RailStaff December 2011 by Rail Media

ISSUE 169 DEC 2011

RailStaff 1000’s of UK rail jobs online at RailwayPeople.com

Christmas cheer as Britain backs rail

Nationwide Network Maintenance, Repair, Improvement & Plant Hire

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In this issue... Mystery busker wows Leicester Sq Disguised in a brown wig, torn jeans and a sweater, mezzo soprano, Katherine Jenkins, treated tube travellers to a performance.

Page 4

Hydrex purchase saves jobs Network Rail has stepped in and bought the railway section of Hydrex Equipment after it went into receivership.

Page 6

Alexandra helps break the silence Despite the deepening European Union currency crisis and the challenges of the recession railway growth is receiving top level backing. As Prime Minster David Cameron met Northern Rail apprentices at Newton Heath the Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled a series of measures designed to back Britain’s wealth creating railway. In a more cheerful part of his autumn statement George Osborne announced £1.4 billion of investment in railways. This includes £290 million to electrify the North Transpennine route from

Manchester to Leeds; £270 million to develop a link between Oxford and Bedford and £390 million for enhancement and renewal works to improve stations. Happily a further £290 million will be used to limit fare raises in January 2012. This is good news for front line staff in ticket ofﬁce. Fares will rise by RPI+1% rather than RPI+3%. In addition £45 million will be spent extending smart ticketing across London and the South East. In the ﬁght against crime £5 million will be spent setting up a nationwide taskforce to target metal thieves

and scrap metal dealers who illegally trade in stolen metal. Rail freight receives government backing too, see centre feature. In a statement Network Rail paid tribute to the hard work and reliability of railway staff, essential in winning the conﬁdence of ministers. ‘This is a serious vote of conﬁdence in the railway, and in Network Rail. It shows the value the Government attaches to our industry, and the trust it has in us to deliver this investment. Wherever in the country this investment is going to be delivered is, in a sense, immaterial. It

is a vote of conﬁdence in us all, and our ability to plan, build, maintain, renew and operate a railway that already does and can continue to make a substantial contribution to Britain’s economy as a whole. Thank you for the parts you all play in enabling us to do that.’ A decision on High Speed Two is expected in the new year. The scheme should be given the go ahead once new funding for tunnels in Buckinghamshire can be agreed. The Christmas message for railways is one of cash, congratulations and conﬁdence.

This Christmas thousands of children will be trying to survive on the streets Railway Children race to reach children as soon as they arrive on the streets and intervene before an abuser can. Please turn to page 11 and help us get to street children before the streets get to them.

British pop star, Alexandra Burke, Railway Children’s UK Ambassador, has visited her old secondary school in Islington.

Page 9

FREIGHT PLAN: Forward thinking A visceral challenge lies before the rail freight industry in Britain, ominous in its implications.

Pages 18-21

2 | RailStaff | December 2011

RailStaff Editorial The continuing crisis in the tortured economies of the west, the collapse of the Euro and the ominous threat of war in Iran make for small cheer this December. However, to put our failings into perspective we need look no further than a girl called Jade and the Railway Children charity, courageously supported by many in the industry. Jade is 11 years old and was taken in after living rough on the streets of London. The victim of an abusive step parent and an alcoholic mother, Jade, not her real name, might be forgiven for overlooking the worried ﬁnanciers she once passed on Threadneedle Street. It is hard in any case to look them in the eye when you’re quite small. Likewise when you haven’t any money. Anyway, the jingle of a collapsing currency holds small interest. Jade is looking forward to Christmas. The message of her story is one of hope and the triumph of the human spirit, of goodness, over evil. Despite the recession, trade continues to rise inexorably in the rail industry. The government of the day has invested in railways and said it understands that rail is a driver of economic resurgence. Railway staff can face the future with a greater degree of conﬁdence than much of the rest of the economy. Happily the industry is in a good position to do a great deal more for people like Jade. Despite the recession, consumers will spend millions of pounds on gifts, food and drink. Naturally some will seek to economise by giving less to charity. However this is the wrong way round. During a recession charities need more money than before. Traditional givers fall by the wayside - go bust themselves. More people, particularly the young and vulnerable in our country, need help. Those of us that are in work and in a healthy, vibrant industry need to give more, not less. A good rule of thumb is to evaluate total spending and trick out ten per cent. That is a tenth of what is spent on presents, Christmas trees and turkeys. This should be the base measure for charity. Give this amount away and Christmas will suddenly come into focus and seem brighter and more meaningful. The great challenges of our times will not be solved in the troubled chancelleries of Europe but by ordinary men and women acting out the change they want to see in the world. We wish all our readers and advertisers, and particularly Jade and her new friends, a Merry Christmas and every success in 2012.

We wish all our advertisers and readers a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

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The new Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, has praised the Rail Delivery Group - the cross industry task force charged with slashing the cost of operating the railway. ‘The truth is straightforward and undeniable: the rail industry will only be able to compete for future investment if its longterm cost issues are addressed. I’m pleased to say that the delivery group is demonstrating the industry’s willingness to take on board the challenge,’ said Justine Greening. The Minister was speaking at a top level brieﬁng by the RDG. The chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, Tim O’Toole, said, ‘The industry has much to be proud of, serving the enormous growth in passengers and freight while improving safety and performance - but more must be done. ‘Six months ago the leadership of Network Rail and the major train and freight operating com-

panies came together as the Rail Delivery Group. To serve our passengers and freight shippers even more effectively the Rail Delivery Group must unlock greater efﬁciencies through collective action and reformed commercial relationships. We have made early progress in uncovering the way those challenges can be met. The forum is the start of a process to inform and seek the views of other key members of the industry about our efforts.’ Set up by Philip Hammond the RDG has been told to reduce the amount of money and time spent on delay attribution arguments. The Rail Delivery Group is made up of the chief executives of the various rail companies, freight operators and Network Rail. The idea is to bridge the gap between infrastructure operator and train and freight companies as well as better involving suppliers and contractors.

A working Christmas Santa Claus won’t be the only one working flat out to get the job done in time this Christmas. Up and down the network 1000s of railway staff will be taking advantage of the annual seasonal shut down to progress major projects. Engineers will be demolishing a bridge at Reading. Says project director, Bill Henry, ‘We’ve spent months preparing for the work we’ll be doing at Christmas and it’s another huge milestone in delivering our drive to transform Reading’s railway. A host of changes will be rung over the festive period which the public should be aware of, including a change to platform numbers at the station, as a new platform is being added, and a temporary diversion at Cow Lane while a new bridge is constructed. The two very narrow barrel arches at Cow Lane are notorious bottlenecks. During December and January, we will replace the first of the two Cow Lane bridges with a new structure that will make way for two lanes of traffic, a cycle path and pavement – helping reduce congestion and allowing double-decker buses to use the road. ‘Work to the second bridge will finish in 2015, when motorists will feel the full benefit of the project. We’ve worked closely with Reading Borough Council and local residents to plan for the operation. The main work will start at 5pm on Christmas Eve when we’ll close the rail freight line above Cow Lane to start demolishing the existing bridge. On Boxing Day a huge, 66-axle transporter will lift a new 1,600 tonne bridge we’ve built on a near-by site into place. Trains will start running again

from the next day after we have replaced the tracks. This is obviously a huge task and we’re very thankful for the patience of near-by residents, as well as drivers who will be using diversions until the work ﬁnishes on 30 January 2012.’ People will be able to view the work from a platform at Dairy Crest in Portman Road. Demolition will take place on Christmas Day between 8am and noon and the lifting of the new bridge into place is planned for 8am until noon on Boxing Day.

Bats foil rail link

Ambitious plans by Chiltern Railways to run services between Oxford and London via Bicester have run into trouble after a colony of bats was discovered in Wolvercote Tunnel. A planning inspector has decreed that works on Wolvercote Tunnel - Chiltern plans to dou-

ble the line - could prove harmful to the bats. The rail rodents like to ﬂy up and down the tunnel and roost in it. The common and soprano pipistrelle, the noctule and the Natterer’s bat are all thought to use the tunnel, which goes under the Wolvercote roundabout on the A40. The

bats tend to hibernate in winter. However rail engineers plan to install a lighting system which will come on and warn the bats of approaching trains. Chiltern is now working with Natural England to come up with a plan to protect the bat populations.

RailStaff | December 2011 | 3

Cab debut for Prime Minister The Prime Minster, David Cameron, has fulﬁlled a childhood ambition of making a cab ride in a train. Mr Cameron joined Driver Paul Banks at Manchester Piccadilly for a trip to Northern Rail’s Newton Heath depot. There he met Stuart Beard, who at 49 is a latecomer to the industry but thoroughly enjoying it - and Andrew Lord. Northern’s engineering director, Stuart Draper, gave the PM a tour round the depot. Mr Cameron stopped and chatted to several apprentices away from the media spotlight. ‘He was very nice and very personable’, said Gemma Colley, Northern Rail’s hard working PR who helped organise the trip. ‘He made a point of talking to our youngsters at the depot and was genuinely interested in them and what they were doing.’ Says Ian Bevan, managing director of Northern, ‘We are delighted that the Prime Minister has been able to see the work we do here at Newton Heath. As one of our major depots, servicing over one third of our ﬂeet, it is a key operation and one that keeps thousands of passengers moving around our network every day. We wel-

come the announced investment in the rail industry and are pleased to hear the plans for electriﬁcation of a huge part of the Northern network. This will bring increased capacity, faster journey times, reduced maintenance costs and lower carbon footprint.’ Said the PM, ‘I’ve fulﬁlled a boyhood ambition to get into the cab of a train and actually see what the driver does and

how all the signals work, and that was fascinating.’ Mr Cameron rode with one of Northern’s most experienced drivers. Paul Banks is 54 years old and has worked for Northern since the start of the franchise. He has been a driver for 23 years and started his career on the railways in 1979 as a guard with British Rail. He normally works Manchester Victoria to Chester and Blackpool.

Says Paul, ‘The Prime Minister said he had never ridden in a cab before and he was very interested in how signals and the onboard equipment worked. He was a thoroughly nice chap who wanted to learn as much as he could while he was in there.’ David Cameron meets apprentices, Stuart Beard and Andrew Lord at Newton Heath depot.

Rail News in brief > Fund raiser tour Over £10,000 was raised For the Railway Children charity by big hearted rail staff and passengers on London Midland’s farewell to the class 150s tour. 326 passengers joined a special farewell tour over rarely travelled parts of the network and Severn Valley Railway. The 150s are being replaced by Bombardier-built class 172s.

> Punctuality boost Cable theft and overhead line failures failed to check the onward progress to better-than-Swiss train running in Britain last month. Punctuality on the railways reached 89.3 per cent, a rise of 3 per cent over last year. The moving annual average is now at 90.6 per cent. Period 8, covering 16 October 2011 - 12 November 2011, shows better punctuality all round. This compares to 86.5 per cent for the same period last year. On the West Coast Main Line three major cable thefts at Crewe and Nuneaton slowed up Virgin Trains.

> Carols at Euston The annual railway staff carol service takes place at 12.30pm on Wednesday 21 December at St. Mary’s Church, Eversholt Street, London, NW1. The service is always well attended and St Mary’s was once the parish church of the British Railways Board down the road. Once again the London Transport Choir will lead the singing. The service includes many popular carols as well as sacred music. This event will be followed by refreshments in the Vestry. To reach the church leave Euston Station on the St Pancras side and turn left up Eversholt Street.

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4 | RailStaff | December 2011

PEOPLE MOVES

Railplane remembered

Crafty move for HR Chief

A pioneering attempt to bring jet propulsion to the railways is to be commemorated at Milngavie station, north of Glasgow. For several months in the 1930s George Bennie tested out his rail plane. His propeller-powered prototype ran over a 120-metre line in Milngavie which was demolished for scrap in the 1950s. Despite its appearance, the Railplane was not a monorail as it used both an overhead running line and a guide rail below.

ScotRail is putting the famous poster on display. It had been presented to Milngavie in Bloom by the Milngavie Book and Arts Festival.The image captures the futuristic elegance of Bennie’s creation, which was intended to run above conventional railways. Says John Yellowlees, ScotRail’s external relations manager, ‘It is sad that George Bennie, who died in 1957, was not able to deliver his vision. But I think he would be mightily impressed that Milngavie now has a half-hourly direct service to Edinburgh.’

Richard Doyle is the new human resources director of Network Rail.

Mr Doyle was formerly HR director of Kraft-Cadbury and takes over from Peter Bennett who is retiring. Mr Doyle spent over 20 years with Cadbury plc. He was heavily involved in a number of high proﬁle organisational changes, including the Kraft take over of Cadbury last year. He also led Cadbury’s programme to sponsor the 2012 Olympics. Says David Higgins, chief executive, ‘Richard will be a great addition to Network Rail and brings with him organisational change experience that will be

invaluable as the company continues its transformation programme.’ Richard Doyle studied at Oxford University where he read History and Economics. David Higgins went on to wish Peter Bennett well saying, ‘Peter joined as director of HR during the creation of Network Rail. He’s been with the company for over eight years and during that time the company has achieved substantial improvements in safety, performance and cost reduction. I want to thank Peter for his contribution to these results.’

Headroom for Hynes Alex Hynes, Commercial Director of London Midland has been appointed GoAhead’s Managing Director Rail Development. Alex succeeds Patrick Verwer, who has been appointed Managing Director of London Midland. Alex and Patrick will take up their new posts in the New Year. Mr Hynes has been at London Midland as Commercial Director since November 2007 when Govia started operating the franchise. Prior to that, he was part of GoAhead’s bid team. Educated at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and

Mystery busker wows Leicester Square that’s amazing. It’s got a great acoustic down there, I didn’t want it to end. It felt like we were doing something quite special © KATHERINE JENKINS/TWITTER

Disguised in a brown wig, torn jeans and a sweater, mezzo soprano, Katherine Jenkins, treated tube travellers to an impromptu performance on the London Underground recently. The 31 year old singer was soon identiﬁed by fans as she gave a tear jerking rendition of songs like Time To Say Goodbye, Carrickfergus and Bring Me To Life. Says Andy McCrossen, 43, from Dartford, Kent, who works on the London Underground, ‘I ﬁnd her music quite emotional. I saw her singing then I realised she had a wig on and I recognised her. It’s unexpected to see her on the Tube. You could see a crowd building up. She’s not your usual busker, she’s got an amazing voice, she puts a lot of emotion into it.’ At the conclusion of her 45 minute performance at Leicester Square Katherine Jenkins signed autographs for fans. She said, ‘The people were really lovely. One guy said I had made him late for work now, but I didn’t know I made people cry,

down there.’ The stunt was organised by the Evening Standard in London. The Welsh singer now lives in London.

Leeds University, Alex has over 12 years’ experience of the passenger transport industry. His career has included a spell at the Ofﬁce of Rail Regulation. Alex has been Commercial Director at London Midland since 2007 and is responsible for business development, marketing & communications, retailing, property, customer relations, pricing, revenue protection and service speciﬁcation. Says David Brown, Group Chief Executive of Go-Ahead, ‘I am very pleased that Alex will be joining us as Managing Director - Rail Development. His broad experience and expertise

will be used to the full over the coming months, at a time when there are real opportunities to further grow the business. I am sure Alex will make a decisive difference in securing new business for Go-Ahead.’

Keith plays the advantage Keith Doughty has left Chiltern Railways and joined First Hull Trains as head of operations. ‘Working for First Hull Trains is an exciting and challenging move for me, both professionally and personally. This is the ﬁrst time that I have directly worked for an open access rail operator, and I am relishing the challenge. On a personal note, this new

role means that I am moving further up the country to be nearer to Hull. It is quite a lifestyle change all round as it is the first time I have moved out of the South East,’ says Londoner, Keith who has 22 years worth of experience in the rail industry.’ Outside work Keith is a qualified football referee and also finds time to relax playing golf and fishing.

New Role for Greenidge Marsid Greenidge has been appointed the new Head of Communications at Keolis in London. Says Alistair Gordon, chief executive of Keolis UK, ‘Marsid’s appointment is a real boost for the Keolis UK team. He brings with him extensive communications experience in the rail industry and joins us at an exciting time for our UK business.’

Mr Greenidge joins from London Midland where he was Communications Projects Liaison Manager for London Midland. He was previously Head of Communications for the Southern rail franchise, having spent eight years in the communications team. Prior to this, Mr Greenidge held various public sector communications positions, including four years with

Transport for London. Says Marsid, ‘Keolis UK has considerable ambition for UK rail and is entering a key phase of its UK operations, making this a very exciting move for me. I am looking forward to being part of a highly skilled team, which is focussed ﬁrst and foremost on providing better rail services for passengers.’ Keolis is majority owned by French rail operator SNCF.

PEOPLE MOVES

RailStaff | December 2011 | 5

Neil Ashworth to chair CILT The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK has a new chairman. Neil Ashworth FCILT, who heads Tesco’s internet shopping business, takes over from Paul Brooks of Unipart Logistics. Neil has been a member of the Institute since 1987 and a Board member since 2007. ‘Throughout my career, the Institute has helped me,’ says Neil. ‘From my Diploma to technical support today, the Institute has been invaluable. Ours

is a people industry. The strength of our Institute emanates from our breadth and depth of expertise. Working with my Board colleagues, the Institute’s Professional Sector Ambassadors and CILT staff, it is my intention to make sure we remain relevant both to young people setting out in their career, and to those with broad industry experience.’ Neil wants to expand membership particularly in passenger transport. Neil joined Tesco in

February 2006. Previously he was Woolworths’ Supply Chain Director at the age of just 38 and has also worked for Hallmark and the Cooperative Wholesale Society. Neil’s appointment coincides with the arrival of ﬁve new board members: John Boulter of DHL, Margaret Everson, former Steer Davies Gleave, Jane Green of Bisham Consulting, Chris Loder of Deutsche Bahn UK and Richard Wilding from the Cranﬁeld School of Management.

Walton to step down Colin Walton head of Bombardier Transportation in the UK is to retire and will leave next February. The widely respected Mr Walton will be replaced by current vice president, Paul Roberts, who has been promoted to Chief Country Representative and President. Paul joined Bombardier in 2009. Sir Neville Simms, FREng has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman, Bombardier Transportation UK Limited with immediate effect. Says André Navarri, President and CEO, Bombardier Transportation, ‘I would like to thank Colin Walton for his signiﬁcant efforts on behalf of Bombardier

and to express our appreciation for his unwavering dedication and commitment to Bombardier Transportation over the past 20 years. We wish him well in his retirement. I am delighted to welcome Sir Neville Simms as Chairman for Bombardier Transportation UK and to congratulate Paul Roberts on his new role as Chief Country Representative.’ Colin joined the railway as a 15 year old apprentice and trained as an electrical engineer. He relaxes by skiing and playing golf. He is East Midlands Chair for the Prince’s Trust and sits on the All-England Council. He is Chairman of the Railway Industry Association.

Colin joined Bombardier in 1991 as Director of New Projects and was responsible for its newly acquired Prorail division, turning it into a leading player in the British market. From 1992 to 1997, he was actively engaged in vetting potential acquisitions on behalf of Bombardier in the UK. He was named UK Chairman and Chief Country Representative for Bombardier Transportation UK in 2002. He has been assiduous in his defence of Litchurch Lane. The new chairman, Sir Neville Simms is currently deputy chairman of International Power plc and chairman of the Building Research Establishment Trust.

New position for Dominic Dominic Gregory has been appointed Survey Sales Consultant for Korec - in charge of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the North East. Korec distributes GPS equipment made by Trimble. As well as railways Korec supplies advanced GPS solutions to the construction and survey industries. Dominic has over 11 years of site based experience in surveying and project management roles. He has gained extensive hands-on experience of both

GPS and Optical instruments in his previous positions for Halcrow, Jacobs and Tata. Responsible for the sales and hire of the full Trimble range of survey instruments for Korec, Dominic graduated from Newcastle University in 2000 with a degree in Surveying & Mapping Science and gained his RICS Chartership in 2007. He will effectively be replacing Matthew Lock who has taken up a new specialist role as Korec’s Rail Sales Consultant. Matthew’s

move reﬂects new moves to better serve the growing railway industry with market speciﬁc systems and solutions.

Eastern role for Ikram Rabbani Ikram Rabbani has joined Resourcing International as Country Manager for its expanding Middle East business. Says Richard Lawrance CEO of parent company, Resourcing Solutions Group, ‘The move to appoint Ikram shows an ambitious growth plan for the business as we prepare to open Qatar and UAE ofﬁces in the new year. These are certainly exciting times for the company. With premises in these countries we will proactively assist our Middle East clients with their talent management and acquisition needs.’ Ikram Rabbani has worked for

Morson International, Hytek Recruitment Services Limited and Yacht UK Ltd. At Wilde Recruitment he was Managing Consultant - specialising in engineering recruitment and working internationally. Ikram will be responsible for opening up business development opportunities in the Middle East. Educated at Edge Hill College of Higher Education and South Trafford College of Further Education Ikram is a top class basketball player and whilst studying played against universities in Belgium, Germany and Holland. He will be based in the UK.

Hot Press ScotRail recently awarded a three-year contract to Bombardier Transportation for the continued support of its Class 170 ﬂeet.

Sean Duffy, the sales chief at Newsquest Herald and the Evening Times in Scotland is leaving newspapers to join the rail industry. Sean is to become commercial director of First ScotRail. It is understood that Sean, who joined the Glasgow operation of Newsquest in September 2010, is expected to take up his new role early next year.

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Bob’s New Year resolution Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT has been re-elected unopposed for a further ﬁve year term. His third term of ofﬁce starts in the New Year. Says Alex Gordon, RMT President, ‘Bob Crow’s unopposed reelection as RMT General Secretary, with overwhelming support from our branches, is a total vindication of the industrial and political strategy that has been developed by the union under Bob’s leadership.’ From Shadwell in London Bob Crow started his working life as a track worker on the London Underground. He remains an outspo-

Network Rail has stepped in and bought the railway section of Hydrex Equipment after it went into receivership. Hydrex supplied the railway with road rail vehicles. Network Rail Infrastructure Limited has now completed purchase of the assets of the rail division of Hy-

drex Equipment (UK) Ltd from its administrators, KPMG LLP. The purchase includes a transfer of employment for all rail division staff. Says Martin Elwood, director of Network Rail’s National Delivery Service, ‘This is not a step that Network Rail has taken lightly.

The purchase of Hydrex’s rail division has secured hundreds of jobs while making sure we can deliver as planned our programme of maintenance, renewals and enhancements across the rail network. Our priority in making this purchase is to ensure continuity of works.’

The purchase of the rail division of Hydrex will see ownership of over 300 road-rail vehicles transferred to a new subsidiary of Network Rail, along with the transfer of employment of 531 associated employees. The new subsidiary is called Network Rail (NDS-Plant) Ltd.

Hydrex purchase saves jobs

ken critic of Tony Blair, the European Union and railway privatisation. He is a lifelong support of Millwall Football Club.

Lego tree thrills

Toys get home for Christmas

Staff at TfL’s Lost Property ofﬁce have sorted out more than two hundred toys which have been donated to the Salvation Army. The toys - including teddy bears and cuddly cats - will be given to disadvantaged children in south London over the Christmas period. The Christmas gifts also include board games and sports equipment. Says Paul Cowan of TfL, ‘Of the hundreds

of thousands of items of lost property received each year, toys and children’s gifts have a particular signiﬁcance. Many are unable to be traced to an owner and, perhaps due to their perceived value or belief that they will not be handed in, remain unclaimed after three months. Items are donated to our charity partners on a regular basis, however new toys and gifts are saved until the end of the year, when their donation

has a much greater impact. ‘For those who have lost these items, their original intention of bringing joy to a child has still been achieved. The team at the Lost Property Office take great pride in the work they do and it is rewarding for them to be able to complete the cycle of giving through this donation.’ The LPO has handled more than 200,000 items of lost property in 2010/11. On average one in three items is reunited with its owner. Says Captain Kevin Stanbury of the Salvation Army’s Deptford Community Centre, ‘More people than ever are struggling financially and this is never more apparent than around Christmas time. Right across the country, the Salvation Army provides toy parcels to those families who would otherwise have to go without. This service is made a little easier due to the kind donation from organisations such as Transport for London. Over the past five years they have donated countless toys, all of which help to bring joy and laughter into the life of a London child. We cannot thank the Lost Property Office and its staff enough for making this scheme possible.’

A huge Christmas Tree with a difference greets travellers this year at St Pancras International. The tree is made entirely of lego. School children from Edith Neville Primary School, Camden, and Copenhagen Primary School, Islington, as well as the Harpenden Explorer Scouts Unit

helped make the 1200 LEGO baubles that adorn the tree. The Christmas tree has been made with 600,000 LEGO bricks and 172 LEGO branches. Children and passengers attended a special switch on ceremony, which featured singing and dancing.

8 | RailStaff | December 2011

Rail move for Firth © NICOLAS GENIN

VolkerFitzpatrick is to build the new train maintenance depot at Reading. The new traction and maintenance facility is to open in 2013 as part of the Reading remodelling scheme. Provision must also be made for Overhead Electriﬁcation. In addition to being able to maintain the cur-

rent fleet of trains, the new depot will be able to look after the new IEP trains – promised for 2012. Steel bases will be included in the construction to allow electrification of the depot as part of the main line electrification project. The current depot is to be demolished to make way for the

new eastern chord which will allow for grade separation of the main lines. VolkerFitzpatrick came up with a carefully costed bid of £36.2m, a welcome reduction from initial estimates of £70m for the job. Work building the new depot on railway land to the north west of the station should begin in January.

A ﬁlm is to be made of ‘The Railway Man’, the spell binding war memoir of Eric Lomax. Jonathan Teplitzky is set to direct Rachel Weisz and Colin Firth in the picture. Eric Lomax was a second lieutenant in the Royal Corp of Signals when he was captured by the Japanese army in Singapore during World War II. As a prisoner of war in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, he was forced to work on the horriﬁc death railway in Burma and helped build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Jeremy Irvine will play the younger Eric Lomax. Frank Cottrell Bryce and Andy Paterson are writing the script. Lomax, a Scot, was a lifelong railway enthusiast.

VolkerFitzpatrick wins Reading Depot

Full House for Father Christmas Special trains taking children to see Santa Claus on the Severn Valley Railway are almost all fully booked. Says SVR’s David Mee, ‘The way bookings have been coming in, it’s clear that as hard-pressed as many families are in these recessionary times, the traditional steam train ride on the Severn Valley to see Santa is not something they are willing to sacriﬁce.’

The Kidderminster to Bridgnorth steam heritage line is running almost 100 Santa trains in the lead up to Christmas. Rail ofﬁcials say they are experiencing one of the busiest Christmases for over 30 years. Father Christmas apparently agrees and is relieved to be able to see so many of his young friends in quick succession in Shropshire. Hundreds of children take the train to Bridg-

north, where they meet Santa Claus. He then disappears into the night to continue his preparations for Christmas Eve itself. ‘I have given out thousands of model trains and railways over the years so it’s a great treat to see these youngsters arriving on a real steam train,’ says Father Christmas, adding, ‘I’d like to wish all railway staff everywhere and volunteers at the SVR a very Merry Christmas.’

New depot for Swindon © ROGER CARPENTER

A new depot housing the electriﬁcation train for the Great Western Main Line project will be built at Swindon, the historic railway town. The £3m factory train depot forms part of Network Rail’s £800m plan to electrify the line from London Paddington to Cardiff. The new depot will house the new £55m factory

train, used to install overhead power lines along the track. The new independent western route management team will also be based in Swindon. Says Patrick Hallgate Network Rail Western’s new route managing director, ‘Swindon is our regional head quarters. We’ve got about 500 staff here and control all aspects of the route from

Paddington down to Penzance. The factory train allows us to put the wires up in the air at a speed which allows us to run trains and minimise disruption throughout the years which the project is being undertaken. And Swindon is ideally located - it’s in the middle of the route and it allows us to get from one end to the other causing minimum disruption.’

New initiative for TfL

Membership open to: all rail and transport industry staff, active or retired, including immediate family. New for 2012: Dental plan + discounted Eden Project admission.

Membership Card and Yearbook Price: £4.50 inc P&P. Extra family members: £3.00 You can also now join and pay for membership online at www.repta.co.uk please send cheques / postal orders payable to REPTA to: 4 Brackmills Close, Forest Town, Mansfield, Notts, NG19 0PB.

Tel: 01623 646789 or see our website: www.repta.co.uk

hind the projects. There will be no change to the day to day operation of the DLR, but we have found that we will be able to

make ongoing savings by replacing private sector ﬁnancing costs of these companies with public sector borrowing.’ © BEN SUTHERLAND

REPTA 2012

Transport for London is taking over the City Airport and Woolwich Arsenal branches of the DLR with a plan to reduce the cost of borrowing. City Airport Rail Enterprises PLC and Woolwich Arsenal Rail Enterprises operated the routes under Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreements. However TfL hopes to save up to £250m by refinancing borrowing incurred by the two firms. Says TfL’s Howard Smith, ‘Now that the extensions have been constructed and are operating successfully we have reassessed the effectiveness of the financing arrangements that sit in the companies be-

RailStaff | December 2011 | 9

Told you so The rail regulator wants better, quicker information for passengers and is backing rail industry efforts to improve customer communications. New obligations on train companies, station operators and Network Rail will ensure the industry is working together to deliver a Code of Practice beeﬁng up passenger comms. Says the Ofﬁce of Rail Regulation’s Chief Executive, Richard Price, ‘Rail passengers in Britain today rightly expect to receive reliable information so that they can plan their journeys and make sensible decisions when services are disrupted. This is a fundamental requirement, not an optional ‘add on’, and we need to do all we can to make sure the railways deliver. I welcome the rail industry’s leadership in developing

Support for Homeless

its Code of Practice for improving passenger information. ‘The code sets out standards for the provision of consistent information at regular intervals, as well as investing in staff training and communications technology. But challenges still remain - only one third of passengers think delays are handled well. Providing appropriate, accurate and timely information for passengers requires every train company, every station operator, and Network Rail to work consistently and cooperatively together. If one side fails it can have a signiﬁcant impact on passengers.’ Ask passengers what they hate most in disruption and it is not

Alexandra helps break the silence British pop star, Alexandra Burke, Railway Children’s UK Ambassador, has visited her old secondary school in Islington to help launch new services to support young runaways and children at risk in London. Every year in Britain an estimated 100,000 young people under 16 run away from home. One in six of these ends up sleeping rough. Says Alexandra Burke, ‘It’s shocking that here in the UK children are ending up alone and at risk on our streets. This affects every one of us. It’s not just something that happens in other countries, it’s happening right now in our communities and on our streets. We need

to start shouting about it. I hope that as an Ambassador to Railway Children I can help spread the word. ‘When I was young, at this very school, I was lucky enough to be encouraged by those around me to follow my dreams. Not every child is lucky enough to have such great support and that’s why projects that reach out to kids on the ground are so important. If you’re facing tough times at home and feel you have nowhere else to turn and are thinking about running away, remember - support is out there to help you. Don’t suffer in silence.’ As part of Railway Children’s

being told what is going on. Even if train crew don’t know it’s best to say so and keep communicating. ‘The new passenger information obligations we propose will allow the regulator to take action against any organisation consistently failing to meet commitments under the industry’s own code. Good performers have nothing to fear. This greater accountability will ensure that poor performers are not allowed to undermine the industry as a whole. It is time for passengers to have certainty that, at all times and across the whole network, all parts of the industry are working together to deliver the best information that can reasonably be provided,’ Mr Price added.

Network Rail is supporting a charity that helps homeless people. Called ‘Crash’ the charity focuses on improving and constructing buildings used to help homeless people. The charity operates with a minimum of fuss and awards cash grants, provides professional advice and supplies free materials. Says Martin Arter, Chair of the Network Rail Charities Panel, ‘We want to build a productive

and long relationship with Crash, an organisation that supports Network Rail’s charitable giving objectives. The homelessness project Crash offer services to individuals throughout the UK from emergency housing needs to health and well-being and education, employability and skills. We look forward to supporting homelessness projects that have a big impact on local communities and in addition we are also keen for some of our

collaborative work with its corporate partner Aviva, a £300,000 investment over the next three years will extend the existing Miss U service in Camden and fund new services in Islington and Haringey. This is a multiagency approach between Railway Children, Aviva, North London local authorities and Barnardo’s. Says Terina Keene Railway Children Chief Executive, ‘Having survived a very difﬁcult home environment, many young runaways lose their trust in adults and see the streets as their only alternative if they feel they cannot live at home any longer. Faced with limited choices and not knowing where to turn, many vulnerable young runaways end up living alone on the streets, where they are at risk of violence, sexual abuse and drug or alcohol dependency. It’s vital we reach these children before they come to further harm.’

36,000 employees and wider supply chain partners to volunteer and participate in the delivery of these projects in their local area.’ Crash receives no government funding and is 100 per cent funded by the construction and property industry. Run by a team of only three full-time staff, this cost-effective way of running a charity has enabled Crash to help over 45 projects across the UK in the last year.

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10 | RailStaff | December 2011

Join the Rail Alliance now

log on to www.railalliance.co.uk

Rail Alliance membership starts

email jo.bennett@railalliance.co.uk

from just £500 per year

or call 01789 720026.

Best year for Rail Alliance 2011 has been without doubt our best year so far. We have doubled our membership and continue to grow. We have seen our member companies exhibiting at all of the major shows, including Railtex, Rail Interiors in Koln, Trako in Poland, Eurasia Rail in Ankara, The Infrastructure Show at the NEC, Ausrail in Brisbane and - of course - our very own MacroRail 2011 at Long Marston. Many of our members are also reporting a growth in their business. Conﬁdence in the market is on the up from where it has been in recent years.

well as looking at organising some exciting new reciprocal events and visits to Austria,

Bavaria, France, Saxony, Scandanavia and Spain. With these international clusters in mind,

MacroRail 2012

To 2012 and beyond! We are looking forward to a busy 2012. The Rail Alliance is working on new partnerships with UKTI and the new national Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Centre for Rail Research and Education at the University of Birmingham - all of which will bring added value and opportunities to our members. Moreover, we are also busily engaged with our fellow European Rail Clusters in terms of benchmarking best practice as

we will be staging an International Rail Cluster Networking Event during Infrarail 2012 at the NEC. Incidentally, an event for which we have already brokered an extremely attractive deal for members who are looking to exhibit at this top event in the calendar. If you want to reserve space please contact: neil.stevens@railalliance.co.uk or ring the Rail Alliance on 01789720026.

Nicola Atkinson of Garrandale, Rail Alliance Member, at AusRAIL PLUS 2011, Brisbane.

2012 is also an Innotrans year and so Berlin will no doubt loom big on the horizon for many of us in September. In fact, September will become a busy month for us as we will be staging MacroRail 2012 in the ﬁrst part of the month at our headquarters in Long Marston. MacroRail 2012, with its abundance of track around the exhibition venue, presents a great opportunity for members to show off their products and services to the rest of the Rail Alliance membership and, arguably, more importantly, to the wider rail procurement community – and all for about a tenth of the cost of exhibiting at a traditional exhibition! Also, in the spirit of collaboration and deepening our commitment to partnerships and

Members Spotlight

Jobson James Insurance Brokers Ltd Rail Alliance member, Jobson James, is an independent corporate insurance broker, specialising in risk analysis services for the rail, construction and manufacturing industries. Director Keven Parker explains the company philosophy and the importance of risk management in today’s changing insurance world. We have developed our culture over the last 20 years, providing innovative risk based solutions for rail industry supply chain companies. In the past many insurance brokers concentrated on securing purely rating information about a business (turnover, wages etc) and approaching a maximum number of insurers to elicit competitive quotations. However insurers these days are much more selective about the risks they wish to write as they no longer receive signiﬁcant investment income to prop up poor underwriting results. In effect underwriters are much more personally liable for writing a proﬁtable book of business than ever before. To achieve maximum competition and long term stable premiums for our clients we work in a very focussed and targeted way with fewer insurers competing harder and selectively for our clients. High quality risk information is key. We have sup-

ported many of our staff to attain Chartered Insurance Broker status because we place a high degree of importance on understanding our clients business in detail which comes through professional qualiﬁcations. Only then can we begin to mould an insurance program in a bespoke way to meet their demands and needs so that the solution is truly unique to them rather than ‘off the shelf.’ It is essential that the insurance broker has a strong relationship with not just the Finance Director of a business but also with Health and Safety Management. Insurers will provide better terms and conditions if they can easily see that the client has a strong health and safety policy statement signed by the Managing Director which gives leadership and priority to avoiding workplace accidents backed up by quality safe systems of work and thorough internal and external auditing. The underwriters will be more conﬁdent that claims frequency will be low. Clients ask us how can they reduce their insurance premiums and there is no one simple answer. The best way is through a properly coordinated risk review involving the client, the broker, current and competing insurers. The client themselves need to

embrace result risk improvement requirements so they can feel confident to self-insure some risks and only insure those risks that they really need to. If a business wished to review the services of their insurance broker and insurer by asking competing brokers to act for them then there are actually 5 different ways that the review can be conducted. Choosing the right method of review is critical to achieving the best results from insurers. All too often too many brokers are asked to compete and insurers end up issuing ‘vanilla’ quotations in the knowledge that so much competition will mean its unlikely they will win the business so they do not try hard to. Rail Alliance is organising some great events which allow suppliers and customers in the rail industry to network. However there are other benefits to membership too such as providing a forum for educating members about peripheral matters which affect all of our businesses and that advice can save significant cost - insurance is a good example. Keven Parker can be contacted on: 0121 452 8717 or 07816 283949 keven.parker@jobson-james.co.uk Jobson James Insurance Brokers Limited, 55 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 1TH.

partnering, our Executive Director, Robert Hopkin, has become qualified as an accredited BS11000 facilitator and, after a lifetime of training aircrew and ground crew during his time in the Royal Air Force, he is looking forward to deploying his training skills to the benefit of our members who are actively seeking BS11000 accreditation. Additionally, we will be forging ever closer links with other sectors’ cluster groups as we look to add value to our members as, for example, we explore the synergies working with the railway infra/civils sub-sectors where we hope to stage collaborative events with the West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence. In the more immediate future, we are very pleased to announce our first collaborative venture with the Midlands Aerospace Alliance where we have accepted their kind invitation to join them at their March event at the Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty Park in Coven-

try. Naturally, we are already working on the return ﬁxture!

Australian Success AusRAIL PLUS 2011 in Brisbane saw over a dozen of our members exhibiting and several more visiting the show and making good use of our stand. The Australian market is very exciting and vibrant; like many countries around the Asia/Paciﬁc rim, there is strong economic growth and very large amounts of money being spent on infrastructure projects. We were represented at the show by Colin Flack, our Chief Executive, who reported that this market place is suitable for all ranges of company, large and small. We are looking forward to creating a UK Pavilion at the show in Sydney in 2013 and for those companies who are interested in exhibiting with us, they should contact Rhona Clarke on rhona.clarke@railalliance.co.uk or 01789720026 asap as space is selling very fast.

New members Gatwick Construction | www.gatwickconstruction.co.uk (Specialised Construction & Engineering Business Delivering a Wide Range of Project Building & Maintenance Services to UK Airport, Rail & Road Markets) Horizon Specialist Contracting | www.horizonsc.co.uk (Specialist Service Provider for Lightning Protection, Earthing Systems, Structural Maintenance & Height Technology) Keltbray Rail | www.keltbray.com (Suppliers of a Range of Road Rail Vehicles & Equipment for the Rail Industry throughout the UK Carrying Out Civils Work including Piling) Premier Pits | www.premierpits.com (Manufacturer & Installer of Steel Prefabricated Vehicle Pits)

EVENTS Members’ Meeting and Lean Process Seminar Dec tbc - Location... Worcester – hosted by Southco UKTI/Rail Alliance NW Regional Rail Brieﬁng Event 27th Jan tbc - Location... Crewe tbc Members’ Meeting & Networking Event Feb tbc - Location... TRaC Global, Skelmersdale - tbc Infrarail 2012 1st-3rd May - Location... NEC, Birmingham InnoTrans 2012 18th-21st Sept - Location... Berlin, Germany

The next few minutes will change Rani’s life forever... Rani has some quick decisions to make. Does she run from the man coming towards her, or does she talk to him? Should she trust him, or will he abuse her, or even rape her? She knows that it happens all the time. Should she agree to do things with men, bad things, if it means she can stop herself and her little brother starving? What should she do for the best? Thousands of children at stations around the world are making decisions that can shape their whole futures. The dangers are many, and the adults who will abuse them are all too persuasive.

Rani was lucky - because Railway Children were there Rani arrived at India’s Lucknow Train Station with her little brother. Orphaned, she was left with relatives that didn’t care. Desperation led them to board a train to the nearest city, they were alone and incredibly vulnerable. Fortunately, a Railway Children worker got to them first. He gained their trust, and made sure they didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Now Rani and her brother are safe, happy and hopeful - as children should be.

Please help children like Rani today by calling 01270 757 596 or use the form below (please quote ‘PRRSTF’)

✁ Yes, I’ll help children on the streets or at railway stations. Here’s my donation to make sure Railway Children get there first.

I would like to give £10 or my own amount of £............ Title ......................... First name(s) ............................................................................. Surname .....................................................................................................................

I enclose my cheque/postal order made payable to Railway Children OR Debit/credit card. Type of card: MasterCard

Address ......................................................................................................................

Visa

Maestro/Switch*

CAF

Card no:

....................................................................................................................................

Start date:

Expiry date:

..................................................................... Postcode ..............................................

*Issue No:

CSV no. last 3 digits on reverse of your card

Data Protection: Railway Children hold your data for marketing purposes to keep you updated about our work. We will not share your information with any third parties. If you do not wish to receive updates from us please call 01270 757596. Registered charity number: 1058991

(code ‘PRRSTF’)

Please send to: Railway Children, FREEPOST RRHJ-ESZK-EYCG, 1 The Commons, Sandbach, CW11 1EG or donate online at

www.railwaychildren.org.uk To protect identities, names are sometimes changed. Wherever possible we gained the consent of the child pictured in accordance with our child protection policy.

Find us: facebook.com/railwaychildren Follow us: @railwaychi1dren

12 | RailStaff | December 2011

Virgin Trains goes for growth Virgin Trains plans an ambitious 2012 having won a franchise extension through till December of next year. The original franchise terminates in March 2012. New trains and carriages will be introduced to help accommodate record growth on West Coast, where the number of passengers has more than doubled in the last seven years. Despite the upgrade of the WCML passenger numbers soared from 14m in 2004 to around 30m in the current year. Also, despite the recession in the last three years Virgin Trains says it has been the fastestgrowing operator, with annual growth above 10 per cent, following big timetable improvements in 2008. Under the ex-

Waiting to be platformed ing the 15 platform surfaces making them compatible with disability discrimination legislation. Platform one is currently under renovation and the works will be delivered in phases between 2011 and early 2014 to minimise disruption of the day-to-day operation of the station. Glasgow Central handles 1,200 trains a day and

nearly 40m passengers a year.The scheme complements a series of improvements, which include the installation of automatic ticket gates, a new PA system and better retail and toilet facilities. Says David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director, Scotland, ‘As the popularity of rail continues to grow we are

committed to investing in Scotland’s railway to ensure we can offer customers the best possible facilities and services. The investment in new platform surfaces at Glasgow Central will further enhance the station for its users and improve the appearance of the facility in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.’

Special date for East Ham man Brian Lees, an engineer with c2c is celebrating 30 years service on the railway. His career began at Finsbury Park Depot where he was an apprentice. Later after working as a wheel lathe supervisor, Brian became engineer in charge of infrastructure at Hornsey Depot, Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth and Chingford sidings before becoming services engineer for WAGN Railways. In 2002 Brian moved to c2c’s East Ham Depot as Engineering Manager to work on the new ﬂeet of 357 trains, with his old boss, Fleet Manager

Tony Smith. Brian later became Fleet Development Engineer for c2c. Brian lives in central London and his interests include industrial archaeology and geology. Says Ben Ackroyd c2c’s Engineering Director, ‘Brian is an integral and valued member of the c2c team, who has contributed a great deal to c2c’s industry-leading performance over the years. I’d like to offer him my thanks for his incredible contribution to the business and congratulations on completing 30 years on the rails.’

Brian Lees is one of 650 staff who help make c2c one of the most punctual railway operations in Britain. Over the years the team at East Ham Depot, has won numerous rail industry awards and holds several industry records. In 2009, c2c trains achieved an average of 74,000 miles between any technical or mechanical failure of its trains – a record not bettered by any other train operator. c2c also holds the UK records for the highest annual punctuality by a franchised train operator at 96.7% and the record for any 4-week performance period at 98.8% - making

Handyside take over

Following on from last year’s opening of its two new platforms the rest of Glasgow Central’s platforms are being spruced up and resurfaced. Network Rail is progressing a multi-million-pound project to transform Glasgow Central, Scotland’s busiest station. Around £10m will be invested in renew-

tension agreement, Virgin Trains plans to add two standard carriages to each of its 31 existing Pendolino trains between April and December 2012. This is in addition to four new trains. The agreement is based on a forecast of 11 per cent year-onyear growth, more than three times the long distance operator average. The deal, which covers any shortfall on DfT revenue targets through an 80 per cent revenue support agreement or any excess through an 80 per cent revenue share, will see Virgin Rail Group make a premium payment to the Government for the eight months. The new agreement covers the Olympic Games. The new franchise will start on 9 December 2012 and run until 31 March 2026.

them more punctual than the Swiss Federal Railway. Brian Lees at East Ham Depot.

A famous wrought iron foot bridge at King’s Cross station, beloved by Harry Potter fans and film buffs, is to be relocated to the Mid-Hants Railway in Hampshire. The Handyside Bridge was originally erected in 1893 and is named after Derby-based Andrew Handyside and Company. The bridge has appeared in many films and is best remembered with a steam engine billowing smoke underneath. The removal of the bridge forms part of the £500 million redevelopment of the station. Says David Snow, from the Mid-Hants Railway, ‘We are absolutely delighted to have acquired this historic bridge for re-location to the Watercress Line. We have long wanted a footbridge to provide a viewing location across our tracks and to acquire this one, which has featured in a number of the Harry Potter films, will be an excellent addition to our railway.’ The bridge has now been moved to Eastleigh where it will be shot blasted and painted. In spring next year a new bridge designed by scheme architects John McAslan & Partners will open, linking the station’s brand new concourse with the main train shed. Passengers will be able to move directly from the shops and cafes on the mezzanine level across the bridge, and access the platforms via escalators or lifts, which will make the entire station fully accessible for all.

Time please As controversy rages in Britain about whether to switch the clocks back every autumn, Russia has decided not to change its clocks for winter this year. Traditionally misaligned time zones in Europe and Britain play havoc with railway schedules.

President Dmitry Medvedev has decided the country should enjoy permanent summertime. Russian mornings will be darker for longer, however afternoons will be lighter beneﬁting school students and agricultural workers.

RailStaff | December 2011 | 13 As the government builds its case for High Speed Two and considers a further ½ million pound spend on a tunnel through the Chilterns an interim report released by Greengauge 21 shows that far from being carbon neutral in pollution terms the scheme should reduce carbon emissions. Says Jim Steer of Greengauge 21, ‘We need to move beyond the will it, won’t it level of debate about the carbon impact of HS2. Our research has looked at a wide range of factors that might affect the carbon case for HS2 and discovered the impacts are complex and inter-related. But if the detailed planning is done properly, HS2 should make a positive contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.’ The research was commissioned by the Campaign for Bet-

ter Transport, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). It examined all the factors which will affect the carbon impact of high speed rail and identiﬁed several areas which will have the greatest inﬂuence. The report considers how electricity in future is generated, for instance, how much comes from renewable sources. Similarly transport and land use planning can be better integrated, in particular when deciding where new stations are sited. How successful HS2 is in attracting passengers from other modes of transport and how much capacity HS2 frees up on existing lines in order to accommodate more freight will determine the subsequent reduction in carbon emissions.

Says Ralph Smyth, CPRE, ‘Integrating land use and transport planning will be of critical importance if high-speed rail is to cut carbon. Well sited highspeed rail stations could stimulate brownﬁeld regeneration and create attractive, walkable neighbourhoods.’ The research study, The Carbon Impacts of HS2, is being carried out by Greengauge 21. The full results of the research will be published in 2012. The next phase of the study will examine the knock-on effects on other modes of transport, examining for the ﬁrst time the carbon impacts of freeing up capacity on existing railways for more rail freight or local passenger services, and identify the policy measures that will have the most impact on the carbon emissions for high speed rail.

Alcohol is a positive part of life for many people and if handled moderately and sensibly alcohol need not cause problems, says Express Medicals. However alcohol abuse is a growing problem in Britain. Alcohol is estimated to cause 3-5% of all absences from work and about 8 to 14 million lost working days in the UK each year. Alcohol consumption may result in reduced work performance and damaged customer relations. There is a common misconception that these problems only arise if the individual has consumed well over recommended safe levels of alcohol or well above the legal limit for driving. Even so the DfT stated in 1998 that drinking by motorists with blood alcohol levels below the legal limit (currently 80mg) was a signiﬁcant but largely hidden cause of accidents with 200-300 road deaths per year. The Government’s own guidance on sensible drinking urges people not to drink at all before or during driving; before using

machinery, electrical equipment or ladders and before going to work. The rail industry has much stricter rules concerning alcohol. The legal blood alcohol limit for driving in the UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. However rail industry limits are much lower. If you test with more than 29 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood you will be deemed to have failed the test. The basic message is not to drink at all the night before or indeed for 24 hours before going on shift. Even this is dangerous and the message from the railways is not to drink heavily at all and to seek help if you do. Although the rules are designed with train crew and track worker competence in mind they have long extended to all sectors of the industry. Thus an ofﬁce worker miles from the active railway is as eligible for random testing as the driver on his morning train. Again the message is – don’t risk it. Why does alcohol throw up such problems? Basically alcohol depresses our brain

Sensible drinking

Carbon copy surprise

so it works inefficiently, taking longer to receive messages from the eye. Processing information becomes more difficult and instructions to the muscles are delayed. Alcohol can slow down reaction time by 10 to 30 per cent. Judging speed and distance becomes more difficult. It also reduces ability to perform two or more tasks at the same time. Night vision can be reduced by 25 per cent. Blurred and double vision can occur as can loss of peripheral vision. Alcohol may also create a sense of overconfidence, with the result that people are prepared to take greater risks. These effects can occur even after small amounts of alcohol – particularly so in those people who are not frequent drinkers – so in effect those joining in a party celebration when they are not regular drinkers are particularly at risk. The concentration of alcohol in the body, known as the blood alcohol concentration or BAC, depends on many factors, but principally, how much and what type of alcohol you have drunk, how long you have been drinking, whether you have eaten, whether you are male or female and your size and weight. It is difficult to know exactly how much alcohol is in your bloodstream or what effect it may have and although there are various web-sites offering to do the calculation for you – there is no foolproof way to calculate how much alcohol you can drink to stay below the legal limit. In the rail industry it is best to avoid it altogether the day before working. Irregular eating and working patterns among shift workers can impact upon the effects of alcohol and cause them particular problems. Network Rail carries out random drugs and alcohol tests on workers with PTS cards or in safety critical jobs. All staff will be tested for drugs and alcohol if they are involved in a serious accident or incident or appear to be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Refusal to take a test will be treated as a positive result and may result in dismissal. If employees are on prescribed medication or are taking medicines that may make them drowsy, e.g. cold cures, Solpadine, they should advise their Doctor and seek alternatives AND report the fact to their Construction Manager or Line Manager. A drink at Christmas sounds good fun but the message from the railway industry is be very careful about alcohol consumption. The convivial party or night at the pub is all very well. But it is not important enough to risk you career over.

Villiers backs Bicester Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has visited Bicester, the site for a new direct rail link between Oxford and Bedford. She met representatives from the local authorities and stakeholders, including the East West Rail consortium, to hear how they will work with Network Rail to complete a project. This visit to Bicester Town station follows the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in which the Government conﬁrmed its commitment to support the rail link between Oxford, Bicester, Aylesbury, Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Sandy takes the train After a handshake with the driver Sandy the Squirrel took the train from Aberdeen to Glasgow on St Andrew’s Day, 30 November. Publicising the Scottish Wildlife Trust Sandy greeted passengers and enjoyed the trip. Years ago it was said red squirrels could travel from one side of Scotland

to the other without touching the ground. Now because of loss of habitat, urban development and busy roads the journey is impossible - unless you take the train. In a special announcement rail staff asked passengers to make Sandy welcome on the train.

14 | RailStaff | December 2011

21 projects aimed at improving stations across England have won funding of £46 million. The schemes form the second tranche of successful bids for a £100m station improvement fund, launched earlier this year by Network Rail, DfT and ATOC. Proposals must beneﬁt passengers and reduce the overall public subsidy for rail by generating a ﬁnancial return. Says Rail Minister, Norman Baker, ‘This is great news for passengers. If we are to encourage more people to travel by rail in the future then stations must be easier to get to and have better facilities. These projects will ensure that travelling on a train is a positive experience both during a journey and at the start and end of a trip so I am delighted to be able to announce this additional funding.’ The 21 successful projects include bigger car parks, park and ride projects, station redevelopments and new retail space. The work will be delivered by Network Rail, train companies and local authorities. Rail chiefs greeted the news as further evidence of the industry working closely together to achieve cost effective improvements. Says Robin Gisby, Managing Director, network operations at Network Rail, ‘This is a fantastic example of the rail in-

Working together improves stations Another plant in the wall ity. The visually stunning green wall took just a month to install and includes a total of 15 plant varieties. The air quality beneﬁts of the wall will be monitored by scientists from Imperial College London.

Newcastle Central is set to beneﬁt from a multi-million pound transformation. dustry, local authorities and other organisations working together to improve the passenger experience without increasing the burden on the taxpayer. This second wave of successful bids means this year we have allocated more than £67m in total towards projects which will make travelling by rail better and will

generate a substantial return on investment.’ The ﬁrst tranche of successful bids was announced in August, with funding totalling £21m allocated to 15 projects. Throughout the bidding process there has been no cap on the maximum value of proposals and bids have been welcomed from third party organisations as well

as the rail industry. Says Alec McTavish, director of policy and operations at ATOC, ‘The whole industry is committed to working together more effectively in order to deliver a more efﬁcient railway. This funding scheme is exactly the sort of vehicle that brings the beneﬁts of closer working to the fore.’

Baker praises railway staff Rail Minister, Norman Baker, has praised railway staff for striving to keep the railway safe. Speaking at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Rail Industry Conference 2011, Mr Baker said, ‘We do take it for granted that we will arrive safely. And there is good reason. People no longer question whether the railways are safe, because the reality is that in recent years rail safety performance has increased signiﬁcantly. We are one of the safest railways in Europe, and that’s a tribute to people in the industry who have striven hard, to ensure that the railways are safe.’

A 200 square metre green wall has been unveiled outside Edgware Road tube station on London’s heavily polluted Marylebone Road. The wall is said to trap pollution and helps improve air qual-

130 safety professionals from across the industry gathered at the conference to hear from Mr Baker and other key industry ﬁgures, including Anna Walker, chair of the Ofﬁce of Rail Regulation (ORR), and Terry Morgan CBE, chairman of Crossrail. Iain Ferguson, chair of the IOSH Railway Group, said, ‘As Norman Baker rightly pointed out, the rail industry’s safety record is good. However, as an industry this does not mean that we can afford to be complacent. There’s a need to do more within the industry when it comes to health and safety – both to maintain and improve standards. The McNulty report which was re-

Christmas carol train Revellers on the Poacher Line will be warming up for Christmas with the Sleaford Concert Band with an evening of music and carol singing. Music Trains provide an unusual venue for a variety of live music acts and there is time for a stop at Batemans Brewery in Wainﬂeet. Passengers will be able to prepare for more singing at the Bateman’s Brewery Windmill Bar. The Music Train runs on Thursday 15th December and departs Sleaford Station at 18.55.

Winter’s Tale Norman Baker praised railway staff.

leased earlier this year highlighted a number of areas where improvements need to be made both in the efﬁciency and effectiveness of what we do.

We can and should work together as safety professionals within the industry and continue to improve our standards in all areas of safety and health.’

ScotRail has unveiled more winter equipment aimed at helping hard working staff keep trains running through snow and ice. As well as new 75-metre ‘polytunnels’ which help staff melt snow and ice from trains three times faster than conventional methods at Eastﬁeld depot,

ScotRail has also taken on allwheel-drive vans. The vehicles are ﬁtted out with mini-kitchens and washing facilities and will help sustain staff in remote locations. The vans are equipped with specialised winter tools such as snow blowers and hand-held de-icing material spreaders.

Alan Pauling in Ramboll promotion Gifford director Alan Pauling will take up a new position within Ramboll as group marketing director of transport. Alan Pauling has over thirty years experience in the transport sector and currently holds a position in Gifford, part of Ramboll, as Resource Group Leader - Infrastructure Planning. He

joined Gifford in 2005, and prior to that worked at Balfour Beatty and Atkins. Alan’s career encompasses extensive international private and public sector project management and direction in the transport sector. Says Charles McBeath, managing director Ramboll UK, ‘He brings unparalleled breadth

and depth of experience to the role, which will serve to grow our global transport business even further. His role is a testament to the successful integration of our two companies into one of the UK’s strongest and broadest multidisciplinary engineering and consultancy groups.’

Stephen Murphy, ScotRail track and depots facilities manager, displays one of the new snow blowers.

RailStaff | December 2011 | 15

Help for Railway Children Cable train on order turned to drugs and alcohol to ease her pain. For children like Jade the streets are a living hell. However they feel like they have nowhere else to go. The Railway Children is one of the only support services in the UK that children like Jade can turn to. The Refuge that she arrived at is the only one of its kind in the country – the only place that can offer a vulnerable child complete safety and dedicated support, at a critical time. Expertly trained

staff are there for as long as the child needs them. If a child returns home, they’ll still be there supporting them as they try to make it work. If that’s not the answer, they’ll keep working until they ﬁnd one. This Christmas Jade is safe and well. After a lot of care and effort she’s in a much better place than last Christmas. Jade is determined never to end up on the streets again. Please help children like Jade by donating to the Railway Children this Christmas.

Far too little is said about child runaways in Britain. However the problem goes hand in hand with societal and moral collapse. Young children – many of them abused by live in partners and step parents - feel they have no choice other than to leave. One in three of the estimated 100,000 runaways is aged 12 years old or younger. They become an immediate target for drug pushers, pimps and paedophiles. The levels of cruelty and abuse are chilling. Many end up living on the streets, hanging round railway stations and shopping malls - anywhere where there’s warmth and light. One example put forward by the Railway Children is Jade – a little girl aged 11 years. Last Christmas she ended up cold and alone and on the streets. Jade left home just before last Christmas. For years she had been used as a punch bag by her abusive stepfather. Jade’s mother had given up trying to intervene. She only risked getting assaulted herself. The woman

Runaway children mingle with the crowds and disappear.

Cab ride for Twitter winner

Sarah Gibney from Benﬂeet won a cab ride on c2c when she became the thousandth follower to sign-up on twitter. Top performing c2c asked twitter followers to come up with suggestions for a suitable prize.

Tweats overwhelmingly suggested a cab ride with the driver on a c2c service. Says Sarah Gibney, ‘The cab ride with a c2c driver was really exciting. It was great to see my familiar daily journey from a different vantage point, the panoramic view coming into London was stunning. It was fascinating to see the rail infrastructure, and to get a better idea of what it takes to be a train driver.’ c2c has recently begun using twitter to give customers up-to-the-minute train service information and early indications show the use of the social networking tool has proven very successful with well over a 1,000 followers signing up in a few short weeks. Julian Drury, managing director of c2c, said, ‘We were delighted to welcome Sarah on to the c2c network today and give her a behind the scenes look at the railway. We’re pleased to have reached the milestone of 1,000 followers on Twitter and hope to welcome many more over the coming weeks.’

Chris takes pullman to Great Yarmouth A railwayman retiring after 33 years service, was presented with a pair of model Pullman coaches to add to his collection. Chris Hopkins of National Express East Anglia was cheered by friends and colleagues as he ﬁnished his ﬁnal shift at Norwich station. Chris joined the railway in May 1978 and, being

a railway enthusiast, it proved the perfect job for him. Throughout his career Chris has worked with a diverse range of rolling stock and has seen a wide range of train liveries pulling in and out of Norwich station. Colleagues say he worked hard to ensure the trains were in tip-top condition before going into service.

Peter Tyler NXEA’s Head of Train Presentation said, ‘Chris is very well known by many people on the railway and is a popular ﬁgure who will be missed. We’d like to thank Chris for his contribution to the railway and wish him a very happy retirement.’ Chris lives in the Great Yarmouth area.

A train that will revolutionise how railway lines are electrified in Britain has been ordered by Network Rail. Contracts were signed by Network Rail and Windhoff Bahnund Anlagentechnik GmbH. The 23-vehicle factory train will provide a complete electrification service as it moves along sections of track, completing everything from foundations and stanchions to installing and testing the overhead line equipment. The new system will make its railway debut on the Great Western main line electrification project in autumn 2013. Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik is a German firm based in the town of Rheine on the river Ems, near the Dutch frontier in Munster. The High Output Plant System train will work overnight and is so sophisticated the adjacent line can remain open minimising disruption. The train will be able to electrify an average of a mile of track per night, which is a significantly higher rate of construction than previously achieved. This will dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to complete construc-

Manfred Schmitz, Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik GmbH's managing director (technical), and Robbie Burns, Network Rail's major programme director, seal the deal for the new electrification train. tion, again reducing disruption and cost. Costing around £35m Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik GmbH, will custom build the train for Network Rail. Says Simon Kirby, Network Rail’s managing director for investment projects, ‘Electrification provides a faster, more reliable, greener and economic railway and is a key part of our plans to improve the network. The electrification train is an innovative piece of equipment which will deliver benefits to millions of passengers

across the country.’ The project should pick up speed once the train arrives. Says Robbie Burns, Network Rail’s major programme director, ‘This new train will allow Network Rail to electrify routes more quickly and economically while minimising as much as possible any disruption to passengers. The electriﬁcation train, which has been designed and developed by Network Rail, is revolutionary and will allow us to continue to transform the railway.’

16 | RailStaff | December 2011 © DAVID SHIRRES

Circum Baikal © DAVID SHIRRES

Siberia’s Golden Buckle David Shirres writer for the rail engineer magazine reports

Imagine the West Highland Line to Mallaig as an electriﬁed, double tracked railway, carrying 90 heavily loaded trains a day along the west coast of Scotland. This would give you a good idea of the Trans Siberian Railway around the west shore of Lake Baikal as it was up to 1956, reports David Shirres, who recently travelled to Russia. This was the last section of the Trans Siberian railway to be built as its steep shoreline presented a formidable engineering challenge. It was part of the original Trans Siberian railway around the shores of Lake Baikal known as the Circum Baikal railway and is now a branch line.

World’s oldest lake

Harsh Siberian winters Although SS Baikal could break ice up to a metre thick, for about three months each year the harsh Siberian winters stopped the ferries. However with the urgent need to move troops and supplies across the lake during the Russian-Japanese war, tracks were laid across the ice on long sleepers to spread the load. Carriages and wagons had to be hauled by

horses as the ice was not strong enough to support locomotives. Construction of the single track line along the western shore of Lake Baikal started in March 1902. The ﬁrst train ran over the new line in September 1904 before construction work was complete. Such was the need to move troops and supplies during war with Japan the contract to build

the line required round the clock construction. At the peak of construction 13,500 workers were engaged of whom at least 200 died. In this remote area the problem of ﬁnding labour was resolved by the use of prisoners who received two years off their sentence for each year’s work. In contrast Italian masons were also employed.

The golden buckle Tsar Alexander III actively sponsored the construction of the Trans Siberian Railway and insisted on the ﬁnest stonework on this section of the railway which became known as the golden buckle of the Russian steel belt. This phrase denoted both the beauty of the line and that it joined together the two sections of the Trans Siberian railway. In October 1915 a second track was opened, generally between the lake and the original single track.The bridges on this new line were made of reinforced concrete, at the time a pioneering form of construction. The Mallaig line also pioneered the use of reinforced concrete structures.

SS Baikal Train Ferry.

The Circum Baikal follows the cliffs along the shores of Lake Baikal for 97 kilometres from Baikal to its junction with the Trans Siberian railway at Slyudyanka. As there is no ﬂat shoreline throughout its length, the line is cut into rock slopes or laid on retaining walls. Its construction required 39 tunnels totalling 8.4 km, the longest being 778 metres; 47 avalanche shelters totaling 2 km; 470 bridges and culverts with 5 bridges having spans over 20 metres and 280 separate retaining walls totalling 29 km. In the 1930s Stalin ordered the construction of barracks to house troops who guarded tunnels and bridges, such was the © DAVID SHIRRES

For four years prior to its opening two icebreaking ferries, the 4200 ton SS Baikal and the 1400 ton SS Angara, carried freight and passengers across the lake linking the two sections of the Trans Siberian railway. It took four hours to cross Lake Baikal which is the world’s oldest and deepest lake containing 20% of the world’s fresh water supply. SS Baikal was a train ferry that could carry a locomotive and 24 coaches whereas the smaller SS Angara only carried freight and passengers. Both these ferries were built by Armstrong Whitworth of Newcastle and were transported in parts from Britain to be rebuilt at a specially built shipyard on Lake Baikal. SS Baikal was used after the railway was opened whenever the line was blocked by rockfalls but was destroyed during the Russian Civil War in 1919. Its sister ship, the Angara, continued

in service until 1962. Soon after being taken out of service it was damaged by ice and sank. In 1989 it was raised and refurbished and is now a museum ship in Irkutsk.

RailStaff | December 2011 | 17 © DAVID SHIRRES

strategic importance of the line. In 1936 the line was electriﬁed at 1500 volts dc and its loading gauge was increased.

Landslides The unstable rocks above the railway were always a great challenge. Although much work was done to mitigate this risk, landslides continued causing signiﬁcant disruption and damage. For example from 1932 to 1947 there were 721 landslides, 201 of which closed the railway and 18 caused derailments. This included an 8 cubic metre boulder falling 30 metres to knock a steam engine and its train into the lake. This rock can still be seen today at the 87 km post. Train Drivers described their trips on the railway as exciting but dangerous.

Golden Buckle By-Passed In the 1940s it was decided the rockfall problem on the line was best solved by double tracking and electrifying the existing single line railway from Irkutsk to Slyudyanka to make it part of the Trans Siberian railway.

along the line as they choose. To do so without a PTS certiﬁcate and PPE might feel strange to anyone who works on the railway in the UK but is of course safe with the group being protected by the train.

A must for anyone with an interest in railway engineering

This was completed in 1947 to become the section of the Trans Siberian with the sharpest curves with gradients up to 1 in 50 that could not have been managed by the original steam traction. The railway then became a secondary route. Its status was further reduced in 1956 with the opening of a Hydro electric

dam at Irkutsk that raised the level of the Lake and Angara River upstream of Irkutsk, ﬂooding the line adjacent to the river.

Unfavourable geology As a result the railway became a branch line terminating at Baikal. It was then singled with 2 passing points to become the railway it is today.

Thus, despite its magniﬁcent engineering, the Circum Baikal railway was ultimately defeated by its unfavourable geology. After it lost its strategic signiﬁcance, the area along the line became depopulated as troops and railway workers moved away. Today people are moving back to the area with an increased focus on tourism

which includes the construction of resorts and plans for a railway museum.

Tourist train

At the time of writing, the train service comprises of a tourist train and a mixed trafﬁc local train. The local train leaves Slyudyanka in the early afternoon arriving in Baikal about 5 hours later to connect with a ferry across the mouth of the river Angara to Listvyanka from where there are buses to Irkutsk. The local train returns to Slyudyanka during the night. The tourist train, whose timetable varies during the week, provides much more than a train ride with opportunities to ride in the cab and for an up close examination of the line’s structures. During one of its many stops passengers are free to walk

For those planning a trip on the Trans Siberian railway a trip on the Circum Baikal railway is a must for anyone with an interest in railway engineering. The line has a fascinating history and is one of the railway wonders of the world. Although its timetable is not easily available on the internet, there are web pages offering trips on the tourist train. Recommended reading for a trip on the line is an English booklet ‘The Circum Baikal Railway’ by A.K Chertilov which is available in the nearby city of Irkutsk. For those with more time the railway offers a great outdoor experience by Lake Baikal with the opportunity to examine the line in your own time. The continental Siberian climate offers many warm sunny days. If you do go, as you sit in the warm Siberian sun spare a thought for the 13,500 whose toil in the harsh Siberian winter made your trip so enjoyable. This article was written following a press trip along the Circum Baikal line organised by Russian Railways (RZD) whose assistance in the preparation of this article is greatly appreciated. © DAVID SHIRRES

FREIGHT FOCUS

FREIGHT PLAN:

18 | RailStaff | December 2011

Forward Thinking

A visceral challenge lies before the rail freight industry in Britain, ominous in its implications. On the face of it, like the higher proﬁle passenger sector, rail freight simply needs more capacity and faster transit times. Extra paths, wider gauge trunk routes and the elimination of bottle necks will speed it on its way and all will be well. Big business is right behind this and keen to invest in moving more freight by rail. The underlying challenge is the urgent need to expand railway terminals, intermodal depots, warehousing and logistics centres. Traditionally the passenger railway can claim to go right to the heart of cities and towns with a directness airports and motorways can-

not hope to emulate. However rail freight is not so fortunate. The great freight yards of Euston Road are concreted over and the British Library soars above the lines where London’s freight trains once unloaded. Although many freight depots like Trafford Park in Manchester and Lawley Street in Birmingham can lay claim to quite a central location many more are needed to serve new towns and new industrial areas. The key to unlocking growth on Britain’s rail freight network – as the government has realised – is the provision of more depots, rather clumsily termed, Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges. However siting new terminals where they are needed presents a hefty

challenge. Like high speed rail most people agree rail freight is a good idea – so long as it doesn’t come anywhere near them. Even a cursory look at rail freight reveals the struggle the industry has to engage in to win planning permission for new facilities. The public, it seems, connects railway freight yards with the bump and clatter of goods wagons and the winding drone of gantry cranes. Klieg lights, idling locomotives and midnight marshalling manoeuvres complete the impression of loud disruption. Local councils as well as central government and freight forwarding and logistics companies ﬁnd it hard to win planning permission for new terminals. The public seems unaware of new qui-

To make progress with rail freight the public has to be won over. Historically rail freight companies have aimed their selling power at road hauliers, shipping lines and even air freight markets. However the idea of moving serious amounts of freight by rail has to be sold to the public. Only by winning the PR debate can the way be cleared for a new generation of Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges. Communicating with local people is the responsibility of us all not simply the developers. Winning this hearts and minds battle ultimately means an easier ride for planning applications. In turn this will unleash the myriad new initiatives a hugely successful part of the railway industry stands poised to deliver.

Massive expansion of rail terminals

eter technology, mobile cranes, banked enclosures for sidings and the policy of switching off idling locos to save fuel. This is symptomatic of a wider problem. Rail freight as an entity fails to engage the sympathy of the community it serves. Despite the laudable efforts of Tony Berkeley at the Rail Freight Group and Philippa Edmunds at Freight On Rail the great British public remains woefully opposed to any new railway development in its own back yard. Popular pressure groups have opposed new Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges at Slough, St Albans and Lincoln. Moves by supermarket chains and local councils to build new railway freight depots can expect to be opposed.

Stobart run Spanish train High level backing for rail freight. Britain is to have more rail freight terminals enabling a far higher volume of goods to be transferred from road to rail. Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges will become an integral part of an expanding rail freight network. High level backing for rail freight was the theme of the recent Logistics Growth Review. Rail freight has expanded by 60 per cent over the last decade and is expected to grow by a further 30 per cent up to 2019. The race is on to build capacity and encourage what is now seen as an important driver of economic growth. In a statement Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening said, ‘The Government supports the transfer of freight from road to rail, where it is practical and economic to do so and fully recognises that rail freight can generate valuable beneﬁts for society where it provides an alternative to road haulage. The Government believes that an expand-

ed network of SRFIs, complemented by other freight interchanges and terminals, is needed to support longer-term development of efﬁcient rail freight distribution logistics. Whilst SRFIs operate to serve regional and cross regional catchment areas, they are also key components in national and international networks.’ The government is keen to encourage modal shift to rail and acknowledges this is what retailers, shippers and the general public want to see. It is fast, reliable and environmentally responsible. To achieve this the government says it will take steps to unblock the development of strategic rail freight interchanges and unlock the necessary private sector investment in such facilities. Local initiatives are quite often stiﬂed by red tape and interminable planning disputes. Tony Berkeley, chairman of the Rail Freight

Group said, ‘This is a clear and welcome statement of Government commitment to rail freight. Strategic rail freight interchanges are vital if we are to develop efﬁcient and cost effective rail solutions as part of modern logistics chains, and there is an urgent need to develop more facilities, particularly in the south east. We are particularly pleased that the Guidance has the support not just of DfT but also of Treasury and of DCLG.’ Britain’s booming logistics industry makes a huge contribution to the economy, generating around £110 billion annually and employing more than two million people. The rail network transports over 100 million tonnes of goods per year. Rail freight delivers over a quarter of the containerised food, clothes and white goods on sale on Britain’s high streets as well as delivering nearly all the coal for the nation’s electricity generation.

Stobart Group has re-started its low-carbon, rail freight service between Valencia, in Spain, and Barking, near London. The seasonal rail service is operated by Europorte Channel and will carry 30 chilled containers of fruit and vegetables from Spain to supermarkets and retailers in the UK. The ﬁrst train arrived at Barking on Friday 25 November. It was monitored throughout the journey by the latest satellite tracking software which closely observes progress and ensures that the temperature of each 45 foot-long, refrigerated container remains suitably chilled.The journey takes just over 50 hours with the service passing through Spain, France and the Channel Tunnel. It saves around 250 cross-continent truck journeys every month, slashing vehicle carbon emissions, and reducing road

congestion on Spanish, French and British motorways. The new service has been part-funded by a European Union Marco Polo grant, promoting freight modal shift from road to rail to relieve congestion on key European routes and reduce carbon emissions. Initially it will run weekly building up to ﬁve services per week at peak times. Says Liam Martin, Stobart Rail Freight managing director, ‘The resumption of this seasonal service has been driven by the commercial advantages it offers and the environmental beneﬁts. It will help take trucks off European motorways and ease congestion at key pinch-points such as the Pyrenees. The service will allow us to offer a cost and time-effective solution for supermarkets and food retailers in a carbon-friendly manner.’

FREIGHT FOCUS

RailStaff | December 2011 | 19

Increased Trafﬁc at Southampton

Improved railway infrastructure at the Port of Southampton has seen the percentage of containers transported by rail rise from 30 per cent to 39 per cent. Southampton is the second largest container terminal in the UK and is operated as a joint venture between DP World and Associated British Ports. Says Chris Lewis, managing director, DP World Southampton, ‘Southampton now leads the UK’s major container ports in terms of rail modal share for import and export containers. We are also fortunate in that DP World Southampton has additional rail capacity that can be added to meet growing customer demand without further infrastructure upgrades.’ The Port of Southampton is making better use of rail freight.

Illinois double for VTG VTG Rail has doubled its railcar ﬂeet size in the United States. Based in Illinois, the wholly owned subsidiary VTG Aktiengesellschaft of Hamburg in Germany has taken over SC Rail Leasing America Inc. ‘Doubling our railcar ﬂeet in North America enables us to reinforce our position in the world’s largest rail freight market,’ says Dr. Heiko Fischer, chairman of VTG AG. ‘At the same time we will be able to enter new customer and market segments and further support our growth,’ he added.

Formerly known as Texas Railcar Leasing,VTG operates as VTG Rail in the North American market. VTG Rail took over more than 2,000 freight cars primarily employed in the transport of agricultural products, coal, salt, and other minerals. The operating business of SCRL, including its existing customer relationships, will be incorporated into the new company, as will SCRL’s employees. VTG entered the North American railcar leasing business in 2008 with its acquisition of Texas Railcar Leasing Company and its ﬂeet of some 1,000 railcars.

New funds for rail freight network

As part of its move to invest in rail infrastructure and get the economy moving, the government is releasing funds of £55m for investment in the Strategic Rail Freight Network. Bottlenecks will be removed and connections with deep sea ports improved in a bid to increase line speed and improve rail freight transit times. Central to the plan are further moves to expand Britain’s loading gauge making it possible for wider, higher continental wagons and containers to use Britain’s narrower rail network The route between Syston

Junction, north of Leicester and Stoke will be widened to continental loading gauge allowing the safe transit of high cube 9’ 6” containers. These usually require special low-slung wagons or transfer by road. The additional investment will be used to double the track between Ely and Soham, removing a bottleneck on the FelixstoweNuneaton route. This project will make the route faster and more attractive to freight forwarders. Rail chiefs expect to be able to route more FelixstoweNuneaton trains away from London.

Gauge clearance will enable high cube deep sea containers to move further by rail. Says Rail Freight Group’s Policy Manager, Maggie Simpson, ‘Investment in the Strategic Freight Network is helping rail operators to grow their businesses and become more efﬁcient. This additional investment will deliver welcome beneﬁts for the sector.’ The announcement formed part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s autumn statement signalling further support for the wealth creating railway industry.

FREIGHT FOCUS

20 | RailStaff | December 2011

Ballast trains roll

Pottery progress Freight on Rail has welcomed the Government’s Regional Growth Fund approval for the re-opening of the Stoke on Trent to Cauldon Lowe railway line. This can connect ﬁve quarries to the rail network. The single track line runs 20 miles and is currently mothballed. However it could be back in action next year. Says Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager, ‘Road congestion is now costing £23-24 billion per annum. Each train out of the ﬁve quarries could remove up to 160 long distance HGVs from our roads. This project ticks all the right economic, safety and environmental boxes to reduce road congestion and create green jobs in an area which needs Government regeneration support.’

Granite from Lafarge will be keeping the country’s railways on an even keel for the next ﬁve years. Network Rail has awarded a framework contract to Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK to provide ballast and other crushed rock material from Mountsorrel Quarry, near Loughborough. The loads will be moved by rail. The contract is worth, potentially, £35million

over the next ﬁve years with Lafarge hoping to supply more than a million tonnes of product a year, a ﬁfth of Mountsorrel’s annual output. It will ensure investment of £2million in new machinery at Mountsorrel Quarry, one of the largest granite quarries in Europe, and will help secure the future of the 100 plus workforce. Says John Bradshaw of Lafarge, ‘We are absolutely de-

lighted to see our long-standing relationship with Network Rail continue for a further five years. This contract award gives us the opportunity to provide, potentially, similar quantities as we’ve done previously, and ensure Mountsorrel Quarry benefits from an investment of £2 million in processing equipment. The potential value of the contract to Lafarge over the next five years is worth some-

where in the region of £35 million. We are immensely proud of our link with Network Rail and of the contribution we make to the nation’s transport infrastructure. There is a good chance anyone who has ever been on a train and looked down at the track will have seen Mountsorrel granite, as historically, Lafarge has supplied something like 50 per cent of the ballast used by Network Rail.’

The £1.65 million grant - the only one awarded to a railway nationally for passenger and freight services - recognises the project ‘s major impact on creating employment opportunities in North Staffordshire. Five major stone, slate and limestone quarries, Alton Towers and the town of Leek will beneﬁt from direct rail access.

Into Africa zetica Rail has won a contract to scan approximately 6,000km of trackbed for Transnet Freight Rail in South Africa. The company, based in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire, has been contracted to survey and scan ballast and the subgrade

using Zetica’s Advanced Rail Radar (ZARR) system to map changes in variations in ballast thickness, formation failure, and wet beds. The survey is expected to be completed and the results made available for maintenance planning purposes early in 2012.

Lincoln green freight hub backing connected terminal will see thousands of tonnes of freshly harvested food produce transferred to rail. 2,000 lorries use the county’s roads everyday. The switch to rail is expected to knock out 200 of them.

Says Bruce Wakeling, the council’s economic development manager, ‘All the produce that is made here and comes from here could be taken to the facility, dropped on to a train and sent off to the main

retail distribution points across the country - with huge beneﬁts to us all. It would create huge opportunities for our existing businesses and new ones - that’s why we’re treating it so seriously.’

Europorte conducts safety exercise Europorte has conducted a successful joint safety exercise with the French rail authority, DGF - Direction de la Circulation Ferroviaire. Using a scenario based on an accident occurring on the French national rail network, the DCF and Europorte simulated a train reversing manoeuvre which led to the overturning of a tanker wagon carrying chlorine. As the crisis simulation progressed railway staff opened up the Crisis Management Group, contacted on-call staff and opened the Europorte Control Centre. The exercise was the ﬁrst of its kind the DCF and Europorte had organised together. The exercise went well. The international rail freight organisation, Europorte, is wholly owned by Eurotunnel and in 2004 obtained a license allowing it to develop rail services throughout the European Union. Europorte has over 1,000 employees.

Siberian seven Russian Railways is speeding up transit times for freight trains on the Trans Siberian Railway. The ‘Trans-Siberian in Seven Days’ project aims to increase line speeds allowing container trains to travel between Russia’s Far Eastern ports and the European Union in under a week. Increased transit times will see container trains covering nearly a 1,000 miles a day. © RUSSIAN RAILWAYS RzD

A new rail freight hub in Lincolnshire looks set to go ahead as the local council quashed objections. South Holland District Council plans a new International Food Park at Spalding. The rail

Huge distance in Russia make rail freight a growth industry.

FREIGHT FOCUS

RailStaff | December 2011 | 21

Japan is looking at introducing high speed cargo bullet trains on lines shared with Shinkansen services. The 33 mile long Seikan tunnel, that connects Hokkaido with northern Honsu, is expected to see the Hokkaido Shinkansen introduced in 2015. The tunnel already has 42 freight trains passing through it every day. Reducing these is not practical as it would have a severe impact on freight distribution within Japan. The solution is to introduce a high-speed freight service on the route. The wind turbulence generated by a passing Shinkansen has the ability to derail a slow freight train. However this can be avoided if the freight train travels at a similar speed to the Shinkansen.

Cargo bullet plan for Japan Wroclaw ﬂier uses HS1

Black Sea boost for freight One of Romania’s main logistics specialists, Tibbett Logistics, has taken delivery of its ﬁrst 32 intermodal rail wagons from the French company Touax, a leading provider of rolling stock in Europe. Initially the wagons will be used on block trains

Regular rail freight services to and from Poland using High Speed One, launched on 11th November - Polish Independence Day. DB Schenker delivered the first of a regular new weekly container train service from Poland to the UK on-time. The weekly train departed Wroclaw in Poland on 8 November at 8:20pm and arrived 11 minutes early into Ripple Lane Exchange Sidings, Barking, London, at 00:06 on 11 November. The train left the UK on the same day to transport goods to Poland on the return journey. The train is the first regular rail freight service to use the High Speed One which is built to accommodate the wider European standard loading gauge. The significantly larger haulage capacity available from these swap bodies, with an internal

height of three metres, means two standard pallets can be transported stacked on top of each other. This provides a more efﬁcient and economic means of transporting the maximum amount of product per train. The train is expected to further strengthen trading links between Poland and Britain. Currently it operates once a week leaving Wroclaw, in Poland, late on a Tuesday evening, arriving at Barking, London, early on Friday morning the same week. The train delivers a range of manufactured parts and components for the automotive sector and an extensive range of goods for the food and retail markets. Says Alain Thauvette, Chief Executive of DB Schenker Rail UK, ‘This is an historic moment for European rail freight. We have worked hard to introduce

services onto High Speed 1 as this opens European rail sized haulage to the UK. The arrival of the first train in Barking will be the first of many new connections across Europe. We will work with our customers in the UK to demonstrate the benefits of using the High Speed 1 rail route to trade with mainland Europe and expect to introduce a number of additional trains using this route during 2012.’ Says Tony Berkeley, Rail Freight Group chairman, ‘This is the culmination of five years hard work to get such traffic accepted on HS1. RFG is supporting train operators in their negotiations with HS1 on allowing more freight trains to operate on the line at night. This first regular service demonstrates the demand for such services, and we hope that this is the first of many more,’

operating out of the maritime port of Constanta on the Black Sea. However the company plans to acquire additional rail wagons early in 2012 to secure sufﬁcient capacity for daily services and to create a link between Bucharest and the west of Romania.

Piggy in the middle More lorries could soon be using the Channel Tunnel thanks to recent rail freight rolling stock developments pioneered by Eurotunnel. The Modalohr wagon which can piggyback lorry trailers has been authorised for use in the Channel Tunnel. Modalohr wagons, built by LOHR Industries, are already used on rail freight corridors in France. The low level, articulated wagons allow side loading of trucks. The wagons have no canopies or superstructures - once deemed

mandatory for Channel Tunnel transit. This is the first time since the opening of the Tunnel in 1994 that new rail freight rolling stock has been approved by the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC). The project has been part of Eurotunnel’s strategy to apply the European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) to the Channel Tunnel to enable the growth of rail freight traffic between Britain and continental Europe. The authorisation of the Modalohr rolling

stock means the planned Autoroute Ferroviaire Atlantique can be connected directly to the Channel Tunnel, potentially bringing significant new traffic to the UK. Says Jacques Gounon, Chief Executive of Groupe Eurotunnel, ‘The application of the European Technical Standards for Interoperability to the Channel Tunnel will enable the development of rail freight traffic which could alone meet up to a quarter of the French Government’s environmental objectives.’

Freight backing for HS2 The Rail Freight Group has renewed its support for an expanded High Speed 2. The RFG welcomed the Commons Select Committee on Transport’s Tenth Report on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project. Says Tony Berkeley, RFG Chairman, ‘We very much welcome the Committee asking that the option to start from Manchester and Leeds should be investigated (rather than a South to North approach), since the congestion on existing lines is greater there. The Committee also asks that the links in London be looked at again. This connection must include a link from HS1 to HS2, which does not use a section of the North London Line as this is already very congested by London Overground and freight trains.’

TRACK SAFETY

22 | RailStaff | December 2011

Safety Priorities, Less Safety Paperwork, Better Planning and More Empowerment of Good Supervisors These are the ways in which safety can be improved, costs reduced and will make it easier for the RAIB to stay within its budget. Paperwork that is worthless!

Colin Wheeler writes... Network Rail’s Annual Supplier Safety Forum was again held at their Westwood Training Centre; this year on November 22nd. Peter Anderson Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Rail referred to the “unprecedented levels of investment, the current change agenda, safety by design, supervisory surveys and “close call” reporting”. [For the uninitiated a “close call” is a near accident not involving a train whilst a “near miss” by deﬁnition involves a rail mounted vehicle.]

Balfour’s top four

Planning one for the four Simon Kirby offered his list of four priorities and substituted planning for change management. Encouragingly he went on to voice his commitment to “early supplier involvement” in the future. The adage of the last decade has so often been three weeks to tender, six weeks to negotiate, contract award Monday, ﬁrst possession Saturday. Consequently his remarks were welcome and will be even more so when the planned changes happen.

Ofﬁce based planning A speaker from Murphy contractors described their approach

Minimum paperwork and more use of experienced supervisors But the good thing is that Directors and Supervisors agree that safety paperwork is no good

and planning needs to involve experienced Supervisors whose knowledge will ensure efficient and safe working with minimum paperwork. One of the consequences, which I will personally welcome, will be a reduction in the numbers of people producing office based paperwork, producing bucket-loads of risk assessments, method statements and multi-page task briefing documents that no-one wants or uses. In these days of austerity and with the next ORR Control Period spending review underway cost reductions without loss of work must be a good idea.

1 in 4 expects to have an accident Some gems from the supervisory survey were shared with the delegates. Survey forms were sent to 525 supervisors but only 319 responded. 20% of TOCK.COM © SHUTTERS

The more focussed format for the PSLG [Project Safety Liaison Group] was explained. The number of Network Rail staff no longer outnumbers all others.The Ofﬁce of Rail Regulation [ORR], trade associations and labour suppliers are to be represented and new objectives are being set for the next twelve months. Isolations, safety by design, culture/behaviours and change management were listed as the top four by this speaker.

Even better were his remarks about excessive paperwork. He gave his support to the KISS [keep it simple stupid] approach. I quote, “we tend to overcomplicate things and to overwhelm staff with paperwork that is either worthless or impossible to digest for the tasks required”. I couldn’t agree more, and suggest a consequence of applying KISS will be that fewer people will be needed to draft any worthwhile paperwork! Result a reduction in cost accompanied by safer working! The statement which best reﬂected my views was; “it is better to have stronger, more experienced and trained supervisors in key roles to ensure unsafe working is addressed”.

to Close Call reporting and Allan Spence from the Office of Rail Regulation gave their perspective before Carillion addressed some of the problems when working on and near to the overhead electrification equipment. Their speaker shared some “Emerging Conclusions” with the delegates. These included an “acknowledgement that planning has become office-based and is driven by industry timescales rather than the nature of the tasks; risk controls, methods of work and isolation planning are not aligned”. Is it any wonder those doing the work don’t trust or use the paperwork presented to them?

those who replied believe that the work can be done safely without following the paperwork. 20% also believe that it is not possible to follow the paperwork and do the job on time, and that their managers do not consider safety to be as important as output! 10% said that not everyone takes safety seriously. However, 70% said that tight timescales mean they have to work long hours and 25% believe that their chances of being involved in an accident are high. I would not expect those who did not respond to the survey request to be any more positive. Sadly I am not surprised by these results. Overall, a more focussed and practical Supplier Safety Forum than many of its predecessors.

The Annual RAIB Report for 2010 Last month I referred to the Grayrigg Inquest verdict which had just been announced. At the time I did not know that the Inquest and “extended communications with the Ofﬁce of Rail Regulation concerning the status of the Grayrigg (RAIB-Rail Accident Investigation Board) recommendations” were the reason for a delay. September is the usual month for publication of the RAIB Annual Report. The report details

their investigations, recommendations and the actions taken as a result. The overdue 2010 Report was eventually published on December 2nd. For the ﬁrst time the report is split into two parts. Section 1 itemises the work of the RAIB during 2010 whilst Section 2 details progress made in implementing their recommendations as reported back to them. Grayrigg was the biggest investigation so far by the RAIB. Section 2 refers to the 29 recommendations made by RAIB in their October 2008 report. 25 of these have been reported as implemented but another four remain outstanding. These four, made to Network Rail “concern the fundamental design, management and maintenance of switch and crossing assemblies, working hours and fatigue”. Network Rail say they have made changes but ORR are still looking at their effectiveness.

A smaller RAIB for £5.8 million The report refers to the 19% funding reduction imposed by Government which resulted in the decision to reduce staffing by 8 and move the south east office from Woking to Farnborough, where RAIB will join similar organisations that deal with air and marine accidents. RAIB’s budget for 2010/11 is now £5.8 million. Currently Caroline Griffiths chairs the Board of Transport Accident Investigators that exists to “ensure consistency of approach, strategic aims and best practices”. Being co-located with the other t w o should be a benefit even if the reduction in staffing is not.

TRACK SAFETY

RailStaff | December 2011 | 23

12 unreported rail accidents in the year During 2010 RAIB were notified of 428 rail accidents, but more worryingly they identified a further 12 about which they were not originally informed, by studying operational reports. One statistic which I shall remember is the fact that between 2006 and 2010 there were five fatalities, seven injuries and two near misses reported involving track staff. I am left asking myself just how many injuries were not reported, and the tiny number of reported near misses is even less believable! Due to the remit for the RAIB excluding them, “Close Calls” are not included.

During 2010, 20 reports were published plus one jointly produced with their French equivalent [BE-ATT]. In addition 11 Bulletins were issued and a further 18 investigations began. During 2010 four investigations involved fatalities and another 17 serious injuries. Having given evidence and sat on the panel of rail accident and incident inquiries myself in the past my concern is always with the implementation of the recommendations. Improvement Notices and Prohibition Orders were always the threat that ensured early compliance, but the separation of the func-

magnetic systems of braking? We would not be the ﬁrst country to do so and there are tried and tested systems available.

Wheel/rail adhesion

“We’ve lost the ﬁle”

Nonetheless the report acknowledges that “ORR worked hard during 2010 to improve the speed of delivery and transparency of their reports to us concerning the industry’s response to our recommendations”. Chief Inspector Caroline Grifﬁths’ foreword emphasises that further attention is needed on “level crossings, staff errors due to fatigue, wheel/rail adhesion problems in the autumn and both the condition and operation of freight vehicles.” Apparently some wheel/rail adhesion issues have been outstanding since 2007. Are we reaching the stage where reliance on friction should be supplemented or even replaced by

Section 2 of the report provides more food for thought. It contains an index listing of all the reports divided between national networks, metros, light rail, heritage railways and the Channel Tunnel. Back in

2007 no fewer than 292 recommendations were made. There were 181 in 2008 and another 196 in 2009, but in 2010 the number had reduced to 98. It also lists the year by year progress in implementing its recommendations. 4% of its recommendations made back in 2006 are still described as “in progress”, together with 17% from 2007, 47% from 2008, 41% from 2009, just 7% from 2010 itself; although a massive 86% were at the time the report was drafted still “awaiting replies”. The wording amuses me. One definition of “in progress” I learnt whilst working in local government many years ago was “we’ve lost the file but we’re looking for it”; a bit better than “pending” meaning “we’ve lost the file and can’t find it”.

The complication of ORR and RAIB

tions of the old HMRI {Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate} into RAIB and ORR has complicated things.

Grosvenor Bridge Victoria 13th November 2007 This near miss can still be found amongst the listed incidents in the report. It appears as a non-implemented recommendation because Network Rail reviewed it and “proposed no further action”. There are real practical difﬁculties in implementing it but there are safety beneﬁts if the principle is adopted. At the very least it should be mandated for all remodelling etc. schemes. The recommendation reads as follows: “to reduce the risk to track workers Network Rail should review their programme for the provision of automatic warning systems for red zone track inspections and implement a programme to accelerate the introduction of appropriate systems for multi-track areas”.

Stonegate 8th November 2010 The RAIB report of this incident has just been published. It illustrates the concerns of RAIB with wheel/rail adhesion. Wet

leaf conditions had been identified on the day of this incident. The passenger train was fitted with sanding equipment and a wheel slide protection system. The RAIB Inquiry is critical of the arrangements made to replenish the sand hopper on the train. But the facts of this incident illustrate the size of the problem. The first brake application made by the driver was in plenty of time even allowing for the conditions. A second application and even an emergency application was made before his train reached Stonegate Station, but the train only came to rest after it had travelled another two and a half miles! Network Rail’s Supplier Safety Forum was more focussed than in previous years. The Project Safety Leadership Group has reformed and re-focussed. It is to be hoped that improvements can be carried over to meet the new situations created by Network Rail’s Route Devolution and the setting up of their Project organisation under Simon Kirby as a separate organisation competing with other project management organisations. The RAIB report is challenging. Surely the best way we can all help them achieve their cost savings is by having fewer accidents. Doing all that we can to report every single near miss will help us all in the end!

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24 | RailStaff | December 2011

California wins High Speed funds The California High-Speed Rail Authority has received a $928.6 million grant to help start the construction of the ﬁrst stretch from Fresno to Bakersﬁeld. Initially running from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim via the Central Valley, and later to Sacramento and San Diego, when complete, high-speed trains will travel between LA and San Francisco in under 2 hours and 40 minutes, at speeds of up to 220 mph. Construction will begin next year in Fresno. ‘California’s population will grow by 60 percent over the next 40 years,’ says US Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood. ‘Investing in a green, job creating high-speed rail network is less expensive and more practical than paying for all of the expansions to al-

ready congested highways and airports that would be necessary to accommodate the state’s projected population boom.’

California is one of thirty-two states across America determined to build high-speed rail corridors.

Arbroath declares centenary Local volunteers re-enacted the sale of Arbroath’s ﬁrst railway ticket as part of a centennial celebration at the historic town’s railway station. Dr Richard Irvine, president of the Arbroath Male Voice Choir, which sang at the event, said, ‘Arbroath station opened on Christmas Eve, 1911 and it is reported that ‘quite a crowd of excited citizens’ gathered to watch the purchase of the ﬁrst ticket by Mr Sutherland Banks, proprietor of the Imperial Hotel for an evening train to Dundee.’ As well as carols and refreshments the station hosted displays by Kerr’s Miniature Railway, the Angus Railway Group, Caledonian Railway (Brechin), Angus College, and ScotRail. A new model railway layout, Fastleigh, was built especially for the cente-

nary celebration by Perth and District Model Railway Club. ‘As someone with a lifelong interest in railways and local history, I could not let pass the centenary of my local station. It is full of history and stories, not just about trains but also about people. For example, there were special ambulance trains which conveyed injured heroes of the First World War home to Arbroath, and only months after opening the station was the subject of a daring robbery,’ said Dr Irvine. An exhibition of the station’s history and heritage was held in the waiting room. Says Theresa Gault, ScotRail sponsorship and events manager, ‘Arbroath is one of our leading adopted stations. We are delighted to be able to support this event to mark its centenary.’

Scots back High Speed Rail Determined not to miss out on the economic and commercial advantages of a pan-European high speed rail network the Scottish Government has said it will set about raising £9 billion for the scheme. The Edinburgh government wants to see the high speed network connecting Edinburgh and Glasgow with Manchester, Leeds and London. Alex Neil, the Scottish cabinet secretary for infrastructure, is behind the idea

and is seeking an urgent meeting with the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening. Supporters of the scheme in the north and Scotland – and the industry as a whole – are unnerved at the delayed decision on High Speed Two – originally expected this Christmas. Ministers are understood to be examining ways of raising further funding to bury the line in a tunnel through the Chilterns.

Home win for Wolves After two years of writing to GBRf MD John Smith, or as John jokingly referred to it as ‘pestering,’ 15 year old Harry Cartwright, with the help of 1,200 followers on Facebook, has succeeded in his campaign to have a locomotive named after Wolverhampton Wanderers, his local football club. Avid Sunderland supporter John Smith even donned a Wolverhampton shirt, although

he insisted in keeping his Sunderland FC tie on underneath, during the event. A replica nameplate was presented to the football club and this will go on display in the club’s museum. John Smith surprised the invited guests by revealing that his father once lived in Wolverhampton and used to live in the same street as Wolverhampton Wanderers legend, Billy Wright.

Celebration Trip for Volunteers A team of station volunteers from the North Staffordshire Community Rail Line and representatives from Forsbrook Parish Council joined staff at East Midlands Trains for a special trip to mark the £5 million refurbishment of trains operating on the Derby-Crewe line. Says Tim Sayer, Engineering Director for East Midlands Trains, ‘We really wanted to do something to recognise the valuable work carried out by the station volunteers along the North Staffordshire Community Rail Line. This dedicated and hardworking team have done a fantastic job of transforming the stations and what better way to say thank you than a special trip on one of our newly refurbished trains.’ The volunteers enjoyed the trip. Says Faye Lambert, Project Ofﬁcer for the North Staffordshire Community Rail Partner-

GBRf MD John Smith wears a Woverhampton FC Shirt, although he insisted on keeping his Sunderland FC tie on underneath. The replica nameplate was given to the club and will be displayed in their museum.

Ayr quality sensation ship, who herself works with the station adopters along the route, ‘A key objective of the Partnership is to secure the community support that delivers so many beneﬁts, especially at unstaffed stations. Our North Staffordshire Line volunteers are the most proactive and hard working group of

people; many are talented gardeners, who take real pride in their local station and have transformed station gardens, as is the case at Blythe Bridge. What they do adds value to station facility improvements, making stations more welcoming. I think this is a fantastic thank you from East Midlands

Trains, whom I know value the dedication of our volunteers immensely.’ Eleven of the 17 Class 153 trains, which operate on many services between Derby and Crewe, have now been completely refurbished as the result of a £5 million investment scheme.

Fighting the winter grey is Prestwick station in Ayrshire thanks to station adopters, Lorraine and Hugh McEvoy. The couple run the station café and have also found time to look after half-barrel planters on the station platforms. Lorraine and Hugh McEvoy look after the station

as part of ScotRail’s adopt-astation scheme. The husband and wife team have added window boxes and a garden since May. Says Lorraine, ‘We take a real pride in the station as a whole - it’s not just about serving food to customers. We’re very pleased with how it’s all looking.’

RailStaff | December 2011 | 25 Better asset management is reducing costs.

YRP dinner dance for just £35 The 2012 Young Railway Professionals Black Tie Dinner and Dance will take place on 2nd February 2012 at the centrally located Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, London. The evening includes a drinks reception, three course dinner and a networking opportunity after the meal at the bar. The event will be the 3rd Annual YRP Black Tie Dinner and Dance, following on from the success of previous dinners. In previous years hundreds of railway

Cost benefits Network Rail says it remains broadly on course to meet the tough efficiency challenges set three years ago as well as driving down the cost of the railway. Interim results for the half year to 30 September 2011 show running costs are, in real terms, over £300m lower than the prevailing costs back in 2008-9, when the efficiency challenge was set. The forecast is to achieve over £700m of savings by the end of the year. The pace of delivery of Network Rail’s investment activities, aimed at renewing the railway network and increasing capacity, has increased with over £300m (20 per cent) more invested in the first

six months compared to the same period last year. Performance is up despite the continuing depredations of professional cable thieves. Revenue was £2,997m compared to £2,870m for the same period last year and the operating profit was £1,227m compared to £1,124m. Profit after taxation was £136m compared to £275m. The results are welcome news for the ORR, the rail regulators. In autumn 2008 Network Rail was set the demanding challenge by the Office of Rail Regulation of cutting costs by 22 per cent between 2009 and 2014. The measurement of efficiency is a complex task best

done over a number of years. In a capital intensive business like Network Rail this involves a degree of judgement. By the end of last year an estimated 13 per cent had been saved and in the half year, efficiencies have contributed to further savings of over £300m. Network Rail forecasts to achieve over £700m in this financial year. Total efficiency over the first three years of this control period is forecast to reach between 16 to 17 per cent. This has been achieved by delivering capital works for less, better asset management, and by reducing operating and maintenance costs.

London Underground mourns loss of Hannah Dadds Hannah Dadds, the first woman driver on London Underground, has died aged 70, following a long illness. Hannah, a popular figure on the tube, joined LUL in 1969 working as a ticket collector and guard. She moved on to become a driver on the District line in 1978. Her sister Edna, also worked on the London Underground. Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer at London Underground, said, ‘Hannah Dadds changed the working life of women on the Tube, and the way in which many people viewed Tube drivers. I had the great privilege of working with Hannah and her sister in the 1980s. They were a great team, positive and enthusiastic about their role and their pioneering responsibility. She was an esteemed member of our workforce and my condolences go out to her family. Hannah will be sadly missed by her family, friends and ex-colleagues at London Underground.

Theresa Villiers to open Infrarail Transport Minister, Theresa Villiers MP, will formally open Infrarail 2012 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 1 May 2012. Exhibitor numbers continue to grow reﬂecting interest and opportunities in the railways. The show attracts suppliers from every sector of the market. Special exhibition features include ‘The Yard,’ a display area for plant and machinery used for rail construction and maintenance, and the On Track Display of smaller items of track plant, tools and equipment. Rail Media Group, publishers of RailStaff and the rail engineer will also be there. ‘We look forward to meeting as many of our readers as we can, in-

cluding the minister,’ says Tom O’Connor managing director of the Rail Media Group. Staged in the main exhibition hall and open to all, the seminar programme is being arranged by Infrarail’s media partner the rail engineer magazine and will include presentations on both rail policy issues and technical topics. Following a popular, well-established format, this programme knits together a range of activities at Infrarail intended to enhance the business value of the event for visitors. Just like two years ago, RailStaff is also running the InfraRail Awards, which were a great success. To be a sponsor or to nominate your company visit www.infrarailawards.com.

professionals have had the opportunity to meet their peers and senior members of the industry in a thoroughly enjoyable atmosphere. Tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of £35 per head, but this offer is only available until 31st December 2011. The ticket price from 1st January 2012 will be £40 per head. Corporate tables are also available at £500 per table and there are a few limited sponsorship opportunities.

Running buffet First Great Western passengers are to beneﬁt from an additional 25 Adelante class 180 vehicles, along with 8 class 150s. 15 carriages are to be converted from buffet cars as part of an investment of £28.9m designed to increase capacity. The additional rolling stock will provide an extra 4,500 seats for passengers into and out of

London Paddington, increasing capacity by 9% during peak periods. The new carriages should be ready in time for the London Olympics. Adelantes were operated by FGW until 2009, before going off lease and being cascaded to other operators. The 15 converted buffet cars will be added to HST sets.

Bolton Wonder opened up to create much more space and reduce congestion. The footbridge linking the platforms has been refurbished including new glazing and painted steelwork, further improving the passenger environment. At platform level there is no longer an uncovered area between the foot of the stairs and the platform canopies. A completely new canopy has been built to protect passengers from the elements, and ﬁll the gap that was created when the station entrance was relocated some 20 years ago. The extension of the canopies will enable the position where trains stop at the platforms to be altered so that there is a much shorter distance for passengers to walk to where they wait for the train.

Ten teenagers have started an apprenticeship scheme with Southeastern Trains. Aged between 16 and 19 each will be paired with a station manager and allocated to a specific station. The year long programme includes working on ticket barriers, automatic gates as well as platform and ticket office experience. The scheme leads to a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2 in customer service. Says Vince Lucas service delivery director, ‘We’re pleased to be taking part in this apprentice scheme and welcoming these 10 young people to work with us for the year. We expect to learn from them as well as the other way round. There are many good careers to be had working for railway companies so we hope this is their first step towards that.’ The apprentices will be working 35 hours a week between 7am and 7pm Monday to Fri-

day and paid the standard Government apprentice wage of £95 per week.

Left-Right: Zach Stebbeds, Zoe Johnson, Phillip Gillespie, Shannon Bennett, Ryan Byrne, Jake Stebbeds, Ellie Cooper, Mitchell Barwick, Jay Kapper and Curtis Bowden.

Blackfriars nears completion The Blackfriars project is nearing completion. Passengers have started using the new station entrance on the south bank of the River Thames. This will be followed by a new station entrance on the north bank, opening this month when the ﬁrst ever 12-car trains on the Thameslink route will be calling at Blackfriars. A new look London Underground station will open in February 2012, followed by a further two new national rail platforms in May.

Jo Kaye has welcomed the completion of a £4m upgrade at Bolton station. Says Jo Kaye, Network Rail’s route managing director, ‘More and more people are choosing the train and these improvements at Bolton will make rail travel even more attractive. Now passengers will have the facilities they have come to expect from a major commuter station on a key route into a city centre.’ Work has transformed the ticket ofﬁce within the entrance to the station. The square ticket sales counter area has been completely rebuilt. Gone are the old grey wall tiles, small glass retail windows and bright red roof girders, to be replaced with an expanse of glass and light paintwork. The whole area has been

One year scheme for youngsters

Steam engines will play a thundering part in carrying the Olympic torch next year. LNER A3 Paciﬁc No. 4472 Flying

Scotsman will haul the torch from York to Thirsk on 20th June. The Olympic Train is expected to attract huge crowds along its for-

mer stamping ground of the East Coast Main Line. On the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway the Double Fairlie loco-

motive, ‘David Lloyd George,’ will haul the torch from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. The torch will pass through over 1,000 locations on its journey from Land’s End to the Olympic stadium in London. The journey will take in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as Cornwall, Wales and England and starts on 19th May arriving in London 70 days later on 27th July for the opening ceremony. The flame will also be carried in a lantern to the summit of Snowdon using the Snowdon Mountain Railway. On the Isle of Man the flame will travel by tram between Douglas and Laxey. Over in Yorkshire the North Yorkshire Moors Railway will convey the flame from Whitby to Pickering.

RailStaff | December 2011 | 27

Christmas lament for piper Reg Turver names train unite the victim with his possessions.’ The offender is described as being a white man, aged about 2530, dressed scrufﬁly in a long black coat and has a small beard. PC Skelly added, ‘If you can help in any way, whether you have information about the suspect, the bagpipes or the incident generally, please call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. In all calls please quote incident B7/NWA of 25/11/2011.’ Legend has it a curse rests upon the thief of a bag pipe. © PILIPPA WILLITTS

British Transport Police investigating the theft of a set of bagpipes are appealing for help. Thieves made off with the pipes, the property of a 71 year old piper, from a train travelling between Wigan and Gathurst. The incident happened at around 10pm on Wednesday, 9 November, as the owner of the bagpipes, from Liverpool, was travelling from Westhoughton to Southport. During the journey the man placed the bagpipes, worth almost £900, at the side of his seat. Says PC Ray Skelly, ‘As the train arrived at Wigan the victim noticed a man and woman sat opposite him. At Gathurst the train remained stationary for some time. Then the couple sitting opposite the victim suddenly dashed off the train. It was shortly after this that the victim noticed his pipes had been stolen. The bagpipes were in a two-foot long aluminium case, and the blow pipe has bubbles on it. ‘It’s possible the suspects have tried to sell the pipes on to a pawnbroker or similar business and I ask anyone who recognises the description of the instrument to get in touch. They have sentimental as well as monetary value and we want to re-

don back in the cab. Although I won’t be driving, it will still be great to feel the buzz I used to get for many years - you really can’t beat travelling by train!’ Also in attendance were the Lord Mayor of York, David Horton, and dignitaries from the city council. Says Karen Boswell, Managing Director of East Coast, ‘On behalf of East Coast, I am delighted to welcome Reg and his family to unveil our newly named locomotive, which has been christened ‘City of York’ following a public vote by the city’s residents. As with all our train

Former driver, Reg Turver, aged 89, returned to York to name a locomotive ‘City of York’ recently. Mr Turver, from Acomb, took a previous ‘City of York’ train on its inaugural journey in 1983. The career railwayman hopped back in the cab again as its successor left York station following an ofﬁcial naming ceremony. ‘I was absolutely thrilled to be invited along today,’ Reg said, ‘And I am proud to be associated with both the modern day ‘City of York’, as well as its predecessor. It is particularly exciting to be reliving the journey down to Lon-

namings, this event helps us support the communities and heritage along our route, whilst we’re sure that York residents travelling on the locomotive will be ﬁlled with a sense of local pride. We brought back train naming in response to substantial public demand and we are delighted to now have one dedicated to York, which is where we are based.’ Since retiring in 1987, Reg has preserved a lifelong passion for the railways from his days as a driver of Intercity 125s along the East Coast Main Line.

TfL pledges change to Change highlights the problem of a young man returning to work having been off sick with a mental health problem and his colleague not knowing whether to talk to him or not, or what to say. Time to Change says the fact that it’s difﬁcult to talk about mental health problems can be one of the hardest parts of having a mental illness. It can lead to loss of friendships, feeling isolated, not seeking help and slower recovery. The message is that it is important to overcome fear or reluctance to talk about mental health issues if they are to be addressed.

Says Time to Change Director, Sue Baker, ‘We are delighted to see TfL leading the way and making a pledge to end mental health discrimination and challenge the stigma that still plagues an issue that affects one in four of us. Every employee and customer of TfL will experience a mental health problem themselves or know someone who has, so it’s important we work together to raise awareness of the help available and encourage everyone to be more supportive and understanding.’

Reg Turver joins East Coast Managing Director Karen Boswell at the ‘City of York’ train naming.

New path for No Way

Mental illness is still a stigma. Keeping young people out of trouble and out of prison is in everyone’s interests. First TransPennine Express has donated £2000 to the No Way Trust. Also known as Prison Me? No Way! the charity teaches young people about the pitfalls of falling into a life of crime. Serving prisoners, crime victims and police ofﬁcers give talks and help answer queries. Volunteers from TransPennine Express have been working with the trust for a number of years. The No Way Trust was set up in 1995 by prison ofﬁcers who wanted to make an impact on the lives of young people and turn them away from crime and its consequences. It provides a quality service to help young people make a success of their lives, using an innovative, fresh approach that encourages a positive decision making process, designed to reduce or remove the possibility of offending behaviour. Through First Group’s charitable committee, a donation of £2000 has been made to the charity.

Yvonne Daykin, FTPE’s Performance Manager, has worked with the trust on a number of events and applied to the First Group charity committee for further funding. She said, ‘This is a really important project and I am delighted that First Group has been able to support it with this donation. I have worked closely with the team from ‘Prison Me?’ for a number of years and the workshops they present are really worthwhile. They are fun and interactive but also very hard hitting. The stories you hear, particularly from the serving prisoners often show how easy it is for these © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Transport for London has signed the Time to Change Pledge committing it to raising awareness about mental illness and helping stop the stigma associated with it. Time to Change, England’s biggest programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination is run by the charities MIND and Rethink Mental Illness. Funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief, they are asking organisations to pledge their support to challenging stigma in the workplace. TfL is the ﬁrst transport company to sign the pledge, with Michèle Dix, Managing Director of Planning signing on TfL’s behalf. The organisation will be running an internal campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues and offering information and advice to staff. Says Alison Dunn, London Underground’s Head of Trauma, ‘For many years TfL has helped employees with mental health problems with counselling and with return to work advice for them and their managers. But we have also tried to prevent mental illness, by helping staff to tackle stress and depression, as well as having supportive policies such as ﬂexible working, anti-harassment and anti-bullying. However we are not complacent. In the future we will run Time to Change materials in our annual health fair programme to raise awareness and stop discrimination. Talking about mental health can aid recovery, strengthen friendships, break down stereotypes and take the taboo out of something that affects us all.’ The latest TV advert from Time

young people to take the wrong path. Hopefully the project and its volunteers are making a real difference.’ The school visits include demonstrations of situations that can easily turn into criminal offences and offer advice and guidance on how to turn potentially anti-social activities into positive community contributions. Pupils are often shocked at the consequences of such demonstrations particularly with the use of the mobile prison, which highlights the idea of a small and uncomfortable cell that might be their future home if they choose the wrong path.

APPOINTMENTS

28 | RailStaff | December 2011

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more of a pioneer than a caretaker. You want to shape cutting edge new rail developments, not just manage existing infrastructure. You want to work in a new environment with talented professionals and spend your free time exploring the great outdoors.

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APPOINTMENTS

RailStaff | December 2011 | 29

Job Opportunities for Rail Staff with CUK Due to the growing demand from major clients within the railway infrastructure, CarmichaelUK Rail Division are looking for skilled personnel for Permanent and Contract opportunities.

Opportunities in Rail and Infrastructure

Civil Superintendent Engineer/Construction Managers West Africa, Guinea - 70K-100K Rail, Port & Mining Experience Mechanical Superintendent/Construction Managers West Africa, Guinea - 70K-100K Rail, Port & Mining Experience

We would like to hear from the following for prestigious projects starting in the South East of England:

Engineers Engineering Managers Agents Sub Agents Project Managers Works Managers

Surveyors Planners Commercial personnel Safety Critical personnel General Foreman Site Managers

If you’re a skilled Engineer, Manager or Technical Specialist looking to work on some of the most exciting and challenging projects in the Rail and Infrastructure sector, then TRS Staffing Solutions can help - now. We’re currently recruiting for the UK’s leading rail companies and major clients globally, across a wide variety of projects. These include major upgrades for the National Rail network and London Underground. To apply for any of the following vacancies, you should have relevant experience at the appropriate level.

CarmichaelUK Rail Division is expanding its services into the Australian market with new offices opening in 2012. This expansion puts CarmichaelUK Rail Division into a unique market position for recruiting railway staff for clients in the UK and Australia. For more information about opportunities in Australia, please email: international@carmichaelau.com Register your CV today online or via email in word format to:

rail@carmichaeluk.com or call one of our consultants on: +44 (0) 208 522 8888

Job vacancies posted daily on our site

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TRS are a global organisation and we are currently recruiting for rail specialists in the UAE, Australia & Far East, West Africa and Canada. If you are interested in working abroad contact TRS today. To apply Please send your CV to rail@trsstaffing.com Or if you’d prefer to discuss a role in more detail and in confidence, please contact one of our specialist consultants on

+44 (0)20 7419 5800

Senior P-Way Design Engineers London & Warrington - 60K-80K Working on major new rail projects + station upgrades Senior Geologist/Geotechnical Engineers London Area £40-£60 per hour Experience in rail projects, Mining, Quarrying experience. (3D Resource Modeling) Electrification Engineers UK - £50K or £70K + Benefits Chartered status is preferred Senior Project Planners/Project Controls Managers London £40-60K Airports, Rail & Building services Projects Signal Designers & Project Managers UK + Australia, Contract and Permanent Ideally with IRSE license or relevant experience Bridge Engineers & Structural Engineer UK £40-60 per hour, Bridge design over major freight, heavy haul- Bridges over water design Preferred Civil Estimators London, £40-60K Rail and Civil Projects. NEC contract experience ideal

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c2c is one of the UK’s highest performing train operating companies. Running services from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, we provide a vital channel into London for many commuters and will play a key part in delivering transport to local venues during the London Olympics.

c2c Customer Service Executive x2 Posts We have an exciting opportunity for two Customer Service Executives to join our Customer Relations !"#$% &"'!(% )*% +,-% .+*(+*% /!"(% +012!3% 4!5+- )*6% +% /!% 7,' +#!-% 8!-9)2!'% :"*"6!-$% ;+,% <)==% &!% responsible for responding to comments received from our customers and assisting with continual )#5-+9!#!* '%"2-+''% /!%2>2%-+, !3 You will ideally have previous experience in handling customer comments, carrying out investigations and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n order to apply for the above vacancy, please download an application form from the ‘Jobs’ section under about us on the website www.c2c-online.co.uk and return to: 2>2%-")=%T4%S!5 $%>*(%H=++-$%RRU%T+,*('() 2/$%.+*(+*$%N7IF%JV43

7/12/11 14:00:30

www.sw-gr.com

Manpower

Rail

Recruitment

Opportunities in Australia for Railway Staff (Competitive Salaries)

with relocation packages for the right candidates & immediate starts available

Further to our recent attendance at AusRail in Brisbane, and the continuing substantial investment being made in Railway Infrastructure Projects, in Australia, SWGR are keen to hear from the following individuals who are interested in pursuing an exciting new career path in a variety of locations throughout the country and different industrial applications such as Mining, Urban Rail, Tunnelling, Ports and Oil & Gas Infrastructure projects. We have an urgent requirement for highly skilled Rail professionals for our clients across Australia for Rail Upgrades and Capacity Improvements. We are particularly keen to hear from the following:

H & S Advisor

Senior Civil Engineers

Structural Engineers

Project Engineers/Managers

Signalling Engineers Senior M/E Engineers

Commercial Managers BDM (Mining & Rail)

Essential Skills / Qualifications required: • A Trade qualification in an Engineering discipline • A proven track record in Rail Construction or associated area • Experience of delivering results in a fast paced target driven environment • Excellent written and oral communication skills • A desire to live, succeed and excel in an exciting new environment Please send your CV in Word Format to aus@sw-gr.com

U K

W I D E

S E R V I C E

C E N T R E S

How can I influence European rail travel?

Dare to ask: Apply now. Established in the UK for over a decade, Siemens Rail Systems has an award-winning portfolio; from trams, light rail and metro services, to commuter stock and high speed services. Reliability, safety, attractiveness and efficiency are our top priorities – which benefit the operators, their passengers and the environment. Our business is at the forefront of manufacturing and maintaining safe and reliable rolling stock. In December 2010, Eurostar International placed an order for 10 new state-of-the-art high speed trains. Based on the successful Velaro platform, the new trains will be known as the Eurostar E320, be 400 metres long and travel at speeds of up to 320km/h. Due to this expansion we’re currently looking to fill a number of posts based at Temple Mills depot in North East London.

Performance Manager

Technical Manager

Technical Engineer x2

Job ID: 85347

Job ID: 90356

Job ID: 85349

What are my responsibilities?

You’ll work with Eurostar on a daily basis to identify opportunities to improve the reliability and maintainability of the fleet. Working in partnership with Eurostar you will be responsible for the implementation and ongoing management of the performance regime.

You’ll develop, project manage and implement business improvements, as the single point of contact for Eurostar. Accountable for all technical, safety and performance issues associated with the fleet, ensuring that it reaches its optimum performance levels.

You’ll be responsible for providing technical knowledge and support to Eurostar and Siemens staff.

What do I need to qualify for this job?

• Relevant engineering degree or equivalent experience.

• Excellent knowledge of rolling stock maintenance activities. • Excellent knowledge of IT systems and software. • First-class communication and presentation skills.

What do I need to qualify for this job? • An HNC qualification or equivalent experience.

What do I need to qualify for this job? • Practical train systems knowledge.

• Proven knowledge of maintenance processes and implementation techniques.

• Clear, confident communication skills and strong organisational skills. • Be prepared to undertake shift work.

• Confident communication skills, in person and in writing.

How do I apply? To find out more and apply, please visit www.siemens.co.uk/careers search under ‘United Kingdom’ and ‘Engineering’ on the drop down menu and then enter the job ID into the requisition field. At the initial stage of the contract the successful candidates must be prepared to travel to support train construction, commissioning and production of technical documentation. Language skills would be an advantage. Closing date: 21st January 2012.

Find out how you can make a career at Siemens. Dare to ask siemens.co.uk/careers

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Express Medicals are accredited work health service providers to Network Rail, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and Crossrailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Express Medicals are long-standing and experienced providers to the rail industry and understand the need to satisfy compliance demands whilst reducing disruption to operations. Our medical expertise combined with first class service levels helps to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and minimise risk, taking the stress out of your healthcare and screening provision.

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