High Speed Special Supplement

MANCHESTER

LEEDS

High Speed SPECIAL

FREaEge

32 p ial Spec

BIRMINGHAM

EUSTON railmagazine.com

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High Speed abroad HS2’s Design Vision and more...

Sponsored by

We are CEK and this is our journey... <^ dWS g_b[R _T Q_^cdbeQdX_^ 5NbX[[X_^ 7XůNVS N^R >XSb ^SSR [Xdd[S X^db_ReQdX_^ 4ed Nc N Y_X^d fS^debS gS bSN[XcS 57> ]XVWd c_e^R N [Xdd[S [Scc TN]X[XNb You may know Carillion as UK’s leading rail and highways contractor. Eiffage is rightly famous as one of Europe’s leading public works contractors. And Kier is actively delivering some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects in transport, power and utilities.

But guess what? All three of us are as adept at building teams as we are building high speed rail. After all, rail travel brings people together. And that’s what will happen at every stage of the journey to delivering HS2.

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CONTENTS

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HS2: facts and figures

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HS2 is a lot more than just the sum of its parts, as the figures prove.

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The French connection

Construction firm Eiffage’s work in France puts it in the frame for HS2 contracts.

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Great expectations

Rail Minister CLAIRE PERRY says HS2 is an opportunity to restore national pride.

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HS2: The big picture

HS2 Ltd’s TOM KELLY reminds everyone why HS2 is needed.

Welcome... ...to a 32-page special all about High Speed, sponsored by Carillion Eiffage Kier.

This is an exciting time for high speed in the UK as the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin has just announced that HS2 will be open between the Midlands and Crewe in 2027 a mere SIX YEARS early.

This shows unwavering commitment to the project from the UK Government. That HS2 should have such support is not surprising, bearing in mind its cross-party political support.

And make no mistake, HS2 will benefit many more people than just the passengers.

Businesses up and down the UK, skilled engineers and various other sectors and graduates all stand to benefit from the project.

This is an exciting, unprecedented period of investment in the rail industry and HS2 is perhaps the central point of all of this.

Thousands of jobs will be created, and the supply chain will play a vital role in the construction of this railway.

And, as you will see on the following pages, companies are lining up to bring their expertise to the project.

Lessons have to be learned, of course, and that’s where Carillion Eiffage Kier comes in. Projects in France offer insight into what challenges HS2 will face, and how they can be overcome. HS2 requires extraordinary engineering projects and a trip across the Channel offers the opportunity to see just what can be achieved.

HS2 Ltd wants to build the very best

Sponsored by

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Northern ambition

Rail North and Northern Rail share visions for HS2’s connectivity in the north.

high-speed railway it can. Eighteen trains per hour will leave a re-developed London Euston each hour when the line opens. Many will serve the great cities of the north; and the region is preparing itself. New franchises will provide an opportunity to serve the new railway and its passengers. The operators of the north will be able to transport passengers to and from the HS stations. Remember that HS2 is about connectivity and the opportunity to help distribute the wealth around the country.

Various agencies and operators in the North speak of excitement at the arrival of the railway and the opportunities that it will bring.

But they also make a good point - that their services must improve if the passenger is to receive a seamless journey.

And, of course, HS2 offers a major boost for the existing network. The new railway will bring a huge increase in capacity. More journey opportunities will be available on the ‘classic’ routes, while freight will be able to access the network at a time when that sector is expected to be growing.

HS2 is coming. Industry - and the politicians - are busy preparing themselves. Rail Minister Claire Perry says Royal Assent will be awarded next year and that spades will be in the ground in 2017. This is an exciting time for the railway, and for Britain.

RICHARD CLINNICK

RAIL Assistant Editor

Cover images: ALAMY

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Alstom’s HS2 plans

Alstom’s HS2 Director HENRIK ANDERBERG discusses HS2’s specifications.

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Fast track to the future

ANDREW McNAUGHTON explains HS2’s design and operation ambitions.

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HS2’s Design Vision

HS2 Ltd’s KATE HALL describes the importance of good design for HS2.

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The role of ballast

PANDROL explains the pros and cons of ballasted and non-ballasted track.

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor: Nigel Harris Assistant Editor: Richard Clinnick Contributing Writers: Stefanie Browne, Philip Haigh Art Editor: Graham Copestake Sub-Editor: Richard Hampson Production Manager: Mandy Brett Managing Director: Tim Lucas

ADVERTISING

Commercial Director: Sarah Crown Group Advertisement Manager: Karen Gardiner Account Director: Julie Howard

More than a railway S2 is controversial. But even those opposed to the new railway are making plans to maximise its benefits should their opposition fail. These days, conversations about high speed are much more about ‘how’ than ‘if’, and about the railway beyond simply tracks and trains.

The project planning has moved on to design of stations and public spaces and how to integrate the existing railway and landscape with a new, modern system to make the most of the opportunity.

And it’s about more than just a rail network. Local communities are already seeing HS2 as a catalyst for expansion and evolution in their area - better connectivity brings with it jobs, tourism, housing and, ultimately, money.

The subject has evolved into a gargantuan story where it’s all too easy to become sidetracked by the minutiae of route inches and ticket prices and to forget about all the things HS2 could really mean for Britain and its economy.

None of those small things are unimportant but, taken as a whole, HS2 is a lot more than just the sum of its parts…

The line will be built for a top speed of

400 kph

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HS2 connects eight of Britain’s 10 largest cities

HS2

HS2 will have the capacity for 18 trains per hour in each direction

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High Speed

HS2

LONDON

Two thirds of northern England’s population will be within two hours of London

HS2 connects directly, or via short link, to Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester airports

billion

of railway contracts available to businesses

500,

000

HS2 could mean there are 500,000 fewer lorry journeys on the M1, M40, and M6

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Two million trees will be planted along the route of Phase 1 between London and the West Midlands

%

of business leaders believe HS2 will be good for British business

.billion5 7

£

of rolling stock contracts available to businesses

60 %

of contracts expected to go to small and mediumsized businesses

FEWER

11

£££

million

1000 ha

,

of landscaping/screening areas will be created

520 ha

of new woodland & lowland meadows

special report

tHe FrencH connection Eiffage is a member of the CEK joint Venture, formed to bid for contracts on HS2. CEK has three members: Carillion, Eiffage & Kier - three companies with outstanding expertise in the design, construction, operation, financing and maintenance of railway networks across Europe, including high-speed rail systems and their infrastructure.

Carillion and Kier are currently collaborating on another major infrastructure project, the £475 million Smart Motorway scheme, and are also long-standing framework partners on the King’s Cross development for Argent. Eiffage has also delivered key European projects with Carillion, including the Channel Tunnel.

The experience provided by individuals is also key and current projects for the three partners include Crossrail, Paris Metro, Aberdeen Western Bypass and Mersey Gateway.

Each of the partners is highly experienced in working within multicontractor teams and their combined talents and expertise provides a highly experienced delivery solution for the country’s largest infrastructure project to date, HS2.

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CEK Special Report

construction firm eiffage’s work on the high-speed line from Le Mans to rennes puts it firmly in the frame as a potential Hs2 contractor with Joint venture partners carillion and Kier WORDS: PHiLiP HaigH eavy lorries rolled along the black asphalt strip that curved gently up and over the nearest hill.

Its smooth surface needed only a white line to be complete.

Yet there was no paint to come. Instead, those lorries dumped their loads of heavy stone chips into the hoppers of pavers that spread it precisely over that black asphalt. For this was no road but a new high-speed railway line from Le Mans to Rennes, in western France.

Construction company Eiffage contends that the asphalt will result in a stronger trackbed that’s better able to carry the dynamic loads of trains running at up to 200mph (320kph). It’s one of the innovations the firm has brought to high-speed rail (HSR) to meet the needs of ever increasing train speeds.

Britain’s HS2 project will involve higher speeds than ever before on UK rails - 250mph

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PHOTOGRAPHY: eiFFage (400kph) - and such innovations will become more important. French railway company SNCF ran a train at 357mph (575kph) under test conditions in 2007 and the latest European highspeed trains are designed for 225mph (360kph).

As train speeds increase, it’s clear that track and formation design must match that capability. It must cope with the transition from earthworks to harder structures, such as bridges and viaducts.

Ballast must withstand higher dynamic loads without fluidisation, which can cause the track to shift from its proper position. (The vibrations imparted by ballast tampers deliberately fluidise ballast so that it packs properly around sleepers.)

Eiffage is building the Le Mans-Rennes line under a project abbreviated to BPL - BretagnePays de la Loire - reflecting the areas in which those cities stand. It’s a €3 billion French public-private partnership project with funding coming from national and local government and SNCF, a €1bn loan from 12 banks to

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If you can achieve your result with fewer interfaces then it will be more reliable.

MICHEL OLÉO, PROJECT DIRECTOR, EIFFAGE

special purpose company Eiffage Rail Express (ERE) and €129 million euros from Eiffage Group itself.

The deal lasts for 25 years, and includes six years of construction followed by 19 years of maintenance. Eiffage fully owns construction company CLERE and operating company OPERE. The line itself will feature 214km of track, 182km of which is 320kph line, plus 32km of junction links to the existing French network.

There are no stations, but eight junctions add to the complexity.

It has been a long time coming. Back in 1984, when SNCF built its second HSL, from Paris to Le Mans, it included provision (including bridges at Connerre junction, east of Le Mans) for the line that Eiffage is now building. A decade later work had been completed on the scope of the project and another decade passed before a public inquiry took place. This led to a tender in 2008 for which Eiffage was declared the winner. It signed its public-private partnership (PPP) deal with French railway owner RFF in 2011. Trains will be running from 2017, giving a Paris-Rennes journey time of less than 1 hour 30 minutes - 37 minutes less than today’s journey times.

Eiffage’s design, build and maintain contract gives it great incentives to build a railway based on best whole-life costs using systems engineering, rather than just building the system for the lowest cost and leaving other firms to cope with spending more to maintain it. According to Project Director Michel Oléo, the project also benefitted from SNCF allowing some flexibility with existing French High Speed Line (HSL) specifications. This allowed for innovation, he stressed.

A flatter management structure has been created, which, argues Oléo, allows for further innovation. Decisions can now be made at the correct place, rather than always being made at the top. For civil work, the Le Mans-Rennes HSL is divided into seven parts, each overseen

by a manager who is responsible for everything in his or her section. These sections are sized so that the manager can easily cover the patch in a day. For BPL, each section is around 30km long.

Designers, builders and maintainers work together and have done from day one. This way, says Oléo, the best decision can be made between, for example, the length of earthworks and the length of a bridge.

Of these integrated teams, he says: “They have to be in the same place with the same boss and understand what others are doing in a clear and simple language. We need to have people together every day, in the same building. We normally don’t do this intense sharing of problems, but it works.”

Project Technical Director Imed Ben Fredj expands on this, saying that the integrated design team must consider ease of construction, planning, safety and costs.

Integration allows those building the line to make decisions early in the design phase. “If we want to be successful, the team must work towards one target - the project,” he says, while recognising that each part of the team still has to make a profit.

Oléo adds: “With system engineering, if you can achieve your result with fewer interfaces then it will be more reliable and more efficient.”

Bretagne-Pays de La Loire Key dates

❱ Contract start: August 3 2011 ❱ Preparatory work starts: July 2012 ❱ Civil engineering stats: December 2012 ❱ Rail installation starts: March 2015 ❱ Electrical power connected: Summer 2016 ❱ Works complete: September 2016 ❱ Line commissions: May 2017.

Source: Eiffage.

Eiffage certainly has some interfaces to deal with. For example, the BPL line will have three signalling systems; TVM signalling for high speed, as well as ERTMS at Levels 1 and 2.

Level 2 is needed as a result of European standards for interoperable railways while TVM is standard equipment for France’s fleet of TGV trains. ERTMS Level 1 is needed for freight trains using the eastern part of the line as a diversion around Le Mans. How many freight locomotives will be equipped with the necessary on-board kit for ERTMS remains to be seen but the facility for freight to use BPL came at the request of local government in Le Mans, which was keen to remove freight trains from the city centre. There is also provision for a local service between Laval and Sablésur-Sarthe to run (there is currently no direct railway between the two towns).

The two are some of the more surprising aspects of local consultation which is just as important a part of French life as it is in Britain. Elsewhere, bridges have been painted in colours according to local preferences, including the 300m viaduct over the environmentally protected valley of the River Courbe. Land temporarily used for building purposes has been returned to farmers according to their needs in an area famed for its agriculture. In some cases, it means that what might have been a gentle cutting slope is now steeper to maximise the usable land above it.

Eiffage encouraged the use of local workers.

At the height of construction, 2,000 staff were employed, of which 800 were local while 15% of the total man hours were fulfilled by those who had been unemployed before the project.

The company placed high emphasis on skills and learning France takes a similar view to Britain when it comes to protecting wildlife and the environment. The route runs through the habitats of Marbled Newts, Common Parsley Frogs, Bechstein’s Bats, Hermit Beetles CEK Special Report

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special report and Natterjack Toads, along with plants such as Soft Hornwort. Otters too were considered in the design of culverts carrying watercourses under the trackbed, with culverts made large enough to accommodate them.

The BPL route features some impressive structures, including viaducts over rivers and bridges over railways and roads, including motorways. When design changes called for one river bridge to be moved 10m to one side, the line was adjusted for 14km east and west to compensate for the shift - ample demonstration that a high-speed line is more than just its component parts.

Eiffage developed a standard design for most of its bridges, allowing for component construction off-site and quicker assembly on-site. For the first time, it used cut-andcover tunnels made from three-piece precast concrete arches which halves the cost compared with casting concrete in situ (they have been used on French roads before but not railways). Further innovation came with other cut-and-cover tunnels (sometimes called green tunnels) built using steel sheet-pile walls rather than diaphragm walls.

The decision to use asphalt resulted from the problems Eiffage has seen on France’s eastern HSL (LGV Est). It also has some construction advantages, in that lorries can be driven on it (heavy steel plates are laid to provide turning areas so the lorries do not damage the trackbed) but it also saves on ballast, with a top layer of 32cm rather than 35cm.

On this layer runs a MATISA track-laying machine operated by Eiffage subsidiary Wittfeld to lay the two tracks. The machine has run at up to 2.2km per day, although 1.5km per day is more usual. It works to an alignment tolerance of 10mm left and right of the track’s design route with the machine laying sleepers, threading rails into position and then pushing into place the clips that secure the rails to the sleepers.

The machine carries a stock of monoblock sleepers to an SNCF design (Eiffage even considered building its own sleeper factory at one point) and a stock of rails. They are temporarily bolted together to form 900m lengths which are then dragged out in front of the machine. Once the rails are lying to the left and right, the machine slowly moves forward until it runs out of rails, at which point another long string is pulled forward. Their temporary fishplate joints will be removed, the rail containing the holes cut away and then two

lengths joined using flash-butt welding and appropriately stressed. The machine returns to base every night to be loaded with more materials.

The stones which form the line’s ballast are noticeably larger than those used in Britain.

This allows the ballast to cope with the forces of fast running. It’s also laid in a precise shape that has two distinct raised sections on either side of a lower central trough.

This ensures that when the sleepers are laid they are correctly supported to spread the loads imposed through the rails. The trough prevents any sleepers being supported merely at their centre.

HSLs demand tight tolerances. At a recent Institution of Mechanical Engineers conference, HS2 Rail Systems Engineering Director Mark Howard talked about track geometry tolerances of 1mm. He also noted the importance of the user (passenger and maintainer) and the need to put people at the heart of HS2’s design. This is all reflected in the work Eiffage has under way in France.

Eiffage subsidiaries have completed power and cabling works with two major

Bretagne-Pays de La Loire HsL Land: 2,500 hectares Earthworks: 26Mm3 Cut-and-cover tunnels: 7 Viaducts: 9 Bridges: 5 motorway and 225 over roads and railways Culverts: 275 (also used for small animal crossings ) Wildlife corridors: 21 Electrical sub-stations: 2

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Rails: 820km Sleepers: 700,000 Ballast: 1.9mt Maintenance bases: 2 Signalling: 3 systems; TVM300, ERTMS Level 1, ERTMS Level 2 OLE masts: 8,500 Cable: 4,000km GSM radio towers: 26 Source: Eiffage.

sub-stations along the route drawing electricity from the French national grid. The subsidiaries have also co-ordinated signalling installation by Ansaldo and overhead line equipment (OLE) erection by Colas Rail (OLE installation is one of the few rail disciplines that Eiffage does not encompass). This catenary is to SNCF’s V350 design. Masts are erected during trackbed construction before ballast, sleepers and rails, which, initially, looks like a road flanked by masts and blue and yellow signal marker boards. On some of the link lines to SNCF’s classic network, even the signals have been installed before the tracks!

Meanwhile, Eiffage’s maintenance base is collating the information it needs to keep the line in good condition. The site is already busy, not least because it doubles as a base for the track laying machine. It will be from here that maintenance is planned, stock levels monitored and efficiency analysed to further improve maintenance. Track staff will be based here (25 for signalling, electrification and telecoms and a production team of 15, including works train drivers and control centre staff).

Software will also be used - the Maximo system has been selected to monitor the state of the line. Eiffage believes that this, combined with ArcGis mapping, is sufficient. It uses BIM (building information management) and plans to use BIM on HS2, learning from its experience on BPL. The track was also designed with maintenance in mind, and frequent wide spaces have been created alongside the tracks in which equipment can be placed. These spaces are the equivalent of a maintenance lay-by on a road, although the French call them ‘platforms’. The importance of including

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Hs2 PHase 1 civiL engineering contracts Euston tunnEls and approachEs

£600m-£900m Includes tunnels between Old Oak Common and Euston stations, Old Oak Common station box and Euston station approaches.

northolt tunnEls

£850m-£1,400m Includes Old Oak Common Tunnel, Northolt Tunnel, Victoria Road crossover box, Northolt Tunnel west portal to Harvill Road.

chiltErn tunnEls and colnE VallEy Viaduct

£800m-£1,300m Colne Viaduct, Tile House Chiltern portal, Chiltern south portal and Chiltern Tunnel.

chiltErn tunnEl north portal to BracklEy

£800m-£1,300m Surface route and Calvert maintenance depot.

BracklEy to long itchington Wood tunnEl south portal

£600m-£900m Surface route.

long itchington Wood tunnEl south portal to dElta Junction and Birmingham spur

£900m-£1,500m Includes Washwood Heath control centre.

dElta Junction to Wcml tiE-in

£800m-£1,300m Includes main line, north chord, Leeds spur and Birmingham spur east.

HS2 plans to invite bids for these seven phase one main works civils contracts (MWCC). It does not intend for one bidder to bid for more than four contracts and will not award more than two contracts to any one bidder. It expects between four and seven bidders to win work.

Source HS2 OJEU notice.

them is one of the lessons Eiffage learnt from its joint venture on the Perpignan-Figueras HSL between France and Spain (which also includes the 8km Perthus tunnel under the Pyrenees).

The company believes it can bring this maintenance experience to HS2 because, although it understands that HS2 plans to do its own maintenance, whole-life costs are improved if maintenance is considered during the design phase.

Watching a high-speed railway being built is an impressive sight and it’s abundantly clear that Eiffage has the necessary skills and experience. That’s why it is now looking towards HS2 and the opportunities that line presents. Indeed, the BPL line will open in 2017 - around the time construction work should start on HS2. That there could be a seamless transfer of skilled people has not escaped Eiffage’s notice.

It has joined Carillion and Kier in a joint venture to bid for HS2 construction contracts. The consortium has been completing pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) with bidding for real contracts expected to follow over the next year or so.

As Michel Oléo says: “We have experience of high-speed lines. We have experience of being free to innovate and of working with different partners. I hope HS2 recognises this in our PQQ.” The three partners bring different experience. Kier and Carillion have extensive UK experience. Kier delivered the civil engineering needed for High Speed 1 around King’s Cross, including eight bridges and viaducts, tunnels and earthworks. It had to cope with the operational railways around it - including Network Rail and London Underground’s Piccadilly Line - as well as the Grand Union Canal.

More recently, the company is closely involved with Crossrail, London’s major eastwest rail building project. Kier has taken on contract C435 for Farringdon station, which will deliver two ticket halls at either end of two platform tunnels. The western hall will be shared with Farringdon’s Thameslink services

while the eastern hall will provide access to Underground services at Barbican.

Two further Crossrail joint venture contracts highlight Kier’s expertise; C300 and C410 for the Western Running Tunnels and for all station tunnels and sprayed tunnel linings in Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road stations, plus access shaft contracts at Liverpool Street and Whitechapel stations.

Meanwhile, Carillion is Network Rail’s largest contractor as well as being one of the major players on the UK Highway programme.

Its most significant current rail project involves carrying out major modifications to the GW mainline at Old Oak Common (a significant HS2 hub) and West London, for Crossrail.

Carillion is proud of its environmental and sustainability record on both rural and urban projects throughout the UK. This included the East London Line project, key to the success of the 2012 Games.

The trio - Carillion, Eiffage and Kier announced their joint venture last June with their chief executives welcoming the chance to work together. Their combined expertise covers the disciplines needed by HS2, with its mix of long tunnels, open country construction, links to existing rail lines and the need to keep local communities content, not only during construction but also afterwards, when trains are running.

France is an acknowledged leader and

pioneer of high-speed rail travel. Few countries can bring its depth of experience to bear in the field and even fewer European countries have this ability. Britain already benefits from French know-how with High Speed 1 running from London to the Channel Tunnel. It uses TVM signalling and track and OLE designs to French standards and performs with delays which are measured in just seconds.

A joint venture of Carillion, Eiffage and Kier is exceptionally well placed to combine French experience with British knowledge to build High Speed 2 and so radically transform the capacity and connectivity of Britain’s rail network.

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Great expectations As well as the many economic benefits, Rail Minister CLAIRE PERRY says that HS2 is an opportunity to address our national pride deficit ail Minister Claire Perry is confident about the future of High Speed 2.

Speaking at RAIL’s National Rail Conference on November 5 in Leeds, Perry says: “Royal Assent will be granted next year, and there will be spades in the ground from 2017.

“This is a great opportunity to start promoting the benefits, as I said not just for HS2 but for railways in general.

“The capacity increase from the South through the Midlands is absolutely vital.

It will galvanise the economy, particularly in the North and the Midlands. The mere fact that this railway is coming is breaking down barriers across political parties, local authorities, business and politics. People are coming together in all sorts of groups to talk about how they can benefit from these new paths, this new capacity. As for freight, there are enormous opportunities for exporters.”

Her view certainly matches the key argument for HS2 - capacity. She says that had it been named ‘High Capacity 2’ then the project would not have faced so much opposition. Turning back to the subject of freight, Perry explains: “If you talk to Birmingham businesses about the opportunity to export down these new paths they’re very excited. This has had an interesting side-effect.

“Various industry collaborations for the rail supply, rail delivery and rail freight groups are really starting to work now. So the industry is starting to speak in one voice, particularly about the need to maintain strategic freight lines. That thinking and that voice is being heard loud and clear, both in terms of the main line rail networks, and as we move forward with HS2.”

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There are concerns about HS2, that it will take money from other projects, and that regions not served by the new railway are paying for something they do not benefit from. Perry says of this: “A councillor in Suffolk told me she was concerned that HS2 was somehow sucking the railway budget dry. I told her that of the £38 billion we are spending on the railway over the next five years, a small fraction is going into the start-up of HS2. And it’s not a case of having to decide between this project or that project, we must do everything.”

She adds: “We all know that transport projects deliver huge amounts of economic value. I’m also interested in building a better business case. The business case for HS1 was marginal. But where would be without it at St Pancras? We have to do a better job of capturing and communicating the value that transport investment brings.”

Perry certainly believes the railway will be built. But ultimately, if the railway is to gain public approval, the most important factor will be the passengers’ perceptions. What are her views on the customer experience? She says she’s spoken with HS2 Ltd about this. “The passenger experience is front and centre of HS2’s approach to envisaging what a journey should be like.”

She emphasises the need for a clear thought process regarding how the railway will be operated. It’s a chance to do it in a completely different way to any other railway, yet in a way that works incredibly well.” But, she warns: “We want an operating model that best delivers that service at the right cost.”

The new railway aims to bring investment opportunities to the North. But some have

The industry is starting to speak in one voice, particularly about the need to maintain strategic freight lines Sponsored by

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suggested that it is a project designed to bring more money into London. Perry vehemently disagrees: “HS2 is entirely about improving connectivity North to South and South to North. It will make it easy for people to relocate businesses out of the South East.”

HS2 will also create commuting opportunities. Perry says: “Some people believe that this will only make it more attractive to go and live in the South East.

But what if you could live in Warwickshire, or Leeds or Manchester, and work in London? The time saved here would also make commuting to the south of London more attractive.

Perry points out: “The biggest growth over the last few years has been in regional rail. People are using the railways to

High Speed

SPECIAL

travel to places other than London.”

HS2, she says, will start to re-establish pride in the transport network. “We love our steam trains, and we love to talk about our railway history, but the railway is also the transport system of the future. It’s clean, it’s vast, it’s convenient. It runs right into our city centres, right where you need it to be.

“For me, one of the most important things about HS2 is that it will bring us closer to that ‘one nation’ vision.” She says HS2 has already triggered economic activity across the country.

“HS2 is now all about delivery. Over the summer, we started recruiting for HS2 design’s panel. Lord Adonis has joined HS2 Ltd’s board.

He was the champion of HS2 in the last Labour government, and he is a railway man. I think he is a wonderful addition to the team.

“Soon, we’ll announce the route that takes forward the northern sections from Birmingham and Manchester to Leeds.”

She acknowledges that cities are gearing up for the advantages the new railway will bring. She talks of the business opportunities for contractors, a key feature of which has been how small and medium-sized firms account for 60% of those involved. HS2 Ltd, she says, has been touring the country, engaging firms that are interested in bidding, talking to banks and to shareholders, gearing up for orders and asking the industry to think about what it can deliver.

Finally, HS2, says Perry, offers a golden opportunity for the industry as a whole.

“We will never get a better chance to promote the railway than we have with HS2.

That’s a responsibility that we all share.

“Government will do its part, but everybody needs to get out there and talk about why this is such a great project for Britain. HS2 is a clean slate. It gives us an opportunity to put the passengers at the very centre of everything that we do, and to give people a reason to be proud of the railway again. It’s a chance to make young people feel excited about a career in such a dynamic and exciting industry, and to show the public how the railway makes modern Britain a better place to live.

“And ultimately, I want to re-awaken that sense of pride in this country, which created the railway in the first place.

We have an incredibly exciting few years ahead of us.”

HS2: The bi TOM KELLY, strategic communications director at HS2 Ltd, spoke recently about the need to remember the reasons for HS2 and not become blinkered by detail

he planning and delivery of High Speed 2 moves on in leaps and bounds almost every day. Progress is extensive, but Tom Kelly, the project’s strategic communications director, is anxious for the rail industry not to get ahead of itself.

“Parliament is still considering our Hybrid Bill. While much progress has been made, we cannot take it for granted,” Kelly told delegates at RAIL’s National Rail Conference in Leeds, on November 5.

His optimism could not be concealed entirely though: “Even though we can’t say with absolute certainty that it’s not a case of ‘if’ but of ‘how’, we’re near the point where we’ll be able to do so.”

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Kelly explained further: “You bank progress as you go along. You solve problems one by one. You maintain momentum towards that final goal at all costs. Sometimes that process can be reasonably straightforward – steady and linear. Sometimes it resembles more of a stumble. But the key is to it keep moving forward, however slowly. During the last 12 months HS2 has made progress and we’ve built on it as we’ve gone along. So far, so good.

“But one thing I’ve learnt over many years - and many stumbles - is that when you’re trying to carry out a major project, the biggest danger is yourself. You can get ahead of yourself both individually and collectively.

The sheer size and complexity of HS2 remains

HS2 Ltd cannot deliver HS2 on its own. It needs to work with many others Sponsored by

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absolutely awe-inspiring. And that’s why, to ensure success, we’ve remained dependent on local stakeholders.”

It is widely accepted that one of the keys to maintaining that focus is collaborating with others to achieve the common goal. The involvement of stakeholders at every stage is vital to every project, regardless of its size.

Kelly made this point: “Just as HS2 isn’t a standalone project in transport terms, so HS2 Ltd cannot deliver HS2 on its own. It needs to work with many others.”

He surprised the audience by praising the work of individuals normally forgotten, or viewed with an element of disdain: “We will be forever in the debt of the hardworking MPs who serve in the Select Committee hearing petitions. It’s a mammoth task.

But they’re steadily and quietly getting on with the job, working their way through the Phase 1 route. Their professionalism, their commitment, along with that for our

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staff who have handled the process, has been, in my mind, hugely impressive.

“So too has been one other development the maintenance of the bipartisan approach across Government and the opposition, and of local government, North and South, East and West. And the advantages of continuity that come from having a Secretary of State who transitions from one administration to another are enormous. As too are the advantages of having a Shadow Secretary who has followed the brief for some time. We haven’t had to go through the whole re-education process.”

But Kelly was also keen to point out that the commitment of MPs to the project has had far more wide-reaching benefits: “This continuity at Parliamentary level has also reflected another positive development in the past 12 months. HS2 is increasingly seen as important for infrastructure in general, and regarded by local government as beneficial.

“As a nation we’re beginning to think more

analytically about our infrastructure needs. But we’re also thinking on a local level, making sure we maximise the benefits for local economies. And the establishment of the National Infrastructure Commission, chaired by Lord Adonis, opens the door to a more consistent infrastructure in this country. Whether that’s in transport, energy (in which I have an interest), or with climate change or broadband.”

Kelly went on to explain the benefits of that local government involvement: “Equally, the establishment of Transport for the

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The Birmingham city skyline, as seen on June 5 2014. HS2 Strategic Communications Director Tom Kelly says it is important to keep the bigger picture of HS2 in mind as the project moves forward. ALAMY.

North brings closer the Northern Powerhouse vision. A launch I attended a few weeks ago in Derby, with Midlands Connect, will bring forward the day when the East and West Midlands begin to act as one region, rather than the historically loose alliance it has been.

The same goes for HS2 and the cities down the East side of the country, from Newcastle southwards. And the encouraging coalescence we’ve seen in the North West involving Crewe and Stoke is unprecedented.”

The involvement of local bodies making specific decisions for their region is a relatively new concept, and one that Kelly is particularly pleased about: “For the first time we are actually beginning to see how the pieces of the jigsaw fit together at national, local and regional level.

“Gone are the days when every piece was expected to be uniform, and hammered into place by the heavy hand of Westminster. For me, the most interesting and frankly inspiring moments in the past year have been watching and listening to local authority leaders based in the East Midlands, Leeds and Crewe, sit down and talk through how to integrate HS2 into their ambition for their local economies.

“For them it definitely is not ‘if’, but ‘how’ and ‘when’. And the ‘when’ has gained a sense of urgency. That’s true from Camden all the way up the line.”

Kelly chooses to cite Camden for a good reason. From a stance of total resistance, Camden has shifted to planning how to make the most of the opportunity for the area if the project goes ahead (HS2 Matters, RAIL 788).

With even the strongest opposition beginning to change its stance, is everything on the project starting to look rosy?

Kelly tackles this: “Given that positive backdrop what could possibly go wrong? The answer is plenty. We have to go through the complete Parliamentary process for Phase 1, and that will take another year. We also have to finalise the route for Phase 2 and then guide that through Parliament. And then there’s the construction itself, which will suddenly seem a lot closer in 2016.

“But there’s one other caveat I keep at the back of my mind, and it’s this: the public is not hostile to HS2. If you explain how it can help to re-balance the economy, you’ll discover there’s a lot of support.

“Naturally there are lots of questions. People are keen to see the jobs and skills creation both for the existing workforce and for future workforces. Generally, people also believe that in 20 years’ time people will say ‘of course it made sense’. Just as we now think the M25

makes sense. The Jubilee Line makes sense.

Even the M6 - on a good day - makes sense.

“But people don’t think we’ll be able to deliver it on time and within budget.

And that’s not HS2-specific - that’s the public’s perception of big infrastructure projects in general.”

It’s true that infrastructure projects don’t have a good reputation. Seeing is believing, as the saying goes. And until people see progress, quantifying the benefits will be difficult.

Says Kelly: “So what does all this mean for the next year? Firstly, we must continue to present HS2 in the wider context of the need to re-balance the British economy, both by sector and by geography. It also means that we must do much more to translate that into terms that communities and individual families can relate to. ‘What does it mean for my region? What does it mean for my town?

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What does it mean for my community?’

“It isn’t set in stone that successful graduates in the Midlands and the North have to go to London to pursue a successful career. Nor is it a foregone conclusion that young families will have to move out of London because of ever-increasing house prices. We have to demonstrate, in practical terms, how HS2 can help change that by creating jobs throughout the country, and a better quality of life.

“We have to challenge this fatalistic attitude which has, for too long, dictated that things ‘are not possible’. And we have to do that by working with local Government, local business, Network Rail, the rail industry in general and Highways England. We have to show that the Midlands and the North can enjoy the kind of connectivity that London takes for granted. And that will mean collaboration of the highest order.”

However, Kelly knows that collaboration is not the only key to success.

“We have to have much more meaningful dialogue, not just with the rail industry, but the infrastructure industry in general, about how we deliver big projects such as HS2 in this country. Historically, the ad hoc way in which projects are initiated,

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Members of the HIGH SPEED RAIL (LONDONWEST MIDLANDS) BILL SELECT COMMITTEE ROBERT SYMS MP (Conservative, Poole) HENRY BELLINGHAM MP (Conservative, North West Norfolk) PETER BOTTOMLEY MP (Conservative, Worthing West) GEOFFREY CLIFTON-BROWN MP (Conservative, The Cotswolds) DAVID CRAUSBY MP (Labour, Bolton North East) MARK HENDRICK MP (Labour, Preston)

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debated and then committed to has resulted in a fragmented approach.

“We keep trying to re-invent the wheel.

And, in part, that’s because of the stop-go nature of our decision-making and budgeting processes. Too often has the decision to proceed merely sparked another round of debate. And too often has the approach to cutting budgets undermined the outcome of a project.”

Ultimately, it all comes down to clarity of vision - the need to keep the overall goal, that ‘bigger picture’, in mind all the time.

And this is something Kelly has thought a

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fragmented approach I spoke of earlier.

Can we, in HS2 and more generally in infrastructure in this country, use the huge deal of work that has to be delivered over the next 20 to 30 years to streamline our processes and drive innovation, to make that infrastructure cutting edge?”

Making that happen hinges on whether focus on the ‘big picture’ can be achieved – and then maintained. As Kelly eloquently illustrated in his closing comments: “It’s a balancing act. You have to keep an eye on the ‘big picture’ but not lose sight of the details. If you just stay in the big picture you lose sight of the realities, and there’s the danger of losing credibility as you’re overcome by adverse events. If you just stay focused on the detail you lose sight of not just what you’re doing but why.

People then begin to question its rationale.

We have to keep both of these things in perspective: the ‘big picture’ provides the ‘why’, and the detail answers the ‘how’.

That’s the phase we’re now entering.

“People are now questioning less the ‘if’ about HS2 and more the ‘how’. Can we deliver it efficiently and effectively? That’s the test it must pass. Not just for the sake of HS2, but the infrastructure industry in general. It’s down to HS2 to restore the confidence of the British public, to prove that not only can this country deliver big projects, but it can deliver them well.

“We need to show the public that not only should they be proud of the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ we’re doing, but also ‘how’. That, in turn, will give the public, Parliament and our stakeholders, the confidence to attempt more.

That’s our challenge for the next year.”

lot about: “We need to be clear, both about our objective and the need to keep to that objective. In the case of HS2, the objective is to re-balance the economy by adding capacity and improving connectivity. That’s a different objective from that of many other high-speed lines in other countries, which are more focused on simply improving journey times from one point to another.

“Our objective is broader. Hence HS2 will not just go to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, but also have regional hubs at Crewe, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. Only by doing that can the strategic objective of re-balancing Britain be achieved.

“We have to be clear about the objective.

But we also have to be clear about the context within which the project is placed.

“Not only is our objective different from many other high-speed lines, so too is the existing infrastructure it must interface with.

Our Victorian legacy has served this country and this industry well. What it didn’t bless us with, however, was wide station fronts. So whereas European high-speed lines can run through some stations on existing lines, we will have to construct our own.

“So, we can’t change our objectives, and we can’t change the physical aspect. But we can change the way we deliver such projects. And I hope the National Infrastructure Commission will focus as much on that as on what projects this country needs, and in what order. I’m conscious that with HS2 we have a unique opportunity. We can use the complexity and the longevity of our task to address many of the issues that have hampered infrastructure in general in this country.

“Those issues relate directly to the ad hoc,

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Northern ambition Rail North Director DAVID HOGGARTH and Northern Rail Managing Director ALEX HYNES share the vision that the North will benefit hugely from HS2, but there are many challenges to face peaking at the National Rail Conference in Leeds on November 5, Hoggarth highlights how the city’s railway station is the second busiest outside of London. He calls the city the “heart of the Northern Powerhouse”. “You’ll have noticed all the cranes on the city skyline,” he says, “which have gone up in the last few years, and they are evidence that the economy is growing. Just down the road in Bradford today, there is a £260 million shopping centre that was devoid of shops for much of the past decade. That has been rectified today, and that’s another sign of the growth of the economy. And economic growth is what Rail North is all about.”

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Hoggarth is adamant HS2 will bring “enormous benefits” to the region. He highlights an economic benefits study, which predicts £1 billion worth of benefits to the West Yorkshire area alone as a result of the new railway. “We need to make sure the franchises and other developments are ready to capitalise on that,” Hoggarth says.

Rail North itself is not just about passengers.

It is about the whole of the North: supporting economic growth through businesses and freight. Hoggarth has gone from working at one local authority, West Yorkshire, to working with 29 authorities in the North. He works with every political party as well. “We’ve been absolutely united in our aims. HS2 should not

just be about Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, it needs to be about the whole of the North,” he says.

He talks of integration in the North.

“Better integration is key, and that means both physically, in terms of trains and buses, and also a more integrated approach to developments and stations around the station.

The stations are often just an island in the middle of a wider development and that really needs to change.”

Investment is key. Capitalising on HS2 is vital to attracting further investment, and what Rail North wants to achieve.

Rail North has formulated a long-term rail strategy that guides everything it does.

Regarding how HS2 fits into that strategy, Hoggarth says: “HS2 benefits must spread across the entire region, but complementary measures will be needed to ensure there is good connectivity for those places directly on the HS2 route. We need to think how we’re going to use the extra capacity that’s going to be created by HS2, and look at how we can use that for both passengers and freight.”

The starting point for Rail North and HS2 is the new franchises for Northern and TransPennine Express, “but it goes significantly beyond that,” he adds. Within the strategy, there are key elements, he says.

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RAIL NORTH AND TRANSPORT FOR THE NORTH Rail North Director David Hoggarth explained the differences between the various railrelated organisations appearing in the North.

He says: “Transport for the North is another new body, and there’s obviously the potential for confusion. Everything at the moment seems to have the word North in it - Northern Powerhouse, Northern Rail, Rail North, Transport for the North. To be clear, the two are linked - Rail North is about the franchises, the next two franchises primarily, the management and the investment in them. We’re going to take over the franchising department from the DfT. “Transport for the North is a newer organisation headed by David Brown, the chief executive. Transport for the North has a broader remit, covering rail works and improvements, plus roads, freight and international connectivity. It will also be ivolved in the longer term plans. This includes rail improvement works, various Northern networks and HS3, a substantially upgraded and new piece of railway across the North to complement and hopefully integrate with HS2 where appropriate.”

David Hoggarth

Connectivity - links between some Northern cities are really poor, such as between Sheffield and Bradford. Says Hoggarth “We carried out a study on the Yorkshire rail network, with the aim of highlighting the potential for improving the rail network for the whole of the North.

It identified that you can generate up to £12 billion of economic benefit just by improving service frequency from the main centres.”

Referring to capacity, he highlights how services running on TPE appeared twice in a Department for Transport report on the top ten most crowded trains in the UK. He speaks of other regional services: “You can see the growth, even in the last year.”

He talks of coherence and elaborates: “We need to be a bit more like London. People there have a good understanding of the railway layout and it’s easy to use. We’re a long way from that in the North at the moment, but that’s how we want it to be.”

Hoggarth says of Rail North: “We are up and running here now and we have lots of ambition, and a desire to do lots of things differently. If we deliver everything we set out in the long-term rail strategy, there will be 180% growth over the next ten to 15 years.

We need to take full advantage of HS2, make plans for what happens beyond the next two franchises and start planning for HS3 as well.

Rail North’s message is this: “We’re here, we’re in Leeds and we’re up for it, and we really want to make a difference.”

Hynes, too, is keen to make a difference. He hopes a rail network in the north, ready for HS2, will be in place. He speaks of how rail services in the north could be even better than those in the south by 2020, and highlights the current disparity between long distance and local services: “You travel to Manchester Piccadilly from London on a state of the art Pendolino – then you have to take an old Pacer to Marple.

“Now, last time I checked, we were the sixth richest country in the world. Those trains were designed as a stopgap for the nationalised railway. They were not built for taking people into Leeds and Manchester, but that is what we use them for every single day. So what would be the point of building HS2 if, when it arrives in the north, it then exits onto an ageing regional network?”

He highlights how electrification and the introduction of refurbished trains is helping: “We put four more services, four more electric trains into service in December. You can see them operating in and out of Liverpool Lime Street. Passengers on those lines and routes are now getting a seat where before they didn’t. Just that small change is encouraging

Alex Hynes

people to travel by train more. And the opportunity of commuting into city centres, such as Liverpool and Manchester, where there are better paid, high skilled jobs, is transforming people’s lives.”

He highlights these trains serve an industry experiencing a growth of about 5% per annum, meaning trains are 5% busier than they were last year. Between Manchester and Liverpool, there was an 11% volume growth on trains. “Think what is going to happen in the next five years as the next Northern rail franchise gets delivered,” he warns.

Hynes backs it up: “When the next Northern franchise is announced and Transport for the North is established, we need to make sure that by the end of 2019 we have people travelling on new or refurbished trains, and using smart ticketing.

“So what does that all mean? We aim to create a northern rail network that is HS2 ready, which doesn’t merely react and respond to growth, but actually drives growth in the north of England. It will use new retailing methods, and there will be new stations and new trains. We will have a bigger, better electric train network, featuring better productivity and better customer service. We will have created a railway that the north can be proud of.”

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ConCrete plans for Hs2

igh Speed Rail is at the core of Alstom. A pioneer in countries like France, Italy, UK, Spain, South Korea, Finland or Poland, it has the largest fleet of high speed trains in service in the world. More than 1,200 trains with Alstom technology operate daily in 20 countries and across 16 borders. After 34 years of commercial service and over 5.6 billion kilometers, around 3.5bn passengers have travelled in Alstom trains all over the world, including China, Russia and the US. After building the Eurostar fleet, and building and maintaining the Virgin Pendolino trains, the company is now monitoring developments and engaging with the UK regarding High Speed 2.

Alstom doesn’t just design, build and maintain trains. As well as the vehicles, it can offer a complete railway solution for HS2 including design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of the complete railway system consisting of signalling, telecommunications, track, electrification (OLE and power supply),

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depots and tunnel electromechanical equipment, and the maintenance of the complete system.

Alstom is also one of the world leaders in innovation, and through collaboration with HS2 and partners it is confident it can find a solution to suit the UK’s needs. It can draw on its four decades of global experience and its privileged position in the market to put forward proposals and ideas that could help shape the future of the HS network in Britain.

Alstom HS2 Director Henrik Anderberg believes the company will be able to build on this experience. He tells RAIL: “We are a very British company and we know this market. We understand the UK’s special circumstances and we have the global experience to make it happen through innovation and collaboration with other first class companies.”

While there is clearly a desire to innovate and use new technology, Anderberg believes that existing ideas can also be implemented, building on expertise already in use here in Britain. “We are providing a lot of things

with Crossrail - OLE, power supply, track and Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) installations.

This project has given us the opportunity to enhance our network of local supplier/ contractors, who can support us with their expertise, which will be needed for HS2.”

But what about the problem of technology moving on while HS2 is being built? Says Anderberg: “It is the same as buying a mobile phone or television - the technology will move on no matter when you buy it.”

Alstom has been working on a new design of slab track to make the system as futureproof as possible. HS2 Ltd’s Technical Director Andrew McNaughton, speaking at the National Rail Conference (NRC) in Leeds on November 5, said that the HS2 track must be able to withstand 60 million tonnes of wear per year. At Alstom, they are up for the challenge.

Anderberg says: “We have designed a new slab track called NBT. A lot of work has gone into the theoretical calculations. To test the design we have built 1km of double-track in France, and we also have a test section in Russia.

“Our product would have the 100-year

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HS2’s specifications demand technological innovation. Henrik Anderberg tells riCHArd CLinniCk how Alstom can make that happen PHotogrAPHy: ALStom

lifespan requested by HS2. Our goal is for a (nearly) zero maintenance, inspection-only slab track system. Inspection is easier and less time-consuming. It means the railway does not need to close at night, allowing, for example, freight trains to run.

“We are now in the process of engaging with different verification bodies in order to be able to have a fully homologated product. Tests are ongoing in Russia, where 200 million tonnes have been done, so far and in two years we should have reached 600 million tonnes.”

This long lifespan concrete slab track system offers high availability and a high construction rate. It has a smaller footprint than ballasted track and is optimised for mixed traffic. The cost of this system versus traditional ballasted track is very favourable when projected over a period of 100 years, thanks to improved operation and lower maintenance costs for the course of its lifespan.

Alstom has developed specialist machinery to install the track. “What differentiates our technology from other slab track solutions

is the speed at which the track can be laid.

Alstom has developed a specific set of laserguided machinery capable of simultaneously casting the track slab and inserting the fasteners at speeds of up to 500m a day. The technology is based on the existing and very successful Appitrack machine, used recently in Nottingham for the tramway project.

“With respect to electrification, we have already launched R&D programs that will enable us to homologate our catenary

Our goal is for a (nearly) zero maintenance, inspection-only system Alstom Hs2 Director Henrik AnDerberg

components to the design speeds required by HS2. Our expertise in this area is particularly strong; we have had presence in the very high speed (VHS) electrification of Spain, with more than 550km installed, Korea, with 477km, 200km of VHS in China, more than 700km in Italy on both VHS and HS, not forgetting the 80km performed in the UK as part of HS1.”

Complementing this international experience, Alstom is also working on electrification in the UK, one of several examples being the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line, including OLE and 25kV power supply (traction and feeder systems). This 150km line is under construction and will be in service by the end of 2016. “Knowing the local circumstances and how to electrify in the UK, combined with our extensive knowledge from international projects, will position us well for HS2”, says Anderberg.

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special report Management Systems (ERTMS) across the continent, Alstom’s ERTMS level 2 systems are in operation on more kilometres of track than all other suppliers put together.

To achieve HS2’s target of 18 trains per hour, Anderberg says that detailed plans and simulations are needed to understand how to design the ERTMS system to handle this ambitious train frequency. While he admits that it presents a challenge, he says that the standards and any requirements for further development have been discussed, and that this is where Alstom will excel. “We have been working on this for 15 years. We built the first ERTMS very high-speed line (Rome-Naples) in 2005, celebrating ten years of successful operation now in December. We also built the first ERTMS cross-border line, and we should be the first choice for this. We have a proven and tested strategy. HS2 is due to start in 2026 and we will be ready. We are not just the first to the market - we also have, by far, the

We prefer the articulated trainset for safety, passenger experience, energy and maintenance Alstom Hs2 Director Henrik AnDerberg

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most operational experience.”

When it comes to the trains, Alstom’s high-speed trains are, of course, already established in the UK - with 31 Class 373 Eurostar trains on HS1 and 56 Class 390 Pendolinos in traffic on the West Coast Main Line. The Pendolinos use the proven tilting mechanisms, developed from the Advanced Passenger Train, and can run at up to 125mph (200kph) on curved track. They have helped Alstom develop innovative ideas for an HS2 fleet, which will need to be created specifically for the new railway, along with a ‘classic compatible fleet’, which can run on HS2 and elsewhere on the national network.

Anderberg says: “Through our fleet we understand the UK’s particular needs and we have been enhancing the tilting train technology for the past 25 years. We have sold over 300 tilting high-speed trains around the world and all operational experience has been fed into further product development.

“Achieving good journey times on the rail network is important. Currently, the journey time from London to Glasgow, as an example, is four hours and eight minutes. The HS2 plan is to reduce that to three hours and 38 minutes when Phase 2 is complete in 2033.

This can further be improved by using tilting technology and minor infrastructure updates making sub-three hours travel time possible, and as early as 2026”, says Anderberg.

“This means it would be able to compete with air travel, where a journey time of three hours or less is seen as the threshold where railway gains substantial market share over air travel.”

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Faster trains are all well and good, but the services must be reliable, comfortable and pleasant. Speaking at the NRC, Anderberg spoke of recreating the experience of air travel from 40 years ago, when people were excited to arrive at the airport and travel in an aircraft. He wants to re-create this experience with HS2, but the design and quality of the train have to be right.

“One example is our unique articulated trainset design, which means each car is supported by the next car through robust articulation, and bogies are placed under the supporting end of each car. We build both articulated and non-articulated trains, but for very high speeds we prefer articulation.

While the main reason is safety, it also provides smoother and better ride, less noise for passengers and wider interiors.

“Our articulation allows for fewer bogies, which implies less maintenance costs for the operator, but it also provides better

aerodynamics and reduces the weight of a train, resulting in significant energy savings.

“Our articulated Euroduplex, the only double-decker in the world reaching 320kph, when fully loaded, still weighs less than an empty non-articulated single deck train.”

Alstom would also offer its HealthHub, which enables technicians to remotely monitor and predict train performance and ‘health’.

It comprises various monitoring subsystems, such as Train Tracer and the innovative Train Scanner, which uses fully automated measurements via lasers, 2D and 3D cameras.

Train Scanner checks items like wheels, brake pads, carbon strips and train integrity.

It is accurate to within 0.5mm, and it can complete the diagnostics of an 11-car Class 390 Pendolino in 45-90 seconds. Automated monitoring increases the inspection frequency of the trains by as much as ten times more than manual methods and is used daily by Alstom’s technicians as they perform the maintenance

HS2 is due to start development in 2017 and we are ready. We are willing to put our broad and long-term experience at its service Alstom Hs2 Director Henrik AnDerberg

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of the Class 390 fleet.

To develop these trains, Alstom is using its Virtual Reality Centre. This enables the company to define concepts, validate technical options, incorporate passenger feedback into the design and create more immersive training. Says Anderberg: “We use this system for determining seating layouts, and how the trains should look inside to create the very best passenger experience. It means that travellers’ needs are incorporated into the design. Plus, we can examine the technical details and work out how to optimise maintenance requirements and eliminate problems before the trains are even built.

“One of our development efforts focuses on total cost of ownership, including maintenance and energy efficiency,” he says. “We have a wide variety of train configurations to match each customer’s needs. For speeds above 300kph, three articulated architectures provide different capacities: single-deck concentrated traction (350-400 seats in typical high-speed train layout), single-deck distributed traction (450-500 seats) and double-deck concentrated traction (550-600 seats in the same conditions). Many of our customers are asking for adequate capacity and an optimisation for the whole lifecycle cost per passenger.

Today we already provide lower energy consumption, but nevertheless we have set up new initiative to reduce energy consumption by at least 20% for all our trains. For the double-decker, the ambition is even greater, aiming for 30% energy savings per passenger.

Alstom has been working extensively in very high speed innovation and solutions for the last 40 years, and has been at the core of existing high-speed success stories in the UK. When it comes to HS2, Alstom is aware of the project’s high ambitions and challenging specifications, and is ready to put all of its expertise at the disposal of HS2 to help provide a high-speed railway system that will be the envy of the world.

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Fast track to the fu high-speed railway offers opportunities. The improvements in connectivity, and the benefits that they bring, have the potential to transform cities.

Using proven technology, HS routes can bring positive change not just for a city, but a region, and even a country. That is what High Speed 2 is really about. Rail Minister Claire Perry offers a vision of the positive change and great opportunities HS2 will offer, but what about the view from those charged with designing and building it?

Professor Andrew McNaughton is HS2 Ltd’s Technical Director. In his home city of Leeds, he spoke eloquently about the possibilities that HS2 will bring. He also highlights Birmingham, stating: “Birmingham

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It’s about creating a new sustainable city which is more central for the UK.” McNaughton discusses capacity on the current network. It’s worth remembering that since privatisation the number of yearly passengers using the railway has increased from 800 million to more than 1.6 billion. This has all been over a network that was built in

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A Leeds-London King’s Cross express passes Doncaster. CARL CHAMBERS

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Victorian times, and while there have been upgrades and capacity improvements, sooner or later it was bound to need more capacity.

And the population is growing. In 2008, the population of Great Britain was 52 million. In 2033 it is expected to have risen to 60m and in 2050 it will likely be 70m. McNaughton highlights that there are 41m people living in city regions today, and that is projected to rise to 61m by 2050.

Says McNaughton: “With all that growth, of course, we are at capacity, but bursting with opportunity.” The capacity afforded by HS2, he says, is the same as two motorways, and yet HS2 could be a twintrack railway. “And it’s about boosting this connectivity between cities.”

He wants a railway that people feel they can rely on, too. “It’s no good if you can’t rely on it.

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uture This is the way people should travel between cities in the 21st century.”

He highlights that HS2 has a very challenging specification, but points out that high-speed railways are not new. It’s proven, 51-year-old technology. Since 1964, almost 25,000km of high-speed track has been laid around the world. By 2024 that is expected to be around 37,000km, with HS2 adding to that figure two years later.

“This the first 21st century railway so we’re not designing it like a 19th century railway; we’ve designed it virtually.” He says that HS2 Ltd has constructed a virtual railway prototype, which is helping HS2 to predict and visualise the project’s results. When it is built, it must be built to last. And surely, the next generation of railway must at least match the longevity of our Victorian system? “What we build, operate and maintain is for the next 150 years,” says McNaughton. “Everything about that railway is first being created digitally.

“When we go and talk with people about the effects of High Speed 2, we don’t show them a plan and engineer’s drawing, because unless you’re an engineer, it’s meaningless.

We take a tablet PC and show them a virtual image of what a particular element of the railway will really look like in situ.”

He highlights the need to innovate, to build HS2 in a new and different way, and learn lessons from the mistakes of past projects.

Ignoring them and not embracing new technology would be perilous, he explains.

“We’re not going to do that. And we’re not going to do it the way it’s always been done. So many people in my team have never built a railway before and this will bring a fresh approach.”

With the virtual prototyping software that the company uses, it is possible to show stakeholders rendered images showing every single effect, every embankment, cutting and plot of land affected by the railway. The technology enables HS2 to show what the exact effect will be on people in that area, how long it will take to construct the railway, and the cost and profile of the infrastructure.

One of the major criticisms is disruption to the countryside. HS2 Ltd has never shied away from these arguments, and always sought to highlight what is being done to mitigate these concerns.

McNaughton is matter-of-fact about the issue: “We value our countryside and getting that balance has been a huge part of our work.

We are creating the most environmentally sensible railway in the world because we want to, not because we have to.”

OPPORTUNITIES HS2 Ltd Technical Director Professor Andrew McNaughton highlights the opportunities afforded by HS2, not only for capacity, of course, but also for the stations that will be built for the railway.

Old Oak Common, for example, will be one of the best connected railways in Europe, as will the re-designed and re-built London Euston.

McNaughton says: “We are working on peripheral developments,” and he highlights the possibilities of working with local authorities on wider opportunities. This, he says, offers the chance of joining up stations with their surrounding areas to create interchanges.

Birmingham is considering it, while further to the north, Manchester and Leeds are keen to benefit from their HS2 stations.

McNaughton adds that there are different opportunities for the railway at each of the stations it will serve.

When it comes to modelling these environmental effects, everything is done twice. “Once, virtually and once in reality.”

He explains why: “The design won’t be approved until we’ve proven to ourselves that we can operate and maintain this railway in a simulation. We’ll have a solid understanding of the practicalities before we’ve even put a spade in the ground.

Design lessons have been learned from the only other high-speed railway in the country, HS1. He says: “Our design principles are the result of studying HS1, because learning from the past is vital. HS2 is not about a railway that will plough through the countryside regardless, it’s about blending the railway into the landscape, without spoiling it.

“We want to improve every part of the

country HS2 passes through and that’s quite a tough goal. We have to traverse some incredibly sensitive environments, where we can’t just go in mob-handed with concrete and steel. We have an independent design panel, some members of which are appointed by the Secretary of State, who will hold us to a very high standard throughout. This railway is going to be here for at least 200 years and we have to get it right.”

He says that new techniques are being used to plan how construction will be completed in difficult locations. This will help HS2 plan the best working practices then justify how and why the work was done.

“The project also features a significant amount of environmental habitat replacement, or improvement. We’re working with

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We want to improve every part of the country HS2 passes through Left: A TransPennine Express ‘185’ and Virgin Trains ‘91’ arrive at Leeds. CARL CHAMBERS

SKILLS HS2 Ltd Technical Director Professor Andrew McNaughton told delegates on November 5 that HS2 will offer great opportunities for employment, skills and businesses. He said: “HS2 skills colleges are training people who will be in charge of a couple of million pounds worth of equipment, and he or she will be a highly skilled technician, not somebody with an Oxford degree, necessarily.

“So these are exciting modern jobs, the beginning of a new artistry that is planning out the country. I know that in universities, the challenge has been to attract good graduates. Very often they are sceptical about joining the railway. They’re lured by the glamour of Formula One, or the Aerospace industry. But they’re overlooking the fact that HS2 presents the exciting proposition of a true engineering artistry job.

“I challenge students and graduates to consider a career in the railway industry. It’s a modern industry with a great future. The science and engineering precision involved is going to be pretty impressive, and that’s got to be worth commuting for.”

Birmingham at the moment on a new green corridor into the centre of Birmingham through re-generated land. HS2 has a broad remit - it’s not just about a new train service, it’s about leaving a legacy for the country.”

McNaughton makes the point, however, that HS2 has one huge advantage: it’s a blank canvas, free from the inevitable constrictions and compromises of using existing track.

He talks of different methods not currently used on the main line. McNaughton mentions Automatic Train Operation (ATO), “but with a fully skilled driver at the front of it.” McNaughton says that while ATO is one option, re-organising how the railway works is another. He is anxious to break down barriers to efficiency. HS2 doesn’t want that. “We don’t want a divide between operations and maintenance. They are often at loggerheads, and I’ve spent most of my life dealing with it.”

He speaks of an organisational map, in which all the parts are joined and where there are no no barriers to “the most valuable asset we’ve got at the moment information.”

And the virtual model of the railway, which is also proving invaluable already, he says, will be just as useful in the future: “The same virtual model that we use in Parliament to demonstrate the effects of constructing HS2, is the foundation of the system that, in 20 years’ time, people will be using to operate and maintain passenger services on HS2.”

Ultimately, HS2 is about passengers.

McNaughton says that without them the railway won’t be a success. “For all the big words about bringing the country together, providing transport systems for the future and so on, HS2 will only work if people want to use it.”

HS2 Ltd, he says, is taking a global view of what passengers really value from a transport system. He says: “Throw away your conceptions of what the railway is today or any other transport system, how would you like it to be? We’ve also been studying people’s expectations through Transport Focus, a panel of independent people who travel a lot. Some of them are rail users, some aren’t, but they are travellers of some kind. They have been helping us design this.”

A key element, he says, is about how HS2 will transport massive numbers of people between major cities. The key is to give them control of their whole journey. He says that passenger survey feedback revealed that passengers don’t just want to choose their ticket, train and seat. They want a choice of environment - for example a quiet and peaceful section, or in a place where they can travel with their families.

Selecting those travel options must also be easy and intuitive.”

He discusses expanding the role of staff.

Working on the train will not just be about carrying out specific tasks, it will be about helping people. McNaughton explains: “By working with the company which organised the staff for the Olympics, we’ve learned a lot about how staff can improve customer experience.” He talks of access. “We want level access, not just because it’s available to all under some EU regulation. Everything we make easier for people who need extra assistance makes it easier for every passenger. We want people to travel on this railway not because they have to, but because they want to.”

A cornerstone of HS2 must be reliability.

As McNaughton says, “everything we are engineering into this railway or building into the operational model is built with durability in mind. “It will be dependable. All the people involved in designing this railway are focusing on reliability.

“If your company makes a product that could make HS2 better, we’re interested. But don’t call us until you can prove it won’t let people down.”

HS2’s Design Visi ood design is not a simple concept.

On the railway, it’s about more than station architecture. Good design takes into account the rolling stock, the operations and all the systems that run on the network.

Thinking about the system as a whole is especially important at the beginnings of a new railway such as HS2. Being bold from day one about the design of the new line and everything connected to it, will ultimately add up to a better result.

Kate Hall, HS2 Ltd’s Built Environment Director, is a staunch advocate of this ideal.

Despite her job title, Hall’s role is about specifying, illustrating and ensuring all things to do with the civil engineering side of things are right. She looks after tunnels, roads and architecture and, with a background in engineering, she says she

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It is important to build something that people will be proud to inherit

HS2 DESIGN VISION HS2 Ltd released its design vision document in June 2015. It sets out the role that design can play in making HS2 a catalyst for growth across Britain.

Design is defined as “the way every aspect of HS2 is turned into a practical reality around the needs of the people who will benefit”. The vision will hold HS2 to account with memorable criteria that has been developed with leading HS2 Design designers. It Vision focuses on things that move beyond the ‘ordinary’ and provides the designers with a means to constantly critique their work.

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Built Environment Director KATE HALL describes how the design vision for HS2 will shape the project. couldn’t be more passionate about it.

“What is good design to HS2?” she asked delegates at RAIL’s National Rail Conference in Leeds on November 5.

“And how, as an industry, are you going to deliver that?”

Hall showed a series of quotes that set that scene: ■ HS2 Chairman, Sir David Higgins: “It’s not just about the architecture of stations, but the land in between. We must think about everything we do in terms of design and quality, because we will be leaving it for others to inherit.”

■ Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin: “Great design is essential to HS2.

This vital railway is a key part of our longterm economic plan. We want HS2 to make the country proud and show the world what British design can do.”

■ HS2 Chief Executive, Simon Kirby: “HS2’s principal objective is to deliver an inspired design, the best in worldwide design. The system will be delivered through all the designed elements coming together. Every design task is critical.”

Hall said that “it is important to build something that people will be proud to inherit”. Recalling her experience for five years leading up to the 2012 Olympics, Hall said that the Olympics made people “really proud to be British. But five years before the Olympics, the press was saying how bad this white elephant was, that it couldn’t possibly be finished on time, and how it would be a disaster and an embarrassment. But it wasn’t.

And Britain was proud”.

Hall asked how we are going to articulate the design ideals for HS2. The answer is by the creation of the HS2 Design Vision, “a vision that sets out the design and the role that HS2 can play in being a catalyst for growth across Britain”.

Hall explained how they went about creating the vision, which was released as a published document in June: “We included people from industry (so that it wasn’t just a closed event) and asked them: ‘what do you think constitutes good design?’ The design vision was a collaboration across different industries. We created a design vision that focuses on three key aspects: people, place and time.”

PEOPLE “We will provide a railway infrastructure that works for everyone, where everyone’s needs have been addressed.

It’s a project that engages with communities along the route and provides an opportunity for talent to come to the fore. I’m very conscious of the need to address the diverse requirements - of meeting the needs of our audience.

“HS2 will affect communities for decades.

Whether that’s during the construction period (which is longer than we’d like) or beyond. This railway will be around for 150 years or more. So how does HS2 engage with communities for the duration of the project?

“And how do we engage talent? We’ve been talking about skills. If you can’t excite young people about an infrastructure project or a railway project design like HS2 then what is going to get them excited about engineering?

We need to work hard to attract these people. But we also need to attract existing engineering talent. Let’s cross-pollinate from other industries; not all the greatest ideas come from a closed industry. Let’s look to others.”

PLACE “I’m very much about place, about regeneration - creating identity in the right context. Yes there’s brand and there’s brand recognition, but it’s what’s more important is the context in which it’s done, and also about the environment in which it’s set.

“The most important goal for HS2 is economic growth for Britain. Improving productivity, and creating opportunities with stations in parts of cities, or outside of cities, to make a positive impact wherever there is a station. For example, I was looking at the viaduct at Meadowhall and thinking: ‘how can we renovate that area?’

“And it’s about retaining and enhancing

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There’s huge scope for creativity, but it’s important to take the time now to design something that’s right, rather than rushing it through

an area’s identity - shaping HS2 according to the cities or the places that it will affect. It’s not just about plonking some design that may have looked great at Canary Wharf, but not in the middle of Manchester. It’s about understanding that context and building with sympathy for the environment.”

TIME “This adaptability enhances the passenger experience. We wouldn’t be anywhere without passengers.

And understanding what passengers want and think is absolutely critical. We need to use this opportunity to design for and think about the future.

“I’m conscious about future-proofing designs. Last time I travelled through Birmingham International airport some new ticket barriers had just been installed.

Of course, I can understand why that’s been done. But I also wondered how long are we going to be using ticket barriers? Should we be designing HS2 to have ticket barriers? I see in a lot of meetings now that people are wearing ‘smart’ watches. Can those be used to scan

us through instead? I doubt that my children will be using ticket barriers. We have to look at how things will be done in the future, and we have to keep the design of HS2 flexible enough to incorporate things that may not have even been invented yet.

“There’s huge scope for creativity, but it’s important to take the time now to design something that’s right, rather than rushing it through. We need to make the most of this opportunity. We’re not retro-fitting this railway onto existing track - we’re building something new. We have the opportunity to do something different.”

So now that HS2 has its Design Vision, what is going to happen with it? How is it going to be used? Part of Hall’s role is the creation of the Design Panel, which was announced in November (RAIL 788). A full list of the panel members can be found on the RAIL website. The group will contribute at regional site-specific panels such as at Birmingham Curzon Street station, to implement the

principles behind the Design Vision.

Hall said that HS2 has already used it to write design approach documents, whether they’re for use in the design of a ventilation shaft, a station or landscapes, and they’re using it on the passenger experience, operations and procurement too. The Design Panel is independent and will hold HS2 to account on the Design Vision, checking that the project is meeting its aspirations. Hall believes this is an “exciting and important thing for HS2 to do”.

Hall concluded her address to delegates: “I’ve told you about what good design means to, HS2 and a little about how we aim to deliver it. My last point is to all of you, the people who will be involved in helping HS2 on this journey. Please utilise your Design Vision.

We want this to be great. With everybody’s participation we can make Britain proud of this railway we’re going to build. Even more importantly, make the world take note of what Britain can design and build.”

Where does good design insp FULTON STREET STATION, NEW YORK “Imagine turning up for work every day and being delighted by your journey. This place creates urban regeneration. It creates excitement about travelling on a railway. Can we build places and stations that bring create excitement?” Source: HS2 Ltd.

BIJLMER STATION, AMSTERDAM “Great use of daylight. It’s not just great from a people perspective, it’s great from an energy perspective. Less use of electricity, no energy demands. If you look at that steelwork and that detailing, it’s reflecting the movement of trains. It’s reflecting dynamic expression in the structure. And those details are the things that elevate good design to truly great design.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

…And where might we get the inspiration for HS2?

NEW ROAD, BRIGHTON “This is an example of shared space. By taking away the traditional street furniture it creates a space where people are actually sitting and lingering. When people travel they focus on getting to their destinations as fast as possible. This is designed to turn that on its head.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

KING’S CROSS STATION, LONDON “This is a station that handles 150,000 passengers every day, from a number of networks. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a badly designed space. It can be a pleasant environment.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

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iration come from..?

QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK, LONDON “It’s part of the Olympic Park. Those meadows are a habitat for bees and other wildlife. They’re providing a really valuable function, as well as making it a nice place.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

ATOCHA STATION, MADRID “There’s an animal sanctuary in the middle of this station. It’s a turtle sanctuary. It’s in a disused part of the station. It provides greenery, it provides biodiversity and, to put those fancy words to one side, it’s actually rather a delightful place to sit. It’s a nice place to linger and wander. We can do that with great design. Source: HS2 Ltd.

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PLANT ROOM “Building interiors can be nice too. If you’re an engineer working in maintenance, wouldn’t your job be easier and nicer if you had space around the plant you had to maintain? And you can see it all better with colour coordination.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

WESTFRIEDHOF METRO STATION, MUNICH “Brilliant use of light and texture to provide identity and context.” Source: HS2 Ltd.

TIANJIN WEST STATION, CHINA “Stunning visual lines and a clear sense of where you’re going. It’s on a different scale from most of our stations, and maybe on a bigger budget, but it’s another example of how light can transform a station.”

Source: HS2 Ltd.

special report

Ballasted and non-Ballasted track: do BotH Have a role on new HigH speed lines?

high proportion of existing high speed tracks have been constructed using ballast. Several such systems have now been in operation for many years, including ballasted high-speed tracks in Belgium (SNCB), France (SNCF), Germany (DB), China (MOR) and parts of the network in Japan (CJR/EJR/WJR).

PROS: The resilience provided by the ballast, the possibility of track realignment, effective drainage and low initial construction cost are all attractive features of ballasted systems.

CONS: But, as on most tracks, differential settlement in the ballast layer means that regular tamping may be required to maintain track quality. This is exacerbated as train speeds increase, pushing wheel-rail contact forces higher, and therefore a means of reducing the dynamic forces transmitted into the sleepers and the substrate becomes more important and attractive.

A

As more experience of ballasted and nonballasted track systems accumulates, Pandrol explains the pros and cons of each type

Ballasted track staBility Providing resilience in the rail fastening system on top of the sleeper and the use of resilient pads under the sleeper can reduce overall track stiffness, distribute vertical track loads, and attenuate the dynamic forces transmitted into the ballast.

This can lead to lower rates of track degradation and therefore longer maintenance intervals. Providing a means of improving track stability and ballast life should be one of the key targets for HS2, if ballasted track is used. One of the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aims is for a low maintenance railway, which is essential to deliver the desired 18 trains per hour at speeds of up to 224mph (360kph).

PROS: As well as lowering track stiffness, the use of under sleeper pads (USP) increases the effective bearing surface of the sleeper, bringing more ballast into play and providing more support to the sleeper. This reduces contact stresses and increases ballast life and maintenance intervals.

CONS: Introducing resilience above and below the sleeper are not equivalents - they have different effects on the dynamics of the track system, and the stiffness levels of both elements need to be chosen with care to work together, rather than against each other.

HigH-resilience fasteners witH Ballasted track Resilient fastenings are most commonly associated with non-ballasted track and can be introduced with different levels of resilience

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Pandrol Special Report

in the concrete sleepers through the rail pad material and shape. Where additional resilience may be required, a higher performance system can be provided on top of sleepers in ballasted track. During a trial installation of the Pandrol VIPA DFC system on concrete sleepers on a section of French SNCF main line track, measurements show a marked decrease in vibration transferred from the wheel rail interface to the sleeper.

Loads transmitted into the ballast and substrates are therefore also reduced.

resilient fasteners witH nonBallasted track Pandrol has been supplying resilient fastening systems for non-ballasted tracks for more than 40 years, from the early Shinkansen tracks in Japan to the more recent South Korean and Chinese high speed systems.

Both rail systems have been successfully

operating with track fastenings that are incorporated into different basic forms of slab, including on track panels and individual precast concrete sleepers. The most important factors in selecting the variant required for any given application are the means of track construction and the requirements on range and ease of adjustment.

Typically, the Pandrol VIPA DFC assembly shown (left) is well-suited to high speed applications installed on pre-cast blocks, sleepers or slab.

WE’RE FAST

PANDROL TRACK SYSTEMS THE GLOBAL MARKET LEADER IN THE SUPPLY OF RAIL FASTENINGS Pandrol Track Systems operates around the globe, with a proven supply record covering a very wide range of climates and train operating conditions.

In the high speed sector in particular, we have supplied fastenings for both ballasted and non-ballasted tracks to railway systems in many countries, operating with design speeds of up to 350 km/hr. The maximum speed of 574.8 km/hr reached in trials in France created a new world record for wheel-on-rail technology, and this was achieved on track with Pandrol rail fastenings.

Running trains at these high speeds requires absolute confidence in the track. Pandrol has been supplying rail fastening systems for over 75 years, and its portfolio of products for high speed track continues to evolve. The latest designs embrace tomorrow’s demands for high capacity operation and very low maintenance.

For more information about Pandrol’s wide range of rail fastenings visit www.pandrol.com

Pandrol Track Systems, 63 Station Road Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 2AR, UK Tel: +44 (0)1932 834500

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