and continuing to work with people to achieve that, we should be optimistic about the future. We don’t just hold a short-term view and when it comes to changing the industry for the better nothing is off the table.”

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RIA CONFERENCE

RIA’s Award-winning Annual Conference is a much-regarded highlight of the UK rail calendar and 2023 will be no exception

The Railway Industry Association Conference 2023

he Railway Industry Association’s (RIA) award winning conference returns in November. A muchregarded highlight of the UK rail calendar, this year’s event will be no exception with the opportunity of meeting face-to-face with clients, industry leaders, influencers, international guests and policy makers. This year’s event, taking place on 1 and 2 November at Millenium Conference Centre, South Kensington, London, focuses on the theme of ‘Promoting the case for rail and investment in uncertain times’. Over the space of two days, the programme will combine keynote speeches, panel discussions, interview sessions, spotlight exhibitor pitches and unique networking opportunities. RIA Senior Marketing & Events Manager, Grace

Smithen, said: “The RIA Annual Conference & Dinner will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from a first-class range of speakers, take advantage of unrivalled networking opportunities and enjoy some fantastic entertainment. Alongside the established features of the conference, we’re also introducing spotlight sessions, where exhibitors will be able to showcase their products”.

The Dinner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, DL is set to be the guest speaker at RIA’s Annual Conference Dinner 2023. The Dinner will take place at the Millennium Hotel, central London, on Wednesday 1 November following the first day of the conference. Baroness Grey-Thompson has been an independent crossbench member of the House of

Lords since 2010, where she has championed the rights of disabled people, including access to rail. She is a multi-gold medallist in Paralympic sport and has achieved an impressive haul of 11 gold and four silver medals, along with a bronze medal – all in wheelchair racing. She is a trustee of the Commonwealth Sports Foundation and an ambassador for UNICEF as well as the Chair of Sport Wales. In addition to Baroness Grey-Thompson’s address, guests will be treated to live music from Miss Kiddy and the Cads, who offer an eclectic mix of Bowie to Beyonce, all with a jazz twist! Afterwards, international DJ Kruel Intentions will keep attendees on their feet until the early hours! The event is open to both RIA and non-RIA members. Visit riagb.org.uk/AC23 for more information

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RIA CONFERENCE

Speakers

RIA Annual Conference 2023 James Bain, Chief Executive Officer, Worldline UK&I Promoting the case for rail and investment in John Larkinson, Chief Executive , Office of Rail and Road uncertain times

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail Andy Bagnall, Chief Executive, Rail Partners Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL

Lucy Prior, Business Growth Director, HIRD Group

Beth West, Chief Executive Officer, East West Rail

Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General, Rail Freight Group

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive, Railway Industry Association

Nick Hughes, Sales Director, Hitachi

David Camerlengo, Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner, Australian High Commission

Rupert Clubbs, Lead Officer, Transport for the South East

Millennium Gloucester Hotel Claire Mann, Managing Director, South Western Railway 1 and 2 NovemberMartin Tugwell, Chief Executive, Transport for the North London Kensington

Rufus Boyd, Interim Lead Director, Great British Railways Transition Team

David Tonkin, Chairman, Railway Industry Association

Steve White, Managing Director, Southeastern

Emma Porter, Managing Director, Story Contracting

Stuart Harvey, Chief Capital Officer, Transport for London

Eoin Gillard, Assistant Director, National Transport Authority

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester

Huw Merriman MP, Rail & HS2 Minister

2-day conference with inspiring keynotes including: – Huw Merriman MP, Rail and HS2 Minister – Andrew Haines, Chief Executive, Network Rail – Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE, DL, Member of the House of Lords – And many more… Large interactive exhibition area with spotlight pitches presenting services, products and solutions Evening programme including networking drinks, dinner and entertainment

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RIA CONFERENCE

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Wednesday 01 November 2023 08:30

Registration, exhibition and welcome coffee/tea