RailStaff April 2016

APRIL 2016 | ISSUE 221

COMMITTED TO THE CORE 24

MARK BULLOCK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, BALFOUR BEATTY RAIL

NEW TRAINS

FOR THE NORTH 12

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PLUS NEWS FEATURES HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENTS TRAINING CAREERS INTERVIEW

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CONTENTS APRIL 2016 | ISSUE 221

NEW TRAINS FOR THE NORTH… AND THAT'S JUST FOR STARTERS | 12 What will the new Northern and TransPennine Express franchises mean for passengers and staff.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT OLD DALBY | 22 12

How London Underground and Thales are making progress with the sub-surface lines (SSL) resignalling project.

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COMMITTED TO THE CORE | 24 Balfour Beatty Rail managing director Mark Bullock talks about why rail will continue to play an important role in the company’s future.

NOT JUST DUST | 28 Rail’s role in a cross-industry drive to tackle silica dust.

STATION TO STATION | 40 Find out how the rail industry plans to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

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N O I N I OP

35 ON'T | D U O WY ends E IT, NnOt for yellow front E S U O NOW Ying the requiremoeng direction? v r Is remo in the w s a step in a tr n o

APPRENTICES - A MIXED BAG | 50 Terry Morgan talks about his role as the industry’s skills ambassador.

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‘If you’re a tiger you might be a slightly ageing tiger, you’re still a tiger,’ says cycling champion Graeme Obree, in a new film, Battle Mountain, detailing his attempt to break the human-powered land speed record in Nevada.

Famed for building a lighter, faster, racing bike out of parts of a washing machine, Obree trains in the leafy lanes and rolling hills of rural Ayrshire. A far cry from the county’s greatest son, Rabbie Burns, Obree’s life nevertheless has a poetry and a boldness that inspires all who struggle with mental health issues and personal tragedy.

Dubbed the Flying Scotsman, Obree proves that the determined individual can rebuild his life just as effectively as Riley and Sons put together 4472 Flying Scotsman, even as the naysayers shook their heads.

Obree suffered from bi-polar disorder and twice attempted suicide. Life is different now. ‘I developed a whole new code of living,’ he said

Paul Lennon gives presentation to students at St Clere's school in Stanford-Le-Hope.

Speak freely. Think the unthinkable!

Freedom is everyone’s responsibility. recently. ‘I’m a big fan of Eckhard Tolle,’ - the writer of the Power of Now. To up his game Obree drove out thoughts of anger, resentment and fear.

The rail industry has heroes closer to home.

Drivers like Lewis Vaughan, fighting a brave battle against cancer and Christian Delhasse, leading passengers to safety from his wrecked Brussels metro train. At Network Rail Paul Lennon’s story is doubly inspiring. Paul rose above his deafness to gain a law degree.

Then at Network Rail he became involved with community relations. Paul handles complaints and queries. Undoubtedly he has a better sense than most of how unfeeling big organisations can appear. Whether talking to deaf children or running off letters to customers, Lennon is the true human face of the railway.

From apprentices and women to ageing tigers, the railway’s diversity is its strength and its inspiration. Whatever the challenges faced, know this spring that, like Graeme Obree and Paul Lennon, the determined individual can rise above them. Mental health is important and should be taken seriously.

Just as Obree recycled bits of a washing machine so too can ideas and examples be built in to the tapestry of our own lives and careers. A boldness in living helps. ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it,’ Goethe wrote. ‘Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.’ Nowhere is that boldness better illustrated than in the industry we serve. andy@rail-media.com

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Team effort for HS2 As the High Speed Rail bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons, HS2 Ltd announced details of the team to take forward construction of the London - Birmingham section next year.

CH2M, Atkins and SENER will merge together to form a team which will be fully integrated within HS2 Ltd. The aim is to drive long-term efficiencies.

Initial work now centres on the letting of the main civils contracts for the London to Birmingham stage of the route. All three companies have significant experience of driving project innovation and

efficiency, with employee-owned CH2M and Atkins involved in London’s challenging Crossrail project, and SENER bringing recent experience from Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network.

Says HS2 Ltd managing director - construction, Jim Crawford, ‘(This) contract award marks an important milestone as we continue to move towards the start of construction in 2017.

‘It is vital that we constantly challenge our suppliers to ensure we deliver long-term value for money for the taxpayer as well as a world-class railway for all our passengers, stakeholders and communities along the

line. That’s why I’m pleased to welcome CH2M/Atkins/SENER to the team, and look forward to seeing HS2 benefiting from

Waterloo rebuild announced A three-year investment programme worth more than £800 million has been officially launched at London Waterloo, Britain’s busiest railway station.

Nexit Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, plans to take over the operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

The light rail system is currently run by DB Regio Tyne and Wear Ltd. Although Nexus can extend the current contract for a further two years, it has confirmed it does not wish to exercise this option.

Nexus plans to manage train operations and stations itself until 2019, as it prepares for the acquisition of a bigger and better train fleet. Nexus, as a public body, already sets fares and service specifications for Metro, as well as maintaining most of the infrastructure on which trains run.

Says Tobyn Hughes, managing director of Nexus, ‘The current contract that expires in March 2017 is not delivering the outcomes for passengers that either we or the operator want to see. As a result, we propose not to exercise our option to extend it beyond its natural expiry date.

‘An investment package has been agreed to improve performance over the final year of the contract. Managing Metro directly for a limited period will allow Nexus to prepare for the significant change that will come with further investment of more than £400 million in a new train fleet.’

Passenger numbers have grown 14 per cent over the past two years to 40.4 million, and it remains one of the most highfrequency and lowest cost urban rail operations in the UK for both passengers and taxpayers. It’s also the fastest-growing light rail system outside London in terms of passenger numbers.

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their considerable skills and experience of delivering worldclass infrastructure on time and on budget.’

The improvements at London Waterloo will be supported by capacity expansion at Vauxhall and Surbiton and 10 local stations.

The former Waterloo International Terminal will be rebuilt, allowing platforms 20-24 to be brought back into use with modern facilities, new track and signalling and a layout suitable for thousands of domestic passengers.

Platforms 1-4 will be lengthened to accommodate longer 10-car trains. This work will take place during August 2017. A spacious, modern and accessible station concourse near platforms 20-24 will be created.

Says Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, ‘From 2017,

passengers will benefit from a bigger and better London Waterloo station and 150 new train carriages providing more space for passengers arriving at London Waterloo over the three-hour morning peak – this is in addition to the 108 extra carriages that have already been added since 2013.’

Investment is also being made in a fleet of 150 new train carriages to create extra capacity for passengers. ‘We are delighted to be part of the continued investment in the UK’s rail network and to be introducing a new fleet of 30, five-car Siemens Desiro City Class 707 trains,’ says Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of Siemens Rail Systems. ‘The new trains are lighter, more energy efficient and will significantly increase the amount of available seats for passengers.

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Eastern promise

Virgin Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of Azuma trains in a ceremony at King’s Cross attended by Sir Richard Branson.

The new fleet could get journey times between Edinburgh and London down to about four hours. Azuma means ‘east’ in Japanese. The Azumas are being assembled

by Hitachi at its plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

‘We’ll be adding 65 Virgin Azuma trains to our fleet from 2018, providing an extra 12,200 seats to services on a new and improved timetable,’ says Sir Richard Branson. ‘What’s more, the Azumas have the potential to reach speeds of 140mph (subject to Network Rail delivering on the track), meaning our passengers will get to their destinations much quicker. It’s an incredibly exciting time for all of us at Virgin Trains East Coast and for passengers across the UK.’ Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said, ‘Intercity Express trains heading to Virgin Trains East Coast will transform rail travel for passengers between London, the north east and Scotland. These new trains, combined with Virgin’s exciting plans for the franchise, will provide more services, more seats, and faster journeys, helping to place passengers at the heart of the railway.’

Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of up to 125mph, a cross-industry working group, including Network Rail, will investigate the

potential for the East Coast route to enable their operation at 140mph.

The Azumas will accelerate more quickly, slicing up to 22 minutes off East Coast journeys and making four-hour LondonEdinburgh journeys, and two-hour LondonLeeds journeys, the norm.

The faster journeys will make direct routes to new destinations such as Middlesbrough and Huddersfield possible, as well as a big increase in through services to places such as Harrogate and Lincoln.

Says David Horne, managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast, ‘Since Virgin Trains launched services on the East Coast in 2015, we have committed more than £40 million to improving our existing fleet for passengers.

As part of this we’re bringing in brand new interiors with new seats in both first and standard, new carpets and mood-lighting – a first for trains in the UK. ‘I’m delighted that today we have been able to showcase how that transformation will continue, with the first of our brandnew Azumas alongside one of our existing spruced-up fleet.

‘We’ve already celebrated the return of the restored Flying Scotsman to the route and now we are able to celebrate the stars of tomorrow, count down to 2018, and usher in a new era for the East Coast.’

The train unveiled at King’s Cross is a test train which has measuring equipment on board rather than seats.

Women's day at Network Rail Network Rail staff from across the country joined forces on International Women’s Day to celebrate the unstoppable rise of women in railways.

At the company’s training centre in the West Midlands, women from across the business discussed ways to further improve diversity in the workplace.

Network Rail has set a target of increasing the proportion of women in the firm from around 15 per cent currently, to 30 per cent. Significant progress has been made over recent years, with a growing proportion of women on the board and executive committee as well as on its flagship apprenticeship and graduate schemes.

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Hull Trains - another decade

FirstGroup’s star performing Hull Trains, an open access operator, is set for another 10 years on the metals following an agreement with the rail regulator.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved the application for a further 10 years track access from 2019. Award-winning First Hull Trains recently scored among the highest customer satisfaction levels of any operator in the country. FirstGroup now plans to re-equip the company with new bi-mode

Overground contract for Aviva Transport for London’s London Overground network will be run by Deutsche Bahn’s Arriva subsidiary from November 2016.

The new arrangement supersedes the existing contract with London Overground Rail Operations Ltd, a joint venture between MTR of Hong Kong and DB Regio UK Limited, formerly Laing Rail, and also owned by DB. Arriva also won the Northern Rail franchise last December - and took over on 1 April 2016. Headquartered in Sunderland, Arriva is responsible for Deutsche Bahn’s regional passenger transport services outside Germany.

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trains that can take full advantage of the electrified East Coast Main Line.

Says Steve Montgomery, FirstGroup’s Rail Division managing director, ‘First Hull Trains is a great success story and its enduring high customer satisfaction scores really demonstrate how open access can deliver for passengers in certain markets.

‘We’re pleased that the ORR has granted us a further 10-year period of operation as it allows us to progress the plans that we have for new rolling stock and investment

in the line, allowing Hull to play its part as a key region in the Government’s Northern Powerhouse proposals.’

FirstGroup is also involved in a separate application to the ORR on new open access plans to operate five trains throughout the day each way between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh, designed to compete with low-cost airlines and open up rail travel between the two capitals to thousands of new passengers. The outcome of the application is due later this year.

Brussels driver back to work Christian Delhasse, the driver of the Brussels underground train that was bombed, has been praised for helping lead survivors to safety.

Mr Delhasse returned to work the following shift, just hours after the attack. He remains a reluctant hero. ‘I’m a driver of the metro, who has done his work, in specific circumstances. Any other driver in my place

CHRISTIAN DELHASSE TRAIN DRIVER

would have done the same thing.

‘The heroes are our firefighters, our law forces, and our army.’

Christian Delhasse, who lives in NederOver-Heembeek, has worked on the metals for 30 years. A union colleague said, ‘He has demonstrated unparalleled composure.’

The Maalbeek metro station explosion came an hour after the twin bombings at Brussels Airport.

Britain’s Largest Britain’s LargestSpecialist SpecialistTransport TransportUnion Union

Northern Rail

Deutsche Deutsche Bahn Bahn Übernehmen Übernehmen Deutsche Bahn Take Over Since 2007 Northern Rail has paid £179 million of passengers fares in dividends to previous franchise owners.

Arriva, owned by German state railway Deutsche Bahn, began begin operations on 1 April.

Thisisis This nono Aprilfools April fools joke...... joke

Local authorities Local authorities in in the the North North of of England, England, through a through a body body called called Rail Rail North, North, will will jointly oversee jointly oversee the the Northern Northern Rail Rail franchise franchise with the with the government. government.

According to According to Rail Rail North’s North’s own own estimates estimates passenger demand passenger demand for for the the North’s North’s railway will railway will soar soar by by 50% 50% over over the the next next fifteen years. fifteen years. Despite Despite this, this, and and the the clear clear need for need for investment, investment, the the government government has has stated that stated that the the annual annual subsidy subsidy will will be be cut cut by over by over 50% 50% by by the the final final year year of of the the franchise. This franchise.

This will will be be realised realised through through attacks on attacks on the the quality quality of of service service available available to passengers to passengers and and the the loss loss of of hundreds hundreds of skilled, of skilled, safety safety critical critical railway railway jobs. jobs.

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Hynes heads Arriva Northern

HS2 man for Mott MacDonald

Arriva has confirmed its management team at Northern Rail.

Mott MacDonald has appointed Chris Dulake as major projects portfolio director.

Alex Hynes, who was appointed

by Arriva as managing director designate in January, heads the team.

Rob Phillips has been appointed as finance director of Northern.

Rob held the same position at Arriva Trains Wales where he was also part of the senior management team.

Richard Allan, currently Northern’s commercial director, has been appointed as the franchise’s new customer and people experience director.

Rob Warnes takes up a new role as performance and planning director. Alan Chaplin, becomes programme director. Andrea Jacobs continues to lead the safety and environment team.

Four regional director

Chris has nearly 30 years’ experience as a civil engineer and has worked on major infrastructure projects around the world. He joins Mott MacDonald from HS2, where he was engineering director for Phase 1.

Prior to this, he spent seven years as chief engineer on the Crossrail project. He joined the project in 2008, working on all underground works and the Canary Wharf and Woolwich station projects.

Mott MacDonald is involved with many major infrastructure projects, including Crossrail and HS2.

Says Mike Haigh, Mott MacDonald Group board director, ‘Chris is a fantastic appointment for us as he has great insight

appointments have also been announced by Arriva. Sharon Keith, currently managing director for the Arriva-operated Tyne & Wear Metro, becomes a regional director, alongside Liam Sumpter who joins Northern from Network Rail.

Paul Barnfield, currently operations director for Northern, has also been appointed to a regional director post with Mike Paterson joining from PA Consulting to take up the fourth regional role.

Alex Hynes will be speaking at the Rail Franchise Summit in Leeds on 19 May - his subject: ‘A Sustainable Railway for the North.’

into the priorities for clients undertaking major infrastructure projects.

‘He will be a hugely valuable resource for our staff due to his vast experience and our clients can only benefit from his knowledge to help realise their project ambitions.’

Chris has previously held positions with Arup and AECOM and was involved with the King’s Cross project. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Waboso goes digital at Network Rail David Waboso CBE, capital programmes director at London Underground, is to join Network Rail as managing director, Digital Railway.

Waboso will lead the Digital Railway Programme designed to boost the capacity of Britain’s rail network using digital signalling and train control technologies.

The internationally renowned engineer and project manager started his career in road construction after gaining degrees in civil engineering at Coventry University and Imperial College London. Then he changed direction and became a maths teacher in Stoke Newington, a tough area of London.

The experience, he later said, taught him the value of good communications.

‘I have always been comfortable with the spoken word,’ he said. Good communications, he argues, are essential to any career in engineering.

Going underground A passionate rugby player, David Waboso was advised by a school master at the Crypt School, Gloucester, to go for civil engineering and work on dams, rivers and railways. Initially David worked for two years on water supply and transportation projects in Nigeria - his RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

father was one of the country’s leading gynaecologists. Nigeria introduced him to railways.

Back in Britain in 1990, he joined The Nichols Group and went to work on the DLR upgrade, Jubilee Line Extension, West Coast Route Modernisation and TPWS. He led a cross-industry team delivering the ERTMS implementation plan.

A Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering, he is already a keen supporter of the digital railway. Replacing old technology, particularly signalling, is essential to increasing capacity and reducing cost.

Eventually intelligent signalling and train control will be sited on board.

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, did not take long to work this out after taking the job two years ago. He sees Waboso’s role as crucial to driving forward the digital railway. ‘Attracting someone of David’s talent highlights the progress we have made and our determination to use technology to unlock capacity on Britain’s congested network. I look forward to working with him.’

Mount Kilimanjaro David Waboso was recently appointed president of the Association for Project Management. He was awarded a CBE in

2014 for services to transport in London and the infrastructure leader prize in the UK Black British Business Awards. He starts at Network Rail in June, taking over from the much respected Jerry England, who is a big supporter of the Railway Children, and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010. Jerry has announced he will be retiring once the handover is complete.

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Clear signal for Goswell Phil for Porterbrook Phil White, former chief executive of National Express Group, has been appointed chairman of Porterbrook Leasing.

Graham Goswell has joined Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe as director, Railway Operations.

Goswell joins from Network Rail where he was the professional head of operations in charge of competence, standards, rules, audit and resilience - appointed in August 2013.

He has worked in frontline operations for the last 18 years, having started as a signaller in 1998. Goswell became a signaller manager in 2002 and progressed to operations manager overseeing the day-to-day running of trains in the North East.

From 2011, he worked as strategic lead on ERTMS, heading up a team of industry

specialists developing ETCS on both the Great Western and East Coast routes. HICSE, formerly known as the Railway Engineering Company Ltd, TRE, was acquired by Hitachi Ltd in December 2012.

New appointments at SNC-Lavalin

White, 66, a chartered accountant, was one of the pioneers of the privatised bus industry. He takes over from Alan Lewis, who has been chairman for seven-and-a-half years.

Sheffield-born White, attended High Storrs Grammar School and went on to read accountancy at Sheffield University - apparently at the suggestion of his Latin teacher.

After graduating, he worked as an articled clerk in Liverpool and audited the accounts of a bus company in Yorkshire. Offered a job with Yorkshire Rider, he helped lead a successful management buy-out (MBO). The company subsequently ended up as part of FirstGroup.

Phil White later worked for West Midlands Travel, which is owned

by National Express, and joined the NEG board in 1996 just at the start of railway privatisation. He

served as chief executive from 1997 to 2003.

White remains a keen Sheffield Wednesday supporter, celebrating its recent 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest. The club motto, ‘consilio et animis’ (by wisdom and courage) may well underpin his tenure at Porterbrook.

Itself the result of an MBO in 1996, Porterbrook has a rolling stock fleet of around 6,000 vehicles on lease or on order, which includes over 4,000 passenger vehicles and over 2,000 freight locomotives and wagons.

In October 2014, Porterbrook was acquired by a consortium of Alberta Investment Management Corporation and Allianz Capital Partners.

SNC-Lavalin has announced three appointments to its Rail & Transit team - formerly Interfleet.

Senior engineer Luke Tandy joins from Network Rail where he was previously part of the Plant, Traction and Rolling Stock team in the Safety, Technical and Engineering Directorate. Luke helped introduce the fleet of Mobile Maintenance Trains (MMTs).

Senior engineer Adrian Staples has taken up the position of section head, On-Track Plant. Adrian joined the former Interfleet business in 2013 and last year was appointed as an RSSB Signatory for On-Track Plant.

Engineer Dan Smail has joined SNC-Lavalin from JCB Attachments where he was a design and development engineer.

Director role for Sumner Stobart Rail has appointed Andrew Sumner as the company’s new contracts director.

Andrew will be responsible for commercial, estimating and business development departments within Stobart Rail.

Andrew, who started his career

at British Rail (BR) in 1988, joined Stobart Rail in 2013. He had previously held senior positions at FirstGroup, Direct Rail Services and Network Rail.

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NEW TRAINS FOR THE NORTH and that's just for starters

P

ledges to significantly improve services and buy new trains aren’t ‘PR fluff’ but promises of real change, says Northern’s Alex Hynes (pictured right).

On 1 April, Alex was joined by TransPennine Express managing director Leo Goodwin, David Hoggarth, director of Rail North, and MP Andrew Jones to celebrate the start of the new Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) franchises.

The occasion was marked with a launch event at Manchester Piccadilly station. Northern, now owned by Arriva, had a stand in the main concourse and TPE, which has been retained by FirstGroup until at least 2023, showed off a reliveried Class 185 on Platform 12.

The franchises promise more seats, better facilities and a combined £800 million investment in new trains.

BI-MODE The North has been given a £1 billion shopping list to transform rail services, says Alex. A stark contrast to the previous franchise, which assumed no growth in services and included limited investment. In fact, passenger numbers rose by 50 per cent.

The franchises will introduce 140 brand new trains between them by

2020. Prior to the launch, TPE, now minus the First, announced that it and Angel Trains had ordered the first batch of new trains from Hitachi.

The majority of the 19 bi-mode trains will be built at Hitachi’s factory in Newton Aycliffe and will start to arrive on the network from December 2019.

The arrival of these new units will see TPE relieved of half its Class 185 fleet by 2020. The half it keeps will undergo a complete overhaul.

Northern has already signed a contract with CAF for 281 new carriages - a combination of electric and diesel units. The last of these trains needs to enter service by the end of 2018 if Northern is to achieve the target of phasing out all of its Pacers within the next four years.

‘Even when a Pacer is clean and on time, and [has] great service on board, it’s still a Pacer. They’ll be gone in 44 months.’

Alex is not a fan and believes his staff and customers ‘deserve better’.

‘I will not be sad to see them go at all.’

But Northern’s rolling stock problems can’t all be blamed on the Pacers. ‘We do not operate a single train which meets the minimum standard for the next Northern franchise,’ says Alex. ‘So even our more modern trains, the 333s in West Yorkshire and 319s in the North West, which customers actually like, they’re not good enough.’

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DEVOLUTION Northern and TPE are the first rail franchises to be managed in partnership by the Department for Transport and a regional transport authority, in this case Transport for the North (TfN). TfN described the devolution deal as ‘ground-breaking’.

‘This isn’t PR fluff; this is hard stuff,’ says Alex Hynes, who retained his role as managing director following Arriva’s takeover of the franchise. ‘Brand new trains; we’ve never had brand new trains. Thoroughly refurbished trains; we’ve never had thoroughly refurbished trains before.’

Alex says that by the end of 2019, every Northern passenger will be travelling on either a new or a fully refurbished train - all of which will offer free Wi-Fi. ‘This isn’t new seat covers,’ he says.

By 2019, Northern will operate 2,000 more services a week than it does today, with peak time capacity increasing by 37 per cent. TPE says it will deliver 20,000 additional peak seats a day and add 13 new destinations to its network in the same period of time.

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

BIG COMMITMENTS TO TRAINING New trains are just part of the plan for the new franchises. Arriva’s Northern employs more than 5,000 people. The new franchise, which runs until 2025, will go much further than in the past in terms of recruitment and training, says Alex. Northern is making ‘big commitments in terms of training, big commitments in terms of development,’ he says.

Northern has specified minimum targets for new apprentices, graduates and trainees, has committed to scrapping zerohour contracts and will make

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a concerted effort to recruit more people from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are also plans to invest more than £2 million improving staff room facilities.

Contrary to claims made by several of the trade unions, staff numbers will increase during the new franchise, says Alex. In fact, Northern’s staff numbers increased on the very first day of the new franchise. Following the event in Manchester, Alex travelled to Windermere to talk to former TPE staff who have been moved over to Northern. ‘There’s going to be absolutely no reductions in frontline staff whatsoever, and the number of people we employ is going to go up and not down.’

His opposite number at TPE, Leo Goodwin, echoed this, ‘We’re going to be investing in our team, our colleagues, as well to equip them with the skills and tools that they need to do the job to the best of their ability.’

He added, ‘We need to attract the next generation of railway professionals into our industry, so we’re going to be significantly expanding both our apprenticeship and graduate programmes.

We’ve committed to hire 36 new apprentices in the next few years, for example, and that will hopefully attract the talent that our industry’s going to need to continue to grow and thrive.’

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RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Crossrail apprentice record A record number of apprentices were nominated for Crossrail’s annual Apprentice Awards.

Charley Whitelock, 20, from Bexleyheath in London, took the top spot. Described as an ‘inspirational and unstoppable’ young woman, Charley is currently working on track installation at Crossrail.

Charley Whitelock is also managing to study for a Level 4 NVQ in public relations with Alstom TSO Costain (ATC).

Charley was nominated after being hailed as the driving force behind a partnership with

Manx thanks The Isle of Man’s Steam Railway has been awarded a £1.1 million by the Manx government to help renovate its main station at Douglas.

The island’s parliament, the Tynwald, has backed plans drawn up by Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne.

The spectacular railway connects Douglas, Castletown and Port Erin. The Isle of Man Steam Railway is the longest narrow gauge steam line in Britain that still uses its original locomotives and carriages.

The three foot narrow gauge railway was opened in 1874.

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the Prince’s Trust and JobCentre Plus that gave dozens of people aged between 18 and 25 the opportunity to work on the project.

Charley has been described by colleagues as having ‘energy’, ‘determination’ and the ‘ability to inspire others for the better’.

Says Charley, ‘It feels really surreal to have won, it’s such a surprise, but I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved and it’s great to be recognised by my colleagues.

‘I started an apprenticeship when I was 17 as it was a great opportunity to work and earn money while I learn and I’ll finish with amazing experience at Crossrail on my CV.

‘I’d encourage anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship to go for it, it’s a fantastic opportunity.’

The awards ceremony comes during National Apprenticeship Week 2016. Crossrail, Transport for London (TfL), London Transport Museum and their suppliers are holding a range of events and activities to celebrate the contribution apprentices make.

Transport Minister Lord Ahmad said, ‘I would like to congratulate Charley as well as all the winners and nominees for their achievements – I hope this is the start of a long and happy career in transport.’

New trains for Shoogle The Glasgow Subway, 120 this year, is celebrating by re-equipping with a brand new train fleet.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has agreed contracts with the Stadler Bussnang AG - Ansaldo STS Consortium for the supply of new trains and signalling equipment, valued at £200 million.

The move is part of the modernisation programme that will see the famous underground railway move to remote operation.

Says SPT chairman Jonathan Finlay, ‘The SPT Partnership Board is delighted at this award of contract which continues the great work that our staff has been engaged in over the last few years modernising our Subway stations and infrastructure. The new rolling stock will provide the travelling public with a much-improved journey experience and the system will be more flexible in terms of

frequency and availability.’

The dimensions of the Glasgow Subway are unique. New trains will be the same length and size as existing rolling stock but will be a four-car set, as opposed to the current threecar sets, with open gangways. The system will include new platform screen doors, which will be ‘half height’ to preserve as much space and openness within the stations as possible while still maintaining passenger safety and security.

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Minister helps out Scotland’s Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, marked Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2016 by joining ScotRail apprentice Laura Friel, 19, from Kilsyth, at Glasgow Queen Street station.

TRANSPORT MINISTER FOR SCOTLAND DEREK MACKAY WITH LAURA FRIEL

Novathon for ESG man Andrew Knowles, a senior electrical engineer at ESG Rail, is pushing himself to complete nine challenges over nine months to raise money for two charities, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and Combat Stress - the mental health charity for veterans.

Andrew will be completing one challenge every month between March and November, with the aim of raising £2,500 for the charities. Challenges include climbs, hikes, runs and open water swims at locations across the UK and Ireland. He undertook his first event on 12 March, with a nine-hour climb up Ben Nevis, the highest point in the British Isles at 4,409 feet (1,344 meters).

In April, Andrew will be hiking up Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, in the Lake District.

Andrew Knowles served over five years in the Royal Air Force flying Chinook helicopters and completing four tours of Afghanistan.

Says Andrew, ‘Although I only served a reasonably short career, uncomfortable, stressful and traumatic experiences are rarely avoided; particularly during times of conflict.’

The charity, Combat Stress, supports ex-service personnel suffering from a wide range of mental ill-health issues. The charity spends almost £15 million annually

Laura was advising passengers of changes to services and distributing flyers ahead of the Queen Street High Level Tunnel closure.

Mr Mackay was happy to help and wants to see more apprenticeships offered to young people. ‘The Modern Apprenticeships programme is a great way to introduce talented people to the railway industry and ensures that we continue to deliver first class customer service for passengers across the network,’ said Mr Mackay.

He added, ‘Scottish Modern Apprenticeships week is an

excellent opportunity to draw attention to the value that apprenticeships can bring to employers and encourage more organisations to offer these opportunities to young people across Scotland.’

Laura Friel will shortly start work in the ticket office at Queen Street after a spell working on the Class 385 mock-up at Waverley station.

Says Rob Shorthouse, ScotRail Alliance communications director, ‘Working on Scotland’s railway is an interesting and challenging role. Our Modern Apprentices rise to any challenge that they face and bring with them a fresh outlook which benefits our company and our customers. We are just delighted to have Laura on board – and look forward to having many more young people like her working with us in the years ahead.’

Paisley tie for mission and offers free-of-charge support to those in need.

Andrew’s support for CRY is equally personal. ‘In 2011 a friend of mine, 23 years old at the time, died suddenly from an underlying heart condition of which neither he nor his family were aware of. Many of his close friends and family have raised a huge amount of money for this worthy charitable cause.

‘My intention is to add to that where I can in the hope that other young lives can be saved through further screening and research.’

Andrew says he was shocked at the statistics relating to undiagnosed heart conditions.

‘Twelve young lives are lost every week due to undiagnosed heart conditions. That equates to over 600 lives over the course of a year. It is thought that further screening and research could save many lives in the future.’

Expeditions include swimming Lake Windermere and shinning up Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntoohil, in County Kerry.

Anyone wishing to support Andrew in his epic challenge can donate at www.justgiving.com/ teams/9monthchallenge

The Railway Mission has just opened its first office in Scotland in a specially renovated office between platforms 2 and 3 at Paisley Gilmour Street.

The new office has been provided by ScotRail.

Says Heather Collins, ScotRail’s station manager for Ayr, Inverclyde and Dumfries, ‘It’s really nice for us to be able to give something back to the Railway Mission for all their support over the years, and it’s a comfort knowing that the Chaplains are here.

‘The office was vacant and we are more than happy that it will be used to complement what the company already offers and will help us support our staff when a tragic incident occurs.’

The only loser could be the local Starbucks. Says Ruth McBean, chaplain for the West of Scotland, ‘It’s wonderful to have a permanent base as I usually work from home and consider Starbucks as my office.

‘The office at Paisley Gilmour Street, which is Scotland’s fourth

busiest station, is accessible and it’s a welcoming place where people can come and feel comfortable and relaxed.’

Ruth went on to thank ScotRail and the local library. ‘I’m grateful for the support of ScotRail for allowing us to use these facilities and others such as Paisley Library, which donated the office furniture.’

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RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Hats off for Lewis Lewis Vaughan, who works for Virgin Trains as a customer service assistant in Edinburgh, has caused a social media sensation with a fundraising campaign for Marie Curie cancer care.

Lewis, 32, who has terminal cancer, decided to upload a picture of himself in a different hat every day and encourage people to donate to Marie Curie.

Recently he travelled from the Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh to Edinburgh Waverley, where he was met by family and friends.

Then a train bearing the #LforLewis hashtag pulled into the station, accompanied by a piper.

Passengers across the country have been encouraged to donate £1 to Marie Curie and post a picture of the train as it passes through their station. It follows on from the #LforLewis campaign which has seen hundreds of pictures posted in support of Lewis on social media channels and raised thousands of pounds for charity.

A different hat Lewis was diagnosed with terminal cancer last April. ‘I’m absolutely blown away, just overwhelmed by the positive and generous human nature of this,’ he said. ‘I didn’t plan a fundraising campaign, it was just something to keep myself occupied during my illness.

There’s an online concept of taking pictures of yourself every day, in the same place and with the same background for a year. I had planned to take a photograph of myself RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

with a different hat on every day and it just evolved from there.

‘I could have put depressing status updates on Facebook, but instead I wanted to put up pictures that would be a pick-meup for myself and other people in the same situation. I’m so thankful for everything that everyone has done.’

Trains for all the work they’ve done. Lewis has been through a tough time since last April and he’s handled it well. The response to the campaign has been overwhelming and Lewis has been overwhelmed by the whole thing.

It started as a modest fundraising exercise but it’s snowballed and attracted national and even international attention.’

Overwhelming response

A good friend

Colleagues and passers-by had started posting pictures of the #LforLewis train as it left Inverness at 7.55am and journeyed to London. When it reached Edinburgh at 11.17am, dozens of rail workers, passengers, friends and family members had gathered to cheer on Lewis.

His father, Jim, said, ‘I want to pay tribute to my son Lewis and the way he’s battled this disease so bravely and with such humour. I also want to thank his colleagues at Virgin

Says Adrian Bayne, a friend of Lewis and a Virgin Trains driver, ‘Lewis has united a workforce in his courageous fight with cancer.

He has been a good friend and it’s been an honour to help him with the Marie Curie fundraising. None of this could have been done without the tremendous support from the railway family and the members of the public who have backed the #LforLewis campaign.’

To contribute to the campaign go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com

Long arm of the law

It is three years since BTP introduced its 61016 text number, which has now received more than 32,500 messages from rail users.

The service allows the public to report non-emergency incidents on the railway discreetly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Says BTP’s Deputy Chief Constable, Adrian Hanstock, ‘We recognise the way people

want to communicate with us is changing and no other force in the country takes reports by text message to the extent we do.’

BTP officers have responded to almost 5,000 incidents and recorded just over 2,300 crimes - all as a result of a simple text message.

London Midland is helping celebrate by introducing the SMS Express -a train wrapped with the 61016 text number.

The aim is to encourage more people to contact BTP when they spot something amiss on the rail network. The train runs between Lichfield and Redditch via Birmingham New Street, carrying more than one million passengers a month.

Says Sarah Forrest, Virgin Trains station manager at Rugby, ‘At Virgin Trains, safety is always our priority and the British Transport Police’s text number is a great way to help our customers feel safe when travelling.’

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Bear in the air Intrepid BTP officers are investigating the collision of a drone with the Flying Scotsman on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The device was flying next to the steam train as it passed between Grosmont and Pickering when its camera became dislodged after the drone flew too near a tree. BTP has warned people to keep drones at least 50 metres away from trains or they could face prosecution.

Already the rogue drone operator has been apprehended.

Says Inspector Bob Moody of British Transport Police, ‘While no damage was caused to the train, we would like to point out that the use of drones, or any other small unmanned aircrafts, within 50 metres of a train is prohibited and is an offence due to the fact that they can cause an obstruction and endanger the safety of the train.

We have identified the person responsible.’

The Flying Scotsman spent a week running services on the NYMR - all services were sold out. © National Railway Museum

Rail staff survey Have your say and win!

£250 you could win

of vouchers for a store of your choice or one of five £50 vouchers

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

c2c deal for telent Spring got off to a good start for telent which last month announced it had won a 14-year contract with National Express Group to provide a service delivery contract for c2c.

The contract involves looking after 200 CCTV cameras and approximately 250 monitors across 60 platforms as part of Driver Only Operations (DOO).

DOO is a safety critical system that allows the drivers to see the train and the platform without relying on dispatch staff.

Says Steve Pears, managing

director, telent Rail, ‘We are delighted to lead the industry with the provision of our whole life service delivery model to National Express Group.

‘Telent already supports equipment on a third of UK rail stations, and we are therefore well placed to deliver this service.

‘In addition to providing a vital service which supports the safety of rail customers and staff, the service model also ensures a cost-effective solution for National Express Group, and we are certain that other TOCs would also realise similar benefits.’

Ladies day at Newton Aycliffe

Hitachi Rail Europe boosted International Women’s Day by holding a ‘Ladies Day’ at the Newton Aycliffe depot.

The company already has many women working in rail - but it’s not enough says HR manager Julia Potts. ‘Although we have a large number of women working in Hitachi Rail in general, our manufacturing and engineering teams are not so equally represented.

‘We thought it was time to

try and improve the gender balance and dispel the myth that manufacturing is a man’s world.’

Ninety women registered to attend the recruitment event and were able to meet members of the Hitachi Rail team.

Stacey Ord, from Redcar, was one of the attendees at the event, ‘It was an excellent opportunity to look around the new facility, see the sorts of tasks involved and be able to ask questions to the team. To be part of Hitachi Rail is an opportunity not to be missed.’

Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, wants to see more women taking up engineering. ‘It’s fantastic that more and more women are considering engineering and manufacturing as a career option.

‘The rail industry has one of the highest rates of growth of any sector in the UK today and Hitachi is committed to encouraging more women to pursue a career in this dynamic and rewarding industry.’

Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is home to the InterCity Express Programme (IEP) making trains for the East Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line, as well as AT200 commuter trains for Scotland. 730 jobs have been created at the site including apprenticeships.

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Drivers support Lincolnshire hospice A group of big-hearted drivers in Cleethorpes have donated a portion of their Eco-Drive earnings to a local hospice.

The drivers at First TransPennine Express’ (FTPE) Cleethorpes depot gave £3,378 to St Andrew’s Hospice.

The ‘EcoDrive’ programme is run by FTPE and provides a financial reward for drivers who reduce their environmental impact by driving more efficiently.

St Andrew’s Hospice is an independent charity providing care and treatment for those living with life-threatening illnesses.

Cleethorpes driver Mark Sheppard said the drivers decided to donate the money to the local charity because of

L-R Mark Simpson, Mark Sheppard, Nic Blair, Andrew Gorge, Glen Piper and Lauren Alexander.

personal experiences, including recently with his own grandson.

‘I’ve seen the great work the hospice does first hand; I fully understand where the money we have donated will be spent and feel this is a worthwhile cause.

‘It’s such an important service for the whole community; providing support for the patients and families across the whole of Lincolnshire. Without donations, the hospice would fail to provide such fantastic services.’

Lauren Alexander, from St Andrew’s Hospice, was overwhelmed by the generosity of the drivers. ‘A huge thank you for your fantastic donation,’ says Lauren. ‘This will go a long way to ensure we can continue to provide palliative care for local people,’ she added.

12 - 14 APRIL 2016

Quality on Reflection

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20

RAIL ALLIANCE

NEW MEMBERS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

ESG RAIL

RAIL ALLIANCE AT INFRARAIL 2016

UK rolling stock development consultancy, part of the DB Systemtechnik organisation.

Innovative, value-led Strategic, Technical and Integration solutions. www.esg-rail.com

DEIMOS SPACE UK UK subsidiary of the Spanish satellite technology company Elecnor Deimos.

Real-time passenger information hardware and systems. www.deimos-space.com

JONATHAN LEE GROUP

The Rail Alliance is once again delighted to be attending Infrarail along with several of our Rail Alliance members who are exhibiting as part of the Rail Alliance Hub. Member’s include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

AJT Engineering Ltd Aluminium Lighting Company Anderton Concrete Products Ltd CHG Electrical Ltd Exova Warringtonfire Flexicon Ltd iLine Technologies Keyline Lanes Group plc Lista UK Ltd Optical Coating Technologies Ltd Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd Royal British Legion Industries Silver Fox Ltd Step On Safety Ltd Visual Systems

While visiting the show, companies can take advantage of the rail mentor programme and find out how it can help businesses grow. If you are an SME and would like to find out more about the clinics, please contact lucy.prior@railalliance.co.uk. From Tuesday, 11am- 3pm Rail Mentor clinics will be available throughout the day (North Gallery Room 8) and can be pre-booked via mentor@railalliance. co.uk. Other Rail Mentor clinics on Tuesday and Thursday will be run as drop in clinics and no appointment will be necessary.

Tue 12 April: • 11am-12pm & 1pm-2pm - Rail Mentor Clinics (drop-in)

Wed 13 April: • 9am -11am – Rail Alliance breakfast networking meeting • 11am-3pm –pre-arranged RSG/mentor meetings (managed by Lucy Prior)

Thur 14 April: • 11am – 12pm: BIM O’clock (BIM in Rail) • 12pm – 1pm: Rail Mentor Clinics (drop-in) www.railalliance.co.uk / www.railmentor.com

Recruitment consultants to the manufacturing and engineering sectors. www.jonlee.co.uk

EJOT UK LTD. Rail Alliance launches first in a series of Rail Supply Group Best Practice Workshops!

The Rail Supply Group’s Best Practice Programme got off to a flying start at the AMTC in Coventry. Organised and hosted by Rail Alliance, a panel of senior speakers from HS2 Ltd., Atkins Global and Network Rail set the scene for this series of supply chain events, delivering fascinating content on the lead topic of Whole Life Cost / Whole Life Value.

Lively interaction from the assembled SME delegates certainly provoked challenging dialogue, the output of which will be fed into the next workshop on Building Information Modelling (BIM), which will be held on the 26th April, 2016 at the same venue. For further information please visit the programme website: www. rsgbestpractice.org Rail Alliance puts the spotlight on Rail Lighting, Safety and Security with “Light after Dark” The wind and rain on the 9th March did little to dampen the spirits of the rail industry lighting, safety and security community which gathered together to hear and see for themselves some of the best solutions available on the market.

Supported by the Lighting Industry Association and the Society of Light and Lighting, the event was very well attended and feedback has been very positive.

There were 34 exhibitors inside the marquee and a further 15 outdoor demonstrations taking place as well as stimulating and interesting presentations with speakers: Helen Waters, Business Development Director at Arriva Trains; Philip Shadbolt, Chairman & CEO Zeta Lighting; Jeff Shaw, Associate Director ARUP /President of the Elec. SLL; Bob Phelps, Business Development at ALC; Lee McCarthy, Technical Applications Director Designplan Lighting; John Charles, Business Development Manager at DW Windsor; Mark Stokes from the British Transport Police and Neil Carter, Director of Special Operations at Smartwater Technologies Ltd. The next date for this event will be in February 2017.

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Leading industrial fixings brand.

Specialist fasteners and fixings for the UK Rail, Construction, Aerospace and Automotive industries. www.ejot.co.uk

HTA GROUP Leading subcontractor supplier of laser cut parts, sheet metal components and fabricated assemblies. www.htagroup.co.uk

TRACK ACCESS SERVICES Operating in the UK for over 10 years, supplying a wide variety of survey and data / asset management products and services. www.trackaccessservices.com

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION INDUSTRIES ‘Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.’ State-of–the-art production of lineside signalling, providing employment for wounded, injured or sick ex-military staff. www.rbli.co.uk

MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS PLC Design, development and manufacture of lightweight composite structures with particular focus on vehicle defence and protection systems. www.morganadvancedmaterials.com

PAULEY (INTERACTIVE) Immersive 3D, Virtual and Augmented Reality Training. www.pauley.co.uk

A-PLANT RAIL Supplier of a wide range of specialist rail hire equipment for track renewals, S&C, S&T and infrastructure projects. www.aplant.com

Young team boost Abellio Greater Anglia A team of 10 apprentices is sweeping all before it at Norwich.

The 18 to 24 year olds are working in a wide variety of roles in Abellio Greater Anglia’s award-winning customer services department while completing a

Level 2 NVQ qualification.

In a transatlantic bonus for the rail industry, apprentice Reece Orford, 21, says, ‘I moved back to the UK from Canada in 2010 and have since worked as a business administrator. I wanted to join Abellio Greater Anglia because the apprenticeship offers so much scope for progression.’

Says Andrew Goodrum, customer service director at Abellio Greater Anglia, ‘We are very pleased to welcome our new apprentices. This customised training course will offer a range of transferable skills.

‘The railway is a great place to work with a wealth of opportunities and fantastic benefits. We already operate a very successful engineering apprenticeship and this new scheme will help strengthen our customer service department.’

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

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IT was me!

Talia Grantham, 17, from Northampton is the winner of this year’s Could IT Be You? competition.

Miss Grantham will receive a financial prize equal to her first year’s university tuition fees and a paid work placement at Network Rail’s national centre in Milton Keynes. The prize also includes a year’s worth of coaching and mentoring from the Network Rail IT team.

Five runners-up will also receive one week’s paid work experience and a year’s worth of coaching and mentoring with Network Rail’s IT team.

Network Rail set up the Could IT Be You? competition three years ago amidst concerns about the slide in the number of women entering the UK’s IT sector. Only 13 per cent of students on IT-related degrees are female, and the proportion of women working in the sector has more than halved

since the 1980s.

Says Talia, ‘I’m really interested in a career in business strategy, but I hadn’t really thought about opportunities in IT until now.

Meeting the people at Network Rail really opened my eyes to the massive role IT plays in our daily lives and how it keeps our rail network running each day.

‘The people at Network Rail have a really varied background and there’s a huge variety of skills needed to work in IT that aren’t necessarily computer-related. I will definitely consider an IT career now. I’m really looking forward to doing my work experience at Network Rail in the summer and, of course, starting my degree course in September.’

Due to expansion we have opened offices in Plymouth and the North West to be able to extend our services to our clients.

Deploy UK Rail are a specialist blue and white collar supplier to the Rail Industry and LUL in Power, Signalling, Electrification, Telecoms and Civils.

We have in-depth knowledge of supplying and planning Rail Safety Critical, Civils, Cabling, Troughing, Trades and Electrical resources to the industry specialising in 3rd Rail environments.

Deploy UK Rail hold the following qualifications: • RISQS Approved via Audit 5* • RCC (Rail Contractor’s Certificate) to supply SWL (Safe Work Leaders) • RIPS (Railway Interface Planning Scheme) 5* • ISO 9001, 18001, 14001 • ROSPA Bronze We are part of the DE Group of companies which all hold individual RISQS Certification as a contractor which complements the services we offer in Rail by providing expertise in Demolition, Asbestos Surveying and Removal and H&S consultancy specialising in Principle Design Services to clients for CDM. We work closely with our clients to help them achieve their project goals by delivering a professional reliable service which is flexible and adaptable to the ever changing Rail and LUL environment.

The core of our business is built up of professionals who have serviced both the recruitment and site requirements for over 10+ years each.

We have strong client relationships built on trust and delivery.

As a business we are able to supply a turnkey solution P.S.D.S (Plan – Supply – Deliver – Safely).

Deploy UK Rail was created with the vision that we can provide a one stop solution to delivering client needs by going above and beyond expectation.

Burdett House, 15-16 Buckingham Street, London, WC2N 6DU Tel: 0207 434 0300 Email us on: railteam@deployuk.com

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22

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON

BEHIND THE SCENES AT OLD DALBY

B

‘It is a huge, huge step forward,’ says Stuart Harvey, capital programme director, London Underground, explaining the benefits Thales’ Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system will bring to the 152-year-old SSL network. Once fully operational, the system will increase the frequency of services across the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines from the current 24 trains an hour to 32 trains an hour - a 30 per cent capacity increase.

The CBTC system being implemented is an upgraded version of the technology previously installed

by Thales on the Jubilee and Northern lines. Lineside sensors spaced 25 metres apart along the track tell the control room where every train is on the network. Using that information, the system is able to create the additional capacity by running trains much closer together than is possible with the existing signalling.

© Marc Johnson

eing invited to visit a live test site is a good indication that things are going pretty well for a project - not something you would say the sub-surface lines (SSL) resignalling programme has had much experience of.

Metronet and Bombardier both took on the project with little success. But since London Underground awarded the contract to Thales last year, things seem to be making real progress.

Within just four months of awarding the contract, the first new S Stock train ran along the test track at Old Dalby, Leicestershire, under ATO (automatic train operation) control, providing some reassurance that this complicated signalling project will finally be delivered. Last month, RailStaff was invited to the test centre in Old Dalby to see how far the London Underground/ Thales partnership has come.

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© Marc Johnson

ATO For the new signalling system to work, a large number of infrastructure works will need to be completed across the 300-kilometre network, including track modifications, an upgrade of the power supply and the installation of the lineside signalling equipment. New stabling facilities will also be constructed at Farringdon and upgrades delivered at the four depots that serve the SSL network: Neasden, Ealing Common, Upminster and Hammersmith.

The S Stock fleet is, of course, a significant component of the project. At the end of last year, Bombardier invited the press in to see the last of the 1,700 S Stock carriages it was building for London Underground undergoing the latter stages of its fit-out. All together, Bombardier has supplied 191 trains for the SSL network - a combination of seven and eight-car trains.

For the past few months, Thales and London Underground engineers have been trialling the new signalling system on the test track at Old Dalby, which was renamed Rail Innovation & Development Centre (RIDC) Melton by Network Rail after it acquired the site in 2015.

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

FEATURE

23

All together, Bombardier has supplied 191 trains for the SSL network - a combination of seven and eight-car trains.

on-board equipment needed for CBTC. Axle counters also provide a backup if the connection between the train and control room were to fail.

Installation of the onboard equipment will be carried out back in Derby, where the S Stock fleet was built. The current timetable will see 53 trains completed

by July 2018, up to 80 by September 2018. By the middle of 2019 - possibly earlier - the first section of the Circle line will operate with ATO.

The Metropolitan line will be the last route to be completed in 2023. Although this is still seven years away, it is really just the start.

Once the SSL resignalling scheme is complete, London Underground will move onto New Tube for London - another enormous engineering and political challenge.

Š Marc Johnson

The Up Reversible line includes four kilometres of 630/750V DC fourth rail, as is found on London Underground.

With ATO in operation, the test train, dubbed V1, completes a series of runs along the 7.5-kilometre line, automatically stopping at virtual stations along the way. In the future, the trains will operate a semi-automated service, where the driver's role is limited to starting the train, opening and closing the doors and manually driving the train in an emergency.

The V1 test train is a laboratory on wheels, with cables strapped to hand rails, technicians on laptops and exposed computer cabinets. The next phase of testing, known as V2, will involve fitting all the equipment as it will be when the train is in service.

CBTC Running trains closer together creates obvious risks and the SSL network throws up several new challenges.

For example, where London Underground trains share the Metropolitan line with Chiltern Railways between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Harrow-on-the-Hill, axle counters have to be used to detect trains without the

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24

INTERVIEWS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

COMMITTED TO THE CORE

MARK BULLOCK, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BALFOUR BEATTY RAIL, TALKS ABOUT WHY RAIL IS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, AT THE FOREFRONT OF BRITAIN'S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING COMPANY ‘It makes me smile actually,’ says Mark Bullock, managing director of Balfour Beatty Rail. He’s referring to rumours that Balfour Beatty, one of Britain’s largest and longest-standing construction and engineering firms, is pulling out of rail. It’s a rumour which has been fuelled by the sales of Parsons Brinckerhoff and Signalling Solutions but, according to Mark, these events only tell part of the story.

‘It makes me smile because we remain a very large and significant player in the UK rail infrastructure market,’ says Mark, who has been in charge of the rail division since 2012.

He’s now setting the record straight. ‘I think internally there’s been a need for us as leaders of this business to reassure our staff that that’s not the case and when they read silly things in the press that often it’s not true.

‘Some of our competition thinks it, but they can think what they like about us; we don’t really mind as we have been quietly going about improving our business and working hard to ensure customer satisfaction.’

The Balfour Beatty Group’s financial performance has been pored over by journalists and analysts in detail over the past few years. Its past difficulties have led to the appointment of a new chief executive, Leo Quinn, in January 2015 and the formulation of a long-term, companywide transformation programme, Build to Last.

Judging from media and analyst reaction to the company’s full-­year results, the programme is working. In Balfour Beatty's own words, it has made strong progress, is taking hold and is returning the company to strength. But in this time of change for the group, the rail business has carried on as normal and has been performing well, says Mark.

‘I think it’s worth stating that the rail business’ trading over the last couple of years has been pretty much in line with our plan.’

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What did change in that period were the rail division’s priorities. UK projects became the focus and a number of international rail businesses, established in the hope that they would open the door for Balfour Beatty in new markets, were sold off.

‘Rail activities had been quite successful in gaining a share in overseas markets but other parts of the business had not followed,’ Mark explains. ‘So at the end of 2012, when you stepped back and looked at it, we actually had a number of effectively stranded rail activities in markets that didn’t fit with the core strategy of the group.’

Balfour Beatty is building the Crossrail station at Abbey Wood and associated infrastructure works.

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RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016 INTERVIEWS

'When I joined Balfour Beatty Rail, I came with a clear objective to further improve our safety performance'...

STRATEGIC REVIEW

We're hugely optimistic and enthusiastic about the future.

International businesses in Italy, Scandinavia and Germany have been sold off in the past couple of years. Last year, Balfour Beatty also sold its 50 per cent stake in Signalling Solutions and the year before that WSP acquired its professional services division, Parsons Brinckerhoff.

‘When we looked at the UK market, we were very successful from 2012 through to 2014 in growing the business, so we saw quite a significant growth in turnover during that period of time. So the business, despite coming out of our international activities, continued to be a really important part of the group and was making very good progress.

‘But when we looked at our portfolio, I guess like any business, there were some parts of it that were performing better than others. Therefore we carried out a strategic review of the UK rail activities and made a decision that certain aspects we wanted to continue with and others, for the time being, weren’t for us.’

RAIL SYSTEMS Balfour Beatty Rail provides multidisciplinary rail infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets and can be broken down into four distinct business units, says Mark: Rail Systems, Rail Plant, Traction Power and Engineering and Technology Solutions. It is the Rail Systems side of the business that has made significant contributions to major projects like Thameslink and Crossrail.

Balfour Beatty is building the new Crossrail station at Abbey Wood and is delivering the associated infrastructure works. ‘I think we can rightly boast that we were the first contractor to hand over a piece of useable rail infrastructure to Crossrail out of Abbey Wood.’

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INTERVIEWS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

PASSIONATE ABOUT SAFETY Mark explains that Balfour Beatty Rail has taken an approach which brings management and the front line workforce together to consider and take action on risk. This has included critically re-examining risk, and encouraging employees and supply chain partners to do the same.

He says that following this change the company has seen a greater awareness for risk and more direct involvement from employees in helping to identify potential hazards, which in turn has increased the reporting of close calls and delivered a positive impact on injury frequency rates.

Mark’s passion for safety is clear, ‘When I joined Balfour Beatty Rail, I came with a clear objective to further improve our safety performance and this objective remains at the forefront of everything I do. We will continue to drive improvements and efforts towards creating a safety-comes-first culture across the company.’

Track Partnership, a joint venture between London Underground and Balfour Beatty Rail, represents another large chunk of the company’s activities. In March, Balfour Beatty was awarded a £170 million two-year extension to its Track Partnership contract for London Underground.

‘We’ve grown this contract over the last few years quite significantly,’ says Mark. ‘As we’ve delivered more and more innovation and productivity for the client, they in turn have been generous enough to give us more and more work.’

Plant hire and maintenance is a key growth area for the business.

GROWING AREAS Although the refocusing of Balfour Beatty Rail has involved divesting of certain areas of the business, it has also targeted growth in other areas, including the company’s OLE, P-Way and civils design team.

Balfour Beatty’s withdrawal from the final stages of the North West electrification scheme made the headlines but, again, they didn’t tell the whole story. ‘Whilst it’s true to say we’ve withdrawn from that specific scope of work, by mutual agreement with Network Rail, we actually have just signed two contracts to provide design resource for the schemes that are currently being worked on, so we’re in there with the design capability; we’re just not building it.’

Interestingly, some of this work is being carried out more than 6,000 miles away by engineers in Balfour Beatty’s office in Kuala Lumpur. ‘In RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

the past they’ve done work in the local market and in the future they will continue to do so, but at the moment actually most of their work is for the electrification in the North West of England, so that’s a case of us going overseas and actually importing some of those skills back to the UK.’ Another area in which Balfour Beatty Rail is investing is its plant hire and maintenance business with the company currently operating and maintaining plant for Network Rail, London Underground and Irish Rail.

CLEVER TECHNOLOGY Mark gets particularly excited when discussing the company’s Technology Solutions division, ‘There’s some really clever technology in there.’

Specifically, he’s referring to intelligent asset monitoring systems.

Developed by Balfour Beatty Rail engineers, the systems monitor assets and detect failures before they occur.

On the Singapore Metro, the company has installed signalling monitoring technology.

Balfour Beatty engineers are also involved in the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), developing a laser monitoring system which will be fitted to the trains to create a 3D scan of the infrastructure as it passes by. Says Mark, ‘That business has been very successful in expanding its product range and it’s been very successful in the last two to three years in expanding overseas, so we now export quite a lot of our technology to overseas markets.’

CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE In January, the High Speed Two Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture appointed a managing director, Peter Anderson, who was the previous MD of Balfour Beatty Rail. The joint venture is looking to secure a significant share of the HS2 construction programme, including enabling works, main civils works, stations and elements of rail systems.

‘HS2 is a huge prospect that we’re really excited about. We’ve been working on it for probably four years now, which sounds incredible when I say it,’ says Mark.

Balfour Beatty Rail employs around 1,600 people and recruited just fewer than 300 people last year. Its growing workforce includes 23 apprentices, 21 graduates and 40 trainees.

Balfour Beatty is a member of The 5% Club, it was the first infrastructure company to sign up in 2013 which means it has committed to having at least 5 per cent of its UK workforce made up of apprentices, graduates and sponsored students within five years of joining. The company has already achieved 4.6 per cent in just three years.

Mark says the outlook is positive.

‘At this point in time, we’re hugely optimistic and enthusiastic about the future. We’ve had a sustained period of growing the profitability of our business over the last few years and that’s given us a great deal of confidence in the future.’

A trusted partner With our extensive experience and expertise, our customers rely on us to deliver efficient, innovative solutions that keep the railway moving. As industry leaders in safety, we believe that everyone has the right to go home safely every day.

We are committed to the future of the rail industry.

For more information, contact us: info@bbrail.com

www.balfourbeatty.com/rail

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HEALTH+SAFETY

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NOT JUST

DUST

REPORT BY BRYAN HENESEY

RAIL'S ROLE IN CROSS-INDUSTRY DRIVE TO TACKLE SILICA DUST

R

epresentatives from the rail sector were involved in a cross-industry debate to develop a new, more collaborative approach to controlling silica dust in the workplace.

High above the part-transport hub, partconstruction site that presently is London Bridge station, a common hazard facing rail workers was being discussed.

Sat around a table on the 34th floor of The Shard, representatives from the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), Crossrail and Network Rail spelled out the challenge they face to prevent workers from breathing in silica dust.

Whether through handling ballast dust, the tunnelling process or cutting concrete as part of a station redevelopment, the scope for exposure is wide-ranging and varied. Yet rail isn’t alone in having to face up to the health risks posed by respirable crystalline silica (RCS).

That is why experts from construction, mineral products and various trade, health and industry associations also joined in the discussion, sharing how they tackle the issue in their workplaces.

The debate was facilitated by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and aimed to identify good practice that could be used throughout industry to deal with RCS. It coincided with the launch by IOSH of new guidance for businesses on RCS, as part of its No Time to Lose occupational cancer awareness campaign.

NOT JUST DUST An estimated 500,000 people are exposed to RCS at work in the UK. According to Imperial College London research, around 800 people in Britain a year die from lung cancer caused by prolonged exposure to RCS in the workplace, with 900 new cases being diagnosed annually.

Professor John Cherrie, from Heriot-Watt University and the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, who took part in the discussion, said many employees are currently being exposed to RCS above the acceptable limit in the UK and throughout the world.

He said, ‘Construction is the biggest industry where people can get exposed to RCS, but anyone working in a workplace that uses mineral products may face exposure. It could be

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in foundries, at brickworks and quarries or premises where stone products are manufactured.

‘Dust can often be accepted as something that just naturally occurs as part of work processes, and it shouldn’t be.

If you can see dust you need to do something about it.

‘Getting people to change their attitude to dust and take this issue seriously is key.

This discussion was a real opportunity to shape how we deal with silica dust across industry in the years to come.’

Kevin Stevens, health and safety manager at the Mineral Products Association, said much work to prevent RCS exposure has been done in his sector that other industries could learn from it.

He said, ‘Silica dust is one of the oldest occupational health diseases we know of.

The common challenge across industry is about educating individuals on the issue.

‘Without question, the information is out there but we need to make sure it is shared among all those who require it.’

THE RAIL PERSPECTIVE The debate heard that much good work is being done across all sectors around RCS, including rail, but that each industry is rarely aware of the

measures the others are taking.

Dr Claire Dickinson, occupational health programme manager at the ORR, said awareness of silica dust in the rail sector was growing, particularly around the use of track ballast. More work needed to be done to highlight the issue to those working on other construction projects in the rail sector, she added.

‘We really need to up our game at getting through to the managers and supervisors on track and working at station construction sites,’ she said.

The ORR, Crossrail, Network Rail, CIRAS and MTR Corporation Ltd are among over 100 leading businesses to have pledged support to the No Time to Lose campaign.

Steve Hails, director of health and safety at Crossrail Ltd, spoke of his work to protect employees undertaking sprayed concrete lining (SCL) works, using prevention and dust suppression to minimise RCS exposure.

Modifications to the standard processes and material substitutions were considered from the outset to reduce the use of silica, and therefore the risk of dust exposure.

De-duster units, forced ventilation, spray misters and tools fitted with spray systems have also been used to dampen dust where necessary,

with personal respiratory equipment regarded as a last resort.

In making Crossrail’s pledge to No Time to Lose, Steve said, ‘We believe that an effective occupational health programme is essential to the success of the Crossrail programme - good health has a positive effect on employees and the delivery of Crossrail.

‘So we’re pleased to back IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign, and welcome its focus on one of the most serious occupational health issues facing industry today – managing carcinogenic exposures at work.’

MTR Corporation, meanwhile, has put controls in place to reduce the risk of silica dust exposure during tunnelling work in Hong Kong.

As well as using ventilation and water suppression techniques, such as wet drilling and rock breaking and damping spoil, MTR also regularly monitors silica dust concentrations in its tunnels and carries out health hazard and hygiene checks on workers.

Stephen Pollock, project safety manager at MTR Corporation Ltd, said, ‘MTR’s commitment is tangible. As well as providing extensive information and training to the contractor workforce, we provided free health screening on site for up to 2,000 workers in March.

‘In addition to this, our fulltime nurses are available at our

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construction site to give advice and monitor health controls.’

MTR has also shared good practice around work-related ill health with 450 senior leaders and over 140 safety managers working in its supply chain.

Keith Morey, chair of the IOSH Railway Group and construction, design and management integration manager at Network Rail, also took part in the roundtable meeting.

He said ballast dust has been a major consideration in the rail sector for some time, with the likes of the Ballast Dust Working Group (BDWG) promoting best practice and technology throughout all the main contracting companies on the railways.

‘We must continue to look into ways of reducing exposure to RCS. Simply fencing off the in-question area will not suffice,’ Keith added.

OUTCOME The cross-industry group agreed to work collaboratively with IOSH to develop a new way of sharing good practice around tackling RCS exposure across industry.

Shelley Frost, executive director of policy at IOSH, said, ‘Dust is not just dust – it can contain elements that are potentially harmful and can cause chronic ill health.

‘We brought together people from very different disciplines so we could really establish a collaborative and collective

approach on raising awareness of RCS, and also address some of the current issues.

‘What was really clear is there are many examples of good practice across industry and that should be celebrated. Our responsibility is to break down the barriers that exist in sharing this across all industry.’

Silica dust is one of five common agents associated with workrelated cancer registrations and deaths in the UK that IOSH is highlighting through No Time to Lose.

Asbestos, diesel engine exhaust

fumes, solar radiation and shift work are the others, with IOSH aiming to get work-related cancer more widely understood and help businesses to take action.

For more information about the campaign, and to download the free resources on RCS, visit www.notimetolose.org.uk or follow @_NTTL on Twitter. Further information about the IOSH Railway Group and its activities can also be found at www.iosh.co.uk/ railwaygroup.

BRYAN HENESEY WORKS AS A MEDIA OFFICER AT IOSH.

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Stobart Rail are proud of the Safety, Health and Environment Culture it has actively created.

To improve our already impressive health, safety and environmental record, this coming year Stobart Rail aim to reinforce and support this record by introducing a new Safety Vision:

Our aims are to have:

How will we achieve this?

 Zero Accidents

 Following the rules whether this be a procedure or site specific rules including the Network Rail Lifesaving Rules

 Zero Complaints  Zero Health Issues  Zero Environmental Issues  Zero Incidents

For queries please contact: Andrew Sumner Contracts Director andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com Mobile 07736108749 Office 01228 882300 Website: www.stobartrail.com facebook.com/stobartrail twitter.com/StobartRailLtd

 Reporting any shortcomings to line management  Stopping work when something is not right or has changed from the planned activities  Staff using the training they have been given to carry out their roles and responsibilities to create a safe working environment  Robust Planning As part of a new initiative “Think Safety, Act Safely” Stobart Rail commissioned Carlisle based Cloudscape Studios to design 30 bespoke posters to aid and support a new culture campaign.

The campaign has allowed Stobart Rail to introduce some unique characters that deal with a wide selection of

 Improving communication between all parties to learn and improve  Ensuring the Just & Fair Culture process we have in place is applied  Continuing to hold Stand Down days  Continuing to encourage the reporting of Close Calls  Providing the correct equipment and resource to carry out the works we conduct  Leading by Example

safety issues that the workforce can relate to.

The poster topics came from a number of sources including the Lifesaving Rules, accident and incident statistics from the last 5 years, high risk activities Stobart Rail carry out, wellbeing issues and behavioural based safety.

An extensive range of subjects have

been covered from working at height to wellbeing information all with the goal of raising awareness and providing information to Stobart Rail staff.

It is hoped that these bespoke posters are well received by our workforce and clients alike, acting as a constant reminder of the risks and hazards we face at work every day and how to eliminate them.

The Safety and Wellbeing of our staff is our highest priority. This campaign is based on relatable circumstances that our staff encounter regularly, with characters they identify with. It’s about raising personal awareness to threats that we’re exposed to on a daily basis.

We all want to stay healthy and stress free. We want to travel to and from work safely. We want to do this whilst being considerate to the Environment and the Communities we work in.

Kirk Taylor Stobart Rail Managing Director

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RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

ROUTE DEVOLUTION

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

AND UPSIDE DOWN MANAGE THE KEY TO A SAFER RAILWAY?

T

he speed of organisational change for our railways looks set to increase. My concerns are for the potential adverse effects on safety that may result. ORR originally was the acronym of the Office of the Rail Regulator, an individual who within politically set limits had the power to regulate our railways.

The Rail Regulator

This organisation was set up to isolate the funding and development of our railways away from short term political decision making. A couple of years ago Sir John Armitt proposed the setting up of our National Infrastructure Commission for the long term planning of infrastructure development.

It is now chaired by Lord Adonis with Sir John as one of its Commissioners. But for our railways we now have both the Hendy Report and the Shaw Report; how will they fit into the development of long term infrastructure development?

Shaw Report – route devolution The Shaw Report released on March 16th could affect our industry in a radical way. The identification by the Institute of Economic Affairs of Network Rail’s growing debt on the Government’s balance sheet has contributed to an urgent situation. According to the Institute’s forecast the debt could reach £50 billion by 2020. Comparisons with rail funding in other European countries are interesting.

However, the Shaw Report advocates route devolution for Network Rail together with independent regulation. It proposes a step change in the autonomy delegated to their routes. This is supported by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and is intended to give routes the freedom to plan how they will individually meet the needs of both its passenger and freight customers.

The report goes on to suggest that the industry needs to explore new ways of paying for the growth in passengers and freight before recommending the involvement of private sector finance in speeding up improvements for rail users.

If transferring decision making to the routes leads to more strategic management focus on local staff and supplier understanding, everyone could gain.

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Rail suicides increasing

In 2010 a joint initiative was launched by the Samaritans and Network Rail with the objective of achieving a 20% reduction in suicides on the railways by 2015.

Despite a £5 million investment in this initiative male suicides increased by 31% by 2013! Bristol University is now looking at the long lasting effects of such tragedies on train drivers and their families.

In published reports there is no mention of the involvement of track or operational staff who have to deal with the aftermath of these events. The pressures on worksites under possession and repairs whilst trains are still running have never been higher and in my experience it is often the most conscientious who are involved in accidents.

35 mph within the possession Network Rail’s Safety Central website now includes a bulletin issued on March 3rd giving some factual details of a collision and derailment that occurred on 27th February at Ivybridge in south Devon.

A loaded engineering train, gross weight 1,119 tonnes, collided with a rake of stationary but loaded Falcon wagons. The accident occurred within a track relaying site.

The train driver had been given permission to enter the worksite by the Engineering Supervisor. The loaded train travelled three quarters

of a mile down a falling gradient before reaching the eight Falcon wagons which were also loaded.

The train reached a maximum speed of 35 mph but was braked down to just 13 mph before running into the eight stationary wagons.

There were no injuries but the locomotive derailed all wheels as did two of the wagons. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is investigating.

Ivybridge has a history of incidents. Way back in 1868 on October 7th a goods train was derailed there. The primary causes were established as “driver error and inadequate worksite protection”.

Two short rails had been removed and were to be replaced. In 1868 the train simply ran off the end of the tracks!

RRV fell onto its side in the cess The same Network Rail website also features bulletin 16/04 issued on March 8th.

This reported an accident that occurred at Riding Mill in Northumberland on the Newcastle to Carlisle route in the early hours of February 2nd. Piling contractors were at work stabilising a bank slip that had blocked the line.

As may be seen in the picture a Colmar RRV (Road/Rail Vehicle) T10000 derailed and fell onto its side in the Up Cess.

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

TRACK SAFETY

33

EMENT London Underground District Line derailment near Ealing Broadway.

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Signal winch failure Another bulletin only gives the location as “East West Project” and also omits the date of the incident.

However the description of what happened is comprehensive.  When RRVs involved in piling works A required Dormantointegrated are transit with the rig attached, how is everyone's light weight signal weighing understanding of thekg correct measures approximately 125 was being to maximise stability assured? lowered when the winch failed  In particular: o Aligning the rig so it is parallel and the signal fell. with the track and centred in No-one was injured but the the four foot; o

Fully lowering the piling rig and hammer for a lower centre of gravity?

picture on the bulletin shows a cable drum with a twisted and distorted cable on it. The postaccident instruction requires the re-testing of all similar equipment against the “Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations” (LOLER) and gives further instructions to those using the equipment on the need for them to control cable drum winding and rope lay tension.

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Passing a signal at danger at 1-30 am The RAIB are also investigating a District Line London Underground derailment that occurred at around 0130 am on the morning of March 2nd near Ealing Broadway Station.

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TRACK SAFETY

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A train from Upminster had been held at signal WP17 which was set to danger for an hour due to a track circuit failure. Staff had secured points 38 on the route from signal WP17 to platform 7 but had not identified points 39A as also needing to be secured.

Consequently it was at these points that the train derailed albeit at a speed of less than 5mph. The driver had been authorised to pass signal WP 17 at danger.

Level Crossing Fatality On February 23rd a fatal accident occurred at Grimston Lane level crossing between Ipswich and Felixstowe. The pedestrian was struck and fatally injured whilst using the footpath crossing over the single line railway which connects the two parts of Grimston Lane.

The Lane is a tarmaced but unclassified road on the western edge of Trimley St Martin that continues through farmland to Trimley Lower Street. RAIB are investigating the accident and focussing on the sequence of events as well as the design and management of the crossing.

Devolution and accountability The implications of the Shaw report recommendations for our railways and their safety could be good.

I hope the degree of route devolution is sufficient and the regulation and funding of our railway development is kept at arms-length from the politicians.

The accidents and incidents I have described this month all have one thing in common; the ability we all have to make mistakes.

I strongly believe that devolution of responsibility and accountability to local levels together with closer working between rail service users and those owning and operating the railways will bring benefits.

Human Errors Closer integration of and understanding between train operators, rail infrastructure owners and regulators will be enhanced if and when long term sustainable levels of railway investment are agreed to provide us all with the railways we need.

Unsurprisingly, these same initiatives will also be good for

© Sam Lane Photography

safety. This is reflected in the agenda and speakers list for this year’s Safety Summit at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Thursday May 5th (have you got your tickets yet?). Two things I believe affect our error making rate: motivation and concentration.

Both can always be improved by on the ground management of those doing the work.

I am still convinced that far too few unannounced site and place of work visits are being carried out by senior management.

“Upside down management” for routes?

The “upside down” management style used by the Chief Executive of Timpsons’ shoe

Safety S afffe a etty e Summit S ummit

repairers and key cutters has been publicised recently. John Timpson has a reputation for “straight talking, common sense front line management” and it works!

He personally visits around 650 of his retail outlets each year.

I presume he doesn’t use an inspection proforma since he is quoted as saying that his visits are not for auditing or checking up but to meet the staff, get to know them better and hear what business is like.

He also lets each outlet make its own decisions and he encourages the growth of a mutual trusting work ethos. If Network Rail now moves to do likewise safety and productivity with reducing costs must surely result?

®

Tel: +44 (0)1530 816 444 www.railmedia.com @rail_media rail_media22

Tel: +44 (0)1530 816 456 www.railsummits.com @railsummits

Wing Award 2016 Every year the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers presents the Wing Award for Safety to an individual who has made an outstanding personal contribution to improving trackside safety, and we are now seeking nominations for the 2016 Award.

The Wing Award remains as relevant as ever, and improving track safety rightly continues to be a dominant theme both on the railways in the UK and in other countries as well.

The Award is managed by the IRSE on behalf of the rail industry, and is open to everybody regardless of their specialism.

To find out more about the award and how you can make a nomination please visit www.irse.org/about/public/wingaward.aspx

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D

REPORT BY GRAEME BICKERDIKE

ave Brailsford revolutionised British Cycling. Under his leadership, Team GB led the sport’s medal table at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, winning eight gold medals at both. In part he did that by championing the philosophy of ‘marginal gains’ which involved breaking down the act of competitively riding a bike into its many component parts, then strived to improve each by 1 per cent. Its success is self-evident, pushing overall performance up to a level that had previously been unattainable.

We can - and do - apply a similar principle to the safety of our ontrack workforce. Realistically, no single intervention will prevent deaths, injuries and unsafe acts. If such a panacea existed, the industry would surely have taken it. But what can be achieved is to deliver incremental benefits by refining competence, risk management and front-line safeguards.

In the early days of the railway, many platelayers lost their lives to locomotives they hadn’t seen. Nowadays, every prime mover is fitted with a headlight. As steam gave way to diesel, train visibility was further enhanced by the now-familiar panel of yellow paint on the front end. This latter ‘marginal gain’ was simple, practical and effective; yet a trackworker’s ability to rely on it has now been lost at the behest of Standards custodians.

New Railway Group Standard GM/RT2131 (Audibility & Visibility of Trains) came into force on 5th March. It establishes a framework for the introduction of new or modified rail vehicles onto the mainline network. Those complying with the headlamp requirements in the Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) for Locomotives and Passenger Rolling Stock (LOC & PAS) are no longer obliged to have a yellow front end.

The Standard asserts that “The presence of a headlamp meeting the requirements of the LOC & PAS TSI will give sufficient visual warning that a train is approaching.” ‘Will’ is a big, unequivocal word in this context. There can be no doubt that headlights have got considerably brighter over recent years, to the point where they might be regarded as dazzling on occasions. But whether the Standards committee has tested its assertion in direct sunlight or where the train comes into sight on a curve - resulting in the headlight being viewed off axis - is not clear.

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NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

OPINION

Responsibility for ensuring that a train is visible to those who need to see it is now being devolved, typically onto the operating company. In choosing a frontend colour other than yellow, a collection of risks will have to be assessed. These include: • All operating conditions likely to be experienced by the train • Any impact on the safety of trackworkers, passengers, members of the public and level crossing users • The effect of front-end colour on the perceived position of a stationary train when a driver is undertaking a permissive move into a platform occupied by another unit • Reliability and maintenance of the headlamps • All relevant duties under health and safety legislation.

In other words, what was straightforward has just become over-complicated. Effectively, the Standard now says that there is no standard.

Whatever happens in the years to come, it’s worth asking a couple of pertinent questions.

Are trackworkers more or less safe as a result of this change?

Notwithstanding the headlight,

if it was historically beneficial to improve every train’s visibility by adding a panel of yellow paint, why is that no longer the case?

What the Standards committee has done here is to remove a requirement which might prevent a near miss - or worse in an unfortunate conspiracy of circumstances. And to what end?

Is there an overarching performance need for a train’s front end to be a colour other than yellow? Will it free-up money for investment elsewhere? One suspects not. This is about corporate livery: a purely cosmetic issue in both the literal and metaphorical senses.

For a highly-scrutinised industry that professes a commitment to safety, this conscious downgrading provides ammunition to the sceptics who believe actions speak louder than words.

Change is an inherently good thing; without it there is no progress. Just ask Dave Brailsford.

But there needs to be positive motivation driving it.

Whilst yellow front ends might only be a ‘marginal loss’, how confident can we be that it won’t prove a critical one for some illfated trackworker?

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MAPPING IT OUT SAFE DELIVERY OF LONDON BRIDGE STATION REDEVELOPMENT

W

hat more is there to write about Thameslink?

The project will forever change rail travel through central London for the better, transforming one of the capital’s busiest interchanges and helping to develop the next generation of signalling

technology.

At the project’s heart, London Bridge is undergoing a significant transformation. It may have the same name, but it will be a very different station in 2018. All of the platforms are being demolished and rebuilt and the track realigned to create nine through and six terminating platforms. It will have a new roof and a new, larger concourse.

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

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38

HEALTH+SAFETY

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

More than 1,400 individuals from numerous different companies are involved in the redevelopment of the London Bridge Rail Station at any given time, coordinated by the project’s principal contractor, Costain.

So how do you oversee and organise such a large number of different technicians and trades safely?

LIKE A GIANT CHESS BOARD One way in which the project is addressing this challenge, can be seen just by walking around the site. The concourse level is divided up into segments, which

are physically marked out with paint on the ground like a giant chess board. The system has been called the ‘Safety Grid’ and it’s improving the way work is planned and delivered on the project.

‘We’ve got different trades working on the concourse so we’ve got interfacing challenges,’ says Des Roy, head of health and safety at London Bridge.

The Safety Grid system has only been in place for the past four months but is already helping to support the project’s good safety record. London Bridge hasn’t had a reportable accident in over a year - the equivalent of five million man hours.

The Safety Grid makes it clear who is working in each sector and allows the delivery team to spot any clashes early on and approach planning and programming in a smart and coordinated way. Having the grids physically marked on the ground also means no one is able to stray into a grid without knowing about it. It ensures that teams think carefully about how their actions impact on those delivering other aspects of the project.

‘Everyone going to work on the project has to have a Start of Shift briefing,’ says Des. ‘This briefing is to get people to understand how their works will be affected or may affect other works; the Safety Grid helps with this.

‘The system complements the ‘healthy engagement culture’ shown across the project as a whole,’ explained Des. ‘One indicator of workforce engagement is demonstrated through discretionary reporting

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

- the project regularly books in excess of 1,000 safety-related observations a month, which include Close Call hazard identifications, suggestions for improvement and good practice observations.

‘We also carry out quarterly culture surveys that have given us ‘real’ feedback. The surveys show a continuous improvement in the workforce’s views on what it is like to work on London Bridge.’

INNOVATION The Safety Grid is one of a number of innovative safety initiatives that have come from the London Bridge project.

In January, project manager Trevor Sharp won a Thameslink Good Practice Award for coming up with the idea of equipping site supervisors with 3M noise monitors to help them identify areas where noise levels may present a hazard to the workforce.

The noise monitors help identify the ‘noisy areas’ and allow for the setting up of areas where hearing protection must be worn.

The monitor flashes red when the background noise level is above 85 dBA, allowing them to set up more accurate protection zones than previously possible.

Innovation at London Bridge hasn’t always come in the form of gadgets and equipment. The project came up with a novel way of stressing to its team the importance of carrying out detailed risk assessments and following processes.

The project team held a mock legal trial, complete with real barristers, at One Great George Street, the Institute of Civil

Engineers' headquarters.

The scenario imagined that there had been a fatality on site resulting from uncontrolled plant movements; members of the delivery team, including the supply chain and the client, Network Rail, got to be the jury, hearing evidence from both the defence and prosecution to give them an idea of the kind of questioning and detail that is scrutinised in the court room.

Further ways of communicating the key messages and engaging with the workforce have included the use of Dramanon, a corporate drama company, to perform mock scenarios to demonstrate the often far-reaching consequences of accidents and incidents.

FLAGSHIP PROJECT ‘As the flagship project for Costain and the Thameslink Programme, we take very seriously our responsibility to the people working hard to safely deliver the project,’ says Des. ‘Whilst it is essential to always have the basics in place, we are always pushing to move health, safety and environmental performance on to the next level.

‘Innovative ideas that may at times be technical but are increasingly targeted at a behavioural approach are necessary to help us ensure we reduce the potential for harm to people working with us.

‘The engagement of the workforce is absolutely critical in this as we move away from a directing culture towards an involving one where everyone is involved in making it safer.’

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40

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

RAIL INDUSTRY TO CELEBRATE

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY

S

tation to Station is a network-wide initiative encouraging the rail industry to get involved in the national celebrations of Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday.

On Sunday, 12 June 2016, railway stations across the UK will welcome passengers, rail staff and the public in an upbeat celebration of the monarch’s milestone birthday.

The rail industry aims to support the local communities it serves following the inspired example of the Queen.

Station parties will offer jamborees, live entertainment, displays and performances by local artists. The event provides the perfect opportunity for the industry to celebrate its close connection with successive generations of the monarchy - Queen Victoria first embraced rail travel. The Royal Train and royal interest in railways has continued to this day.

These events have a dual purpose: first as a salute to the Queen but secondly, and just as importantly, an opportunity to raise money for various charities and groups close to the hearts of the communities where celebrations are being held.

The industry is already hard at work joining together to prepare for the day. British Transport Police, DfT, Women in Rail, NSARE, YRP, ACoRP, RSG, Rail Forum East Midlands and RailStaff are all involved.

In addition, Station to Station has formed links with organisations outside the industry to help stage the actual events and bring communities together. These include the Scout Association, Community Transport Association, The Teenage Market and National Federation for Women’s Institute.

The events will support a number of charities including; Railway Children, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Mission together with local charities.

Best of all, Station to Station provides a big opportunity to attract more people, particularly young people, to the rail industry by demonstrating jobs and opportunities on offer as well as getting across the enduring magic of railways - a royal way to travel.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? If you are a supplier to the industry and you would like to support this weekend of national celebration, please contact: Vicky Binley at Nimble Media Ltd Tel: 0845 1 700 300 Email: vicky@nimblemedia.co.uk

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

ARRIVA TRAINS WALES ‘Arriva Trains Wales are supporting the Stations to Stations celebration because stations form the heart of communities, helping them to connect to people and places that are important to them.

‘We also recognise the important contribution that rail makes to communities as key employers providing jobs and careers with a strong focus on developing talent and inspiring innovation.

‘Station to Station provides an opportunity to showcase this, as we celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, to our current and future customers and neighbours.’

CROSSCOUNTRY ‘CrossCountry is delighted to be involved in the Station to Station celebration this year as it provides us with a way of showcasing many of the great destinations we serve across our vast network.

‘We hope the initiative will inspire our customers to explore more of the rail network and to support their local stations.’

GOVIA THAMESLINK RAILWAY ‘GTR are committed to working with all our communities across our network and our aim is to put our stations and services at the heart of the areas they serve. We do this through supporting local charities, community groups, supporting teams who adopt our stations, whilst also delivering educational sessions on safe and independent travel to young people.

‘The Station to Station Queen's Celebration provides an ideal opportunity to work together with many of our community partners to produce tailored events, which can be enjoyed by frequent users of the station or visitors

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

FEATURE

41

from other areas. By collaborating with Sussex Community Rail Partnership and local Station Partnerships we know the events run will provide enjoyment for all the family.

‘We hope that many will come down and get involved to celebrate this unique occasion.’

ARRIVA RAIL NORTH ‘Arriva Rail North is delighted to support Station to Station. Arriva, a DB-owned company, took over the Northern Rail franchise on April 1st 2016 and we are committed to expanding community adoption of stations and promoting special events such as that which bring the railway and the community closer together.’

VIRGIN TRAINS ‘At Virgin Trains, we are known for going above and beyond in terms of the service we provide onboard and we put the same gamechanging customer care into everything else we do too.

‘We are much more than just a train company, we are a big part of the communities we service. We are connected to and care about those communities and we strive to contribute positively and responsibly to them.

‘We don’t do this because we have to, we do it because we want to. Putting our customers and our communities first is in our DNA. We are really proud to be working alongside our partners across the rail industry to be part of the Station to Station Queen’s Celebration’.

EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS ‘The team at East Midlands Trains are really looking forward to helping to celebrate such an historical event for the country.

‘The Queen has visited a number of our stations over the past few years, and it has always generated a real sense of excitement and local pride and we know that this year’s celebrations will mark a key date in history for our teams.

‘Along our network, we have a number of stations eager to help mark the celebration and even compete against each other to see who can come up with the best ideas for the Queen’s special birthday. With our team of community rail partners and station adopters, we are certain East Midlands Trains will put on a great show to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.’

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42

NEWS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Not so Shaw

NEWS IN BRIEF YOUNG PEOPLE GET INTO RAILWAYS

© Sam Lane Photography

‘Steady as she goes,’ is the underlying message of the Shaw Report into the future of Network Rail. No change of ownership is envisaged. The author herself is also going - Nicola Shaw respected head of HS1 will be alighting at the next stop for a new job as chief executive of National Grid Plc. The Shaw Report rules out the break up and privatisation of Network Rail. The railway is a national asset and should be retained and expanded as such. Shaw recommends devolving further power to route managers to increase accountability and efficiency - a continuation of the devolution principle instituted by Sir David Higgins, former chief executive of Network Rail.

This will catalyse a greater focus on the needs of passengers and freight forwarders, which, the report argues, should sit right at the heart of the rail industry.

Pulse beat Shaw urges greater clarity about the role of government as paymaster and customer of Network Rail. Moreover, the DfT needs to develop a 30-year vision for the railway as it more clearly defines its relationship with Network Rail. The railway needs long-term goal setting based on outcomes rather than specific projects. Aspirational goals should be aligned with those of the new National Infrastructure Commission.

A new route, or focus of management, in the North should be created. Greater capacity for freight should be encouraged. If customers are at the heart of the industry then people are its pulse beat. Railway staff, old and new, are one of the industry’s greatest assets, says Shaw.

The railway needs to do more to support and expand its workforce.

Local private sector investment in railways is to be welcomed. Ideas range from letting a concession, or involving suppliers in technological investment. Routes should also be empowered to find local sources of funding and finance. These include property developers and local businesses who stand to benefit from new or additional rail capacity.

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Silver bullets Reaction has been a general sigh of relief. Shaw has not gone native as her new appointment proves, but has talked to many rail staff and backed the rail industry in its current endeavours. Shaw has managed with studious and informed insight to capture the verve and imagination which informs work at all levels in the industry.

It’s not a breathless document but a quiet implication that the railway is best run by railway people and not politicians. Shaw says there are no magic silver bullets to resolve the riddle of funding and revenue; a combination of ideas will work best.

Rail chiefs broadly support the conclusions Shaw draws. Mark Carne said, ‘I’m pleased that she has concluded that the reforms we are introducing in Network Rail are the right ones. We are committed to putting passengers and customers at the heart of what we do, and our devolved business model will put decisions in the routes, closer to the passengers and train companies.

‘I also endorse her desire to see more private finance coming into the railways. We have been successful with this in the past, and I consider that more private money and funding from the people who will benefit from railway improvements is a sensible way to deliver a bigger and better railway for the nation.’

Carne went on to promise, ‘We’ll work with the Department for Transport as they now consider these recommendations.’

Reaction and relief The rail freight sector is pleased, too. Maggie Simpson, Rail Freight Group executive director, said, ‘We are pleased that Nicola Shaw has listened to the voice of the freight industry and made balanced recommendations which will support growth in our sector. We look forward to working with Network Rail and Government to develop the details of these proposals over the coming months.’

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, added his support, ‘The review acknowledges the importance of continuing to create a bigger, better railway for Britain.

Our biggest challenge is to plan and build for the ever-growing demand for rail, increasing

Four young people have been offered permanent positions with Southern Railway after taking part in ‘Get into Railways’ - run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust.

The four-week programme was split between classroom-based learning and practical work at a station. East Croydon station manager Hannah BarnardRance said, ‘Everyone who attended the programme approached it with enthusiasm and worked really hard to make a good impression. I’m sure that all who took part will take away some valuable workplace experience, and we look forward to helping them all further over the next six months.’

NARROW FUNDING GAP FOR BROADWAY As we go to press, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is launching a £1,250,000 share issue to fund the extension to Broadway. The aim is to restore train services between Cheltenham and Broadway in time for the 2018 season - nearly six decades since the last train made that journey.

GWR has just one mile of line to complete, from Little Buckland to Broadway where a new station is rising on the site of the original, which closed in March 1960.

capacity and modernising to provide more and better services which meet the needs of passengers, freight customers and the economy.’

Return of the red pen However, Shaw warns that financing Network Rail needs rethinking. The arrangements for Network Rail’s financial control, incentives, accountability and governance are no longer fit for purpose, the report says. The publicsector infrastructure organisation operates in a resource constrained environment, and current arrangements do not provide sufficient focus on financial discipline.

The report marks a high point for Nicola Shaw who has led High Speed 1 Ltd since 2011. Before that she was an executive director of FirstGroup in charge of the European bus division. She’s also on the board of Aer Lingus.

Says Rob Holden CBE, chairman of HS1, ‘During her time at HS1, Nicola has proved to be a dedicated and inspiring leader, developing HS1’s position to become a central part of the UK’s transport infrastructure, respected for both trusted delivery and continual innovation… The board and I thank her for her work and extend to her our very best wishes for the future,’ - a view seconded by many in the industry.

LET’S CE

R THE GE

RATE TO B LE

11/12 JUNE 2016 The rail industry and community organisations will join together to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday, with the Station to Station Queens Celebration.

Coming to a station near you!

We are actively calling all rail industry suppliers to join in and help promote the broad spectrum of career opportunities the industry has to offer

To find out how you can join in this wonderful event please visit our website

www. quee nsce l e b r at i o n . c o m

How can you help?

If you are a supplier to the industry and you would like to support this weekend of national celebration, please contact:

Vicky Binley at Nimble Media Ltd

T: 0845 1 700 300 E: info@queenscelebration.com

44

EVENTS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Rail Safety Summit 2015.

conference exhibition conference EVENTS conference KEY conference tech exhibition exhibition CONFERENCE conference exhibition conference conference

conference tech exhibition tech tech press conference EXHIBITION exhibition exhibition exhibition tech

press conference pressTECHNICAL conference techconference press tech VISIT tech

press conference press conference

PRESS CONFERENCE press conference press conference network network NETWORK network network awaards network network

AWARDS awaardsnetwork awaards awaards awaards dinner network awaards

dinner dinner DINNER dinner dinner awaards awaards dinner

FREE ATTEND free TOdinner dinner free

free free free free conference

conference

free

free

EVENTS

exhibition

exhibition tech

APRILpress conference

tech

MAY

press conference

conference exhibition RAIL SAFETY SUMMIT tech

networkTHE NETWORK conference GROWING awaards – THE EXPANSION OF exhibition tech dinner THE DOCKLANDS LIGHT press conference free RAILWAY conference exhibition

18th April, London press conference imeche.org

awaards

press conference

dinner conference free exhibition

19th - 20th April, Amsterdam press conference free smartraileurope.com tech

network

network

tech Preston 10th May, press conference imeche.org

press conference

waterfrontconferencecompany.com awaards

network

network

dinner

free

tech

network conference awaards exhibition dinner tech

Congress & Exhibition press conference free 25th - 27th April, network Dubai awaards dinner uitp-mena.com

IDTECHEX SHOW

free

conference exhibition tech

27th - 28th April, press conference Berlin network idtechex.com/events awaards

exhibition

tech

tech

press conference press conference

dinner

network

free

free

conference 19th May, Glasgow exhibition imeche.org tech

network

awaards

dinner free

dinner

awaards awaards conference ASIA RAIL SUMMIT exhibition dinner

dinner

dinner

26th - 27th May, Bangkok, tech press free conference free Thailand free ourpolaris.com/2016/ars network

free

awaards conference

RAILTEL 2016

dinner

exhibition tech

free

26th - 27th May,pressLondon conference terrapinn.com/events network awaards conference

RAIL FRANCHISE free network SUMMIT conference exhibition awaards

19th May, Leeds tech dinner conference press conference railsummits.com exhibition

tech free

network

awaards

exhibition tech

tech 26th - 27th May, London press conference press conference terrapinn.com/events

press conference

dinner

network

conference exhibition

network network

awaards awaards

awaards GLASGOW SUBWAY DEPOT exhibition dinner tech

RAIL POWER

network network

awaards conference

press conference

press conference

MENA TRANSPORT

conference exhibition

tech 16th - 18th May, Melbourne, AUS press conference core2016.org

press conference

conference

conference

awaards RAIL SOLUTIONS ASIA dinner

network

SCOTRAIL ALLIANCE – awaardsdinner free THE FIRST YEAR conference exhibition

free tech

26th & 27th May, London terrapinn.com/events

24TH ANNUAL: conference 11th -13th May, Malaysia dinner free exhibition conference RAIL FREIGHT GROUP tdhrail.co.uk/rsa tech free exhibition conference CONFERENCE 2016 press conference tech exhibition conference tech 20th April, London CORE press conference 2016 exhibition awaards

21st April, Glasgow imeche.org

exhibition

awaards MAINTAINING THE network dinner dinner awaards PENDOLINO - 12 YEARS ON WORLD METRO RAIL dinner free conference conference free CONGRESS (TERRAPIN) exhibition exhibition

network

network

conference

24th May, Stockholm, Sweden tech press conference free scandinavianraildevelopment.com

awaards

awaards

SMART RAIL awaards EUROPE dinner

SCANDINAVIAN RAIL DEVELOPMENT 2016 dinner

exhibition tech

network

network

tech

network conference

May, London press5th conference railsummits.com

press conference awaards

LIGHT RAIL 2016

exhibition dinner tech

26th - 27th May, London press conference free terrapinn.com/events network awaards

RAILPOWER

conference

dinner

exhibition

RAIL EXEC HS2 dinner NETWORK LUNCHEON network

tech 26th - 27th May, London press conference terrapinn.com/events

19th May, Leicester railexec.com

METRO RAIL

awaards free dinner

free

dinner free

GUIDE TO UP COMING EVENTS IN THE RAIL INDUSTRY THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AT A GLANCE

free

network awaards conference exhibition dinner

27th May , London tech press conference free terrapinn.com/events network awaards 11TH WORLD CONGRESS ON dinner RAILWAY RESEARCH conference exhibition free

29th May - 2nd June, Milan, Italytech press conference wcrr2016.org network awaards

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

dinner free

Rail Safety Summit 2016

RAIL SAFETY SUMMIT 2016 – AGENDA 1. Keynote speaker: Graham Hopkins (Network Rail) 2. The new RSSB’s ‘Leading health and safety on Britain’s railway – A strategy for working together.’

John Abbott (RSSB) and Roan Willmore (Network Rail)

3. Fatigue •

Fatigue risks and management. Mark Young (RAIB)

•

New models/products to lower fatigue such as the wrist bands from Crossrail & TfL & a new shift model. Jill Collis (TfL)

•

External view on managing fatigue. Army. Johnny Shute (ORR)

Safety Summit 5th MAY 2016 LONDON

5. Road Risk

•

An overview from the Road Risk Project Group on industry statistics and what is being done to lower accidents.

•

Case study from Colas Rail on there approach to Road Risk – from an employers perspective. Paul Taylor (Colas Rail)

•

Hear how monitoring overnight hotel usage can significantly lower road accidents.

•

A review from an external industry expert on how they manage road risk. Shaun Hellman (Transport Research Laboratory)

6. Workforce safety •

Overview on Workforce Safety in the rail industry, what improvements have been made, the future.

Chris Hext (ABC Electrification) and Rupert Lown (Network Rail)

4. Health and wellbeing •

Overview on H&W in the industry & the improvements that have been made. Mick Kearney (ASLEF)

•

•

Design for H&W – High Gate Control Room. Steve Coe (TSSA)

How leaders are empowering their teams to take ownership of their own safety. Emma Head (HS2)

•

•

Health and wellbeing – what does ‘good’ look like and what benefits can result? David Nancarrow (Atkins)

New innovations programme to improve track worker safety.

Pino De Rosa (Bridgeway Consulting Ltd)

On top of listening to the speakers, you can visit our sponsor exhibition stands and network over refreshments and lunch.

Purchase your tickets now at www.railsummits.com

exhibition tech

46

EVENTS

press conference

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

network

JUNE

AUGUST

awaards conference dinner

exhibition

EXPORAIL conference conference tech exhibition exhibition conferencefree SOUTH EAST ASIA press conferencetech tech

press conference network

tech

dinner

awaards

dinner

free dinner free free free

networkTO STATION STATION awaards June

11th-12th nrm.org.uk

conference

28th - 29th June, Johannesburg press conference dinner terrapinn.com/events

dinner conference

RAIL LIVE

exhibition

exhibition network tech awaards

free

network

free exhibition

22nd -23rd June, Long Marston press conference railalliance.co.uk

ASSET INFORMATION & awaards DATA MANAGEMENT dinner FOR conference SMART RAIL exhibition

JULY

free 14th - 15th June, London tech infrastructureassetinformation.com press conference conference

network

20th - 23rd September, Berlin press conference conference innotrans.de/en

network

APTA RAIL CONFERENCE awaards

free

INNOTRANS

tech

awaards

ANNUAL UK LIGHT RAIL conference CONFERENCE exhibition

free

network

dinner free

RVE 2016

19th - 22nd June, Phoenix, dinner USA apta.com press conference free

network

8th October, Coventry dinner railstaffawards.com

network

free

awaards

network

dinner

awaards

tech

DECEMBERnetwork awaards press conference dinner

awaards network RAIL EXEC dinner network GALA DINNER awaards free

press conference

awaards network

RAILSTAFF awaards AWARDS

dinner network awaards

1st Dec, Derby railexecgala.com

awaards dinner

free dinner free free

awaards dinner

free dinner free free

dinner free

NEW FRANCHISING Delivering a Sustainable Railway for the Future free

The event will offer an insight into how the DfT’s new approach to franchising, which focuses on service quality, and capacity growth will improve rail services across England and Wales.

Taking the recently awarded Northern Franchise, as an example, this conference aims to show how this investment has wider implications for the development of the Northern Powerhouse through new and innovative developments.

It will also highlight how through engaging with key community stakeholders sustainable business growth can be delivered.

RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

free

exhibition

press conference

network

conference conference awaards tech press conference exhibition exhibition dinner press conference tech tech

conference

27th - 28th July, Birmingham tech exhibition riagb.org.uk/events-diary press conference tech

16th - 17th conference terrapinn.com/events press conference tech press conference

exhibition conference tech exhibition

network free

dinner

exhibition conference November, Belgium tech tech exhibition

tech

6th October, Derby press conference onyxrail.co.uk

awaards

RAIL REVENUE WORLD conference conference CONGRESS exhibition

19th - 21st July, Madrid, Spain wessex.ac.uk/ conferences/2016

network OCTOBER

exhibition

7th - 10th November, Chengdu, tech China press conference iwc2016.com

awaards 15th September, London free dinner railexec.com free exhibition

conference

free

COMPRAIL 2016

RAIL & METROnetworkexhibition awaards 14th - 16th June, Shanghai, China press conference dinner 10times.com/metro-china-expo

18TH INTERNATIONALdinner free WHEELSET CONGRESS

press conference

conference

free

awaards

exhibition 11th - 14th September, LA, USA tech tech apta.com press conference

dinner

network network awaards conference awaards dinner exhibition dinner tech free press conference free

NOVEMBERnetwork

dinner

awaards network RAIL EXEC NETWORKING dinner awaards LUNCHEON network

tech

28th - 30th June, Texas,techUSA press conference free rssi.org/2016-portal press conference

network

awaards

APTA ANNUAL tech conference conference CONFERENCE press conference exhibition network

RSSI CONFERENCE conference& awaards conference exhibition EXHIBITION dinner exhibition

tech

tech

19th Oct, Singapore press conference network sitce.org AREMA CONFERENCE exhibition dinner awaards 28th - 31st August, Orlando, USA tech conference network dinner exhibition arema.org EXPORAIL 2016 press conference free awaards tech 26th 28th October ,Russia dinner free press conference SEPTEMBER conference network exporail.mx/en conference

awaards

22nd -24th June, Rotterdam tech grfc2016.com press conference

AFRICA RAIL

exhibition

17th - 18th August, Michigan, tech USA rail.mtu.edu press conference

GLOBAL RAIL FREIGHT conference CONFERENCE exhibition

awaards

dinner awaards

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTconference CONGRESS & EXHIBITION exhibition

conference

press conference

network

network

awaards network

9th June, York press conference nrm.org.uk

MICHIGAN RAIL CONFERENCE tech

exhibition

21st - 23rd June, Crete, Greece wessex.ac.uk/ conferences/2016

8th-10th June, Thailand exhibition pressconference conference press tech exporail-southeastasia.com conference NRM NATIONAL

exhibition network BLACK TIE DINNER

conference

URBAN TRANSPORT 2016

Franchise Summit

www.railsummits.com

Thursday 19th May 2016 Addleshaw Goddard Offices, LEEDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

22-23 JUNE 2016

The railway is always evolving and as an organisation measured by performance, we need to embrace innovation and best practice in the rail sector.

We are looking forward to Rail Live 2016, a well-established event that really does set out to address and meet industry challenges now and for the future.

‘

Steve Featherstone

Track Programme Director Network Rail

LONG MARSTON

2016

2016

The largest outdoor rail show in the UK showcasing best practice and innovation in the sector. Come and see live demonstrations against the backdrop of a real rail environment.

infrastructure & civils | traction & rolling stock | electriďŹ cation | signalling | rail maintenance materials & product development/testing | safety | digital | innovation

To book as an exhibitor or as a visitor please go to:

www.raillive.com

48

NEWS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

Nothing is impossible Paul Lennon, community relations executive at Network Rail, who has been deaf since birth, has been urging young people not to lower their expectations.

Paul took part in a Deaf Role Model Conference in Essex. ‘I wanted to show them that they can achieve the same things others can – the only thing we can’t do is hear and my point to the children was if you work hard and don’t give up, you can achieve.’

Paul’s work includes investigating queries and complaints from members of the public, councillors, MPs and passengers, as well as holding community engagement events in the run-up to planned improvement works. Paul uses a variety of ways to communicate including using an interpreter and e-mail.

With a law degree under his belt, Paul came to work at Network Rail in February 2015 after working for a charity and a stint as a chef. At the conference, he stressed young deaf people should not give up. Paul also spoke of railway safety.

‘I wanted to share my experience with these young people to help them think about what they might want to do in the future,’ says Paul. ‘I have always been told that I wouldn’t be able to do this job or that job, and I think people wanted me to lower my expectations. But I told everyone that nothing is impossible, as long as you are prepared to work hard enough.’

Paul hopes that his diverse experience and success story will leave a real impression on the children, encouraging them to always aim high and focus on what they can do – not what they can’t.

Audit triumph for SSE Enterprise Rail SSE Enterprise Rail has passed a comprehensive audit resulting in 168 new RISQS codes, bringing its total number of individually recognised qualifications to over 200.

RISQS is the single entry point for suppliers to the rail industry.

Buyers of products and services throughout the rail industry use RISQS as their supplier qualification service.

RISQS codes signify an organisation’s capability in specific areas of operation within the rail industry.

Says Raj Sinha, managing director of SSE Enterprise Rail, ‘We have built up a great track record over the last 15 years in a range of disciplines on Britain’s railways. As a growing, progressive company, with ambitions of increasing our market share within renewals, enhancements and power on Britain’s railways, the securing of these new RISQS codes is hugely important.’

He added, ‘We can really start to capitalise on the potential that has always existed among our highly skilled personnel.’

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KIRKSTALL FORGE HEATS UP

The new Kirkstall Forge station on the Bradford - Leeds line is ready for action.

Says Joe Bennett, project manager for Spencer Group at Kirkstall Forge station, ‘We are delighted and proud of our work on the new station at Kirkstall Forge, which is going to be crucial in rejuvenating this part of Leeds.’

‘The station will help connect major new developments in Kirkstall, including new housing, office blocks and retail units adjacent to the station.

‘During the project, we were based on I & H Brown’s site – the main contractor for

the adjacent development. We interfaced with them particularly well and developed a great rapport.’

The station is a joint project between Spencer Group, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail, Northern Rail and the Commercial Estates Group.

Spencer Group’s work involved the construction of two new platforms, each measuring 100 metres in length.

Modifications to four existing OLE masts were undertaken to suit the new platform layouts, with six new OLE masts and one gantry installed.

The original station closed in 1905.

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APPRENTICES A MIXED BAG NATIONAL APPRENTICE WEEK WAS LARGELY

Terry Morgan.

EMBRACED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION OF APPRENTICES

F

or some organisations, it was a good time to announce the creation of more opportunities: London Underground said it plans to bring in 350 new apprenticeships to help deliver major infrastructure schemes like the Northern Line Extension. But the week also presented a platform to address some areas in need of improvement.

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne acknowledged that a stigma still exists around apprenticeships. They should be treated as a positive choice, he believes, not an inferior option to full-time education. He said, ‘Our graduated apprentices are living proof that there should be no stigma associated with apprenticeships, and that with the right attitude and work ethic, you can reap the rewards alongside those who have chosen a university route.’

The issue of diversity was also raised. A report by the Young Women’s Trust found that for every 25 male apprentices in engineering, there is only one woman. It suggested that women are paid less and are less likely to be offered a full-time job once their apprenticeship is complete.

The report highlighted the distance that many industries, including rail, still have to go. The discourse from industry leaders

indicates that things need to change if the growth of the railway is to continue. They acknowledge that a diverse range of skills will be needed in the future - a mixed bag of candidates are now being urged to look at a career in rail.

30,000 BY 2020 Working with industry, the Government has set a goal of creating 30,000 apprenticeships in the transport sector by 2020 to make up for the shortfall of 60,000 engineers who will retire in the next five years. The man leading this is Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan, who began his career as an apprentice some 50 years ago. He estimates that there are currently around 7,000 apprentices in the rail industry - a figure that highlights the scale of the challenge.

‘At my grand old age, it really feels as though I’m giving something back,’ said Terry, speaking to RailStaff shortly after addressing Rail Exec Club guests at the Institute of Directors in March.

He was joined by Loraine Martins MBE, director of diversity and inclusion at Network Rail, and Siv Bhamra, systemwide director on Crossrail for Bechtel.

Terry feels strongly about cultivating home-grown skills. ‘It’s always something I’ve felt very strongly about and at one stage in my life, I actually thought I’d almost given up the crusade, about the importance of giving everybody an opportunity, particularly through vocational skills, to learn their craft.’

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Terry says he has seen many projects throughout his career rely on immigration to bridge the skills gap. ‘For me it was always a solution you could use but nevertheless, in legacy terms, left a huge gap of lost opportunities for our own people.’

Having commentated from the sidelines throughout his career, Terry said by taking on this new role he now has no one left to criticise other than himself. But things are beginning to improve, he believes. Crossrail set out to employ 400 apprentices throughout the course of the project - it currently has around 550.

Crossrail, like many other organisations, brought its apprentices to the fore during National Apprentice Week. ‘Having only been on the project for three months, I feel like I’ve learnt so much,’ said Laing O’Rourke’s Zoe Conroy, who stars in a video produced by Crossrail about its apprentices. ‘Every day I’m out on site learning more and more because the environment is constantly changing.’

Terry believes that HS2 will go even further than Crossrail. ‘They’ll start earlier, they’ll take the learning from what we did and that will make a huge difference in terms of their commitment.’ He is also confident that, with investment in facilities like the new high-speed rail academies in Doncaster and Birmingham, the infrastructure is being put in

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place. ‘And there will be more,’ said Terry. ‘I mean Network Rail is building a new national college in Warwick, so there’s a lot of things happening. It makes me feel as though we’re putting in the capacity to support the ambitions that we’ve set out for apprentices.’

DIVERSITY But the strategy isn’t just about numbers. Diversity underpins everything.

Loraine Martins said she doesn’t believe that rail has a problem with diversity; it’s just ‘come to the party a bit later than others’.

Opening the event last month, Loraine said diversity makes business sense for organisations. ‘There’s lots of evidence that indicates that where you have diverse teams you perform better, you have greater engagement; when you have greater engagement, you have greater safety; where you have greater safety, you have higher performance.’

Speaking to RailStaff, Loraine, who worked with the Olympic Delivery Authority prior to joining Network Rail, said she also felt that the debate sometimes needs to be extended beyond gender and ethnic background. ‘You’re also thinking about the diversity of experience and expertise

backgrounds and you might want people who are not from the rail industry to come and help the industry modernise itself.’

On day one, National Apprenticeship Week was trending on Twitter, with more than 13,500 tweets including the #NAW2016 hashtag. By that measure it’s been a huge success, but we will have to wait until 2020 to know for sure.

Terry Morgan and Loraine Martins spoke at the first Rail Exec Club event of the year on 10 March. The next event will be held at The Grand Hotel in Leicester on 19 May.

‘Every day I’m out on site learning more and more because the environment is constantly changing’ said Laing O’Rourke’s Zoe Conroy

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REPORT BY PAUL DARLINGTON

ENGINEERING WINNING YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS

T

hree of the biggest challenges with today’s railway are attracting the right talent for tomorrow’s railway, increasing the number of female engineers and reducing the risk associated with level crossings.

I recently met up with Jennifer Gilleece, Chris Uren and Peter Rock of Network Rail to hear of a scheme they are involved with that tackles all three issues.

The expansion of the rail industry is well documented, along with the shortage of available engineers and talented people to build and operate the network. This requirement is growing and there are already great apprentice and graduate recruitment schemes in place, but there is a need to do more.

In particular, the percentage of female engineers is still low, so this is a missed opportunity for the engineering community.

IMAGE PROBLEM The railway still has an image problem and the industry needs to get the message over to the next generation of the rewarding, interesting and exciting challenges that a career in the railway industry can provide.

I was involved with graduate recruitment and mentoring in the rail industry for many years. It was not unknown for the assessment process to select great candidates, only for some to turn an offer down as they had received ‘a better opportunity’ from another industry.

Financial reward was not always the issue, but the candidates simply thought a role in the rail industry was not interesting or exciting enough.

We had made a good job of assessing the right candidates, but had failed to sell the rail opportunity.

SELLING THE RAILWAY Like all successful projects and plans the key is to start early and lay good foundations. It’s the same with attracting the next generation.

We need to start selling the railway to young people well before they have completed their education. This is where Jennifer, Chris and Peter come in with the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and their Engineering Education Scheme (EES). Their’s is one of the many teams who go into schools to run EES sessions.

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The EDT delivers over 30,000 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) experiences each year, for young people age 11-21 across the UK. The range of work related learning schemes provide opportunities for young people to enhance their technical, personal and employability skills.

The schemes include: First Edition - Hands-on STEM activity days for Year 7-11 & S1-S5 (11-16 year old) students providing experiences for under-represented groups (girls, ethnic minorities etc), Go4SET Environmental themed 10 week STEM projects for Year 8/9 & S2 (12-14 year old) pupils and EES Real life 6 month STEM projects for Year 12 (16-17 year old) students.

FEMALE STUDENTS The team has experience with the Go4SET scheme and last year (2014/2015) Chris mentored a group of female students in the EES scheme which focused on solutions to the national problem of low parapet walls on existing rail over bridges, especially in areas of electrification, and compliance with the new European standards. Chris said the group had come up with some really interesting solutions.

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This year (Nov 2015 – April 2016) the Network Rail team is involved with another group of five pupils from the Swanshurst Girls School and their project which is focused on managing the risks from rail user worked crossings. The remit the Network Rail team set the school group was ‘To research level crossing mis-use and identify how they could reduce it.’

AFTER SCHOOL HOURS

Managing the risks from rail user worked crossings.

Research level crossing mis-use and identify how they could reduce it.

At least one of the team of Network Rail engineers visit the group for 1 to 2 hours each week after school hours. They challenge, support and guide the group, but it is down to the young people to decide the action to take and what their solution will look like. Some of the school group had no experience of railways or crossings so the team is there to support all aspects of railway engineering. Jennifer was an electronics graduate and is now a telecoms engineer. Chris is a civil engineer and Peter a civil engineer/project manager, so the girls receive advice from more than one discipline and are able to look at the problem from a systems perspective.

At the end of April there will be a presentation to a team of experienced engineers along with projects from other schools.

The team with the best project will receive an award. ‘It’s not about the prize though,’ said Jennifer ‘it’s all about stimulating the young people’s STEM skills to tackle one of the rail industry's biggest risks and attracting them to engineering and hopefully the rail industry.’

UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT Part of the year’s EES programme is a university placement to help the students with for example modelling, and this was arranged to coincide with a visit to the Mock User Worked Crossing at Cannock Chase. The ORR and Network Rail have installed this crossing as a resource to raise awareness among employers, employees, contractors and the self-employed of the safety risks associated with crossing the railway on such crossings.

The crossing is not connected to the rail network. It consists of a section of track with a 3.6m wide crossing surface. There are two crossing phones and a battery operated air horn to mimic a train horn and signage. There are also dummy 33kV lines and a transformer. The visit allowed the young people to familiarise themselves with all the issues with user worked crossings in complete safety.

MORE THAN OILY CLOTHES The solution the young people have arrived at consists of a track circuit operated sounder and light which would only operate if the crossing was being used and a train approaches. This is to stop any nearby residents being disturbed by every passing train. The research undertaken by the group identified the risk of animals running across the crossing and a solution to deter animals by spraying water is being evaluated.

Chris concluded by saying, ‘We all got a lot out of the programme ourselves and it’s great to be able to put something back into the rail industry. We have been able to educate the young people that engineering is not all about people in oily clothes, and for example, we have taught them to write professional engineering reports, with a synopsis, steps, and conclusion rather than the prose type of writing they are used to.’

It will be interesting to see if any of the girls do find their way into the rail industry in a few years’ time.

Paul Darlington has spent nearly 40 years in the rail industry at BR, Railtrack and Network Rail mostly specialising in telecoms engineering for S&T. Paul was signalling asset manager for the north west and is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Paul writes regularly for Rail Engineer and RailStaff and runs an engineering consultancy.

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CAREERS

RAILSTAFF APRIL 2016

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08:52

UPLOAD YOUR CV AND APPLY AT:

www.ata-recruitment.co.uk PM OPPORTUNITIES ON THE CP5 FRAMEWORK Derby £55-60k, Package & Car Unmissable opportunity to Project Manage a portfolio of works involving several £multi-million footbridges and platform extensions. The client is a top-10 contractor that has been awarded over £25 million of work on CP5 providing a varied and secure workload up until 2020. This is your chance to develop your career within an employee focused, aspirational company with a foreseeable workload in the Midlands!

DON’T MISS OUT, APPLY NOW! Oliver.grindle@ata-recruitment.co.uk

SUB AGENT REQUIRED, GET YOUR CAREER ON TRACK Swindon Excellent Salary, Car & Benefits to make a positive impact on a fast paced £30 million rail project working for a highly regarded civil engineering contractor. The types of work you will undertake include bridge & tunnel reconstructions, station works and various OLE works.

To be considered all you need is Rail Civil experience and a passion for what you do!

DON’T MISS OUT, APPLY NOW! Tim.smith@ata-recruitment.co.uk

SKILLED ENGINEERS REQUIRED FOR UK’S LARGEST TRAIN OPERATOR South London £33- £40k + Final Salary Pension An amazing opportunity has arisen for experienced Maintenance Engineers to join a rapidly expanding train operating company who have recently been awarded a multi-million pound project in London. The company pride themselves on their extensive training and development opportunities for both new and existing employees and have a fantastic depot culture!

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For further information on the above roles or to enquire about other vacancies with ATA, please contact the Rail team on: 0333 011 2046 and choose option 1 for Rail Jobs or apply now at www.ata-recruitment.co.uk

01483 361 061 info@advance-trs.com advancerailwayjobs.com @railwayjobs

Principal / Senior / Junior Electrical Design Engineers Kent, London or York

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We are looking for electrical design engineers to join a growing team, offering investment into your future. You will be providing electrical engineering expertise throughout project life-cycle (tendering / procurement / design / installation / commissioning).

An outstanding opportunity has arisen to work with a market leader in the rail industry and its growing engineering base. You will be leading the signalling team responsible for design works for clients and contractors on the rail system and implementing the signalling element of the works involving design.

As Technical Officer you will be expected to coordinate all permanent way aspects of construction and associated works with the other disciplines. You will deliver construction work safely to the level of quality expected by the company and the client; to budget and in line with all relevant standards, processes and procedures.

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Job Ref: 1602-58 An opportunity exists for an experienced Telecoms Installation Engineer to work for a telecoms railway contractor on various projects in London. If successful you will be responsible for the installation and commissioning of systems including, CCTV, PA, CIS, Help Points, Access / Management Systems and Networking Systems.

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For further information & to apply for these roles, please search for the relevant job ref provided on our website at advancerailwayjobs.com or alternatively call our rail team today on 01483 361 061

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