RailStaff February 2017 by Rail Media

FEBRUARY 2017 | ISSUE 230

Staff RAILSTAFF.UK

PLUS NEWS PEOPLE HEALTH & SAFETY COMPANY FOCUS FEATURE GEAR & TECH EVENTS TRAINING CAREERS

page 32

THE FUTURE? Working on the rail infrastructure? looking for a neW sponsor? With a national presence and dedicated Training, Safety and Quality Control divisions, McGinley Support Services is the answer.

For information, please call: 0845 543 5953 or visit: www.mcginley.co.uk

Proud Sponsors of Watford Ladies FC

For more information scan here to visit Network Railâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Safety Central Website.

3 32

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2017 | ISSUE 230

HS2 FLEET: UNDER STARTERS ORDERS | 07 With picks and shovels about to hit the ground, the government has announced plans to recruit a company to design and build a new high-speed train fleet for HS2.

HYNES TO LEAD SCOTTISH RAILWAYS | 10 Alex Hynes, genial head of Northern Rail, is to be the new chief of the ScotRail Alliance and takes up the position later this year.

SAFE FROM START TO FINISH | 22

RailStaff attended this year’s SafeStart event in its new home of Stoneleigh Park.

THE FUTURE? | 32 Marc Johnson visited Crossrail’s Liverpool Street station site to see what legacy of innovation Crossrail will leave behind.

GETTING ACTIVE IN 2017 | 42 As we gear up for RailSport 2017, we look at the role competitive sport can play in hitting rail’s health and wellbeing objectives.

T H G I L T O P

34 ALITYre| being trained? E R L A IRTU staff a ON INinVg the way railway S S E L A hang VR How is

THE HEROES OF BRITAIN'S RAILWAYS IN THE GREAT WAR | 46

Andy Savage, executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust, retells the stories of the seven railwaymen who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War.

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

YO K O BO

ACE L P UR

ES H T ON

I T N E ESS

T N E V LE

TS EVEN com mits. m u s .rail www

BIM mit Sum Exec l a t i g i D mit Sum

brua

Fe 15th 10th

Marc

26th

t com mmi d, London exec. u l i S a r r . M I da www Rail B haw God s Addle m its.co don lub m n C o m c L u e , x ll ails Rail E ngers’ Ha ww.r w o Ironm t o.uk mmi , London u S tex.c l l i a s a t e i r . c i g i ff www Rail D Bird LLP O Bird & t.uk lspor i a r . ex www Railt irmingham B NEC, m its.co ames versity m G t m r u ni po ails RailS orough U ww.r w b h Loug ames G m mit its.co Sum m y t m e u af ails Rail S ww.r w n o Lond it umm S om s y r t i e l ninabi rds.c a n i w a a W t us taff Rail S .rails w w n o w Lond ! dsckout aro Aw f f n ntry a t K Cove , RailSIt’sra a n Ae Ricoh dia

April

1th 9th-1

May ly

th Ju

8th-9

ber

ptem th Se

ber

ptem th Se

tobe

c 7th O

t r o p S y t e f a SSportmit lity i b a Sum n i a t s u S orm t i t m u Sp tinton r o p S adm B

l_Me @Rai

ohersts p S C VISIT WWW.RAIL-MEDIA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 01530 816 456 OR t

Staff

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS

Best time of the day

Paul O’Connor

Editor:

Andy Milne

Production and design:

Adam O’Connor

Senior Reporter:

Marc Johnson

Senior Writer:

Colin Garratt

Track Safety:

Colin Wheeler

Event Sales:

Jolene Price

Advertising:

Asif Ahmed

Chris Davies

Craig Smith

Jake Flower

Contact Email Addresses News: news@rail-media.com Pictures: pictures@rail-media.com Adverts: adverts@rail-media.com Subscriptions: manda@rail-media.com

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

In this edition of RailStaff, we deliberately set out to beat the mid-winter blues. Psychological depression is a real and present danger for the rail industry; both for those we serve and rail staff themselves. Depression remains one of the last taboos. Rarely discussed, mental health is too often the butt of crude jokes. Yet BTP attends hundreds of mental health incidents a year. Railway staff handle many more.

Tel: 01530 816 444 Fax: 01530 810 344

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

Printed by Pensord. RailStaff is published by RailStaff Publications Limited A Rail Media Publication

Depression will strike almost everyone of us sometime. Life gets pretty black and wellmeaning mates urging you to cheer up don’t really help. Recognise it for a problem and decide to do something about it. Even this can seem overwhelming but discussing it with your GP is a start. Basically, depression can sometimes be caused by physical ailment.

For instance, hypothyroidism presents symptoms of depression and brain fog. When the thyroid gland stops working properly the metabolic rate slows and the sufferer puts on weight and can suffer depression. Often the condition persists for years before diagnosis. Conversely running through a list of problems - the broken relationship, the friend with cancer, looming changes at work, doesn’t help. To be alive as the Buddha said is to have problems. For the depressive one problem resolved merely makes room to worry about another. It is in facing depression itself that a cure can be found.  Decision is important. Just deciding to get out the door and walk a city street, heading downtown as Petula Clark once sang, can make a difference. Drinking tea with a friend can also help as Samaritans recommend. Alcohol is an absolute no-no - it’s a depressant. Tea drinking, friends and humour all help. Adopting an activity or fundraiser outside normal life can help too. Physical activity is very important. The new RailSport Games is not a one off but an invitation to a lifestyle. Do read Marc Johnson’s excellent article.   The continuing crisis in the Middle East, alarming political change and the demise of Alex Lester’s Best Time of the Day Show long revered by night rail workers, make this a sad month. However, the darkest hour is just before dawn - the best time of the day. There will be an answer. Churchill once said, when you’re going through hell just keep going. Next time someone suggests a cup of tea, say yes. Remember, you are not alone. andy@rail-media.com

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

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Sales on rails soar The retail revolution on Britain’s rail stations continues with Christmas shopping boosting sales for the festive period by 9.5 per cent compared to last year.

Victorian gothic upgraded Journeys down through Victoria Underground station are looking up as the new north ticket hall opens. As part of the £700m project to upgrade Victoria underground station, a new entrance on Victoria Street now leads to the ticket hall and Victoria line. Passengers can exit the station onto Victoria Street without having to cross the series of busy road junctions outside the station. Tunnels connecting the north ticket hall to the District and Circle lines will open this summer. The new entrance has been welcomed by local businesses and will be useful for visitors - royal and otherwise - to Buckingham Palace and erstwhile Foreign Legionnaires paying their respects at the Marshall Foche

Memorial on 30 April. Best of all it frees up the station for rapid transit by thousands of hard pressed commuters. Says Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, ‘The opening of the new North ticket hall at Victoria is great news for the tens of millions of Londoners and tourists who pass through the station each year. It marks a significant step forward in a modernisation programme that will make journeys through this vital hub easier and more accessible for all.’ The station will then become step-free in early 2018. An expanded south ticket hall will open in 2018. Once completed, the station will feature eight new lifts, nine new escalators and 20 new ticket gates and be double the size of the original station before work began in 2009.

The santa t-reindeer sensation is in marked contrast to figures from the British Retail Consortium’s ‘Sales Monitor’ which recorded a year-on-year sales increase of 1 per cent for December. Across the festive period - 19 November to 24 December 106 million people – more than one-and-a-half times the entire population of the UK – visited Network Rail’s stations, an increase of just under 10 per cent on the same period last year. Almost one in three station visitors entered a retail outlet, and the increase in station retail purchases equates to total sales of over £83 million during this busy period. The festive rail-sale surge was further boosted by the opening of sector-leading outlets

across Network Rail’s managed stations. These included The Bookshop by WHSmith and Hema home ware shop at Euston. Scenting a seasonal revival, Urban Decay cosmetics opened at King’s Cross while James Martin Kitchen cooked up a storm at Manchester Piccadilly. Overall Christmas stations sales increased most at Edinburgh Waverley, +41 per cent, Birmingham New Street, +26 per cent and Leeds, +15 per cent. The rise is not just driven by passengers and commuters but by consumers making good use of destination stations enjoying the warmth, variety and security as well as helpful railway staff and their colleagues behind the counter. ‘Over the last five years, Network Rail’s ongoing investment at stations across the UK has helped deliver stations that are not just places to travel to and from, but destinations in their own right,’ says David Biggs, Network Rail’s managing director of property.

Rail backs comedy In a laudable bid to take community relations more seriously East Midlands Trains is backing the renowned Leicester Comedy Festival this February. Now in its 23rd year, the festival features 800 events across 19 days and performers include household names such as Jimmy Carr, Johnny Vegas, Ken Dodd, Richard Herring,

Stewart Lee and Sue Perkins as well as fresh talent for the future. Last year over 100,000 people attended the event and many used the railway to get to and from rib tickling gigs and shows across the city and surrounding region. Peter Koukoularides, for East Midlands Trains, said, ‘We’re really proud to be sponsoring the famous Leicester Comedy Festival again. It brings a lot of

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

laughter to the city - for locals and visitors alike, which is often what we need in February.’ This year’s festival features a host of special events including the UK Pun Championships and the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year. Darren Walsh, pun master and former winner of the Edinburgh Fringe’s best pun whose S’Pun show is on at Heroes @ The Criterion on 18 and 19 February,

said: “Dolly Parton used to get the train to work every morning in Surrey. Woking 9:25, what a way to make a living!”

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

NEWS

HS2 fleet: Under starters orders With picks and shovels about to hit the ground this spring to start HS2, the Government has announced plans to recruit a company to design and build a new high-speed train fleet for what will become the premier railway in the UK. Says Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, ‘Launching the hunt for a manufacturer of these trains is a major step towards Britain getting a new railway which will carry over 300,000 people a day, improve connections between our great cities, generate jobs, and help us build an economy that works for all.’ With Royal Assent for the Phase One

hybrid Bill expected shortly and building work due to start on the Birmingham to London section of HS2 in the spring, 2017 will see HS2 – Europe’s largest infrastructure project - move from planning to construction. The contract will be awarded in 2019 with the winning bidders going on to deliver a brand new fleet of up to 60 trains which will provide services capable of seating more than 1,000 passengers. The successful bidder will maintain its fleet at a new dedicated traction and rolling stock depot planned for Washwood Heath in Birmingham. The site will also be home to the HS2 Network Control Centre.

Third time around The HS2 hybrid bill is to return to the Commons for what could be its final reading, having come through the House of Lords with only minor changes. During what was its third reading on 31 January, the Lords voted overwhelmingly in favour of passing the bill. The Lords voted against two proposed amendments. The first was to review the benefits of the station at Old Oak Common. Another considered drawing up plans to limit lorry traffic around construction sites. The third reading in the Lords is described as an opportunity to ‘tidy up’. The next stage will see the Commons consider the amendments tabled by the second House and, if accepted, Royal Assent will follow. No date has been set for this hearing but it is hoped to be during February. In theory, if the Commons weren’t to accept the changes, the bill would have to return to the Lords. This process would continue until both houses agree on the wording of the bill - a process referred to as Ping Pong, but neither the DfT nor HS2 expect any further delays to the bill’s progress.

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

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Photos © Genesis Graphics

TfL raises Peabody count Transport for London and local community benefit society, Peabody, are piloting a new scheme aimed at preparing young people for the world of work. Youngsters attend employability skills sessions and can gain work experience as part of the programme. The scheme’s first intake, consisting of 16 people aged between 16-24, is currently checking out a varied array of careers available in the transport industry. A range of speakers, from three of TfL’s key suppliers, Stagecoach, KeolisAmey Docklands and Ferrovial Agroman Laing O’Rourke have been working with the group, encouraging them and answering a variety of questions. The sessions run over several weeks and are provided by Peabody at BSix Sixth Form College at Brooke House in Hackney, London. Seminars on presentation and CV skills as well as remedial maths are available. Wannabe rail staff can practice at mock interviews and there’s the promise of the

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

most successful being fast tracked through to apprenticeships with TfL’s hard working suppliers. Peabody, formerly known as the Peabody Trust, was set up as a benevolent society by an American, George Peabody, in 1862. George Peabody was a prosperous banker long domiciled in London. From a poor background in Massachusetts, Peabody was raised in poverty and never forgot it. Having made his money he set about giving it away

- he had no family. The Peabody Trust built housing apartments for the poor. The first was opened at Spitalfields. The trust was later constituted by act of parliament and did a huge amount of work improving conditions for London slum dwellers. Today Peabody continues to work to provide new homes and build functional communities. Encouraging young people is a central part of this and finds a ready reflection at TfL. Says Dana Skelley OBE, who heads TfL’s apprenticeship board, ‘It’s vital that we inspire young people from a range of backgrounds to consider a career in transport. By working with Peabody and our suppliers, we are doing just that. ‘This programme will make sure that those taking part can put their best foot forward when starting their future career paths and will enable them to gain real experience in the industry and realise where their strengths lie.’ Peabody owns and manages more than 29,000 homes, providing affordable housing for around 80,000 people. As well as bricks and mortar, it provides a wide range of community programmes. George Peabody died in 1869, aged 74. At the instigation of Queen Victoria, he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

70%

Scotla

of UK rail now wholly or partly owned by foreign states

onian Caledeper Sle

Let the British State run Britain’s railways

Wear Tyne &etro M

ast

Co West

oast

East C

Grandal Centr

ern Northail R

Hull

Trans e Pennin yrail

Merse

n Londond Midla

Crossry Count

East ds n Midla er Greatlia Ang eslink

Tham rn

Chilte

Walesers d & Bor

row Heathress Exp nect & Con

ern

South Greatrn Weste

West

South

n Londoound r Overg

k Gatwic ss Expre

nds DockRlaailway t h ig L

Southrn Easte

Britain’s high fares are subsidising Essexside e state rail Tham operations in Europe tar Euros and around the globe...

... nationalise our railways now!

Protecting our members’ interests is our priority

Join us today www.rmt.org.uk

FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706

PEOPLE

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Hynes to lead Scottish railways Alex Hynes, genial head of Northern Rail, is to be the new chief of the Scottish Alliance and takes up the position later this year. Speaking at a Rail Media sustainability conference in Leeds last year, Alex Hynes described how he was devolving power to regional directors at Northern. The move was in keeping with empowering senior management at operational level to take quick and effective decisions. ‘I’m not sure where that will leave me,’ Hynes joked. Now we know.

One of the industry’s most effective leaders in recent times is heading for Glasgow to head up Scotland’s expanding national railway. He will be employed by Network Rail and will lead the alliance of Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail in Scotland. While Hynes packs his bag at Northern, erstwhile alliance head Phil Verster is heading south to take up a new role running the East-West Rail Link project - the new railway planned to connect Oxford and Cambridge via Bletchley. Verster had come under increasing pressure following

Heritage hit for popmaster Pete Pete Waterman OBE, pop music maestro, railway business expert and pioneering host of the RailStaff Awards, has become Vice President of the Transport Trust, the charity dedicated to the preservation of the nation’s transport heritage. Says Pete, ‘I am really delighted to be asked to be involved with the Transport Trust. As an enthusiast myself it is so good to be asked to be involved in an organisation that is so dedicated to preserving the transport heritage of the nation.’ Founded in 1965, the Transport Trust is a national charity which encourages preservation and restoration of Britain’s unique transport heritage in all its forms – air, rail, water and even road. Pete Waterman, a lifelong railway man, began his working life in 1962 as a fireman on a steam loco and his passion for the railways remains undimmed to this day. Over the years he has been a part-owner of locomotive 60103, Flying Scotsman, as well as the driving force behind the revived London and North Western Railway company, which operated a rail vehicle maintenance business. Pete ran tourist and charter trains,

and promoted railway heritage through its steam locomotive and carriage restoration arm. Through this venture, Pete also promoted engineering apprenticeships as a way of bringing youngsters into the railway. Off the metals Pete was a member of the renowned musical collaboration, Stock, Aitken and Waterman, producing a string of smash hits for stars like Kylie Minogue. In 2015, Pete’s model railway collection – arguably the finest of its kind worldwide – made the headlines when he auctioned one tenth of it in order to raise funds to secure the future of the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust, which houses the remainder of his collection at various sites around the country. ‘We are absolutely delighted that Pete has agreed to come on board as one of our Vice Presidents; he has a very high profile in rail preservation and brings with him a huge amount of experience,’ says Stuart Wilkinson, Chairman of the Transport Trust.

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

a run of poor performance at ScotRail. A popular figure in the industry, Verster will be orchestrating moves to connect the two university cities. The former managing director of NR’s London North East division and deputy chief executive officer at Irish Rail is understood to be delighted at his new role. Rail chiefs agree the new job is a tough one. ScotRail is administered by the Scottish Government, not Marsham Street. However, Hynes, like many rail executives before him, will view ScotRail as a career pinnacle. ‘The ScotRail Alliance is delivering one of the largest programmes of investment, change and modernisation since the railway was built. To be part of that, and the plans to vastly improve services and capacity for customers, is hugely exciting for me,’ he says. Northerner Alex was educated at Altrincham Grammar School and Leeds University where he read economics. After graduating in 1998, he worked for Halcrow

before joining the Office of Rail Regulation in 2002. A progressive railway career saw him flourish at Go Ahead where he went on to be commercial director of London Midland. He later became managing director of rail development at Go Ahead and went on to head up Northern Rail in 2013. Alex is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and chairs the Institution of Railway Operators.

Keith Foley joins SNC-Lavalin Keith Foley is to head up the Transport Advisory division at SNC-Lavalin. Foley will be director of transport planning, reporting to Marianne Kilpatrick, UK director for transport advisory. Keith joins SNC-Lavalin from Transport for London, where he was head of the Night Tube Programme. Prior to that, Keith was head of transport planning at TfL. In this role, he promoted new infrastructure projects such as the Northern line extension and acted as lead witness at the Croxley Rail Link public inquiry. Keith has spent 20 years in the rail industry. Ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, he worked as programme sponsor for London Underground (LU) and was responsible for developing plans for LU’s services to support the

event. He also served as a TfL representative at the Beijing Games. Foley read maths at Brunel University and has a masters in transport policy and management from London Metropolitan University. A keen sportsman, he is chairman of the Harrow Athletic Club - home of several Olympian athletes.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Fortune for Siemens

New CEO for HS2

Siemens Rail Automation UK has promoted Gary Fortune to head of sales, Freight and Products. Gary joined as an apprentice at 16 and has worked for the company continuously for 29 years.

Mark Thurston becomes the new chief executive of HS2 Ltd following the departure of Simon Kirby last year for Rolls Royce.

major manufacturing and R&D presence in the UK, Gary will take responsibility for identifying and developing growth opportunities for our broad range of signalling and control products and systems.’

A dynamic career path has included manufacturing engineering manager, customer support account manager for London Underground and, most recently, head of aftermarket support. Gary managed to make time to read for a degree in digital systems engineering at the University of the West of England in the late nineties. Says Steve Barry, director Freight and Products, ‘I’m delighted that Gary is taking on this vital role in our organisation. As the only company in our sector with a

of how to manage the transition from page to reality makes him not only the right person to take over at HS2 as we are on the verge of Royal Assent, but also to see it through the years leading up to the first train being commissioned.’

Mark joins Trainline Independent rail retailer, Trainline, has appointed Mark Brooker, Chief Operating Officer. In the newly created role, he will report directly to Chief Executive Officer, Clare Gilmartin.

A cab at the door A railway man with a personal touch has been promoted to head up Cabfind. Lee Wasnidge, erstwhile strategy director at Northern Rail, has been appointed by global transport company, Transdev to strengthen Cabfind - one of the UK’s leading managed cab and car hire firms. Lee joined Transdev last year as strategy director after more than seven years at Northern Rail where he was regional director for the North West and then later, transition director. He took part in the Railway Children’s

Mark began his career in the rail industry over 30 years ago as an apprentice with TfL. He went on to work for the Nichols Group, Metronet and has been working for CH2M since 2008. He worked on the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail. Says HS2 chairman David Higgins, ‘Mark not only knows the UK rail industry from the bottom up, but has worked for organisations operating at the highest level globally. His grasp

PEOPLE

Three Peaks Challenge and has a background in logistics and transport. Based at Cabfind’s headquarters on Merseyside, Lee is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics with an MBA from the Manchester Business School.

Brooker joins Trainline from Betfair, one of Europe’s largest digital businesses, where he most recently held the role of COO, with responsibilities for all operations outside the USA. Brooker oversaw significant international diversification from regulated businesses in UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Romania and Bulgaria. ‘His wealth of experience running high-growth business across international markets combined with his digital

expertise will be invaluable as we continue to accelerate growth in Europe and across the world,’ says Clare Gilmartin. Mark has a degree in Engineering, Economics and Management from Oxford University and was educated at Bishop Vesey School in Sutton Coldfield. Trainline is Europe’s leading independent retailer of train tickets. Married to Julie with two children, Holly, aged 14, and Jamie, aged 12, Mark is an avid cricket fan following Hampshire and is a supporter of Southampton FC. A fan of rail travel he lists his favourite railway journey as the run from London Waterloo to Brockenhurst. ‘The New Forest is a beautiful place and represents escape from the city,’ says Mark.

All about people, people in the public transport industry, people like you... A wide range of financial, health and welfare benefits available to those working in the public transport industry. Just £1 a week covers you, your partner and dependent children.

& 0300 333 2000 8 www.tbf.org.uk

help@tbf.org.uk

Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, known as TBF, is a registered charity in England and Wales, 1160901 TBF_Banner_Advert_190x50.indd 1

20/10/2015 09:25 FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Railway staff want to arrest plans to merge British Transport Police (BTP) with Police Scotland north of the border. The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) claims combining the two forces, as tabled by MSPs, will seriously endanger crossborder rail safety. TSSA joins a mounting chorus of criticism from BTP and the BTP Federation, which have accused the SNP Government of trying to fix a system that is not broken. Manuel Cortes, General Secretary for the TSSA, has effectively called for the plans to be given an unconditional discharge and dropped. ‘No-one involved in the rail industry wants this merger. The BTP don’t want it, the BTP Federation don’t want it, rail unions don’t want it and rail company bosses need to come clean with the public, because they are said not to be in favour of it either,’ Cortes told the Police Federation magazine. ‘UK cross-border rail safety is way too important to be reduced to a devolution issue. Scottish Labour don’t want it, Scottish Tories don’t want it. The drivers behind it are the SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, her Justice Minister Michael Matheson and her Transport Minister Humza Yousaf.’ Police Scotland faces a £188 million funding gap by 2020/21 and an inspection recently found that “urgent work” is needed to improve financial transparency. Auditor General for Scotland Caroline Gardner also condemned the Scottish Police Authority’s “weak” financial leadership as she reported on its failings for the third consecutive year. Manuel Cortes spoke for many in the rail industry when he said, ‘The BTP is a highly regarded, super-efficient, well-embedded cross-border service which needs absolutely no SNP fixing. It certainly doesn’t need merging into the troubled Police Scotland who simply are not fit to take it over.’

Cheerful prospect for Mardy Road The 121 year old Mardy Road Bridge in Cardiff will close to road traffic this spring as the Orange Army turns out to lift and replace it in preparation for electrifying the line. The new bridge will be wider and will include the footpaths, improving access on this busy pedestrian route. The bridge connects Rumney and Newton and is currently too low to clear wires and the new fleet of trains. South Wales electrification has been widely welcomed in the area. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

BTP wha' hey

Kilmarnock backs storm in a teacup The transformation of Scottish stations continues with Kilmarnock in Ayrshire taking on a beefed up role as a bustling community hub. Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust has involved a mix of volunteers and local businesses to create a bustling and popular station. Seven rooms, which were stripped back to basic brickwork in 1998, have been brought back to life. Passengers and passers-by alike can enjoy a cup of tea and a cake in the ‘Storm in a Teacup’ café with their head in a book from the ‘Killie Browser’ book shop. A gift shop and archive rooms for the Glasgow & South Western Railway Association are both making good use of the new premises. The trust rents out office space to local businesses, and hires out the rooms to other community organisations from a variety of backgrounds – ranging from yoga and art classes to community mental health teams and walking groups. Says Jacqueline Taggart, ScotRail Alliance director, ‘It’s a pleasure to travel through Kilmarnock station and admire the fantastic work undertaken by the Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust. The station truly is at the heart of the community, and it’s wonderful to see so many people benefitting from it.’

The recently refurbished underpass makes connections to the town centre and Kilmarnock College bright and welcoming. Plans are afoot to convert redundant buildings at street level into additional office space, a bike workshop, complementary and art therapy rooms, and locker/shower rooms.

RailSmartEDS Reduce the administrative burden and cost of compliance. An Employee Development System that enables Train Operating Companies to deliver targeted training and support. Helping to lower business risk and reduce incidents.

Beneﬁts:

Features:

• Improved visibility of competence data

• Training and Assessment Planning

• Proactive employee competency management

• Route and Traction Knowledge Management

• Better business risk and incident management

• Candidate Profiling

• Reduces the cost of compliance

• Auditing and Verifying

• Improved staff retention

• European Drivers License

• Better resource management

• Incident Management

For more information go to:

3squared.co/eds Call now for more info, a demonstration or free trial.

Tel: 0333 121 3333 Email: info@3squared.com

A product of

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Lion Railway Children

Railway Children has been chosen as a charity partner for new movie, ‘Lion’ starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman currently on general release in the UK and Ireland. The film tells the true story of five-year-old Saroo Brierley, who gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from his home and family. Saroo’s story is not unique – over 11 million children are currently living on the streets of India. The producers behind the film have launched the #LionHeart social impact campaign, in partnership with the Charity Network. The campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for non-profit organisations in India

helping children, like the film’s Saroo, living in poverty away from their families. Railway Children is one of three non-profit organisations to have been made a charity partner. Says Dev Patel, one of the stars of the Lion, ‘Helping India’s most vulnerable children isn’t about signing a petition, making a phone call or clicking a ‘like’ button. There are organisations on the ground doing amazing work to help kids like Saroo,and the best way we can help them is by giving them the financial support they so desperately need.’ Over the last 20 years railway staff, friends and supporters have raised 1,000s for the industry’s preferred charity. David Maidment established

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

Railway Children in 1995 after encountering homeless children during a trip to India. The former BR manager later won a Lifetime Achievement award at the RailStaff Awards. The charity has caught the imagination of rail workers everywhere. Says Terina Keene, chief executive of Railway Children, ‘There’s a seamless connection between the story of Saroo and the reality of what we do every day, making this an incredible opportunity to raise awareness and offer the audience a tangible response to these problems on a global scale. We are a grassroots organisation and are passionate about delivering positive change

and this campaign will help us in our fight for vulnerable children who live alone at risk, suffering abuse and exploitation on the streets of India.’

Photos © The Weinstein Company

Sensible Phil to walk Scilly to Shetlands Former railwayman Phil Godfrey is planning a long walk from the Scilly Isles to Shetland.

Phil aims to raise money for the Hughes Syndrome Foundation. Phil’s wife, Christine, died from the condition in January 2015. Before she was confined to a wheelchair, Christine and Phil walked many long distance footpaths within the British Isles. Hard at work training for the challenge, Phil sets off this spring and plans to spend five months walking from the Scilly Isles to the Shetland Islands, a distance of some 1,400 miles. The former BR project manager is training in open country near his home in Solihull

Does this train stop on Merseyside? Merseyside is to have a new station to cope with increased demand. Planning approval has been granted for the new Maghull North station scheme. The station will be located off School Lane between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern line. The station will be an essential piece of infrastructure supporting anticipated demand from a new housing development which will include 370 homes. More homes are planned for the area in the near future. The new station will

be fully staffed with a waiting lounge and step-free access to platforms and ticket hall. Plans include a 156-space car park and pedestrian and cycle routes from School Lane and Park Lane to the station. The Orange Army will be starting work on site this August and the station should be open by May 2018. Says Claire Rawson, Network Rail, ‘This station is part of a £340 million investment in the railway of the Liverpool City Region and it will play a vital part in accommodating the growing number of passengers using the network now and in the future.’

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

and carrying a back pack full of dried dog food. The idea is to replicate the weight he will be carrying on his long trek. Hughes Syndrome is an incurable, life-threatening autoimmune condition that causes the blood to clot too quickly. The disease is known medically as the antiphospholipid syndrome or APS. Clotting can affect any part of the body and can result in potentially fatal strokes, heart attacks, infertility and DVTs. In pregnancy, Hughes Syndrome is the leading treatable cause of recurrent miscarriage and can increase the chance of stillbirth by five times. The Hughes Syndrome Foundation is the only UKregistered charity dedicated to supporting people affected by the condition. Phil Godrey started on the railway as a clerical officer at London’s King’s Cross and went on to work in project management. He was involved in pioneering work on the Liverpool Loop and worked on Crewe remodelling. In the late 1990s, he capped a successful career by

NEWS

becoming a safety engineer in Birmingham. Phil was always active in organising events and was particularly noted for the annual canal walks around Birmingham in aid of Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. Phil hopes to raise £40,000 and has already achieved 75 per cent of that. ‘Of course you’re walking it alone,’ a friend quipped. ‘No one would be crazy enough to walk all that way…’ Phil isn’t alone, though: RailStaff readers and friends in the rail industry and at APS Support UK will be rooting for Phil as he makes the historic trek.

Carol thanks commuters Carol Ritchie, who runs Ritchie’s Buffet on Angmering railway station, has suffered a serious falling off in trade because of the rail strikes. However, well-meaning commuters have rallied round to keep Carol in business. Word got round that the popular cafe was facing closure. Shaun Adams, a local estate agent, was so moved by her plight that he set up a Just Giving page for Carol. The page raised more than £500 in its first week. A teenager donated £50 and a mystery commuter handed over an envelope containing £200. Carol said the man is always running late for his train but she knew his order - a cup of tea, milk no sugar - and manages to press it into his hand as he charges by - in a move reminiscent of the mail bag exchange on moving trains.

Carol says she’ll use the money to pay the rent and taxes owing. Best of all she can restock to keep pace with demand. Says Shaun, ‘I know that running any business has its ups and downs and when I first started, the first few years were really tough. Even if people do not donate, this might make them think twice and buy a coffee from Carol. It would really help her out, and she is such a genuine person. It is all about karma; if you help other people you will get it back some day.’

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

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Scouse hero praised for saving Grace Grace Georgina, a student in Liverpool wants to thank a stranger who paid her rail fair at Euston. Ms Georgina, 21, realised she had mislaid her rail ticket for the return journey to Liverpool, when she arrived at the station. Cost of a full fare ticket was £159. Grace, a student at John Moores University, was told she would have to pay for a new ticket as she didn’t have the paper copy of her ticket - which cost her £16.50. Seeing her in tears on the concourse, a man with a pronounced Liverpudlian accent, stopped and asked her what was wrong. Says Grace, who is studying pharmacology, ‘I stood texting my brother on the platform through silent tears of frustration when a man walking by stopped his mate, came up to me and said ‘Hey, you look upset, what’s wrong?’ I explained what had happened and he shook his head, and told

Brew Monday beats the blues me it’s no bother, he’d sort me out another ticket.’ The man and his friend walked Grace to the ticket hall, produced his credit card and calmly paid £159 for the single ticket to Liverpool. Grace says she gave him a massive hug and ran down to the platform just managing to catch the train to Liverpool Lime Street. Both Grace and her parents would like to thank the man. ‘I am completely and utterly overwhelmed by the compassion shown by this person from Liverpool. I wouldn’t expect anyone at all, never mind a total stranger to help out like that.’

Wish upon a Starr The Rail Delivery Group has hit back at a Which? report claiming the rail industry was failing. Jacqueline Starr, managing director Customer Experience, Rail Delivery Group, said, ‘It is not true that the whole railway is failing passengers, nor that operators are failing to comply with the law.’ The riposte comes as Jacqueline and the RDG push ahead with the Britain Runs on Rail campaign - backed by RailStaff. Against a background of continuing industrial unrest on the beleaguered Southern network Starr acknowledged, ‘Train operators know they must do better and we’re sorry when customers don’t get the service they expect, including those affected by strikes. We work constantly with consumer groups,

including Which?, to improve services and want to do the best for passengers above and beyond what’s required by rules and regulations.’ In fact four out of five passengers said they were satisfied with their train journey in the last independent nationwide survey - which asks more than ten times as many passengers as Which? In a statement the RDG questioned the relatively small sample size of the Which? survey. Adds Jacqueline, ‘Huge growth in the numbers of passengers and services means that, after decades of underinvestment, the railway is full in many places. That’s why rail companies are working together to deliver more than £50billion of improvements, including more than 5,500 new train carriages, to tackle congestion and to give passengers better journeys.’

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

Samaritans is urging people to beat the blues by putting on the kettle. Difficult feelings don’t care if it’s December or June and there’s no such thing as a most depressing day of the year, says the charity. Sharing a cup of tea with a friend and stopping for a chat can make all the difference. Actor Danny-Boy Hatchard plays a young man grappling with depression and suicidal feelings in Eastenders. ‘Playing his character has made me realise the importance of not letting challenges overwhelm you. Asking for support and talking about what you’re going through can really help,’ says Danny-Boy. ‘Just having a cup of tea and a chat with a friend is an opportunity for them to do that.’ Celebrities taking part in the campaign include Robbie Williams, Sky Soccer AM’s ‘Fenners’, ITV’s Lorraine and Loose Women presenters, Ayda Field, Janet Street Porter, Nadia Sawalha and Kaye Adams. Samaritans has also teamed up with Network Rail and the wider rail industry to give out 20,000 teabags to get the Brew

Monday message across. Around thirty different events took place across the UK. Startled commuters at King’s Cross station in London were even invited to join in a singalong. Cult football show presenter Fenners said, ‘I like the work Samaritans do and think it’s important for men in particular to reach out for help when things are tough. This initiative is a fun way of reaching everyone at a difficult time of the year for many people.’ Says Ian Stevens, programme manager for suicide prevention at Network Rail, ‘Brew Monday is a great example of the kind of collaborative work the rail industry can undertake with our partners at Samaritans to help save lives. Last year staff across the network made 239 life-saving interventions, thanks to our partnership. Our British Transport Police colleagues made a further 300. Millions of people use railway stations every day and we hope by using them to promote this important message, we will encourage more people to get together to talk over a cup of tea, speak to friends or relatives and save more lives.’

Worldwide railway Japanese conglomerate Mitsui is the latest overseas company to enter Britain’s booming rail industry. The Japanese multi-national plans to buy 40 per cent of the operation serving East Anglia. The deal was announced by Abellio, itself part of Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Dutch Railways. The news comes just days after National Express sold c2c to Trenitalia, operating division of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Italian State Railways.

TOUGH OUTDOOR CONDITIONS CALL FOR A TOUGH RANGE OF OUTSTANDING GO/RT 3279 COMPLIANT SAFETYWEAR. SO TRUST BALLYCLARE TO DELIVER DAY-LONG PROTECTION AND COMFORT – WHATEVER THE WEATHER. Our rail range covers everything you’ll need including hi-vis foul weather protection with outstanding waterproofness and breathability characteristics, flame-retardant, anti-static and arcing protection.

Tel: +44 (0)844 493 2808 Email: info@ballyclarelimited.com

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Silver lining Pastors tackle for Chiltern Blue Monday

Chiltern Railways is teaming up with SilverRail Technologies to develop ticketless travel on its expanded route. Arriva UK Trains submitted a proposal through the RSSB Future Railway competition and was awarded funding for six projects of which this pilot scheme is one. The plan is to allow passengers to use smartphones to detect commencement of travel and use Bluetooth to open ticket gates, automatically charging the customer the best price for their journey at the end

of the day. At un-gated stations geolocation tools will be used to locate the customer and the trains travelled on. Says Dave Penney, managing director of Chiltern Railways, ‘Customers want to travel easily with assurance that they have paid the best price; this app-based concept eliminates the need to purchase a ticket instead using Bluetooth and geolocation tracking to determine journeys taken, charging the best value fare at the end of the day.’ The app will also offer personalised, real-time travel updates and commuter advice. A pilot will be conducted on Chiltern’s newly built route between Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village station, Bicester North and London Marylebone.

London Midland calls time on drunks In one week in January alone, London Midland stopped 162 people from boarding a train from London to Northampton citing anti-social behaviour. Twenty-six penalty fares were issued. The train company has been deploying extra security guards on certain trains in recent weeks based on feedback from customers and front-line staff. This includes late night services from London and Liverpool and trains through Birmingham. Says Darren Hanley, head of revenue protection and security

at London Midland, ‘Quite frankly these people were not fit to travel. We have implemented this initiative following direct feedback from what our staff and customers are telling us. This particular service needed action taking and we have invested in measures and solutions that will ensure the safety and welfare of all of those on board our service. ‘Our staff should not be coming to work to face harassment, likewise, passengers shouldn’t be put in harm’s way and this initiative will directly improve the environment for all on board.’

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

Rail pastors stepped up patrols at Birmingham Snow Hill in a bid to help reduce suicides on the railway network on ‘Blue Monday’, dubbed the unhappiest day of the year. Eighteen specially trained pastors from local churches were available on local trains to talk to the vulnerable. Blue Monday this year fell on 16 January 2017 and is thought to mark the nadir of winter, dark evenings and foggy mornings all contributing to a sense of gloom. Post-Christmas debt and dyspepsia are said to exacerbate the condition. It’s a challenge for the railway. British Transport Police attended more than 460 mental health incidents in 2016 on the local rail network. They include 21 suspected suicides and six people who are believed to have deliberately harmed themselves on the railway. Officers also made 80 lifesaving interventions and worked with hundreds of people to make sure plans are in place to keep them safe and help them recover. Says Inspector Dave Rams, from BTP in Birmingham, ‘Research by Samaritans shows there is a small window of opportunity, around 20 to 30 minutes, where a timely intervention – simply speaking to someone and listening to their concerns – can prevent a person from taking their life. While this is something our officers do on a daily basis, unfortunately we cannot be everywhere and the Rail Pastors provide extra eyes and ears on the network to prevent vulnerable people from coming to harm. We look forward to working with the pastors and I am confident they will be able to help us save more lives, while also reducing

disruption caused by suiciderelated incidents on the network in the West Midlands.’ The scheme was introduced by the Ascension Trust in Barnet, Hertfordshire, in 2014 and in their first year of operation, they conducted 30 patrols and made two life-saving interventions. Richard Godwin from Network Rail, who have provided the pastors uniforms, said: ‘Street Pastors are recognised as a valued community resource willing to engage with and help people in need and without prejudice. They often patrol in the vicinity of stations and so training them as a railway resource makes a lot of sense. I am delighted to see this collaborative scheme rolled out in the West Midlands and to have assisted in funding it. ‘Their reassuring presence will provide a friendly face to anyone who needs it and provide eyes and ears on and about the rail network, watching out for vulnerable people and providing an extremely valuable suicide prevention resource.’ If you need to talk to someone about any issues please visit www.samaritans.org or call The Samaritans free on 116 123.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

A Midland Metro tram, in Spain, is currently being fitted with hitech batteries allowing it to run over stretches of track with no overhead power cables.

Battery power for Spanish trams Youth power for Community Rail Awards This year at the Community Rail Awards, Rail Media is backing the excellent new category, ‘Involving Children and Young People.’ The 2017 event in October has an especial significance for RailStaff. The Community Rail Awards will be staged at the Roundhouse in Derby - historic home of the rail industry. Just up the road the first editions of RailStaff were printed on the presses of the Derby Evening Telegraph exactly 20 years ago. Derby itself has spearheaded the rail renaissance; not always an easy job but one which local railway staff, pioneers and supporters have driven forward with determination and panache. The race is on to attract new people and youngsters to fill the need for more skilled railway professionals at every level. ‘Community rail is out there now getting young people involved in railways and it’s good to see,’ says Tom O’Connor, managing director, Rail Media. ‘We believe in supporting Community Rail Partnerships and the people who give so generously of their time and skill. It’s a proven phenomenon - CRPs increase ridership, station and service quality and best of all sow railways into the sympathetic mindset of the public. Community Rail

volunteers are great ambassadors for railways in general and we salute them.’ The Community Rail Awards will take place on 5 October 2017 and mark a steady upswing in government and industry support for community rail. Adds Andy Milne, ‘It really is a great evening and a good get together. It seems a long time ago - 20 years back when we used to sneak into the Evening Telegraph late at night and put the paper together using friendly staff who stayed on working freelance. People thought it crazy to launch a good news paper about railways in the midst of the post-privatisation trauma of the new rail industry. ‘I know Paul Salveson up in Huddersfield faced similar ridicule but he stuck at it and the movement that became Community Rail is now an essential part of railway franchise criteria.’ Increasingly Community Rail sees commercial rail companies wanting to get involved as they seek to build a portfolio of sustainable and socially responsible community involvement. Adds Tom, ‘It’s a doubly good move to stage the event at the Roundhouse in Derby where RailStaff started and where historically the railway hit its stride and against all the odds never gave up.’

Tram 18 was split in two and loaded onto flatbed lorries to make the journey from Wednesbury to the factory in Zaragoza, Spain, where it was made. Tram manufacturer CAF will then fit the Urbos 3 with two lithium ion cells and undertake exhaustive tests before returning it to Britain in the autumn. The batteries will allow the trams to operate over short distances without the need for overhead cables and equipment - a good move in architecturally sensitive areas like Victoria Square. It also obviates the need for disruptive and expensive

NEWS

installation work. Urbos 3 trams already run catenary-free along some sections of the tram networks in the Spanish cities of Zaragoza, Seville and Cadiz but use supercapacitors to provide onboard energy storage. However these would be unsuitable for trams using the extension being built from New Street to Centenary Square because of the steep hill on Pinfold Street leading into Victoria Square. The newly available lithium ion batteries are now robust enough to handle the gradients and can be fitted to the fleet in time for the opening of the Centenary Square extension. Artist’s impression of a Midland Metro tram running catenaryfree through Victoria Square.

Hackney Wick lights up Work is underway on a £25 million scheme to transform Hackney Wick Overground station. The area’s industrial heritage and waterways informs bold new designs for the station’s new entrance and ticket hall. Tower Hamlets Council and Hackney Council have both contributed £1 million towards the refurbishment of the station which is expected to generate new jobs, investment and affordable housing. Says David Goldstone, chief

executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is supporting the work, ‘Improving connections in Hackney Wick is vital to support the regeneration of the area and is a key feature of the Hackney Wick masterplan. ‘The new subway will help to open up the area for local people and support the businesses that are moving here. The much needed improvements to the station come just as new homes start to be built at East Wick and Sweetwater and more jobs are created at Here East and in the surrounding area.’

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

NEWS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

FirstGroup plc and Trenitalia UK Limited are to bid together for the East Midlands and West Coast rail franchise competitions due to be awarded in 2018.

Primo Gruppo in Avanti! © Shutterstock.com

Greeks bearing gifts Greece’s national rail company, TrainOSE, has been snapped up by Ferrovie dello Stato Italian State Railways. The national network was bought for €45 million as part of a two-year old €86 billion bailout deal. TrainOSE is the sole operator of passenger and freight services on the 1500 mile rail network.

Various trains carry 15 million passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of freight annually. In April, the Greek government signed a €368.5 million deal to sell the operation of the Port of Piraeus main sea artery for Athens - to Chinese shipping line, COSCO. The airport at Athens has been sold to Fraport - a German company which runs Frankfurt Airport.

Commuters waiting for train at platform in Piraeus, Greece.

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

Says Steve Montgomery, First Rail managing director, ‘We are pleased to announce that we will be partnering with Trenitalia to bid for the upcoming East Midlands and West Coast Partnership rail franchises. We have a strong track record in delivering continued modernisation and investment, alongside industry partners, through our rail operating companies, Great Western Railway, TransPennine Express

and Rail Operator of the Year, Hull Trains.’ The West Coast Partnership franchise, announced on 4 November 2016, will combine the current InterCity West Coast services with the development and introduction of HS2 services. The new franchise will be responsible for services on both the West Coast Main Line from 2019 and designing and running the initial high speed services from 2026. The franchise will run for the first three to five years of operation of HS2. Both FirstGroup and Trenitalia hold ‘Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Passports’ from the DfT Rail Executive which shows that they have satisfied basic financial and other competence criteria and allows them to submit franchise bids to Government. In December 2015, Trenitalia became the first new entrant to be awarded a PQQ Passport by the Department for Transport and since then is pursuing a number of franchise opportunities. Trenitalia is the passenger arm of Italian State Railways and operates high speed lines in Italy.

Final resting place The remains of over 200 bodies found in a forgotten graveyard during work on Manchester’s tram extension have been re-interred. The graveyard was discovered under the city centre’s Cross Street in early 2013 during groundwork for the Metrolink Second City Crossing. The remains, which date from around the 1720s to the 1850s, were found to be members of Cross Street Chapel, part of the Unitarian Church. Members of the church attended a special ceremony addressed by the Unitarian minister, the Reverend Cody Coyne. The original Cross Street Chapel was destroyed in an air raid in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1959. The exhumation work was carried out away from public view under cover of a large tent by

specialist archaeologists, CFA Archaeology. Where identification has been possible, remains have been buried in family groupings. One of the first to be buried in 2014 was the former trustee of the Cross Street chapel, Mary Hilton, who died in 1831 aged 71 years, and was buried alongside her husband, Thomas Hilton, aged 56. A final report on the three year long archaeological study is expected in the spring, and will provide some details of those buried as well as the causes of death. During the Metrolink construction work, TfGM also uncovered the vaulted crypt of St Peter’s Church, dating back to 1788, under St Peter’s Square. The transformational new Metrolink Second City Crossing is due to open to the public later this year allowing more trams than ever before to run through the city centre.

Educational Partner

New Show Partner for 2017

The key to your organisation’s safety & health… is you! NEC Birmingham, 21-23 March 2017

Unlock your potential

Event features

The Health & Safety Event offers you unrivalled access to free educational programmes, interactive discussion forums and hands-on advice from leading technology vendors and training providers. Visiting the event will provide you with the best tools, essential educational content from leading health & safety experts and unrivalled networking opportunities.

Conference

Educational content of the highest quality

Safety Dialogue

Panel-led discussions on the topics that matter most

Safer Logistics

Tackling safety hotspots in warehousing & logistics

Education Pavillion

“Ask the Expert”, supported by NEBOSH

Lions’ Lair

Help decide who wins the BSIF’s Innovation Award

More information at: www.healthandsafetyevents.co.uk Co-located with

Supporters

Sponsors

SAFE HEALTH+SAFETY

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

FROM START TO FINISH

he story of the Midland Main Line upgrade has moved on quite a bit in the past 12 months. At the start of 2016, the programme was just beginning to regain momentum following a brief hiatus - one of the after effects of Sir Peter Hendy’s extensive review of Network Rail. The £2 billion programme is being delivered by the Network Rail Infrastructure Projects East Midlands (IPEM) partnership. The IPEM team comprises Network Rail, AMCO, Arup, Atkins, Carillion, Carillion Powerlines, Galliford Try and Murphy. The remobilisation of a £2 billion programme ‘doesn’t just happen’, said Paul Thomas, route delivery director, Network Rail. ‘We’ve been very active in that throughout the past year… We’re taking a much more programme-based approach.’ At its heart is the electrification of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Sheffield. Work is currently focussed between Bedford and Corby. At the start of the year, a sixweek blockade to begin the installation of a second track was successfully delivered. Now preparatory works for the electrification of the line can begin. Piling is due to start between Kettering and Corby in May and between Bedford and Kettering in October. If all goes to plan, the line from Bedford to Kettering and Corby will be energised in 2019, reaching Sheffield four years later. Network Rail is predicting a 30 per cent growth in passenger numbers along the corridor over the next 10 years and the upgrade is key to preparing one of Britain’s oldest routes for the future.

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

NEW HOME Paul was speaking at SafeStart 2017, which welcomed some 70 exhibitors and 750 delegates to its new home of Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on 26 January. It is the fourth year in succession that the exhibition has brought the IPEM team and its supply chain together at the start of a new year. The main message of the show was ‘Safe Stop’, encouraging people to stop and intervene if they see unsafe work practices and also to stop and consider the consequences of the decisions they make. Says Paul, ‘That’s really where the main theme for this comes from. It’s about stopping and taking action if it’s not right.’ Paul was keen to stress that he didn’t see SafeStart as a typical trade show. The conference programme and interactive sessions dealt with a variety of issues that can impact on health and wellbeing - a theme that underpins the whole event. During the conference, Kelly Sotherton, who won bronze in the heptathlon at the 2004 Olympic Games, and British triple jump champion Nathan Douglas provided some insight into sports psychology, offering up advice and guidance that delegates could apply in their own day-to-day lives. There were also seminar sessions on things like occupational hygiene, suicide awareness and handling risk.

SAFESTART AWARDS James Steele, head of innovation at Carillion and the organiser of SafeStart, believes the event does two things: it allows people to see parts of the industry outside their own immediate view and it gives individuals a moment to stop and think about safety after a busy Christmas. ‘It’s all about focusing and resetting their minds on the year ahead,’ says James. ‘What we’re doing now is we’re getting people better prepared for the work as well.’ The event also rewarded those who had made a positive impact on health and safety throughout the programme during the past 12 months. The SafeStart

Photos by Rob Finney, courtesy of In2Global

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Paul Thomas (left) with James Steele.

TRACK SAFETY

Awards honoured those who had intervened to stop someone from taking their own life, someone who had performed CPR on a member of the public and another who had helped a driver at the scene of a road traffic accident. What the IPEM’s leadership team want to see is the message from SafeStart maintained and built on throughout the rest of the year, says Paul. There are examples of new schemes and initiatives that are doing just that. By deploying occupational nurses to site, the programme has already made a meaningful difference. As a result, several people have been referred to their doctor and some have even been referred directly to hospital.

REFLECT ON SAFETY Headline sponsors for the event were TXM Plant and Vp plc. Kayleigh Lord, marketing and communication manager at TXM Plant, said the event was a good ‘platform’ to raise awareness of safety issues. ‘TXM Plant are proud supporters of the SafeStart event. We believe that safety is paramount in any industry, especially rail. TXM Plant and TXM Rail’s dedicated SHEQ teams are keen to raise awareness of its importance and SafeStart is a great platform to do so. The event allows companies to share ideas and come together to ensure a safe working environment for all.’ Says Graham Humphries, business development manager at Torrent Trackside, ‘SafeStart 2017 was a spectacular repeat of what’s becoming an industry leading event. For us, it is about taking the time to reflect on safety, meet our colleagues and showcase Vp’s latest innovative solutions and products for hire. A lot of effort went into the event from the Carillion team and we are proud to support their initiative.’ Like all of Network Rail’s Infrastructure Projects alliances, IPEM is under pressure to deliver. The technical challenges and time constraints of a major electrification scheme could pose a real threat to safe delivery. Opening the event, Paul said that those working on the upgrade programme were twice as safe as those in other parts of the country. The real challenge now is to maintain this throughout the life of the project. It’s not how you start but how you finish. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

THREE YEARS WITHOUT A STAFF FATALITY BUT PROSECUTIONS COSTING MILLIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

t a time when I was responsible for more than two thousand rail employees I recall an eighteen month period when there were no fatalities. The question in all our minds was are we at last doing enough and if so which of our safety initiatives is having the greatest effect? The average number for the Division was more than one each year. Within a fortnight two track patrollers were knocked down and killed. Consequently it is with a mixture of joy and foreboding that I welcome the fact that our industry has now managed three years without a fatal accident to rail staff. The last one was at Newark on January 22nd 2014. Now I suggest is a good time not for complacency, but for a renewal of our efforts in defiance of the so called “Law of Averages” to achieve a fatality free 2017!

Prosecutions in 2016 But I have many other safety concerns, not least when I looked at the number of safety prosecutions that were heard in Court last year. The length of time it takes before these matters end up in court is to my mind unacceptable. To illustrate the point I will list the hearings that took place, when they were in Court and the date when each incident or accident occurred. There is plenty of evidence of good cooperation between the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and the office of Rail and Road (ORR) so why are things taking so long? In my experience delays result in increased legal costs.

Total £1,300,000 The accident at Redhill back on 24 June 2014 resulted in “multiple and life changing injuries”. The hearing took place on January 9th last year and resulted in a fine of £800,000 being imposed.

November 2016 will forever be remembered for the tragedy of the Croydon Tram crash that resulted in 7 passenger fatalities.

The London Underground lift shaft accident that resulted in multiple injuries occurred back on 22nd September 2014 and resulted in a £500,000 fine. The injured man had been cleaning a lift shaft using incorrectly assembled scaffolding. The case was heard on 2nd December last year.

Total £4,130,000 It was August 2011 when the Gypsy Lane near Needham Market level crossing fatality happened. The fine imposed when the matter eventually came before the court on 21st September 2016 was £4 million. The hearing was told of the recommendations made in both 2006 and again in 2008 that in view of the known high risk, warning sirens should be installed. This had not been done. Even longer ago on November 16th 2009 at Ardrossan South Beach the carrying out of overhead line repairs resulted in staff suffering burns. The fine imposed at the 1st August hearing 2016 was £130,000.

Total £270,000 Two workers received electric shocks from lineside equipment cases on 22nd February 2014. The prosecution in this case commented on the “failure to make sufficient progress in response to an Improvement Notice”. The defendants were fined £70,000 on August 4th last year. The West Coast Railway incident at Royal Wootton Basset when a signal was passed at danger by a steam locomotive on 7th March 2015 resulted on 27 June 2016 in a £200,000 fine and a suspended prison sentence for the train driver. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Total £600,000 In respect of the accident that occurred on March 8th 2013 at Hope in Flintshire (when a worker’s legs were trapped against a platform edge during track renewal working) Babcock Rail was prosecuted. That case was heard on 5th February last year and resulted in a fine of £400,000. The hearing that took place on 11th January 2016 resulted from the death of a Controller of Site Safety on 4th December 2012. The Court was told that only one line was closed to traffic but both lines should have been closed for the work to take place. The fine imposed was £200,000.

Inadequate planning Reviewing the list I was struck by the cases where the reaction to the imposition of Improvement Notices had been less than speedy and the recurrence of references to “inadequate planning.” I also believe that better planning means less paperwork not more! The fines (totalling £6.3 million) are generally levied on large organisations many of which are publically owned. The timescales are very long. Other costs and the legal bills must be huge and cannot be good for the industry.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

TRACK SAFETY

Surely there must be a better way of holding those who fail to meet safety standards to account; your views please?

Another tram fatality Following so closely after the dreadful Croydon Tram accident last year, I am saddened by the report issued on January 11th of the fatal collision that occurred between a pedestrian and a tram in Sheffield at the Woodbourn Road Tram stop on 22nd December. It was around 10 am when the pedestrian alighted from an inbound tram. No-one was waiting on the opposite outbound platform as he used the crossing which provides a pathway between the platforms. He was struck by the outbound tram. No-one on that tram had requested a stop at Woodbourn Road. The tram was travelling at approximately 13 mph. The RAIB has begun its investigation.

CUT LEVEL 5 GLOVES DEFLECTOR 5

• Enhanced cut protection

• Polyurethane palm coat

• Knit wrist

• Light and flexible

• Conforms to EN388 Levels 2-5-4-3

PRODUCT CODE: GH4262

DEFLECTOR 5X

Sizes: S to 2XL

• Deflector 5X glove

• Enhanced cut protection

• Polyurethane palm coat

• Knit wrist

• Light and flexible

• Conforms to EN388 levels 4-5-4-3

PRODUCT CODE: GH4263

ROCK KEVLAR

Sizes: S to 2XL

• Rock Kevlar gloves

• Elasticated knit wrist

• 10 gauge Kevlar fibre

• Enhanced cut resistance

• Blue latex palm coat and • Rugged heavy duty glove textured grip • Conforms to EN388 Levels 4-5-4-4

Slipstreams and wheelchairs The RAIB has just released its full report into an incident that occurred at 1042 in the morning at Twyford Station on 7th April last year. A mother with her teenage daughter in a wheelchair were

Sizes: S to 2XL

• Deflector 5 glove

PRODUCT CODE: GH4264

T: 0208 527 5888 www.spartansafety.co.uk post@spartansafety.co.uk Please quote ref number “RS205” when ordering to receive your free gift

Unit 3 Waltham Park Way, Walthamstow, London E17 5DU

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

TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

on platform 4 waiting for their train. The mother had positioned the wheelchair behind the yellow line, applied its brakes and was standing alongside it. The wheelchair was 2.4 metres back from the platform edge. A Class 59 diesel electric locomotive hauling 16 box wagons followed by 28 loaded hopper wagons (total trainload weight 4,274 tonnes) passed through the platform road at 45 mph. The wheelchair began to move and “made multiple glancing contacts” with the passing wagons before coming to rest some 15 metres further down the platform having been pushed away from the platform edge by its last contact with a wagon. The teenager suffered injuries to her foot and items which were in a bag hung on the wheelchair were also damaged. The RAIB investigation concluded that the freight train’s slipstream together with the wind was sufficient to overcome the applied brakes. During their investigations the RAIB tested the degrees of resistance available for the varying handbrake application settings. They also identified a disparity between braking on the two sides of the chair as contributing to the route along the platform taken by the wheelchair. The published report includes a learning point for the public, that even relatively slow moving freight trains can generate slipstreams sufficient to move wheelchairs and pushchairs against their applied brakes.

Aerodynamics effects are not new Slipstream effects have been known about for a very long time. I have a distant memory from my training of being on track with theodolite and level near Leeds. We were completing a survey for a track realignment scheme as part of a track rationalisation project. I was the junior trainee. We left the instrument on its legs in the very wide ten-foot of the curve. A car transporter freight train came through; the tripod was sucked out of the ballast and fell over breaking a lens. Fortunately my colleague carried the responsibility and I learnt something about slipstreams. The RAIB report refers to concerns dating back to the early 1970’s about the slipstream effects of the first HST trains. It also identifies an inconsistency in the relevant Group Standards and as a result the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is to amend the way aerodynamic risk assessments are carried out when freight trains pass through platforms at 45 mph or more.

A two second near miss! On December 5th a Network Rail Safe Work Leader (SWL) with 7 contractors' staff were digging out wet beds near Saxelby in Leicestershire.

Line blocks between trains were being taken of the Up and Down Main lines. When the Down Main block was given up for a train to pass, the gang stood in the Up Cess position of safety. A “Kango” was left on the high piled ballast of the six-foot. Vibration from the freight train passing caused it to slide down to the six-foot rail. The SWL shouted for it to be moved and a gang member moved forward picked it up and stepped back just two seconds before a passenger train travelling at 90 mph passed him on the Up Main. Doubtless someone will now be reviewing the planning of the work! In the report on the Safety Central website I was disappointed to find the contractor workers referred to by the dehumanising word “operatives” which I suggest is an unsafe practice in itself.

Advanced lookout near miss A Network Rail patroller acting as Controller of Site Safety (COSS) was using a site and advanced lookout near Surbiton in December. He was inspecting the Up Fast and observing the Up Slow. He was accompanied by the lookout and the advanced lookout was 200 yards in front of him in the wide-way between the Up Slow and Up Fast as directed.

As they progressed the wideway narrowed to a ten-foot and then into a standard six-foot. Consequently it was no longer a place of safety. A passenger train approached the advanced lookout at the same time as another train approached him on the Up Slow. As the report on the Safety Central website says “the trains passed narrowly on either side of the advanced lookout but fortunately not at the same time”.

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

Were the COSS and lookouts given the opportunity to critically look at the proposed system of work and question it?

Lights flickered and the telecommunication equipment glowed red! On December 7th last year an electrical current from the overhead line equipment (OLE) was exported through the public telecommunications network to Southholme Farm near Carstairs in South Lanarkshire. It damaged telecommunications equipment and the farmhouse boiler. Hessian lagging from an overbridge’s expansion joint between its concrete beams had come loose and was in contact with the OLE 680 mm below the soffit. The current then went into the telecommunications cabling buried in the bridge and from there into the nearby farmhouse. Telecommunications equipment plugged into the farm mains supply then passed it into the farmhouse’s domestic electrical system resulting in equipment “glowing red” with the domestic lights flickering for around 15 minutes. A full isolation was taken, the hessian was cut back and secondary insulation was installed to the catenary wire. Surprisingly the report’s discussion points make no reference to the contents of the most recent bridge examination reports. We may be three years away from the last staff fatality but the two near misses illustrate how near two people came to losing their lives last December. The accident at Southholme Farm was unusual to say the least, but lessons are there to be learnt. It adds a new perspective for bridge examinations. Prosecutions should always be the last resort. They are expensive, damage reputations and take money out of the industry. The solution of course is simple. Do you know of good news cases where professionally developed legally acceptable method statements and task briefings have been corrected by “operatives”? If so I would like to hear about them.

THE

ULTIMATE

FLAME PROTECTION Suitable for use in the Rail Industry

Contact your local Greenham Service Centre for more details

rou p St

ard and

We strive to provide new and innovative materials and garments to supply the best products in the market to our customers.

Railw a

KEEPING YOU SAFE IN A MULTI-RISK ENVIRONMENT

GO/RT 3279

GO/RT 3279 only for orange

0845 300 6672 national.sales@greenham.co.uk www.greenham.com

Protecting People Everyday

COMPANY FOCUS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

WAKE UP CALL FOR FATIGUE MANAGEMENT

he relationship between workplace fatigue and performance has been increasingly recognised as a problem in industry. The causes of waking weariness, sleepiness or drowsiness are multifactorial, reports Dr Steven Malleson – consultant occupational physician and CMO to Express Medicals. Direct medical causes known as ‘primary sleep disorders’ have been gaining significant recognition. As well as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea there are other medical causes which require direct medical intervention if suspected. Significant causes of fatigue include lack of sleep as a result of working long hours with insufficient rest and inadequate sleep often related to badly designed shift patterns. Lifestyle, ordinary day-to-day life challenges and psychological factors such as stress and depression can be responsible for poor sleep patterns. Never overlook alcohol, prescription medication and recreational drug abuse.

PERFORMANCE Sleepiness can be a particular problem in industries involving safetycritical activities where vigilance is an essential requirement. Sleepiness will reduce concentration, affect decisionmaking and judgement, slow reaction times, reduce alertness and impair coordination. Emotional volatility will impair cognitive function, judgement and decision-making.

SHIFTWORK It is recognised that certain shift patterns can result in individuals developing cumulative sleepiness, resulting in poor health and inability to cope with stress. Disruption of the natural body clock and physiological routines - circadian rhythms - can also be aggravated by individual differences and responsibilities. Social commitments, age and poor sleep management can contribute to the problem. Shiftwork in areas with poor lighting and temperature, ill defined responsibilities and workload can all exhaust both the unwary and conscientious.

WHAT TO DO? RSSB’s ‘Managing Fatigue – a Good Practice Guide’ and ORR’s ‘Managing Rail Staff Fatigue’ both give comprehensive and wide-ranging guidance on the management of these problems in what is essentially an industry dependent on shift working. Both these documents are designed to assist companies and individuals who have responsibility for managing fatigue in rail staff in conjunction with the obligations and guidance established by other publications such as the ‘Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations’ and the HSE’s guidance on ‘Managing shiftwork – health and safety guidance’. These extensive documents essentially establish and give guidance on ways of assessing risk

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

of fatigue in aspects of the workforce and then guidance on good practice on how these can be mitigated, particularly in the areas of roster design and work planning. Areas outline in detail some necessary adjustments to shift patterns for adequate sleep taking into allowance circadian rhythms and also limiting the most vulnerable periods in a 24-hour cycle. ORR recommends designing work patterns that make good use of fatigue management practices. Assess likely fatigue risks arising from a work pattern, using a fatigue assessment tool. Ask staff whether the working pattern is in reality controlling fatigue. Tease out any particular features which may need further improvement. In an age of safety compliance, making sure staff are rested and balanced is an essential part of their welfare and industry professionalism.

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

GARDEN WALL ACORP SUCCESS

ohn Yellowlees takes a look at an inspired figure in the world of station adoption. Louis Wall leads the South West Railway Adopters Gardening Group which has volunteers looking after gardening at 20 stations stretching from suburban Glasgow and Ayrshire to Dumfries and Galloway under ScotRail’s adopt a station scheme. He encourages volunteers by making them feel part of decision-making, always praising and thanking them and showing them the right and wrong way of doing things. With ScotRail’s support they regularly have outings to other stations, both as a reward and to see their successes. Louis is a professional horticulturalist, but railways are in his blood. Wall’s grandfather served on the Great Western Railway at Truro where he saved a man’s life in 1904. Exactly a century later Louis, while volunteering as a crossing keeper on the Severn Valley Railway, stopped a child from wandering in front of a train.

Successes for Louis have included Irvine being recognised by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships as its best adopted station of 2012. He himself came second at the Community Rail Awards for outstanding voluntary contribution. Plants grown from seed in his Galloway nursery are taken by car to his nearest station at Stranraer to be put on the train. It is always important to ring the changes with each season, using stalwarts like marigolds, ageratum, cordylines and cinneraria to provide matching colours - and even deploying silk flowers in areas under canopies at stations such as Troon. At Irvine Louis grew peaches, tomatoes and lemons. Planting at Ayr has enhanced the setting of the Glasgow & South Western Railway war memorial, and Nitshill received Victoria Cross Poppies for Sgt John Meikle VC who had worked in the booking office there before signing up for the Great War.

WEDDING GARDEN

Louis Wall.

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

Gardening at Saltcoats has complemented the opening of a new cafe. At Barrhill Station in South Ayrshire Louis drove midges out of the shelter by planting lemon eucalyptus. At Dumfries the station name is picked out in a box. Nearby stands the longest barrel train in the country. Trees have been trimmed by professional tree surgeons. The River of Life Church has created a Biblical Garden complete with grapes and figs. It was little wonder when a photographer covering a wedding in the nearby Station Hotel chose to pose the happy couple in the Station Gardens. Gretna Green has a Wedding Garden with honeymoon tulips and love lies bleeding.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

FEATURE

Volunteer Myra McLanaghan from Ayr had wondered what to do with her retirement. Joining Louis’s Group has ensured that she now has never a dull moment. Orange jackets have made the volunteers very visible, visiting stations she has met characters who could have been out of the cast of Still Game, and at Dumfries she found herself featuring in an article in Dumfries and Galloway Life. Another side of life opened up for her has included learning about the history of the stations and the towns that they serve.

VOLUNTEERS FROM KEW Many customers have thanked the Group for their work brightening up stations, not realising that they were volunteers. An ancient watercarrier has been pressed into service, easing the carrying of water to stations with no taps. Outings have included cycling round Pollok Park, visiting Glenfinnan on the West Highland Line and a biodiversity garden at Ladybank, and planting birch trees at a hospice in Hairmyres. Five volunteers even came up from Kew on the Sleeper to spend a day working with Louis and his Group. It is hoped to inspire the next generation to start volunteering, with Louis’s own grandchildren setting an example, and with an eye always to the future his current round of Christmas displays incorporate plants that can be reused throughout the year. The last word on Louis comes in this unsolicited testimonial from passenger Kate Roberts, who wrote: “Many thanks to Louis and his team for creating such a beautiful and peaceful garden to relax in while waiting for a train. I never knew a station that you would want to visit in its own right until I spent some time on the platform and in the garden at Dumfries. I was almost disappointed when my train finally arrived as I did not want to leave”. Scottish Region’s CILT chairman, Ken Thomson, recently presented Louis with an original Great Western Railway whistle to add to the collection in the small museum that he has created at Dumfries Station. Galloway is often called the garden of Scotland - stations throughout the region now bear this out. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

THE FUTURE? Marc Johnson visited Crossrail’s Liverpool Street station site to see what legacy of innovation Crossrail will leave behind. ‘It’s a bit like RoboCop or Minority Report’ said Rav Kugananthan, a project engineer working at Crossrail’s Liverpool Street station, as he squeezed his head into one of the project’s most radical innovations. Although still at the development stage, the smart helmet Rav was modelling provided a glimpse into what will very likely be a common sight on construction sites within the next five years as technology popularised by the gaming industry starts to find a home in engineering and construction. The helmet itself is made by Daqri, a US augmented reality company. Crossrail has been working with another tech company, Glaswegian digital design firm Soluis, to create an augmented reality (AR) solution to aid the project’s delivery. Soluis is also trialling its software with Microsoft’s HoloLens ‘mixed reality’ headsets.

INNOVATE18 The software, InSite, allows the operator to access any information held about an asset just by looking at it. Data and photos can then be transferred back to a central database directly from the site. The headset also keeps the user’s hands free; tasks can be carried out more safely, without having to look down at a screen or paper files. The smart helmet is one of more than 60 ideas funded by Crossrail through its innovation programme, Innovate18. The scheme’s members include the 18 main contractors on the project and more than 1,000 individual members. Each of the companies has helped fund the project; this was then match funded by Crossrail. Ideas are submitted through the Innovate18 portal and then a Project Champion decides whether to pursue it or not.

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

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

GEAR+TECH

Some of the innovations have taken preexisting technology and applied it in new ways. One novel solution has been to use small portable projectors to deliver safety briefings in the tunnels, saving the time and associated risks of having to go back and forth from meeting rooms: a substantial benefit when it can take 20 minutes to travel from the site office into the tunnels. Some of Innovate18’s solutions have involved emerging technologies. Drones have been utilised for surveying inside the tunnels and 360-degree cameras have been used to create interactive photos and videos of worksites. Crossrail’s engineering teams have also used 3D printers to create small models of construction components to help visualise and plan works. Rav demonstrated several of the innovations, including the smart helmet, 40 metres below ground in one of the 220-metre tunnels which link the new ticket halls at Liverpool Street station and Moorgate station. As well as being the guinea pig for innovative new products and construction techniques, it was at the Liverpool Street station site that one of the most significant archaeological finds was made. The remains or 42 people were found in a mass grave, believed to have been a pit for victims of the Great Plague, within the former Bedlam burial ground.

BEYOND CROSSRAIL

Drones and AR are just two of a number of innovations trialled on Crossrail.

3D printer pictured below.

Around 450 ideas have been submitted through Innovate18. The programme’s success means it will have a life beyond Crossrail as I3P and will likely be adopted by Crossrail 2. The hope is that many of the innovations that have helped improve safety and efficiency on Crossrail can be applied at the design stage of future projects, delivering greater benefits. The application of virtual reality (VR) and AR, in particular, is an area of focus within the transport and engineering sectors. Earlier this year, Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) opened its Visualisation Laboratory - a

high-tech suite it is offering up to the industry to trial VR and augmented reality technologies. ‘It will definitely have a positive impact,’ said Martin Pett, principal technologist (human factors) at TSC, talking about the application of VR and AR in the transport and construction industries. Although the lab was only opened in the summer, it is already being upgraded to keep pace with this fastdeveloping field. TSC is acquiring devices known as haptic suits and gloves to make its VR worlds more immersive. The suits recreate the sense of touch for the wearer. Martin said that, combined with programmes that simulate passenger flows, they would be able to recreate the hustle and bustle of a busy railway station. One of the projects TSC is working on is an augmented reality app which would allow people to see what it is like for passengers with a visual impairment to negotiate the station environment.

SERIOUS APPLICATIONS The gaming industry has led the way in the development in VR until now, but Martin believes that other industries will become more prominent in the future. TSC is part of the ImmerseUK network - a group of organisations looking to work across industries to develop VR technologies within their businesses. It includes the likes of Rolls-Royce, BT and Disney. Martin said 2017 would provide some clarity on how VR and AR will evolve in the workplace. ‘It has definitely been the entertainment industry’s golden child… but there’s more and more people finding serious applications for it.’

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

GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

AIN VIRTUAL LESSON REALITY W

hile augmented reality is finding its place in the construction of new railways, virtual reality is becoming an important tool in the training of new staff. In fact, teachers and trainers have been looking for ways to introduce virtual reality - in its various different guises - into the classroom for some time. Better equipment and more affordable hardware is now making that possible. When the NTAR academy in Northampton opened in 2015, one of its proudest accomplishments was the creation of a VR training room. Visitors to the college can put on a headset and examine a virtual bogie without getting oil on their jackets and, most importantly, it gives students the opportunity to explore and interrogate equipment in new ways. But the hardware is developing apace. Shortly after NTAR opened, Samsung and Oculus released the Gear VR headset. Others have followed and although smart phones can’t yet match the performance of the full tethered systems, they are giving far more people access to an immersive VR experience for a fraction of the price.

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

The National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) is keen to adopt VR and augmented reality (AR), explains Daniel Locke-Wheaton, the interim academic director for NCHSR. Split between campuses in Birmingham and Doncaster, Daniel sees VR as a critical way of bringing the two sites closer together. When the colleges open in September, they will welcome 150 high-speed rail apprentices. In all, around 500 apprentices have been pledged by more than 40 companies. As VR and AR become common in construction, the college will have to also train people how to use it. ‘We will see the increased use of AR and VR software in roles that we don’t yet know,’ said Daniel. ‘For example, the demand now for the role of Building Information Modelling (BIM) managers who are experts at the cross application of BIM cross sector is a role and specialism which did not exist 10 years ago.’ As well as his role with NCHSR, Daniel is the principal of the Aston University Engineering Academy UTC in Birmingham. Daniel has championed VR throughout his career. He recalled creating a digital training suite in 2007 and reflected on how much the technology had

developed since then. ‘We were using some displays to train and teach a student and immerse them into the environment; and it was always just scratching the surface.’ But Daniel doesn’t necessarily believe that physical learning will ever be completely supplanted by the virtual world.

THE CAVE Arriva Trains Wales has invested in a new immersive training suite called the CAVE (computer-augmented virtual environment). The CAVE, which is designed to help improve passenger safety, uses projectors

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

GEAR+TECH

Transport Systems Catapult's VR lab.

We are trialling the use of VR headsets for a VR personal track safety training course that we have also developed.

which beam a realistic platform environment on to a series of screens. It allows the user, or users, to immerse themselves in a virtual station environment. ‘We opted for the use of the projection CAVE (computer augmented virtual environment) over VR headsets as it offered a far more productive training environment,’ said Matthew Long, one of the project managers for the CAVE. VR has the ability to bring training directly to the learners and although these kind of fixed systems don’t have quite the same portability, Matthew said the company wanted a simulator that would allow the user to still be able to interact with the trainer and other learners. Says Matthew, ‘We are trialling the use of VR headsets for a VR personal track safety training course that we have also developed. For the PTI training, however, we felt that the immersive environment offered a much more flexible training tool. ‘The trainer has the option to pause the scenario at any time and get the whole group working on related activities, such as flip-chart/board exercises, that enhance the learning/development. This can then be fed back into the simulated scenario through the trainee operating the sim, with the whole group benefitting from the learning.’

BLENDED REALITY There are some scenarios where the future could lie somewhere between these two technologies. Daniel is particularly excited about the concept of blended reality - a further step up from augmented reality where virtual data can be manipulated and changed in the real world. ‘Blended reality learning will see the application of virtual reality and augmented reality interlaced with the real world environment,’ says Daniel. ‘We see this as a key aspect of future rail training, allowing the learner to be able to overlay augmented information across a physical environment, allowing them to virtually interrogate this data to extrapolate detailed information.’

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

GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

VR TRAINING WHAT CAN IT OFFER RAIL?

he ability to act out scenarios in a virtual world has been a feature of science fiction myth for some time. Running simulations to spot potential hazards and consequences in a safe environment breeds confidence when faced with the real thing. ‘The rail industry has already adopted things like driver simulators in this way, but there is less opportunity for other safety-critical staff to receive the same kind of immersive training experience in the classroom. It’s an area where VR could make a difference,’ says Nick Collier, managing director of High Viz Media.’ Nick, who worked for Eurostar for 10 year before leaving in 2014 to set up the digital media company, believes that VR is an obvious way to overcome the issues of access and risk that can be a barrier to staff training.

Immersive environments High Viz, together with VR consultants Captivate and graphics/ programming developer Drive, have set up a new company, Virtual Reality Group, to explore the different ways in which VR can be applied to training. They’ve already created a couple of training environments and are in the process of building a VR model of a section of the Channel Tunnel. It’s rare that a training exercise involving a full evacuation of the

Channel Tunnel will be conducted. With VR, these kind of trial runs could be carried out on a regular basis and involve all members of staff rather than just a select few. More environments are planned and the focus now is to make them as immersive and interactive as possible. Says Nick, who was formerly a special constable with BTP, ‘VR is also another way of ensuring participants involved in a training course are able to absorb themselves into the task at hand. For example when making a simulated emergency call in PTS training, traditionally this could just be the trainee and an assessor sitting across the room from each other ‘method acting’ a call to the signaller. ‘In VR, we can give that call some context, we can provide you with an excuse to make that call for instance placing an emergency scenario before you as you interact with the VR experience. This in turn increases the confidence of the learner and better equips them to deal with a real life emergency and enabling better recall of the process.’

Training on demand Another advantage of VR is its accessibility. ‘Training is one of the largest complaints when staff happiness is measured, either by the lack of its availability or by a perceived belief that by not having training they are held back from promotion or better opportunities within their grade,’ says Nick.

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

‘Most of us grew up with Star Trek, we now have as close as we can get to having our own Holodeck. VR training can be used to enable users to undertake self assessments as well as provide access to immersive learning environments where they develop an appreciation for a role or a task. This leads to better advanced understanding prior to formal training and aids trainers in being able to gauge the ability of potential trainees or future recruits. ‘The investment in VR needn’t cost the earth either. A single application build could in itself pay off in the space of just one largely attended training course.’

Topographic & track surveys 3D modelling/laser scanning Building & elevation surveys Railway track monitoring Site and technical engineering Structural monitoring Gauging surveys

Services

Utility mapping surveys Structural investigation & scanning Geotechnical engineering Ecological surveys and assessments Minor civils OLE and power services Telecoms design & installation

Talk to us t. 0330 024 4988 e. info@citysurveysltd.co.uk www.citysurveysltd.co.uk

The UK’s railway measurement specialists Holder of the coveted Network Rail Principal Contractor’s Licence, we’re one of the largest, most respected multidisciplinary surveying firms in the UK. We’ve built our reputation on the quality, reliability and accuracy of our services, tailoring both methodologies and deliverables to suit the individual requirements of each project. Our dedicated, professional workforce delivers real, measurable value to projects throughout the UK and beyond, helping you understand your sites and the information generated from them. No matter what the size, value or complexity, with City Surveys your rail project is in safe hands.

Survey, Monitoring & Investigative Engineers Professionalism, Performance, Safety, Sustainability

EVENTS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

conference exhibition conference conference KEY EVENTS conference techexhibition exhibition

CONFERENCE

conference exhibition conference conference

conference tech exhibition tech tech press conference EXHIBITION exhibition

exhibition exhibition tech press conference pressTECHNICAL conference techconference press tech tech press conference press conference

VISIT

press conference PRESS CONFERENCE press conference network

network network NETWORK network awaards network network

awaardsnetwork awaards AWARDS awaards awaards dinner network awaards

RAIL MEDIA'S RAIL EXEC CLUB, IN LONDON, SEPTEMBER 2016

EVENTS

FEBRUARY

dinner dinner dinner DINNER dinner awaards awaards dinner

free TOdinner FREE ATTEND dinner free

free free free free

conference

free

conference

exhibition tech

tech

press conference

INSIDER MEDIA MIDLANDS HS2 BREAKFAST network

RAIL EXEC NETWORKING LUNCHEON network

10th FEBRUARY, Birmingham dinner

10th MARCH, London

www.midlandsrail.co.uk

www.railexec.com

awaards

dinner

25th-27th APRIL, Londontech

www.railsummits.com

free

www.events.imeche.org

TRAINS THAT FIT - GAUGING DILEMMA conference exhibition

conference

15th FEBRUARY, London

THE STEPHENSON CONFERENCE: RESEARCH FOR RAILWAYS conference exhibition

awaards

free

RAIL BIM SUMMIT

exhibition tech

press conference

network

press conference

IRAIL 2017

free

press conference

network conference awaards exhibition

exhibition

free

awaards

21st-22nd MARCH, London press conference

press conference

POLICY PRIORITIES FOR UK RAIL SERVICESconference - MARKET exhibition REFORM, THE DIGITAL tech conference RAILWAY press conference exhibition

exhibition tech press conference

23rd MARCH, London tech

awaards

press conference

network www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/

dinner

forums

www.events.imeche.org free

MIDDLE EAST RAIL 2017 7th-8th MARCH, Dubai www.terrapinn.com/merail

tech press conference press conference free

awaards network conference network awaards dinner exhibition awaards

MAY

network awaards awaards dinner dinner

RAILWAY DIVISION ANNUAL LUNCHEON 2017 network 3rd MARCH, London

27th APRIL, London network www.railsummits.com

network

research/whrnn2/bridges_and conference

free free

tech

press conference

www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com

www.researchandmarkets.com/

MARCH

press conference

dinner2017: conference ERTMS AND ETCS www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com dinner exhibition THE FUTURE OF RAILWAY network free conference conference tech awaards conference conference free exhibition exhibition SIGNALLING IN THE UK DIGITAL RAIL SUMMIT press conference exhibition dinner tech exhibition tech

tech 21st-24th Singapore pressFEBRUARY, conference

network network awaards awaards dinner dinner

free tech

26th APRIL, London

network

awaards

BRIDGES & HIGHWAYS ENGINEERING & free free MAINTENANCE SUMMIT conference exhibition 2017 conference exhibition tech

awaards RAIL FRIEGHT GROUP dinner CONFERENCE 2017 conference exhibition

press conference

network

network awaards awaards dinner dinner

network

tech

tech dinner

www.midlandsrail.co.uk

network

press conference

www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/

conference

14th MARCH,pressDerby conference

http://www.irits.org

awaards network

dinner

awaards

conference conference exhibition

RAIL TECH 2017

tech exhibition tech press conference press conference

conference dinner free exhibition free

tech

free

www.railtech.com/railtech-2017

network

network awaards awaards dinner dinner free

dinner dinner

tech

conference

RAILTEX 2017

free exhibition

press conference

free free

tech

free

9th-11th MAY, NEC Birmingham press conference network

www.railtex.co.uk

JUNE

conference

awaards

network

exhibition

dinner tech

awaards

dinner press conference conference

AFRICA RAIL 2017

free exhibition free tech

network 13th-14th JUNE, Johannesburg press conference

www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/

awaards dinner

network

28th-30th MARCH,pressNetherlands conference

free

conference awaards free exhibition dinner

RAILLOG KOREA 2017

tech

14th-17th JUNE, Busan, Korea press conference free

awaards dinner

raillog-korea.kr.messefrankfurt.com network

free

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

awaards

RAILWAY ENGINEERING conference exhibition 2017 conference exhibition tech

tech 21st-22nd JUNE, Edinburgh press conference press conference

www.railwayengineering.com network network awaards awaards dinner dinner

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

free tech

25th-26th APRIL, London

www.events.imeche.org

awaards INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY conference dinner conference SUMMIT exhibition tech exhibition

press conference

awaards WORLD METRORAIL dinner CONGRESS 2017 conference exhibition

tech 13th MARCH, London

network

tech 15th FEBRUARY, press conferenceParis

free

APRIL

exhibition

free free

dinner free

@railexec

Exec The networking luncheon for rail professionals Join the Rail Exec Club in 2017. More than 800 rail professionals joined us in 2016.

DISCUSSIONS ON FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES

LONDON T

KET

RAIL EXEC TIC

TIC

IRONMONGERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HALL Shaftesbury Place, London, EC2Y 8AA

C XE

Lunch

IL E

Reception

FRIDAY 10TH MARCH 11:15 - 15:00

Networking

Tel: 01530 816 440

gina@rail-media.com

www.railexec.com

Visit the website to buy your tickets today

EVENTS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

RAIL MINISTER MAYNARD TO OPEN RAILTEX 2017

Rail Minister Paul Maynard MP has agreed to formally open Railtex 2017 at the NEC in Birmingham on 9 May. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport and MP for Blackpool and Cleveleys, the Minister will also deliver a keynote address on the same day. This will be the first of three daily keynote speeches that will help set the scene for this year’s exhibition.

See Us At Railtex

Stand No.

V10

Transforming the Market by Turning Our Customers’ Wishes Into Reality

PA05/06003 Class II Hybrid

PA05/06003 Economy Range

The ONLY Range with a 20kV Insulated BOX!

Hybrid Standard Rectifier & Transformers Range

• Zero Inrush • Legacy compatibility • Patented Insulated Coating (protection up to 20kV) • Eco friendly & High Efficiency

• Zero Inrush • Insulated to 3kV • Eco friendly • High Efficiency • Full Class II Certification

CLASS II HYBRID RATINGS All Ratings Available in Insulated / Economy Ranges

250VA 1400VA

500VA 2000VA

1000VA 3000VA

Insulated Range 2x5 ADC 2x8 ADC

FT TRANSFORMERS LTD

+44 (0) 121 451 3204

www.ft-transformers.co.uk RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

1x10 ADC

At the beginning of February, the number of exhibitors was nudging 380 and still increasing. Among the latest to confirm its presence at the three-day event is electrical engineering firm Transformers & Rectifiers, non-mechanical plant hire specialist Mabey Hire and Advantech Europe, which develops automation and intelligent transportation systems – more evidence of the diversity of products and expertise that will be on show. Also taking part with an eye to the industry’s future will be the National College for High Speed Rail, which in September takes in its first professionals and apprentices to develop the flagship skills needed for the development of Britain’s rail network. In addition to the daily keynote addresses, Railtex will feature technical seminars hosted by our sister publication Rail Engineer, discussion forums and project briefings by representatives from organisations that include HS2, the DfT, the Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail, Midlands Engine and the Rail Supply Group. These will be open to everyone attending the show. For free access to these and to the exhibition, register in advance via the show website: www. railtex.co.uk. The website also features an upto-date list of exhibitors and will include details of the many activities open to visitors as the programme is finalised. With an impressive line-up of exhibitors, plenty of insights into industry trends and great networking opportunities, this 13th Railtex is shaping up to be another unmissable show.

THE RAIL BIM SUMMIT

15TH FEBRUARY 2017

Only

£199 Ex VAT

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

SPEAKING AT THIS EVENT

Claire Penny (IBM)

FOCUS OF THE EVENT • How are we currently using BIM?

• What have we learnt in 2016?

• What does the future look like?

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

BIM Summit

David Philp (AECOM)

Johnny Schute (ORR)

Malcolm Taylor (Crossrail)

Mathew Brett (TfL)

EVENTS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

GETTING ACTIVE IN2017 ON BRITAIN'S RAILWAY, EVERYONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING AND BENEFITS FROM DOING SO. [HEALTH POLICY GROUP, RSSB]

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

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

s preparations for July’s RailSport Games gather pace, we look at the role of sport in rail’s health and wellbeing agenda. Is staff wellbeing treated as seriously as it deserves to be? An engineer working on site will be issued with ear defenders to protect their hearing and steel-toe-capped boots to deflect the blow of a heavy falling object, but many of the factors that can impact on the health and wellbeing occur before they come to work and after their shift is over. There is a greater expectation today for employers to not only promote healthy eating and exercise but to enable their workforce to make healthy lifestyle choices. Common ways are to improve the availability of healthy snacks and by investing in the infrastructure for a cycle to work scheme. The RSSB’s health and safety strategy suggests that the railway is playing catch up in this area. It talks about obesity as a more prevalent issue and the challenges faced by a workforce that is both getting older and working longer. It puts some of the onus on managers, highlighting the role of health and wellbeing training in improving workplace cultures. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has drawn up similar guidance to that offered by RSSB. It recommends companies promote physical activity through broader programmes that include flexible working and incentive schemes. Employers should distribute information showing employees how they can be more active, taking into account things like shift patterns and the particular restrictions created by certain roles.

SPORTING SUCCESS While the outlook overall shows a need for improvement, encouraging stories of those within the industry who have embraced a healthier lifestyle through sport are easy to find. Last summer, David Mushet and Iain Mackay of Siemens Rail Automation both medalled at the British Transplant Games notable achievements not only in terms of sporting prowess. David, who is a regional finance manager at Siemens’ Glasgow office, won a gold medal in the 5 km Race Walk. David won the same event in 2014, just a year after receiving a liver transplant. David’s performance has even earned him a place on the Great Britain team for the World Transplant Games, which takes place in Spain later this year. Iain, a software project engineering manager at the company’s site in Chippenham, underwent a kidney transplant in 2009. He won a silver

EVENTS

medal in the ball throw and two bronze medals in the javelin and badminton. There are also examples of sport within industry benefitting communities. Thales UK’s transportation business fielded a team at last year’s Weybridge Community Regatta. As well as taking part, Thales sponsored the event and the money raised was used, in part, to fund a development programme for junior rowers. In July, Loughborough will host this year’s RailSport Games. The event has been around since the early 1990s and is a rare opportunity for the rail industry to come together in a setting other than a conference or exhibition. Although it provides an opportunity for networking and socialising, the tournament is still fiercely contested and demonstrates what a powerful motivator competitive sport can be. This is the first year that Rail Media has organised the event, moving it from the North West to the East Midlands. Fifteen sports will be held over the course of the two-day competition, which will take place at a number of venues across the Loughborough University campus. Anyone who works in the rail sector, or who has a family member who is employed within the industry, can enter.

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

EVENTS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

AMBASSADORS

Individuals from companies across the rail sector are being invited to become ambassadors for the event and promote RailSport, and exercise more widely, within their companies. Someone keen to promote sport among his colleagues is Network Rail’s Adrian Suter, a rugby fan and Railway RFC player. Adrian helped to set up the Inter Rail and Brunel Shield tournaments events which have helped to raise thousands of pounds for charity while encouraging activity and exercise. ‘Being part of a club environment ticks quite a few boxes in terms of health and wellbeing,’ said Adrian, who is excited to see rugby added to the RailSport Games programme. Abdul Rehman Savant, who as well as working as an engineer at Alstom is a health and wellbeing champion within the company, explained why he wanted to get involved with RailSport. ‘As part of our vision at Alstom, we are promoting the health and wellbeing for our staff and encouraging staff to engage in various activities. As I am a member of the health and wellbeing steering group, and a local champion, I have taken the initiative to promote health and fitness to staff. ‘RailSport is the perfect setting to help integrate staff within our company and with other industry professionals. It will also be a great opportunity to get our minds off the stressful daily activities and have a bit of fun with our peers.’ In the run-up to the RailSport Games 2017, we want to hear your sporting stories. Whether you’re currently in training or have tales of past glories, tell us all about it. E-mail us at news@rail-media.com and we’ll feature a selection in an upcoming issue. RailSport will take place at Loughborough University between 8-9 July. Information about this year’s competition and how to get involved can be found on the website: www.railsport.uk

LIST OF SPORTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

Badminton Basketball Chess Cricket Sixes Cycling Sportive Darts Football Hockey Netball Rounders Rugby Sevens Running Table Tennis Tennis Sprint Triathlon

time y l n if o fast s a ed mov ris on h C as l tbal o o f ... the pitch

k rt.u o ilspll a r w. or ca 6444 w w 1 0 8ut more 3 o 5 01 to find it Vis

LOUGHB OROUGH Epinal W UNIVERS ay, Loug ITY hboroug h , LE11 3T U

new

THE RAILSPORT GAMES 2017 Join us for an action-packed, thrilling few days of competition and see if you have what it takes to take home a winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medal! Choose your sport from a vast range of disciplines: Badminton

Basketball

Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles

3 on 3

Chess Cricket Sixes

Cycling Sportive Short: 65km, Standard: 100km, Epic: 160km

Darts

Football

Hockey 5s

Running

Tennis

Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles

5-a-side, 6-a-side (over 35s), 11-a-side

Netball

5km, 10km, Half Marathon

Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Rounders Rugby Sevens

Table Tennis

Sprint Triathlon 500m Swim (Olympic Pool), 20km Bike Ride, 5km Run

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

THE HEROES OF BRITAIN'S RAILWAYS IN THE GREAT WAR

he Great War cost Britain’s railways dear. In four years they went from being robust businesses that stood firmly on their own feet to ones that were near bankrupt, with their assets worn out by over-use for military traffic, and faced with massive new forms of competition. The rapidly developed motor vehicles that the armed forces no longer needed were dumped at give-away prices on the open market, unleashing unregulated road competition from which the industry has never fully recovered. Even more damaging was the cost to the industry in manpower. On May 14, 1919, barely six months after the Armistice, there was a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, to commemorate the contribution of the railways during the war, and particularly in memory of the railwaymen who died in the service of their country. Allegedly the service was organised at the request of His Majesty, King George V, who was certainly there on the day. The order of service (which is still on sale at the Imperial War Museum) stated that 186,475 railwaymen of Great Britain and Ireland joined HM’s Forces, and that, of those, 18,957 were killed in action or died of their wounds. We are pretty certain that the eventual death toll of railway staff rose to over 20,000, as more men succumbed to their wounds. Certainly the number of railwaymen who fell is comparable to the present number of employees in the whole of Network Rail.

VICTORIA CROSS Out of this massive number of railwaymen who served, seven particularly stand out. Each was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for their individual acts of bravery and valour. Three of the seven worked for the London & North Western Railway, and the other four worked

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

for, respectively, the Midland, the Great Central, and the Great Eastern Railways, and the Glasgow, Barrhead & Kilmarnock Joint Railway. Three of the seven lost their lives in the action that won them their VCs, whilst the other four returned to civilian life (in three cases returning to railway employment). The different railways honoured their VC winners in differing ways. The London & North Western named crack express locomotives after their VC winners (but did not move the nameplates to a later loco in the case of the employee who did not return to the railway). The Great Central and the GB&K commemorated their VC winners with memorials on their home stations, although that at Nitshill on the GB&K had to be removed due to vandalism, and now stands in Dingwall, the HQ of the recipient’s regiment: a fine location, but hundreds of miles from Nitshill. There did not appear to be any local memorial to the Great Eastern or Midland Railways VC winners – indeed in the latter case finding any railway records of them has proved a real challenge.

REPORT BY ANDY SAVAGE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE RAILWAY HERITAGE TRUST

FALLEN RAILWAYMEN In the run up to the centenary of the Great War it became obvious to the Railway Heritage Trust - a small company that gives grants to listed buildings on the national railway - that the railway war memorials were not fully recorded. We set out to ensure that every one was noted on the Imperial War Museum’s archive of memorials, and that, in every case where the memorial remained in railway ownership, the company which owned the memorial, and the company which was responsible for its maintenance, were clearly identified. In doing this we discovered several memorials that had gone missing down

Jock Christie.

Claughton Class 4-6-0 No. 1407 "L/Corpl. J.A.Christie, V.C."

the years, and were able to recover one, and to make replicas for others, which were then placed on local stations. In carrying out this exercise, we became aware of the seven VC winners, and realised that only one had a memorial honouring him on his home station. The ‘Fallen Railwaymen’ group was the first to point this out to us – their organiser, Barry Kitchener, was station manager at Euston and realised that there was no record of Jock Christie VC at that station, where he had worked. Jock won his VC for an action in Palestine in December 1917. With Barry, we designed a plaque to honour him, and were delighted that Jock’s son, still hale and hearty, was able to join us and unveil it on the station concourse. Jock was the railwayman who did not return to railway service and the loco that had borne his name had been scrapped in the 1930s.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

FEATURE

HIGHLANDER’S RETURN Having done the plaque for Jock, we decided that we should also honour the other six VC winners. We did a lot of research on Charles Robertson, who fought in both the Boer War and the Great War, where he won the VC for a valiant defence of his position on the Menin Road in the retreat of March 1918. He then served in the Home Guard in the Second World War. Charles had joined up from Blackwall GER station. Although he lived into the 1950s, and married, he had no descendants, and we were unable to establish contact with his family. Blackwall GER station is long closed, and the nearest station to its site is East India on the Docklands Light Railway, so, with help from TfL contacts, and with the support of the GER Society, we unveiled a plaque to him there. It is clear from the records that Charles was adamant about not having a military presence at his funeral, so there was a totally civilian ceremony for him. The third plaque that we erected was at Nitshill Station, in southwest Glasgow, in honour of Sgt John Meikle. John had joined up in 1915, at the age of 16, almost certainly lying about his age. He had not quite reached the age of 20 when he lost his life assaulting enemy trenches in the battle of the Scarpe in July 1918, for which he was awarded the VC posthumously. His colleagues erected a memorial stone to him at Nitshill, but later vandalism meant that it had to be removed, and it is now on display at Dingwall Station, headquarters of the Seaforth Highlanders, his regiment. It’s a fine setting, but over a hundred miles from his home, so we created a plaque, and designed a new stone base that echoes the original design, to carry it. John did not marry, and left no descendants, but his nephews John and Alan, the former named after him, keep his memory alive, and we were delighted that they were able to join us in October 2016 to unveil the new plaque.

A soldier surveys the shell shattered battlefield in front of Pozières. The trench is visible on the left; to the right the remains of railway tracks.

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

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

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

BATTLE OF ARRAS The last two VC winners both worked for the London & North Western Railway, and both had locomotives named after them. When those locomotives were scrapped in the 1930s the names were transposed to new ‘Patriot’ class locomotives, which carried them to the end of steam in the 1960s, and all the nameplates are on display in museums. However, we do intend to place plaques to both of them. Ernest Sykes was a platelayer at Micklehurst, and joined up in August 1914. In April 1917, during the battle of Arras, he crawled out ahead of the line five times to bring in wounded comrades, and to bandage those too severely wounded to be recovered, despite heavy fire. Ernest survived the war, and served in the Home Guard in the Second World War before dying in 1949, at the age of 64. We intend to place a plaque to him at Mossley Station, the nearest surviving station to Micklehurst. Our final hero is Wilf Wood, who was a shed cleaner at Stockport when he joined up in early 1916. Wilf served all the rest of the war, and in October 1918, a fortnight before the Armistice, he was involved in an advance near Casa Vana, Italy, which was held up by hostile fire. Wilf advanced alone and used his Lewis gun to take out a machine-gun nest, leading to 140 enemy soldiers surrendering. As the advance continued, a second machine-gun nest held up progress and Wilf again advanced, firing his Lewis gun from the hip, taking out this second nest, and thus causing a further 160 troops to surrender. It is our intention to honour Wilf with a plaque on Stockport Station. The JD Wetherspoon pub in Hazel Grove is named after him. In concluding this survey of the VC winners of Britain’s railways can I particularly thank Barry Kitchener, Allan Stanistreet, author of Brave Railwaymen, and Ken Grainger of the GCR Society for their help in our research, and all the railway companies and family members who have helped us make a success of this project.

Jacob Rivers.

Jacob Rivers is, in railway terms, the unknown man of the railway VC winners. Although the War Department records show him as a ballast labourer for the Midland Railway, he is not recorded on the Midland’s war memorial, nor on its Roll of Honour, and, indeed, we cannot find any mention of him in the staff records that we have access to. We know that Jacob served in the Boer War and was then in the Reserve until 1911, after that his family records show him with the MR from June 1911 to August 1914. Sadly his military service was not long, and he lost his life at the battle of Neuve Chappelle in March 1915, single-handedly driving back an enemy flanking party by throwing bombs amidst them, not once but twice. On the second time, sadly, he fell and his body was lost. We hope to erect a plaque to him on Derby station, but were long-frustrated by our failure to establish contact with his family. Happily we made contact early in 2017, so this plaque is now a key priority for us. There is no such problem with Thomas Norman Jackson, the only employee of the Great Central Railway to win the VC. Known by his second name, Norman worked at Mexborough as an engine cleaner before joining up in December 1916. During the advances of September 1918, in the final stages of the war, Norman helped his officers clear a defending machine-gun nest, and then was first into an enemy trench, killing two of his foes before being shot himself. By the time his VC was gazetted, the Armistice had been signed. Norman is commemorated on the war memorial on his station at Mexborough but without mention of his VC. Strangely, he was not commemorated on the main Great Central Railway War memorial in Sheffield, we think because of a transcription error, but we were happy to fund an extra name plaque on that memorial, and will also place one of our VC plaques at Mexborough in due course. We have contact with Norman’s family, and look forward to working with them to honour him at his home station.

UNKNOWN HERO

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

KOMPLETE CLEAN

TRAIN PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE THREE DIVISIONS THAT MAKE UP THE KOMPLETE GROUP, PROVIDES INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR CLEANING SERVICES FOR ROLLING STOCK

he work of those who clean and maintain Britain’s trains goes largely unnoticed by the general public. These are the people who, on a daily basis, wash off graffiti and remove stubborn wads of chewing gum. However, the industry knows it shouldn’t underestimate the power of a clean train. According to government figures in 2015, the cleanliness of a train’s interior made a 17 per cent contribution to passenger satisfaction - second only to punctuality/reliability. 2017 began with operating companies coming under attack for raising ticket prices while failing to deliver reliable services and seats for many passengers. It highlights how important it is for operators to leave passengers with a positive experience of their service by ensuring carriages are free from litter, with clean seats and carpets. It will go some way towards maintaining and improving customer satisfaction during a time of negative PR for the rail industry. Train Presentation, one of the three divisions that make up the Komplete Group, provides interior and exterior cleaning services for rolling stock. Daniel Cartwright, head of Train Presentation, takes a hands-on approach to projects, undertaking a sizeable share of the cleaning work. With 30 years of industry experience, gathered from companies including Bombardier Transportation, Alstom Transport and Railcare, his expertise has proven invaluable in delivering a first class performance, leading his team by example.

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

DEEP CLEAN PROJECTS

Komplete Group offers all levels of rail vehicle cleaning on a project basis or as part of a long-term contract.

During December 2016, the Train Presentation division successfully completed a project for London Midland (LM) to deliver a special clean of the West Midlands-based electric fleet at Soho Light Maintenance Depot (LMD) in Birmingham. The six-week programme involved a professional deep clean of the passenger areas on the Class 323 fleet (26 x three-car units), paying special attention to interior graffiti (marker pen, paint or leather dye), chewing gum, residue from sticky labels and cleaning light diffusers. The team worked night shifts, with rostered hours being flexed and adjusted as required to meet the requirements of the local operations and maintenance organisations. To ensure the skills were in place to deliver the programme, a team of operatives, comprising local labour and experienced personnel, was deployed. A strong emphasis was placed on quality and health and safety, with weekly site visits by Daniel and Jason Coulby, head of operations, who monitored all work being done and conducted in-process checks and internal audits. Based on the quality of workmanship, LM placed follow-on orders for the deep cleaning of the Class 323 fleet’s driving cabs and then local paint repairs (to restore heavily graffiti vandalised interior hard surfaces) within the passenger saloons.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

FEATURE

FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST

Komplete Group also successfully completed a project for Arriva Rail North to support a deep clean of its entire Northern fleet. Eight teams, each comprising a team leader and three operatives, were deployed across seven sites, from Heaton (Newcastle) in the North East to the Botanic Gardens (Hull) in the East, to Allerton (Liverpool) in the West. Key aspects of the project included chewing gum removal, cleaning of kick strips/heater grills, hopper windows and spot steam cleaning of interior hard surfaces where regular heavy cleaning by hand was not sufficient. For this contract, Komplete Group’s recruitment division was called upon to source the high-calibre operatives. Once again, Train Presentation’s management conducted in-process checks and all necessary internal audits, whilst monitoring and managing all work being completed. Daniel Cartwright commented, ‘24th July marked the end of an intense period of work across multiple sites in the north of the country. This project is characterised by the sheer quantity and variety of work required by Northern. This included the full interior clean of 762 individual rail vehicles. Four of the seven sites our team worked at recorded 100 per cent attendance records. My thanks go to every member of our teams for the quality of their work.’

The exterior of rolling stock is equally important, with the potential to create an excellent first impression as passengers board trains to begin their journeys. Komplete Group offers all levels of rail vehicle cleaning on a project basis or as part of a long-term contract. While the washing of rail vehicle exteriors is largely automated, Komplete Group can provide competent, trained staff to hand-wash the driver’s windscreens, cab front yellow facings and vehicle bodyside recesses to supplement the automated function. Other servicing tasks complement the main cleaning project, such as the filling of water tanks and sandboxes along with the operation of Controlled Emission Toilet (CET) equipment to evacuate toilet tanks. In addition, the train presentation division performs trim repairs and spot painting as part of the deep clean, wherever necessary. This reduces vehicle downtime and optimises the availability of train vehicles for service. Komplete Group has three divisions: Train Presentation, Projects and Recruitment. The Projects division provides engineering solutions on a wide range of rolling stock projects, and has the capability to deliver a full service, from concept to completion. The company’s Recruitment division is an engineering and technically focused recruitment arm providing permanent, contract and fixed term solutions to clients and candidates nationwide and beyond. Daniel Cartwright is now working with the Fleet Departments of a number of train operators to develop a menu of potential solutions and strategies to drive reductions in rail vehicle cleanliness complaints whilst ensuring a corresponding upturn in National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) scores. With projects for organisations such as London Midland and Arriva Rail North leading to further contracts across the country, Komplete Group looks to establish an industry standard for returning train vehicles into service quickly, efficiently and to a high level, making it one area of the UK’s rail service that the paying public can rely upon.

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

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

S L A N IO S S E F O R P L I YOUNG RAAND EMPOWER ENGAGE

anuary and February have been busy months for the Young Rail Professionals, and excitement is building as we get close to the YRP Annual Dinner! Nominations are now open for the YRP Awards. For the first time ever we are not only looking for the Young Rail Professional of the Year but also an Apprentice of the Year and Mentor of the Year. These awards look to celebrate individuals who have demonstrated commitment to the railway industry, be it via their outstanding ability, inspiring others or simply doing something extraordinary. The winners and shortlisted applicants will be honoured at our Annual Dinner, sponsored by CPC Project Services, on Thursday, 6 April, at the Troxy in London. The YRP Annual Dinner will see over 600 rail professionals come together to celebrate the past year in the rail industry. This year’s keynote speaker is Michèle Dix, managing director of Crossrail 2. In order to recognise the achievements of even more talented and passionate professionals at varying stages of their careers, YRP is expanding its awards and for the first time will be presenting three awards in the following categories: • Young Rail Professional of the Year – now in its fifth year, this award will be presented to a young professional who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the rail industry during the last 12 months; • Young Rail Professional’s Apprentice of the Year – this award will be presented in recognition of the talent and outstanding commitment of a rail industry apprentice; • Young Rail Professional’s Mentor of the Year – this award will be presented to an individual who had a positive impact on the personal and professional development of an individual or group of young rail professionals. Sabrina Ihaddaden, national chair of YRP said, ‘Our YRP Annual Dinner is a great opportunity to celebrate those excelling at the beginning of their careers, apprentices or graduates. For the first time this year, it will also be the opportunity for us to thank those who are supporting others to help make the rail industry better, through mentoring. It is exciting to have expanded our awards this year and we hope the new categories will allow us to recognise the bright stars of our industry. ‘We are also delighted to have Michèle Dix as our keynote speaker for the YRP Annual Dinner 2017. Crossrail 2 will provide a step-change in travel across London and will be vital in regenerating areas with new jobs and homes. Michèle’s experience and enthusiasm for transport will be a highlight for this great evening.’ For more information on the YRP Awards or to nominate someone visit the YRP website or email award@youngrailpro.com.

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

LEAN IN 2017 On Wednesday, 25 January, YRP West Midlands held an event on LEAN. The event was a high level introduction to the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, implement, control) business improvement methodology. It was delivered by Robert Row of Catalyst Consulting – a certified LSS Master Black Belt – following four years of delivering successful improvement projects at Caterpillar Inc, in operations, logistics and supply chain. The event included a presentation from Rob that explained the principles of LEAN & Six sigma and showed great examples of the way it can be used to benefit any form of process. He explained that it has been used globally for several decades, and the methodology has been proven in all industrial and commercial sectors and businesses to increase customer satisfaction, through quality and delivery performance improvements which engage and empower the employees while saving valuable resources, including cash. There were lots of group discussions to think about the processes in our own jobs that could benefit the techniques being delivered, as well as the opportunity to relive our youth and play with Lego. Despite the fun, the Lego carried a serious message that clearly showed that if you ask for something (in this case a car) without giving clear instructions on what you want then the results are extremely variable (All 19 people created a totally different version of a car at the start). Once clear instructions were given the variability reduced and most people had a similar outcome. It was an informative and interesting event that received good feedback from attendees, who left the event motivated to learn more and start improving their roles and companies.

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

April

YRP ANNUAL BLACK TIE DINNER AND DANCE Tickets are now on sale for the Young Rail Professional’s Annual Dinner 2017. The black tie event will be taking place at the famous Troxy venue in London and is proudly sponsored by CPC Project Services. Book your ticket now at www.YoungRailPro.com

YOUNG RAIL

PROFESSIONALS

TEENTECH On 12 January 2017, over 500 year 8/9 students from across London and Croydon descended on the Emirates Stadium, normally home to Arsenal Football Club for this year’s TeenTech City event. Later in the afternoon, a group of Year 10 – 13 students also came along from local schools. They were joined by over 50 tech, science and engineering companies from across industry for a day of inspiration, challenges and potential careers. Among those was a stand from the YRP – supervised by four of our volunteers (Keith Upton, Liam Henderson, May-Ann Lew and Carl Soutra). TeenTech runs lively events to help young teenagers see the wide range of career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). TeenTech events take place at venues across the UK - at each event different schools benefit from hands-on exhibits and challenges run by leading organisations. This event was also opened up in the afternoon to Years 10 – 13 where more serious career discussions could be undertaken.

The TeenTech City event featured stands from companies as diverse as JVC, Middlesex University, Cummins, Siemens, TfL, Atkins, Thames Tideway Tunnel and many more. The venue was split into three areas - the Innovation Zone, the Challenge Zone and the Insight Zone, where companies offered hands-on demonstrations and challenges. YRP had a stand in the Insight Zone, where we saw more than 60 students throughout the day. We used the YRP S&C model (This model is of a 10 ft radius, right hand turnout (switch and crossing) with a distance between the rails on the model of 5”), which proved to be an exciting addition for both adults and children alike. We also had the advantage of being able to see a real life S&C outside the window. We explained the model and also talked about the many different careers available in rail as well as the positive future of the rail industry. Says Liam Henderson, ‘I was encouraged by the interest shown when we discussed the scale and importance of rail to the nation. This was a great opportunity to raise awareness of the varied skills needed

in rail and how investment commitments will guarantee tech careers in the decades to come.’ Keith Upton said, ‘I have been to a few of these TeenTech events now and every time they have been enjoyable. It is great to see the children, whom are starting to think about their GCSEs, understanding the many possibilities within STEM and the rail industry. The feedback at the end of the day is always positive and it was great to play with the S&C model and help children to understand the exciting opportunities within the railway industry.’

May-Ann said, ‘Volunteering as a YRP Ambassador not only allowed me to share my career path and experience so far with the young people that visited the stand, it was also a great opportunity to hear the experiences of others and share ideas about how we can make the industry even better. Definitely a fulfilling day.’ TeenTech events take place in 15 regions across the UK & Ireland. Join YRP at the next event TeenTech South Yorkshire, on 16 March in Doncaster. Please email ambassadors@youngrailpro.com to sign up.

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

COMPANY FOCUS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

MORE FOR

MORSON T

he office of Matthew Leavis, Morson Vital Training’s head of training, sits in the lower floors of Morson Group’s branch office on Ordsall Lane, just a couple of miles from their headquarters in Salford, Manchester. An old mill building that the company recently refurbished and now occupies, the stone wall behind his desk is adorned with certificates of accreditations and assurances awarded to Morson Vital Training over the last few years. Among these names are the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR), Transport for London (TfL) and Qualsafe awards. In the centre, pride of place, sits the latest acquisition - the industry’s first-ever platinum accolade indicating best in class from NSAR. ‘To lead a great team such as that within Morson to the highest possible award achieved during an assurance visit is amazing and very satisfying,’ says Matt of their latest accomplishment. ‘It’s been a two-year long journey and it’s a very personal one to me.’ RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

ROUTES TO RAIL Before that two-year journey began, Matt worked for over a decade at Network Rail as a workforce development specialist, taking a lead role within the organisation’s Kent training centre as a welding specialist and trainer. He recalls his formative days in the industry with a clear sense of gratitude and enthusiasm. ‘They [Network Rail] really gave me my start in the industry. I love training, I love competency management and I love being able to help people progress, develop and enhance their skillset. It’s a satisfying thing to show someone a skill and see them hone it and become better than the person who is teaching them.’ With the strains of travelling and staying away from his family taking their toll, he made the decision to leave Network Rail in 2012 to pursue a new opportunity - designing vocational qualifications and apprenticeships with the same high standards of quality he experienced within Network Rail. It’s a natural progression for Matt, with his own training setting the benchmark for what his plans were as the trainer. ‘The need for apprenticeship support is what really brought me to Morson. We see Network Rail as a shining light in the industry, and we have tried to embed and emulate their quality within MVT to

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

COMPANY FOCUS

VITAL TRAINING

NOW DELIVERING

Machine Controller / Crane Controller Training Machine Operator Training Get in touch now for national delivery

01618 367 065 Matthew.leavis@morson.com www.morson.com/mvt

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

COMPANY FOCUS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

suit this end and help bridge the growing skills gap in the North West.’ Hence, the division, which currently consists of five trainers, three assessors and two specialist associates, was born with the backing of the Morson Group senior management team. To meet the needs of the growing industry and demands for the next generation of track engineers, Morson Vital Training (MVT) have worked hard to offer delivery of fully funded programmes and training opportunities, addressing the growing industry skills gap working in partnership with some of the best colleges throughout the UK. Its apprenticeship programme, launched in May 2015, has been very well received from both employers and awarding bodies, with the emphasis on quality of delivery and integration of modern technology to meet the ever-growing demand for technological competence in the industry today - and more importantly tomorrow. ‘One of the key objectives from the very beginning was to create a sustainable, high quality apprenticeship programme based on small numbers and high deployment rates. Since then, we’ve gone on to deliver 24 new apprentices on 12-month programmes throughout the UK.’

BEST IN CLASS Morson Vital Training is making a name for itself in breaking new ground. Several of the accreditations and assurances that adorn the wall behind Matt are industry firsts. In March 2015, MVT became the only training provider outside of TfL to achieve a license to perform track safety training. ‘TfL does not license training providers, it’s not a process that happens. However, our recruitment arm Morson International provides a lot of workforce to them. We wanted to be their leading supplier and we felt there was a benefit in being able to deliver our own training, and they approved us to do so. It was a real feather in our cap and it shows how MVT fits into the wider group.’ The recent ‘Quality Assurance Panel’ award - the highest-ever awarded by the body of 11 industry experts chaired by Guy Wilmshurst-Smith and including key senior representatives from Transport for London, Network Rail, Crossrail and the project director from HS2 - is another first that is the icing on the cake for Matt and the team. Particular praise was directed at the fact that the range and nature of the training and assessment provided aligns exactly with the medium and long-term needs of industry clients. Feedback from learners in the report confirmed that they have very high regard for the training provided. The report also makes reference to using prior experience to enrich the quality of the training, a statement which reflects the initial motivation for setting up MVT.

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

The need for apprenticeship support is what really brought me to Morson.

COMMUNITY MVT has also looked elsewhere to develop talent. The company recently worked with HMP Thorn Cross to get inmates who have conducted rail training courses while in prison out on to the tracks during the last few months of their sentences, providing valuable experience opportunities. Noticing that there was an industry norm of training rail engineers to be first aid trainers and believing this to be something that doesn’t necessarily align with their skillset, the team looked further afield into the ex-Forces community, paramedics, the fire service and other groups for whom first aid has been a more critical part of their roles. Consequently, all first aid training is provided by these communities. ‘We feel that it’s second to none in terms of quality. It’s not a big commercial part of what we do, but it all adds up to being part of embedding that quality within everything we do. And we’re assured by the leading awarding body for first aid.’ Matt gestures to the certificates on the wall.

EXPANSION AND BEYOND Like the whole of Morson Group - whose almost 50 years of recruitment and design engineering expertise spreads across 11 sectors, including rail, aerospace, defence and marine – MVT has grown organically to suit client and candidate demands. When it became apparent that the appetite spread further than just the local region - and that the universal need for quality training and apprenticeships for the future has become more pressing - it expanded their division to Farnham and then acquired an external centre in Fratton, Portsmouth. The most recent expansion saw a satellite division set up in Chelmsford. So what does the future hold for MVT? ‘We’re now looking at investing quite heavily in the South East, Aylesford. All of these opportunities and strategies are born out of the needs of the group and client needs.’ Making the business futureproof is also a key concern for the team, with the average age of their own trainers being well into their fifties. ‘It’s the elephant in the room,’ explains Matt. ‘We need the experience that age gives, but in the future we need to look at developing an integration process that brings the next generation of talent through and dedicates them to training from the very beginning and starts them on the path to being a trainer. We want to be able to give someone the experience that time provides, but do it in a more focussed way. You can get that experience by accident, but why can’t you implement a dedicated succession plan?” This doesn’t just apply to candidates – there is definitely an inward focus too. With an emphasis on the future of competency management and delivery of training, MVT works in partnership with local colleges and invests heavily in progression, training their future assessors. It’s clear this is only the start for Matt and his team. With his infectious dedication to the cause (he admits he’s lived and breathed MVT since its inception), the company is confident it will see its wall of certificates growing. ‘It’s always been difficult being the new kid on the block, but I consider ourselves to be a young and vibrant company that’s looking to challenge the norms and achieve the best they possibly can – we have that fire in our belly.’ To find out more about a career in rail, visit www.morson.com/tracks-to-success

Cut 5 Gloves? What’s all the Fuss? Our hands are at the forefront of everything. From lifting, sawing, cutting to simply baking cakes, we expose our hands to some extreme pressures and dangerous situations. For years, Protective Gloves have been the last line of defence and studies have shown a vast reduction of hand injuries where companies have proactively adopted mandatory hand protection policies. With increasing risks on site and in the workplace, the rules of engagement are being pushed harder and further than ever before. However, many companies have a huge amount of uncertainly over which gloves to issue and the required levels of protection for varying jobs. Unfortunately, one glove does not work for all situations.

The World’s Best Safety Message Board is on the Back of your Hand ! Bodyguard Workwear are now designing gloves that will be more comfortable, last longer and protect wearers when they need it most. A common cause of accidents, is when wearers do not understand the EN388 specification, which is often printed as a four digit number on the back of the hand. To solve this problem, we have now designed our Samurai Cut 5 Gloves with recommended uses on the back of the hand. This simply works as a prompt and guides the wearer to choosing the correct gloves for the task, before they actually get to work.

Myth #1: Cut 5 Gloves are all the same? Wrong. There are varying qualities and levels of protection on Cut 5 gloves and to help bring some clarity to the industry, the EN388 Standards have changed to categorise the performance and protection of Cut Levels on gloves. Myth #2: We can buy any Cut 5 gloves for the job. Well in theory this is true, BUT, poor quality Cut 5 gloves will deteriorate and lose their protection properties very quickly.You may then have a wearer at great risk who thinks he/she is wearing Cut 5 gloves, when in reality, the gloves have fallen below the legal and required levels of protection. Current Cut Resistance Testing under EN388 PPE designed to offer mechanical protection is tested to EN388, the standard for gloves. The cut resistance test in this standard can be carried out using 2 methods.

GL105 The Network Rail Life Saving Rules have become the safety mantra for the Rail Industry and set a great benchmark for many other sectors to follow. Bodyguard Workwear believe it is vital that we find ways to take this safety message to site, to act as a constant reminder to the workforce. Being a manufacturer, we have designed a range of gloves with the Life Saving Rules printed on the back of the hand which is an ingenious way to remind the workforce throughout the day. GL190

Coup Test: This is the original cut test method and has often been found to be inadequate for the latest generation of highly cut resistant yarns. The blade used, remains unchanged throughout the test process and some yarns can quickly blunt the blade. This can lead to a highly cut resistant material being assessed at a far lower cut level than is the case in reality.' ISO cut test: The newer test, included in EN388:2003, deals with newer and highly cut resistant materials far more effectively. In this method to make the testing more accurate, the blade is changed and weight is added to make the test more appropriate to the advancement in cut resistant yarns. This test is additional to the coup test, and only carried out if deemed necessary. The force acting on the sample is varied by adding weights, so the test assesses the actual force needed to make a cut. The glove is classified Cut level 4 if score ≥ 13N but <22N or Cut level 5 if score is ≥ 22N. The Standard EN388 is changing The 2016 version of EN388, the mechanical hazards standard has been published. Over the next few years, you will see more and more products carrying this standard as it will allow products offering higher levels of cut protection to be identified.

GL200 Professionals in Hand Protection Bodyguard Workwear have excellent working partnerships with only the Best suppliers in the World. Polyco are a core supplier to Bodyguard Workwear and manufacture an excellent range of hand protection solutions. We have worked very closely with Polyco to develop a range of safety gloves uniquely for the Rail Industry and have featured a very small selection from their Cut 5 range, including the Polyflex Hydro C5. All the gloves below have features appropriate to specific tasks, whilst still offering Cut 5 protection. The technical information provided here has been as a result of the continued collaboration between Bodyguard Workwear and Polyco.

What’s changing? · Any sample tested for cut resistance using the existing coup method, which blunts the blade used in the test, will have to be additionally tested using the ISO cut method · There will be 6 cut levels defined on the ISO cut method. Levels A, B and C are new. Level D is a different value from the previously quoted as Level 4. Level E is equivalent to the previously quoted Level 5. Level F is also new and is the highest cut resistance value; ISO Test Levels Level A Level B Level C Level D Level E Level F ISO Cut Load (N) 2 5 10 15 22 30 EN388 3443EP 3 means the sample achieved level 3 for abrasion 4 means the sample achieved level 4 for coup cut 4 means the sample achieved level 4 for tear 3443EP 3 means the sample achieved level 3 for puncture E means the sample achieved level E for ISO cut which was tested due to blade blunting during the coup test P means the sample passes the requirement for impact protection. (Back of hand protection (impact protection testing) is now included).

Dyflex Plus N - GL120

Grip it Oil C5 - GL122

Polyflex Hydro C5 - GL118

BODYGUARD W O R K W E A R

Grip it Oil Gauntlet C5 - GL124

BODYGUARD Multi-Task E - GL119

For further information please contact: Bodyguard Workwear Ltd : Adams Street, Birmingham, B7 4LS, UK. • 0121 359 8880 Email: sales@bodyguardworkwear.co.uk

W O R K W E A R

www.bodyguardworkwear.co.uk

TRAINING

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

TRAINING

ORION

PTS E-LEARNING

DCCR INITIAL

PTS E-LEARNING

13/02/17 1 day Glasgow

21/02/17 1 day Glasgow

27/02/17 1 day Glasgow

PTS AC PRACTICAL

PTS AC RECERT

COSS RECERT

14/02/17 1 day Glasgow

22/02/17 1 day Glasgow

27/02/17 5 day Glasgow

PTS AC RECERT

DCCR RECERT

ES INITIAL

15/02/17 1 day Glasgow

23/02/17 1 day Glasgow

02/03/17 2 day Glasgow

COSS RECERT

ICI VERIFICATION ASSESSMENT

PTS AC PRACTICAL

13/02/17 5 day Glasgow

23/02/17 ½ day Glasgow

PTS AC PRACTICAL 20/02/17 1 day Glasgow

07/03/17 1 day Glasgow

PTS AC RECERT ES RECERT 24/02/17 1 day Glasgow

08/03/17 1 day Glasgow

DCCR RECERT 1 day 09/03/17 Glasgow

ICI VERIFICATION ASSESSMENT ½ day 09/03/17 Glasgow

LOOKOUT RECERT 10/03/17 1 day Glasgow

COSS RECERT

Rail Training Services Rail Industry Jobs Project Consultancy Services Rail Construction Services S&T Supply

People are our business worldwide Delivering the best in training and rail personnel – join our community today.

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

OrionRail.com

06/03/17 5 day Glasgow

COSS INITIAL 06/03/17 7 day Glasgow For more courses, dates and locations please contact our Glasgow and Wigan offices: GLASGOW | T: 0141 892 6666 E: Glasgow@orioneng.com WIGAN | T: 01942 466090 E: Wigan@orioneng.com

CAREERS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

www.trsstaffing.com

Global Scale. Local Focus. – Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies Currently Available – Project Manager – Station Modernisation

Project Engineers – Civils, M&E – Station Modernisation

London £350 /day

London, Bristol and Birmingham £250 - £350/day

Site Assurance Manager

Conformance Engineer

Nationwide Degree educated, NEC experience £350 - £450/day

London, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Manchester. £400/day

OLE Engineer – OLE Project Engineer

P6 Project Planners

London, Swindon and Reading £350 - £450 or £450 - £550/day

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

Quantity Surveyors / Commercial Managers

Project Controls Manager

London, Guildford, Bedford, Midlands and York £35 - £65k or £300 - £450/day

London, Midlands, Reading and Manchester £55 - £70K

TRS Staffing Solutions are international engineering recruitment specialists. We recruit for major national and international projects for leading national rail organisations, main contractors and consultancies.

Ford & Stanley are recruiting engineering and design professionals to shape some of the rail industry’s leading projects, including new fleet introduction and major modernisation programmes. We are actively looking for candidates at all levels for the following roles (both contract and permanent):

Mechanical Engineers

Electrical Engineers

Structural Engineers

CAD Designers

Successful candidates can expect a competitive salary and benefits. For further information on any of the above listed opportunities, please contact Sam Ford on +44 (0) 1332 387 674 or email sam.ford@fordandstanley.com

ITE LAU N EBS W

ED CH

NEW

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

Exciting rolling stock opportunities across the UK

way People.com RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

THE HEART OF UK RAIL RailwayPeople.com is the largest dedicated rail job site in the UK.

Senior Project Engineers Manchester Siemens Rail Automation is the UK leader in the manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of signalling computer-based interlockings. We’re currently putting our expertise to good use across our impressive portfolio, but we can’t deliver these projects without a talented and dedicated team. That’s why we’re looking for passionate signalling engineers to join our thriving office. You’ll be responsible for leading the project team in delivering new technology efficiently and safely as you: • Support and assist the Project Manager and management team to monitor the progress of works and be the engineering representative on projects. • Ensure that the technical standards are maintained in all aspects of signaling project work. • Participate in and monitor the planning and progress of works in relation to timeline and budget. • Assist with forecasting the overall engineering resources and key skills necessary for allocated projects in sufficient time to ensure that they can be provided. We’re looking for candidates with excellent communication skills, an understanding of task time and people management skills. Strong leadership skills are essential as we’ll expect you to drive your team’s performance. You must have an Electrical Engineering Degree or equivalent in-job experience and be a member of the IET, IRSE or other recognised professional body. You should also hold, or be working towards an IRSE Engineering Manager’s (7.8.110) licence. You will be based in our Manchester office in the heart of the city and will be working on projects that will leave a legacy in the North West, a journey we are proud to be part of. As a rapidly growing office, we also have the following positions available: • Senior Design Engineers • Principal Design Engineers • Lead Design Engineers • Lead Project Engineers • Project Manager – Signalling • Commercial Managers/Quantity Surveyors • Construction/Installation roles If you’re interested in any of the vacancies please contact us directly by emailing Savin Sathyanath on savin.sathyanath@siemens.com

siemens.co.uk/careers

CAREERS

RAILSTAFF FEBRUARY 2017

Together, we can all advance. Finding the ideal job can be difficult. With so much to

talented engineers into some of the UK’s most exciting

> Signalling

consider, there’s little wonder why people choose to

infrastructure projects. Whether you’re stuck in the

> Telecommunications

stay where they are.

wrong role, coming to the end of a contract or just

> Permanent Way

simply looking for change, talk to Advance.

> Civils

At Advance-TRS we take the time to understand exactly what your requirements are before matching you up with your dream job. We specialise in placing

> Electrification & Power

Visit:

> Mechanical & Electrical

advancerailwayjobs.com

> Project Services

01483 361 061

HO’S W E N O @railwayjobs U THE GANISING O Y E R A ? S OR ALWAY AND GAMES ES MATCH info@advance-trs.com

RT? O P S E LOV DO YOU

ARE YOU THE ONE NISING A G R O S ALWAY

MATCHES AND GAMES?

The all-new RailSport Games will be hosted at Loughborough University in July 2017, when we’ll bring together over 1,000 people from the rail industry to compete in 15 different sports.

>> WE’RE LOOKING FOR RAILSPORT AMBASSADORS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD...

If you are passionate about sport and motivated to inspire others to get involved, then this is for you. When you become a RailSport Ambassador, you will receive: • A pack to help you start promoting the event • Regular updates on the planning and progress of the event • Complimentary entry to your chosen sport • Limited edition RailSport Ambassador T-shirt If you’ve ever been to a Rail Media event before, you know we like to party. After the final whistle, competitors from across the industry can enjoy an evening of live music and socialising.

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

WE NEED Y OU!

in helping us If you’re interested t, then email promote the even ilsport.uk ambassador@ra

Senior Engineer c.ÂŁ50k (Nationwide)

Engineer c.ÂŁ39k (Nationwide)

Act as lead assessor for railway projects that require compliance with interoperability, CSMRA or national regulations

Check the conformance of designs for new or modified railway infrastructure assets against mandatory standards

Make recommendations for changes to UK and international standards

Assess projects to determine their impact on railway system safety

KEEPING YOU RIGHT ON TRACK

RAILWAY MEDICAL SERVICES FROM EXPRESS MEDICALS

Express Medicals have been providing railway medical services since 1996. We provide medical examinations and drugs & alcohol testing to meet Network Rail, London Underground and DLR standards.

ONGOING SUPPORT

PROMPT SERVICE

If you have a requirement for such services please do not hesitate to contact us. MEDICAL EXPERTS COUNSELLING DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

TRAVEL HEALTH

PHYSIOTHERAPY

WELLBEING

RAIL MEDICALS

Marketing and Sales Team

020 7500 6900 020 7500 6901 www.expressmedicals.co.uk www.expressmedicals.co.uk

Marketing and Sales Team Marketing and Sales Team

VACCINATIONS BLOOD TESTS

MARKET LEADERS