RailStaff August 2015

Education and Work Supporting Charities

@StobartRailLtd stobartrail.com

HIGH SUMMER

Heralds New Fleets

Britain’s railways are on track to amassing one of the most up-to-date passenger fleets in Europe.

A further 29 Hitachi AT300s have been confirmed for FGW’s south-west service and the first of a new generation of Thameslink Desiros has arrived in London.

Elsewhere, Bombardier is pressing ahead with a new Aventra fleet for London

Overground and Scotland’s AT200s should start arriving in 2017.

Longer, stronger trains mean more jobs and more services - welcome news as the industry ramps up efforts to meet demand on Europe’s fastest growing railway.

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

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BRATHAY TRUST Brathay Trust is a charity with a mission to improve the life

chances of children and young people experiencing difficulties in their lives. The charity worked with the High Sheriff of Cumbria to create the World of Work Event with the aim of allowing

businesses to understand the expectations and aspirations of

young people who are taking their first steps towards the world of work. It was also an excellent opportunity for Stobart Rail to inspire young people to pursue careers within the rail industry.

World of work Stobart Rail supports Brathay Trust and relished the opportunity to inspire over 230 students, aged between 14 and 18, from across Cumbria.

Our aim for the day was to welcome students into our business and provide them with hands-on experience.

We set out three timed challenges which required attention to detail, teamwork and problem solving.

The key message for all students was, ‘you do not have to have a degree, or even A levels, to work for Stobart Rail. We are looking for people with a good attitude to work who are willing to learn.’

To highlight the diverse opportunities Stobart Rail can provide for students, we selected a team of ten which included our business development team, fitters, trainers and plant operators.

The challenges: • Instruct the operative • Levelling challenge • Help our apprentice ‘It was so rewarding to see the excitement in the students faces after they completed the challenges and the confidence it gave them.’

Hayley Slack, Business Development Officer.

Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Manager e. andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com Hayley Slack Business Development Officer e. hayley.slack@stobartrail.com Jeff Broadhurst Training Manager e. jeff.broadhurst@stobartrail.com Stobart Rail Head Office t. 01228 882 300

stobartrail.com

COMMENT

August 2015 | RailStaff | 3

Staff Contact us: Publisher:

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University Challenge Public scrutiny of tube driver pay rates has led some to doubt the need for a university education. Why spend three years off the career ladder? A plethora of self-made multi-millionaires adds weight to the argument.

As hard working A level students wait anxiously for exam results, it’s worth considering the merits of a university degree.

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First, going after a career simply for money doesn’t work. Success coach Tony Robbins openly admits it’s quite often when people have reached the top, made their millions, bought the yacht and the Ferrari, that he gets the call. ‘Is this it? Is this all there is?’

The siren call of easy riches afflicts us all, but it’s worth holding out for the wealth that lies beyond the bank balance.

For those who hesitate, why not take a trip to a nearby university? This need not be the one applied for. Walk the squares and avenues of the campus, sit in cafes and sports halls and imagine living in such a place. Reading a degree is not easy, but the real cop-out is not to try.

Ignore the materialist argument if you’re a sixth former. Go to university.

Pick a good one and read an academic subject. Eschew Mickey-Mouse courses.

The object of reading a university degree is to expand the mind, the way

“Reading a degree is not easy, but the real cop-out is not to try.” you think, your ability to explore and develop new ideas.

Universities are theatres for the endless quest of humankind for identity, for knowledge, for an understanding of the cosmos and our place in it.

In the economies of the future it will be the ability to think, to order thought and harness imagination that will count.

Too often high pay rates are passing phenomena. Already the shadow of the driverless train stalks the metals. A university degree is a tangible passport to the greater riches of the mind, the untravelled roads and rewards that lie beyond the horizon. In the crumbling fortunes of time it remains a carnet of inestimable value.

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andy@rail-media.com

Training focus in October

Thameslink: Dawn of the mega franchise

The bit in the background that makes everything tick

October’s RailStaff will include a spotlight on training where we will once again highlight some of the initiatives being delivered across the industry to train and upskill the workforce. For information about how to promote your company within the focus, call 01530 816440 or e-mail: sales@rail-media.com

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) chief executive Charles Horton talks to Marc Johnson about how the operator is addressing the service challenges.

David Mitchell, on renewable energy, the skills gap and how the industry is coping with the energy demand created by the modern railway.

NEWS

4 | RailStaff | August 2015

Stronger, Longer and Best in the West A new fleet of specially adapted AT300 trains will enter service on the First Great Western network in three years time.

An agreement between Hitachi Rail Europe, Eversholt Rail Group and First Great Western will see 22 five-car and seven nine-car trains adding 1,000 seats to services in the south west.

The trains will utilise higher engine operating power to cope with the gradients in Devon and Cornwall. They will run as electric trains between London and Newbury, and are equipped with bigger fuel tanks to make the long distance journeys to Plymouth and Penzance.

The trains are similar in design to Hitachi’s new Intercity Express trains, which are scheduled to enter service on the Great Western Main Line between London and South Wales from 2017.

Says Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, ‘This contract with First Great Western recognises the quality of Hitachi’s high-speed trains and our world class engineering capability.

‘Hitachi Rail Europe is committed to delivering trains for the UK’s farepaying customers that are genuinely transformative in terms of speed, capacity and comfort. This new fleet will be a revolution in customer

First 700 at Three Bridges The first, brand new Siemensbuilt Class 700 Desiro City train for the Thameslink route has arrived at the newly constructed Three Bridges traincare depot near Crawley, West Sussex.

Staff from Siemens and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will put the unit through an exhaustive testing programme.

Passenger services will begin in spring 2016 between Bedford and Brighton and later on routes to and from Cambridge and Peterborough.

Says Iain Smith, programme director

for the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project at Siemens, ‘The arrival of the first train at Three Bridges is a real milestone for Thameslink and is a hugely exciting moment for us at Siemens.

‘It signifies major progress towards the transformation of the Thameslink services, a step change in the passenger experience and a real sense of the future.

‘We will now be focussed on testing and commissioning the train, with GTR train drivers and maintenance staff, to ensure that everything is ready for the start of service next year.’

experience for those travelling to and from the south west, and we look forward to delivering these Hitachi trains for use from 2018 onwards.’

First Great Western put forward plans for the new trains as part of the deal with the government, announced in March, that will see the operator continue to run services between London Paddington, the Cotswolds, South Wales and the south west until April 2019.

Mark Hopwood, managing director of First Great Western, said, ‘We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the south west, and [this] agreement is fantastic news for the region and the rail industry as a whole.

‘These trains will help us deliver faster, more frequent services into the south west, each providing a 14 per cent increase in seats across the routes once they are all in service.’

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 5

Digital Boost for Thameslink Hitachi Rail Europe has been awarded the traffic management contract for Thameslink, another step towards the digital railway.

Hitachi Rail’s traffic management systems support railway operations that can be reconfigured flexibly in keeping with passenger demand, to manage and control the running of the railway and support the rapid recovery of operations in the event of a delay or disruption.

In Japan, these systems have been used on busy commuter networks, as well as Shinkansen highspeed lines, for over 40 years and are part of the reason for Japanese railways’ high reliability.

Says Karen Boswell, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, ‘This is a fantastic achievement for Hitachi Rail in the UK, following on the back of the Class 395 high-speed trains in 2009, the Intercity Express Programme contract in July 2012 and Abellio’s ScotRail contract signed in March this year.

‘Hitachi Rail is determined to strengthen its railwayrelated business in the UK, and I look forward to working with Network Rail to deploy our proven traffic management system, which will bring significant

benefits to rail commuters.’

It’s a significant step for the Thameslink project. Says Thameslink programme director Simon Blanchflower, ‘Providing a frequent and reliable service through the heart of the city and to a host of new destinations will only be possible thanks to this technology.

‘Traffic management will provide extra guidance to our signallers and work with in-cab signalling and automatic train operation to deliver 24 trains per hour between London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. It will also improve the time it takes the railway to recover from delays.’

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NEWS

6 | RailStaff | August 2015

As Long as It’s Tall The construction site at London Bridge station is as long as the Shard is tall, pictures

by Network Rail show.

Construction staff and engineers at the station are rebuilding London’s oldest terminus brick-by-brick, creating Britain’s biggest station concourse.

The rebuilding of the station, which serves more than 56 million people every year, together with new track and signalling, will be completed in 2018.

Queen to open Steam Return for Borders Borders Railway This September, ScotRail The Borders Railway will be officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on the 9 September, the day that she becomes Britain’s longest serving monarch.

Several days of celebrations will be held to mark the start of services on the line. The Queen will be joined by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and both will take an historic steam journey along the route.

The Queen and Prince Philip will arrive at Waverley station in Edinburgh to board the train drawn by the steam locomotive Union of South Africa and will travel the route, stopping off at Newtongrange in Midlothian before carrying on to Tweedbank.

Says Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, ‘We are thrilled that Her Majesty The Queen will open the new Borders Railway on such a special day for the Royal Family.

‘The Borders Railway will open up Midlothian and the Borders to so many more opportunities including tourism, leisure, work and education, and marking the opening of the line with a Royal visit really is wonderful.’

ScotRail services will begin on the railway on Sunday, 6 September.

will be running steam specials on the newly opened Borders Railway.

The services will be hauled by 60009 Union of South Africa - one of six remaining LNER Class A4 steam locomotives built in Doncaster in 1937.

Says Jacqueline Taggart, customer experience director at ScotRail, ‘These steam journeys will give people a chance to appreciate the new Borders Railway from the wonderful

setting of a vintage steam train.

‘This is a fabulous opportunity to showcase the country’s newest railway line and in such a romantic style.’

Scottish Transport Minister Derek Mackay agrees, ‘There can be few railway journeys which match the outstanding scenery on this new route, and I look forward to it being extremely successful.

‘Steam services running on the reopened Borders Railway really will recapture the golden age of Scottish rail travel.’

Kelly’s Eye Bernadette Kelly has been appointed Director General of the Rail Executive at the Department for Transport (DfT).

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the formation of the Rail Executive within the DfT in February 2014. Its role is to establish greater co-ordination between track and train operations. Its remit covers rail franchising - including the Office of Rail Passenger Services - run by Peter Wilkinson and called simply, Passenger Services.

The Rail Executive was created on the advice of Richard Brown who led a review into railway franchising following the West Coast fiasco.

Kelly is currently director general for Business and Local Growth at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. She will take up her new position in September and promises to get out on the railway in a familiarisation exercise.

She is taking over from Clare Moriarty who was recently promoted to become the Permanent Secretary at Defra.

Brian Etheridge will continue to act as Director General this summer.

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PEOPLE

8 | RailStaff | August 2015

Unipart Rail Strengthens T&RS Board Kevin Orton.

Balazs Berki.

The appointments mark a greater emphasis on rail growth both in the UK and internationally.

Says George Tillier, managing director of Unipart Rail T&RS, ‘We are now providing a broader range of

services to both our existing customers and prospective partners, and it is important that we support these developments with strong governance and leadership at board level.

‘The new appointments are all

Karen Beardsley.

Unipart Rail has appointed three new board members for the traction and rolling stock arm of its business.

Kevin Orton becomes sales director, UK and Ireland, Balazs Berki is promoted to international business development director and Karen Beardsley becomes supply chain director.

Kevin Orton has been with Unipart Rail for eight years and was previously head of business development Europe. Balazs Berki, from Hungary, was head of business development International. Karen Beardsley has been with Unipart Rail for over 17 years and becomes supply chain director, a move from her previous role as a director of Unipart Expert Practices’ consultancy division.

New Team at Hochtief Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd has appointed Dr Christof Brixel as its new chief financial officer; he succeeds Tim Lloyd who retired in May. Brixel, from Germany, was previously CFO for Hochtief Polska and since returning from Poland earlier this year has been working in Swindon overseeing finance and infrastructure.

Previously he was with Leighton Holdings in Australia between 2007 and 2012. Before that, he worked for Hochtief in Frankfurt with postings to Singapore and Prague. Christof has also worked for Sud-Chemie AG Group.

Brixel studied at the RhineWestphalia Institute of Technology, Aachen University. His appointment complements that of Andrew Hewett as commercial director and completes a realignment of Hochtief’s British operation under Sally Cox, who became managing director earlier this year.

Hewett has been working in civil engineering for 28 years.

people who have been in the rail industry and the company for several years, and I am sure that they will bring their considerable expertise, experience and enthusiasm into their new roles.’

Frazer-Nash goes extra Myall

High Flyer

Frazer-Nash’s Tim Myall has been appointed business manager with responsibility for growing the consultancy’s rail business.

Lee Smith, 24, has become one of the youngest-ever area customer service managers at Stansted Airport.

Before returning to the UK last year, he helped develop the company’s Australian rail business.

Over the last 12 months, Myall has been expanding FrazerNash’s relationship with the rail industry. Tim Myall has a first class degree in aerospace engineering from Manchester University. After graduating, he worked for Westland Helicopters before moving on to GKN Aerospace. Myall joined FrazerNash in 2008.

Says Ken Neal, senior business executive, ‘We’re committed to growing our rail business and building long-term relationships.

‘Tim is set to take a leading role as we continue to invest in this sector.’

Frazer-Nash already has a strong presence in rail and works with Network Rail, London Underground, the Department for Transport, Bombardier Transportation, Siemens, Babcock Rail, Eversholt, and RSSB.

Now in charge of Abellio Greater Anglia’s Stansted Airport area stations, Lee has worked for Primark Stores in Cambridge and was also with high street jewellers H Samuel in Harlow.

He became the youngest ever store manager at H.Samuel.

As head of customer service for the Stansted Express area, Lee will be responsible for the customer service provision from Stansted Airport, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford Parkway and Shelford rail stations.

Says Lee, who lives in Chelmsford, ‘I am very excited to join the team at Abellio Greater Anglia. I look forward to working with my team to improve customer service still further over the coming months.’

PEOPLE

August 2015 | RailStaff | 9

High Finance

Key Jobs on the Line

Steve Allen is to lead the HS2 finance team.

Samantha Sprules has joined Keyline as rail manager for Wales, Midlands and the South West.

Allen, the new chief financial officer at HS2, joins from Transport for London (TfL) where he was managing director of finance.

At TfL, he oversaw an £11 billion annual spend on transport. Steve Allen started his career at the Department for Transport (DfT) and went on to work for Citigroup and Abbey National before joining TfL in 2003.

Says HS2 Ltd chief executive Simon Kirby, ‘On a project as large and complex as HS2, rigorous financial control is essential. That’s why I am delighted to welcome Steve to the team. His experience of delivering multi-billion pound investment programmes will be invaluable as we move towards the start of construction in 2017.’

Parallel Lives A pair of twins who have always worked together will be teaming up on the railway.

Adam and Luke Putland attended the same schools, studied the same subjects and worked together at a supermarket. Both will soon be doing the same job at Abellio Greater Anglia.

Luke started his career on the railways in April 2012 as a trainee conductor on the Bittern and Wherry lines to Sheringham and Great Yarmouth but soon moved to work on the intercity trains, where he can now

HS2 Ltd is a company wholly owned by the DfT and is responsible for design, engineering and construction of the route.

Samantha brings Keyline several years of experience in construction and the commercial environment.

The announcement is one of three new strategic appointments.

In Scotland Graeme Corbett joins Keyline’s Glasgow office and Lauren Linehan takes up a new role with Keyline’s Northfleet team in Kent.

Keyline supplies railway construction materials and civils and drainage solutions.

Says Richard Wade, rail sector manager at Keyline, ‘We are delighted to have filled these important roles with excellent-calibre recruits who all have relevant experience that will hugely benefit our customers.

‘It is an exciting time for the rail industry with sustained growth

be seen working between Norwich and London.

Adam joined in June 2012 as an on-board host and is now following in Luke’s footsteps as he learns the ropes as a conductor. He is currently completing his training and is due to graduate this summer.

Says Adam, ‘It’s an interesting job and every day is different. We both want to have long careers on the railway.’

Now aged 24, the pair is based at Norwich Rail Station and live in the city centre. Both worked on the railway during the Olympics.

Says Luke, ‘There’s a very high level of job satisfaction. I am very happy doing what I am doing at the moment.’

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and large-scale investment and these appointments are the perfect opportunity to create a dedicated figurehead for Keyline’s rail division in the Wales and South West of England while adding to our talented teams in the North and South.’

RAIL ALLIANCE

10 | RailStaff | August 2015

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

Rekindling the Pioneering Spirit: RAIL2015 To be held on 16 and 17 September, RAIL2015 will celebrate the ingenuity of the new rail industry and explore common interests, aims and ambitions, rekindling the pioneering spirit of rail.

Organised by the Rail Alliance and Rail Media, RAIL2015 will take place at the Long Marston open air rail site in Warwickshire - headquarters of the Rail Alliance. Arguably the biggest open air railway exhibition of its kind in the UK, RAIL2015 will include live demonstrations of the railway in action, with practical displays of plant and equipment.

The two-day event will focus on what’s happening in the rail industry, the supply chain and the new technologies coming on stream. RAIL2015 will encourage new innovation and better cross-industry engagement. It’s a forum for exploring new ideas, products and for sharing knowledge.

Beyond this, it’s a chance to celebrate the progress and power of the industry.

The exhibition itself will feature a wide range of products, goods and services from leading suppliers. Track technology, signalling and telecoms and electrification look set to be key elements of the show. Visitors will be able to discuss what’s on offer with top manufacturers, distributors and suppliers.

Live demonstrations of rail vehicles, plant and equipment will form an inspiring backdrop for questions, discussions and seminars.

New Members HYDRO Systems UK (Design and manufacture of ground support equipment and innovative solutions for build/strip, maintenance and repair of aero engines. ) www.hydro.aero

Humaware (Technology company at the forefront of Condition Monitoring prognostics technology for predictive maintenance) www.humaware.com

Train Bits and More Ltd (Supplying vacuum and gravity toilets to the rail industry and overhauling them at our facility in Crewe. Interior refurbishment products and passenger seating refurbishments including dry cleaning of seat covers. Washroom and water management systems for Rail) www.tbmrail.com

SPX Rail Systems (Design and manufacture of point operation equipment “SPX Clamplock”, level crossing barriers and supply of portable hydraulic track maintenance equipment) www.spxhydraulictech.com

Truflame (Welding Equipment) Ltd (Manufacture and supply of gas welding and cutting equipment with an up to date accredited repair and calibration workshop) www.truflame.co.uk Prysmian Group (World leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry providing a full range of products that incorporate railway-specific technologies.) www.prysmiangroup.co.uk Schaltbau-ME (Design, development, manufacture, repair and test of electro-mechanical and electronic components. Also produce a wide range of heavyduty AFS solenoid switches and cam contactors plus specifies, stocks, distributes and supports the complete range pf Schaltbau global products.) www.schaltbau-me.com MGF Ltd (Provision of a comprehensive excavation safety solutions service. Market leaders in design, manufacture and provision of modular and bespoke excavation support systems.) www.mgf.ltd.uk

Skills Hub The Collaboration, Ingenuity & Skills Hub sponsored by RSSB will provide an opportunity to take a physical walk through the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) journey demonstrating the role that each of the stakeholders play.

Continued on page 11.

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

Vandalism Control Association (Information Hub for all issues concerning avoiding, managing and repairing vandalism including repair & restoration, graffiti control & removal, chemicals & paint, materials, glass & glazing services, surveillance & security services) www.vandalismcontrol.co.uk

Omnicom Engineering Ltd (Award-winning surveying and inspection systems including high-resolution image and LiDAR surveillance, cutting-edge pattern recognition software, accurate survey data capture and mapping, real time accurate positioning and monitoring systems and a range of services and multiplatform mobile apps) www.omnicomengineering.co.uk BTRoS UK Ltd (One Stop Shop for interiors and cabling build to print for any new build, refurbishment and upgrade programmes) www.btros.co.uk Linbrooke Services Ltd (Delivering mission critical solutions in telecoms, power and signalling) www.linbrooke.co.uk Paul Kirk Forming Ltd (UK agent for Schuler Group, FRIMO Group, WF and JG Automotive) www.pkforming.com Rescroft Ltd (Design and manufacture of public transport seating solutions accredited to ISO 90001:2008) www.rescroft.com Impreglon UK Ltd (Applicator of all fluoropolymers (e.g. Teflon, Xylan, PTFE etc.), arc spray, flame spray, antigraffiti and anti-microbial coatings onto metallic components.) www.impreglon.co.uk

RAIL ALLIANCE

August 2015 | RailStaff | 11

GOLD COMMENT STUDENTS: With many universities now involved with rail and high-speed rail colleges opening in Birmingham and Doncaster, there’s never been a better time for students to get involved with railways. The hub will demonstrate how academia and industry can work together. RAIL2015 will have graduates on site to share their experiences of academic and vocational training in the rail industry.

RESEARCH: Universities make a growing contribution to research and development and RAIL2015 will demonstrate how this works in practice with case studies and presentations. The RSSB will be providing an opportunity for innovative companies to present case studies of how this works in practice.

INNOVATION: A vast network of businesses support the railway and it is sometimes difficult to identify exactly who does what and which support service is most relevant to your business.

These organisations offer valuable assistance - including funding where appropriate - but it is sometimes difficult to know which route to go down. Help is at hand!

Says Simon Higgens CEO, ISS Labour, ‘The rail industry can work better together if it truly collaborates; the synergistic effect of all of its component parts working together far exceeds the individual value of each component.

‘The Rail Alliance has been instrumental in achieving this and by bringing like-minded SMEs together at RAIL2015, we can all play our part in creating a supply chain for the railway industry that is needed at this time of unprecedented investment and growth.’

He went on, ‘Having been involved with all the previous RAIL events at Long Marston,

In addition to the TRL journey, visitors will also be able to find out more about: - Pioneering Mindset and Formula Rail: the Rail Alliance’s very own answer to innovation and ingenuity. During RAIL2015, the Rail Alliance will deliver upto-date information on all the activities and benefits it provides its members together with taster workshops on the Pioneering Mindset.

- Rail Supply Group (RSG) and how to register for the Rail Mentor Programme. The rail sector is a complex environment to navigate and this will give organisations the opportunity to

speak to a panel of experts who will help them to achieve their objectives. It is a great opportunity for SMEs to come and find out more about the RSG. Throughout the two days there will also be a comprehensive timetable of events and demonstrations taking place.

Seminars and presentations will be delivered by high-profile industry leaders and industry experts.

RAIL2015 is sponsored by: RSSB Platinum Sponsor; ISS Labour - Gold Sponsor; TOPCON, Shannon Rail - Silver Sponsors and Wireless CCTV - Bronze sponsor..

I have witnessed the significant value that holding such an event can bring, be it the exchange of best-practice or good ideas, live demonstrations, business development, networking, training and education opportunities, sales and promotions or even just catching up with former colleagues.

‘Infra Safety Services (ISS) Labour Ltd has invested a significant amount in its business this last year to provide the comprehensive range of railway support services that it now offers, and I view RAIL2015 as being the optimum outdoor railway event to promote this and secure more work for the business.’

Welcome to Rail Live 2014, hosted by:

16 -17 SEPTEMBER 2015

An event that will showcase the best range of products and services that meet the increasingly challenging needs of the rail sector with particular emphasis on best practice, ingenuity and the application of innovation.

Rail Alliance members discount of £100 off the exhibitor booking fee.

Visitors to the event attend free of charge via prior registration.

Book now or register to visit via the website at www.railalliance.co.uk or email: info@railalliance.co.uk

Welcome to Rail Live 2014, hosted by:

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FEATURE

12 | RailStaff | August 2015

Thameslink

Dawn of the Mega Franchise Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) chief executive Charles Horton talks to Marc Johnson about how the operator is addressing the service challenges posed

by Thameslink’s vast infrastructure programme Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) can now rightly call itself the biggest rail franchise in Britain following the absorption of Southern and Gatwick Express last month, and one thing’s for certain: it’s got a job on.

Unlike a typical franchise where the operator pays a premium back to the Treasury, GTR hands over all of its ticket revenues to the Department for Transport (DfT). If it meets its service obligations and satisfaction targets it is rewarded, if it doesn’t there are penalties. This unique structure has put an even greater emphasis on the quality of the service GTR offers and this can be seen in the extensive list of improvements planned across the network.

Fleet Renewal The infrastructure programme for Thameslink began in 2007 and it won’t be finished until 2018. In the meantime, GTR, a Go-Ahead / Keolis joint venture, has to continue operating an intensive service whilst delivering what is quite possibly the industry’s largest driver training initiative - just shy of 100 new drivers have qualified across the three routes since the start of the year - and the biggest fleet renewal programme, which includes a staggering 1,140 Class 700 carriages, 27 new four-car Class 387/2 Electrostars for Gatwick Express and 150 new metro carriages for Moorgate services.

All of the new 387s have now been delivered and are operating between Brighton and Bedford. The 387s will be cascaded over to the Great Western Main Line with the arrival of Siemens’ Class 700s, the first of which has already been hauled through the Channel Tunnel. The first 387/2 for Gatwick Express is also now well into production. The first carriages have already been completed at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane site in Derby and are undergoing static testing.

London Bridge In 2018, London Bridge will be complete, with nine through platforms and a significantly larger ticket hall. London Bridge was in reality two stations which had been built by competing railway companies and stuck together. The redevelopment is finally making sense of this.

But a project of this size, coupled with growing demand, inevitably throws up challenges and this has been reflected in the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) results. Less than half of passengers questioned were satisfied with the station and satisfaction with punctuality in London and the South East as a whole was down by two points to 73 per cent.

Moments of disruption and overcrowding at London Bridge have been well catalogued in the press and following some particularly alarming scenes at London Bridge in March, Network Rail and the TOCs decided to take action, accepting that although the cause of the disruption wasn’t always within their control, the response was and it needed to improve. Measures introduced have included changes to the timetable, additional staff and improved communication

FEATURE

with passengers at times of disruption - one of the main gripes highlighted in the NRPS. On 26 July, the South Central franchise became part of the GTR franchise. Southern didn’t perform particularly well in the NRPS either, with punctuality, journey length and communication underperforming.

Southern Comfort Speaking to RailStaff just a few days before Southern’s transfer to GTR, chief executive Charles Horton said plans were afoot to address the concerns of passengers.

‘I think everyone involved in Southern is disappointed with the latest set of National Passenger Survey results,’ said Charles. ‘I mean they are a disappointing set of results, and we know that when performance is poor, and it has been during the course of the winter period, passengers rightly express that in terms of when they’re asked about their satisfaction. They’re not going to say it’s great, they’re going to say it as it is: It hasn’t been great.

‘The survey was taken at the very worst of our most difficult time when we’d just had the new infrastructure handed over at London Bridge and all

August 2015 | RailStaff | 13

the well-publicised problems there and the difficulties occurring then. So we understand why passengers said what they said.

‘But we have a joint performance improvement plan with Network Rail. That is a joint industry plan, it’s managed through an alliance board which Dyan Crowther, my chief operating officer, leads for us.’

Smart Thinking ‘That joint improvement plan alliance addresses every part of the performance equation. It addresses the infrastructure, the drivers, the fleet, the timetable and the operational management of services on a dayto-day basis, and crucially also the way in which we relate to and talk to customers.’

More is planned still. In December, there will be a recast of the off-peak timetable on the Brighton Main Line, increasing frequencies to eight trains an hour between Brighton and London and reducing journey times on several routes. All 239 stations are set to receive a share of £50 million to make improvements, smartcard ticketing is being extended, staffing is being stepped up at 101 stations and 20,000

days of customer service training are being carried out.

By 2018, there will be 24 trains an hour operating through the Thameslink core, London Bridge will be complete and GTR will be able to put its feet up.

Not exactly...

NEWS

14 | RailStaff | August 2015

Apple Mapp Users of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Apple Watch can touch in and out with their devices when travelling by train in London, in the same way that passengers use contactless payment cards.

More than 23 million contactless journeys were made by train since launch in September 2014.

Says ATOC’s commercial director, David Mapp, ‘Apple Pay is another

welcome and convenient way for people to pay to hop on a train. Many train passengers are already using contactless bank cards and smart cards like Oyster, or buying e-tickets on smartphones.

‘Over the next 10 years we will see increasing use of the latest technology to transform the way people buy rail travel.’

The rail industry is working on a range of initiatives to make it simpler and easier for people to buy and use train tickets, with a gradual move to new types of electronic tickets.

Waterloo Expansion

Plans to increase capacity at Waterloo are moving ahead.

Network Rail is seeking planning permission to strengthen three approach bridges. Strengthening the bridges will allow platforms 20-24, currently part of the former Waterloo International Terminal, to be used for domestic services. Other platforms will be lengthened for longer 10-car trains.

London Waterloo is already Britain’s busiest station, with almost 100 million passengers a year and a train arriving and departing every minute at the

busiest times of day. Numbers are forecast to grow by 40 per cent over the next 30 years.

Says John Halsall, route infrastructure director for Network Rail, ‘The project to improve the railway and strengthen the bridges on the approach to Waterloo is an absolutely vital part of our plans to improve capacity at Britain’s busiest station.’

Work should start in October 2015, with construction taking place between November 2015 and the end of 2016.

Track and signalling work will then continue until mid-2017.

Tony and Alex Man Up Costain directors, Tony Bickerstaff and Alex Vaughan, are going back to the Isle of Man where Costain’s founders come from, to take on a 100-mile trek around the island.

The challenge is part of Costain 150, the anniversary fundraising challenge.

Tony, group finance director, and Alex, Costain’s managing director for natural resources, are attempting the ‘Raad ny Foillan’, or Way of the Gull - a coastal footpath around the island.

The topography of the walk varies greatly, with shingle beaches in the north, to 600 ft hills and cliffs above the Sloc (Stacks) in the west. The aim is to complete the trek, which was created to mark the Island’s Heritage Year celebrations in 1986, in just four days.

Costain, which is now extensively involved in the rail industry, was founded in 1865 when Richard Costain

and his future brother-in-law, Richard Kneen, left the Isle of Man and moved to Liverpool. It therefore seemed fitting, with Costain celebrating its 150-year anniversary, to go back there.

‘What better way to celebrate 150 years of Costain than to go back to where the Costain name and family originated,’ said Tony.

Tony and Alex will set off from Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, on 24 September and follow the coastline south to Port St Mary, up through Peel, north to Jurby, before heading east to Ramsay, Laxey and finally arriving back in Douglas on 27 September.

‘The plan is to start walking each day at 7.30 am and to make the most of the daylight walking, but what we really need is some nice weather as it’s pretty unpredictable,’ said Alex.

As the Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea, the weather is notorious for

being changeable. Conditions in the north of the island often vary wildly with that in the south, with the north generally drier and the south noted for its wind.

Says Alex, who is a Scout leader and hiker, ‘I’ve been walking up steep hills to try and get my feet in good condition to hopefully prevent blisters, but you never know. We’ve deliberately made the walk challenging by pushing to

complete it in four days. Some of the areas are very isolated but the views and scenery should be fantastic.’

The Costain 150 Challenge is raising money for the British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, youth charity The Prince’s Trust and Samaritans.

Pictured: Tony Bickerstaff (left) and Alex Vaughan (right).

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NEWS

16 | RailStaff | August 2015

Borders Return for Madge Elliot Among the first passengers on a training service on the Borders Railway was rail campaigner Madge Elliot MBE. Mrs Elliot and her husband Bob, sons Kim and Sean, as well as other friends and family, joined the training service at Tweedbank station, making her one of the first people in the country to travel on the new route.

Born in Hawick on 20 June, 1928, Madge is renowned for her fight to save the Waverley Route that once ran between Edinburgh, Hawick and Carlisle. She led a petition to keep the line open and, on 18 December 1968 - along with son Kim - hand delivered a petition to Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister at the time. Sadly, her efforts were unsuccessful, and the line closed on 6 January, 1969.

Not one to be put off, in 1999 Madge helped found the Campaign for Borders Rail, a grassroots group which pushed for the restoration of rail services to the Scottish Borders.

The Elliot family’s trip on the new line marked the start of the six-week

countdown until passenger services begin running on Sunday, 6 September.

Says Madge’s elder son Kim, ‘We’re delighted to be among the first people to travel on the new Borders line, as this railway is so important to our family. Experiencing the route first-hand is something we’ve all been looking forward to since the Borders Railway deal was concluded in 2012, and it’s great to see my mother being honoured for the role she played in the re-opening of the line.’

Scotland’s Infrastructure Secretary, Keith Brown, described it as a real

privilege to meet Madge Elliot.

‘Madge Elliot is a legend of the Borders and the railways, and it is absolutely fitting that she be the first member of the public to travel on this line as she was so instrumental in having it reinstated. We’re now only weeks away from seeing what will be a truly historic event in the opening of the Borders Railway, with all of the benefits that will bring, and I look forward to joining Madge and the rest of the Borders, Midlothian and Edinburgh communities for that celebration.’

Royal Bodyguard Heads Police Authority Princess Margaret’s former bodyguard is taking over as interim head of the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA).

Current deputy chairman Brian Phillpott takes over from Millie Banerjee who is leaving.

Phillpott will oversee the BTPA while a replacement is sought. The former Metropolitan Police Service’s divisional commander, and one-time personal protection officer to Princess Margaret, will look after the authority’s annual stakeholder event in September with rail industry and passenger representatives.

The next chairman will lead the 15-member BTPA through the implementation of the Smith Commission, which will see the Scottish part of BTP subsumed into Police Scotland.

Rail Academy deal for jobs Students at the North East’s specialist Rail Academy could be offered permanent jobs thanks to a new partnership with employer ISSL, Infra Safety Services (ISS) Labour Ltd. Less than a year after the Rail Academy opened in Gateshead, it has signed a deal that will see 10 students obtain paid work experience at ISS Labour Ltd every year - with five of them permanently employed after 12 months.

The partnership comes after the first cohort of students were honoured for their hard work at an awards ceremony earlier this month, which was supported by a number of key businesses from around the region.

The Rail Academy, operated

by Newcastle College, opened in September last year and is aimed at putting rail career choices right back

at the heart of the birthplace of the railway.

One of the students taking up the offer is Liam Barrass, 23, from Wallsend, a former doorman. ‘I’m really excited to have been given the opportunity to work at ISS Labour. I will give it my all because I would obviously love the chance to work for the company permanently. The Rail Academy has been brilliant for me. It has changed my life. I want to progress with my qualifications as far as I can.’

Says Simon Higgens, chief executive of ISS Labour Ltd, ‘We have been really impressed with the Rail Academy because it has got so far and to such a high standard extremely quickly.

There is nothing else like it, as yet, in the country.

‘There is a huge skills gap in the rail industry at a time when there is going to be enormous growth, and we don’t have sufficient numbers of

skilled people to carry out all of the work required. When I came to look around the Rail Academy, I was really impressed with the students’ work ethic, their attitude and the standards they were working to. I felt we had so much in common.’

The 10 students who have been chosen for work experience at ISS Labour Ltd for the next year are Liam Barrass, Aaron Richardson, Paul Cross, Simon Davenport, Ben Shilling, Robert Hall, Nathan O’Connell, Alex Larke,

Booncherd Chaikaud and Jason Thompson.

Adds Higgens, ‘We are delighted to be able to offer some students this opportunity. It’s an excellent industry to build a career in, so we want to help as many young people as possible to reach their potential.’

Marc McPake, the academy’s head of rail, is delighted with the new scheme.

‘Knowing that five students every year will be offered employment is amazing.

What a great opportunity.’

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 17

Bristol Fashion The Bristol Pound, a city-wide local currency, is to be accepted

by First Great Western at Bristol Temple Meads station.

Designed to support the local economy, the currency customers will be able to use Bristol Pounds at the station’s ticket offices to buy rail tickets.

Says station manager Mike Holmes, ‘Dedicated to supporting the communities we serve, when I heard about the Bristol Pound I wanted to get on board – and to help focus peoples’ minds on all things local.

The Great Western Main Line was built not only to connect London to Bristol, but to transport the goods arriving from America at Bristol harbour to the capital and beyond. As we continue to build a greater west, we know that Bristol’s influence as a key economic player and as city of culture

and creativity will continue to grow.’

People in the city can open accounts held with Bristol Credit Union and then they can withdraw Bristol Pounds at selected cash points across the city, use their mobile phone or pay online

Mystery Driver Praised The driver of a Sunday evening service between Ashford and Canterbury has been praised for his prompt actions which helped avoid a major rail incident following the derailment of his train by stray cattle on the line.

The incident happened near Chilham station in Kent. The leading carriage jumped the rails after hitting a cow but remained upright. The driver, knowing trains could be approaching down the line, ran up the track to give the alarm.

‘We would like to thank our driver who acted quickly after his train collided

with the cows. He realised at this point his radio had stopped working, so he jumped out of the cab and ran down the track to halt an approaching train.

‘He was then able to contact the signaller through the radio of this train to switch off the power to the line,’ said John Staples of Southeastern.

Fortunately no one was injured in the incident and passengers were detrained and taken to a nearby village hall.

‘We would like to thank the local residents of the village of Godmersham who opened up the village hall for us so late at night and helped provide warm drinks for our passengers,’ adds John.

for goods and services at hundreds of Bristol locations.

The ticket office at Bristol Temple Meads will be able to accept the paper version of the Bristol Pound.

Bated Breath A new tunnel boring machine which will build the new 270-metre railway tunnel at Farnworth, near Bolton in Greater Manchester, has been officially named ‘Fillie’ by Paris Bate, 10.

Paris, of St Gregory’s school in Farnworth, won a competition to name the machine and suggested the name Fillie as there were once stables on the land which is now the compound for the project. Children from two local primary schools, St John’s and St Gregory’s, were asked to design a safety poster and suggest a name for the machine.

The new tunnel is part of a £1 billion investment in improved railways in the north west of England and will lead to the electrification of the line between Manchester and Preston, via Bolton.

Says Beth Dale, scheme project manager, ‘This is a significant engineering project, and we appreciate that our work here is having an impact on the local community.

‘We wanted to do something to include local school children so they could find out more about the work we are doing and railway safety. Fillie is an appropriate name considering the history of the site, and we are now looking forward to the machine helping to create a better railway through the area.’

NEWS

18 | RailStaff | August 2015

Metro Debut for Carlene and Ben The £30 million refurbishment of the Tyne and Wear Metro’s train fleet has been successfully completed, five months ahead of schedule.

Not only has the project given the Newcastle and north-east network a sleek smart fleet it has also helped launch the careers of two young starters, Ben Chapman, 20 and Carlene Tindale, 29. Both worked on the doors part of the project.

Carlene, from Pegswood in Northumberland, was in the Royal Air Force for 10 years before joining DB Regio as a mechanical technician.

‘During the last two years, I’ve been working on the refurbishment project, integrating as part of the project team. I am pleased to have been chosen to work on such an important project as it has such a big impact to the company and the public alike,’ says Carlene. ‘I would like to continue to expand my knowledge of rolling stock.’

The Tyne and Wear Metro is among the fastestgrowing passenger operations outside London, with 38 million journeys completed every year. DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which runs the Metro on behalf of Nexus, has overseen the modernisation of 86 Metro carriages through the £389 million governmentfunded programme.

The trains were stripped down to their frames and corroded bodywork was replaced, extending their service life by another 10 years. Reupholstered seating and new lighting has been installed, along with a new carriage layout to afford more space for wheelchair users.

The Metro trains now sport a vibrant new colour scheme, with a sleek metallic grey and black finish, incorporating the iconic bright yellow brand livery of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The train door control systems have been replaced and a new and improved door opening and closing sounder has been installed to give passengers more warning.

The work was initially carried out by Wabtec Rail at its engineering facility in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and was completed by DB Regio at its South Gosforth depot in Newcastle. The early finish is all down to staff effort, according to Louise Shaw, director of engineering at DB Regio.

‘It’s been a real team effort with everyone from both DB Regio and Wabtec contributing to making things happen. We have worked tirelessly on this project to see it through to completion.

From getting the cars ready to go to Doncaster, to maintaining those that arrived back at the depot, staff across the board have shown a commitment to doing the job well and, at times, going above and beyond the call of duty.’ Louise also praised Metro newcomers Ben Chapman and Carlene Tindale. ‘It’s great to see the young recruits coming on board and really showing an interest in railway engineering as a career.’

GBRf Chalks Up Success

Winchburgh Wind Down

GB Railfreight has started running trains for Siniat as part of a new five-year contract to transport gypsum to the plasterboard producer’s factories in Portbury and Ferrybridge.

Engineers have completed work at Winchburgh Tunnel on the Edinburgh-Glasgow main line on time.

The first train, headed by locomotive 66731, departed West Burton Power station on 2 August at 16.00, arriving at Royal Portbury Dock, Bristol, at 22.59.

In September 2014, GBRf won a shortterm contract with Siniat to transport gypsum between West Burton and Portbury, operating four trains per week and using one box wagon set.

GBRf will more than double its freight operations for Siniat, running six trains

per week from Cottam to Ferrybridge, involving a second box set.

Says John Smith, managing director of GBRf, ‘We have been working closely with Siniat over the last year to ensure that they receive the most effective rail freight solution for gypsum haulage from West Burton to their Portbury factory, and the doubling of our contract demonstrates the success of these operations.

‘As an industry, rail freight works hard to support the efficient movement of goods for the UK supply chain and GB Railfreight takes pride in helping to keep this country’s construction sector moving. We look forward to a close working relationship with Siniat over the next five years.’

The six-week project involved lowering the track bed ahead of electrification work. Working roundthe-clock, engineers completed over 80,000 hours of work from when the project started on 13 June, pouring over 2,000 tonnes of concrete and laying nearly 200 slabs of track through the newly lowered tunnel.

Says Derek Mackay, Minister for Transport and Islands, ‘I am pleased that this major programme of works at the Winchburgh Tunnel has been

completed both on time and within budget.

‘Completion of the work at Winchburgh is a key milestone in the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, which is a comprehensive programme of improvements to Scotland’s rail network.’

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 19

Rob Kerr Beats Basingstoke Setback

Last of the Summer Wine

Rob Kerr may have hit a snag - or several - on a recent trial run fundraiser, but that’s not deterring the Reading-to-Roscommon cyclist.

Staff on Virgin Trains East Coast have been given a big thumbs up by the Institute of Customer Service.

Rob Kerr and his friend Luke Donegan, a colleague at Coyle Rail, are training for a 500-mile road trip to raise money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Rob’s three nephews have the disease and will be in wheelchairs by the age of 12. There is as yet no known cure.

As a part of his training Rob entered the Big Wheel Bike Ride in Basingstoke, which raises funds for nearby St Michael’s Hospice.

‘We were on the starting line at 8.45 and the heavens opened,’ says Rob. Undeterred, the cyclists set off through pelting rain.

‘Four miles later puncture number one. I sorted this out in about 10 minutes even though I couldn’t see or feel my hands due to how hard it was raining and how cold it was.

‘Half a mile later came puncture number two. I went to fix this and realised my gear cable had snapped.’ Unable to fix the cable, the charity ride was over but says Rob, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…or wetter.’

He and Luke are ramping up their training ahead of the actual road trip scheduled for 29 August. The pair plan to

cycle from Reading to Roscommon where Rob’s sister, Paula and her husband, Padraic, live with their three children, Archie, aged 9 and the twins, George and Isaac, just five.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy afflicts roughly one in 3,800 boys in infancy - girls rarely get it. The disease wastes muscles, impairing movement.

The Join Our Boys Trust was established in 2014 to provide funds for the three brothers. The ultimate aim of the trust is to help provide funds to find a treatment, ideally a cure, for all children diagnosed with this catastrophic disease.

Donations can be made at joinourboys.org or www. idonate.ie/mobile/fundraiser/31395_join-our-boys---bikeride.html

The train operator comes out top in the UK Customer Service Index. To mark the first five months of the new franchise, Virgin is dishing up miniature bottles of sparkling Prosecco on board.

The Italian wine is proving popular with punters.

Virgin Trains East Coast’s Katey Feeney stands by with a glass of Prosecco.

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NEWS

20 | RailStaff | August 2015

Birthday Bonus for Felix

A six-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder has been given a special railway birthday by staff at Southeastern trains.

Felix Stebbings-Mitchell was diagnosed earlier this summer with a rare blood disorder called XLD type 2, which only affects one in five million boys. The condition leaves Felix unable to fight off infections and causes severe fatigue.

Felix, a keen rail enthusiast, is currently being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital where he has already had over 20 blood transfusions, as well as drugs to boost his immune system.

Doctors say Felix may need a bone marrow transplant.

A bone marrow donor match has recently been found for Felix by the Anthony Nolan charity, but doctors

are currently waiting for his condition to be better understood before going ahead with the transplant, as it is a major procedure for the patient.

Felix, who is autistic, recently turned six and he and his friends were treated to a special day out on a high-speed Javelin train from St Pancras to Ashford International, organised by Southeastern.

His dad, Steven Mitchell, said, ‘Felix knows everything about trains; he adores every Thomas the Tank Engine character, he has every Lego train set going and he wants to go to every train-themed event you can think of. Trains and chocolate biscuits are his passions in life.’

Acting high-speed driver manager Michael Harding was a bone marrow donor himself over a decade ago.

‘Felix is a brave little boy and it was lovely to see him enjoy his day out with his dad and his friends on one

of our high-speed trains and in our simulator,’ says Michael. ‘It was a delight to spend the day with him.

Having had the privilege of donating bone marrow myself, I know how the simple act of donating can really make a difference to a person’s life so I urge people to consider joining the Anthony Nolan register. One day you could be the match for someone like Felix.’

Steven Mitchell thanked railway staff and urged people to sign up to the Anthony Nolan register. ’I always say that transport people are the nicest people - possibly because they have to deal with the public all day.

‘I want to say thank you to all the people who give blood and bone marrow to give people like Felix the chance of life. If more people join the Anthony Nolan register and also sign up to give blood, it could give Felix and lots of other children like him many more birthdays to come, so he can carry on enjoying trains.’

For more information about joining the Anthony Nolan register go to: www.anthonynolan.org and for more information about signing up to give blood, please visit: www.blood.co.uk

Rail Celebration for Queensland Malvern Marvel Great Malvern station has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award for the second year in a row.

The very first train journey made in Queensland has been recreated to mark the railway’s 150th year in the state.

A restored A10 steam locomotive re-enacted the first ever journey from Ipswich to Bigges Camp - now Grandchester - on 26 July.

Special guests onboard included

descendants of those who made the original journey.

Says Queensland Rail’s acting chief operating officer, Martin Ryan, ‘The contract to build the section of track was worth £86,900 and labourers were brought in from Europe to construct the line, working a 10-hour day in a Queensland climate much harsher than their homeland’s for approximately 35

shillings a week. The first locomotives to run on the line were also imported from England, costing £1,260 each.’

Construction of Queensland’s original narrow-gauge rail line began in February 1864.

The first 38.5-kilometre segment was completed the following year and the day of the first ride was declared a public holiday.

As one visitor told Trip Advisor, ‘Few stations this size can boast a florist and curios shop as well as an elegant tea room, all with nice little touches dotted about. The station has a real Laura Ashley feel about the place.’

Great Malvern station serves the line between Birmingham and Hereford.

The station has retained most of its original Victorian design by the architect E. W. Elmslie and is a Grade II listed building, dating back to 1862. The station is staffed by London Midland.

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 21

Competition time on WCML Arriva-owned open access operator Great North Western Railway (GNWR) has been given the go-ahead from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to run trains on the West Coast Main Line (WCML).

From 2018, GNWR – an Alliance Rail Holdings venture – will operate six off-peak, return services between London and Blackpool every day.

The new services will see Arriva invest in a fleet of new Pendolino trains which will compete directly with the future franchise operator. Virgin’s current contract runs out in April 2017.

Says Ian Yeowart, managing director of Alliance Rail Holdings, ’The introduction of these new services will further grow the market for rail travel. As well as bringing new direct services to a number of locations, notably Blackpool, it will give passengers further choice.

‘Experience on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) with Grand Central has shown how this stimulates the market and helps put pressure on prices, a fact noted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in its recent rail review.’

Says John Larkinson, ORR’s director, economic regulation, ‘ORR recognises the benefits competition between train operators can bring to passengers and welcomes applications for new train services where they meet required criteria and provide real benefits for rail users.

‘In this instance the proposed new services will bring significant passenger benefits with extra direct London – Blackpool trains, new journey opportunities including new direct services to and from Poulton-leFylde and Kirkham & Wesham, and improved journey times.’

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NEWS

22 | RailStaff | August 2015

Lady Diana back in ScotRail livery Report by Philip Sutton An iconic 1980s-era passenger locomotive has been repainted in traditional BR ScotRail livery.

The Brush-built Type 4 diesel has been given considerable attention by members of the Crewe Diesel Preservation Group (CDPG) since its purchase in 2013, after becoming surplus to Direct Rail Services requirements.

The class 47/7 diesel 47712, which once carried Lady Diana Spencer nameplates, is now back in the ScotRail livery that it carried during its time working Edinburgh-Glasgow push-pull services.

The 120-tonne, 100 mph machine has been given considerable attention by its four owners since its acquisition in 2013. The loco has latterly provided traction for the Polar Express charters on the Weardale Railway. It was here, during down-time, that the opportunity was taken to overhaul numerous components and make cosmetic improvements

with the help of Weardale Railway volunteers.

The repainting was undertaken by RMS Locotec’s Wolsingham workshop - the first such job done for an external customer.

Brian Bailey, Antony Proudlove, Andy Quayle and Jon Rawlinson - all railwaymen based in the Crewe area - are now actively seeking invitations for a revitalised No. 47712 to attend and perform at preservation centres and open days.

Originally numbered D1948, the locomotive entered

traffic in August 1966 before being fitted with electric train heat equipment and renumbered 47505 in 1974.

In 1979, it was chosen to become part of the Scottish push-pull project and emerged from Crewe Works later that year wearing the new identity of 47712. It was named Lady Diana Spencer by the then BRB chairman, Sir Peter Parker, at Glasgow Queen Street on 30 April, 1981. The ScotRail blue-stripe livery was applied during overhaul at Crewe Works in early 1985 and was carried until overhaul at Doncaster in 1991.

Expanded Venue for RVE2015 Rail Vehicle Enhancements 2015 will be staged at a bigger venue to accommodate a surge in interest from across the rail industry.

The new venue at the Riverside Centre, Derby, means RVE2015, on 8 October, will be able to double the number of exhibitors and quadruple the number of places in the forum.

Rail Vehicle Enhancements 2015 highlights cutting edge technology and best practice in the burgeoning field of enhancing, re-engineering and refurbishing rail vehicles.

Organised by Onyxrail and Rail Media, RVE2015 boasts a comprehensive lineup of top speakers, including Adrian Shooter of VivaRail; John Abbott, RSSB; Tim Burleigh, Eversholt Rail; Shane Duffy, Porterbrook; Helen Waters, Arriva Trains UK and Tim Sayer, East Midlands Trains.

Innovations to be showcased at RVE2015 include real-time passenger counting, passenger information systems, cab and saloon cooling, traction and passenger information equipment, LED lighting, entertainment

and advertising systems, interior and product designers, energy saving solutions and driver advisory equipment.

Says Kevin Lane, managing director, Onyxrail, ‘Given the superb footfall drawn by the event last year, we are expecting RVE 2015 to be a vibrant and exciting event.

‘Onboard customer expectations continue to strengthen as demand for rail services increases. The answers to many of the challenges faced by train companies and rolling stock lessors are to be found at RVE2015. It’s a coming together of all who are determined to boost passenger satisfaction and

capacity on the UK’s fast-growing rail network.’

The exhibition and the technical forum provides franchise bid teams, ROSCOs, operators and their advisors an unrivalled opportunity to see and hear from suppliers of exceptional refurbishment and enhancement services.

‘This year, for the first time, the RSSB-RISAS supplier engagement workshop will provide a real opportunity to understand how to supply the rail industry.

Networking is an important part of the exhibition, and RVE2015 will also include a Rail Alliance B2B event.

Green light for Ashford The European Commission will part fund better signalling equipment at Ashford International station making it possible for cross-channel trains to continue stopping there.

The Commission agreed to fund half the £4 million project, with the remaining cost to be covered by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

Says Ashford MP Damian Green, ‘This is a very good day for Ashford. The area’s success is based on our excellent transport links and this decision by the EU is a big step forward in enhancing them. It shows what can be achieved by action at local, national and European level.’

The signalling upgrade will ensure that Ashford continues to be served by international rail services. The money is from the EU’s ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ and will go towards fitting ETCS. This will allow any international trains to call at Ashford in future.

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 23

Rail Asylum for Osprey Migrants Three young osprey chicks are reportedly doing well at their home near the railway line in the Dyfi area, near Machynlleth in west Wales.

This is the fifth successful year the parents, Glesni and Monty, have hatched a clutch of eggs. The nest is in a remote part of Wales only accessible by rail - and air.

Network Rail has been supporting Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Dyfi Osprey project since it started in 2009. The trust set up an osprey nesting site close to the railway line in the Dyfi area, which resulted in three chicks being born in 2011 - the first successful breeding in the area in 400 years.

A Network Rail HD camera link means the remote nest can be monitored 24 hours a day, protecting it from thieves. Live pictures are streamed to a visitor centre and across the world.

Experts are escorted to the nest site by Network Rail via the railway to allow the birds to be fitted with solar-powered satellite trackers, which capture their annual migration to Africa. All British-bred ospreys move south to Africa after the breeding season, with most wintering in Senegal and the Gambia.

Says Ian Smyth, of Network Rail Wales, ‘Three healthy chicks being reared by mother Glesni and father Monty is a fantastic success for this project. Our continued sponsorship of power and HD cable to the nest has made the project a worldwide phenomenon and continues to capture valuable insight on how ospreys breed, live and raise their young.’

The chicks have been identified as two females and one male. All three have been named after local rivers - the females are Merin and Celyn and the male is Bernig.

Webcam footage is available at: www.dyfiospreyproject.com

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FEATURE

24 | RailStaff | August 2015

Junior

Railway Challenge Report by David Shirres

A course for schoolchildren run this summer at Huddersfield University could attract more young people to careers on the railway.

The course for schoolchildren in years 11 and 12 was one of a series run by the Smallpeice Trust. The trust is an independent educational charity that runs hands-on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities for pupils in years 5 to 10 and residential courses for years 8 to 12 pupils.

The trust promotes engineering as a career choice for young people. It was started in 1966 by Dr Cosby Smallpeice who founded Martonair, a company specialising in pneumatic equipment for the machine tools industry. When the company was floated, he used the proceeds to set up the trust.

Amongst the wide range of courses it offers is a four-day residential railway systems engineering course. This year these were run at the universities of Huddersfield and Birmingham.

The course at the University of Huddersfield took place from 13-16

July and had 44 pupils formed into nine teams. They came from all parts of the UK and were studying science subjects but had yet to decide their university courses. It gave them an insight into university life from their stay in the university’s halls of residence and by attending lectures on railway engineering given by staff of the Institute of Railway Research (IRR) and industry experts.

Kit built locomotives Those on the course were split up into nine teams, each of which had to build the best locomotive based on its performance at the lowest cost. The teams also had to sell their locomotives with an eye-catching poster and give a presentation explaining the ideas behind their design.

Before doing this, they were given useful background information from their lectures that included rail vehicle dynamics, power, traction and braking and crashworthiness. They were also provided with equations useful for the design of their locomotive.

The teams had a budget of £400 from which they bought component parts

from a catalogue that had all they needed to build their locomotives. For example, wheelsets were £15.50, axle boxes £6.95, gears and pulleys ranged in price from £6.51 to £12.95 and a 500 mm length of 20x20 aluminium profile for the chassis was £1.45. All teams had to purchase a 3.3 Ah battery pack and Reventon electric motor for £82.99. Their radio-control system, however, came free.

Their problem was to take the power from the motor shaft to the wheels in a drivetrain suited for two performance challenges. To do this the teams had to undertake calculations to optimise tractive effort and acceleration for the sprint and tug-of-war challenges that required different torque characteristics.

In the sprint challenge, the locomotives had to get from the start of the track to a marked ‘red area’ in the fastest time. In the tug-of-war challenge, locomotives were tied to each other with string and with the objective of pulling their opponent over a marked centre line. This was a knockout competition done in a series of heats.

FEATURE

All done by gears For some teams, the performance trials did not go well when their locomotives remained stationary. On one locomotive a motor failed as it was not aligned with its output shaft, on others as gears and drive belts slipped.

Thus the need for the drivetrain to be secure and properly aligned was a lesson learnt. One team had anticipated this problem and used a double-frame section below the motor to provide a four-point mounting.

The trials proved that gear ratios were the key to success. These varied from 8.4:1 to 24:1. The team with the 24:1 gear ratio wanted their locomotive to have high torque for the tug-of-war challenge. They reasoned that for the sprint challenge the low top speed from this ratio would not be a great disadvantage as locomotives spend most of their time accelerating and relatively little time at top speed.

Another team designed their locomotive so that gear ratio could quickly be changed from 12.5 to 16.6 to 1. The winning team had a 9:1 gear ratio and a single drive train to minimise losses.

August 2015 | RailStaff | 25

All locomotives, except one, had just four wheels. One team decided that their locomotive should have six wheels as they felt that this would give extra adhesion in the tug of war challenge. Unfortunately, this theory did not work as it lost the first heat of this challenge. However, with its extra axle, it almost won the sprint challenge. This locomotive also won the engineering excellence award.

Valuable lessons learnt After the trials, prizes were given for first, second and third places. There were also prizes for best teamwork and engineering excellence. These were awarded by the University of Huddersfield’s Professor Andrew Ball who had been impressed by the teams’ motivation and effort. He noted that Britain had a critical shortage of engineers and was glad to see the Smallpeice Trust organising courses such as this one to encourage young people to choose engineering as a career.

Speaking to the teams, it was clear that they had enjoyed seeing their locomotives progress from concept to hardware. One comment was how the mathematics just seemed to work as the locomotive behaved as they thought it would. A number of pupils commented that they had expected to find the course interesting but not as interesting as this.

The Smallpeice Trust and the Universities of Huddersfield and Birmingham are to be congratulated

in providing these courses to attract schoolchildren to engineering careers.

In this, they seem to have succeeded.

FEATURE

26 | RailStaff | August 2015

Quiet Flows the Don

Report by Andy Milne Almost unremarked Doncaster is fast becoming the go-to town for every aspect of ingenuity and expertise needed by the expanding rail industry.

Doncaster-based Intertrain is spearheading a national effort to close the skills gap - currently the biggest issue faced by railways in the UK. The opening of Balby Court Business Campus in Doncaster cements the town’s return to pole position at the heart of the rail industry.

Intertrain’s new four-acre campus offers an unrivalled opportunity for rail company expansion. ‘The site is not just for Intertrain,’ says Ian Raeburn, commercial director.

‘It’s to help railway companies and local businesses expand by leasing affordable office space.’

Balby Court Business Campus unites a burgeoning rail cluster which includes freight ports, T&RS depots, plant and maintenance companies and the projected HS2 College.

Just weeks after its opening, the

campus is alive with activity. Out on track, a group of prisoners from HM Prison Hatfield are digging ballast and learning track safety. This is part of a back-to-work rehabilitation scheme - of which more next month in RailStaff.

Practical, hands-on experience is reinforced by classroom sessions with high-calibre experienced instructors.

Practical training and the ability to replicate faults and situations that will come up on track contribute to a broad curriculum. Balby Court Business Campus is a huge place - classrooms, auditoria, seminar rooms and outside a track and overhead line mock-up give the site the identity of a rail university in the making. Over 60,000 square feet of floor space - from offices to warehousesized facilities - is on offer.

Place of nurture Young apprentices rub shoulders with seasoned staff who talk with effortless ease about the jobs and drama that make up the railway industry’s challenging bid to deliver upgrades and more capacity.

The rail industry is keen to attract school leavers, graduates and second careerists - like servicemen and women and people from other industries, including mining and engineering.

Consequentially there has never been a greater need for professional training and development. Newcomers need the very basics sorting out. But veteran staff now need to keep up with new technologies, improved safety practices and the demands of current legislation.

The idea behind Balby Court Business Campus is to offer comprehensive training as well as a place that nurtures other rail businesses. Part of the rail dynamo, Balby Court Business Campus serves an emerging industry which needs quality space and facilities just as much as hard-pressed passengers on Britain’s oversubscribed arterial commuter routes need seats.

‘What we have here is a ready-to-use campus,’ says Ian Raeburn. ‘Companies can come in, set up and get down to work within a few days - it’s all laid on for you.’

Personal triumph Intertrain (UK) Ltd started in 1997 and is a private training company providing rail safety critical courses, in accordance with Network Rail protocols. Courses include assessments, plant and tools training, first aid, fire safety courses and NVQ training together with an expanding portfolio of railway engineering apprenticeships. It’s a broad remit and the company has a national network of training venues in Doncaster, York, London, Chesterfield, Gateshead, Bristol, Glasgow, Warrington, Birmingham and Burton on Trent.

The move to Balby Court Business Campus marks a personal triumph for Keith Jessop, BR’s former chief civil engineer, Eastern Region (ER). Jessop founded Intertrain in the glum days after railway privatisation, 18 years ago, basing his idea on three decades of engineering experience, a spell as ER’s central training manager and an unshakable conviction that the railways would bounce back. Jessop believed a resurgent railway would need skilled professionals to take it

FEATURE

forward. A career railwayman from York, he enjoys foreign travel and aims to see the Seven Wonders of the World.

The eighth - the UK’s new rail industry - he already has a first-hand familiarity with. Keith Jessop has walked the Great Wall of China, puzzled over the rock city of Petra in Jordan and visited the Taj Mahal in India.

‘Put Frenchgate in there,’ says Ian, referring to the huge shopping mall in Doncaster, as we discuss the other wonders. Raeburn is no mean traveller himself and has worked on railways in the Netherlands, Estonia and America.

Ian worked as a railway designer and surveyor and was a BR area civil engineer. At privatisation, he became technical services manager for Fastline - an MBO - which was eventually taken over by Jarvis. Raeburn, who knew Keith Jessop well, joined Intertrain in 2003.

Here’s looking at you Intertrain is set for greater expansion as demand for service grows.

Operational and sales and marketing imperatives demand specialist skills.

August 2015 | RailStaff | 27

Alex Pond, operations director, joined Intertrain five years ago. He had previously worked as a trainer and assessor for Jarvis and Trackwork.

A welder by trade, Pond was also a volunteer fireman. Karry Chadburn is head of commercial and business development and as well as customer relations is boosting the company’s public profile. Karry recently attended a toastmasters course which has undoubtedly helped.

If Doncaster gets little of the publicity of Derby, Swindon or Crewe that’s all changing now. Companies from overseas and the rest of Britain want a slice of the action.

‘There are few locations within the UK that can compete with Doncaster’s rail heritage, connectivity and cluster of leading rail businesses,’ says George Tillier, managing director, Unipart Rail Europe. ‘Doncaster is a key hub for Unipart Rail, who have multiple sites located here.’

It’s a view increasingly shared by rail chiefs in Europe. ‘We are planning to expand our operations and looking at new locations. Doncaster gives

us the best opportunity in terms of existing infrastructure and engineering prowess,’ says Carl Garrud, managing director, Austrian rail group Rhomberg Sersa.

DB Schenker’s international freight operation is based here. Wabtec, Unipart Rail, VolkerRail, Thales, Hitachi, Trackwork, Skanska and SPL all draw on Doncaster’s three-century pioneering involvement with rail.

FEATURE

28 | RailStaff | August 2015

Gresley Pacifics Doncaster historically was at the heart of the mining industry, sitting above rich seams of coal that changed the face of rural Yorkshire above in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The coal industry needed railways and the Great Northern Railway opened the Doncaster Locomotive and Carriage Building Works - always referred to as ‘the Plant’ - in 1853. The Plant soon added passenger vehicles to its portfolio - Britain’s first dining cars and sleeper carriages were built at Doncaster along with the iconic fleet of Gresley Pacifics, Stirling Singles and Ivatt Atlantics. Household names like Mallard and the Flying Scotsman first ventured onto the metals here, steaming past what is now the Balby Court Business Campus.

Railways grew exponentially together with steel foundries and rolling mills producing wire rope and cable. Even a confectionery industry sprung up between the tapestry of railway lines, yards and junctions. Butterscotch, so locals claim, was invented here.

Doncaster was also responsible for

a huge munitions effort during the war - much of the work undertaken by women. The town boasts one of England’s most successful women’s football teams, the Doncaster Rovers Belles regularly in action at Keepmoat stadium. There’s no shortage of heroines in Doncaster or transport heroes - road, rail and air.

Air ace, Douglas Baader, was brought up in Sprotborough just outside Doncaster. Iain Coucher, founder and erstwhile head of Network Rail, was raised in Doncaster and Jeremy Clarkson comes from the town. His parents made their money selling toy versions of Paddington Bear.

Enter Intertrain Other industries include glass and tractors. However, it is ropes and steel cable - once used in pithead winding gear - that is the real success story of Doncaster.

Bridon Ropes is reputedly the largest cable making operation in Europe. The company expanded and left the Balby Court site two years ago - the new Bridon Technology Centre is just down

the road. Enter Intertrain.

Balby Court Business Campus, just across the tracks from the railway it serves, was acquired with help from the Regional Growth Fund and Sheffield Local Enterprise Fund, a government initiative.

‘Local leaders are keen to support capital investment,’ says Keith Jessop.

‘We get the support from them we need to invest and expand, creating more jobs and opportunities. The premises are so big we can let out rooms and floors and be flexible. This is a modern railway business campus, modern clean, with easy access to the road network and the railway.’

Intertrain moved in on 4 June accompanied by a phalanx of wideeyed apprentices and staff keen to relocate from the town centre

offices. The company employs almost 100 staff - the majority experienced instructors. The curriculum also has room to expand with new courses in signals technology, welding and cranes coming on stream soon.

Solokov’s book, ‘Quiet Flows the Don’, is a triumph of the human spirit over the vicissitudes of war and revolution. In a different key, Intertrain’s massive expansion bears similar testament to an industry once slated for managed decline coming back to spearhead Britain’s economic resurgence. Success may not be flowing quite so quietly in Doncaster in the future. Loud or quiet, there’s much to shout about. Keith Jessop and his diverse teams of instructors, engineers, apprentices and railway staff aren’t complaining.

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SAFETY FOCUS

30 | RailStaff | August 2015

INCREASING RISKS, NEAR MULTIPLE FATALITIES, TEN MISSED LOOKOUT WARNINGS AND STILL WE USE PEOPLE WITH FLAGS AND HORNS © FOURBYTHREE

SAFETY Colin Wheeler colin@rail-media.com

Last month I stressed my belief that the time has come for our industry to stop using flags and whistles to warn of approaching trains. We have been using them since the Rainhill trials. In the mid-eighteen hundreds train movements were regulated by red flags to ensure there was a safe interval between them. The fact that we still use such a system with trains travelling at 125 mph is inexcusable and dangerous.

So nearly a multiple fatality The reported accidents I highlighted last month (including Redhill) demonstrate the fallibility of people. The fact that people can and always will make mistakes will never change. On 16th July the RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) published its report on a near miss at Hest Bank, Lancaster which could easily have been a multiple fatality accident.

Track-workers worked with shovels, track jacks and a track gauge to correct a track twist (identified by a new measurement train that morning) using the measured shovel packing technique.

Sighting distances were restricted due to the work being on a bend with an overbridge abutment further reducing the view.

A Look-out Operated Warning System (LOWS) was in use. Distant look-outs to both north and south of the work were equipped with LOWS radio transmitters and on site there was a LOWS Controller.

It was early in the afternoon of Monday September 22nd last when the gang “narrowly missed being struck by a southbound passenger train as it passed them at 98 mph.” The train was a Class 350/4 Electric Multiple Unit from Edinburgh destination Manchester Airport, capable of 110 mph.

Just three seconds warning The RAIB concluded that the lookout failed to give any warning, either because he mistakenly operated the wrong switch on his transmitter or he forgot about the need to send a warning during an intended delay period between seeing the approaching train and operating the switch. By the time the gang saw the train it was just three seconds away.

Some reached a place of safety, but those on the bridge could only press themselves up against its parapet.

The Safe System of Work Plan (SSoW) had been produced that morning; unsurprisingly it had not been checked by either the section manager or section supervisor but was issued directly to the Controller Of Site Safety (COSS) who signed for it but did not have time to review it.

Although the preferred option for the site was to work under a blockage, LOWS was chosen since neither an automatic train warning system nor a train operated warning system was immediately available.

Ten previous lookout warning failures The report refers to a previous recommendation that “had not been implemented due to administrative errors”, and notes that “a safety critical element of the LOWS circuitry was not subject to routine testing”.

It adds that “it is probable that the lookout’s vigilance had degraded as he had been working continuously for almost two hours”. Whilst operating the system lookouts are required to operate a vigilance switch every eighteen seconds. During the preceding hour and fifty five minutes he would have operated that switch 380 times! A battery had been replaced just 12 minutes before the accident.

The train hit a shovel and collapsed the track jack (as they are designed to do). Network Rail provided RAIB with information on 25 incidents involving LOWS that occurred between May 2011 and September 2014. The listings included ten incidents where lookouts failed to send warnings.

“Potential to increase risk” It is commendable that the ORR retains its initial letters whilst enlarging its role from “Office of Rail Regulation” to “Office of Rail and Road”. Their 2014-15 Health and Safety report has a foreword emphasising in its third paragraph that they still have a regulatory role despite taking on monitoring the Highways of England.

The report heralds the completion of an eighth year without an “accident related passenger fatality” and a second year free from passenger train derailments.

However, when referring to the backlog of renewals and maintenance it acknowledges that these are “putting added pressure on maintenance teams with the potential to increase risk”.

175 years of HMRI During the year freight train derailments increased to 14 (6 the previous year) and of the 175 major injuries, 63% involved infrastructure workers. Four lost their lives; two were electrocuted, and two were killed in occupational road accidents.

SAFETY FOCUS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 31

© FOURBYTHREE

included the collection of bundles of sleepers between Somerley and Oulton Broad North. During this work three sleepers fell onto the railway but sitestaff were not aware of this when they handed the railway back to traffic.

Central website concludes that the “track hand back authorised person failed to notice the displaced cables”.

Was the author of those words on site at the time I wonder and he or she ever experienced the pressures of handing back on time? Was time allowed for the authorised individual to walk through the site before handing back?

The annual reports, investigations and incidents I have referred to have rightly been described as serious. In a number of cases incidents almost resulted in one or more fatality.

The increasing political and other pressures on our railways are inevitably increasing pressures on track workers to do more in less time and ensure that trains are not delayed. I am worried that this will result in one or more track fatalities.

This now needs to become a top priority for all who work on our railways.

So far as heavy rail is concerned, banning the use of lookouts for track-work with trains running is overdue and introducing it now without further delay would surely reduce the risks?

Cables caught by conductor shoes

Clearly Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (nowadays part of the ORR) still has work to do. (We are entering their 175th year of existence. Sir Frederick Smith was appointed to be their first Chief Inspector on August 4th 1840.)

10 Years of RAIB The tenth annual report of the RAIB notes that the number of outstanding recommendations from both two and three years ago was 20 in 2014, down from 25 and 39 respectively in 2013. It adds that most recommendations are now implemented within two years.

However it goes on to note that three investigations began in 2014 which would probably have been avoided if earlier recommendations they had made had been implemented. The report emphasises their concerns at “the number of very serious near miss events investigated”. Adding that between 2012 and 2014 eight events that “could have resulted in more than one death and serious injuries were only narrowly avoided”.

A second freight train derailment An RAIB investigation is underway into a freight train derailment that occurred near Angerstein Wharf in south London on June 3rd. A Class 66 locomotive hauling 22 empty JGA wagons at slow speed on a curved single line derailed.

The leading wheelset of the 11th wagon derailed at trap points some 50 metres before the North Kent line junction.

The train continued for another 160 metres along the Down North Kent line before a brake pipe severed leading to an automatic brake application which halted the train.

The accident site and train type are

similar to a previous incident on April 2nd last year, the RAIB report on which is about to be published!

Another freight train derailment At around 1415 on 30th June near Langworth, Lincoln there was another freight train derailment. A Class 60 locomotive was hauling 22 empty diesel fuel tank wagons. It left the Kingsbury Terminal for the Humber Oil Refinery at 1039.

It was travelling at 48 mph as it approached 101B facing points. The driver saw a “kink in the left hand rail”, and shortly afterwards the brakes applied automatically. Wagons 11,12 and 13 had derailed one bogie each but remained upright.

The train had separated at the trailing end of wagon 13 leaving a 250 metre gap to the next 6 wagons which had left the track and in some cases rolled over.

Wagon 20 was derailed, but 21 and 22 were still on track. There were no injuries but substantial damage was caused.

The RAIB are investigating. They have CCTV images from 1245 hours which appear to show a track buckle forming close to 101B facing points.

At 0515 on the morning of May 17th this year a Thameslink possession was handed back to traffic. The first passenger train on the Up Charing Cross line between Spa Road and London Bridge caught a traction cable with its conductor shoe.

The cable severed leaving a stub sticking up that was caught by a second train which lost all its conductor shoes and suffered damage to the connector beam on four carriages disabling the entire train.

The cables had been left high on the ballast following work in the area. 71 trains were cancelled as a result. The cable displacement is thought to have occurred between 0230 and 0300. The advice of this on Network Rail’s Safety

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The driver who was accompanied by a second driver brought his train to a stand and reported to the signaller.

Examining his train he found a wooden sleeper jammed under the front of it plus another two lying nearby and another close to his train but behind it.

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NEWS

32 | RailStaff | August 2015

Women cleaning train carriage.

Women at War Over 70,000 women joined the railways in World War One, filling jobs left by railway staff who had gone to fight in the war.

A new exhibition at Charing Cross and King’s Cross marks the heroic efforts of railway women during the war.

The railway was vital to the war effort, transporting troops, horses, military equipment and medical supplies between ports and bases around the country.

Women kept the railway running.

Before the war, roughly 13,000 women worked on the railway, mainly in domestic positions.

The exhibition, which is free of charge, will be displayed at London Charing Cross station until 10 August. It will then move to London King’s Cross station where it can be seen until 31 August.

Presented by the Rail Delivery Group, the exhibition contains photos, soldiers’ letters and unique memorabilia.

Female railway cleaners.

Ambulance train and nurses.

Fire Brigade train.

10th October Ricoh Arena Coventry

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This Story of Yours

The rail industry finds it difficult to celebrate success and fight its corner PR-wise. Too often rail leaders are perceived as hand-wringing apologists rather than the confident architects of Britain’s transport future. This has to change and media badmouthing of the industry rolled back with fire and fury. We need to look like winners.

Rail has a powerful and heartening story to tell.

How to do it?

Bad PR and a hostile media was nothing new to the Labour Party of the 1990s. The media in the main was content to rubbish the Labour Party. All that changed under the Blair-Mandelson renewal, dubbed New Labour.

Central to the success of New Labour was the ability to put its message across with clarity and purpose.

The mechanics of this was largely down to one Alastair Campbell, a Daily Mirror journalist. His extra-ordinary role in the Labour Party’s landslide victory in 1997 cannot be over emphasised. Campbell’s single-minded determination to change press reporting of the politics of the left holds lessons for us all.

Vacuous media This summer the rail industry is full of stories of projects finished on time, staff going the extra mile to make a difference and

new fleets of trains coming on stream with more on order.

Little of this will feature in conventional media news coverage. The bravery, ingenuity and initiative of railway staff - engineers, train crews and track workers finds little space in the doom-laden almanacs of a vacuous media.

Philosophical to a fault, railway staff traditionally shrug and say, it was always like this. Why should it change? The answer is it has to. For the sake of the new rail industry, the people it serves, staff and suppliers the railway needs a better press. Back in BR days, the press could be forgiven for thinking they were insulting a gormless government department. However, media diatribes impact directly on the livelihood of the working class men and women who move thousands of people in speed and safety, day and night. Theirs is a story that needs to be told with simple straightforward conviction.

Entrepreneurs The railway is capital-intensive and public-facing.

Few other industries enjoy quite the same degree of customer-supplier contact. To expand the network - in order to accommodate the ever-rising tide of passengers - the railway needs to attract and retain top quality staff as well as the confidence of politicians and local leaders.

In an industry dependent on the daring and ingenuity of a host of entrepreneurs it is no less important to capitalise the steely eyed determination of private sector partners.

The example of Alastair Campbell should inform the railway. First, New Labour had a good story to tell.

Who hasn’t yearned to put right the great social evils of our time? Second, Campbell set up a media unit at Labour’s HQ tasked with analysing and tracking the press. Every story that claimed Labour would put up taxes and plunge the UK into recession was rebuffed.

The editor concerned would receive a suggestion of the correct costings he might care to print. Often Campbell himself would come on the line, the quiet stone-packed Yorkshire accent presaging the remark, ‘About this story of yours...’

The personal touch worked too. On a flight with Blair and the press corps, Alastair Campbell came down the plane greeting each journalist and giving him or her a specially tailored story. The results were impressive - a three-election win for Labour.

Winning stories The rail industry has a host of winning stories to tell.

A phalanx of press officers, bloggers and broadcasters already works hard to put pro-rail stories out there. In the RailStaff Awards, we have a growing reservoir of great news. More stories and more nominations will increase the power of the rail industry.

Railway staff are winners and this story of yours needs to be heard loud and clear by investors, leaders, consumers and suppliers. The RailStaff Awards needs your support. Make sure your story is heard this year at the RailStaff Awards. Sign up now to support the RailStaff Awards, nominate colleagues and be there on 10 October.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE 31ST AUGUST 2015

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

34 | RailStaff | August 2015

Van Elle Sponsors Charity Auction Van Elle Rail is supporting the RailStaff Awards charity auction.

Van Elle Rail supplies piling and ground stabilisation equipment. It’s a busy role answering the growing need for cost-effective foundation solutions, platforms, canopies, bridges, signal bases, gantries and a host of geotechnical works required by the rail infrastructure industry.

The popular charity auction is in support of RBF, the Rail Benefit Fund.

RBF supports railway people and their dependents in time of need with help and advice. The charity draws huge support from everyone at the RailStaff Awards.

Van Elle Rail is RISQS accredited and site teams, supervisors and management teams are PTS certified, allowing both night and day rail work to be carried out safely.

Corporate Networking Area For eight years now, the RailStaff Awards has recognised the boldest and best in the rail industry. In the main, tables are hosted by finalists. Over the past few years, the RailStaff Awards has seen a significant growth in what can

best be described as corporate tables.

These are booked by companies who do not have finalists on their table but want to meet and mingle or just throw a rocking-good staff party.

This is why we are launching the RailStaff Awards Networking Area for the 2015 event. Says event organiser, Lianne O’Connor, ‘We will position all the corporate tables together to allow people to network with each other and like-minded leaders in the rail industry.

‘We will also provide access to a special area within the Ricoh Arena Super Casino, so after the event has finished, you can continue discussing the industry, the RailStaff Awards and the future.’

• Corporate Tables are for companies who do not have finalists at the RailStaff Awards • These tables are for companies for whom the RailStaff Awards provides an excellent opportunity to entertain clients, team members and stakeholders at the rail industry’s leading event • Corporate Tables are positioned in the ‘Corporate Networking Area’

• You will be able to enjoy everything that the RailStaff Awards has to offer and network at the highest level.

• Access to the VIP section of the Casino at the end of the evening • Purchase your table packages from the RailStaff Awards website: www. railstaffawards.com/tickets, then e-mail Karen (karen@rail-media. com) to be included in the Corporate Networking Area.

Nomination Station Nominations for the RailStaff Awards close on 31 August. It’s a chance to say thank you and boost the confidence of staff. Nominations mean much more than winning. People who have been put up for an award see it as big pat on the back, recognition of them personally and their contribution. Past winners and finalists all agree that it is one of the proudest moments of their lives.

If you have never done this before take a look at the website - see link below - and feel free to contact Karen to talk through the nomination process - it’s simple and straightforward. www.railstaffawards.com/nominate

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

August 2015 | RailStaff | 35

Amey Sponsors Rail Manager of the Year Amey is supporting Rail Manager of the Year at this year’s RailStaff Awards.

‘Often overlooked in the busy worka-day environment rail managers are the glue that holds the rail industry together,’ says Tom O’Connor, managing director, Rail Media.

‘We need to support our managers and this award is aimed at making them feel valued and appreciated. It is one of the more popular, and I would urge colleagues and fellow managers to get nominations in now for Rail Manager of the Year. We are very grateful to Amey for backing this award and for the contribution all Amey staff including managers - have made to the rail industry.’

As one of the UK’s leading infrastructure consultants and public service providers, Amey delivers innovative and versatile asset management, engineering design and operational delivery solutions to Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL), train operating companies, passenger transport executives and other rail providers.

Their rail team comprises diverse and highly skilled engineers, inspectors and project managers who deliver expert design and consultancy on a range of rail projects. Together they offer intelligent rail solutions that enhance performance and efficiency for clients, ultimately improving service levels for the public.

Sole supplier Core services include; asset management, strategy, data and analytics, rail design, track maintenance, enhancements and renewals, overhead line electrifications, power supply and distribution, signalling systems, multidiscipline enhancement projects and station information and security systems.

2014 saw Amey maintain its position at the forefront of rail examinations and assessments, securing a second term as Network Rail’s sole supplier of civil examinations along with a major footprint in rail structures assessments.

In the same year, believing that collaboration is vital in solving complex rail challenges, the company partnered with Rhomberg Sersa to secure a £400 million Network Rail contract to renew switches and crossings across two thirds of the UK and teamed up with Keolis to operate, maintain and improve London’s Dockland’s Light Railway for TfL. Amey has always focussed on investing in employees - indeed it is the only company in the sector to be awarded Investors in People’s Gold and Champion status. The company is committed to encouraging more young people into all sectors and to future proofing the industries it serves. Two per cent of employees are apprentices and 1 per cent graduates.

In 2012 Amey was named as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer by the National Apprenticeship Service.

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

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

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

Proud to sponsor the 2015 RailStaff awards Rail Manager of the Year www.amey.co.uk

linkedin.com/company/amey @ameyplc

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

36 | RailStaff | August 2015

Furrer+Frey backs Depot Team of the Year Furrer+Frey, Europe’s top specialist railway electrification company, is sponsoring this year’s Depot Team of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2015.

For over 90 years, Furrer+Frey has been creating iconic overhead contact line solutions, setting industry standards and seeking to reduce railway infrastructure costs, as well as improve safety and reliability through innovation.

Furrer+Frey’s innovative moveable overhead conductor rail system for railway workshops and depots ensure safe maintenance work on rail vehicles and enables free access to the train roof. The revolutionary system has been supplied and is operational in

over 65 depots worldwide.

Depot Team of the Year emphasises the strength the rail industry draws from its collegiate system of T&RS depots, booking-on points and train

Proudly sponsors: Depot Team of the Year

DEPOT SOLUTIONS FOR SAFE MAINTENANCE Furrer+Frey’s innovative Moveable Overhead Conductor Rail System for railway workshops and depots ensures safe maintenance work on rail vehicles and enables free access to the train roof.

This revolutionary system has been supplied and is operational in over 65 depots worldwide.

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crew depots and similar concentrations of staff who build, maintain and crew the railways.

‘Team work is important and so often much of what depot staff do goes on overnight far away from the public gaze,’ says Rail Media’s Tom O’Connor.

‘Teams of people committed to each other and the wider industry work hard and ingenuously - they deserve greater recognition and respect. We are very grateful to Furrer+Frey for backing this important award.’

With more OHLE work planned,

Furrer+Frey’s expertise is already appreciated by electrification depots across Britain and the rest of the world.

The system is durable, economic and construction-staff friendly.

‘We electrified our first depot over 80 years ago, and it’s great to be involved in the Depot Team of the Year’ says Furrer+Frey’s Noel Dolphin.

‘We wish Furrer+Frey every success as they support the UK’s drive to electrify more of the national network, making Britain’s railways faster, cleaner and more reliable,’ adds Tom.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

August 2015 | RailStaff | 37

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

38 | RailStaff | August 2015

Young Rail Professionals Boost RailStaff Awards 2015 This year’s RailStaff Awards will be supported by Young Rail Professionals. As Associate Corporate sponsor, YRP will be bringing a burst of enthusiasm to the celebrations at Coventry Ricoh Arena on 10 October.

Says Tom O’Connor of Rail Media, ‘We are delighted to welcome Young Rail Professionals to the RailStaff Awards 2015.

‘The future of the rail industry lies in their hands, and part of the plan at RailStaff and the RailStaff Awards is to encourage all who are building careers in the railways - wherever they work.

We wish all young people entering the awards every success on the night, and in the future, as they sweep all before them pioneering the regeneration of Britain’s railways.’

YRP was founded in 2009 and brings together young people from across the railway industry, covering all aspects of the industry from engineering to asset management, train operations, strategic planning, rolling stock design, maintenance, franchising, regulation and marketing.

For people starting out in their careers, YRP provides a wealth of networking and professional development opportunities. Students and undergraduates are welcome, too.

For people in education, YRP runs a Rail Ambassadors programme that sees YRP members visiting schools, colleges and universities to attract the next generation to this dynamic industry.

Events include everything from regional depot visits and talks, to black tie dinners, regional get-togethers and seminars.

YRP has over 2,700 members and membership is free - simply register on YRP’s website.

YRP is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and is run by a

committee of young volunteers from within the rail industry.

For more information, and to register for free, go to: www.youngrailpro.com

SHORTERM ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR Apprentice of the Year

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

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

August 2015 | RailStaff | 39

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

40 | RailStaff | August 2015

GBRf Keeps Customers Satisfied GB Railfreight (GBRf) is backing the Outstanding Customer Service Award at this year’s RailStaff Awards.

In an industry with a high ratio of customer-provider contact, the award is one of the most important. Examples of good customer service on trains and stations are regularly featured in the supportive railway press. However, equally important is the hard work put in by rail industry suppliers often to tight timescales and difficult deadlines set by an exacting rail industry customer base.

Good customer service is at the heart of the GBRf success story. With 600 staff now, GBRf operates over 1,000 trains a week, moving 15 per cent of Britain’s rail freight with 99 per cent reliability.

GBRf has a fleet of 58 locomotives

and over 1,000 wagons, transporting goods for customers including E.ON, Network Rail, EDF Energy, MSC UK, UK Coal, Merrill Lynch, Tarmac, Drax and Crossrail Ltd. A team of train managers and drivers keep in touch with freight forwarders boosting the concept of customer contact to new levels for the wider rail industry.

John Smith, managing director of GBRf, said, ‘GB Railfreight prides itself on its level of customer service and

GB RAILFREIGHT KEEPING THE ECONOMY MOVING GBRf is focused on delivering innovative and outstanding services for its customers Our team of over 600 people operate in excess of 1,000 trainloads a week, moving Britain’s rail freight with 99% reliability.

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ability to be innovative and flexible in the face of new and variable challenges.

‘It’s for this reason that we recognise the importance of developing client relationships and supporting quality service delivery across the rail industry.

‘The RailStaff Awards 2015 allows us to celebrate the achievements of suppliers and we are delighted to be sponsoring the Outstanding Customer Service Award.’

Says Tom O’Connor, managing director, Rail Media, ‘Good customer service is the essential element in railway success. Clear communications and an empathy

with the passenger, freight forwarder or supplier guarantees success for an industry under tremendous pressure to perform and deliver against a backdrop of expanding demand.

‘Major projects, constrained capacity and the onward march of new technologies make it essential to concentrate on good customer relations. GBRf shows us how it can be done and we thank John Smith and his team for backing this important award.

‘We wish every nominee every success on the night itself and in their continuing careers with the rail industry.’

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2015

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Staff Awards

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August 2015 | RailStaff | 41 2 05/08/2015 15:49

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INTERVIEW

42 | RailStaff | August 2015

The bit in the background that makes everything tick Report by Marc Johnson

UK Power Networks Services’ head of rail, David Mitchell, gives his thoughts on renewable energy, the skills gap and how the industry is coping with the energy demand created by the modern railway.

How do you view UK Power Networks Services’ role within the industry?

We are one cog within the overall railway industry, which is changing positively.

It’s rewarding to do the bit in the background that makes the whole thing tick.

How important has efficiency and energy monitoring become to the running of the railway?

David has worked within rail for the past 12 years and power for 34 years.

We’ve carried out various studies for our clients. Looked at the elements that consume the power within the system and what options there are that can reduce energy consumption.

It is all about understanding what’s causing the demands and can it be changed.

Technology has advanced significantly, which is helping. Things have got smaller, you get more from a piece of equipment these days, the power consumption, the losses, are less from the equipment. Regenerative braking is used both on AC and DC systems to recover energy. We have recently been involved in installing DC inversion regenerating braking which increases the energy recovery.

Everybody is also much more conscious about energy and energy demand. Now people are realising that energy conservation is better than just keeping increasing the capacity, so wiser use of energy is economically and environmentally sensible.

But I suppose it isn’t all about technology; people play a big part.

Effectively, with power it’s just like a car, when you accelerate you take a lot more energy in than when you’re dissipating it. Historically that has always just been by heat, and heat is a waste product really rather than a useful product in this context.

Train operators know that if you actually educate your drivers to drive the trains in an optimal way then you could reduce power consumption, which is energy saving, one, and two. If it’s an environment where you have heat issues, such as a sub-surface railway, it helps address that issue as well.

We talk about rail as a green form of public transport but clearly for this to truly be the case, the network needs to be powered by a renewable source.

Is the UK’s renewal energy plan working or is there more that could be done?

We are behind, in my view, with the rest of the world. Certainly there’s an investment required around the piece. There’s hydro, wind farms, the solar farms that are going up. Energy storage is in its infancy, but new schemes have been commissioned quite recently, so I think we’re going down the road.

I think there’s a great opportunity in the future. In particular with things like the land holdings of Network Rail,

INTERVIEW

being able to consider putting some energy efficiency plant, green plant, within the area so it can help manage the load profile. Because we can just see by timetables the demand. You don’t need to plot electricity consumption to know that the more trains you run, the more demand that you’re taking from the system.

I’m sure that going into the future we can have a more sustainable railway system. It certainly seems to becoming more attractive to the travelling public.

The amount of energy that’s put in per passenger journey is certainly reducing both in efficiency drives and the number of people travelling, so there’s a sort of double whammy there.

We’re not just operating more trains, we’re operating modern trains with lots of ancillary systems which all need power. Is that the challenge?

The travelling public want more. I mean air conditioning seems to be what we expect as the norm now and you notice people with their laptops plugged in and having leaky Wi-Fi

August 2015 | RailStaff | 43

available. All those sorts of bits of pieces, they’re all challenges for the railway. It is a different environment.

Electrification is one area where we know there is a lack of engineering skills. How is UK Power Networks Services as a company addressing this?

I suppose in Britain we don’t truly value engineers, or we don’t demonstrate that we value the engineers. There is a shortage of skilled engineers in the UK and railway ones specifically.

We do have within the industry an ageing population and a number of the people with great knowledge, years of experience - working in these industries you need to understand the industry not just the theories - we have been losing those skills and not just our company, all companies. That does create a little bit of a Merry Go Round.

We have been recruiting graduates and taking them through training programmes to try and be in the best position to meet future demand.

Now there’s a balance there between bringing the right number on board,

training them in time to meet work demands, bearing in mind you always lose some. You almost put them in the pond, if you like, grow them to a certain size and others pluck them out. That’s always a risk, and I think every company would say the same.

We have graduate and apprentice training schemes, and we are actually participating in Network Rail’s apprenticeship scheme this year to put some apprentices through so they become more rail-orientated but still developing their power skills.

The numbers aren’t as large as they have been in previous years in the industry as a whole, but we are continuing to develop staff and give staff in house the opportunity because that’s key as well.

Do you feel that there is support from the government to try and address this? Is the structure in place to start to improve the situation?

I believe it’s getting better. There appears to be greater support from government in training schemes…

There is greater encouragement.

In the round, yes things are getting better. Could there be more done? Yes, there could be more done in order to make engineering more attractive to the younger generations.

Apprenticeship schemes, I’m a strong advocate. It’s getting the timing right and obviously you have to get the numbers through.

UK Power Networks Services provides financing, consultancy, construction and the ongoing operation and maintenance of power systems around the UK across rail, airports, defence and nuclear.

UK Power Networks Services’ core obligations and responsibilities include the operation and maintenance of HS1’s power supply system and the Docklands Light Railway Lewisham branch power supply system.

The company is also involved in major schemes like the Great Western electrification, the Thameslink power upgrade and London Underground’s power upgrade programme.

FEATURE

44 | RailStaff | August 2015

It’s a

BIM world Building Information Modelling, or BIM, is a much misunderstood medium. Illustrated by 3D visualisations and CAD drawings, it can be mistaken as just a piece of software for creating pretty illustrations.

But the visualisations and models are nothing new, they’ve been around for years. What’s new is how they are stored and used. Put simply, it’s the way in which documents, which may otherwise have only existed in paper form, are digitised and linked together.

‘To stop people bringing paper drawings in we’d fine them £2,’ said Ben Feltham, Skanska’s rail BIM manager, explaining one of the methods used while working within the Costain-Skanska Joint Venture (CSJV) on Paddington station for Crossrail to promote the benefits of BIM to a workforce anchored in more traditional methods. The money was later donated to the project’s chosen charity.

Ben arrived on Crossrail in 2013 from Thameslink, having established an information management system for that programme. He was the first BIM manager appointed by the supply chain and played a pivotal role in the development of Crossrail’s BIM world.

This BIM world, which is also referred to as the

‘common data environment’, is the place where all of the project’s designers and contractors store data and drawings relating to the project.

‘We want people to realise that we’re building not just a physical railway but a digital, virtual railway and that many of the things that we do, for example, in a physical world - such as health and safety or quality control - we do exactly the same in the digital world,’ said Malcolm Taylor, head of technical information at Crossrail.

‘Just as we produce concrete and steel, we produce information, models, documentation and we do quality control on those, we use metrics, manage performance and things like that.’

Culture The benefits are quite straightforward. Where different agencies would traditionally build their own models and then come together, put them on top of each other and look for problems, teams can now work together from an early stage, using a single drawing.

‘In practice it’s got a bit of turbulence and bumpy rides but that’s ok because everyone wants to use their BIM systems but BIM is about information, it’s about managing, modelling.

‘A structural engineer might have his own 3D model,

people would be building their own models, in their own systems, in their own ways and they would traditionally bring those people together for design checks to look at paper drawings to check they fit.

‘Instead of a two-hour meeting with lots of disciplines where you usually miss things, you can do it in a few seconds on a machine where you can then get a print out of all the clashes and you know things fit.’

In Ben’s opinion, only 20 per cent of the efficiencies derived from BIM come from the 3D models. It’s using BIM as a digital filing cabinet where most can be gained.

But getting there requires some people to break careerlong habits.

‘We brought in technology from schools,’ said Ben. ‘You’ve got all these smart boards but generally they’re there and they take the VGA cable out and plug it into the laptop and you lose all the benefit. So what we did is we built a BIM room, and we had a big screen and we took away tables, so we’ve got lecture chairs in there.

‘What we did was we put drawings up and we tried to get people to digitally mark up. And to stop people bringing paper drawings in, we’d fine them £2 per drawing when they turn up and we’d give that to the project charity.

He added, ‘The amount of times that an engineer will red line a drawing, give that to the CAD technician and somewhere it goes missing because they haven’t scanned it in and put it in the system as they should have done. It forces them to go down that information management process.’

Not a toy BIM and video games share a common ancestry. Much of the technology and software overlaps and some of the same video game engines are being used to give BIM models an extra dimension.

Says Ben, ‘Games like Minecraft and, when I was younger, Sims and things like that that’s all we’re trying to do, but we’re trying to pull that together with construction information.’

However, it shouldn’t be seen as a toy but a tool for making decisions, said Malcolm. ’We can take the stuff we’re creating in terms of models and put it into some simple games technology and suddenly you’re going for a walk around the station.’

FEATURE

August 2015 | RailStaff | 45

The application of gaming technology can create life-like environments that can be used for training staff.

It’s even possible that it could be used by emergency services. How valuable would it be for police officers or firefighters to gain detailed knowledge of a building en route to an incident.

Says Malcolm, ‘If you can imagine, again, using those models where you’re going through a smoked-filled room where you can’t see, but you’ve got some Google specs on so you know exactly where you’re going.

‘The combination of this world of 3D modelling, and the like, that we’re trying to create, can go everywhere.’

Legacy While the concrete and steel project will eventually end, the digital side carries on. In order to ensure the BIM world stays relevant it needs to be looked after; it needs to be updated.

‘It’s a bit like the photographs, the paper photographs, I took of my kids,’ said Malcolm. ‘I scanned them a long time ago, I put them onto floppy discs, then they went onto CDs, now I put them in the cloud.

‘You just have to recognise that, when you’re talking about things like this, that the information you’ve got needs to be treated like a valuable resource like people, or plant, or machinery. But you need to keep it up to date and you need to maintain it.’

BIM worlds like the one created by Crossrail and its designers and contractors will be a mandatory part of all construction projects by 2016. In that context, rail

is often thought of as having been slow to adopt this method of working, but Chris doesn’t believe that’s completely true.

‘I think rail, personally, is actually more advanced than people realise. There’s so much digital capture, the problem rail has is it sticks it in a room and it doesn’t leave that room and no one’s aware, so information awareness is where rail struggles.’

He added, ‘We’re getting better and better at it, but the Crossrail environment made it happen for us.

They took the onus of managing the common data environment, they got rid of all the contractual issues by

saying who owns the model… and that just allowed us within the supply chain to actually work away without a commercial issue.

‘I hope there’s a legacy from that.’

The legacy seems to be within those that have worked on Crossrail’s BIM world. Chris is now Skanska’s rail BIM manager and is taking his experience from Paddington to Crossrail 2 and onto various Network Rail projects. Ironically, the development of a part of the industry that is entrenched in software and data, is dependent on the knowledge and experience of people, not technology.

FEATURE

46 | RailStaff | August 2015

Planning for the Future Advances in BIM and digital engineering are doing wonders for construction works in the railway industry. By ironing out the creases in a digital environment, project teams are able to avoid expensive and time consuming delays in the field.

The technology can be applied in many other inventive ways. For example, it can be used as an effective way of illustrating a tender document or visualising a project to stakeholders.

It can also improve safety, not just at the design stage but at the point of delivery by demonstrating to site teams specific hazards at a given location.

D2 Rail & Civils (D2RC), a Manchesterbased planning and visualisation company, has been using the technology to produce animated briefing videos that support the traditional paper exercise.

‘Everyone is engaged from the beginning, they understand it and they visualise it. It’s something new so they’re all quite keen to look at it,’ says David Diesbergen, one of the company’s directors.

‘Yes programme’s have their place and yes they contain all the detail, but at the end of the day the video and the animation helps with understanding the process so you can get up to speed with it a lot quicker.’

Northern Hub David, whose career has included station regeneration works, as well as plain line and S&C renewals, worked on Reading Station and Thameslink Key Output 1 before moving on to Northern Hub supporting Parsons Brinckerhoff and Network Rail.

The project has embraced the use of digital engineering and visualisations.

David believes the use of the

www.deployukrail.com

technology has allowed teams working on the project to gain an understanding of their section of the railway much quicker and in more detail. Outside of the project, the videos have been a useful

tool in advising the public about what is physically going on behind the scenes.

‘It’s briefing the public as to why the railway is shut for a period of time’, says David. ‘If someone understands the railway has to close to deliver this volume of work and they can see what is happening etc then it goes a long way in justifying the relatively shortterm disruption for the longer-term benefit.’

D2RC is now looking to grow its current eight-man team as it expands its planning services. David said it’s important for him that those

working for the company have a good knowledge of the railway construction environment.

‘We like people who have been there and done it. Those that have been out there on the ground in the rain on Saturday night,’ said David.

‘I think there’s a balance though.

I’m all for bringing new skills to the industry, so when we get to a point, that we’re probably not a million miles away from, we’ll look at bringing graduates into the company and ensure that they gain the relevant experience as the industry moves forward.’

What does the future hold?

The next step will see the visualisations combined with BIM models to create a truly accurate, highquality rendering. This combined with the development of Oculus Rift-style virtual reality headsets will dramatically change the way major projects are planned.

However, David believes things could be moving forward faster. ‘Personal opinion, I don’t think it’s developing fast enough. The rail industry has been behind for quite a while compared to other parts of the construction industry.’

THE RAIL BIM SUMMIT WHERE BIM MEETS RAIL

10 Nov 15 ADDLESHAW GODDARD OFFICES, LONDON

After the success of the Rail Safety Summit, Rail Media is introducing its first BIM Summit on the 10th of November 2015.

After an introduction to the world of Building Information Modelling (BIM), the day will focus on how BIM is currently being used within the rail industry and what companies can do to utilise it further.

Join us to gain a deeper understanding of BIM and the benefits it can bring to your organisation.

Call 01530 816 456 or visit www.railbimsummit.com to book your ticket.

BIM Summit

Presented by David Philp, BIM Director from AECOM

TOPICS DISCUSSED: BIM on the railway BIM Tools of the Trade Developing BIM Skills The Cost of it All BIM Summit hosted by 速

FEATURE

48 | RailStaff | August 2015

NTAR - Setting the standard A training academy which sees itself playing a pivotal role in finally grasping the rail industry’s skills challenge is set to open in October. RailStaff’s Marc Johnson travelled to Northampton to find out exactly how the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) plans to be a game changer.

Set back from Siemens’ Kings Heath depot, within sight of the Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line, is a new training academy for the industry.

The National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) is the result of a significant investment by the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) and Siemens, both of which contributed half of the £7 million startup cost. Through the partnership half of the centre’s training capacity will be earmarked for Siemens and half will be released to the wider industry.

Focussing initially on addressing the need for traction and rolling stock (T&RS) skills, the facility includes classrooms, a large ‘dirty’ workshop and high tech ERTMS and virtual reality labs.

NTAR general manager Simon Rennie said the vision for NTAR goes beyond the single site at Kings Heath.

Eventually NTAR will sit at the centre

of a network of 20 colleges around the country.

With just a couple of months to go until the first delegates arrive, the academy is holding open days for stakeholders in an attempt to drum up interest in NTAR and demonstrate to the industry what it has to offer.

Says Simon, ‘To some degree it is a little bit like busking. You’re playing a nice tune, a crowd is gathered round, at some point we do have to send the hat round and see who puts their pound in and actually uses it.’

The facility, with its satellite colleges and professional partners, will support companies to deliver training which can be tailored to the needs of a specific business, bringing in specialist kit and adapting course content where needs be.

Simon and his colleagues believe the centre could eventually set the standard for training within the industry. To get to that point, NTAR immediately set out to establish ties with bodies like the IMechE and the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education.

Says Simon, ‘The time it would take in an in-house organisation to acquire the expertise that our partners have built up over decades was simply not going to be feasible.

Collaboration and contribution He added, ’What’s been a delight over the course of the nine months is the degree of collaboration and contribution that the vast majority of every organisation we’ve engaged with has made. Be that in terms of donations of equipment into the training hall, be that in terms of how we can develop courses, be that in terms of how we can gain access to stakeholders to formulate good offerings.’

Over the next 10 years, 8,200 new engineers are needed; this figure doesn’t take into account HS2, Crossrail or London Underground upgrade projects. Since 2012, the average age of the workforce has increased from 44 to 46. And under 25s make up just 1 per cent of the industry. If the UK can’t cultivate this future workforce, the result will be even greater recruitment from Europe and other industries, which both have their own skills challenges.

Simon outlined his hopes for NTAR in its first year. ‘It’s about

Simon Rennie. being useful, relevant and busy. So if in six or 12 months time, I was walking around this building and that training hall was full of apprentices from different organisations, if local third parties were using the facilities upstairs, if different train operating companies or manufacturers were running their own courses but there was a vibrancy around the place which proved it was a well-respected and utilised facility, I would be delighted.’

NEWS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 49

Rapid Deployment Deploy UK Rail Deploy UK Rail, the newest part of the DE Group, is expanding this summer. From a standing start just over a year ago, the new division is already proving a valuable adjunct to the rail industry.

Deploy UK Rail joins the DE Group’s other specialist contracting offerings - these include asbestos surveying and removal, demolition, H&S consultancy and principal design for CDMC. Says Paul Smith, technical director at Deploy UK Rail, ’The rail industry is moving into a period of growth which will in turn create a shortage of human resources in the industry. This has provided us with a great opportunity to bring in our own skilled people and equip them for making a valued contribution to the rail industry.’

Deploy UK is committed to progressing and upskilling men and women, giving them consistent and continuous employment across construction, civil engineering projects in the rail industry, including London Underground and light rail systems nationally.

Says Smith, who was brought in to set up the new division, ‘We are able to offer temporary, contract and

permanent blue and white/technical recruitment solutions for the rail industry both locally and nationally.

We develop a collaborative approach with all our clients and suppliers. Many of our people have transferable skills and that’s where we can help the rail industry make good the skills gap.’

Deploy UK Rail is RISQS approved via Audit 4* maximum achievable first audit - to supply contingent labour for signalling, track, building, civils, telecoms, electrification, plant operators, on track protection and warning services and electrical isolation staff (DC Conductors).

RCC (Rail Contractors Certificate) to supply SWL (Safe Work Leaders), RIPS (Railway Interface Planning Scheme), ISO 9001, 18001, 14001 and recently awarded ROSPA Bronze.

Deploy UK Rail also offers external client training in electrical first aid, emergency first aid, manual handling, fire awareness and asbestos awareness.

‘In addition we are able to offer Possession Management/ Proscient, SSOWP/E-Permitting, AA and Line Blockage bookings. These services can be offered on a full-time, ad hoc per booking basis or priced per project,’ says Paul, who has a comprehensive grasp of the needs of the rail industry.

He adds, ‘The core of our business is built up of motivated professionals who have serviced both recruitment and site requirements for over 10 years each. We have strong client relationships built on trust and delivery and this should serve the rail industry well.’

Railway culture, demands and imperatives are nothing new to Paul who started Deploy UK Rail after an 11-year stint with one of the major national rail recruiters.

For further information about our services or if you require any assistance with resources for your company please call 0207 434 0300 or e-mail: railteam@deployuk.com

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

50 | RailStaff | August 2015

Young Rail Professionals Reaching out across the country

‘Promote, inspire, develop’ - the credo of Young Rail Professionals (YRP) can be seen in full force with the YRP Ambassadors programme.

YRP Ambassadors provide a positive and insightful outreach presence in schools, colleges, and universities on behalf of the rail industry.

Collaboration with STEMNET and numerous other organisations has led to some particularly unique outreach events of late.

Making the most of the expanded regional structure of YRP, this month’s article highlights the expansion of diverse engagement events supported and led by YRP in the recent months.

Outreach in the North Kicking off YRP Yorkshire’s first official Ambassadors outreach event, Andrew Belson and Daniel Liau supported MEGAJam at the National Science

Learning Centre, at the University of York. Over 200 children and young adults got to experience different technologies from across the STEM industries, through science and engineering experiments.

MEGAJam saw academics, scientists, and engineers sharing their experiences, advice, and motivation with the younger generation. YRP promoted the railway industry with video, stories, and personal experiences which prompted the children to ask questions on the future of the railway industry. The success of the day has prompted discussions to make it an annual event; YRP looks forward to supporting it in the future!

Outreach in the South Moving south, on 11 June, over 300 year 8/9 students from across Hampshire descended on Basingstoke for a day of inspiration, challenges, and finding out about STEM careers.

Three YRP Ambassadors spent the day working with schools to make their visit enjoyable and insightful.

TeenTech is a national event series, founded by television’s Maggie Philbin, and 22 schools attended from across Hampshire, with the event featuring over 200 business volunteers from companies as diverse as Air Products, Virgin Media, AWE, Sony, and Siemens.

The venue was split into three areas: the Innovation Zone, the Challenge Zone and the Insight Zone, where companies offered hands-on demonstrations and challenges.

YRP Ambassadors Temi Afolabi, Michael Bastow, and Adam Stead each supported a group of 10 students to help them discover the activities, to assist them through the challenges and to answer their questions throughout the day, dispelling the stereotypical myths about STEM careers.

In the Innovation Zone, teams worked on prototyping an invention to make life better, simpler, safer or more fun, using a DIY Inventing Kit from Technology Will Save Us. The activity encouraged students to think about the need for inputs, power, outputs, communications, and processing, as

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

a STEM career could be like, from working as a team to manufacture health and beauty products during intense one minute production runs, to trying to build Lego models in a chamber designed for handling radioactive materials. I think a great day was had by all and I would definitely take part again.’

TeenTech events take place in 13 regions across the UK, and YRP will look to support this event in more regions in the future, given its great success.

To support regional expansion of YRP networking, development, and promotion efforts, YRP hosts largescale YRP-STEMNET Ambassador induction events in each of its regions, giving YRP members the necessary STEMNET inductions to allow them to provide outreach in schools.

None of these outreach opportunities would be possible without an impressive team of Ambassadors, more of whom are always needed.

To learn more about YRP Ambassadors Programme, or to become a YRP Ambassador yourself, please e-mail: ambassadors@ youngrailpro.com

YOUNG RAIL

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well as how the inventions would be marketed, and how they would impact society.

Temi Afolabi noted, ‘It was a great opportunity to work with the girls from Trinity School, and their ideas were very fascinating. The group came up with the idea of developing finger print technology for entering your home and school, and this could also be applied to other areas. They won the award for best presentation, for being able to articulate effectively.

‘It was great to see the younger generation coming up with ideas and being able to work as a team.’

In the Challenge Zone, the children worked in depth with companies to solve problems. From additive manufacturing to robotics and even a railway challenge from Siemens. The children got to spend time learning in a lot more depth about specific technology solutions through a series of 30-minute challenges.

Michael Bastow, a graduate electrical engineer at Atkins Transportation, enjoyed the day alongside the children, saying, ‘I thought the Challenge Zone was brilliant! It gave the pupils I was with a real flavour of what work in

August 2015 | RailStaff | 51

NEWS

52 | RailStaff | August 2015

Rounded newcomers needed

New entrants need to be given an extensive grounding in all areas of the railway to make up for the significant amount of knowledge and experience that will be leaving the industry in the next few years, says RSSB’s technical director Colin Dennis.

Colin, who is retiring later this year, was reflecting on the industry’s ongoing skills challenge between seminar sessions at the Next Generation Rail event in June.

‘I think the loss of corporate memory is a big issue,’ says Colin, who has worked within the industry for the past 27 years.

‘If you look at the age demographic and the fact that the people that were in the British Rail (BR) management system, where people got a wide range of experience in many aspects of the railway, all that cohort is coming to an end. So it’s very much more the people who were employed post privitisation who have got perhaps more Network Rail experience or just train operator experience.

‘We’ve got to concentrate on making sure that we’ve got that rounded view of the railway, as well, so that decision making can be rounder.’

Figures published over the summer highlight this increasing demand for rail trades and skills. Last

year, the average pay for construction workers on the railway rose by 11 per cent, according to NoPalaver Group, to £856.50 per week compared to £587.70 across the construction sector as a whole.

Large training centres, like NTAR in Northampton, are individually addressing the demand for engineering skills in areas like rolling stock maintenance, electrification, signalling and emerging disciplines like digital engineering, but the general view is that there need to be opportunities for apprentices and graduates to learn about all different parts of the industry.

Says Colin, ‘The whole thing around the Next Generation Rail and the work of RRUKA and Young Rail Professionals is very much pushing towards making sure that we are able to meet the skills

Colin Dennis, Technical Director, RSSB. challenges. And of course the Nationals Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) is all part of an overall programme in the industry to try and improve the situation because I think it is recognised, and we’ve got to do something about it.

‘I’ve been in the industry a long time, and I think the YRP initiative, and initiatives around the RRUKA, is new and is in a response to this need to improve the level of recruitment into the industry…’

Talking about his approaching retirement, Colin said, ‘I’m stopping for a while to take a break but we’ll see. Probably be hard to let go completely, but I’m certainly not coming back the next week.’

22/09/15 THE CONGRESS CENTRE LONDON

THE RAIL SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND HELP PLAN RAIL’S FUTURE, TODAY

Call 01530 816 456 or visit www.railsustainabilitysummit.com AGENDA 08.30

REGISTRATION/ COFFEE/ NETWORKING/ EXHIBITORS

09.15

Introduction to Sustainability Tertius Beneke, Network Rail

09.30

De-mystifying Sustainability Chris Leech MBE, Business in the Community

09.45–10.55

Session 1 – How can Sustainability fit into the rail industry?

The Government’s perspective on Sustainability – Peter Wilkinson, DfT Embedding Sustainability in Scotland’s Railways – Gordon MacLeod, Transport for Scotland Case study from AD Communications on Solar Power and the railway – Jason Pearce, CEO Q&A Session – Panel Discussion

THIS YEAR’S SPEAKERS Tertius Beneke Network Rail

Chris Leech MBE

Business in the Community

Peter Wilkinson DfT

Gordon MacLeod

10.55–11.15

COFFEE/ NETWORKING/ EXHIBITORS

11.15–12.05

Session 2 – Making the Environment and Sustainability work How can we be environmentally smart whilst maintaining cost efficiency? – Andrew English, Skanska Case Study from Northern Rail on their achievements in Sustainability – Gareth Williams, Northern Rail

Jason Pearce

Q&A Session – Panel Discussion

Andrew English

12.05–13.05

LUNCH/ NETWORKING/ EXHIBITORS

13.05–14.15

Session 2 – How to engage ‘people’ in Sustainability How does the largest construction project in Europe embrace sustainability, and, engage and reward its employees and contractors for sustainable practices? – Cathy Myatt, Crossrail Future planning - what measures are needed to ensure that the apprentices and graduates of the future are fully equipped to work in a sustainable environment? – Cal Bailey, NG Bailey How do we connect sustainability with the Economy? Is it possible to make this mutually beneficial for all?

– Tim Balcon, CEO of IEMA Q&A Session – Panel Discussion

Transport Scotland

AD Communications Skanska

Gareth Williams Northern Rail

Cathy Myatt Crossrail

Cal Bailey NG Bailey

Tim Balcon

14.15 – 14.35 COFFEE/ NETWORKING/ EXHIBITORS

IEMA

14.35 – 16.00 Session 4 - Support Growth in the UK CEEQUAL and how it influences the sustainability characteristics and performances of rail projects – Professor Roger Venables, Ceequal Is it possible to offer a joined up, integrated transport system? – Andy Dixon, Costain Optimising the railway - how does sustainability enable rail systems capabilities to be maximised whilst still offering value for money? – Anthony Perrett, RSSB

Professor Roger Venables

Q&A Session – Panel Discussion WRAP UP

Sustainability S us sttainability Summit S ummit

Ceequal

Andy Dixon Costain

Anthony Perrett RSSB

RAILWAY CHILDREN

54 | RailStaff | August 2015

20 years Railway Children celebrates

The Railway Children charity is celebrating its first 20 years of helping destitute street children in India, East Africa and the UK.

The charity is widely supported by the railway industry and hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised by intrepid staff taking up challenges at sea, in the mountains and on the roads of almost every continent.

In India, Railway Children has now set up seven child friendly stations at major railway hubs across the country, providing a vital safety net and making a dramatic difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of India’s street children.

On a visit to India in 1989, David Maidment, then director of railway safety at British Rail, arrived at a railway station in Bombay and was shocked to see a young girl, around eight years old, whipping herself in order to raise sympathy. Haunted by this image, David went on to launch Railway Children in the summer of 1995 at Waterloo Station. The charity quickly

caught the imagination of the rail industry in Britain.

Since then, Railway Children has helped over 275,000 street children in India, East Africa and the UK.

Heart felt thanks Says Terina Keene, chief executive at Railway Children, ‘The amazing efforts and commitment of the rail community has given the charity fantastic support, helping Railway Children to reach and help some of the world’s most vulnerable children.

Both Railway Children and all the street children we have been able to reach give a heart-felt thank you to the dedication of everyone from the rail industry who has helped the charity over the years and hope that we can count on your continued support in the coming years.’

Staff, family and friends take on a vast array of fundraising activities everything from baking cakes and biscuits to climbing Mount Everest, the UK Three Peaks Challenge, marathons, canoe trips and fun runs.

Expanding the charity Railway Children’s next challenge in India is to extend the charity’s child friendly station model, starting with key regional hubs that connect a vast network of remote villages responsible for most of the children that run away to India’s big cities.

In East Africa, the charity is looking to extend its work with families and ensure 80 per cent of children remain at home and in education. Railway Children is also setting up new projects this year in Newcastle and Liverpool, home to some of the most deprived communities in the UK.

drug dealer?

Child trafficker?

Pimp? paedophile? rescue worker?

alone and Every five minutes a child arrives India. in rm tfo pla y desperate on a railwa

HELP US GET TO THEM FIRST. CALL 01270 757 596

railwaychildren.org.uk/rescue

Yes! I’ll help your rescue workers reach even more children.

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I enclose a cheque/postal order/charity voucher made payable to Railway Children OR please debit my Visa/Mastercard/Switch/Maestro/CAF Card.

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We’ll never share your details with other organisations We’d like to let you know from time to time what we’re achieving with your money, and about other aspects of our work. You can always tell us, at any point, if you’d like us to stop, or only get in touch at certain times. If you do not wish to receive updates from us, please call us on 01270 757 596 Please return this form with your donation to: Freepost Plus RRHJ-ESZK-EYCG Railway Children, 1 The Commons, Sandbach, CW11 1EG Telephone: 01270 757 596. Email: hello@railwaychildren.org.uk www.railwaychildren.org.uk/rescue Reg charity number 1058991

O13RSF

56 | RailStaff | August 2015

Steam Arctic snows on the

Dawn at Raajärvi following a night of snow sees Finnish Railway’s TR1 Class 2-8-2 No.1074 engaged in a bout of shunting whilst working a freight between Rovaniemi and Misi.

FEATURE

FEATURE

August 2015 | RailStaff | 57

TK3 Class 2-8-0 No.1163 seen here preparing for snow plough duty in 1972.

Colin Garratt director of Milepost 92 ½ - picture library and photographers to the railway industry - begins a series of features derived from his 40 years of expeditions to document the last steam locomotives of the world. Finland was an early priority as it was one of the last countries to include diagrams into the Arctic Circle.

Finland’s railways date back to 1862, a time when the country was a grand duchy of the Russian Empire. Despite this, locomotive development has always taken an independent line and, although the 5ft 0in gauge conforms to the Russian one, Finland’s locomotives form a rather unique and conservative family. The Finnish landscape is an exciting blend of lakes and conifer woodlands. The country possesses some 60,000 lakes whilst over 70 per cent of the land is covered in forest.

Thus the use of wood as locomotive fuel has been widely adopted.

Shortly after arriving at the capital of Helsinki, I transferred to Rovaniemi, south of the Arctic Circle, in the hope of getting some heavy snow falls, but no luck in this direction; the landscape was very thinly dusted.

Accommodation was provided by Finnish Railways at Rovaniemi station

and on the fourth night, I was awoken by the station duty manager who announced a steady fall of snow in the Rovaniemi area specifically over much of northern Finland. He called me to get up and report to the goods yard at 2 am to join the crew of the 02:41 engineers train to Raajärvi. Despite the excitement of the mission, I found it difficult to leave the warm bed in which I lay listening to the icy blasts of wind.

Cheery Crew On the way down to the goods yard, I passed the loco shed and saw through shrouds of rising steam a TK3 class 2-8-0 which had been specially steamed for snow plough duties through the night, not least along the main line to Helsinki. I was greeted and saluted many times on my walk to the goods yard but could not understand what they said, excluding

one shadowy figure that disappeared into the swirly blackness, who quite clearly muttered ‘Manchester United’.

Chilled and covered with snow, I mounted TR1 Class No. 1074’s footplate to find a cheery crew who seemed pleased, if a little surprised, that an English visitor should be joining them. Upon drawing out the yards, we entered a world of vivid extremes as from the hot, roaring locomotive one looked out on the cold arctic blizzard sweeping across the desolate, white landscape.

Silent, green conifer trees slid past endlessly, lit to a momentary brilliance by the cab’s flickering orange glow.

The roar of 1074’s exhaust must have been audible for miles as the huge engine charged northwards like some anguished giant on the rampage.

Seldom before had steam engines appeared so wonderfully exciting as on this incredible journey.

Inside, the firing policy for 1074’s 38 sq ft grate area was ‘little and often’, every shovelful bringing a blinding white-hot glare into the cab, followed instantaneously by the ‘clang’ of the air-compressed firehole doors closing.

It is necessary to close the firehole doors between shovelfuls because, apart from excess heat entering the cab, admission of cold air onto the firebox tubeplate amid such temperatures sets up stresses which considerably shorten its life.

Arctic Circle Without warning, our 2-8-2 suddenly slowed down, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and the driver, eagerly

FEATURE

58 | RailStaff | August 2015

Crossing the Arctic Circle, Finnish Railway’s TR1 Mikado No.1074 leads a Misi- Rovaniemi freight on 28 March 1972.

we had climbed from 267 ft to 561 ft above sea level.

From Misi the main line continues up to Kemijärvi and onwards into Russia, but since World War II, the route has not been used as a crossing point.

Reindeer tracks

waving a powerful hand torch, beckoned me over to his window. With the engine now slowed to a walking pace, he shone the light out into the snowy blackness. After a time, he found his target for there in the torch’s beam was the Arctic Circle sign to which

he enthusiastically pointed. It is moments such as this that all language difficulties become totally resolved, man communicating freely with man. For many years, I had wanted to visit the Arctic Region but never did I imagine that it would be in such dramatic a way as this.

Having entered Lapland, speed soon returned close to the engine’s permitted maximum of 55 mph, and I took a turn firing, noticing as I did that the logs and coal on the tender were completely white with snow, whilst looking ahead the Mikado’s blazing headlamps showed the single track to be completely snowed over as ours was the first train over this lonely route for some hours. One gained the eerie sensation that we were no longer running on rails. After leaving Misi we turned south-eastwards down the branch to Raajärvi, where some hours were to be spent loading our train. Over the 32 miles from Rovaniemi to Misi,

During the wait at Raajärvi, Mauno, our fireman, demonstrated his way of making coffee by filling an ancient blackened kettle with water, hooking it onto the end of a fire pricker and extending it into the firebox. After boiling point was reached, it was drawn out and some 10 teaspoonfuls of ground coffee were added, whereupon it was left to stew, along with a couple of huge Finnish skin sausages, on the Friedman injector mount. Later these were sampled by all and never did food taste so good as in this remote Lapland quarry.

Dawn broke as we returned towards Rovaniemi and Lapland’s remote beauty impressed itself upon me.

Reindeer tracks could be seen alongside the railway whilst the grip of winter rendered the innumerable lakes and rivers invisible, their presence only being indicated by a lack of trees. With a deep, throaty roar 1074 sped its heavy train southwards, flushing pairs of willow grouse from the lineside bushes and leaving inky black smoke trails across the sky. This fine locomotive’s surging power was frustrated by the fact that we were on light rail and nothing greater than the authorised 55 mph was advisable.

At 8 am we rolled into Rovaniemi and even in this remote area, the magic of steam was apparent judging by the many people who paused to watch our train arrive. Perhaps their interest was accentuated by the comparative scarcity of Finnish steam, for 1074 was only on loan to the area to work these special engineer’s trains.

OBITUARY

August 2015 | RailStaff | 59

Gerry Mason Family Man

Gerry Mason, 77, founder of the recruitment and engineering firm Morson, died peacefully on 24 July.

A great family man, Gerry Mason expanded the idea to include a successful international business and several charities which he supported.

A noted figure in the north west and internationally, Gerry believed in giving something back. He raised considerable sums for the Good Life Orphanage in Kenya. The family-run, Kenya home opened in 2008 and now cares for over 50 orphaned children.

Henshaw’s charity for the blind was also high on Gerry Mason’s list as was the Seashell Trust which helps children and adults with complex and severe learning disabilities.

Gerry Mason was born in Eccles, now part of Greater Manchester, in 1938. His parents were Walter and Winifred Mason. As a child, he helped augment the family income by potato picking and other seasonal work. After studying at St Gilbert’s School, he joined Platt International in Trafford Park as an apprentice engineer and draughtsman. Despite long hours, he made time to study for an ONC in mechanical engineering at Salford Technical College. This involved night school and day release.

The qualifications helped when he sailed for Canada aged 19. A broad experience in the new world included a job as a swimming instructor at Toronto

University and a spell as an export clerk. He worked as a teller for the Bank of Nova Scotia. In Canada, he pursued his education studying at Ryerson Institute of Technology in Toronto where he gained a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. In 1959, he set up as a selfemployed designer and draughtsman working for a variety of what became household names - including Hawker Siddley, English Electric, Shell Chemicals and Pilkington Bros.

In 1966, he applied for a designer’s job with Cromwell Engineering (Canada) and was asked to help set up a new branch office. It was his job with Cromwell that helped crystallise ideas of setting up Morson. Aged 30 he started Morson Human Resources Ltd back in Eccles with the solid and enduring support of his wife, Margaret. The couple have four children: Ged, Carmen, Sara and Natasha. Ged Mason is the current chief executive.

Canada had given Gerry an insight into how businesses in other cultures worked. Moreover, he knew the difficulty many engineering operations faced in getting the right staff, in the right place, at the right time. Motivated by his experiences abroad and with a solid background in engineering, he set up Morson, taking a huge risk. However, he believed in what he was doing and worked hard to realise his dream.

Morson Group, as it became, developed a solid client base in Britain and in the USA, Canada

and Europe. Today Morson Group employs 800 staff, providing engineering recruitment and design services. The group is made up of Morson International, Morson Projects and Vital Human Resources. Morson International is a specialist technical and engineering recruitment company.

Morson Projects provides project management, engineering and design services. Vital Human Resources provides skilled staff and contingent labour solutions.

‘In the eyes of my family, friends and colleagues, my father was a legend, held in high esteem by so many,’ said Ged Mason. ‘Morson’s standards today are based on the strong principles and core values he set for us.

He ensured that integrity, quality and hard work are woven throughout the company’s fabric.

‘His drive and desire for the company to be the best, through hard work and commitment to excellence throughout the business, was matched by his sense of fun and its value in business - and at home.’

Gerry Mason enjoyed golf and was a keen bird watcher. His family was important to him, and he had 13 grandchildren. He remained an active supporter of several local, national and international charitable organisations.

‘The company today is a testament to his vision and hard work,’ says Mike Jones, commercial director at Morson. ‘As an employee, despite it being a big company, it still feels very much like a family.’

CAREERS

60 | RailStaff | August 2015

Thousands and thousands of RAIL OPPORTUNITIES

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About SPX Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SPX is a leading global multi-industry manufacturing leader with approximately $5 billion in annual revenue, operations in more than 35 countries and over 14,000 employees. The company’s highly-specialized, engineered products and innovative technologies are helping to meet rising global demand for electricity and processed foods and beverages, particularly in emerging markets.

Innovation. That’s what drives SPX Rail Systems, a business manufacturing rail products for the UK and international markets including Hong Kong, China, Australia, Spain and Singapore. With a dedicated team of engineers working from our state of the art facility in Dagenham, Essex, we design Point Operating and Level Crossing Barrier equipment to meet the demands of the international Rail Operators for both Conventional and High Speed applications.

Senior Design Engineer, Rail Systems

£Excellent Package

Design Engineer, Rail Systems

£Excellent Package

Location: SPX, Dagenham, Essex

Location: SPX, Dagenham, Essex

As a Senior Design Engineer you will be working within an ISO9001-2000 environment, overseeing mechanical design engineers, mentoring and providing support to ensure work quality and standards are reached; within this specialist design team you will be responsible for the design of mechanical & hydraulic products and systems, creating detailed mechanical designs / layouts using your 3D (SolidWorks) computer modelling skills, preparing equipment and material specifications.

As Design Engineer you will be responsible for the Up Keep and Design of Mechanical & Hydraulic product / systems using sound and industry accepted engineering principles and methods. Working as part of a team, you will contribute to the preparation of documented design inputs and outputs, creating detailed mechanical designs and layouts to meet international standards and customer requirements. You will be familiar with statistical analyses, mathematical modelling, testing and data analyses and be proficient in producing detailed reports to accompany design work.

You’ll support the bid process using your knowledge of design calculations to conduct economic evaluations, interfacing with our vendors. Using your previous experience you will also work on statistical analyses, mathematical modelling, testing and data analysis, additionally supporting the quality process, promoting benefits and driving the implementation of continuous improvement and cost saving projects.

In this exciting hands-on role you will take responsibility for building prototype product and the design and build of prototype test rigs. UK and some international travel will be required and forms an important part of this position, travelling to customer sites to oversee the installation of our prototype equipment this could cover night shifts and weekend work.

To succeed in this role, you will have initiative, integrity, composure, responsibility and the desire / ability to work in a team environment. You will also be aiming for or have already achieved Chartered Engineer status and ideally have experience within the Rail industry; applications would also be welcomed from other industries. A degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering is a must.

So take this high potential role and make it your own. Please apply directly via the website or send us your complete application via email to: gemma.parker@spxflow.com Thank you for your interest in SPX.

www.spx.com/en/careers-and-employment

www.spx.com

CAREERS

August 2015 | RailStaff | 61

www.trsstaffing.com

Global Scale. Local Focus.

– Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies Currently Available –

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Civil, Structural and Bridge URGENT Engineers – Rail and Highways

Senior Quantity Surveyors URGENT / Commercial Managers

Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Reading and London £30K - £60K or £250 - £450/day

London, Swindon, Midlands and Peterborough £40K - £65K or £300 - £450/day

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Rail Project / Construction Manager

Signal Engineers and Managers

Civils and M&E London, Derby, York and Milton Keynes £40K - £60K or £300 - £450/day

London, Swindon, Birmingham, York and Glasgow £40K - £70K or £350 - £500/day

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HSE Specialists

Rail Engineers – OLE, E&P and P-Way

London, Birmingham, York, Swindon and Milton Keynes £300 - £450/day

URGE NT

London, York, Reading and Milton Keynes £40K - £55K or £300 - £450/day

P6 Project Planners

Risk and Value Specialists

London, Midlands, Reading and Manchester £40K - £65K or £350 - £500/day

London, Birmingham, York and Glasgow £35K - £60K or £350 - £500/day

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TRS Staffing Solutions are international engineering recruitment specialists.

We recruit for major national and international projects for leading national rail organisations, main contractors and consultancies.

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Please email your CV to andrew.johnson@trsstaffing.com or if you’d prefer to discuss any roles call +44 (0)20 7419 5800

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@railwayjobs

info@advance-trs.com

01483 361 061

www.advance-trs.com

Providing the people behind tomorrow’s infrastructure. advance Training & Recruitment Services is a niche provider of recruitment solutions to some of the biggest names in rail engineering. We are looking to speak with candidates regarding a number of exciting roles within: • Signalling

• Civils

• Telecommunications

• Permanent Way

• Mechanical & Electrical

• Project Services

• Electrification & Power

• International

For a full list of permanent & contract vacancies, visit

www.advancerailwayjobs.com

CAREERS

62 | RailStaff | August 2015

Technical Sales Engineer

BE THE FORCE BEHIND THE FORCES.

Nationwide

DIO SENIOR RAILWAY ENGINEER

As the market leader in the supply of

£36,562

control panels and pushbuttons, we

Ref: 1462004

Full Time Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

are looking for a Technical Sales Engineer to help us maintain our

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has the responsibility for the management of property, infrastructure and related services to ensure strategic management of the Defence Estate as a whole, optimising investment and, critically supporting military capability to the best effect.

number one position in the rail market.

You will be visiting customers across the country, supporting

The Senior Railway Engineer acts as Defence Subject Matter Expert (SME) and licensee for all MOD rail infrastructure. As the SME, the defence rail engineer also provides support and advice to DIO Service delivery, Projects and Land Management Services (LMS) staff and others to ensure that rail infrastructure plans and proposals are appropriately accounted for and that actual practices are compliant, suitable and sufficient to maintain standards and assure licence conditions are met.

their needs, providing technical solutions and commercial proposals, assisted by our expert team. With an Electro and Mechanical qualification – minimum to Level 3 and a good knowledge of the UK rail market; CAD experience an advantage.

For this critical position we are looking for an expert in their field who is prepared to make a difference in a key defence infrastructure field. In return we can offer you a diverse portfolio, opportunities to develop and apply your expertise an excellent work/life balance coupled with a competitive pension scheme.

Package, including car, pension and private health.

Apply with your CV by 18 August latest to:

If you feel you could be the person we are looking for, please visit www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk

Elly Furzer, Management Assistant, EAO Ltd, Highland House, Albert Drive, Burgess Hill, RH15 9TN

Please use the search facility and enter the reference number above.

Closing date: 30 August 2015.

Email: elly.furzer@eao.com

The MOD is an Equal Opportunities employer and seeks to reflect the diverse community it serves. Applications are welcome from anyone who meets the stated requirements.

A Force for Good.

www.eao.com

www.civilianjobs.mod.uk

Upload your CV and apply at:

www.ata-recruitment.co.uk

@ATA_jobs

Senior Mechanical Engineer Circa £45,000 pa Derby, Nottingham To take responsibility for the delivery of work packages ensuring technical, quality, financial and delivery requirements are met whilst ensuring customer satisfaction. To contribute to the development of the capability and technical excellence of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and to develop effective technical relationships with existing and new customers. Applicants will ideally be qualified to Masters’ degree level, and hold or be working towards Chartered Engineer status. Candidates must have experience of detailed design of traction and auxiliary systems for trains. Knowledge of Rolling Stock Approvals (RGS Standards, TSIs) and experience of Test and Commissioning would be a distinct advantage.

For further information contact: paul.willerton@ata-recruitment.co.uk

T&RS Technicians

Multi-Skilled Engineers

Ranging from £38,000 to £48,000 dependent upon experience

Ranging from £32,000 to £40,000 dependent upon experience

London, Aylesbury, Banbury, Brighton Croydon, Essex

Wembley, Essex, Liverpool, Brighton, Croydon, Kent, Aylesbury, Leeds

Working with leading train operators and manufacturers, ATA Recruitment Limited have multiple opportunities for apprentice trained or qualified Electrical, Mechanical and Dual-Skilled Technicians with backgrounds in rolling stock maintenance. These are permanent roles offering long-term career development and the chance to join at an exciting time when our clients are going through significant investment including new fleet introductions.

Superb opportunities exist for apprentice-trained or qualified Engineers with experience of fault-finding and maintenance on heavy plant and equipment.

You will be joining highly reputable and successful operations where you can expect full training and excellent opportunities to progress in a long-term career. Knowledge of electrical, mechanical and pneumatic systems essential. Ex-Forces candidates are highly desirable.

For further information contact: charmaine.welch@ata-recruitment.co.uk

For further information contact: melanie.ast@ata-recruitment.co.uk

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

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