RailStaff June 2015

Staff

Stobart Rail Plant Rail Road Fleet @StobartRailLtd

THE MOST POPULAR PUBLICATION IN THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY Issue 211 | June 2015

stobartrail.com

www.railstaff.uk

Cyprus blessing for Sharon’s MBE

Sharon Willett - winner of the Lifesaver of the Year award at the RailStaff Awards 2012 - has been presented with an MBE by Prince Charles. Giving a twist to the traditional honour, Sharon had the medal blessed by a priest during a family holiday in Cyprus.

END OF THE LINE

QUINTINSHILL

HEAD TO HS2

Page 5

Page 22

Page 8

Crossrail celebrate the end of the tunnelling programme.

The UK’s worst rail accident at Quintinshill on 22nd May 1915.

Report by David Shirres.

Emma Head to be health and safety director at HS2.

SAFETY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR BUSINESS We support and implement the McGinley life saving rules in a fair culture For information please call: 0845

543 5953 or visit: www.mcginley.co.uk Proud Sponsors of Watford Ladies FC

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@StobartRailLtd

DAVE RICHARDSON – PLANT MANAGER David Joined the company in 2008 as Plant Manager having worked in a similar role within the rail industry for eight years and previous to that 18 years working in the construction industry covering plant hire, maintenance and transport management.

A very hands on manager David takes pride in being able to provide plant, Transport and service support to the contracts team and external customers the length and breadth of the country.

Enjoying a challenge, he is always looking at ways to improve the support that his department provides to the industry and how to make the plant more efficient including new products and methods of carrying out the work.

Having just increased the road rail fleet by taking delivery of four new Doosan 270 Ultimate RRVs, and being heavily involved in the design and construction of the Stobart Rail ballast under cutters, David is now looking forward to the challenges of CP5 and putting this equipment along with existing plant out to work.

David added: “Having previously worked for a rail company, I joined Stobart Rail as Plant Manager in 2008 with an open mind and I was very impressed with the can-do attitude and the comradeship showed by all staff throughout the company.

“We have gone through some very challenging times over the last few years, with the recession hitting the industry very hard, but by constructive teamwork, and a lot of effort, I believe we have weathered the storm and have come out as a stronger, more efficient team.

“Being with Stobart Rail for six years has been a positive career move for me, and I look forward to continuing to work for a company that has a positive outlook and supports innovation, where the company can improve the industry we work in.”

Stobart Rail plant Stobart Rail have invested, maintained and continually improved its own plant for over 20 years.

If you need reliable plant to support your maintenance / refurbishment / renewal activities on the

UK rail network look no further than Stobart Rail. Our comprehensive fleet of Road Rail Vehicles, track reballasting machines and specialist on track plant will exceed all your expectations and

requirements. The fleet is maintained by our own maintenance staff and supported in the field

by mobile fitters. Ongoing innovation and high levels of quality maintenance ensure that all our plant is reliable, cost effective and fit for purpose.

If you would like to discuss your requirements or would like further information on the fleet and its support mechanism please feel free to contact us and we will be pleased to help you.

Dave Richardson Plant Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. david.richardson@stobartrail.com Gary Newton Contracts and Estimating Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. gary.newton@stobartrail.com Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com

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COMMENT

June 2015 | RailStaff | 3

Staff

The Unforgiving Minute

“The rail industry understands the

Contact us: Publisher:

Paul O’Connor

Editor:

Andy Milne

Production and design:

Adam O’Connor

Senior Reporter:

Marc Johnson

Senior Writer:

Colin Garratt

Track Safety:

Colin Wheeler

Event Sales:

Jolene Price

Advertising:

Asif Ahmed

value of time like no other. An overnight possession has to finish on time.

Chris Davies

Delay attribution

Craig Smith Keith Darlison

is argued out in

Contact Email Addresses News: news@rail-media.com

minutes...”

Pictures: pictures@rail-media.com Adverts: adverts@rail-media.com Subsciptions: manda@rail-media.com

Contact Details RailStaff Publications, Rail Media House, Samson Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3FP.

Tel: 01530 816 444 Fax: 01530 810 344

The untimely death of Charles Kennedy, former MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, at age 55 underscores the brevity of life.

55 is no age to die, 75 not much better, nor 80. Time speeds up the older the body grows. Too late time’s value increases as we mourn the failed chronologies of the past. The doors swish shut too soon for too many.

Web: www.railstaff.uk Email: hello@rail-media.com

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RailStaff is published by RailStaff Publications Limited A Rail Media Publication

© All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

Time is the only commodity common to all people, rich and poor alike. The average human pulse rate of a fairly fit person is 60 beats a minute, ticking down through the years. Time, wrote Boy George, is like a clock in my heart.

How time is used has to be of greater importance than appreciated during those halcyon summers of idling youth.

Time in the railway industry is measured by the ever present clock - the

late departure, failed connection. In fact 9 out of 10 trains run on time. Swissstyle levels of punctuality and good timekeeping are the norm on many lines. The rail industry understands the value of time like no other. An overnight possession has to finish on time. Delay attribution is argued out in minutes.

Investment strategies were once dismissed as stop-go.

Thankfully this government understands the value of long term planning and sustained investment over time. HS2 technical director, Andrew McNaughton, argues the new railway will give you back your life - in time saved.

Time is a gift.

Early one morning in June Richard Evans, a Southeastern driver, jumped down from his cab to move a fallen tree. Rush hour chaos and danger was averted and time given back to thousands of commuters. Sharon

Willett talked to a teenager about to commit suicide. Her gift of time, warmth and generosity saved a child’s life and gave him back a lifetime of opportunity and wonder.

Railway people make strenuous efforts to work to time. Professionalism means turning up for a four o’clock shift on time. Yet the challenge for staff coming off duty is using private time equally wisely. It’s all too tempting to slump in front of the TV. This summer make time for the toddler so often asleep in bed when the shift finishes. Make time for the aged now nearing our last and final stop. Good use of time means planting that garden, making that fishing trip, taking up that fun run challenge - filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run. Make better use of time.

28

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andy@rail-media.com

Freight Focus in July

Very modern railways

One Step Beyond

Following on from the Rail Freight Group’s annual conference in June, we will be featuring a freight focus in our July issue. We’ll explore the current issues facing the UK and European rail freight sector as well as news from organisations across the industry. For information about promoting your company within the focus, please call 01530 816440 or e-mail: sales@rail-media.com

Once onboard, the seat detects the e-ticket on your smart phone, pulling out of the station, you open up a holographic display to check your estimated arrival time.

‘If it’s a family, as you claim, then its certainly a dysfunctional one,’ said a mainstream journalist. ‘Industrial unrest, mis-selling tickets - I bet you’ve even got a dotty aunt in the attic...’

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NEWS

4 | RailStaff | June 2015

Someone to Watch Over You Sharon Willett took her recently awarded MBE medal on holiday with her to Cyprus. With customary bravado, Shaz, as she’s known to her friends, wanted to involve her late father, Roger Keeton, in the royal honour. The Cypriot custom of placing a picture of one you love outside a church meant she could connect the two events on the island.

Her mother Christine, brother Simon and husband Len, all accompanied Sharon to Buckingham Palace for the award. ‘I have five children, and you’re only allowed to take three guests, so I took my Mum, Len and Simon,’ says Shaz.

Sharon Willett, a customer services expert at Newark Northgate station and winner of the Lifesaver Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012, joined the railway 10 years ago.

In October 2011, she attended the Network Rail - Samaritans suicide prevention course. Only three months later, she put what she’d learnt to good use late one night at Newark, when she saw a 15-year-old boy alone on the station.

Teenage Lament ‘He seemed to have isolated himself at the far end of the platform and showed signs of

emotional distress,’ says Shaz. She approached the teenager and started a conversation. It emerged he had been bullied, hadn’t felt able to tell his parents and had decided to take his own life.

Sharon quietly alerted control, who promptly isolated the line stopping all trains. She then guided the young man to a waiting room and after talking with him further, he let her call his parents. The boy’s mother later returned to the station to thank Sharon.

‘Since then, I have subsequently intervened a couple of times where the potential of them taking their own life was a real possibility,’ she says.

On one occasion, Christopher Garnett, erstwhile head of GNER, arrived unannounced at Newark. Spotting a man seemingly lost and confused on the down fast platform, Shaz approached him with her usual ‘Are you alright, darling’ and prepared to talk him down.

Far from remonstrating with her and station manager Phil Beck, Garnett congratulated them and often retold the story, citing it as one of the best examples of customer service he had ever witnessed.

Prince Charles The MBE was awarded by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. ‘Prince Charles was incredible, very warm, supportive and approachable, and he was really proud of the Samaritans and Network Rail partnership,’ said Shaz, speaking from Cyprus. ‘He’s actually a patron of Samaritans, which I hadn’t realised.

I’ve invited him to Newark, and he told the man on his left to make a note and sort it. I think we might get him!’

The Prince of Wales is a noted supporter of railways.

‘He asked me what happened that night and I told him.

There’s always someone else out there, and we have to keep training people and keep helping them.’

After the presentation, it was back home to the family and a big party at what Shaz calls Willett Towers with their five children and friends.

‘The whole day felt surreal but wonderful. But this award is really for all of us, for the railway staff everywhere who work day and night and so often save lives.’

Sharon told reporters, ‘I was the girl who stayed at home, brought the kids up and never went out to work.’

She describes her job as very rewarding and believes in putting something back. She is involved in suicide prevention work, often travelling to meetings and presentations in her own time. A holiday in Cyprus at a friend’s villa is proving the perfect antidote to a busy family and professional life.

Proud father ‘I have the MBE with me in here in Cyprus. I took it up to a church to be blessed by a priest.’ This is a widespread practice in Cyprus.

‘My father died, but he was a devout Christian. The custom here is to put a photo in a tree, light a candle and go in the church where the priest will bless the medal.’

British and Greek friends on the island helped arrange the blessing. ‘I wanted my Dad to be involved somehow, and this way I think he is.’

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NEWS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 5

End of the line Prime Minister David Cameron went underground to celebrate the end of the Crossrail tunnelling programme.

More than two years since the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) broke ground at Canary Wharf, tunnelling has now come to an end at Farringdon.

Crossrail’s TBMs have constructed 42 kilometres of new rail tunnel beneath the city. Attention now turns to fit out and systems integration.

The tunnelling programme has created thousands of jobs and led to the construction of a dedicated tunnelling academy in Ilford.

David Cameron said, ‘Crossrail is an incredible feat of engineering that will help to improve the lives of working people in London and beyond.

‘The project is a vital part of our long-term plan to build a more resilient economy by helping businesses to grow, compete and

create jobs right along the supply chain.’

Crossing from Reading in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, the £14.8 billion railway will serve 40 stations across London, adding an estimated 10 per cent to the capital’s rail capacity.

The phased introduction of Crossrail services began on May 31, when Transport for London took over services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said, ‘It is a wonderful example of our nation’s talent for engineering,

a talent that must not be allowed to founder and that I hope will eventually be put to use on the construction of Crossrail 2.’

As well as 42 kilometres of twin-bore rail tunnel, the project has included 13.5 kilometres of new passenger, platform and service tunnels.

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EXHIBITION CONFERENCE NETWORKING RSSB / RISAS SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP The only single theme event aimed at the engineering of rail vehicles for refurbishment and enhancements.

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NEWS

6 | RailStaff | June 2015

Push Through High Speed 2 Britain’s business chiefs want the new high-speed rail line to go straight through to Scotland, as was originally planned.

Their view has been stridently echoed by the SNP, alarmed that Scotland might be left behind in the British economic boom.

A feasibility study on the prospects for commercial use of a cross-border HS2 is being examined by ministers.

Sources indicate the government is not convinced the high-speed line to Scotland has a strong enough business case. However, initial plans envisage high-speed trains, connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh, using HS2 for the core part of their journey and slashing journey times. This is getting short shrift from the SNP. Says Drew Hendry, SNP transport spokesperson at Westminster, ‘It would be outrageous if the UK Government planned to snub Scotland on HS2 and these claims would confirm fears that the feasibility

study, which was sent to ministers months ago, had been held back until after the election.’

The Confederation of British Industry’s director, Rhian Kelly, said, ‘Connecting more of the UK to HS2 makes sense, but any extension of the line itself requires a cast iron business

case, showing how the long-term benefits exceed the costs.’ Kelly’s view was echoed by the Institute of Directors.

Hendry adds, ‘There is an undeniable economic case to connect Scotland to the rest of the UK and the continent.

‘Inclusion of Scotland in

Westminster’s HS2 plans will improve connectivity and remove barriers for businesses in remote and rural parts of the country.’

Hendry represents the constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and unseated Danny Alexander at the last election.

Egghead Steams Up Former London Underground train driver, Chris Hughes - the reigning Mastermind International champion and star of BBC’s Eggheads programme, recently tried his hand at the regulator of steam engine NG/G16 138 on a Welsh Highland Railway service from Porthmadog to Rhyd Ddu. Chris took to the footplate under the watchful eye of driver Andie Shaw. Chris was recording a feature for his 6 Towns Radio show, Steam Radio.

‘Driving a steam loco is like riding a bike - something you never forget,’ said Chris, who was a driver on the Piccadilly line.

Tracks Laid in Crossrail Work to install a new twomile section of track between the Crossrail tunnel portal at Plumstead and Abbey Wood station is pushing ahead.

Over a mile of new track has been laid by Network Rail so far, representing the first section of dedicated Crossrail track to be installed anywhere along the route.

Work has included the re-alignment of the existing North Kent line and the

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 6

replacement of the Church Manor Way footbridge.

Ahead of Crossrail services beginning in 2018, the tracks will now be used to support the fit-out of the new tunnels to create a fully functioning railway beneath the streets of London.

Says Matthew Steele, Crossrail programme director at Network Rail, ‘Completing this section of track on time is important because it means that Crossrail can get on with the job of fitting out the new tunnels.’

12/06/2015 15:53

12780 RMT RailStaff June15 FINAL.pdf

1

28/05/2015

15:26

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

Our warnings ignored

AGAIN!

ROTTEN RAIL SIGNAL COLLAPSES IN NORFOLK

Our shocking pictures released recently highlighted a rusted through signal that collapsed in Cantley, Norfolk on the Norwich to Lowestoft line. These once again reveal how warnings from union reps over serious maintenance issues are being ignored by senior managers.

The semaphore signal which came down had rusted right through at its base – an issue that our reps had warned of along that section of line, only to be told that the signalling is to be replaced at some point in the future with a new centralised system and that therefore repairs and replacements were not required.

It was pure luck that the signal fell away from the track rather than across it, and that it is purely by chance that the threat of a derailment was avoided.

Safety on our railways should NEVER be left to luck.

Protecting our members’ interests is our priority

Join us today www.rmt.org.uk RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 7

FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706 12/06/2015 15:53

PEOPLE

8 | RailStaff | June 2015

Fair Cop

Dyan Crowther (in red) trekking with Katie Mason of Railway Children.

Dyan Crowther, chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), has embarked on a parallel four-year term as a member of the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA).

Says Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, ‘We already have one of the safest railways in Europe, but we can’t be complacent. Dyan Crowther will bring considerable skills and experience to the authority. I am confident that she will strengthen its effectiveness both in policing and in ensuring the smooth running of the network.’

Dyan Crowther has worked in the rail industry for more than 25 years and was previously route director for London North Western at Network Rail.

Says Dyan, ‘British Transport Police do an excellent job of keeping our railways safe for passengers and, working with

our own crime prevention team, have helped reduce recorded crime by 9 per cent in the past year on our Thameslink and Great Northern routes. I am honoured to be offered this role.’

The BTPA was established in 2004 to improve the public accountability of the British Transport Police.

Crowther recently returned from an expedition to Everest Base Camp

Tec-Spec for Railway Industry Head to HS2 Network Rail’s director of safety Association

strategy, Emma Head, is on her way to HS2 to be the health and safety lead for the £42 billion highspeed rail project.

Stephen Collicott has been appointed technical director at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), focussing on safety, innovation, research and technical standards.

Collicott takes over from Francis How, who is becoming chief executive of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE).

Career railwayman Collicott has worked on projects as diverse as the West Coast Main Line Upgrade, High Output Electrification Plant and High Speed 2, with companies including Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Capita, Colas and Network Rail.

Educated at the Carnforth High School and Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Stephen Collicott read a degree in civil engineering at Liverpool University. He joined Railtrack as a graduate trainee.

Welcoming him, RIA’s director general, Jeremy Candfield, said, ‘We look forward to Stephen developing

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 8

this key role, as RIA continues to increase our engagement with crossindustry initiatives and key clients, but we cannot overstate the tremendous work put in by Francis How over the last seven years.’

Stephen Collicott has also been involved with the Welsh Highland Railway and is currently head of stakeholder management at the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE).

Emma will become HS2’s corporate health and safety director in August.

Emma has spent 16 years in the industry and has worked on projects such as the West Coast Route Modernisation Project and Crossrail.

Welcoming Emma, HS2 chief executive Simon Kirby said, ‘Emma represents a hugely important addition to the HS2 team. Her experience of driving through effective and lasting change on the existing rail network and her unfailing commitment to delivering the highest levels of safety for employees, passengers and local communities will be vital as we move closer to the start of construction in two years’ time.

‘Building from scratch, HS2 has the opportunity to ensure safety is always our key priority. Freed from the constrains of working with an essentially Victorian rail network, HS2 will be able to provide a step change in the way we

in Nepal - a fundraising trip for the Railway Children charity. She left Nepal just days before the earthquake struck and has since backed staff and public fundraising schemes for the relief effort.

approach risk management and system safety as well as working culture and practices.’

Says Emma, ‘HS2 is an exciting, ambitious and challenging project. It will be a catalyst for positive change both locally and nationally. But it will also provide a unique opportunity to build on our experience and learnings from the existing rail network, as well as relevant foreign experience, making health and safety the first consideration in everything we do.’

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PEOPLE

June 2015 | RailStaff | 9

Back from Australia

Roberts Ranges On

Hochtief UK has promoted rail sector operations director Sally Cox to managing director.

Michael Roberts will be stepping down from the combined roles of Rail Delivery Group director general and ATOC chief executive at the end of December 2015.

Mrs Cox takes over from John Jackson who had been in the position since 2008 and retired in April 2015.

Her 25-year career spans infrastructure and civil engineering projects both in Britain and abroad.

The move marks a successful return to Hochtief for Cox who worked for the international construction company for 17 years between 1990 and 2007.

During this time projects included the Exeter St David’s railway bridge and Paddington Bridge Project.

In 2007, she moved to Laing O’Rourke as project leader working on the Blackfriars project and later the widening of the M4’s Junction 11.

For the last five years, Sally Cox has been in Australia as project director at Leighton Contracts working as alliance manager on the Southern Freight

Link in Sydney. She then took over as project director Regional Rail Link WPE, Melbourne. This included the design and construction of a new 15-mile passenger railway, two stations, deep rock cuttings, 12 grade separations, as well as track and signalling infrastructure.

Hochtief UK’s rail involvement includes Hitchin grade separation, Crossrail, Reading and Stratford station upgrade.

Keyline Coup for Paul Clunn Paul Clunn joins the team at Keyline as rail manager south.

Clunn will be the focal point for Keyline’s customer relationships across the region as its rail business continues to grow. Keyline supplies a comprehensive range of drainage equipment, heavy building and railway materials. Paul worked previously for WF Senate and Senate Electrical. A volunteer for UNICEF, he also supports the Salvation Army.

Paul read business at Manchester University and is a graduate of the Open University and the University

The former CBI chief and Queens Park Rangers supporter said, ‘It has been my privilege to serve the railway and its customers through the work of the RDG and ATOC. ‘I am proud of the support we have given the railway during a time of sustained growth, and in framing the debate about the future of rail. After more than seven highly eventful years, I have decided that professionally and personally the time is right for me to move on, and to hand on the important task of helping industry players work together for a better railway.’ RDG chairman Martin Griffiths thanked Michael, ‘His leadership has delivered an expanded and

of London, where he studied forensic science and profiling. Interests include rugby, cricket and mountain biking. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management.

Says Richard Wade, rail sector manager at Keyline, ‘We are delighted to have filled this crucial role with someone with Paul’s pedigree, he has a wealth of commercial experience that will hugely benefit our customers.

‘It is an exciting time for the rail industry with sustained growth and large-scale investment, and Paul’s appointment is the perfect opportunity to create a dedicated figurehead for Keyline’s rail division in the south of England.’

Says Paul, ‘Keyline is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the continuing growth of the UK’s rail industry.

strengthened executive team at the Rail Delivery Group, which has championed better services for both passengers and freight customers.’

Sadly as Michael leaves the railway top division, QPR is also quitting the Premier League after suffering a 6-0 defeat by Manchester City.

‘I’m excited to be joining such an accomplished team and contributing to the company’s future success over the coming years.’

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RAIL ALLIANCE

10 | RailStaff | June 2015

Join the Rail Alliance Join the Rail Alliance now Rail Alliance membership starts from just £500 per year

RAIL 2015, 16th-17th Sept

New Members University of Southampton (Rail research and consultancy carried out under the banner of Southampton Railway Systems Research (SR2)) www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/ index.page JFC Plastics Ltd (Plastic drainage manufacturers and roto moulders) www.jfcplastics.com

This year also sees the Rail Alliance hosting and running its own dedicated rail event - RAIL2015 - at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre where the company is based.

It will provide any organisation supplying the rail sector an opportunity to showcase products and services to a focused audience of individuals looking for new and innovative solutions to rail-related challenges. There will be an opportunity for visitors and exhibitors to listen to key speakers as well as network, in addition to seeing live demonstrations over the two days of the event.

During RAIL2015, the Rail Alliance will deliver up-to-date information on all the activities and benefits it provides its members, including new programmes to support grass-roots innovation across the supply chain.

One such programme is the ‘Pioneering Mindset’. Chris Denison, innovation and technology director at the Rail Alliance, explains exactly what it is, ‘Irrespective of the size of an organisation, mindset can often make an enormous impact to business performance. Our Pioneering Mindset programme helps SMEs and top tier suppliers develop a safe, knowledge-based and targeted approach - and collaborative mindset to directly improve project, programme and business outcomes.’

The Rail Alliance will be giving free taster workshops of the Pioneering Mindset throughout RAIL2015.

The event is the largest dedicated outdoor rail show in the UK and will take place on 16 and 17 September. More details can be found on the Rail Alliance website: www.railalliance.co.uk.

Servotech Ltd (Providers of electronic repair support across UK & Ireland to many of today’s train and tram manufacturers and operators) www.servotech-ltd.com Taylor Construction Plant Ltd (Specialist suppliers to the construction and rail industries for compaction and lighting products) www.tcp.eu.com Horizon Utility Supplies Ltd (Suppliers of tools and equipment to the electricity supply industry covering all disciplines for Overhead Linesmen, Underground Jointers, Sub Station Fitters, Technicians and Engineers, as well as specialist products for the rail industry) www.horizonutilitysupplies.com Francis Brown Ltd (Welding engineers and fabricators offering value engineering solutions in the manufacture of high integrity, highly compliant, safely manufactured components and structures) www.francisbrown.co.uk United Springs Ltd (Manufacturers of both large scale mass production and small volume hand-coiled pieces for a variety of rail fixtures from circuit breakers and switchgear to bogeys and braking) www.sogefigroup.com Thermit Welding (GB) Ltd (Manufacturers and suppliers of aluminothermic welding portions, moulds and equipment covering the largest range of rail profiles for the UK) www.thermit-welding.com

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 10

log on to www.railalliance.co.uk email info@railalliance.co.uk or call 01789 720026.

ATL Transformers Ltd (Leading UK manufacturer of specialist products for the Aerospace, Military, Marine, Mining and Rail sectors) www.atltransformers.co.uk Common Time Ltd (Mobile App development for business) www.commontime.com B-Hepworth & Co (Designers and manufacturers of industry leading, bespoke windscreen wiper systems for the global rail and marine industries) www.b-hepworth.com DW Windsor Lighting (International award winning designer and UK manufacturer of exterior lighting and urban furniture) www.dwwindsor.com TRE (Leading innovator in the supply of dedicated products and services designed to improve the supervision and control of railways worldwide) www.trerail.co.uk Scott Bader Co Ltd (Manufacturer of composites products and structural adhesives for the rail, marine, construction and automotive industries) www.scottbader.com on-systems limited (Design, manufacture, repair and lifecycle management of power supplies and systems) www.on-systems.co.uk York EMC Services (Trusted provider of consultancy, product testing, certification, training and instrumentation for some of the leading brands and companies in the UK, Europe and worldwide. YES are an established market leader for the provision of EMC services to the railway industry offering a range of consultancy, testing and training services. With years of expertise, experience and a solid track record of solving EMC problems and demonstrating compliance for major projects) www.yorkemc.co.uk

12/06/2015 15:53

RAIL ALLIANCE

June 2015 | RailStaff | 11

UKTI

Rising to New Challenges

It was Rail Alliance’s honour to host and facilitate the most recent UKTI Regional Rail Forum Meeting, which took place at Rail Alliance’s offices on the 2 June.

The Rail Alliance was certainly a forceful presence at this year’s Railtex, with no less than 21 of its members joining in on the hub and a further 62 members exhibiting elsewhere in the hall.

The Regional Rail Forum is chaired by UKTI HQ head, rail sector, and is an allinclusive session that has in attendance: UKTI heads of sector, rail team members, HVO project manager/project specialists, sector specialists and trade advisors from all UK rail regions. The event also welcomes along representatives from the main rail trade bodies in the UK. UKTI’s head of rail sector has since conveyed immense thanks on behalf of the rail team to the Rail Alliance for hosting this successful meeting.

The forum provides a regular platform each year for stakeholders who support rail to give an update on activities and missions at the regional, national and international level. This exchange of information has a strategic planning value in addition to facilitating good

communication between UKTI HQ and regional teams, and strategic rail partners.

UKTI and its Trade Challenge Partners deliver various export events at home and overseas. The next example is the upcoming Spanish OEM mission which will take place in mid-June. The forum enables all attendees to discuss their collective events and the ways in which those involved can collaborate with the ultimate aim of supporting UK Plc on the international stage and help further drive the commitments of the Rail Supply Group.

For further information on any of the above please visit: www.gov.uk/ government/organisations/uk-tradeinvestment, www.railsupplygroup.org or e-mail the Rail Alliance via: info@ railalliance.co.uk

Having grown from humble beginnings back in 2008, as an offshoot of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), today the Rail Alliance is a highly regarded authority on matters relating to the UK rail supply chain and the challenges faced by SMEs involved in it.

Selected by the Rail Supply Group (RSG) as a key delivery partner, the Rail Alliance has been tasked with creating the first sector-specific UKwide mentoring programme designed to support and develop SMEs. The programme will help companies meet the specific standards, requirements and challenges set out by the top tier organisations.

Speaking at Railtex, Colin Flack, chief executive and RSG member, said, ’With

projects such as HS2 and Crossrail building and sustaining momentum respectively, now is the time for organisations to get involved in the mentoring programme.

‘Railtex was the perfect platform to deliver the message that participating in a high quality mentoring programme such as the one being delivered by the Rail Alliance on behalf of the RSG is a strategic decision that will generate real and immediate value.’

Any organisation which would like to register on the mentoring programme should visit: www.railmentor.com.

‘Now is the time for organisations to get involved in the mentoring programme...” said Colin Flack , Rail Alliance, CEO.

Welcome to Rail Live 2014, hosted by:

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12/06/2015 15:53

NEWS

12 | RailStaff | June 2015

Quintinshill

Remembered Report by David Shirres

The Princess Royal and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, both took part in events to mark the centenary of Britain’s worst rail disaster.

The 2015 rail disaster at Quintinshill has been marked by memorials at Leith, Larbert, Gretna Green and Quintinshill. A hundred years on, the events commemorated the tragedy that killed 227 soldiers of the Royal Scots Leith Battalion and 12 others.

The soldier’s troop train left Larbert at 03.42 on 22 May 1915 as marked by a commemorative plaque on the station’s southbound platform. On the evening of 21 May, the town remembered these men with a procession and service. The procession was led by the local Camelon Pipe Band which had given the departing troop train its send off in 1915.

Following the crash, the band was inspired to join the Royal Scots en masse to replace the pipers killed. The procession from the Old Parish Church to Larbert station also included military representatives, school children and local dignitaries. A short

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 12

service was held at the station car park in the presence of a few hundred people.

The following day, more than a hundred relatives of victims and survivors were at Gretna Green to mark the disaster’s centenary at events attended by Princess Anne, a former Colonel in Chief of The Royal Scots, and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

After a short service, wreaths were laid at Quintinshill memorial cairn, which had been unveiled on the 80th anniversary of the crash, in the car park of the old blacksmith’s shop at Gretna Green. Form here trains can be seen passing the crash site half a mile away.

On parade were veterans from the Royal Scots Association and companies from the Royal Regiment of Scotland including its band and the Pipes and Drums from its 1st Battalion.

Act of Remembrance After the first commemoration, they presented a fine sight and sound as they marched along a local lane to Quintinshill for a further Act of Remembrance at a Network Rail access point by the site of the crash at Blacksike Bridge.

The disaster devastated the Leith community. The day after the crash coffins were brought back to the Battalion’s Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street, Leith. This is now the home of the ‘Out of the Blue’ arts and education trust and, up to 13 August, their Gretna 100 exhibition.

On 24 May, they were taken in procession for burial in a mass grave at Leith’s Rosebank Cemetery a mile away. The funeral procession was lined by 3,150 soldiers and took three hours to pass. The following year, a memorial was erected at the grave together with plaques with the names of those who died.

On 23 May, the Royal Scots veterans and Royal Regiment’s band, pipes and drums and companies followed the route of the funeral procession to march through the streets of Leith from the Drill Hall to a service at the Rosebank Cemetery, where Princess Anne was again in attendance. For the general public, this service was shown on a large screen in the adjacent Pilrig Park. So ended three days of quite poignant commemorations at Larbert, Gretna and Leith.

12/06/2015 15:53

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RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 13

06/07/2015 12:26

NEWS

14 | RailStaff | June 2015

Don’t Walk Away René

Thanks go to Gore Rail workwear supplier Gore did its bit for the Railway Children Everest Base Camp trek earlier this year, donating equipment to Rail Media’s own Adam O’Connor.

Gore, which among other things supplies personal protective equipment to the rail industry, donated a selection of specialist gear to Adam, who set off with the charity in March to tackle the world’s tallest mountain.

Eversholt Rail and Wabtec are pushing ahead with a £60 million project to refurbish an EMU fleet of Class 321s.

Top performing staff at Wabtec’s Doncaster works will deliver the newly named 321 Renatus. The name comes from the Latin for re-born and is more usually rendered René or Renate in countries like Spain, France and Italy.

Class 321 Renatus builds on Eversholt Rail’s industry-leading Class 321 Demonstrator programme that showed how a high-quality refurbishment and enhancement programme can deliver a vehicle

The expedition has raised around £70,000 for the charity, which will go towards the organisation’s efforts to support homeless children in the UK and around the world.

In the May edition of RailStaff, the team called on the rail community to support fundraising efforts to rebuild the region following April’s devastating earthquake.

You can still support the Nepal Earthquake Appeal at: www.dec.org.uk

comparable to a new train at a lower cost. Passenger feedback from 321 Demonstrators, over a year of operation, has helped develop and refine the scope of Renatus.

Says Andy Course, chief operating officer of Eversholt Rail Group, ‘We started this phase of the project in July 2014 and it is incredible to see what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Our partnership with Wabtec will raise the bar on what can be achieved in a mid-life upgrade and will deliver a great and costeffective transformation in passenger experience.’ The Renatus should keep passengers coming back for more.

Forces March Triumph for Lorraine Lorraine Weights, 57, who works in the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) ticket office at Huntingdon station, has raised £2,200 by taking part in the Forces March - five marathons in five days.

The money will go to the Veterans Charity. Says Lorraine, a former soldier, ‘The challenge went well. It was very, very tough and much hillier than I had ever anticipated.

‘I managed to complete the whole 29 miles of day one in just under nine hours.’

Day two saw Lorraine battling blisters and injury.

‘Day three - very hilly to start but, thankfully, levelled out to an easier terrain, and I managed to complete the whole 30 plus miles in around 8.5 hours.

‘Day four, I had to take as a rest day as my injury resurfaced, and I was finding it very difficult to even weight-bear on my left foot. Despite my injury, and being in a fair bit of pain, I really wanted to complete day five so was advised to maybe start the day, take a break halfway through and go back out for the last few miles, which is what I did.’

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The Veterans Charity was established in 2008, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of D-Day, and provides support for ex-service men and women.

‘I decided to take on the challenge of the Forces March to raise funds for a very worthy cause and to help in some small way to give something back to our forces veterans. In particular, the Veterans Charity helped my 83-year-old mother, an army veteran herself, after she fell and broke her pelvis.’

Lorraine served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, stationed in England, Northern Ireland and Germany.

Despite sore feet, Lorraine has already decided to go back and do it again next year. ‘The whole event was an amazing experience, meeting people from all walks of life, age range 19 - 64 of all abilities.

‘The ultra runners were amazing, completing most days in under five hours, with a record being set by a youngster who completed the longest day 30.4 miles in exactly four hours.’

Friends turned out to support Lorraine. ‘I had a couple of wonderful moments when I was greeted by ex-WRAC members who I only knew from Facebook coming out to cheer me on with posters, banners and much needed hugs.’

12/06/2015 15:53

NEWS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 15

Apprentices Study AT200s ScotRail’s apprentices have been checking out what to expect from the new fleet of Hitachi AT200 passenger trains.

Jon Veitch, Hitachi Rail Europe’s general manager Scotland, took 30 apprentices through the future ScotRail fleet at a special meeting in Glasgow.

The 70 new trains should be in

operation by summer 2017. The new fleet of 46 three-car and 24 four-car EMU units, will be working the Glasgow-Edinburgh and Stirling-Alloa-Dunblane lines. The upgrade of the Glasgow-Edinburgh line will eventually enable eight-car trains to run between the cities, improving capacity by 50 per cent at peak times.

The contract between Hitachi and Abellio ScotRail includes a 10-year maintenance deal with plans to service the vehicles at depots in Edinburgh.

Young engineers attending the event as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week got a preview of the trains they will be

maintaining in the coming years.

Says Ross Short, a fourth year ScotRail apprentice engineer at Corkerhill depot, ‘It’s great to see what the future holds for us as apprentices and for ScotRail.

‘We’re at the start of our careers in the railway, and it’s exciting seeing the new trains that we’ll be working on. I currently work on some of the oldest [in the] fleet, the 156s, so the difference between them and the AT200s goes to show how well the rail industry is progressing.

‘There’s a lot of investment going into the rail network, so it’s certainly an exciting time to be working at ScotRail.’

New City Move for Hitachi Hitachi Rail Europe is opening new offices for 50 staff at 500 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire - just a few-hundred metres from Elder Gate, Network Rail’s new headquarters.

Says Keith Jordan, the now former managing director, ‘Hitachi Rail Europe is continuing to invest in the UK, and the opening of our new office in Milton Keynes is yet another example of our determination to be a major player in the UK rail sector.’

The AT200 project team and the learning and development division will be based at the Milton Keynes office.

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RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 15

12/06/2015 15:53

SAFETY FOCUS

16 | RailStaff | June 2015

PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES BUT WE CAN AND SHOULD LEARN FROM THEM BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND CORPORATELY SAFETY Colin Wheeler colin@rail-media.com

In a recent Sunday newspaper article the writer concluded with the statement that, “Of course mistakes are made and accidents happen - that is part of the human experience. Thus we learn from our errors, are not put off but press on.”

100 mph on 50 mph curve But do we? On May 15th eight passengers were killed and more than 200 people were injured when at just after 2100 hours the Amtrak train from Washington to New York derailed on the outskirts of Philadelphia. The train was of seven carriages hauled by a 2014 Siemens City Sprinter locomotive.

Internal video footage from the train indicates that it was travelling at

100 mph as it went into the 50 mph restricted curve that is preceded by an 80 mph restriction. The accident is under investigation by the United States National Transportation Safety Board.

The United States has been looking at a radio/GPS computerised system to monitor train speeds and slow them when necessary. A legal requirement exists for this to be implemented

by December 2015 but for financial reasons it was thought unlikely that this would be met and extending the deadline to 2020 was proposed. Maybe some will now decide to think again?

80 mph on a 50 mph curve My thoughts turned to the series of similar derailment accidents that occurred on the tight radius curve at Morpeth on the East Coast Main Line. The curve radius is 17chains or 340 metres and on 7th May 1969 the attention of the driver of a northbound

sleeper train wandered resulting in him entering the curve at around 80 mph rather than the permitted speed of 50 mph.

Six people were killed and 21 injured that night. The accident led to the introduction of the “Morpeth Rules” These specify gradually stepped speed restrictions and the provision of automatic warning systems.

The next Morpeth Curve derailment and another!

I was personally involved as the British Rail Duty Engineer when a similar derailment to a southbound sleeper train occurred on the night of June 24th 1984. Again the speed restriction of 50 mph was being exceeded by almost 40 mph.

I still recall the telephone call I received from Control asking me to investigate as they had lost all communication and suspected that a derailment could have severed

signalling cables. Their assumptions were correct. There were no fatalities but 29 passengers and 6 train-crew were injured and lineside properties were damaged.

The train driver was prosecuted and had consumed alcohol before driving his train, but having heard medical evidence of his bronchitis that had previously caused coughing fits resulting in him falling unconscious, the jury found him not guilty.

In 1994 another southbound train derailed. It was an Express Parcels train travelling at around 80 mph and failed to negotiate the 50 mph bend. But on that occasion although the driver was injured and there was considerable damage to vehicles and infrastructure, there were no other injuries.

Paddington derailment It was at 0504 on the morning of Sunday May 25th last year when according to the Rail Accident © NTSB

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SAFETY FOCUS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 17

© NTSB

would benefit from refresher training from time to time but can this really be categorised by the employer?

The valuing and trusting of staff, making it as easy as reasonably practicable for them to report concerns, and the mistakes they will inevitably make so everyone can benefit as a result, needs to be the aim.

Demonstrating a lower level of trust in the safe working of the “externals” may well lead to a reduced safety commitment I fear.

Farewell and thank you

Investigation Branch (RAIB) report an empty Heathrow Express five car EMU derailed in Platform 3. The train ran on for about 100 metres before being brought to a halt. There was little vehicle damage but some track components were affected. Both wheelsets of the leading bogie of the third vehicle derailed to the left.

The investigation found that the wheels on the left hand side of the leading bogies were permanently unloaded and that “checks during the PTT (post tyre turning) were not effective as they were not monitoring parameters likely to provide a clear indication of wheel load imbalance”.

A track twist further unloaded the bogies. The track twist was not identified by the visual inspections that had been carried out in the three years leading up to the derailment.

The report goes on to comment that the track twist was left because, “the process to plan and implement work required following identification of a twist fault was not followed.”

Stoke Lane Level Crossing derailment It has taken an understandably longer time for the RAIB to publish its report on this freight train derailment that occurred on August 27th 2013. A Class 66 locomotive was hauling 30 loaded diesel tank wagons when it derailed whilst going over the level crossing at 53 mph.

The trailing wheelsets of the 26th and 28th wagons derailed. The brakes

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 17

were applied by the automatic air leak resulting from the derailment and the train came to a halt a little over a mile and a quarter from the crossing at Carlton Station. Around 800 metres of track was damaged.

The report states that the cause was a severe dip in the track which developed rapidly under the leading portion of the train. Dips of 100mm were found in both rails caused by the construction of a micro-tunnel along the centre line of the road at the crossing.

The RAIB investigation concluded that the ground loss was due to “over-mining of the ground during the construction work.” The undertrack crossing had been built seven weeks prior to the accident to house six 132 KV cables. It was 53 metres long, internal diameter one metre and was constructed 5.7 metres below ground level.

Equality?

My thanks to readers who have raised their concerns over Network Rail’s Skills Assessment Scheme. A briefing document aimed at Controllers of Site Safety (COSS) refers to “a risk based approach to competence” and identifies a range of time intervals for retraining, assessments, site surveillance, knowledge testing etc.

The lowest risk category it says might remain valid for fifty years!

But the part of the scheme that has caused reader concerns is the validity variances specified between what are described as “Network Rail” and

“External” holders of PTS (Personal Track Safety), Look Out/Site Warden and possession support staff. For “Network Rail” each is ascribed a five year validity, but for mere “Externals” only a two year validity applies. I suggest it is likely that most people

Finally it would be inexcusable if I failed to thank Carolyn Griffiths who has recently moved on from her post as Chief Inspecting Officer of RAIB. She has been at the helm since the organisation was founded in 2003. I am immensely grateful to her for the job that she has done and for her response to my rail safety articles. The RAIB has during her time at its helm earned the respect of the industry by its professionalism, the thoroughness and quality of its investigations and reports.

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12/06/2015 15:53

NEWS

18 | RailStaff | June 2015

‘The future’s looking extremely bright,’ said Ford & Stanley managing director James Wall. ‘The opportunities for growth in rail are unprecedented.

As the industry continues to evolve, so does the need for talent. At Ford & Stanley we understand the importance of sourcing the right talent for the right role.’

Projects are piling up. Before a spade has even touched the ground on HS2, there is a commitment to improve capacity through the Pennines with ‘HS3’. In the capital it is looking increasingly likely that Crossrail 2 will go ahead and on the conventional network several large-scale electrification programmes are either already underway or on the horizon.

Then there are plans to procure new rolling stock and renew some of the tired existing fleet. It all adds up to an increase in demand for staff at all levels.

Ford & Stanley’s reputation is built on service excellence in professional recruiting within the consultancy and engineering market. However, it is recognised that maintaining this standard across the trade and technical market remains a challenge.

‘Our clients have expressed the difficulties they face in sourcing first-class trade and technical candidates that are fully equipped for the workplace,’ James explains. ‘We pride ourselves in offering exceptional service across the entire brand,

Wise Up

With continued levels of investment in rail and major infrastructure improvements across the UK, for anyone considering a future in the rail industry, the career prospects couldn’t be better.

therefore listening to our clients and actioning their feedback is a key priority.’

Talentwise In response to market and client demand, Ford & Stanley has recently launched its trade and technical recruitment brand Talentwise; an all-encompassing recruitment service sourcing first-class talent within the rail industry.

Talentwise goes beyond standard recruitment practices by equipping staff with railway standard tooling,

workwear and the bespoke training and competency management required to ensure a smooth transition into the workplace.

As part of the on-boarding process, Ford & Stanley equip all candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfill the role requirements.

‘As one of our value added services, we offer our clients the ability to be able to tap into bespoke training and competency management programmes. We also provide management information and

reporting to our clients at all levels, ensuring full visibility of recruitment activities throughout the entire process.’

If you’re seeking to enhance your career within the trade and technical arena or are looking for your next role within the rail industry, contact Ford & Stanley’s recruitment specialists on 01332 344443 or recruitment@ fordandstanley.com.

Our clients have expressed the challenges they face in sourcing first-class trade and technical candidates that are fully equipped for the workplace RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 18

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NEWS

20 | RailStaff | June 2015

New Timetable for McLoughlin The rail industry has broadly welcomed genial Patrick McLoughlin’s continuing role as Secretary of State for Transport in the new Conservative administration.

The popular ex-coal miner from Staffordshire is MP for Derbyshire Dales. McLoughlin took over as Transport Secretary in 2012.

With Britain’s economy pushing ahead - among the fastest growing in Europe - McLoughlin has the testing task of overseeing the provision of a transport infrastructure to support it. There’s no shortage of advice about what he needs to do.

Says Robert Keen, director general, British International Freight Association (BIFA), ‘BIFA sees his reappointment as a welcome sign of continuity in the department.

‘We hope that under his leadership, we will see some joined-up thinking on the many issues that affect our members, including capacity concerns in the UK’s aviation industry, the state of UK road infrastructure; investment in the railways and strategy on port and harbour developments.’

It’s a view shared widely - continuity with incisive leadership. Government transport strategy is basically

aimed at energising towns and cities throughout the UK, getting them to plug into the South East and London’s economic pulse beat. Rail has an essential role in this.

Keeping the public on board will be a central part of McLoughlin’s job.

Martin Abrams over at Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) says, ‘We hope you’re stoking up your engine, Mr McLoughlin, because we’ll be calling on you to: deal with the confusing range of rail tickets on offer, ensure passengers are always sold the cheapest one available, give local authorities more control over rail services in their areas and re-open more rail lines and stations.’

CBT has helpfully supplied a list.

McLoughlin represents an enigma at the heart of the government. His background could hardly be less Tory.

Born in 1957, his father died when he was six and his mother, a factory worker, brought him up. A Roman Catholic, he was educated at the Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School in Cannock. Subsequent education, he says, was gained from the University of Life.

On a school trip to Westminster, he confided in a friend that he had decided to become an MP when he grew up. ‘I’d keep quiet about that!’ his friend advised.

Aged 16 McLoughlin went to work on local farms for five years before taking a job underground as a coal miner. He rose up through the ranks at the Coal Board and also served as a local councillor. McLoughlin was elected to parliament in 1986.

High on his list of priorities will be pushing ahead

with HS2 enabling legislation, Crossrail 2, further plans for better road use, and the vexed issue of airport expansion in the South East. All these issues impact on the strident stockbroker belt.

McLoughlin, however, who endured the miner’s strike as Tory and served as Chief Whip, is no stranger to a fight.

McLoughlin works from the rock-solid belief that government exists to serve the public good. The railways need extra capacity, more line reopening and continuity of investment. In a labour-intensive industry his background in the tractor-belt and coal fields of Staffordshire will serve him well.

The industrial working class may be a school of hard knocks but skipping Eton and Oxbridge has given him a huge advantage when it comes to sorting out the three Rs: Runways, Roadways and Railways.

Children Create Train Livery

Hats Off for Hilsden

All of us will remember as children being asked to draw pictures at school. Youngsters at Springboard Opportunity have gone one better and designed a new train livery.

Dickie Hilsden celebrated 46 years on the railway at London Bridge as he and a hard working shift pushed ahead with major works over the Whitsun bank holiday weekend.

Children at the north Somerset charity worked on the livery with staff from First Great Western’s St Philips Marsh Depot.

Springboard Opportunity runs two centres in Clevedon and Weston Super Mare, supporting children with additional needs. The newly painted train was unveiled to families and children at a special event organised by FGW at the depot.

Says Simon Cassidy, driver operations manager, ‘Engineering and operations colleagues at St Phillips Marsh Depot have supported Springboard Opportunity Group over the last 18 months, and so far have raised over £15,000. This was achieved through a number of events including Santa Specials and depot tours.

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 20

‘First Great Western is committed to supporting the communities we operate among, and we are very proud to be involved with helping this wonderful charity.’

The train entered service last month and can now be seen across the FGW network.

Says John Saville, depot manager at St Philips Marsh, ‘To see the children able to see pictures of themselves and the artwork they have created on the side of a train was a very special moment for all those involved.’

cope with higher numbers of trains.

When complete, new platforms will be linked to a massive sub-surface concourse with lifts and escalators, improving the station for the 145,000 people who use it every day.

Teams made good use of a threeday closure of Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and part of London Bridge.

The rebuilding of London Bridge station and the tracks around it are an important part of the Thameslink Programme. Platforms 5 and 6 have now been demolished, leaving room for the station construction team to crack on.

Track has been dug up and repositioned, giving Charing Cross trains a different path through the station. In addition, a bridge carrying trains over Joiner Street - better known as the pedestrian entrance to the station from Tooley Street - has been jacked up and set down on new supports, increasing the strength of the bridge enabling it to

12/06/2015 15:54

NEWS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 21

Pedal Power for Samaritans Railway staff and volunteers are celebrating after riding more than 600 miles in 10 hours to raise awareness of Samaritans’ life-saving work.

Volunteers from five different train companies teamed up with British Transport Police (BTP) colleagues at London’s St Pancras International to take turns at pedalling on one of three static bikes.

Passers-by stopped to cheer on the riders, who cycled for all their worth for 30 minutes each.

East Midlands Trains head of operations strategy, Darren Ward, came up with the idea of the challenge.

‘Days like today show how the railway family, as I like to call it, is united in its support for the work that Samaritans does to help people, wherever they are from and whatever’s troubling them.

‘More than 40 colleagues have come together from all over the rail network to raise awareness of Samaritans’ round-the-clock service.

‘We set ourselves a target of riding 365 miles to mirror the number of days a year that Samaritans’ volunteers are there to listen, in confidence, to anyone who needs to talk. But, thanks to the phenomenal efforts of everyone involved, we’ve ridden a total of 613 miles,

which is the equivalent of a week of the Tour de France, but in just one day.’

Rail staff, train travellers and friends and family of the riders also triumphed, raising valuable funds in sponsorship and donations.

Staff from Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway, First Great Western, London Midland, East Midlands Trains and the BTP made up the bikeathon volunteers.

PC Adrian Young is more used to patrolling on foot than cycling, but he got in the saddle and gave the fundraising challenge a spin.

‘British Transport Police is proud to support Samaritans. We’d encourage anyone who’s struggling to contact them. Their volunteers are ordinary people, there simply to listen and not to judge,’ says Adrian.

Network Rail customer service and performance advisor Hayley Bull says partnering with Samaritans creates opportunities for more people to reach out for support.

‘Thousands of commuters and travellers use each of our stations every day. By helping to raise awareness of Samaritans’ services through events like these, people that may be vulnerable can see that there is help and take steps to talk through their problems and find a way through.’

Samaritans is available round the clock, call 08457 90 90 90 and in Ireland 116 123 You can also e-mail: jo@samaritans.org, or visit: www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.

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FEATURE

22 | RailStaff | June 2015

The Quintinshill Rail Disaster

Burnt out sleeper coach.

Report by David Shirres

Early on the morning of the 22 May 1915, the UK’s worst rail accident at Quintinshill near Gretna Green killed an estimated 227 people and injured another 246, most of them soldiers.

The awful photograph of the sleeper train’s burnt out coach does not convey the full horror of the 1915 Quintinshill disaster which is thought to have killed more than 200 people, by far the highest of any UK rail accident. Eight were killed on this 13-coach Euston to Glasgow sleeper express and two passengers were killed on the four-coach local Carlisle to Beattock train.

On the troop train more than 200 men perished. After the collisions it was compressed from 213 to 67 yards and caught fire. A soldier on leave returning from France described the scene as worse than anything seen in the trenches.

The estimated 217 reported deaths on the 21-coach troop train included the driver and fireman. Of the dead soldiers, 83 were identified, 82 could not be recognised and 50 were

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reported missing by the military who could not confirm this figure to be correct as the battalion’s roll was destroyed in the fire. The roll call after the crash revealed that, of the nearly 500 soldiers on the train, only 67 were uninjured.

Leaving Leith On 1 May soldiers of the 1st/7th The Royal Scots Territorials, mainly recruited from Leith, marched out of their Dalmeny Street Drill Hall to start three weeks training near Falkirk. They thought they were going to France but, after two weeks, were issued with pith helmets so they knew they were

going somewhere hot. Somewhere hot was Gallipoli which they were to reach by a troopship from Liverpool to which they were to be carried on three trains.

The first train carried the 7th Battalion which, in full kit, was crowded - 12 to a compartment. Of its 21 coaches, 16 were six-wheeled gas-lit wooden coaches. The train departed Larbert at 03.42 on the morning of 22 May. It never left Scotland.

Quintinshill signal box was just north of the Scottish border on the Caledonian Railway’s London to Scotland main line. Its signalling was

absolute block to Gretna Junction, 1½ miles in the up direction, and to Kirkpatrick, 2 ¾ miles in the down direction. The line capacity offered by these distances was not sufficient for the 40 per cent increase in traffic resulting from war. There were no track circuits at Quintinshill. Their use was not widespread at this time.

Fateful shift change George Meakin should have finished his shift at 06.00. However, for two years he and James Tinsley had an unauthorised arrangement to delay their shift change by about 30 minutes. Thus, after 06.00 Meakin

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June 2015 | RailStaff | 23

Commemoration at Quintinshill.

Camelon Pipe Band leads the procession at Larbert. made no entries in the Train Register Book. Instead he made a separate record for Tinsley to copy into the official book in his own hand on arrival at the box.

At the end of his shift on 22 May, Meakin had to manage two freight trains, a local train, two expresses and the troop train. A northbound freight train was put in the down loop at 06.17. Shortly afterwards a train of empty coal wagons arrived from the north. As Carlisle Kingmoor yard was unable to accept this train Meakin had to hold it on the up loop.

At 06.30 the northbound local train arrived. Meakin knew that behind it were late-running sleeper expresses

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expected to leave Carlisle at 06.25 and 06.40. To avoid any further delay, the first express would have to pass the local at Quintinshill. With both loops occupied, Meakin’s only option was to move the local onto the up main where it then faced on-coming traffic, a perfectly acceptable practice.

Meakin’s plan was that the local would follow the first express and be held at Kirkpatrick for the second express to pass.

Interrupted plan The execution of this plan was interrupted by Tinsley’s arrival. He had used the local train to get to work, having been advised by the Gretna

signalman that it was to be held at Quintinshill. He lived in the cottages by the now closed Gretna station on the Caledonian line, which was otherwise a one-and-a-half mile walk to Quintinshill.

Tinsley entered the signal box at 06.32 and took charge after Meakin had shunted the local onto the up main line. The first sleeper express passed the box at 06.38. About the same time, George Hutchinson, the local train’s fireman, entered the box to carry out Rule 55. Tinsley told him that his train would be held until after the second express and thus changed Meakin’s plan.

At 06.42 Kirkpatrick box offered the southbound troop train. Tinsley then made the dreadful mistake of responding with a ‘line clear’ signal.

At 06.46 he accepted the second northbound express. With up and down main line signals cleared a collision was now inevitable.

The troop train was late and running at about 70 mph down a 1 in 200 gradient. Due to a curve its driver, Francis Scott, had only seconds warning of the head-on collision which occurred at 06.50. His 548-tonne train pushed the 422-tonne local train back 43 yards.

Dreadful lapse An estimated 53 seconds later, this second northbound express hit the wreckage creating a fire, made worse by exploding gas cylinders. This second collision might just have been prevented had Tinsley immediately returned all signals to danger. Instead it was Meakin who returned to the signal box to do this.

James Tinsley had an apparently unblemished record in his eight years as a signalman, five years of which were at Quintinshill box. How could he have forgotten about the local train? He had travelled to work on it and talked to its fireman, perhaps two minutes before he accepted the troop train.

The inquiry considered that he was distracted as he was updating the Train Register Book to hide his unauthorised shift change. Perhaps so, but such memory lapses can occur for various reasons, for example he could have been unwell. His medical condition will never be known as the inquiry did not consider his fitness for duty.

Rules broken Tinsley’s forgetfulness should not, in itself, have caused this disaster

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Quintinshill today.

Pipe and drums march to Quintinshill.

as there were three measures to guard against this. These were lever collars; Rule 55 and blocking back.

The disaster would not have occurred had any of these measures been fully applied.

In 1912, the Caledonian Railway had introduced a rule requiring a lever collar to be placed on the signal lever controlling access to the track occupied by a stationary train. This both provided a reminder and locked the signal lever. At the time many felt these collars were unnecessary.

Indeed, the Midland Railway initially refused to introduce them as they felt they would ‘tend to bring about disuse of the habit of observation’.

It would seem there was a general non-compliance with this rule which reflected badly on the Caledonian’s inspection regime. The inquiry did not address this issue.

When a train was held on the main line, Rule 55 required a member of the traincrew to enter the signal box to remind the signalman about his train, sign the register book and ensure the train was protected by a lever collar.

Hutchinson did enter the signal box to carry out Rule 55 but he made no comment about the missing lever collar.

The blocking back regulation requires permission from the signal box in the rear before a line is blocked.

Had this been done, Kirkpatrick signal

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box would, in effect, have provided the protection for the local train standing at Quintinshill. However, Meakin could not apply the blocking back rule when he moved the local onto the up main as the empty coal wagon train was also on up main, about to enter the loop, in a parallel and safe move. Hence the block instrument at Kirkpatrick was already showing ‘train on line’ to protect the up main at Quintinshill. Although the inquiry did not identify this problem, the Caledonian Railway later required its Superintendent of the Line to look into this ‘seeming anomaly’.

Blame instead of prevention The Board of Trade inquiry was led by Lieutenant Colonel E. Druitt of the Railway Inspectorate who

concluded that, ‘the responsibility for the collision lies entirely with the two signalmen’. It considered that fitting track circuits was not practicable at that time and that the fire would have occurred even if there had been no gas cylinders. Although Druitt’s report provides a detailed account of what happened, it did not address wider issues and made no recommendations.

Tinsley and Meakin were convicted of culpable homicide and were sentenced to three years and 18 months. In the same year, 14 other train crashes killed 39 and injured 834. In almost all cases the resultant inquiries concluded that the cause was mistakes by front line staff.

Yet on their release from jail, Tinsley and Meakin were re-employed by

the Caledonian Railway which also housed, and employed, Tinsley’s wife whilst he was in jail. In an age when staff could easily be summarily dismissed this perhaps indicates that the Caledonian Railway acknowledged that it had some responsibility.

One hundred years later, the railway has been transformed with interlocked signalling, crash and fire worthy vehicles which are certainly not lit by gas. Druitt’s inquiry report would not be acceptable today.

Instead investigations focus on underlying causes rather finding fault.

However not everyone shares this view, so Quintinshill has one lesson that remains relevant after all this time. Blaming people is not the way to find out why accidents happen.

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RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 25

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NEWS

26 | RailStaff | June 2015

Cork - Dublin Yes Vote Report by Tim Casterton Passengers in Ireland have given a big thumbs up to Irish Rail as it clipped a neat 15 minutes off the journey time from Cork to Dublin.

The introduction of a new non-stop service on 25 May further boosts line speed on the main intercity route. The train, running on Mondays to Friday with a 6.15 departure from Cork, arrives at Dublin Heuston station at 8.30, enabling business travellers to make 9.00 meetings in the capital.

The service was introduced following consultation with businesses in Cork which highlighted the requirement for a fast service to Dublin. Initially the train will be formed of a three-car InterCity Railcar (22000 class) set.

In recent months extensive

engineering works have been taking place over the 50 miles of main line between Hazelhatch, Co Kildare and Portlaoise to remove speed restrictions and allow increased speeds.

The €10 million track improvements project involves ballast renewal, drainage works to the formation and track alignment improvements.

The first phase of works included an impressive 80,000 tonnes of ballast being laid over weekend possessions.

A second phase will include bridge

and level crossing works to help cut further minutes off the end-toend journey. Further journey time improvements are planned during 2016, with Iarnród Éireann looking to bring the fastest journey times between Cork and Dublin down to two hours for the 165¼ mile journey.

The increase of line speeds from the current 140 km/h to 160 km/h will permit journey times to and from other destinations to the west and Limerick to be reduced by around eight minutes.

Knife Attack Hero Honoured

Real ‘Heart’!

Karl Richardson, who works for Northern Rail, has been commended for intervening in a potential suicide at Bradford.

A London Bridge ticket inspector who tackled and disarmed a knifeman threatening to stab passengers has been recognised for his bravery by BTP. Michael Mitchell, 40, from Downham, south east London, was presented with a Chief Constable’s Commendation last month.

Michael sprang into action during the evening rush hour at London Bridge. ‘I was stood checking tickets at the barriers when a woman ran in screaming that there was a man outside with a knife. I ran out into the street and saw this man clutching a knife and threatening a woman.

‘I immediately ran up to him, got the woman out of the way and told him to drop the knife. I must have shouted at him three or four times but he was out of it, muttering under his breath and with glazed eyes.

‘The area was really crowded with rush-hour traffic and a mother and young children were walking close by. I knew I had to act before he seriously hurt someone. I ran at him, managed to overpower him and bring him to the ground. I restrained him, and got the knife off him, until BTP officers arrived.’

Presenting the award, Chief Constable Paul Crowther OBE, said, ‘Michael showed incredible bravery. I’ve no doubt that his actions prevented serious injury to the lady and other members of the public.

‘Michael went far beyond what anyone would have expected of him. I am delighted to take this opportunity to personally

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Last year, the Iarnród Éireann Intercity sector recorded an increase in journeys nationally of 3.7 per cent with a total of 8.4 million being made in the year.

This welcomed growth has continued during the first quarter of 2015, helped by keen marketing.

The new Cork - Dublin service and proposed faster journey times are aimed at tempting more customers back from the roads where motorways built in recent years have provided considerable competition for the rail network.

thank him for this act of pure selfless courage.’

A grateful David Statham, managing director of Southeastern, said, ‘We are incredibly proud of the extreme bravery and courage Michael showed in very testing circumstances. Michael acted selflessly for the safety of others around him, and I am very pleased he has been commended by the Chief Constable for his heroic actions.’

Michael said he felt he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he had stood by.

‘I couldn’t ignore what was happening. I couldn’t live with myself if he’d stabbed someone in the street and I hadn’t tried to prevent it. When I saw there were young children in the area, I knew I had to disarm him. My own safety never even came into my mind – all the rules just went out the window,’ said Michael.

‘I did what I thought was right.’

Karl was working at the automatic ticket gates when he successfully dissuaded a man from taking his own life.

Following Karl’s intervention, the man has since been in touch to say how his life has turned around and to thank Karl for saving him.

Says Alex Hynes, managing director for Northern, ‘Thanks to Karl’s selfless act that night, the gentleman and his family have a bright future.

‘Karl has shared his experience with the Samaritans team and is taking part in a national programme for fatality reduction, which is such an important programme for our lives on the railway.

Well done Karl, you are a true hero.’

Karl Richardson, who works as a gateline operator at Bradford Interchange, won the ‘Heart’ category of the Global Serco Pulse awards and received his award in London in May.

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The Jacobite Rides Again

Morson Magic Wins Again

Network Rail says it is satisfied that West Coast Railways (WCR) has addressed all of the actions set out in the suspension notice issued on Friday, 3 April.

2015 looks like being another good year for Morson Group which has seen contractor numbers power up to 13,500 and profits rise by 22 per cent.

Alex McGregor of Lloyds Register, now Ricardo Rail has been appointed as interim head of safety.

WCR was suspended after a Signal Passed at Danger incident at Wooton Bassett Junction. The eastbound Cathedral’s Express headed by 34067 Tangmere overshot the signal by 700 yards - only one minute after a London bound intercity service from Swansea had cleared the junction.

WCR runs a wide range of charter train steam tours among them The Jacobite.

Network Rail has now revoked the suspension. In a statement Network Rail’s Paul McMahon director, freight, said, ‘We welcome the commitment West Coast Railways has made to improving safety management; the changes to your Safety Management

System (SMS); and the three new roles (director/general manager, head of safety and non-executive director) being introduced to strengthen safety leadership and corporate governance.

‘We note your appointment before services recommence of your new nonexecutive director and Alex McGregor of Ricardo Rail as interim head of safety pending the permanent appointment; and for the ongoing engagement of First Class Partnerships to ensure that changes to the SMS are implemented effectively.’

Morson recently announced positive growth, including adjusted pre-tax profits of £16.3 million - a 22 per cent rise on its 2013 figures - in its annual financial report.

Business achievements of the Manchester-based recruitment and engineering company included the integration of Vital Human Resources last year. Morson acquired the business in November 2013.

Morson International was named Britain’s top Technical and Rail Recruiter by Recruitment International’s Top 250 Report 2014.

Financial highlights include: • Group revenues up by 8 per cent to £706.1 million - a rise from the 2013 figure of £653.5 million, • Group net fee income up 21.6 per cent to £60 million from £49.3

million in 2013, • Pre-tax profit up 22 per cent to £16.3 million from £13.4 million in 2013.

Says Morson Group chief executive Ged Mason, ‘Our businesses have performed well. We have supported and invested in the service delivery over recent years and the resilience and ability to gain from market improvement this offers us is significant.’

It’s a view echoed by Morson Group non-executive chairman Kevin Philbin, ‘I am pleased to report that 2014 was a good year for Morson Group. 2015 presents challenges, however we expect engineering talent to be in demand and that our core markets will attract major investments in infrastructure over the coming years, generating significant opportunities.’

Morson is sponsoring the Rail Engineer of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards. The group is made up of three main subsidiaries; Morson International, Morson Projects and Vital Human Resources.

training. This will provide added value, potentially opening up additional revenue paths in rail or associated industry sectors.

Nurturing the next generation of rail talent, ORTS will also develop apprenticeship and training opportunities for 16-24 year olds, with a focus on unemployed school leavers,

disadvantaged groups and former armed forces personnel.

Says Jeff Sykes, operations director at Orion Group, ‘We are currently in a strong position to be expanding the business, increasing our presence across the UK. The opening of the Orion Wigan Rail & Training Centre headquarters signals

our commitment to develop further our railway expertise. With the centre increasing its portfolio of valuable programmes, this educational training scheme provides employees with a solid understanding married with the essential skills that are needed to pursue a successful career within the industry.’

Wigan Boost for Orion Orion Rail & Training Services (ORTS), part of Orion Group, has opened a new training facility at Wigan Springs Branch.

Transforming a derelict building into a training complex, the Orion Wigan Rail & Training Centre will become the headquarters for Orion Group’s burgeoning rail business.

As a fully accredited and certified rail service provider to Network Rail also accredited by the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE), the new facility will deliver both knowledge and skills to an expanding team.

The Wigan Centre will offer safety critical training which will comprise commercial-based training for already competent staff looking to upskill and looking for recertification. Allied training will focus on management, supervisory and occupational health

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Very Modern Railways

You are a passenger at London Euston in 2035 about to make the hour-long journey to Manchester.

An alert on your 20th generation iWatch shows the 15.10 HS2 service is just pulling into the station. It displays exactly where to stand on the platform for boarding.

Once onboard, a light on the seat headrest turns from green to red as the train detects the e-ticket on your smart phone. Pulling out of the station, you open up a holographic display to check your estimated arrival time before sitting back to watch a movie.

Charging pads on the table allow you to power up your phone as you traverse the British countryside and if you’re feeling hungry, you can order refreshments straight to your seat using the touch computer screen built into the table in front of you.

This is the future of rail travel in Britain says Hitachi’s now former managing director, Keith Jordan. In fact, all of these features appear in a new very high-speed concept train developed by Hitachi. Described by the manufacturer as its British Bullet Train, it has been designed to demonstrate that highspeed rail won’t be just about going faster. The train’s Garter Blue colour

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scheme borrows from the iconic LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard.

‘All that you see will be deliverable in the future,’ says Keith. ‘The technology exists, the delivery sometimes takes time and educating customers sometimes takes time.

‘It’s just showcasing that we do know what real high speed is about.’

50 years of experience in Japan Who really knows what the rate of technological development will be like between now and 2030? We now use mobile phones to pay for shopping, listen to music and to watch TV. In the year 2000 mobile phones couldn’t even connect to the internet - we didn’t even have WAP, as pointless as it seemed to be. Keith said the AT400 looks beyond HS2, but that is clearly at the forefront of Hitachi’s ambitions.

‘We feel we have to be in a very good position because of the technology we’ve got. [We have] 50 years of experience in Japan, more than anybody else in the world with high-speed trains.’

Siemens also has something new and is targeting the long-distance EMU market with its Desiro Verve - a replacement for the discontinued Desiro UK. The Verve cars will be 23 metres long - three metres longer than the Thameslink Desiro City - and will be equipped with uprated bogies to give it a top speed of 125 mph.

The Verve features a more aerodynamic front end than the Class 700 and an interior configured for intercity travel.Graeme Clark, head of business development, rolling stock, said, ‘We’ve gone for a lot of features that have been developed specifically for the Desiro City, so it draws very heavily on the technology of the Desiro City.’

New Tube for London programme Next generation rolling stock is also part of London Underground’s long-term plans. Siemens and Hitachi have been shortlisted alongside Bombardier, Alstom and CAF for the £2.5 billion New Tube for London programme - for which

the Invitation to Tender (ITT) is now expected by the end of the year. A scale model of Siemens’ Inspiro concept Tube train went on display at The Crystal on Royal Victoria Dock for much of 2013 as a vision for what could be.

Modern trains are needed to meet the expectations of modern passengers, but innovation in rolling stock design and engineering isn’t being left to manufacturers to deliver alone. Several design agencies have only recently been given a share of £2.2 million as part of the ‘Tomorrow’s Train Design Today Competition’ run by Future Railway, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The Rail Supply Group, in producing its long-term rolling stock strategy, has highlighted the accelerated demand for new trains, created by a well-noted historical lack of investment and an extensive plan to electrify large portions of the network over the next few years.

Surely it won’t be long until these concept trains of the future are brought to life and operating on the network.

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10th October Ricoh Arena Coventry

www.railstaffawards.com

ONE STEP BEYOND

‘If it’s a family, as you claim, then it’s certainly a dysfunctional one,’ said a mainstream journalist.

‘Industrial unrest, mis-selling tickets - I bet you’ve even got a dotty aunt in the attic...’

Unkind criticisms of the railway are nothing new, but if the railway is in fact a family it too suffers its share of dysfunction. Shortcomings may be gleefully reported by mainstream media but the railway is fighting back. Chaotic it may be; but the enduring commitment of staff to each other and the people they serve testifies to a group dynamic, strong and remarkable. It deserves celebration and recognition.

Modern families are not neat, suburban or tidy. Rather the idea has become a big sprawling party, taking in friends, neighbours and colleagues.

New families emerge from old. Rifts drive some apart altogether. Identity is tribal.

Clan, in Gaelic or clanna to be precise, means children.

Cascade of laughter However it is defined, a family can be stronger than the sum of its parts. For example, the band Madness, currently on tour, travel like a circus of old. Wives, partners, children and friends all come along for the trip. Lead singer Graham

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MacPherson, better known as Suggs, describes pulling into the Gare du Nord on Eurostar. The group were on their way to play at the Rock en Seine festival.

Their carriage was packed with uncles, aunts, children and friends. All of them fell off the train in ‘a cascade of laughter’.

Beer cans, books and luggage piled up around them. Madness, with the nervous assistance of SNCF staff, prepared to mount an attempt on the Paris Metro. ‘It was obvious to anyone that we’d had a good time,’ Suggs recalls in his excellent autobiography.

Then he looked up and saw Noel Gallagher alighting from the first class compartment at the top of the train, a newspaper neatly folded under his arm, alone. To the lead singer of Madness the man appeared an Oasis of calm. ‘And for a second, I almost wished I was him.’

Our House Being with friends and family forms the backbone of life. Riding out the peaks and troughs of professional life is all the more feasible if you have a family behind you. Suggs himself was brought up by his mother, a jazz singer.

His father left the two of them and life was a struggle. Interestingly Suggs married rock singer, Anne Martin, better known as Betty Bright. The couple have two daughters and live in a house

they bought in Camden Town close by other band members and a sprawling cast of musicians, pub landlords, footballers and friends - in effect, a wide and rewarding family. The song ‘Our House’ celebrates family life - no wonder another family chose to project it onto the wall of their home a mile or two south of Camden High Street.

Abi Smith, RBF chief executive, relaxes with her family walking along New Brighton sea front eating fish and chips.

More alarmingly, she describes getting together with friends - and tackling the local rugby club’s beer festival.

Sharon Willett, who was made an MBE, talks of spending time with family and friends on Cyprus and is keen to draw attention to her fellow workers who also have saved lives.

Ascent of Man It is important to encourage family and friends. Sharon Willett shot to fame initially as a winner of the Lifesaver Award at the RailStaff Awards 2012.

Nominating a fellow family or staff member is an easy and effective way to say thanks - we appreciate our local hero.

Chaotic family life may be - but it almost always wins through. At the subsequent concert at Rock en Seine, Madness were asked to play on a smaller

stage - the big one was reserved for Oasis. Good humoured as ever Madness made do. Afterwards, relaxing back stage over a beer or three, the festival promoter burst into the room in some distress. The agitated man let loose a flow of French and collapsed in a chair with his head in his hands. The only word they could make out was Oasis.

Naturally, with all the beer around, he had come to the right place. But in fact the headline act, Oasis, had split that night and would not take the stage.

Could Madness play another set? Oui oui, said Madness, anticipating a future album title. With ribald encouragement, much cheering and joshing, Madness took the stage - marching on in their Ascent of Man walk. The French went wild and the day was saved.

The point is families need to work at staying together, looking after and encouraging each other. Families may not be easy but they can give the individual far greater strength and resilience.

Encouragement often means going one step beyond a simple pat on the back.

Colleagues and cousins all need support.

A little effort goes a long way.

Nominations for the RailStaff Awards 2015 are open now.

Go to www.railstaffawards.com RailStaff Awards 2015 is at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 10 October 2015.

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

30 | RailStaff | June 2015

20th Anniversary Year for Bridgeway Consulting Bridgeway Consulting is supporting the Rail Safety Person of the Year award at the RailStaff Awards 2015. Bridgeway Consulting, which has supported the RailStaff Awards right from its inception, itself moved to bigger, better premises on Nottingham’s Riverside Way overlooking the River Trent last year.

Brian looks the part, as he collects his award.

‘We realised some time ago that we had outgrown our base at Beeston Business Park,’ said Managing Director, Pino de Rosa. ‘The new offices and depot are more spacious and offer better opportunities for our work and for training and development. We have more space to better serve customers and a secure healthy environment to progress the ever increasing projects and works we are taking on at Bridgeway.’

Bridgeway has renovated Riverside Way. Initially the building had an EPC rating of 84 (‘D’ rating) but the energy

modelling plan we have developed shows that the building is projected to have an EPC of 50 (‘B’ rating). When we have completed the renovation work the new offices will encompass a purpose-built state of the art training facility with more space for track and signalling equipment open lay out, to

Proud Sponsors of the

2015 Rail Safety Person of the Year Award

give trainees hands on experience in a secure environment, all within easy reach of Nottingham’s vibrant city centre.

This year Bridgeway Consulting celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the company. Founded in April 1995 in the back of the Victoria Inn outside Beeston station by three British Rail Engineers the company has grown to employ over 600 staff on a comprehensive array of infrastructure projects around the UK Rail network.

Works include :

POSSESSIONS & LINE BLOCKAGES

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

ROPED ACCESS

SAFETY CONSULTANCY

CDM INTEGRATION

DIVING

SPECIALIST ACCESS

SITE & GROUND INVESTIGATIONS

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

SITE PROTECTION FENCING

AC/DC ISOLATIONS

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS

GEOMATICS

ECOLOGY

STRUCTURES EXAMINATIONS

PERMANENT WAY

@

enquiries@bridgeway-consulting.co.uk

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 30

0115 919 1111

ASSURANCE SERVICES

CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY

SIGNALLING

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1. Birmingham New Street, ReSignalling Phase 4 & 5 Principal Contractor 2. East Midlands, Wales, Western, Thames Valley and Thameslink Possession Management 3. Northern Hub & NWEP project.

4. London North West (LNW) Specialist Rope Access 5. MMLE cable route survey 6. Training Managed Services for Signalling Solutions, BCM Construction, Morrisons Rail and Costain 7. Isolation Services for Thameslink and Crossail Says Tom O’Connor, Managing Director, Rail Media, ‘Bridgeway Consulting’s success demonstrates what the rail industry and its people are achieving. Founding members of the RailStaff Awards, Pino de Rosa and his team have become an integral part of the continuing success story of the new rail industry. We wish Bridgeway Consulting every success as they push

forward with what I am sure will be an equally successful and inspiring 20 years.’

The Rail Safety Person of the Year is a popular category. Safety is at the forefront of all operations at Bridgeway Consulting. A proactive approach is combined with staff-wide safety ownership methods. The object is to get everyone buying into a safetypriority culture.

Says Steve Diksa, Corporate Development & Sustainability Director, ‘At Bridegway we have developed a culture which enables the workforce to prioritise safety. This is always a challenge but we work hard at achieving it and we make sure it becomes part of every member of staff’s thinking.

We see the Rail Safety Person of the Year award as doubly important because it salutes those safety minded people who encourage good practice in the rail industry. We are delighted to support the Rail Safety Person of the Year award.’ Steve Diksa won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RailStaff Awards 2013.

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

June 2015 | RailStaff | 31

Award winner Gordon with sponsors, First Group.

FirstGroup Backs Lifetime Achievement Award FirstGroup is the proud sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s RailStaff Awards.

The company is one of Britain’s most experienced rail operators and carried 280m passengers last year. It operates First Great Western, First TransPennine Express, First Hull Trains and Tramlink on behalf of Transport for London.

It runs regional and commuter services, open access and light rail operations as well as high speed inter-city trains and overnight sleepers – everything from local services to long distance express trains. FirstGroup has a strong track record of investment with more than 700 new vehicles introduced and the company is committed to maintaining a leading position in the market.

FirstGroup is also one of Britain’s biggest bus operators running more than one in five of all local bus services. In North America it is the largest provider of student transportation with some 49,000 yellow school buses, is one of the largest private sector providers of public transit management and operates the iconic Greyhound coach service, synonymous with affordable long-distance travel and a unique national network.

Says Tom O’Connor, managing director of Rail Media Group, ‘FirstGroup

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is a long and faithful supporter of the RailStaff Awards, mirroring the great emphasis it places on staff development, care and success. This dates back to its origins as a management and employee buy-out during the privatisation of the bus industry.

FirstGroup has grown to become one of the most successful transport businesses in the world and has helped many build enduring and successful careers in the industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the most popular categories. For me it is entirely right that a company which has inspired so many should be backing this award.’

Tim O’Toole, FirstGroup’s Chief Executive, said: ‘The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises people who put their lives and careers towards delivering excellence in the rail industry.

Right across the industry we have employees at all levels who work hard to deliver services, look after customers and keep the railway safe and successful.

When visiting stations, maintenance depots and offices across our operating companies, I see great work being done day and night and it remains a privilege to witness the commitment and professionalism of employees.

‘The railway, for many in the industry, is a way of life and unlike most other

sectors it is not uncommon to find colleagues with 30, 40 and 50 years service. There are thousands of people, including many at FirstGroup, who have served the rail industry faithfully over many years. The Lifetime Achievement Award reflects the passion and

commitment of men and women who have dedicated their careers and lives to running our trains, delivering great customer service, operating signals and building and maintaining track and trains. They are the real heroes of the industry.’

We’re all proud to sponsor The Lifetime Achievement Award at

firstgroupplc.com

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

32 | RailStaff | June 2015

RBF Backs RailStaff Awards

Abi Smith of RBF with Lisa (left) and her award.

RBF is headlining this year’s RailStaff Awards as overall corporate sponsor. The move comes as RBF, the new name of the Railway Benefit Fund, prepares to launch a comprehensive portfolio of new services this autumn.

The RBF supports railway staff, active or former, and their dependents when dealing with illness, injury, bereavement, or adversity. RBF was founded in 1858 in an era of appalling safety, danger and social deprivation.

First chairman, Joseph Locke, set the tone when he said he hoped, ‘The railways would combine to support this most excellent and valuable institution.’ Locke was himself a noted railway engineer - he studied under George Stephenson - and went

on to become a Liberal MP, always concerned with the welfare of railway workers. Annual dinners were held to raise money and were chaired

We can help... ...and so can you

Advice, information and financial support readily available for current and former railway people

by the Marquess of Lansdowne, the Prince of Wales and Charles Dickens.

The writer drew particular attention to the gratitude he felt was owed to railway staff, who performed their duties in hazardous conditions. Like Locke, Dickens argued passionately for support.

The charity was relaunched in 2006 under the name of the Railway Benefit Fund, and is now widely known as RBF. Further developments will see RBF moving up a gear with a new structure and reforms designed to deliver a comprehensive advice and assistance service to retired and serving railway people.

Abi Smith, RBF’s Chief Executive urges people to get to know RBF better.

‘We are very much aware that many railway staff do not know about us. We are changing all that and the RailStaff

Awards will act as a window on the RBF. Railway staff do a difficult job well and deserve continuing support. We wish everyone entering the RailStaff Awards good luck and look forward to meeting as many of you as we can on the night itself.’

Says RailStaff editor, Andy Milne, ‘The railway is a huge community of working men and women, their families and retired people. Modern life is complex and the unexpected often challenging.

It is good to know the RBF is there with a helping hand and professional advice. The RailStaff Awards is all about the people who actually do the work and invest whole careers in the railway. It makes sense that the RBF, which does so much to help, is at the forefront of the event. We wish Abi and her team at RBF every success.’

If you need help call us on 01270 251316 or visit our website www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk To make a donation call us or give through our website RailwayBenefitFund

Blog

@RBF1858

TheRBF1858

railwaybenefitfundblog.com

flickr.com/groups/therbf

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 32

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

June 2015 | RailStaff | 33

Morson International Sponsors Rail Engineer of the Year Morson International, one of the leading recruiters for the UK rail industry, will sponsor the Rail Engineer of the Year award at this year’s 9th RailStaff Awards.

The RailStaff Awards take place on 10th October 2015 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. The rail engineer of the Year Award provides an opportunity to recognise the importance of a job that requires dedication, expertise and immense responsibility.

Morson International has a comprehensive rail operation that supplies a broad spectrum of skilled personnel to rail projects across the UK and overseas.

Gary Smithson, Associate Director at Morson, comments: ‘We are delighted to support and sponsor the Rail Engineer of the Year category at this year’s Railstaff Awards. The awards highlight the exceptional work that the UK’s rail workforce does on a daily basis.

‘The UK’s rail infrastructure development continues to gather pace; it’s an exciting time to work in the industry with many large scale projects underway or planned in the near future.

‘Morson International has always placed great importance on championing the UK’s rail workforce.

To win Rail Engineer of the Year is a great accolade for any engineer in the industry, and with so much exceptional

Dominic receives his award from Gary Smithson talent it will be a tough decision for the panel to make.’

Says Tom O’Connor, Managing Director of the Rail Media Group, ‘We welcome Morson International to the biggest and best RailStaff Awards yet in our new venue at the Coventry Ricoh Arena.

Morson International has been a strong and valued supporter of the RailStaff Awards for several years now reflecting a sustained and expanding contribution to the rail industry.

Railways need more engineers; positive, motivated individuals investing their careers in the railway

boom that looks set to continue for a generation and beyond. To back engineering, encouraging all engineers, is the responsibility of us

all. Morson sets the pace and people from Morson thread the industry with professionalism, dedication and ingenuity. Thank you, Morson.’

Morson International is the UK’s No1 Rail Supplier.

We proudly sponsor the Rail Engineer of the Year Award.

Find out what Morson Group can do for you today.

Contact us on:

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 33

T: Manchester 0161 707 1516

T: London 0207 633 2040

W: www.morson.com

E: rail@morson.com

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

34 | RailStaff | June 2015

SHORTERM ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR Apprentice of the Year

Category at the Rail Staff Awards 2015 Follow us on Twitter and facebook for all the latest updates from the RailStaff Awards inlcuding:

• Latest News • Announcements Shorterm Group is a railway recruitment specialist with more than 35 years’ experience placing permanent and contract staff across all major rail projects.

For more information call our rail team

• LIVE tweeting on the night

Staff Awards

@railstaffawards

0800 122 3456

TheRailStaffAwards

72899.014 Shorterm awards advert 90x130.indd 1

TALKING SAVES LIVES Samaritans is proud to sponsor the Lifesaver award at this years’ RailStaff Awards 7,500 rail industry personnel and British Transport Police officers have been trained with the skills to help a person in need. These skills can encourage people to talk about their problems and help save lives.

For more info and to nominate a colleague  www.railstaffawards.com

In partnership with

A registered charity

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 34

TBF is proud to sponsor the 2015 Station Staff of the Year Award

01/09/2014 17:15

With the help of the TOCs, Network Rail and other employers throughout the public transport industry we now have nearly 45,000 members.

For just £1 a week, a variety of benefits are available to you, your partner and dependent children.

& 0300 333 2000

etd 00 38571 help@tbf.org.uk 8 www.tbf.org.uk

The Transport Benevolent Fund (known as TBF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1058032) and in Scotland (SC040013)

12/06/2015 15:55

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

June 2015 | RailStaff | 35

A Beijer Electronics Group Company

Proudly sponsoring ‘Signalling & Telecomms Person of the Year’ Proud sponsors of the RailStaff Awards 2015

Amey is one of the UK’s leading engineering consultancies and public and regulated services providers.

We are the faces behind the services you use every day.

Westermo is a global player in mission critical data communications solutions. Westermo products thrive in the harsh environments of the trackside at the edge of today’s enterprise networks. … Quality systems audited by leading global rail companies … Designed for high reliability and long life leading to reduced maintenance costs … Legacy serial communications to Ethernet IP networking solutions … Secure and resilient networking solutions … Tested to EN50121-4 EMC standard and operational at extreme temperatures … Wide range of Network Rail accepted products … Low power consumption helping to build sustainable railway

Through standalone provision and Joint Venture partnerships we collaboratively drive intelligent rail solutions that enhance performance and efficiency for our customers and improve service levels for the public.

Proud to sponsor the 2015 RailStaff awards Rail Manager of the Year

Lynx managed10-port Ethernet switch PADS: 087/045460

Industrial RS-232 to fibre optic converter PADS: 087/045462

www.amey.co.uk Industrial PSTN dial-up modem

Wolverine industrial Ethernet extender

PADS: 087/039595

PADS: 087/038364

linkedin.com/company/amey @ameyplc

‘

PRIDE OF NATION Do you know someone who has gone the extra mile?

join us for the Rail Industry

event of the year

In their job? In your job? For the business? Personally? For charity?

Then nominate them today…

Get them the recognition they deserve in the national RailStaff Awards, plus each category winner receives £1,000!

Visit the website

www.railstaffawards.com

to view award categories, book tickets or nominate online.

Staff Awards

THIS YEAR’S THEME IS

NOMINATIONS CLOSE: 31ST AUGUST 2015

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 35

PUBLIC VOTE CLOSES: 21ST SEPTEMBER 2015

12/06/2015 15:55

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

36 | RailStaff | June 2015

Spotlight on

Young Rail Professionals East Midlands

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

London and South East – 17th July, London East Midlands – 31st July, Derby West Midlands – Date TBC, Birmingham North West – Date TBC, Liverpool PROFESSIONALS Yorkshire – 17th July, York Scotland – 30th July, Edinburgh Western and Wales – 15th July, Bristol Venue details will be available on the YRP website as each barbecue is confirmed. Looking forward to seeing you there!

With thanks to our corporate members

DVV Media (Railway Gazette)

Morson ATKINS

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 36

TRE IET

ATOC

Porterbrook

Ford & Stanley

RGS Executive Aspin Group

University of Birmingham

Register at www.youngrailpro.com

YRP SUMMER BARBECUES

Fundamental to the mission of Young Rail Professionals (YRP) is the regional expansion of the organisation, reaching across Great Britain to engage as wide an audience as possible.

Establishing regional communities expands the coverage of YRP’s activities in response to the growth of YRP membership, and facilitates accessibility to our networking, development, and outreach events.

June marks the one-year anniversary of the first YRP regional committee outside of London to be formed - the plucky and proactive group that is YRP East Midlands.

This month’s article gives a special focus on this strong and growing regional branch, with a timeline of the accomplishments of YRP East Midlands.

Recently elected YRP East Midlands chairman Ben Parry, who works for YRP’s newest Platinum Corporate Member Bombardier Transportation, is moving up from his busy role as YRP East Midlands networking and development manager, so he has experience with engaging the YRP

membership in the area, saying, ‘My vision for the East Midlands region as the chair is to cement our position and to ensure that the events we have planned for 2015/16 are delivered to a high quality and are well attended.’

Ben is also a bit of a YRP celebrity, having featured earlier this year on CBBC’s Technobabble, showcasing his personal skills as a YRP leader, and also his shiny new Bombardier trains, of course.

YRP East Midlands was also the first region to have their regional YRP leadership step into national YRP leadership roles. Bombardier Transportation continues to yield a rich seam of young leaders, with former YRP East Midlands chair Sabrina Ihaddaden stepping into the YRP National vice chair role, and Abhinav Sunny Chirayil supporting as the marketing manager at both the East Midlands and National levels.

Sabrina was instrumental in the formation of the regional branch and its engagement at the national level to pioneer the framework for further regional expansion. She reflects, ‘I feel very proud of the success and achievements of the YRP East

12/06/2015 15:55

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

Women in Engineering World Record Attempt On 23 June, YRP will team up with Women in Rail and with YRP Platinum Corporate Member Transport for London to celebrate National Women in Engineering Day with a Guinness World Record attempt.

Female engineers from all disciplines are invited to join the grand photo opportunity to raise awareness of women in engineering. Horse Guards

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 37

Parade will serve as the venue, kicking off at 8.00 on the day. The event will provide a historic opportunity for women across the industry to meet each other and to serve as ambassadors for their profession, as it takes place in conjunction with the 100 Years of Women in Transport campaign.

YOUNG RAIL

JUNE

PROFESSIONALS

23

YRP Summer Barbecues Always a highlight in the YRP calendar, the Annual YRP Summer Barbecue will roll out to all of the regions this year. As the British sunshine stabilises, the dates and venues of the barbecues are being confirmed, but RailStaff readers will find out first. The barbecues will all be posted on the YRP website, along with news and photos from the many events this summer.

If anyone would like to become involved in organising future YRP events, performing outreach activities to promote the railway industry as a career choice and developing opportunities for young people to be recognised and prioritised in the wider railway industry, then contact us at: info@youngrailpro.com.

NATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY PHOTO CALL AND WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT Who should attend:

PROFESSIONALS

Female Engineers and Engineering students from all disciplines Location: Horse Guards Parade, The Household Division,Horse Guards, Whitehall, London SW1A Time: 08:00-09:00 Mission: To raise awareness of women in engineering and of the vast array of opportunities available in the industry

DVV Media (Railway Gazette)

Morson ATKINS

TRE IET

ATOC

Porterbrook

Ford & Stanley

RGS Executive Aspin Group

University of Birmingham

Register at www.youngrailpro.com

Midlands, and I have no doubt in the future of the region.’ Along with the strong support of the Bombardier Transportation cadre comes a diverse crew of YRP regional leaders, employed with a number of other companies who support YRP as corporate members as well, including Aspin Group, East Midlands Trains and Ford & Stanley.

The energy of the YRP members in the region is matched by the support of their companies, as many have served as hosts for YRP networking, development and outreach events. YRP East Midlands continues to grow and to serve as an exemplar for regional ambition and excellence.

June 2015 | RailStaff | 37

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FEATURE

38 | RailStaff | June 2015

The art of

arc protection

The risk posed by electricity on the rail network is made clear by Network Rail’s Life Saving Rules.

Three rules deal specifically with electricity: never assume equipment is isolated - always test before touch, always test before applying earths or straps and always be sure the required plans and permits are in place before you start a job or go on, or near, the line.

The consequences of not following these steps when working around 25 kV overhead lines is obvious. But even when all the rules are followed, accidents can occur. Equipment failure is another real risk.

The majority of orange fire resistance (FR) workwear being used on the rail network today does not comply with the relevant high visibility standard, even though they include silver reflective tape in the EN configuration. Most flat orange garments are manufactured using an FR treatment, which is not permanent, meaning the wearer has no way of knowing how flame retardant their clothing continues to be.

Two new products For the past three years, Worcestershire-based Praybourne has been developing two new products - a Class 3 Combat Coverall and Class 2 Combat Trouser.

Both the Combat Coverall and Combat Trouser are flame retardant, antistatic and electric arc protective. But unlike many other brands, wearers can be confident that Pulsarail clothing will always protect them from potential workplace hazards.

Using a patented Protex multi-fibre blend - Protal 5, the range has a 16 Cal/ cm² ATPV rating, virtually double the performance of the next market-leading fabric. Combined with the Xcelcius Electric Arc Base Layers, the level of protection increases to 42.6 Cal/cm².

Some of the benefits of Protal 5 include excellent breathability and wicking properties, as well as an enhanced electric arc performance because of its ability to shed the metal electrodes from an arc blast. When welding, it sheds sparks and molten metal, extending the life expectancy of the coverall.

On top of its safety credentials, the Combat Coverall has been designed with the wearer in mind. The coverall includes breast, combat and rear pockets, an

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FEATURE

June 2015 | RailStaff | 39

elasticated waist and adjustable cuffs.

The triple stitched inside leg, front and rear rise seams, and five extra crotch bar tacks reduces the risk of splitting.

Other features include nonconductive plastic studded wrap around cuffs, a front storm flap - which conceals a two-way plastic zip, internal knee pad pockets and double stitched FR reflective tape in the chevron design.

The Combat Trouser has all the same attributes as the Combat Coverall but with a slightly elasticated waistband with triple press stud fastening and zip fly.

To be worn in conjunction with the Pulsar FR Combat Trouser, the Pulsar FR high-visibility orange Class 3, GO/ RT 3279, flame retardant polo shirt incorporates 3M Scotchlite thermallyapplied reflective tape, FR collar and cuffs, and concealed three button placket.

If it gets a little chilly, then why not layer up with the Pulsar FR high

visibility orange Class 3, GO/RT 3279, flame retardant sweatshirt. Again, both garments are manufactured using a Protal blend of FR fibres to guarantee the highest level of performance without compromising on comfort or fit.

The Xcelcius Electric Arc Base Layers are manufactured from a knitted Protal - blend and comply with EN11612 (FR), EN1149 (AST) and IEC61482 (Arc) standards. Both top and bottoms have a 9.2 Cal/cm² ATPV rating. When worn in conjunction with the doublelayer balaclava, it ensures maximum next-to-skin protection. All styles incorporate red contrast FR thread and are presented in a sporty design for optimum fit and comfort.

Find your nearest stockist by visiting www.praybourne.co.uk/stockists or for further information on the range contact Praybourne directly on 0844 6691860 or e-mail: enquiries@ praybourne.co.uk

Quality on Reflection

RC fr-ast

0844 6691860 PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK ENQUIRIES@PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 39

0844 6691860 PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK ENQUIRIES@PRAYBOURNE.CO.UK

12/06/2015 15:55

INTERVIEW

40 | RailStaff | June 2015

Electra Heart Andy Milne talks to Abi Smith, Chief Executive, RBF.

L

ater this year, RBF plans to launch a comprehensive range of new and better services for the rail industry, expanding the ways in which it can help. The new RBF will be able to help existing and former rail staff and their dependents pick their way through the tangle of welfare benefits, grants and allowances with clear, succinct, advice and discretionary financial help.

Dating back 150 years, RBF, the Railway Benefit Fund, is almost as old as the railway itself. Restructuring and reforms at RBF have been designed to create an organisation better able to serve those most in need.

RBF is presided over by the ever cheerful Tim Shoveller, who somehow manages to find time whilst running the SWT/Network Rail Alliance at Waterloo to chair RBF. Shoveller is building on foundations set out by his forerunner, the widely respected Dominic Booth and the many railway people and staff who have been involved with RBF at every level from board members to fundraisers.

However, running the charity is a genial former luxury hotel sales manager, Yorkshire-born Abi Smith,

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 40

who joined RBF in February 2014 after nine years with Claire House, a children’s hospice. Abi was confirmed as chief executive in May this year.

Abi Smith runs RBF from airy offices on an industrial estate east of Crewe station on Electra Way. The area is a vibrant grid of railway drama and legend. Crossing the road I see a huge lorry with two sets of new rail bogies skirt the roundabout with measured grace.

Down on the station Virgin Trains staff help a confused man with a courtesy and patience which is a privilege to witness. Over in the car park of the Crewe Arms that afternoon two BTP constables were walking a distraught woman back to where she thought she’d left her car.

Courageous HR RBF has been helping railway staff and their dependents since 1858. ‘We have very strong links with the rail industry,’ says Smith. These persisted right through the British Rail era. ‘We always enjoyed union support and payroll deductions. At privatisation, we had lots in reserve.’

The post-privatisation railway posed an existential challenge for RBF. How would BR’s 400 successor companies view an organisation with a long and distinguished history? Who needed a benevolent fund anyway when staff, according to the disapproving media, were now magnificently overpaid?

In fact in a world of zero hours contracts, easy credit, a housing squeeze and rapidly changing technologies, the need for RBF has never been greater. To their credit rail bosses in the main realise what a worthwhile resource the new RBF represents. This is evidenced by the enthusiastic support given RBF by

12/06/2015 15:55

INTERVIEW

railway Human Resources departments who do a courageous job of keeping track of legislation and employee welfare.

Bonnie Dundee ‘In the new railway it was hard to see where the RBF fitted. Over the last five years, we have really had to try to take steps to improve what we do and develop good relationships. The message is we are here not just for ex-railway people, but for working staff as well.’ Examples include discrete help with funeral expenses for a Merseyrail station retailer whose wife died very suddenly on holiday. A Network Rail cable jointer, paralysed from the chest down after a motorcycle accident, needed financial help to install an access ramp, widen three doors, raise floors and take down walls to adapt the house for his wheelchair. RBF stepped in to help.

One story illustrates the full reach of RBF. Last year Jane ‘Bonnie Jean’

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June 2015 | RailStaff | 41

Ewan celebrated her 100th birthday.

Mrs Ewan was formerly a Goods Depot clerk for the London Midland Scottish Railway at Dundee. As a young woman, she met her husband, Bob Ewan, at Dundee Yard. The two married and although Bonnie Jean, as she is still known, left the railway Mr Ewan went on to serve 44 years rising through the ranks to achieve a number of managerial positions. Sadly Bob died in 1969.

At her centenary party, RBF Scottish committee member, Mark Quin, turned up to pay his respects and join in the celebrations. Bonnie Jean’s daughter, Ann Smith, was delighted that the RBF remembered her mum. ‘I would like to thank the Railway Benefit Fund for their kindness in remembering my mum’s 100th birthday with such generosity and attention,’ she said. Mrs Ewan may be 100 years old but she’s still part of the railway family. Perhaps that’s where RBF fits - in a thousand thank-yous rendered down the years.

Root Cause RBF’s soul-searching continued.

The solution to every problem is not always a cash hand-out but accessing appropriate help. The great problem is so many do not know where to look or who to ask. Try the Internet and Google crashes back with hundreds of information pixies - people in excess of capacity.

‘Last year we discussed RBF’s future and talked to other funds and people in the industry. One thing became very clear, more people come to us with problems than before. Often the people have underlying issues - like housing or debt. Clearly we only have a limited amount of money. If we are to help we must look elsewhere. Many of the people we help are on benefits.

70 per cent of them are on the wrong benefits.’

Despite much vaunted attempts to simplify the system, it is anything but.

Advice from over worked officials can be poor and there are cracks in welfare

- sadly all too many people fall through them. Searching for the root cause of the predicament is the cornerstone of RBF’s new approach. New skills are needed and a strong group of people to deliver them.

New Team RBF has been quietly recruiting a new team to take forward a charity better equipped for the challenges railway staff face this century. The team includes: • Simmy Akhtar, welfare manager.

Simi formerly worked for the Citzens Advice Bureau and is a trained solicitor.

• Ruth Wilson is the new fundraising manager with a wide experience of the field.

• Paula McArdle is the donor development/ marketing officer charged with maximising exposure.

• Julia Swancott finance officer reconciles the mathematics of RBF’s burgeoning role in the industry.

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INTERVIEW

42 | RailStaff | June 2015

Abi, with winning golf team.

RBF is currently completing the last stages of recruitment for a welfare support officer, who will replace the current grants officer who is retiring in September.

‘All our staff will spend time with a railway company working on platforms and depots,’ says Abi. ‘We want to get to know what goes on, what the job involves and understand the vast array of job titles.’

Abi Smith is clearly enthusiastic about her team. ‘They are hugely committed and motivated, very knowledgeable and very passionate about supporting people.’

The life of a charity worker makes unique demands. ‘You work because you want to help.’ Detached professionalism meets an emotional involvement that poses its own set of challenges. Abi Smith is no stranger to this; she spent nine years at Claire House in Cheshire.

Swimming with Harry ‘I thought I’d give it six months,’ says Abi. She’d been working at Craxton Wood, a luxury hotel and spa on the Wirral. ‘I think people often do a new job for a few weeks and then give up on it too soon. Best stay six months and then decide, that’s my view.’

The Children’s Hospice, Claire House, is named after Claire Louise Cain, 1979 -1989. Claire’s parents set it up at

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 42

Bebington on the Wirral. Claire died of a brain tumour just short of her 10th birthday.

‘I didn’t know how I’d deal with it that first day but I stayed 10 years. Within four weeks it became very clear to me how to handle life at Claire House,’ says Abi. ‘I was in the office one morning dealing with a fundraising event and getting rather bogged down when I found out we’d lost a child. Our building was separate to the actual hospice. Even so we would be able to see the little white coffin leaving. Blinds were drawn on the hospice itself.’

Smith relates all this in a matter of fact, no nonsense tone as I hiccup and

attempt to keep up. ‘Then one of the children came in to the office. We were always told to drop everything and be there for the children. A funeral makes you feel pretty sick but anyway this little boy says, ‘I’ve drawn a picture.

Can I have a picture frame?’ Unfazed, my colleague says, pardon? He repeats the question; pardon, she says again.

The boy rolls his eyes and says, ‘Please can I have a picture frame.’

Anyway we get this frame and help him with the picture - he’s in a wheelchair this boy. ‘Good,’ he says, ‘My Mum will like that because it’ll probably be my last one.’ Then he goes on his way.’

The point the child made, however unconsciously, was

that life as it is, life in the moment, can be improved. A coffin might be leaving by the back gate. Even so, ’We know what’s going to happen in the end, but what we can do is make his life and that of his family a happy life full of good memories.

It’s that involvement that drove me.

Families have no choice and have to face it. We could be there to make that difference.’

One family had never been swimming together. Two brothers one of whom, Harry, was at the hospice - wanted to go for a swim and do it as a family. The staff and a health and safety officer set up a swimming session that very night. Harry’s family hit the water at 10 o’clock.

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INTERVIEW

Security Clearance Abi Smith is originally from Yorkshire. Her family moved over to Cheshire when she was 16. At her father’s emphatic behest she studied accountancy and marketing at West Cheshire College rather than hairdressing - her preferred choice.

Later Abi worked for a local college in the finance department. She then became a secretary at Business Support and Energy at Remsdaq - a global security systems company. The job involved stand management at the National Exhibition Centre. Better still Remsdaq has a global sweep and Abi was also asked to look after overseas staff on visits to the UK. This meant structuring an itinerary and adding value to their visit. Accountancy and marketing came into their own.

‘I liked this and wanted to do more of it.’ Remsdaq’s real bonus was that she met her husband there. Peter Smith is a respected security specialist.

However his defences were down the day he met Abi and the pair went on to get married. They have a daughter, Chloe, 6.

The Remsdaq experience inspired her to work at Craxton Hall organising huge events - weddings for showbiz celebs and a get together for Arsenal FC. Business ramped up from August to Christmas, with long hours planning as well as meeting and greeting.

June 2015 | RailStaff | 43

that afternoon. Two hours later he turned up. This one meeting things didn’t go very well. Losing his temper he snapped his brief case shut and wagging a finger at us girls, yanked open the door and crashed out.’ Smith pauses…’Except it wasn’t the right door, it was the stationery cupboard.’

The director reappeared skidding onto his back side in an avalanche of post-it pads and staplers. ‘We tried desperately not to laugh.’ The story is still a centre piece of hotel staff reunions.

Advice ‘There’s this very British idea that ‘I don’t need help’. We hope people, perhaps in denial, will look at our web site and make the call.’ Sound advice is at the centre of RBF reform.

‘We’re launching fact sheets on the website. There will also be an advice help line to call. We’ll have a benefit calculator and we can run various scenarios. For example a woman going back to work - after injury or after having kids - wants to know what position she’s in. We can key in your circumstances. Where do you stand with 10 hours work or 20? We don’t want people working it out incorrectly and not taking that job because they think they’ll lose benefits. We can work out exactly where you stand and what your are entitled to.’

With debt RBF can ask for a

repayment plan. ‘Some cases are quite complex so we have a partnership with Manchester Citizens Advice Bureau. We can refer our people there and be seen within 48 hours. We have a contract with them. This is especially helpful with debt. If you hit rock bottom and can’t cope, we’re there. Your case will be looked at within 48 hours not two or three weeks.’

Rail Backing The industry looks like it is getting behind RBF. The Spring Ball held at York NRM raised £7,000. IMechE raised over £9,000 at its Railway Division Annual Luncheon, last year. People stumped up £4,500 at the RailStaff Awards. However, the key to this is payroll giving. The percentage of rail staff involved in payroll giving is less than 1 per cent. Smith is under no illusions about what lies ahead. ‘If we want more funding from the current industry we have to start working with them to support our people.’

‘The next stage is piloting what we do. Pilot schemes go live on 22 June at Merseyrail and SWT.’ Jane English, the HR director at Merseyrail, will help with the pilot until the end of August.

Tim Shoveller and his team will be undertaking a similar exercise at SWT. The new RBF offers a lot of scope for help and Tim Shoveller has said repeatedly he and Abi want to hear from staff, past and present. People

can help with ideas as well as fund raising.

‘We plan to learn from the pilot and factor that into what we do before launching RBF to the whole industry this autumn.’ It’s the first in a series of steps aimed at modernisation. SWT and Merseyrail operate in very different regions and this will be valuable. The new team will log all calls and assess regional differences.

Change here for…

Change can be hard to accept but the aims and values of RBF remain the same: To help past and present rail staff and their dependents when they face illness, injury, bereavement, or financial adversity. RBF helps disabled people with the costs of powered vehicles and mobility aids, covers the shortfalls in funeral expenses and gets involved with legal advice and welfare - a service that is hard to put a price on. RBF’s grants and support amounted to almost £325,000 in 2010, and supported over 560 people.

After 150 years, the charity sits close to the beating heart of the rail industry - a sort of staff welfare pace maker. ‘Change is always challenging,’ says Abi. ‘But we need to update and improve what we do as we look to the next 150 years.’ As HR people are fond of saying when one door closes another door opens. ‘Just make sure it’s not a stationery cupboard,’ says Abi Smith.

Wrong Door Although based in Crewe and often away in London, the family still live on the Wirral - an hour’s commute from Crewe. ‘The good thing is we can be walking along New Brighton sea front eating fish and chips on a Friday night after a week away in an office.

Can’t beat it.’ Abi relaxes with friends and family. All of them piled off to a beer festival at Eastham on the Wirral organised by the local rugby club.

‘It’s important to keep up friendships, text a joke or a tweet. Weekends are important. It is essential to manage stress.’

Quite often that’s the root cause of a problem that lands on her desk. ‘Stress makes you do strange things,’ says Abi. ‘The hotel job involved looking at peaks and troughs of revenue. This regional director would ring at 12 noon and say he’d like a revenue meeting

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NEWS

44 | RailStaff | June 2015

Educate Politicians about Rail Freight

Maggie Smith of the Rail Freight Group (RFG) takes a look at the post-election ministerial team at the Department for Transport (DfT) and urges the new government to get right behind rail freight - an essential element of rail’s soaraway success story.

The attitude of the Government to rail freight is obviously crucial to the rail freight industry, says Maggie Smith, RFG’s executive director. Like it or not, the government controls, or certainly influences, many aspects including investment in the infrastructure, our ability to compete with road on a level playing field and whether or not we continue to have an open, competitive private sector market.

Politicians have no problem remembering to promote better services for passengers, as many of them have constituents who are forceful in expressing their views about the service quality which the train operating companies and Network Rail provide.

18 months and many left within a year. So it is good to see that Patrick McLoughlin, who was appointed in September 2012, has been reappointed in this government.

There are also four Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State for Transport. The minister responsible for freight and logistics is Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He has an interest in the railways and also responsibility for the Northern Powerhouse which is important for freight.

Goodwill Hunting Claire Perry, MP for Devizes, was appointed Under Secretary of State for Transport initially in July 2014 and in her reappointment is now the minister responsible for ‘rail major projects and

growth’ as well as ‘rail infrastructure, safety and security’. She did not have the rail freight brief last time but has always been very supportive.

Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough & Whitby and an Under Secretary of State for Transport since October 2013, has significant experience in transport in the House of Commons and his responsibilities now include HS2, a project we fully support.

The fourth Under Secretary is Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon. His responsibilities include ‘skills and supply chain’ - both important aspects of our industry and its continued growth.

Political consensus Every year in the UK, more than £30 billion worth of goods is moved by rail freight and our industry generates

more than £1.5 billion in benefits for UK plc. We are asking the DfT team and all the MPs and Members of the House of Lords to recognise the commercial and environmental benefits of rail freight and to promote its use by: • Encouraging continued Government investment in the rail network, including HS2, to provide capacity for freight growth • Ensuring a level playing field with road freight in transport policy, • Ensuring that the open, competitive, private sector rail freight market can thrive on the rail network, • Recognising the benefits to business and supporting companies which want to use more rail freight, giving rail freight persistent and sustained support both in the constituency and in the house.

Poor relations We need to make sure that freight is not the poor relation in the rail discussion - and that politicians fully understand the benefits our members bring and the challenges we face. To this end, we welcome the stability of having the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin reappointed as Secretary of State for Transport.

The DfT is renowned for a constantly changing Secretary of State – none of the last six stayed more than

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SECURITY FOCUS

46 | RailStaff | June 2015

Ten years on...

The moments that followed the explosions on trains 204, 216 and 311 have been described in uncompromising detail by survivors of the 7/7 terrorist attacks. They are stories of everyday commuters thrown into something resembling the frontline of a war zone.

Altogether, four explosive devices were set off around the capital on 7 July, 2005 - three were detonated on cramped, rush-hour London Underground carriages around Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square. Fifty-two people were killed and hundreds injured.

Testimonials were given to the 2011 inquest by teachers, doctors and bankers. Martine Wright, a marketing manager, lost both of her legs in the explosion between Liverpool Street and Aldgate. Many other passengers received life-changing injuries; they

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owe their lives to fellow passengers who stopped to care for them.

Each year, survivors return to these sites to remember. The families of those who were lost do the same - staff too.

A decade has passed since footage of bloodied passengers being led from Underground stations was broadcast by the world’s media. Those images are fading for some but within London Underground (LU), they remain vivid.

Response In the weeks after the bombings, stories came out about heroic station staff and brave first responders. BTP officers and rail employees were honoured for their courage, many had put their own lives at risk, heading into the darkness of the tunnels to try and rescue passengers.

LU’s Richard Jones was responsible for managing the power system on the railway in 2005. The explosions damaged a high-voltage feeder cable

on one of the lines. Unaware of the situation that was unfolding, the failure was dealt with as any normal cable fault would; the network was reconfigured and power restored.

Says Richard, ‘As more and more reports came into the control room, it became clear that it was more than just a power failure that we were dealing with.’

Richard is now head of command and control at LU. When incidents like this occur, he is the man responsible for coordinating the response.

In the aftermath of 7/7, London Underground re-wrote its response procedures for major incidents, creating a system that was more aligned with those used by the emergency services. It was designed to give staff clarity on what to do, and what not to do, when faced with a major incident. Since the attacks, LU has also forged closer relationships with the emergency services, helping

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them to better understand the challenges of a railway environment.

Says Richard, ‘We have, I would say, a far more aligned set of processes than what we had back then, that we regularly test.’

Creative outlet A BBC drama due to air on 5 July will tell the story of Julie Nicolson, a vicar in Bristol who lost her daughter, Jenny, in the blast at Edgware Road - she was just 24. The programme looks at the crisis of faith Julie experienced in the aftermath. It’s a story that could be repeated 52 times.

The 7/7 attacks, and the days that followed it, demonstrated the stubborn, polite resilience of the British public.

Martine, for example, went on to compete for Great Britain in sitting volleyball at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

For rail staff as well, everything continued as normal. Within a month, LU was operating a normal service

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across all lines. Although there was post-incident support for staff, it’s an experience that most will never forget.

Railway staff are trained to handle fatalities on the line, but nothing could have prepared them for 7/7. In 2007, a number of Tube staff at King’s Cross were given a creative outlet to make sense of what had happened through the King’s Cross Rising art project - a collection of published poems and short stories written by frontline staff.

One of the stories, penned by King’s Cross writer-in-residence John Simmons, dealt with the subject of 7/7 directly, reflecting on the memorial and outpouring of grief that followed.

He wrote, ‘…the deeper stories burrow away, down in the lives of those most affected, those bearing the personal flowers of grief. But we all have paths to this story. We are all part of its texture. King’s Cross, as ever, is the hub where people and lives intersect.’

It continued, ’No blast of bombs, no tremor or terror, can change the constant flow of common humanity.’

A lot has changed since 2005, both in terms of procedures and technology.

Just a few years after 7/7, LU completed the installation of a new network-wide radio system - Connect - to address the communication issues highlighted by 7/7. Additional investment has also been made in staff training. Ten years

‘No blast of bombs, no tremor or terror, can change the constant flow of common humanity.’ on, the attacks still frame the debate around security and safety on the Tube.

‘It’s very much to the fore,’ says Richard.

‘It is 10 years ago, but it’s still quite fresh in a lot of people’s minds, and actually there are members of staff

still working for the Underground that were directly involved on the day, and you can imagine it was something that was extremely memorable for all of the wrong reasons.

‘It’s something that’s stayed with the organisation even today.’

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48 | RailStaff | June 2015

Night Riders Promised Crime on London’s transport network is at a record low rate, claims TfL after revealing figures that show it falling by 8.3 per cent in 2014/15.

On the London Underground (LU) and Docklands Light Railway crime has fallen by a further 12.4 per cent – the ninth consecutive year of reduced crime.

The figures come as the Mayor, London Underground and BTP set out their plans for policing Night Tube services. TfL says more police officers will be out on patrol and across the network than are currently seen after 22.00 on a Friday night.

In addition, when Night Tube services are introduced in September this year, LU is committed to staffing stations at all times. More than 100 officers will be working across the network, patrolling the 144 stations that will be open throughout the night each weekend for Night Tube services. A number of BTP Police Community Support Officers will also be out on the network to assist passengers, and support police officers as required.

The reductions in crime rate have been achieved across the whole Transport for London (TfL) transport network and against a backdrop of rapidly rising passenger numbers.

However it is not all good news. Reported sexual offences have risen by 34.7 per cent across the network.

In part this can be attributed to the TfL, BTP and Metropolitan Police-backed ‘Project Guardian’ initiative, which has raised public awareness of unwanted sexual behaviour and encouraged victims to report crimes.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said, ‘I applaud the success of British Transport Police, Metropolitan Police and TfL in bringing crime down to record lows.

‘We will be relentless in driving it down even further and will be making an enhanced police presence available for the Night Tube so that the network

remains a safe, low crime environment whatever the time of day. I am also very pleased that Londoners have been given greater confidence to report sexual offences following the launch of Project Guardian.’

The policing model for Night Tube services will see a permanent presence at key stations identified through BTP analysis. Mobile teams will travel the lengths of the Northern, Piccadilly, Central, Victoria and Jubilee lines throughout the night. A network of BTP rapid response vehicles across London will also be in place to ensure police are ready to attend any incident quickly.

BTP policing plan to prioritise staff assaults

Tram patrol

BTP has said it will focus on tackling staff assaults and reduce the disruption caused by trespass in its policing plan for the year ahead.

Metrolink passengers are already seeing the benefits of a more intensive approach to policing across the network, says Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) has produced the policing plan alongside BTP with feedback from passengers and rail staff.

National targets for 2015/16 include reducing crime by at least 3 per cent, reducing violent offences by at least 10 per cent and achieving a minimum 78.8 per cent confidence rating in the National Rail Passenger Survey.

In particular, the plan aims to put greater emphasis on dealing with staff assaults on the network.

Says Millie Banerjee, chair of the BTPA, ‘This year’s targets capture the big issues affecting those who travel or work on the railways because we’ve worked with passengers and rail employees to develop them.

They support the Force to make the greatest impact by encouraging partnership working, whilst focusing policing where it is needed most.

‘They are the result of much conversation and we don’t want that conversation to stop now. We want to track how these focused priorities are working for passengers and the rail industry to help us plan

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for next year. This year’s policing plans have been designed to keep that conversation going.’

In the capital, BTP are aiming to reduce violence and aggression towards London Underground and DLR staff.

Other local targets include working more closely with Community Rail Partnerships in Scotland and working to reduce anti-social behaviour across the Pennines, Wales, western England and the Midlands.

A three-year pilot scheme, which is being run in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, has seen a dedicated patrol deployed across the network to tackle fare evasion and anti-social behaviour.

Since its launch on 1 April, the unit has made 23 arrests, issued 1,074 penalty notices and carried out 64 gateway check operations.

Chief Superintendent John O’Hare said, ‘Enabling commuters to travel safely and without fear of crime is a key priority for us all and it is pleasing to see the Travelsafe Unit has already begun to make a difference across the transport infrastructure.

‘By working together we can provide a more efficient service to members of the public and send a clear message to offenders that they are not welcome on any of our transport networks.’

The trial also has an educational element.

Uniformed officers have already visited Manchester Health Academy and are planning further visits to schools across the region.

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June 2015 | RailStaff | 49

Alstom Solution for Signalling Solutions Balfour Beatty has sold its 50 per cent share in joint venture Signalling Solutions Ltd to Alstom, making Alstom the sole owner of the company.

Signalling Solutions was set up in 2007 to provide advanced signalling solutions for the rail industry and has enjoyed notable success.

Since its formation, SSL has expanded four-fold to become a market leader in the provision of train control solutions. Services range from design to full project delivery. SSL employs 540 people in four main locations. Alstom is clearly delighted at the news.

‘SSL enriches Alstom’s portfolio, both from a geographical and product standpoint,’ says Pascal Clara, senior vice president of Alstom Transport.

The acquisition takes Alstom Transport’s workforce in the United Kingdom and Ireland to 2,500. The company will continue to trade as SSL for the foreseeable future.

Terence Watson, president of Alstom UK, sees the acquisition as a major chance to deepen Alstom’s

involvement with the expanding UK rail market.

‘Alstom will use this fantastic opportunity to strengthen its activities in the UK - which include rolling stock, infrastructure, electrification and signalling - and contribute to build a better railway,’ says Watson.

‘The company is looking forward to further

Hope Makes Move for the Best Hope Construction Materials is backing rail with a major new investment in rail haulage to boost its flagship Derbyshire cement operation.

Hope, which supplies cement nationally, is spending £1 million on 48 tailor-made rail wagons. The new fleet will operate from Hope Works, in Hope Valley.

Working with VTG UK Rail, the wagons are being manufactured by a German company, Feldbinder, and will arrive this autumn. Once in use, they will improve Hope’s ability to reliably move over a million tonnes of cement from its main plant to depots, at Theale near Reading,

Dewsbury near Leeds, and Walsall.

The wagons will be built largely from aluminium and will be quieter than other models.

Says Ashley Bryan, industrial director of Hope Construction Materials, ‘These new wagons will bring many benefits and help us achieve major improvements in our rail logistics operation. They will carry a much larger payload – 80 tonnes in comparison with the current wagon payload of 36 tonnes – meaning fewer trains are required to achieve the same annual volume, resulting in reduced movements up and down the branch line between Hope Works and the mainline.’

collaborating with Network Rail, Crossrail, HS2 and the British supply chain in delivering the state-ofthe-art signalling technologies that will deliver the railway’s digital future.’

Balfour Beatty says exiting SSL will allow its rail business to focus fully on core strengths.

90x130 (May)_Layout 1 29/05/2015 11:50 Page 1

People, projects and services VGC Labour Solutions supplies skilled, safe operatives across the UK. For safety critical, Pway or civils people for mainline rail or LU projects, contact us on

enq@vgcgroup.co.uk 08456 201 201 VGC Labour Solutions is part of the VGC Group, dedicated to delivering high-quality cost-effective solutions for our clients.

Andy Watson, Deputy Rail Manager; Clive Roberts, National Logistics Manager & Frank Cooper, Team Leader next to a tailor-made rail wagon

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www.vgcgroup.co.uk

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NEWS

50 | RailStaff | June 2015

Tickets Ready Please Transport for London (TfL) says customer satisfaction has risen since it started to close London Underground ticket offices, reaching its highest level since the Olympics.

Around a quarter of stations are now operating without a ticket office. The process began in February with Queensway and South Wimbledon. By the end of the year only a handful of stations will have manned offices.

Says Xavier Brice, who is leading the overall change programme, ’We’ve now got King’s Cross St Pancras operating without a ticket office in the western ticket hall, Oxford Circus is now operating without a ticket office, so a quarter of the network is obviously substantial.

‘By the end of the year, we will have closed almost all of the ticket offices.’

As well as closing the former ticket office, the visitor centre at St Pancras has been re-branded and refreshed.

TfL is opening seven more of these new magenta centres at Euston, Gatwick, Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Piccadilly Circus, and Victoria.

Since announcing plans to close LU ticket offices, TfL has held more than 150 meetings with trade unions.

London’s public transport operator committed to making no compulsory redundancies, but so far more

than 800 people have opted for voluntary redundancy.

TfL is actually in the process of recruiting an additional 345 staff ahead of the introduction of Night Tube services in September.

‘This is the biggest operational change to hit the Underground for a generation,’ says Xavier.

‘We don’t believe that bulletproof glass, people trapped in an office, is the way to serve customers.

Instead it’s about people coming out of the ticket hall and doing what people do best which isn’t just pushing buttons on a machine but it’s giving human help and being proactive.’

He added, ‘Around a third of people are going to be working in different locations, the way we do rosters

is changing. Grades that have been unaffected since company plans in the early 90s are changing.

‘That understandably creates anxiety because change takes time. Anxiety about where am I going to work, who am I going to be working for.

‘Now we’ve given guarantees to staff, we’ve guaranteed there will be no compulsory redundancies.

Everyone’s got a job if they want one.’

Closing ticket offices will save TfL £50 million a year and in some stations the extra space presents an opportunity to boost commercial revenue. The programme has also included upgrading all existing ticket machines to improve usability and reliability, and adding 150 more to the network.

Wright move

Fundraising gathers steam

Richard Wright has joined Ford & Stanley as a recruitment consultant for the company’s civils and infrastructure division.

A special Belmond British Pullman steam service has raised more than £250,000 for Railway Children, as the charity celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Having started life as a ground worker for a global water treatment company, Richard progressed to become an assistant civil engineer, before joining VOLT Europe as a recruitment consultant within manufacturing and supply chain in the East Midlands.

Outside of work, Richard is a keen footballer, having previously played for Burton Albion.

Reflecting on his appointment, Richard said, ’Ford & Stanley have a fantastic reputation in the rail industry and genuinely care about clients and candidate’s needs. They also have a fantastic approach to recruitment with regards to making sure reputation is paramount and customer needs are fulfilled.

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‘Also, I have the chance to work with a company that wants me to develop and progress my career to reach the higher reaches of the industry and move up the career ladder.’

Hauled by Merchant Navy Class Pacific no.35028 Clan Line, the train departed from the refurbished platform 21 at London Waterloo, which was the venue for the charity’s launch 20 years ago, on 4 June.

Passengers enjoyed a scenic tour of the Surrey Hills in the comfort of the luxurious 1920’s carriages, before returning to London Victoria.

Railway Children was founded in 1995, under Waterloo’s famous clock,

by David Maidment, former controller of safety policy at British Rail, to help vulnerable homeless children around the world.

The money raised will allow Railway Children to reach even more children in need, providing shelter, food, clothing,

medical supplies, education and counselling, the charity has said.

Says Terina Keene, chief executive at Railway Children, ‘A big thank you to Stagecoach for helping us to celebrate this milestone in such style and for the incredible support we’ve received from the rail industry for the last 20 years.’

The Belmond British Pullman is the sister train to the Venice Simplon Orient Express.

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FEATURE

52 | RailStaff | June 2015

Sierra Leone’s lost British locomotives ride again © ALL PHOTOS: SLNRM

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Ravaged by civil war and the Ebola pandemic, Sierra Leone is hoping the railway can help deliver a positive future for the country.

Up until 1975, Sierra Leone still had a national rail network - more than 300 miles of narrow gauge track, an iron reminder of its British heritage.

Locomotives built in Yorkshire were shipped thousands of miles to West Africa to transform travel in the country.

But in the mid-1970s it closed, the track was torn up and the workshops bolted shut.

Although many of the locomotives and carriages were hauled away for scrap, a handful were saved - hidden in a quiet corner of the Freetown works.

An old works shunter - now called Nellie - two Hunslet steam engines, four Hudswell Clarke diesels, a Beyer Garratt locomotive and several carriages, including a royal carriage which was built for Queen Elizabeth II - who was due to visit in 1961, but never used - were discovered by Colonel Steve Davies, with the help of former railway workers, who was in Sierra Leone in 2002 as part of a British peacekeeping force.

The engines were thought to have

been lost during the civil war, but not only did they survive, they played an important role, housing some of the 10,000 refugees who made the Freetown works their home. Instigated by the Revolutionary United Front rebels’ bid to overthrow the incumbent government, the war is thought to have led to the deaths of at least 50,000 people.

The Welshpool & Llanfair Railway in Wales bought four coaches and a Hunslet loco but the rest stayed in Sierra Leone. Over the course of the next few years, the rolling stock was carefully restored. The Sierra Leone National Railway Museum (SLNRM) was formally established in 2005 by President Kabbah, not only as a way of bringing tourism to such a poor region but to protect Sierra Leone’s railway heritage.

To develop the museum, Steve, who at the time was the director of the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York, set up the Friends of SLNRM to give the museum access to the wealth of heritage railway knowledge

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that exists in the UK. This has seen volunteers from NRM travel to Sierra Leone to help with the maintenance of the vehicles and the furthering of the collection. This has included creating recordings documenting the memories of former rail workers.

In May, the museum’s oldest locomotive Nellie - an 0-4-0 saddle tank shunting engine - celebrated its 100th birthday. The occasion was marked by an event at the Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills. With the Ebola outbreak now beginning to yield, the museum is hoping to relaunch and attract much-needed tourist investment.

Helen Ashby OBE, chair of the Friends of SLNRM, said, ‘Many years ago ‘Nellie the Engine’ and her later cousins helped build a nation 3,000 miles away.

Now, 100 years later, these products of Britain’s industrial past are engines for growth once again: they can help rebuild that nation and help people rebuild their lives.

‘The museum creates a funding stream directly into the heart of a country where most people die before their 50th birthday. Never before has a heritage railway project had a chance to provide a humanitarian role on this

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scale, but now that time has come.

‘The team in Freetown has a chance to empower their nation through cultural links, education, job creation and direct aid and investment. It’s an audacious project, but a sustainable one, and has formal support in both countries.’

Helen hopes the rail industry will support the museum’s cause.

She added, ‘But we need the people of Britain to kickstart this project.

I hope people will see how the workshops of Britain are set to change the world a second time around.

Donations and sponsorship are what we need to stoke the fires of growth right now.’

‘Sierra Leone has major development opportunities and this is an incredible chance to become a part of that success.’

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54 | RailStaff | June 2015

Caledonia future Report by David Shirres

Leaving Euston on the Caledonian Sleeper to wake on the remote West Highland line has to be one of the UK’s most memorable train journeys.

The train presents a challenging business case and so has often been under threat. This threat was lifted in 2011 when the UK and Scottish governments agreed a £100 million deal to secure the Scottish sleeper’s future.

The following year it was announced that a new 15-year sleeper franchise was to be created by removing the sleeper service from the ScotRail franchise. The sleeper is a niche product, accounting for only 2 per cent of the old ScotRail franchise’s revenue so it was felt that a specific management focus was needed to deliver the required service and marketing improvements.

This was reflected in the franchise specification in which bidder’s credit for quality improvement was rated as: • rolling stock enhancement – 35 per cent • station enhancement – 5 per cent • passenger experience – 20 per cent • management and operations – 15 per cent • retail and marketing – 20 per cent • continuous improvement – 5 per cent.

Exceptional hospitality Each night, except Saturdays, two sleeper trains leave Euston for Scotland. At 16 coaches these are among Britain’s longest passenger trains.

The highland sleeper leaves at 21:15. At Edinburgh it splits into three portions for Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. The lowland

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sleeper leaves at 23:50 and splits into Edinburgh and Glasgow portions at Carstairs. The southbound services follow the same pattern. The service requires 53 Mk 3 sleeper coaches, each with 12 or 13 cabins and 22 Mk 2 coaches, which are either lounge cars or carry 31 seating passengers.

Since 1 April these trains have been running under new management with the award of the Caledonian Sleeper franchise to Serco. Its managing director, Peter Strachan, says the intention is to provide exceptional hospitality with improvements from day one. A bespoke new sleeper fleet will be fully operational

by April 2018.

An overnight journey from Edinburgh to London confirms this. The first obvious change is the attendant’s new Harris Tweed uniforms and the new breakfast options on offer. Passengers are also asked if they would like to be woken later if the train was running late.

An improved range of food and drink is on offer in the lounge car, including 11 malt whiskeys.

Complete operations Peter explains that a key part of the franchise is Serco’s contracts with its delivery partners for the 15-year franchise term. As a result the trains are run by GB Railfreight which provides a complete operations and traction service with a sleeper desk at their Peterborough control. Traction is provided by four Class 92s on the West Coast Main Line. From

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October, six Class 73/9 locomotives will provide traction for individual sleeper portions in Scotland, with the Inverness portion being double headed. These are currently being rebuilt by Wabtec in Loughborough and fitted with 1,600 hp MTU engines.

Alstom is the main delivery partner for maintenance of the current and new fleet at Wembley and Polmadie.

In addition, Abellio does level 5 maintenance at Inverness and KnorrBremse Rail Services maintains Mk 2 coaches at Springburn. The Mark 2s present the biggest maintenance challenge.

Best of Scotland

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weather. In warm weather the waistcoat can be removed.

The sleeper service will be transformed in 2018 with the introduction of 75 new coaches ordered from Spanish train maker Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) in a contract worth £150 million including spares and maintenance support. For this, the Scottish Government will contribute £60 million. These new coaches will have four classes; cradle seats, pod flatbeds, berths and en-suite berths. All coaches will have Wi-Fi, USB and power sockets. There will also be a brasseriestyle club car with modern catering equipment.

Flagship service The cradle seats and pod flatbeds will be of a similar standard to airline premium economy and business class.

They will offer an on-demand food and drink service and have a small lockable storage area with a facility to check in larger baggage. The twin berths will be configurable for single occupancy, some will be en-suite with showers.

On the new trains passengers will only share a berth unless they wish to. Peter acknowledges that his customers dislike the current “forced twin” arrangement required by the capacity of the current fleet.

This new fleet will no doubt attract additional custom. It will also cost less to

maintain, incorporate remote condition monitoring and be more reliable. With the action being taken to revive the service, it is unfortunate that just after the start of the new franchise, it was announced that patronage had dropped from 274,000 to 210,000 in the last three years. Strachan is confident that this decline will be reversed.

The Scottish Government has taken a bold step in creating and investing in a new franchise that will provide a flagship service to promote the best that Scotland has to offer. The Caledonian Sleeper is poised for a revival and, in three years’ time, it will be possible not just to wake up on the West Highland sleeper but to have a shower as well.

Having contracted out operations and management, the new Serco team, which has strong credentials in airline, hotel, food and drink sectors, can focus on what is essentially a hospitality product. To promote Scottish tourism the franchise specification requires that sleeper trains are ‘emblematic of the best of Scotland’. The linen is supplied by Aberdeen laundry. Arran Aromatics supplies the toiletries, and almost all food and drink is Scottish, sourced from a production kitchen in Dingwall.

The Harris Tweed uniforms are designed by Alan Moore who recently received an award for best new Scottish designer. The uniforms will keep staff standing on cold stations warm and there is a cape for foul

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NEWS

56 | RailStaff | June 2015

Search Rail finds top position

Fine Art

Search Consultancy’s rail division has received the highest possible rating following a Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) audit.

A doctor has been recognised for her quick thinking by British Transport Police (BTP) after she saved a man from the tracks.

The recruitment specialist has been awarded a five star rating - a significant achievement for the company, demonstrating that its business management system meets the highest health, safety, operational and competence standards.

RISQS is a third party rail industry audit programme which measures organisational and procedural success, a development of the Link-up audit system.

Launched last year, Search Rail sits alongside the Search Construction business in England, under the direction of Donna Johnson (right), Search’s divisional manager for rail infrastructure.

Johnson has 15 years’ experience of the recruitment sector, 12 of which are in rail. She joined Search in February 2015 and has previously worked for Resourcing Solutions, ATA Recruitment and EPC Global. Between 2002 and 2007

she was seconded to Network Rail.

‘This division launched just last year and already we have gained a five star rating. This shows that we are at the top of our game when it comes to our ability to supply good quality engineers to the marketplace and demonstrates that we are working well as a division,’ says Donna.

Search itself started in Glasgow in 1987 and opened further centres in Edinburgh in 1988 and Dunfermline in 1990. From 2000 onwards, Search spread south of the border to Manchester and Crawley, eventually establishing a UK-wide business with 13 offices, a turnover in excess of £120 million and more than 600 employees.

Debra Fine, from Highgate in North London, has been awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation by Paul Crowther OBE (pictured right).

The annual BTP awards ceremony heard how on Monday, 25 March 2013, Debra, then a medical student, was waiting for a train at Tottenham Court Road underground station, when she saw a man leap down from the platform onto the tracks just as a train was pulling into the station.

Without regard for her own safety, Dr Fine grabbed the man by the shoulders and pulled him from the tracks onto the platform. She managed to drag the man clear with seconds to spare.

Debra talked to the man and calmed him down enough for her to leave him in the care of other passengers. Debra tried to find a member of station staff, however on her return the man had run off. Debra searched the station and found him again and stayed with him

until police officers arrived.

Says Chief Constable Crowther, ‘This was an act of pure selfless courage.

There is no doubt that Debra’s quick thinking saved a man’s life. I am absolutely delighted to take this opportunity to personally thank her for her incredible bravery.’

Collecting her commendation, Debra said, ‘I did what anyone else would have done, I acted instinctively and didn’t really think about what I was doing at the time, I just wanted to make sure a distressed young man didn’t get hurt.

‘I was able to calm him down and dissuade him from trying to take his life again. He actually thanked me as I left him, which was an amazing feeling.’

Todmorden Curve Reopens

Reduce Violence Together

A new section of railway has reopened providing a direct link between Manchester and Burnley for the first time in over 40 years.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) have joined together to map out ways of reducing violence against staff and passengers on public transport.

The 300-metre long Todmorden Curve is back in action following a £10 million investment by Network Rail and local authorities.

The line provides a vital link between the lines from Preston to Hebden Bridge and Manchester Victoria to Leeds and removes the need for passengers to change at Preston or Hebden Bridge. It reduces journey times by up to 25 minutes between Manchester Victoria and Burnley.

Says Terry Strickland, area director for Network Rail, ‘The reopened Todmorden Curve is a significant improvement to the railway in this part of the country and will allow services to run directly between Manchester Victoria and Burnley Manchester Road for the first time in decades.

We have worked closely with Burnley Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and Northern Rail to make this happen and it is an excellent example of partnership working to help deliver a better railway for passengers.’

Burnley Manchester Road is a relevant location to mark

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the future of local rail travel. Built in 1866 it has seen several changes in its historic past, not least its closure in 1961 and subsequent reopening to customers in 1986, complete with new platforms. It now acts as a gateway to the wider rail network and is at the heart of the new Lancashire to Manchester services.

Says Joe Kenny, UITP, ‘Urban transport should be safe for all users, staff and passengers alike. Yet they can find themselves at risk of assault, abuse, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.

‘Today we have set out ways for transport companies and unions to get together.’

The UITP and ITF propose closer cooperation between staff and employers as strategies are developed to combat violence, ideas building trust, ensuring transparency and promoting a no-blame policy so that there are no barriers to reporting incidents. It was agreed that investigating the root cause of an incident is essential.

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NEWS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 57

Edinburgh Trams Exceed Target A target-busting five million passenger journeys put Edinburgh Trams at the heart of the UK rail success story.

Figures show approximately 4.92 million passenger journeys were made on Edinburgh Trams during its first year of operations - around 370,000 ahead of the target set before launch. Edinburgh Trams received a 95 per cent overall independent customer satisfaction rating

by Passenger Focus. Service reliability is at 99 per cent, placing the system among the top performing public transport operators in the UK. Says Tom Norris, director and general manager of Edinburgh Trams, ‘The first birthday is a very exciting day for all of us because it rounds off a hugely significant year for everyone involved.

‘We’ve beaten our targets and we’re on the right path.

The success we’ve worked so hard to achieve is down to the commitment and hard work of everyone involved in delivering the service day in day out. We were absolutely

Railtex Success Railtex is getting bigger and better and is proving ever more popular with rail staff, suppliers and purchasers.

More than 10,000 people attended the show at Birmingham NEC in May. Says Railtex exhibition manager Kirsten Whitehouse, ‘Railtex has celebrated a successful return to the NEC, and once again delivered the platform for professionals in the rail industry to meet, network, learn, discuss, do business and discover the latest trends, technologies and innovations within the rail sector.

‘Reports and evidence from exhibitors indicates a very successful exhibition for participating companies and feedback from visitors exceed expectations.’

The Rail Media stand attracted a steady stream of visitors, and seminars organised by Rail Engineer were particularly well attended as the rail industry gathered to plot the next moves in the the industrial success story of the century.

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 57

delighted with the initial surge of interest when we launched, but even more grateful that the local and visiting public have continued to give us their support.’

Lesley Hinds, chair of Transport for Edinburgh, paid tribute to rail staff, ‘Credit must go to the team, whose efforts and professionalism ensure Edinburgh Trams provides an excellent service to passengers every day.

Party on the Roof Crossrail contractor BBMV, with the charity Providence Row, has created a new rooftop garden aimed at supporting local homeless people in East London.

The charity’s previously unused courtyard and roof top has been transformed. Homeless people are being taught new skills including catering. Many are helping with the preparation of nutritious meals for 30-50 homeless people every day.

Staff from the Balfour Beatty, BeMo Tunnelling, Morgan Sindall and Vinci Construction joint venture, which is responsible for the delivery of Crossrail’s new Whitechapel and Liverpool Street

‘As it continues to develop as a key element of the city’s transport offering, we now look forward to its future as part of the city’s modern, integrated transport system.’Edinburgh Trams has a fleet of 27 and currently employs 130 staff. The tram line is almost 10 miles long with 15 stops - 16 once the Edinburgh Gateway is complete.

Station tunnels, joined charity workers to transform the open space.

The areas provide therapeutic spaces, off the street, where homeless people can go to relax. It will also be the site of a brand new Gardening Trainee Scheme which will be launched by the charity this summer.

BBMV donated £30,000 funding for the project and also provided on-going project management support, specialist volunteers and equipment to help complete the work.

Says Nigel Russell, BBMV executive project director, ‘The BBMV project team has thoroughly enjoyed working with Providence Row on this innovative project. We hope these urban garden spaces will provide homeless people in East London with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience.’

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NEWS

Express Medicals has welcomed proposed legal high legislation and better testing... Many people have made the mistake of thinking a legal high is safe - as the name implies. For one teenager in York it turned out to be anything but.

One afternoon, the 14 year old decided to snort four lines of methadrone - more usually described as plant feed. Shortly after taking the drug his vision distorted - becoming pixellated. Then panic and shaking set in and finally a black out. The boy flickered in and out of consciousness like a faulty ignition circuit as his systems closed down.

Deaths attributed to legal highs have risen from 10 in 2009 to more than 90. The use of legal highs is now so prevalent that the government is at last taking action. The Psychoactive Substance Bill will see a blanket ban on legal highs. The new legislation will protect people, ‘from the risks posed by untested, unknown and potentially harmful drugs.’

The bill plans to make it an offence to produce, supply, possess, import or export psychoactive substances.

However, the main challenge for law enforcement agencies and drug watchdogs will be the ease with which legal high providers can produce a new copycat drug not covered by legislation.

Defining legal highs and then testing for them in the work place presents a further set of challenges. The rail industry in Britain has some of the strictest drugs and alcohol rules in Europe. Even so testing is essential. Express Medicals is developing new strategies to update testing procedures to include legal highs.

What is a legal high?

A legal high is a substance which produces similar effects to illegal drugs, like cocaine and ecstasy but is not controlled by current legislation. Often this is because not enough research

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High Time

58 | RailStaff | June 2015

has been done on the substance. Such products cannot be sold for human consumption but suppliers dodge this by describing them as gardening or household products and labelling the package ‘Not for Human Consumption.’

Despite this young people too often believe the product will get them high legally and safely.

‘Legal highs are increasingly becoming the drug of choice,’ says Dr Simon Davis, a leading expert in drug analytical science at Express Medicals.

‘Their popularity will soon exceed the use of more traditional compounds such as cocaine and ecstasy with many users mistakenly believing them to be safe as they are legal. Nothing could be further from the truth.’

Davis joined Dr Dan Hegarty and Mike Stallard of Express Medicals to address the issue at the recent European Workplace Drug Testing Society conference held in Lisbon last month.

Lisbon Conference Research presented at the Lisbon conference showed many of these compounds have the combined effect of multiple classes of drugs. ‘In other words, taking one legal high might be equivalent to taking cocaine, ecstasy and a cocktail of other compounds all

at the same time,’ argues Dr Davis.

‘The harm this can cause is unknown but it has already been demonstrated that combination drug use greatly increases side effects and impairment.

These products are something to be avoided at all cost.’

The team from Express Medicals focused on three issues: • The use and availability of so-called “instant” drug kits (PoCts), • The importance of training, and • Legal highs.

The team pointed out that many Point of Collection Test kits, PoCTs, are unreliable. Poor quality PoCTs are problematic for employers keen to protect their workforce from drugimpaired employees.

Mike Stallard gave a presentation about the importance of good training and properly structured, regulated training courses for all those involved in using PoCTs. Davis, Hegarty and Stallard suggested European countries should look at introducing regulations to prevent poor quality PoCTs from being used in Europe. Research by Dr Davis found a significant proportion of PoCTs on the market were not fit for use in the dangerous new world of legal highs. His research was warmly welcomed by delegates.

Constant danger ‘The variability in quality regarding PoCTs is enormous. At the cheapest end, you can buy a PoCT for six US cents. At the top end you might pay £20 or more. How can such differences make sense? Dr Dan Hegarty argues.

‘The use of so called ‘instant’ drug kits or point of collection kits urgently requires proper regulation within European markets to protect companies and individuals from cheap unreliable ones,’ says Dan. The safety implications of failing to address this - for the rail or any other safety critical industry - are horrific.

Impairment at work is bad enough.

Not only is death a constant danger but disability and brain damage go hand in hand with legal highs.

Professional testing is as essential as the war on new drugs.

‘I’ve overdosed and this is the end of me,’ the 14 year old boy in York thought ricocheting in and out of consciousness. ‘My friends rushed over to me and sat me down.’ Eventually after five hours, the nightmare passed.

He was one of the lucky ones. ‘I couldn’t stop crying. The moral to this is to never mess with drugs. Even if they’re ‘legal’ it doesn’t make them safe or minimise risks.’

12/06/2015 15:56

drug dealer?

Child trafficker?

Pimp? paedophile? rescue worker?

alone and Every five minutes a child arrives India. desperate on a railway platform in

YOUR ÂŁ5 will HELP US GET TO THEM FIRST. 596 TEXT RESCUE 70007 today OR CALL 01270 757

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 59

railwaychildren.org.uk/rescue 12/06/2015 15:56

CAREERS

60 | RailStaff | June 2015

www.trsstaffing.com

wE ARE RECRUITING A hEAD OF cORPORATE pARTNERSHIPS

Global Scale. Local Focus.

– Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies Currently Available – Rail Project Manager Civils and M&E

URGE NT

Senior Quantity Surveyors URGENT / Commercial Managers

London, Derby, Swindon and Milton Keynes £40K - £55K or £300 - £450/day

London, Swindon, Midlands and Peterborough £40K - £65K or £300 - £450/day

P-Way, OLE and E&P Engineers

Signal Engineers and Managers

London, York, Reading and Milton Keynes £40K - £55K or £300 - £450/day

London, Swindon, Birmingham, York and Glasgow £40K - £70K or £350 - £500/day

HSE Specialists

Senior Civil, Structural and Bridge Engineers

London, Birmingham, Swindon and Milton Keynes £300 - £450/day

Railway Children is the leading charity working with children who live on the streets and railway platforms in India, the UK and East Africa. With strong and loyal support from the UK rail industry, we have been fighting for street children for 20 years.

We are currently seeking an inspiring and experienced leader to manage our Corporate Partnerships Team and generate significant income. The post holder needs to demonstrate vision, leadership and inspiration alongside a passion for creating positive change in children’s lives.

A knowledge of the rail industry as well as strong contacts and connections would be an advantage. You will be personally credible with the gravitas to establish and sustain strong relationships with the senior management team and senior key stakeholders.

Bristol, Birmingham, Reading and London £30K - £60K or £300 - £450/day

P6 Project Planners

Risk and Value Specialists

London, Midlands and Manchester £40K - £65K or £350 - £500/day

London, Birmingham, York and Glasgow £35K - £55K or £350 - £500/day

CLOSING DATE: 03.07.15 For more information and a recruitment pack visit: www.railwaychildren.org.uk/jobs

TRS Staffing Solutions are international engineering recruitment specialists.

We recruit for major national and international projects for leading national rail organisations, main contractors and consultancies.

Please email your CV to andrew.johnson@trsstaffing.com or if you’d prefer to discuss any roles call +44 (0)20 7419 5800

Railway Engineering Specialists

Expert Solutions The rail industry never sleeps and First Structure meets the demands of a 24/7, 365 days a year environment thanks to our dedicated management team.

Our entire workforce is continually assessed, reviewed and enhanced in safety and ongoing technical training and competence.

First Structure is able to supply all rail disciplines to worksites /offices across the length and breadth of the country. We supply blue collar to white collar rail professionals from a nationwide supply of local labour, managed by our network of strategically placed rail offices throughout the UK. Labour can be supplied on a short or long-term basis.

Due to the growing work load, we are looking to recruit the following rail personnel:

Track and Safety Critical Gangs Birmingham to London

Track Patrolling Gangs Salary – competitive

Birmingham area

Salary – competitive

The requirements for the gangs working from Birmingham to London are as follows:

The requirements for the track patrolling gang travelling from and returning to the Birmingham depot are:

1 x ES – Engineering Supervisor

2 x COSS (track patrol competent)

2 x COSS – hand trolley competent

2 x Lookout – L/O

6 x Trackman (all to be Lookout competent) 3 x C/C – Crane Controller - with the following attachments: • Clam Shell • Trailer • Pecker • Ballast Brush • Flail

We also have opportunities for skilled professionals in: Permanent Way (P-Way)

Support Staff

Construction and Civil Engineers

Overhead Line Electrification (OLE)

All personnel would be working mid-week. Rail experience, and current PTS tickets preferred. Training opportunities will be offered to the right candidates with a can do attitude.

Contact Head Office – telephone: 01302 244 471 email: info@firststructure.co.uk web: www.firststructure.co.uk First Structure Ltd, Balby Court, Balby Court Business Campus, Balby Carr Bank, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 8DE

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CAREERS

June 2015 | RailStaff | 61

The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways are two of the leading heritage railways in the UK. Situated amongst the spectacular scenery of North Wales, these two unique lines together offer over forty miles of narrow gauge railway. We are pleased to announce a number of exciting opportunities to join our skilled workforce.

INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER Salary Negotiable

PERMANENT WAY TRAINEE Salary meets NMW

You will manage the planning, specification, budgeting and implementation of major works, maintenance and renewal of infrastructure, civil engineering structures, buildings and associated equipment.

Strong communication skills and an understanding of volunteer motivation are essential.

You will be educated to at least degree level in a relevant subject, have membership of a recognised Professional Institute such as the Institute of Civil Engineers and proven relevant experience in a similar role.

No previous experience required, however must have enthusiasm for, and interest in, railways in general and permanent way in particular.

This is an opportunity for someone who has a desire to work in the railway industry to receive formal training in track and civil engineering skills.

PERMANENT WAY SUPERVISOR Salary £18,500 - £20,000 Must have previous experience of working in railway Permanent Way work and of leading small teams.

PERMANENT WAY TECHNICIAN Salary £17,500 - £19,000 Must have experience of working within civil engineering and hold an interest in working in railways.

LOCOMOTIVE SUPERVISOR Salary Negotiable This post is one of the most demanding and interesting in the world of heritage railways, involving the responsibility for competence management and rostering of more than a hundred and fifty locomotive crew, covering several thousand turns each year.

You will have solid experience of steam locomotive operations and delivering high levels of staff performance.

For further information and an application pack for any of the above positions - please email jvincent@ffwhr.com or visit festrail.co.uk/jobs.htm ...

RHEILFFYRDD FFESTINIOG AC ERYRI • FFESTINIOG & WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAYS Gorsaf yr Harbwr • Harbour Station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9NF

Please call

01373 469 250 07730 766 341

ROUTEWORK GANGS AND COSS/GANGERMSD UK. LTD REQUIRED

CONSTRUCTION

PTS Construction trades required for on going work in all areas of the UK, commencing immediately.

All civil trades required: Foreman/Ganger Ground worker Dumper/Roller drivers Joiner Slinger/Signaller Steel fixer Banksman Bricklayer Must have current CSCS and CPCS for Plant Operatives.

Top rates of pay.

COSS (Controller Of Site Safety)/GANGER

ROUTEWORK GANGS REQUIRED

Based in Stafford

MSD are looking for an experienced COSS/Ganger to lead an existing gang on works in Stafford.

The candidate must have excellent leadership skills and experience in setting out works. Previous experience in reinforced concreting works, LOC bases, REB’s and troughing is essential.

GANG REQUIRED

Based East Coast Mainline project, Stevenage-Grantham area MSDonare looking for ready-made gangs from the following

areas for new projects nationwide.

MSD are looking for an experienced Civils/Routeworks Team for current works ongang the East Coast Mainline.

The works installation of Each must have 5-6 members andinvolve include the following: elevated GRP trough route, cable pulling, installation of Ducting, UTX’s and installation of Tro trof lightweight troughing.

At least 1 x COSS

Each gang must comprise of 5/6 members comprising of the following 2 x LOOKOUTS tickets as a minimum: 1 x 3/4-day first-aider 1 x COSS 2 x cat scanners 1 x SW Small 1 x 3day Firsttools Aider tickets 1 x Cat Scanner Each gang must be experienced in troughing and cable works.

1 x Stihl Saw 1 xFull Strimmer/Hedgetrimmer gangs only please apply.

MSD

CONSTRUCTION Call 01709 878988 878988 or email jobs@msdconstruction.com UK. LTD or Call email01709 chris@msdconstruction.com

ROUTEWORK GANGS REQUIRED www.msdconstruction.com

www.tbtrecruitment.co.uk

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 61

MSD Construction (UK) Ltd, Manvers House, Pioneer Close, Wath upon Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 7JZ.

MSD are looking for ready-made gangs from the following

12/06/2015 15:56

CAREERS

62 | RailStaff | June 2015

Find more jobs at:

www.ata-recruitment.co.uk

GLOBAL REACH,

@ATA_jobs

LOCAL DELIVERY

T&RS Technicians London, Aylesbury, Banbury, Brighton, Croydon, Essex from £38,000 to £48,000 dependent upon experience

Engineering Supervisors London £40,000 - £45,000 per annum

Chartered Engineers East Midlands / Buckinghamshire £65,000 - £80,000

Working with leading train operators and manufacturers, ATA Recruitment Limited have multiple opportunities for apprentice trained or qualified Electrical, Mechanical and Dual-Skilled Technicians with backgrounds in rolling stock maintenance. These are permanent roles offering long-term career development and the chance to join at an exciting time when our clients are going through significant investment including new fleet introductions.

We are seeking experienced Engineering Technicians and Team Leaders to supervise the efficient and safe operation of maintenance facilities, and to undertake maintenance of Rolling Stock & Plant and associated activities to support the operation of the depot. A thorough understanding of Life Cycle Costing and Reliability Centred Maintenance is required as are advanced communication and leadership skills.

Excellent packages available for the successful candidates.

We urgently require Senior or Principal Engineers for both Electrical and Mechanical disciplines for permanent design and project roles across the East Midlands, and the M1 corridor to London. Applicants must be qualified to Masters’ degree level, and hold or be working towards Chartered Engineer status. Candidates must have experience of detailed and final design of traction and auxiliary systems for trains. Knowledge of Rolling Stock Approvals (RGS Standards, TSIs) and experience of Test and Commissioning would be a distinct advantage.

For further information on the above roles or to enquire about other vacancies with ATA, please contact the Rail team on: 01332 861849 or email your details to melanie.ask@ata-recruitment.co.uk referencing RAILSTAFF + Job Title

Stuck in the wrong role?

Coming to the end of a contract?

Simply looking for a change?

Lets get you on the right track! advance-TRS are specialist rail recruitment consultants, experts in sourcing experienced, hard-to-find candidates for roles on various rail projects across the globe.

We specialise in recruiting candidates for roles on Network Rail, LUL and metro infrastructure projects within: • Signalling • Telecoms • Electrification & Power • Permanent Way

• Civils • Mechanical & Electrical • Project Services • International

Visit www.advancerailwayjobs.com or call +44 (0) 1483 361 061 for a confidential discussion.

For the latest rail jobs follow @railwayjobs on Twitter.

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COSTAIN IS PLAYING A MAJOR PART IN IMPROVING THE UK’S RAIL NETWORK BE PART OF OUR SUCCESS Costain is one of the UK’s leading engineering solutions providers operating across the full spectrum of railway work from major project delivery and the North East Spur from Stratford to Shenfield, to the new five year multi-function framework for Kent, plus work through ABC Electrification from Scotland down the West Coast Mainline and in South Wales.

As a result of these contract wins and a growth in the portfolio of work including rail signalling systems, Costain is seeking licensed signalling candidates to support our national multidiscipline project commitments.

WE’RE RECRUITING...

•

Signalling Project Engineers

•

SMTH / G110 Signalling Team Leaders

•

Signalling Technicians

•

Signalling Assistant Technician / Operatives

These roles will come with full Costain remuneration packages and the opportunity to develop your career within a growing business.

To find out more and to apply to these vacancies visit

www.costain.com/careers

Connect with us

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KEEPING YOU RIGHT ON TRACK OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES FROM EXPRESS MEDICALS

Express Medicals provides a full range of occupational health services.

We will help you to manage absenteeism within your company and tackle major issues such as stress and musculoskeletal problems.

ONGOING SUPPORT

PROMPT SERVICE

Contact us now to discuss your occupational health needs.

MEDICAL EXPERTS COUNSELLING DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

TRAVEL HEALTH

PHYSIOTHERAPY

WELLBEING

RAIL MEDICALS

VACCINATIONS BLOOD TESTS

MARKET LEADERS

Marketing and Sales Team

020 7500 6900 020 7500 6901 www.expressmedicals.co.uk www.expressmedicals.co.uk

Marketing and Sales Team

RailStaff Issue 211 - June 2015.indd 64

Marketing and Sales Team 020 7500 6901 www.expressmedicals.co.uk 020 7500 6901 www.expressmedicals.co.uk

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