RailStaff January 2015

RailStaff

Quality Systems Stobart HSQE Dept.

THE MOST POPULAR PUBLICATION IN THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY www.railstaff.co.uk

Issue 206 | January 2015

stobartrail.com

CHURCHILL CELEBRATION MARKS

2015 RAIL RESURGENCE A special exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the funeral of Winston Churchill and his historic final journey by rail heralds a winning year for the railway.

11,000 railway staff worked over the Christmas and New Year break at over 2000 different work sites on jobs designed to boost capacity and efficiency on the rail network.

CHURCHILL REMEMBERED: PAGE 6

BEHIND THE HEADLINES: PAGE 4

Despite setbacks, the rail industry looks set for continued expansion and success in 2015.

Catch it as it happens at RailStaff and Rail Engineer.

IN THIS ISSUE FIRST IEP DESPATCHED FROM JAPAN

ORANGE HALLGATE AWARDED MBE

CHARLIE SPENCER AWARDED OBE

The first Class 800 is on its way to Britain.

Network Rail’s Patrick Hallgate receives MBE.

Spencer Group executive chairman honoured.

Page 5

Page 8

Page 13

Churchill’s hist oric final jour

ney by rail.

@StobartRailLtd

PETE DAVIDSON – QUALITY SYSTEMS MANAGER Pete joined Stobart Rail in 2006 as Quality Systems Manager.

He had previously spent several years in a manufacturing environment and over 20 years within the brewing industry.

His experience included initiating, producing and maintaining quality systems and successfully gaining ISO9001 and BSI Kitemark certifications for products and services. In addition, he has audited for many years and is a qualified Lead Auditor for ISO9001 and OHSAS18001.

Moving to a different industry was a challenge but Pete quickly realised the complexity and nuances of rail. “It was certainly a steep learning curve to understand just how many differing compliance requirements were needed to retain our various certifications. I was fortunate to be working with a great team of people and, where my knowledge of the industry was lacking, there was a wealth of advice available to me.”

The demands on our systems have continued to grow and the new RISQS protocols, Principal Contractor and Plant Operator requirements this year have presented a significant challenge.

“Our integrated HSQE systems have stood up to the challenge well and we were delighted that following our RISQS audit that we have achieved the highest star rating available for the coming year.

“Working for Stobart Rail has certainly expanded my horizons, enabling me to hone not only our systems but to produce processes and provide auditing support to our Group Airports.

“These are exciting times for Stobart Rail as we continue to grow and build upon our success and reputation. I look forward to the next phase of my employment with the Company which, based on the last eight years, will always present new challenges within a very demanding industry.”

Stobart’s dedicated HSQE team The Stobart Rail HSQE Department consists of a dedicated team of experienced, trained individuals whose skills complement each other providing compliance assurance for the company. It is responsible for the monitoring and analysis of feedback through satisfaction surveys to determine client perception of the service we provide. This allows the company to develop its strengths and address any weaknesses.

Key to providing compliance assurance is our Integrated Business System which encompasses all aspects of our business operations, core processes and support functions. Our system includes controls for projects from bid to completion, financial and risk management, legislative, certification and client requirements.

Amongst the many certifications we hold are ISO9001:2008, OHSAS18001:2007 and ISO14001:2004, Principal Contractor Licence and Plant Operations Scheme Provider. In addition we also hold numerous RISQS (Formerly Link Up) product codes and a licence to operate a mainline railway station at Southend.

The Stobart Rail HSQE Department is the cornerstone of the company’s commitment to providing a professional service to its customers.

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

stobartrail.com

COMMENT

January 2015 | RailStaff | 3

RailStaff

Encouragement and Friendship

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Rail chiefs have moved quickly to apologise for the overrunning engineering works at Paddington and King’s Cross and the problems at London Bridge.

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Fair enough. But amidst the media feeding frenzy and political posturing, the achievement of the railway’s 11,000-strong Orange Army of engineers, track workers and technicians has been overlooked.

These people gave up their Christmas and New Year holidays to work long shifts in difficult weather, largely because this is the least inconvenient time to close down major parts of the network to effect repairs and improvements.

Do they get any thanks for it?

Certainly the admirable Robin Gisby made a point of thanking all staff.

Would it damage our political leaders’ credibility to say thank you? Are they afraid of appearing soft? In view of their craven reaction to escalating international terror, it would hardly appear so.

Winston Churchill, arguably Britain’s greatest modern leader, did not spend the Second World War pontificating about the undoubted merits of the Spitfire or the Matilda tank. Neither did he make public hand-wringing statements of apology when the fortunes of war militated against him.

Exasperated aides and army officers attest that he was not much of a detail man.

The achievement of the railway’s 11,000-strong Orange Army of engineers, track workers and technicians has been over looked.

Churchill’s instinctive skill was to talk to and encourage the vast majority of people fighting the oppressive dictatorship that threatened the free world. He regarded the Nazi threat as evil personified; a sickness that had to be defeated militarily, politically and philosophically. His message echoes down the years.

His legacy made the struggle for freedom the personal responsibility of us all. Our grip on liberty, freedom of expression and habeas corpus - to do what we wish with our own lives - is fragile. Our understanding of personal responsibility, tenuous.

The responsibilities of leadership

include encouraging family, friends and the people we work with. Machines may break down and possessions overrun, but the people who work in cold, darkness and danger need our support, not threats, blame and recrimination.

The rail industry, let us state this with a boldness that eludes our leaders, performed very credibly over the holidays. The work continues this year as men and women from every conceivable background come together to develop a railway system that underpins the economic resurgence of one of the world’s oldest and most enduring democracies. Our cause must not be suffered to fail.

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

© MATTHEW STOKES

16

26

Training Matters Focus in February

A Scottish Romance

YRP Marks 5 years

Training and education are the sure paths to success, not only for individuals entering the rail industry, but for railways as a whole. The skills gap could prove a real constraint as more major projects come on line and Crossrail, HS2 and Electrification need ever more trained staff.

Please call us today on 01530 816 440 or email training@rail-media.com

Railfuture Scotland has proposed reopening more lines and 50 new stations, publishing ambitious plans designed to maximise momentum on the resurgent railway.

Rail Media is YRP’s newest Platinum Level Corporate Member. YRP will be writing a monthly feature in RailStaff to highlight the drama and action of young people in the industry.

NEWS

4 | RailStaff | January 2015

Behind the Headlines

Overrunning works at King’s Cross and serious capacity problems at London Bridge were eagerly seized upon by the press.

The conventional London-centric media chose to largely ignore the multi-site national miracle wrought by 11,000 railway staff hard at work from Christmas Eve into the New Year.

Whilst the UK all but closed down for the 12 days of Christmas, railway technical staff, drivers, engineers, fitters and contractors worked round the clock at more than 2,000 locations as the pace of re-investment in Britain’s ageing infrastructure picks up.

Network Rail has published the highlights of the huge £200 million investment programme carried out at Christmas which include:

London Bridge As part of the £6.5 billion Thameslink programme, London Bridge saw two new platforms opened and new track laid as the project moves to the next stage of the biggest station redevelopment that London has ever seen.

New signalling has successfully been installed on the New Cross Gate to Sydenham corridor and also in South London near Bermondsey allowing resumption of planned Southern and London Overground passenger services.

Work to replace tracks at the entrance to the Hornsey Depot in North London has also been completed. This means that Govia Thameslink can resume operation of its planned service on the Great Northern route;

Reading One of the last pieces of the jigsaw to unblock the notorious train bottleneck around Reading station has been finished with the completion of a newly built viaduct to the west of the station;

West Coast main line The latest phase of upgrade work at Watford, Norton Bridge and Stafford was completed. Work took place at Watford to install new sections of railway and commission a new signalling system. A major bottleneck at Stafford and Norton Bridge has been unblocked.

Engineers carried out essential bridge and track work at Norton Bridge and renewed the signals and overhead lines at Stafford;

East Coast main line Between London King’s Cross and Peterborough more than 1,000 people worked to complete 13 different projects to deliver significant improvements to the rail network at Peterborough, Holloway, Harringay and Canal Tunnels just outside King’s Cross. Further north, projects included bridge improvements in Dewsbury and Newcastle and track improvements near York and on the Doncaster to Leeds line;

Midland main line On the route serving St Pancras hundreds of people completed projects including signalling alterations for the Thameslink project; the demolition and partial reconstruction of two bridges for the Midland main line electrification project and track improvements between Kettering and Corby and at Toton;

Scotland The Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) team demolished the roof of Carmuirs Tunnel, near Falkirk, and installed a new tunnel over the New Year break.

Signalling was renewed between Haymarket and Inverkeithing and track work was undertaken in Queen Street Tunnel, Glasgow;

Anglia Track renewals have been carried out between Stratford and Shenfield and upgrades to the overhead line equipment on the Great Eastern main line has been completed. Two bridges on the Gospel Oak to Barking line have been replaced. At Chadwell Heath work is underway on the eastern section of Crossrail;

Wales A bridge was replaced over the River Teme on the line between Hereford and Shrewsbury. Bridge demolition work was also successfully completed on the South Wales Main Line between Newport and Cardiff as part of electrification works.

As usual behind the sensationalist headlines the vast majority of railway works over the Christmas break were delivered on time, on budget and safely by a dedicated workforce that has yet to receive adequate credit for its stunning achievements.

NEWS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 5

First IEP Despatched from Japan

The first of the new Intercity Express Programme (IEP) Class 800s is on its way to Britain.

Hitachi announced it had been despatched from its Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The train will travel by sea after being shipped from Kobe on 22 January and is expected to arrive in the UK in March.

Once it arrives it will be equipped with measurement devices for testing. The train is scheduled to start test running in April. Crew training will follow.

Hitachi is currently in the process of

building a Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The plant will be ready this summer. Production of the Class 800 series trains will start in 2016.

Says Alistair Dormer, Global chief executive of Hitachi Rail, ‘After unveiling this train in November last year, I am

immensely proud that we today see the first shipment leave our factory in Kasado. Our engineering teams in the UK and Japan have been working exceptionally hard with all stakeholders to ensure that this train will be ready for testing in the UK from April this year onward.’

Healthcare Connections Start the New Year by reviewing your occupational health needs for 2015.

Focused healthcare can improve employee wellbeing and reduce workforce downtime.

We offer a full range of rail–related medical services as well as health surveillance, drug and alcohol screening services and employee wellbeing programmes.

Call us to find out more.

Call Alere Healthcare Connections on +44 (0)8456 773 002 ahcc.sales@alere.com | alerehealthcareconnections.com @AlereHCC

© 2014 Alere. All rights reserved. The Alere Logo and Alere are trademarks of the Alere group of companies. | AHCC0104 Ed.1a

New Year Health Focus

NEWS

6 | RailStaff | January 2015

Hogmanay Hurrah for Rail Staff

Churchill Remembered

Scottish Transport Minister Derek Mackay has praised transport staff for their unstinting efforts during 2014.

The 30 January marks the 50th anniversary of the funeral of Winston Churchill.

Scotland welcomed thousands of visitors to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup. ‘Many staff across a number of transport, public and private sector organisations were heavily involved in the planning and delivery of the best ever Commonwealth Games and a truly stunning Ryder Cup,’ said Mr Mackay.

‘It is through each and every one of your personal efforts that we combined to showcase Scotland’s transport network to a global audience of billions of people, and I would like to thank you warmly for this. Everyone, from staff on the platforms to crews on the trains, from road maintenance crews to Traffic Scotland operators all wanted to show our country in a good light.’

The National Rail Museum will be displaying the locomotive 34051 ‘Winston Churchill’ and organising a symposium of personal recollections and photographs.

Visitors will be able to see the locomotive for the first time since its cosmetic restoration at Mid-Hants Railway. It will be displayed alongside the baggage van which carried Churchill’s coffin. This will be the first time since the funeral that these two vehicles have been seen together.

Were you there? NRM staff would particularly like to hear from anyone who saw the train on its journey from Waterloo to Handborough and anyone who may have worked on the funeral train. The state funeral was witnessed by millions and rail played a central part.

34051 Winston Churchill was one of 44 ‘Battle of Britain’ Class locomotives

ScotRail laid on its biggest train timetable ever in 2014. Gleneagles Station was refurbished and staff worked night and day to look after visitors and athletes. ScotRail trains travelled more than 1.4 million miles during the Games and the train company ran an additional 1,800 trains.

produced by the Southern Railway between 1945 and 1950. They were all named after the people, fighter squadrons, aircraft and airfields involved in the Battle of Britain.

Designed by Southern Railway’s chief mechanical engineer Oliver Bulleid, their unique shape and innovative technology set them apart from all other British steam locomotives. 34051 was named ‘Winston Churchill’ before the war-time leader was knighted. James Lester was fireman on the special train and describes how the crew were ordered to pass slowly through Oxford so mourners could pay their last respects.

Once out in the country, the timetable had slipped and the train was now running several minutes late. For years afterwards onlookers have puzzled over the almost indecent haste with which 34051 Winston Churchill thundered through rural Oxfordshire. The truth is the crew were determined that the last time Churchill travelled by train, he should arrive at his destination on time.

Queen’s Police Medal for BTP Officer David Wildbore A former chief superintendent with the British Transport Police (BTP) has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service at the end of a 36-year career that almost failed at the first hurdle.

David Wildbore, 53, born and bred in south London, tried to join the Metropolitan Police from school. He was refused entry because of injuries sustained in a motorbike accident.

However, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a police officer, he trained hard and re-applied a year ADVERTISEMENT

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later and eventually passed out from Hendon Police College as a PC in 1978, aged 19.

For much of his career Dave Wildbore served in the Met originally as a constable in Battersea. Later he drove an area patrol car in the early 1980s. As a sergeant, he joined the Metropolitan Police Territorial Support Group and was involved in the policing of the 1990 poll tax riots in central London and the violent protests at the BNP HQ in Welling.

Eventually he was made operations inspector at Greenwich and was responsible for policing at Charlton Athletic when the club reached the then Premiership in 1998.

Dave Wildbore joined BTP in 2007 as chief superintendent and took a leading role in BTP’s planning and policing of the London Olympics.

Says Dave Wildbore, ‘To a police officer, receiving the Queen’s Police

Medal is the ultimate accolade. I joined the Met straight out of school, following in my dad’s footsteps - he was a neighbourhood bobby in London.

Being a police officer and serving the public was a personal honour, and to be recognised in this way couldn’t mean more to me.’

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PEOPLE

8 | RailStaff | January 2015

Emma Joins SVR Apprentices Emma Harrison, 17, is the first female apprentice to join the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) along with four other new recruits at the Heritage Skills Training Academy.

Says Emma, ‘I decided to apply and see where it took me. I was extremely happy and overjoyed to get the place and as soon as I got off the phone, I was straight back on the phone to my mum, dad, gran and my granddad, who was so proud of me.’

The Harrison family has a history of involvement with railways which Emma will be taking forward this year along with Alan Brookes, 19, from Stourbridge, Tom Hubble, 20, from Birmingham, and Dean Parkin, 17, and Ryan Parsons, 20, who have moved up from Launceston in Cornwall and Wimborne in Dorset. All five apprentices beat off stiff competition to be chosen from dozens of enthusiastic applicants.

Emma’s late grandfather was a member of the Gloucester and Worcester Railway, as well as a

financial supporter of the SVR. The family has been supportive of railways for many years. Family holidays regularly included trips to various heritage railways, such as the Talyllyn Railway, where Emma has been a volunteer since 2011. She has worked with locomotive crews on early morning starts, cleaning the engines and seeing them out of the shed for their day’s running.

Says Emma, from Wolverhampton, ‘It was normal that a family holiday would include at least one trip on a railway and it’s still true today that we always manage to find a railway to go on, even when abroad.’ It was through her grandmother that Emma found out about the HSTA after she received a leaflet and passed it on to Emma, who then did her own research.

The pilot HSTA scheme has been successfully working with three apprentices since September 2013 in the build up to its official launch in September 2014. The new recruits are set to follow in their footsteps, learning the skills associated with running a steam railway.

The academy is now looking to recruit five new trainees each year.

The academy is one of a range of key projects financed by the fundraising efforts of the SVR Charitable Trust (SVRCT) and the SVR’s Share Offer scheme. The Charitable Trust was launched in 2012 to raise vital funds to assist in the preservation and operation of the railway. Through initiatives such as the HSTA, the SVR hopes to become the UK’s Heritage Engineering centre of excellence.

Says Shelagh Paterson, fundraising manager for the SVRCT, ‘Thanks to the incredible generosity of individuals

Orange Hallgate Awarded MBE Network Rail’s western route managing director, Patrick Hallgate, has been awarded an MBE for services to the economy.

Patrick, who joined Railtrack’s graduate trainee scheme in 1999 shot to national attention alongside the famed Orange Army last February. Tasked with rebuilding the sea wall and railway at Dawlish after the storms of February 2014, Hallgate joined a thousand-strong team which worked round the clock to reopen rail services to the west.

The project to restore the railway through Dawlish stands as an enduring testimony to the achievement of railway staff working together.

Patrick spotted the graduate trainee scheme quite by chance whilst working at the Home Office. He liked what he saw and applied. After training and working on route performance and maintenance, he became general manager Great Eastern in 2002. Route directorships followed at Sussex, then Anglia.

In 2009, he became programme director IP, Signalling and Electrification National Programmes before taking up his present role in the west. Hallgate is a firm believer in a career with the railways. ‘I’ve changed jobs every couple of years and taken on bigger challenges every time. Even

when I was a little unsure of myself on occasion, I had the right support around me to make the best of the situation and grow and develop into a better leader. As a result, I’ve become the route managing director, managing a team of 2,500 people.’

Hallgate has an MSc in organisational psychology from Bristol University. Quick thinking and team work certainly helped overcome tide and storm at Dawlish. The line re-opened earlier than expected at the beginning of April last year.

and grants, the Charitable Trust is delighted to be able to financially support the academy and invest in the future of the Severn Valley Railway.

With an ever-ageing workforce, it is essential for the future of the SVR that the skills needed to maintain heritage railways are passed on to the next generation and not lost. The apprentice scheme will imbue them with traditional methods of working, and train them in the essential skills of locomotive fitting, boiler making, carriage joinery, maintenance and restoration as well as the restoration of heritage buildings.’

Cliff Weaver Centenary A former revenue protection inspector celebrated his 100th birthday recently with a steak dinner.

Cliff Weaver of Walsall, West Midlands, was joined by family and friends for a slap up meal at the Park Inn near West Bromwich FC. Mr Weaver, originally from Yorkshire, joined the railway from school as a porter.

His career took him to Marston Green signal box and later Birmingham.

His sister, Doreen, also attended and the celebrations were organised by Mr Weaver’s niece and nephew, Pat and Bill Geddes. Cliff Weaver married his wife, Lily, in 1943 at St Paul’s Church, Golds Hill, West Bromwich.

The couple lived at Hill Top. Lily Cleaver, a noted local school teacher, died six years ago.

Pat Geddes praised staff at the Park Inn who, she said, treated Mr Weaver like a king.

PEOPLE

January 2015 | RailStaff | 9

New Start for Tim at RBF

Inverness Star’s Highland Fling

Tim Shoveller has taken up his role as RBF chairman - his appointment was announced last August.

David Clewlow, who works in the ticket office at Inverness station, has clocked up 50 years on the railway.

Currently managing director of the South West Trains and Network Rail Alliance, Shoveller has powered up the ranks of the rail industry over the last 23 years. As well as Stagecoach, Tim has also worked for Silverlink, Eurostar and Midland Mainline.

Says Tim, ‘I’m honoured to be taking over the reins at RBF and I’m looking forward eagerly to playing a part in the next stage of development of this historic organisation.’

Tim succeeds Dominic Booth who stepped down after four years as chairman. Funds raised by RBF help provide support to the young and old, active or retired workers connected to the railways.

For more info www.rbfcharity.org.uk

North East Role for Hughes Northumberland and Durham’s North East Combined Authority has appointed Tobyn Hughes as its first managing director for transport operations. His remit is to deliver high quality, integrated public transport across the region.

and Durham.

Hughes, of Hexham, will succeed Bernard Garner, who has retired from the post of director general of Nexus the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.

A Newcastle University graduate, Tobyn Hughes brings 20 years’ Hughes previously served as deputy experience working in transport. He director general of Nexus. joined Nexus in 2007 from a senior The role incorporates the post in British Airways. Since 2013 responsibilities of the director general he has been deputy director general, of Nexus along with new powers to responsible for 500 staff, an operational develop public transport integration budget of £170 million and a £40 recruitment-lg_Layout 1 09/01/2014 12:49 between Tyne & Wear, Northumberland millionPage capital1programme.

Unbeknown to Mr Clewlow his family and friends at ScotRail planned a surprise party. David, who joined the railway at Rayleigh in Essex, was treated to a delicious meal and a cab ride through the Highlands on the Kyle of Lochalsh line.

‘Our Dad was so touched by the meal and the surprise cab ride,’ says daughter Karen Davidson. ‘I think he thought no-one was really fussed about his milestone and he was very moved.’

Back in the 1960s, David Clewlow coped with 5,000 season ticket holders at Rayleigh and a busy parcels point. As well as parcels the station despatched dogs to Ireland and a regular consignment each evening of boxes of live rats, mice and guinea pigs to universities all over the country.

Tickets were serially numbered and had to be dated by punching them in the date printer. Accounts were all done by hand. Ticket destinations had to be written in. Says David, ’One ticket I particularly remember issuing was when someone asked for a return to Battle.

This is the only time in my career I have issued a ticket there. It was a ‘blank’ issue and the number of the ticket was 1066. What are the odds of that?’

David has always been keen on railways and made good use of priv travel, taking his family the length and breadth of Britain by rail.

Says Karen, ‘The stories myself and my siblings remember of our father’s time on the railway are the train trips, as we called them. We would get up ultra early and our Dad would have our travel bag packed and ready with food and juice for the day. My brothers were

Ganymede has a long heritage of providing contingent labour to safety critical aspects of the rail industry. As a Link-Up approved supplier, we provide semi-skilled and

avid trainspotters and had bags with their books and biros in, so I was given a little bag and an old book and biro pen so I didn’t feel left out. We travelled all over the UK. Our Dad has always had the times of trains down to the minute.

We all remember many a time catching trains by the skin of our teeth, usually collapsing on a seat breathless from charging through London to catch the last train home with Dad casually saying ‘we had plenty of time.’

David Clewlow also worked in Chelmsford and Colchester. ’At Colchester a new advanced ticket system called APTIS was introduced.’

(Accountancy and Passenger Ticket Issuing System).

‘This was a big step forward as this was the first computerised system and had many simple benefits… I applied to join the APTIS Field Support team in April 1987. This involved assisting with the transfer of about 200 stations in North London and East Anglia to APTIS and then helping sort out any problems. This involved a lot of travelling, but I enjoyed meeting lots of people during my time and making many new friends, some of whom have popped in to say hello when they visited Inverness.’

Inspired by his travels in May 1992, David moved to Inverness and worked as a relief shift supervisor at Inverness Travel Centre. Work included stints on telephone enquiries, Motorail bookings and making sleeper reservations.

‘Myself and my siblings, Mark, Paul and Jenny, are all so proud of our father.

Fifty years of dedicated service is such an achievement. We’ve always known him to have a love for the railway and for him to take a pride in his job. I strongly believe it’s seeing this while growing up which has led us all to take the same dedication in our own careers.’ Karen says.

To find out how we can help to fulfil your labour supply needs, contact us for further information:

skilled labour, on call off and temporary

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RAIL ALLIANCE

10 | RailStaff | January 2015

New Year Resolution for 2015 Join the Rail Alliance Join the Rail Alliance now Rail Alliance membership starts from just £500 per year

Positive New Year for Rail Alliance The Rail Alliance begins the new year with characteristic upbeat news. 2015 will see the Rail Alliance growing in numbers, both in membership and in the size of the Rail Alliance team. Starting this month, the Rail Alliance will be facilitating a wide range of opportunities for members to network and showcase products and services to key member audiences and customer groups.

The Rail Alliance has top industry experts and high-profile speakers confirmed for 2015 - all happy to share unique insights and market knowledge on a wide variety of hot topics and industry critical subjects. These include: • Showcasing Rail Lighting and Safety Products; • Delivering Innovation to the Train Operating Companies; • Supporting Innovation through Test, Trial and Demonstration; • Delivering ‘The Knowledge’ for BS11000 Accreditation; • Enabling Opportunities for European Collaboration through our sister Rail Clusters on the European mainland.

To kick off the 2015 event programme, the Rail Alliance is delighted to announce three brand new events specifically created to meet the needs of members: 1. Theme: Product Development - the Route to Market An essential look at developing your product along the route to market. Presentations on the theme of innovation and product development will include an overview of the opportunities that

the Rail Supply Group offers to the emerging supply sector. The day includes a tour of Unipart’s factory and warehouse in Doncaster.

Date: 27th January 2015 Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire Speakers will include Kevin Orton, Head of Business Development – Europe, Unipart Rail. Mr Orton will examine how companies can access external assistance to catalyse product development.

There will also be a feature on the Rail Supply Group, which officially launches its ‘Vision and Strategy’ initiative on 21st January.

2. Theme: ‘Light after Dark’ Staged at the Rail Alliance headquarters at Long Marston, Light After Dark will be held during the afternoon and evening offering a night-and-day opportunity to showcase railway lighting and safety products in their natural environments.This event will showcase a wide array of safety and lighting products followed by a well-lit networking dinner.

Date: 25th February 2015 Location: Rail Alliance, Long Marston 3. Theme: ‘Selling Innovation to TOCs’ This London-based event looks at the new franchising arrangements which pioneer a percentage reinvestment of revenue via the (franchise) Innovation Fund. A pilot £50 million Innovation in Franchising Fund will be available for innovative projects over the next three years covering the East Coast, TPE and Northern franchises. ‘Selling Innovation to Train Operating Companies’ looks

at energising the currency of new ideas in the industry.

Date: 19th March 2015 Location: London With customary Rail Alliance dynamism, all these events will offer members valuable opportunities to network and learn critical rail industry information direct from rail leaders and decision makers.

Please call Rhona Clarke on 01789 720026 or e-mail rhona.clarke@ railalliance.co.uk to confirm your attendance or to find out further details. Places are limited and will be booked quickly, so please let us know as soon as possible that you wish to attend these events.

Rail Supply Group The Rail Alliance will be attending the official launch of the Rail Supply Group (RSG) Vision and Strategy in London on Wednesday 21 January. We look forward to sharing news and information on the Rail SME Mentoring Scheme as it unfolds and gathers momentum during 2015. The Rail Alliance will be paying close attention to ‘Vision and Strategy’ and what it means for Rail Alliance member companies.

Says Colin Flack, chief executive, the Rail Alliance, ‘2015 is already proving a dramatic year for railways as the industry expands and pushes ahead. The Rail Alliance is here to help maximise opportunities for those businesses and suppliers taking forward the new rail industry. One good new year’s resolution has to be to join the Rail Alliance. It’s the industrial equivalent of joining a gym together we can help build an industry that is healthy, strong and fit for purpose.’

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

New Members Advanced Building Composites Ltd (Specialist suppliers of structural access chamber systems including Duct Access Chambers, Drawpits, UTX Chambers, Cable Chambers, Jointing Chambers & Valve/Hydrant & Meter Chambers) www.abc-uk.com SIC Ltd (Leading manufacturer of cable assemblies, control boxes and panel wiring. Over 50 years they have helped to develop over 14,000 product lines for a range of applications into over 24 different sectors) www.sicltd.com LAE Vehicle Rental Ltd (Largest independent UK owned supplier of mobile welfare vans & units) www.welfare2go.co.uk Power Testing Ltd (SME electrical engineering company with over 40 years’ experience in installation, test commissioning and maintenance of electrical infrastructure operating nationally) www.powertesting.co.uk Fairways Business Services Ltd (Consultancy with over 27 years’ expert experience in the UK electricity supply industry) www.fairwaysservicesltd.wix.com/ electricalconsultant SCG Solutions Ltd (Part of the Tinsley Bridge Group of Companies, SCG are a Tier One systems integration company specialising in safety critical rail component manufacture and complete packages of equipment for bogie & carriage production) www.scgsolutions.co.uk The University of Sheffield (Department of Mechanical Engineering provides railway research, wheel/rail tribology, rail component design and testing, modelling of wheel and rail damage, condition monitoring, network modelling) www.sheffield.ac.uk

NEWS

12 | RailStaff | January 2015

Carne Urges Caution ‘If you don’t want to work safely, don’t come and work here,’ says Mark Carne.

Network Rail’s chief executive was speaking at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s 10th annual conference at the Congress Centre in central London on 27 November.

With five workforce fatalities so far this year, it’s a message rail chiefs are keen to ram home as the level of work on the infrastructure ramped up over the Christmas break.

Ian Prosser, director, ORR, urged greater attention to worker safety, the theme of the conference.

‘The rail sector has made some real progress in the last 10 years,’ he said but also stressed, ‘Leaders I have talked to believe it [worker safety] can

improve.’

Prosser added the pragmatic opinion that, ‘Safety and business go hand in hand.’ As the industry continues to expand so should the emphasis on safety.

Delivering a stark warning of the cost to the industry of health and safety offences contained in the sentencing guidelines consultation which ends in February 2015, lawyer Sean Elson of Pinsent Masons said, ‘I think it’s inevitable the guidelines will come in,

and I think fines will be much higher than they are at present.’

He predicted breaches could cost millions of pounds, based on the size and turnover of the offending companies.

A workforce that works safely with attention to detail and assumption of personal responsibility is the precursor of a good stable and prosperous business. Adds Carne, ‘there is not a single business that I have worked in where it wasn’t true that great safety

CBE for Michèle Dix Dr Michèle Dix, Transport for London’s (TfL) managing director of planning, has been recognised with a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services to transport in London.

In February 2015, Dr Dix takes on a new role as managing director of Crossrail 2, progressing the new railway.

After completing a PhD in transport and land use planning, Dix joined the Greater London Council and became a chartered civil engineer through the GLC’s transport planning graduate scheme. Michèle Dix later joined Halcrow Fox in the private sector, where she became the board director of urban transport planning before joining TfL in 2000.

Michèle has been the managing director of planning at TfL since June 2007. Sir Peter Hendy CBE, London’s Transport Commissioner, welcomed the award and paid tribute to Dix. ‘She is a female pioneer in the male-dominated world of civil engineering and transport planning both in the UK, where she has set the strategic thinking for London’s future transport needs, and worldwide. She has been instrumental in the introduction of many successful projects in the capital and her contribution to developing our city has been immeasurable.

‘As London continues to grow at an extraordinary pace, Michèle will play a new and essential role in developing Crossrail 2 for the future so that we can meet that need and ensure that we can continue to generate economic growth for London and the UK.’ Says Dr Michèle Dix, CBE, ‘It is an honour to receive this award, especially as we are celebrating 100 years of women

performance goes with great business performance.’

The keynote address was delivered

by Derby South MP Dame Margaret Beckett. She said, ‘The job of a safety practitioner is one of the greatest responsibilities. There can be no doubt as a result of efforts, countless lives have been saved and serious injury prevented.

‘It’s quite gratifying that safety is being dealt with by top management as well as those among the workforce.’

Chinese Merger Two of China’s biggest stateowned rolling stock manufacturers have decided to merge.

working in the transport industry. My role is hugely rewarding and I am very proud to have worked on some of the key transport projects that make a contribution to improving life in the capital. With London’s population set to grow to 10 million people by 2030, the need for continued energy, thought and ambition being given to transport projects has never been greater.’

Richard de Cani takes over as managing director of planning. Mr de Cani has been involved in the DLR network, transport planning for the 2012 Olympic Games, and planning the Northern Line Extension to Battersea and the Garden Bridge. He has been working as the director of transport strategy and planning for the past five years with Michèle Dix.

By joining together, China CNR and CSR Corp will create a global giant capable of competing with Siemens of Bavaria, Germany, and Canada’s Bombardier.

The new company will have an estimated annual revenue of $32.71 billion. The main customer remains the China Railway Corporation.

The move comes as China develops the world’s longest high speed rail network - built in less than 10 years.

The new organisation will be looking to export technology and project management globally. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

NEWS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 13

Collaborative Spirit at Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool Lime Street station looks cleaner and brighter thanks to collaborative working by railway staff and contractors.

Teams from J. Murphy & Sons Limited recently completed a series of new platform improvements at Lime Street.

The £2.4 million project involved resurfacing platforms 1-5 with new paving flags and tactile warning flag stones. These will improve passenger safety and modernise the overall platform environment. The scheme also saw the reconstruction of the concourse linking the ends of platforms 1-6 together.

Driven by innovation and best practice, the Murphy project team deployed solarpowered power pods to reduce the site’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. Mechanical mixers, hydraulic flag splitters and remote controlled breakers were also used and virtually

eliminated hand arm vibration. A new system of pre-sealing paving stones was also deployed, saving considerable time over traditional drying and grouting methods.

Says Richard Smith, Murphy site agent, ‘The project really showcased the collaborative spirit needed to deliver the new platforms safely, on time, within budget and all with minimal disruption to the travelling public. Network Rail and the train operating companies deserve a lot of credit and it’s great to see the platforms now looking safe and bright for passengers.’

Paddington links Bakerloo The respected Costain Skanska joint venture has won the contract to design and build the London Paddington link tunnel which will connect the new Crossrail station and Bakerloo line platforms deep underground.

The contract is worth approximately £40 million and follows a new procurement process set up by London Underground (LU) and successfully used on the Bank Station Upgrade in 2013. The Innovative Contractor Engagement (ICE) model assesses the bids made by contractors for the value that their proposal adds to the project.

Says David Waboso, LU’s director of capital programmes, ‘This is the second successful application of the ICE procurement approach,

Charlie Spencer Awarded OBE Spencer Group executive chairman Charlie Spencer has been honoured with an OBE for services to business and the community.

Ltd in 1989. The business initially offered construction services associated with marine piling and Charlie’s significant experience in this area led him to his first project at New Holland Dock. Spencer now has a long-established reputation for infrastructure projects, especially those in the rail and energy markets.

The business is currently engaged in a number of important projects including depot facilities for Transport for London, a 10-year nuclear engineering framework with Magnox and enabling works for London Underground at Finsbury Park.

Spencer remains privately owned by the Spencer family.

Says Tom O’Connor, managing director of Rail Media, ‘Charlie Spencer OBE demonstrates the powerful combination of family loyalty, entrepreneurship, social responsibility and guts and determination which are essential elements of every successful business. Congratulations and best wishes for the next 25 years.’

Charlie founded the business in 1989 from home with just two employees and has built it into a leading engineering company with turnover in excess of £140 million.

With headquarters at Humber Quays in Hull and offices in London St Pancras and Glasgow, Spencer now employs more than 400 people nationally. A passionate believer in entrepreneurship, Charlie has funded programmes by the Hull youth development charity CatZero to inspire young people to set up their own businesses and is a leading supporter of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull. Charlie is also involved with the University Technical College in the city.

Hull-born Charlie started C Spencer

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NEWS

14 | RailStaff | January 2015

Steam Drama at King’s Cross The Olivier Award-winning stage version of Edith Nesbit’s ‘The Railway Children’ is set for further performances during school holidays this year at its purposebuilt railway theatre near King’s Cross.

Set in a temporary venue, on what was once the York Way traction maintenance depot, the show features a stage built around a real railway track.

Star of the show is a 60-tonne vintage locomotive and carriage. The Railway Children was originally staged by York Theatre Royal in partnership with the National Railway Museum in 2008 and ran for two packed summer seasons on location at the museum in York. Then in 2010, the production transferred to Waterloo Station, playing to sell out houses in the former Eurostar terminal.

Returning in 2011, the show won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment before crossing the Atlantic and opening in Toronto, Canada. The show, which opened at King’s Cross in December, has recently had its run extended to 6 September, 2015. After it ends, everything will be removed ready for construction of Google’s new British headquarters.

Kindness of railway staff The story of three children who move to a small cottage by the railway in Yorkshire after their father is falsely accused of spying has become enduringly popular since it was first published in 1905. Successive generations have identified with the terror of parental separation, the wish for intervention from a benefactor, in this case the old gentleman on the train, and the rough but ready kindness of railway staff as exemplified by Mr Perks on the station. The story also sees the children taking care of an illegal Russian immigrant.

Staging the production has proved

GBRf wins on Aggregate

The New Year gets off to a good start for GB Railfreight which has started running a new service for Aggregates Industries (AI) as part of a five-year deal to transport sand and stone from AI quarries to various depots and handling sites across Britain.

Locomotive 66714, identification 6M28, left Croft Quarry at 23.15 on Monday, 5 January, and arrived in

Neasden Freight Terminal at 05.56 on Tuesday, 6 January.

The multi-million pound contract will see GB Railfreight running five trains a day, five days a week.

Last year, GBRf invested over £50 million in locomotives and rolling stock.

Says John Smith, managing director of GB Railfreight, ‘We have recently been looking at expanding our aggregates business across the UK because we believe we have the team and fleet available to deliver optimum solutions in the area.

‘This five-year contract with Aggregate Industries is a key milestone in this progression, trebling our workflows, and we are delighted to be working with such a prestigious name in supporting the construction sector.’

a traction and logistics challenge in its own right. Says the managing director of Moveright International, Andrew Goodman, whose team organised the track and train, with BOS Productions, ‘The steam locomotive, built in 1873 to handle express trains for the London & South Western Railway, was provided by the National Railway Museum. The coach is owned by railway operator Stately Trains and was built for the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1894. These are priceless historic vehicles that need a lot of care - and they had to be moved by road to King’s Cross from Yorkshire.’

Much of the work had to be carried out at night to keep local road disruption to a minimum. The actual train is in fact shunted in to the auditorium, powered by a quiet, battery-electric locomotive

brought in from Holland.

‘Clearly it’s important that everything works without a hitch and that the train runs to time for every performance,’ says Goodman.

The lost father Edith Nesbit spent part of her childhood in a cottage in Halstead, Kent near the railway line - down which she would walk to the station. Her own father died when she was four. The search for the lost father underscores the plot. Bobby’s cry at the end of the story, when she sees her father through the swirling steam of the locomotive, ‘Daddy, my Daddy,’ echoes Nesbit’s lifelong lament for her own father’s absence and is regarded as one of the most poignant lines in modern English literature.

Swanage Breaks Record Swanage Railway in Dorset has notched up a record-breaking 216,267 passengers during 2014.

By the end of 2014, Swanage Railway says it had run more than 2,400 steam and diesel-hauled passenger trains.

Says Swanage Railway general

manager Richard Jones, ‘The carrying of a record-breaking 216,267 passengers on our steam and diesel trains during 2014 is a fantastic achievement. It’s a tribute to our dedicated teams of staff – both volunteer and paid. Everyone has worked incredibly hard through the year.’ © ANDREW P.M. WRIGHT

NEWS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 15

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

West Island Line Opens

Tea Party Catering staff and passengers on First Great Western are enjoying tea supplied by Cornwall’s Tregothnan tea merchants.

Alstom has successfully delivered the new signalling system for Hong Kong’s MTR West Island Line which started passenger service on 28 December, 2014.

It won its first rail contract in Hong Kong in 1975. Since then, Alstom has supplied over 1,100 carriages, provided infrastructure systems to two metro

lines and signalling systems to seven metro lines, including the West Island Line, Kwun Tung Line and South Island Line (East).

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Hong Kong’s West Island Line is an extension of the Island metro line and has three new stations serving 230,000 people.

Alstom has been involved in railways in Hong Kong for nearly 40 years.

It’s part of a bid to help local businesses, and Tregothnan has hired six more staff since winning the contract.

© DAVID SHIRRES

Borders Railway Winter Progress Tracklaying on the Borders Railway should be completed by February allowing driver training to start this summer. David Shirres reports.

When the Waverley route between Edinburgh and Carlisle closed in 1969, the Borders region became the largest in the UK without a rail link. This is about to change with the re-opening of the northern section of this line in September 2015 which will be the UK’s longest new domestic railway for over a hundred years.

October start Borders project tracklaying started in October last year. With track being laid at the rate of 1.2 kilometres a day, it took less than a month from the start of track laying for the new rails to cross into the Scottish Borders on 5 November. This was marked by a small ceremony at which Border’s Council leader David Parker and its chief executive, Tracey Logan, were present along with Ken MacGillivray, Network Rail’s project manager for this section of the railway.

With the new railway running close to the A7 road for most of its route, the tracklaying train is a highly visible sign of progress. The train reached Stow on 24 November, a further eight miles into the Borders. Here primary school children were allowed onto Stow’s partially completed station to get a close view of track laying. Beyond the station, spectators in fields observed the train’s progress.

God created the Dutch The tracklaying uses plant from BAM Rail in Holland.

This is attached to the rail delivery train to pull rails off it and lay them on top of sleepers that have already been put in place. Scottish and Dutch flags adorn this plant

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which bears the inscription: ‘For the finishing touch, God created the Dutch.’

Sadly in November a track worker was seriously injured as a result of a sleeper breaking free. As a result, the project decided to stand down the site for five days to ensure lessons were learnt before work resumed.

At the Christmas break, track had been laid on three quarters of the route with tracklaying scheduled to restart on 12 January for completion early in February.

This revised timescale for tracklaying does not impact on project completion and by mid-summer the line will be ready for driver training. Then, after a gap of nearly 47 years, train services to the Borders will resume on 6 September.

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FEATURE

16 | RailStaff | January 2015

A Scottish Romance Report by Colin Garratt Railfuture Scotland has proposed reopening more lines and 50 new stations, publishing ambitious plans designed to maximise momentum on the resurgent railway. Single line track needs to be doubled and 23 short feeder lines, including seven existing freight lines, opened up for passenger services. © RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Caledonian Railway postcard, depicting engine driver John Souter and the Lambie No. 17 4-4-0 at the end of their record run from London (Euston) to Aberdeen on 23 August 1895.

Once threatened with wholesale closure, Scotland’s railway has powered back with more freight and increased passenger volumes generating an urgent need for greater capacity. The fall and rise of Scotland’s railway perhaps best illustrates the phenomenon of rail resurgence now apparent across Britain and Ireland.

The day before I was asked to put this feature together, I found - in a second hand book store - a dramatic title called the Romance of Scotland’s Railways. An irresistible purchase, it brought memories of Scotland’s exuberant railway history flooding back. Colin Garratt, director Milepost 92 ½ reports The railway race to the north between the east and west coast routes in 1895 culminated in a time from King’s Cross to Aberdeen of 520 minutes. That’s 523 miles at an average speed of 60.6 mph - 120 years ago, the fastest sustained long distance running up to that time. The opening of the Forth Bridge, one of the railway wonders of the world, added

to the romance informing the steel and stone miracle of Scotland’s rail industry. The famous Waverley route from Carlisle to Edinburgh traversed the often overlooked Lowlands, the line’s scenery comparable to the West Highland Line. In terms of wonder, the sight of one of Pickersgill’s beautiful D40 Class 4-4-0s from the Great North of Scotland Railway meandering across Speyside to meet the majestic Highland Railway at Boat of Garten is hard to beat. What wonderful names the Highland Railway bestowed upon its stations and steeds - often using Gaelic among the rivers, castles and clans. Were not the D40s the prettiest inside cylinder 4-4-0s ever built?

Fabled workshop Scotland is a country of great contrasts. Consider the rural elegance of the north with the railway snaking through forest and glen, curving along a flat mercury-coloured loch, mountains soaring, the haunts of eagles and otters. But the train itself probably started its quiet journey

FEATURE

January 2015 | RailStaff | 17

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

D40s, perhaps the prettiest inside cylinder 4-4-0s ever built?

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

amidst the industrial clamour of Glasgow, fabled workshop to the world.

The skills of Clydebank ship builders, foundrymen and engineers have never been surpassed. Scotland was locomotive builder to an empire and indeed the world. Scottish engineers dotted the planet with handsome, robust, locomotives and fleets of trains that united thousands of cities and towns.

By contrast it remains a disturbing thought that the dark days of the 1970s cast a sullen cloud over Scotland’s railway. Far away lines - both suburban and rural - were the subject of ugly discourse in Westminster as to whether Britain really needed a railway at all. Station and line closures were proposed and there were many ready to profit from the railway’s demise. The anti-rail lobby almost got away with it.

Closures were not just confined to small branch lines but also to main lines such as the Port line from Dumfries and Stranraer, the Strathmore line between Perth and Kinaber junction via Forfar and even the highly

revered Waverley line from Carlisle to Edinburgh.

Undoubtedly it could have been far worse. In 1983 the Westminster government commissioned the infamous Serpell Report intended to come up with a list of lines across Britain which, if closed, would enable the railway to pay for itself and not rely on public funding. If Scotland’s section of the report had been implemented there would have been little left - no East Coast main line north of Newcastle and only Edinburgh and Glasgow served by the West Coast from Carlisle.

Green light Analysts and bean counters failed to grasp public dependance on railways.

The then Tory government, which commissioned the Serpell report, with a perception once thought rare, put it in the waste bin where it belonged.

A year later British Rail’s (BR) rising star, Chris Green, took over at ScotRail.

Rapid change followed. Green reinvented the beleaguered Scottish

LNER ex GNSR 4-4-0 D40 Class No. 2280 ‘Southesk’ at Aberdeen in 1946.

railway system, giving it a new name and a new identity: ScotRail. The ‘r’is always a capital letter, emphasising the importance of the rail element to a resurgent and confident Scotland.

Green went on to prove that railways can be marketed as an idea not a means to an end. His two-year tenure saw the introduction of new rolling stock - namely 150s, 156s, and 158s DMUs and new Class 318s and 320s EMUs. Stations were spruced up

and lamp posts painted red. Green had worked out that a substantial percentage of Scotland’s population lived within walking distance of a station. Professional marketing was brought in to play.

Staff were encouraged to adopt a ‘can do’ philosophy. Combined with effective management this resulted in better performance and greater job satisfaction. Green did much to bridge the us and them gap that still troubles

FEATURE

18 | RailStaff | January 2015

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Larkhall Station, built on the site of the old Larkhall Central Station which closed to passengers in 1965, reopening 40 years later in 2005.

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Construction site of Tweedbank station.

the industry. For instance one legend has it that drivers on the West Highland Line had painted small West Highland terrier logos on their 37s. Middle management was all for scrubbing the dog logo off. Green heard of this and intervened, pronouncing that the terriers would stay on the engines.

Staff initiative was to be encouraged.

‘Love me, love my dog,’ a ScotRail press officer quipped at the time.

Larkhall relaunch Chris Green’s departure after only two years to create London’s mighty Network SouthEast was a loss to ScotRail. However, the seeds of resurgence had been sown and the benefits were to come. It was the reopening of the freight-only Bathgate line to passenger traffic in March

1986 which marked the start of line reopening in Scotland. Every reopening in Scotland since has exceeded expectations in terms of success. South Lanarkshire benefited in 2005 when Strathclyde PTE pulled off a real winner by reopening the Larkhall line (closed in 1965). This line was constructed on the trackbed of the former line from Hamilton to Hawkshead and reused the old Larkhall Central Station site, the platforms of which remained.

New stations reopened and new railways became part of ScotRail’s culture, it’s raison d’etre. BR’s Scottish Region had by now been replaced by an organisation intent on implementing new development schemes such as Conon Bridge and Beauly north of Inverness. Scotland’s track record is impressive compared

with other parts of the UK. Seventy stations have been added to the Scottish rail map over the last 30 years.

In 2005 responsibility for rail transport passed to the Scottish Government. In the 10 years since, rail passengers in Scotland have increased by 33 per cent to 88 million passengers a year.

The proposed reopenings make even more heady reading. The Scottish Government has provided funds to reopen the line from Stirling to Alloa - where the track has been lying derelict for several years. This was the reopening of an abandoned line on which the track was still in place.

Take it to Tweedbank The rebuilding of the Waverley route, now the Borders Railway, first gathered momentum in 1994. The biggest challenge was to find a way to take the rails under the Edinburgh city bypass and across the A7 trunk road at Hardengreen, Gore Glen, Falahill and Galashiels. Road improvements had obliterated much of the formation, elsewhere the tunnels and the distinctive bridges over the Gala water which is crossed 13 times on the way south mark a superb peace of civil engineering conducted with minimal fuss and great aplomb.

The first section was authorised in the famous 114-1 vote by the

Scottish Government in June 2006.

Construction was begun by Network Rail in April 2013. Tracklaying began on the 8 October 2014 and should be complete in February. The present terminus at Tweedbank stands midway between Galashiels and the historic town of Melrose where the listed station building still stands by the Melrose bypass offering the tempting potential for future expansion south towards Hawick and Carlisle. Both are currently on the radar and once the line to Tweedbank opens on 6 September 2015 they are expected to be moved further up the lobbying agenda.

This is truly the stuff of legend and the opening to Tweedbank will add another seven stations to the Scottish railway network.

There are a number of other reopening schemes now gathering momentum. Railfuture Scotland has identified further projects including the reintroduction of passenger services on eight existing freight lines, five new lines and the reopening of 11 lines on former formations. Incredible! Included is the line to Levenmouth, currently mothballed.

The freight-only Grangemouth line is heavily used for container traffic. The Edinburgh suburban line which runs from the East Coast line at Portobello to join the Carstairs line at Slateford is another line that frequently appears on the opening agenda. The line is currently used by freight trains bypassing Edinburgh Waverley. Many of the former stations remain in place albeit not in the best condition. A number of other lines and stations are suggested as additions to deal with the growing commuter requirements of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. Two further stations will open at East Linton and Reston as part of the new ScotRail franchise.

A local service will be introduced between Edinburgh and Berwick upon Tweed. This will relieve pressure on the heavily used line at Dunbar in particular. Other stations are already being planned such as Beattock on the West Coast main line amongst some 50 proposed by Railfuture and other campaign groups. Edinburgh airport is now served by the recently opened Edinburgh tram network, another aspect of social sanity where the steel rail replaces the rubber tyre.

FEATURE

January 2015 | RailStaff | 19

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Return to St Andrews

Bad Romance

The university city of St Andrews attracts students from all over the world, yet it relies these days on a bus link from Leuchars Junction on the Edinburgh - Dundee line. It is not surprising that the campaign to reintroduce rails into St Andrews is becoming more evident every year. The ancient historical city attracts many visitors but its streets are often gridlocked and its car parks full.

The staging of the British Open and other major golf tournaments at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, formed 1754, is another reason why a rail link would be desirable.

Even Kerr’s miniature railway in Arbroath bears testimony to the rail community’s indomitable will to survive. When the line suffered the sad death of Matthew Kerr II closure was feared. However, the Kerr family, along with a team of volunteers, have not just kept the railway thriving but have announced considerable extensions to the system - the first since 1931.

When it comes to building railways and reopening stations, Scotland is an inspiration to the railway industry world wide. Transport Scotland has a pro-rail stance, one that builds rather than commissions yet more feasibility studies.

However, it is the passengers and railway staff that have come together to bring back Scotland’s railway. In such a small article it is hard to pay adequate tribute to the hard work of staff at Network Rail Scotland, ScotRail and the supporting army of contractors, local people and community partnerships. Station adopters have made a huge difference to wayside halts and urban stations alike.

For too long Scotland’s railways were caught in a bad romance. That’s all changing now as a confident Scotland reopens its railway, part of a dramatic gateway to a successful and prosperous future.

Construction progress at Stow as of December 2014.

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Construction work at Galashiels High Buckholmside.

© RAILPHOTOLIBRARY.COM

Larkhall Station, built on the site of the old Larkhall Central Station which closed to passengers in 1965, reopening 40 years later in 2005.

NEWS

20 | RailStaff | January 2015

Ghost Trains On Guard Ghost trains will run on cold nights keeping the railway clear as temperatures fall.

The empty trains are part of a comprehensive plan put together by rail chiefs to make sure the railway can withstand bad winter weather. In previous ice-bound winters railways have proved to be the most resilient transport mode. Railway staff will be keeping up the good work throughout January and February.

Some trains will be fitted with snow ploughs, hot-air blowers, steam jets and brushes to help them beat the freeze. Other equipment includes special scrapers and jets applying heated anti-freeze and compressed air to quickly de-ice tracks.

Network Rail’s expanded winter fleet now includes 14 snow ploughs, 10 snow and ice treatment trains, two snow blowers, 25 locomotives fitted with mini snow ploughs - 10 more than last year and 24 multi-purpose vehicles - 14 more than last year - with de-icing capability.

Helicopter on standby The track itself has come in for special attention. Anti-icing fluid and heating strips are used on live conductor rails to stop ice building up. The addition of heating strips has reduced ice-related incidents by up to 80 per cents. Inflatable barriers are on standby to protect tracks and vital equipment from flood water.

Protective covers have been added to 4,000 points and 2,500 points motors, to keep snow out and prevent damage by ice falling from trains. Network Rail also has a helicopter on standby fitted with thermal imaging cameras to identify points heaters that are not working.

Central to the winter plan are the thousands of staff who will patrol the network round the clock in times of extreme weather, clearing snow and ice from junctions and tunnels.

When flood warnings are received from the Environment Agency, staff and equipment will be sent to areas deemed high risk to carry out emergency measures.

Plans are in place for staff to be based at strategic places on routes in times of severe disruption to provide information and advice. Plans will ensure that full depot staffing is maintained even where some staff are unable to get to work.

We want people to feel confident Better use will be made of social media to keep passengers advised.

A multi-million pound project is underway to enable consistent information to be displayed across stations as well as on websites and apps provided by operators and National Rail Enquiries.

This will help ensure that passengers can get the same answer to a journey query whether they use apps, websites or station information screens. Around a third of the country’s stations have now been connected to the same single realtime information feed.

NRE has relaxed licensing conditions for third party developers wanting to use its real-time train information.

Hundreds more developers now have access to the information and it is hoped this will increase the visibility of real-time information.

Says Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group, ‘The industry has learnt valuable lessons from recent winters about where we need to concentrate our efforts to improve how we respond to extreme conditions.

When severe weather hits, we will focus on ensuring that the railway can continue to run as many services as is safely possible, and that passengers get up-to-date and consistent information.

We hope that the measures we have put in place to improve equipment, technology and processes will mean passengers feel fully informed about the potential impact of weather on their journey.

We want people to feel confident that the industry is doing all it can to get people where they need to go, and we will continue to learn from future weather events how we can get better still.’

Parry-Jones Opens Rugby Powerhouse Network Rail’s chairman, Professor Richard ParryJones CBE, has officially opened the Central Power & Electrification Team (CPET) offices at Myson House, Railway Terrace in Rugby.

The team is an alliance and includes top performing staff from Network Rail, ABC Electrification (Alstom, Babcock and Costain), Keltbray and Atkins. CPET will deliver essential electrification and power works on railway infrastructure during CP5 and beyond.

Richard Parry-Jones met representatives from the companies involved. Taking a keen interest in the work of CPET, he discussed a range of projects and was

shown how they fitted into the greater programme of works. A tour of the offices followed during which he met individual project managers. He then opened the offices by unveiling a plaque in front of a large crowd all members of the 400-strong team at Rugby.

Under the framework contracts covering Wales and the West together with the Central Electrification Programmes, the CPET alliance will deliver the continuing West Coast Power Supply Upgrade, Walsall to Rugeley Electrification, Nuneaton to Oxford, the Bedford-Bletchley-Oxford project and the Bromsgrove Electrification works as well as the London Overground Capacity Improvement Programme.

Alstom, Babcock and Costain formed ABC Electrification to support Network Rail’s ambitious programme of electrification. ABC Electrification combines design, engineering and delivery expertise across all aspects of railway electrification.

TRACK SAFETY

22 | RailStaff | January 2015

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

DON’T TAKE STAFF FOR GRANTED, LISTEN TO THEM AND REMEMBER COMPUTERS DON’T MANAGE PEOPLE SAFETY Colin Wheeler colin@rail-media.com

Happy New Year to all readers of Railstaff. As an eternal optimist I wish you all a safe and accident free New Year.

In the December Railstaff it was good to read Network Rail’s article by Mark Carne about their evolving Life Saving Rules with the emphasis on sharing concerns and helping others to work safely. Having a fair culture, accepting that most safety incidents result from honest mistakes, rather than being deliberate rule breaking

Planned use of RRV? One of Network Rail’s “Share with Pain” items on their Safety Central website is an accident that happened back on September 3rd last year. At 0220 the boom of a road/rail vehicle struck the span of a footbridge at the London end of Shalford Station. It caused considerable damage as can be seen in the picture above.

Dyer and Butler then spent the day erecting scaffolding to support the damaged structure so that the evening peak train services could still run.

On the Wednesday night a Kirow crane was used to remove the remains of the bridge span. The local population will now be looking forward to the erection of its replacement. No injuries but an

500mm

are both sentiments I share.

I am aware of his concern that in 2013/14 rail workers suffered three fatalities and 122 major injuries. If he can achieve the elimination of fatalities and major injuries by 2019, I will be impressed. It is a worthy and achievable aspiration.

expensive incident, due I suspect to human error. I question the planning that went into the use of the road/rail vehicle.

Lower leg amputated Network Rail’s Safety Bulletin 345 has implications for the users of

sleeper spacers and grab lifters. On 25th November track workers were using a 360-degree excavator to unload concrete sleepers from a flatbed lorry at Galashiels using a sleeper spacer attachment modified into a grab.

After several successful lifts, a sleeper slipped out of the grab resulting in one of the workers suffering a crush injury. The report suggests that he may have moved into the lifting zone to remove wood dunnage from the lorry floor. Sadly his lower leg has had to be amputated as a result of the injury.

Collapsed signal hit at 110 mph I remain concerned that workers on track, who contribute so much to both safety and productivity are not always listened to by management.

An accident between Newbury and Newbury Racecourse that could have resulted in a high speed passenger train derailment is a case in point. At 1435 on 17th November last year the First Great Western Truro to London passenger train travelling at 110 mph on the Up line ran into the junction indicator head of signal T2865. The previous train had passed the scene without incident just 15 minutes earlier.

The signal post had collapsed and was lying across the Down line with its head foul of the Up Line. (see picture) Fortunately the train did not derail, but an air pipe was ruptured and there was damage to the exterior of the leading power car cab. This signal post had been

examined as recently as June 2014 when “no defects were reported” according to the preliminary advice from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

They comment that the signal head was replaced on September 28th when “no issues were reported” and add that “the base of the post was hidden by ballast and corrosion at or below ground level was not detected by the examination regime”. Surely 90% or more of the signals on posts are founded in ballast?

Consequently looking below the ballast level for corrosion should be standard practice? Were there no local staff who realised that the post was rusted through? Were they asked? The RAIB report will be interesting.

Track machine ran away At 0010 on 27th November 2014 a track machine ran away at Bryn near Wigan, travelled about 100 metres and collided with two MEWP’s (Mobile Elevated Work Platforms). Both machines suffered severe damage and one was derailed.

Fortuitously no-one was injured, but two people from the MEWP’s and one from the on track machine jumped clear before the impact. A number of others were almost struck by the elevated work platform which swung sideways due to the impact. RAIB have said that their investigation focus will be on the “design, conversion, commissioning and approval of the machine” as well as how it was being used.

TRACK SAFETY

January 2015 | RailStaff | 23

17 wheel-sets derailed Another incident with challenging implications occurred shortly after 1000 am on the morning of Wednesday 23rd January 2013. The RAIB report was posted just before Christmas.

A Liverpool Street to Norwich train had travelled a mere 260 metres from platform 13 before it derailed. It was made up of nine coaches pushed by its locomotive when 19 wheels in 17 wheelsets derailed on a tight, gauge widened curve. Just 40 metres further on they had all re-railed themselves.

The derailment was within a switch diamond crossing in a closed in area that is both dirty and dimly lit even in daytime (pictured right). The driver was unaware of the incident but the conductor told him passengers had reported a rough ride.

He stopped and examined his train at Shenfield, finding nothing unusual.

Meanwhile a problem at the set of points affected had been identified. A signalling maintenance team at Liverpool Street and a specialist train inspector at Norwich, both found evidence of the derailment.

Lacking track maintenance and inspection knowledge The report states that the causes were track fixing deterioration, the tight curve and non- standard track-work. It says that, “no consideration had been given to the increased risks because “maintenance management staff did not have the knowledge necessary to appreciate the need for, and to undertake this activity”.

It goes on to say that “lack of knowledge had not been appreciated by more senior staff”. It adds that Network Rail procedures for track inspection did not require non-standard track inspection and maintenance regimes to be independently checked. The standard gauge of 1435 mm was widened to 1441 mm by design but the static gauge measured after the derailment was 1474 mm. The previously measured gauge was 1455 mm (March 2012).

There were several broken chairscrews and some had rusty fractures, indicating they had been broken for some time. The report says that the weekly patroller’s visual inspections did not include checking that static gauge, but that “shuffle” was to be reported if the extent of shuffle marks had “visibly

increased”. This relied on the patroller’s memory of the amount of shuffle visible on the previous inspection. The most recent supervisor’s inspection took place in November 2012.

Management by computer?

Network Rail uses “ELLIPSE” software to manage track inspection and maintenance tasks. But during an audit in November 2012 no detailed inspection records were found for the switch diamond points in the 52 weeks prior to the audit (52 weekly is the standard specified).

A clerical error was blamed at the audit as inspections had not been included in “ELLIPSE” and consequently they were omitted from the task sheets supplied to the Section Track Manager. They further report that they found no evidence of any detailed inspections taking place between the November audit and the 23rd January derailment!

The track recording train can only measure dynamic gauge at speeds above the 15 mph limit in the station area and, “no consideration had been given to providing an enhanced inspection regime”. Network Rail’s standard specifies providing check rails on curves of less than 200 metres.

The derailment occurred on a 125 metre radius curve. Inspection and maintenance in heavily used terminus stations is always difficult which is the basis for my view that near maintenance free slab track systems are worth consideration in such places.

Train passed two signals at danger The RAIB report into unauthorised entry of a train onto a single line at

Greenford on March 20th last year reveals another case of staff not fully understanding their jobs. The 1136 Chiltern Railways’ passenger train from Paddington to West Ruislip passed two consecutive signals at danger and was only stopped when a Marylebone signaller sent an emergency radio message to its driver.

A freight train had passed Greenford Junction shortly before the passenger

train arrived there, so the signaller kept the junction signal and the next one just 142 yards further on at danger. After passing both these signals the passenger train travelled a mile beyond Greenford before stopping after receiving the radio message. Before it left Paddington the Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) had self -isolated resulting in a flashing light, “but the driver still drove the train”.

The Greenford Signaller contacted Marylebone Signal Box because the radio equipment in his Box indicated that radio messages if sent would not reach the train.

The report recommendations cover upgrading TPWS equipment, configuration of GSM-R radio systems, training of signallers and driver management.

The role of management includes planning of work, selecting and training people to do it and ensuring that the job is done well; and that of course means safely. Many of the incidents above could have resulted in fatalities and all were avoidable. Our New Year’s Resolution should be to do better in 2015.

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This esteemed group of people come from all areas of the Rail Industry and are best placed to know what the current burning questions in the industry are that need to be answered.

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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

26 | RailStaff | January 2015

Young Rail Professionals Mark Five Year Success 2015 marks the beginning of a new partnership between Young Rail Professionals (YRP) and Rail Media. YRP would like to welcome Rail Media as its newest Platinum Level Corporate Member. YRP will be writing a monthly feature in RailStaff to highlight the drama and action of young people in the industry.

Formed in 2009 to: Promote, Inspire, and Develop young people in the rail industry. What began as a networking organisation between the young members of the IRO, the IRSE, the IMechE and the IET now brings people together across the breadth and depth of the rail industry.

Young as you feel

YOUNG RAIL

PROFESSIONALS

Networking & Development

WHO ARE WE? Young Rail Professionals are a professional network of 1900 young people from across the rail industry, from engineers, to operators, lawyers, marketing, HR, and commercial. Our mission is to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent.

4 February 2015 marks the fifth anniversary of the formal launch of YRP, which is run wholly by volunteers who are passionate about the rail industry. In five short years membership has soared to over 1,900 members, with regional chapters stretching across the length of Great Britain, soon to span the globe to Australia.

The fifth year also saw the incorporation of YRP as a not-for-profit limited company, in order to increase its efficacy in manifesting opportunities and positive change for young professionals and potential entrants to the rail industry. YRP also formed a corporate membership structure, with all membership fees going directly to supporting outreach and development activities which deliver value for the rail industry.

Broaden your wider industry awareness and meet new people at inspiring Seminars, Workshops and Networking events

Railway Ambassadors

WHY JOIN? We are free to join. Simply register on our website and membership will allow you to: • Attend our free evening seminars • Learn about upcoming workshops and conferences • Join our community of likeminded professionals • Become an ambassador for the rail industry.

Inspire the next generation by helping to promote the rail industry in Schools, Colleges and Unis

youngrailpro.com

/youngrailwaypro

@youngrailpro

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Says YRP chairman Adam Stead, ‘Under our constitution, we elect our committee leaders each year in order to keep the ‘young’ prominent in YRP, and to give new people earlier career responsibility to step up and lead teams, projects, and the business itself – experience people wouldn’t usually get until they became more senior.’

Adam continues, ‘A question we’re always asked is how young is ‘young’?

To which our answers vary: as young as you feel, in your first 10 years of your railway career, under 35. Really, we welcome anyone who wants to join us in developing the next generation of railway talent.’

Anchored by its headline event, the Annual Black Tie Dinner, which saw a record attendance of 490 people in 2014, YRP creates year-round opportunities for its members to network, develop and to encourage new entrants to the rail industry. The Ambassadors programme and the Networking and Development programme within YRP serve as the foundations to these goals.

The Networking and Development

programme runs evening seminars, technical visits, and conferences, such as the Next Generation Rail conference, which will run again in July 2015, in partnership with the Rail Research UK Association and FutureRailway.

A great place for a career The Ambassadors programme, recent winner of the Rail Exec “Most Interesting Training & Development Programme 2014”, targets students at schools, colleges, and universities to attract them to the rail industry. On 5 February, 2015, YRP Rail Ambassadors will run a large-scale STEM Ambassador induction and networking event, in partnership with STEMNET, to provide a significant addition to its growing base of YRP Rail Ambassadors.

Says Stephen Head, YRP Ambassadors manager, ‘So many people we speak to in rail only ended up in the industry by accident. We want to get out there to share what a great place this is to have a career. We do this via our network of Rail Ambassador volunteers who speak to students directly, and through strategic industry promotion tools such as the ‘Routes into Rail’ video, developed in collaboration with our partners.’

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 27

© MATTHEW STOKES

YRP committee members representing London, West Midlands, and East Midlands receive the Most Interesting award in recognition of the success of YRP Ambassadors programme which promotes rail industry careers in schools and universities.

Pictured from left to right, Adam Stead, Salman Zafar, Stephen Head, Stephanie Coates, May-Ann Lew, Ben Parry, Sabrina Ihaddaden, Matty Courtliff, David Keating, Abhinav Sunny Chirayil, Charlene Zata.

Scope and Influence Growing in scope and influence, YRP now sits amongst industry and government bodies, working with the Rail Supply Group and the Rail Delivery Group, amongst professional institutions on the Railway Engineers Forum, amongst rail industry powerhouses in the high-speed rail industry leaders’ meetings, and amongst rail industry influencers on the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) Industry Promotion Steering Group. YRP gives young people the

opportunity to have a collective voice to shape the future of rail, providing these platforms to reach in to industry leadership.

YRP has come a long way since its four pioneers converged in 2009. Now, riding on the enthusiasm and energy of young people, it continues to grow and is inspiring and developing the next generation of railway talent.

For more information go to www.youngrailpro.com

Don’t forget the YRP’s Sixth Annual Black Tie Dinner and Dance, Grand Connaught Rooms, London, 16th April 2015.

YOUNG RAIL

PROFESSIONALS

YRP NEEDS YOU YRP is run by volunteers from across the rail industry. From operators, to commercial, HR, marketing, project managers and engineers, through YRP you can make a difference in the rail industry.

We’re looking for passionate, enthusiastic young people to take YRP forward to help promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent: Early career opportunities for leadership and management through YRP and its initiatives Responsibility and recognition for delivering benefits for the whole rail industry Work with people from right across rail Expand your network with industry leadership Provide thought leadership and influence

Our committees London - Greater London area Western - Swindon, Bath, Bristol East Midlands - Derby, Nottingham West Midlands - Birmingham, Coventry Yorkshire - York, Sheffield, Leeds North West - Manchester, Liverpool Scotland - Glasgow, Edinburgh

Email get-involved@youngrailpro.com or visit our website for more info.

FEATURE

28 | RailStaff | January 2015

Happy New Year for Irish Rail Western Rail Corridor leads the way with a 75 per cent increase in use The end of 2014 finally brought some cheer for troubled Iarnród Éireann with news that passenger journeys had increased over the year by almost one million compared with those for 2013. After a number of years of falling passenger journeys - brought about by the recession, with stabilisation during 2013 - the growth marks a welcome return to form for both Iarnród Éireann and the wider economy in Ireland. Tim Casterton reports.

Passenger Numbers Across the network some 37.6 million journeys were made on Intercity, DART and commuter services in 2014 – up from 36.7 million the previous year.

Intercity Intercity travel recorded some 8.4 million journeys, up from 8.1 million made in 2013. The routes with strongest performance were from Dublin to Galway, seeing growth of 6.4 per cent with 1.1 million journeys being made, and the Dublin to Sligo line experienced a 4.1 per cent increase in journeys with a total of 1.2 million being made.

Commuter The strongest growth on commuter routes were recorded on the Dublin to Drogheda services with use up by 3.4 per cent, equating to just under six million journeys. Increased awareness and use of the LEAP Card that allows travel on rail and buses aided growth in the Dublin area. The Cork commuter service to Cobh jumped 15 per cent to some 730,000 journeys being made.

The leap was helped by the Irish Open

Golf tournament being held at Fota in June with additional trains being operated for this. The Cobh service also benefited from cruise liner traffic and additional trains were operated to cater for this during the season.

Western Rail Corridor – up 75 per cent.

The regional service between Galway and Limerick, known as the ‘Western Rail Corridor’, saw the largest growth

on the network with journeys made increasing by almost 75 per cent from 29,000 in 2013 to 50,000 in 2014.

Although the line re-opened in March 2010, online bookings only became available to passengers in December 2013 and this, together with some special promotional fares made available online, has helped stimulate traffic.

Whilst the 75 per cent increase alone is spectacular, what makes it even more remarkable is that the line was severed in the Ennis area for just over three months from February to May 2014 due to serious flooding.

This prevented through journeys being made. The National Transport Authority (NTA) passenger census, held on one day in November 2013 (with

results published in autumn 2014) had focused on the Western Rail Corridor for the limited numbers of journeys being taken on it - a different story can be expected in the next NTA report.

Key Factors It is clear that the start of the economic recovery in Ireland has helped to increase use of the rail network, in particular with growth in employment happening as a direct result. Iarnród Éireann has targeted the market carefully, in particular with promotional activities linked to their online booking system which itself has seen much increased use in 2014. The latest online promotion for Intercity is a ‘January Sale’ with fares available from €14.99 each way to Dublin.

FEATURE

Other areas of growth are with student travel and the Taxsaver commuter ticket schemes. The year also presented additional business opportunities with key sporting events and music concerts, all of which were targeted.

Even the Limerick to Waterford line, which normally only has two return services each weekday, cashed in with additional services from Clonmel to Waterford on Fridays and Saturdays in December for the ‘Waterford Winterval’ Christmas event.

Freight The Iarnród Éireann freight sector also recently recorded results that were 3 per cent above target with additional intermodal trains now operating on the Dublin to Ballina route on Saturdays for IWT. Ballina is also the hub for intermodal trains for DFDS to Waterford and, together with Westport, for pulpwood trains to Waterford.

A Challenging Year Following a challenging year which brought funding reductions and huge budget constraints that even required staff to accept pay cuts, David Franks, chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, spoke of the results and found the

January 2015 | RailStaff | 29

return to growth hugely encouraging, saying, ‘We will target further growth throughout 2015 working with business and tourism and researching our customer needs to develop our services further. Together with continued cost control, and working with the NTA and Department of Transport on the future sustainability of Iarnród Éireann, we hope 2014 marks a key moment in the development of our railway.’

When I spoke with David Franks in May 2014 his closing words were ‘it’s going to be tough, but Iarnród Éireann can get through this’ - I believe this

shows him to have been right and to have made a positive start to the healing process.

The Year Ahead This coming year will be a year when the focus is put firmly on future investment options. A decision is expected to be made by Government on the funding of the huge €2 billion DART Underground project in Dublin under the current Railway Order by September; and with the NTA assessing investment options to serve North Dublin and Dublin Airport, including the DART Airport link.

FEATURE

30 | RailStaff | January 2015

What is

RISQS? Autumn saw the rail industry’s pre-qualification scheme undergo its most significant change in recent history with the transformation of Achilles Link-up into the Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS).

Don Clarke, RISQS scheme manager.

The restructure aimed to ensure that the customer base, comprising more than 110 buying organisations and 3,900 suppliers, was receiving a scheme which worked better.

The change also ensured the scheme was run by the industry, for the industry. The RISQS board is governed by 21 industry professionals drawn from contractors, TOCs and infrastructure firms.

RISQS is run in an efficient and innovative way maximising benefits to the rail industry. It is also designed to give suppliers a greater voice. The core function of the scheme remains the same, with companies carrying out potentially medium or high risk services still able to use a single questionnaire to qualify for work with a host of rail businesses. Achilles is continuing to provide the qualification service and an audit service provided for companies deemed to be high risk.

However, suppliers and buyers will notice a number of changes which will help efficiencies in their business including an improved audit process, sustainability, and a more collaborative industry-based approach.

Sustainability Sustainability, human rights and ethics issues and carbon reduction have become increasingly important for the rail industry.

For example, suppliers on the HS2 project, ultimately owned by the Department for Transport (DfT), must adhere to a sustainability policy which includes a requirement on the use of local suppliers to deliver ‘social value’, as well as the traditional sustainability areas such as reducing waste and environmental impact.

The Crossrail project, a joint venture between Transport for London and DfT, is also requiring suppliers to use materials which are sourced sustainably and to minimise their impact on the environment during the construction project.

RISQS scheme manager and board member Don Clarke said, ‘Traditionally, and with good reason, the rail industry

has been heavily concerned about health and safety issues and ensuring suppliers are adhering to safety standards when providing goods and services. That focus will continue, but we are now starting to move towards including pre-qualification questions relating to areas reflecting corporate social responsibility such as environmental risk, carbon footprints and sustainability.’

RISQS is conscious of the need to continuously update the prequalification questionnaire to ensure suppliers’ policies and procedures are in line with buyers’ changing requirements.

‘In recent years, procurement requirements have changed dramatically as buyers move to ensure they are taking into account new issues and responsibilities which have gained prominence through new regulations, legislation or public importance,’ added Clarke.

‘RISQS is looking at ways of modernising the pre-qualification process to ensure not just the current buyer needs are met but also the future needs of the buyer.’

Industry insight One of the key aims in transforming the Achilles Link-up scheme was to ensure the pre-qualification scheme remained in touch and up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry.

Says Clarke, ‘Being a body which is ‘for the industry, by the industry’ means RISQS can offer a real understanding of the processes involved in the procurement process. During this time of great change and investment

FEATURE

January 2015 | RailStaff | 31

in rail, it’s vital that the sector plays a greater role in shaping its own supplier qualification scheme, to ensure decisions are of maximum benefit to everyone in the rail industry.

RISQS is also about providing equal opportunities for buyers and suppliers about how issues affecting the industry may best be resolved to help create efficiencies and cost savings.’

Nick Hemmings, account manager of RISQS at Achilles, said the industrybased approach would ensure the best interests of the industry were always taken into account. ‘Achilles has seen time and again how a collaborative approach can lead to industry-wide improvements, including in safety and corporate responsibility,’ he said. ’By working together, buyers can not only cut down on the work required from suppliers when tendering for work, but also dramatically reduce costs related to supply decisions.

We are extremely proud of our work in helping to deliver £5.5 million efficiency savings to the rail industry – via shorter questionnaires, greater standardisation, changes to the pricing

Nick Hemmings, account manager with RISQS, Achilles.

structure which saw fees reduced for 80 per cent of suppliers. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the rail industry to implement further improvements and benefits.’

Improved audit process The RISQS audit process, which replaced the previous Link-up audit, was introduced in January 2014 to ensure that the audit met the requirements of the industry.

Hemmings said the new audit ensured the validation process was targeted at goods and services provided by suppliers.

‘The new audit process provides a base audit for suppliers that may import risk to the infrastructure through their supply chain and then the option of a targeted higher level audit for those suppliers involved in Sentinel, Railway Interface Planning and On-track Plant Operations,’

Hemmings said, ‘This targeted process is about ensuring the checks and balances required by buyers are conducted, while creating a more efficient and effective process.’

Clarke said the process change was also about reducing duplication.

‘A number of buyers were asking for suppliers to undergo additional audits. The targeted approach is about ensuring the questions buyers need answers to are being asked while reducing the amount of duplication and cost for the suppliers.’

The new style of audit has been conducted since the beginning of the year. Any audits conducted under the Achilles Link-up audit programme will be valid until the audit expiry date.

Despite only a few months of operation, RISQS has already taken big leaps to help make pre-qualification and audit a more efficient and effective process which meets the needs of the entire rail industry.

See our vacancies in the careers section, page 43.

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NEWS

32 | RailStaff | January 2015

Community engagement for Spencer Rail 2014 proved a defining year for Spencer Rail after a string of prestigious award wins and high-profile contract wins, writes James Coldwell.

The Hull-based company was named Transport Supplier of the Year at the National Transport Awards as well as being selected as a principal contractor on the eagerly-anticipated MAFA scheme in Scotland.

However, it is not just awards and project wins that Spencer has enjoyed in 2014. It has received widespread praise for its community engagement across a number of projects, primarily its works at Leighton Buzzard rail station, part of the wider Package 707 group of contracts.

Leighton Buzzard David McLoughlin, managing director at Spencer Group, said, ‘It has been a rollercoaster of a year for Spencer Rail but one that we have come out of with our heads held high. Looking back over the last 12 months, we have achieved some fantastic results and been rewarded for that with some prestigious contracts but what is most pleasing is the fact we have maintained our commitment to engaging with the communities to which our projects will benefit, highlighted by the positive feedback we received at Leighton Buzzard.’

Spencer was contracted by Network Rail to build a new steel footbridge spanning the lines along with a new staircase and lift to service each of the three platforms. Spencer also installed a new gantry so that overhead cables could be lowered to allow the installation of the bridge.

The contract included 9-metre deep augured piles to support a reinforced concrete foundation slab including sub surface lift pits.

During the construction, the team encountered numerous obstructions below the platform, including a 4-metre deep existing ticket hall - all of these have been remedied to allow the construction of the new footbridge with much of the work being carried out utilising possessions including the lifting of the new bridge.

Meet the Team Despite the number of challenges presented to the team, Spencer has also remained focussed on engaging with the public to keep them up to date with developments on site.

Project director Richard Watson said, ‘We have continuously engaged with the public throughout the project with the first event being the ‘Information Day

and Meet the Team’.

‘We lead this initiative to get London Midland, The British Transport Police and the local council to engage with us to provide a full day of engagement where we could explain the project and our intentions. This was attended by Andrew Selous MP.’ With the project nearing completion, the site was visited by Lady Baroness Kramer accompanied by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and London Midland.

Richard said, ‘The consensus was that the scheme would be a huge benefit to the residents of Leighton Buzzard. Spencer received praise from all the visitors.

Well done to everyone involved.’

Community Engagement As part of its community engagement programme at Leighton Buzzard, Spencer worked with South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth to plant daffodils and wildflowers at the station as well as invited pupils from nearby Heathwood School to plant more flowers at a park in the town.

Spencer’s commitment to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is unwavering, as highlighted at Leighton Buzzard.

It employs a dedicated CSR manager who is responsible for working with Spencer’s partners and the local communities it serves. Their role is to make sure that the work Spencer does makes a positive and lasting difference in the short to medium term, but most importantly in the long term. The CSR manager works hand-in-glove with community and CSR colleagues within Network Rail.

Throughout the year, Spencer has undertaken

numerous community engagement programmes something which has underpinned its positive year.

Social Responsibility Spencer is also acutely aware of the part played by its partners, contractors and, of course, its staff in ensuring these programmes are delivered.

David said, ‘On or around our sites, we do our very best to form a social responsibility perspective in the hope that we can leave a lasting legacy for those who live or work nearby. We recognise that the projects that we are asked to deliver can have a short-term impact on community life and whilst there are always longer-term benefits in terms of infrastructure improvements, we feel it is vitally important that we always try to involve nearby neighbours whilst looking at how we give something back.

‘In doing so, we will continue to look to maximise the opportunities available for working in partnership with our clients. We work with our supply chain partners to identify opportunities to engage, educate and inspire local communities. Our objective is to develop a bank of goodwill whilst using the opportunity to get the message across about what our clients are doing, how well they are doing it and the value that it is adding now and in the future. Our focus is on our customers.

‘I would like to thank all of our partners, contractors and community groups we have worked with throughout the year for their hard work and dedication to delivering projects that make huge differences to the communities in which they undertaken. I am already looking forward to another fantastic year in 2015 and one that will hopefully eclipse the highs of the past 12 months. Happy New Year.’

Rail and Construction Sectors

FINCHPALM has a strong track record supplying resources to London Underground and as part of the company’s continuing expansion of services, we are now a Link-up Approved Supplier to Network Rail of: •

Contingent Labour – Track and Civils

•

On Track Protection and Warning Services

(PC, ES, COSS, Lookout, Site Warden, Auxiliary Staff, ATWS Operator)

Temporary, Contract and Permanent Staff can also be provided as per your requirements.

Contact the FINCHPALM team to see how we can help meet your needs. We look forward to working with new and existing clients to deliver rail projects around the UK. Our competencies include: •

ISO 9001 : 2008

•

OHSAS 18001 : 2007

•

Link–Up

•

Builders profile

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES If you are looking for a new challenge and want to make a real contribution to the success of our business, please visit our website or send your CV via email or post to:

FINCHPALM, 54 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1DU, Hertfordshire.

Tel: 01923 438 196 • e-mail: info@finchpalm.co.uk • www.finchpalm.co.uk

NEWS

34 | RailStaff | January 2015

© CALIFORNIAN HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

California high-speed dream becomes reality California has finally broken ground on the USA’s very first high-speed railway following several years of political and legal wrangling.

Like HS2, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s planned high-speed corridor has been in and out of the courts since it was approved by voters in 2008.

Ultimately, the project’s benefits have silenced its staunchest critics and ground was finally broken in downtown Fresno on 6 January.

Officials signed a piece of rail to celebrate the milestone, including California High-Speed Rail Authority board member Lynn Schenk who has been described as ‘the mother of highspeed rail’ for carrying the high-speed rail bill through Congress.

Phase one of California’s first highspeed rail line will connect Los Angeles and San Francisco. In the future, the state hopes to build an 800-mile route linking the Californian capital, Sacramento in the

north and San Diego in the south.

Since 2008, the $68 billion project has overcome a number of hurdles. Last year, a judge invalidated bonds worth $8 billion needed to start construction and told the authority it had to reproduce its funding plan. This decision was later overturned.

The process of procuring North America’s first high-speed trains hasn’t run smoothly either. The California High-Speed Rail Authority had hoped to jointly procure the new trains with the USA’s national passenger operator, Amtrak, which is looking to bring highspeed units to the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington.

The two organisations quickly found, however, that they would struggle to find a single design that could meet

© CALIFORNIAN HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

the specifications of both routes and have subsequently launched separate procurement processes.

The authority plans to order 95 new 220 mph trains. In tender documents, the body has specified a single-deck electric multiple unit (EMU) based on proven technology which has been in commercial service for at least five years.

Construction is now underway and will continue in California’s Central Valley for the next five years. Phase one is scheduled for completion in 2029.

High-speed rail is at the heart of a wider rail modernisation programme in California. The Caltrain Modernization Program will electrify the 150-year-old Caltrain suburban rail route on the San Francisco Peninsular. © CALIFORNIAN HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

HIGH-SPEED RAIL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD - Mexico has relaunched a tender to construct its new high-speed railway between Mexico City and Queretaro. The original contract was rescinded in November just days after being awarded over concerns about the competition process.

- The Russian government is investing RUB 6 billion in 2015 to design a new 250 mph railway between Moscow and Kazan.

- China has signed a deal with a number of European states to finance and build a high-speed line between Budapest and Belgrade. © CALIFORNIAN HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

36 | RailStaff | January 2015

Pull your socks up!

Socks are seen by many as mundane and inconsequential.

Often not much thought is given to the type or quality that we buy or the long-term impacts low-quality socks may have. For the serious athlete, socks have become recognised as an essential component of footwear that can determine the difference between success or failure on the playing field.

After a hard day’s work outdoors, putting your feet up is usually the first thing you want to do when you get home. Your feet often bear the brunt of your hard work so it’s important to do everything you can to keep them as comfortable as possible. While many people stress the importance of a good pair of shoes, the importance of a good pair of socks should not be underestimated as they play a major role in keeping your feet warm, comfortable and protected throughout the entire day.

Most rail workers tend to think of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as the bright orange outer clothing, but socks are vitally important when

working a full shift in all conditions. As the weather continues to grow colder, keeping your feet warm is a challenge, especially if you spend all day outside.

Amazingly, wearing simple cotton socks during winter has the real potential to make your feet colder than if you wore no socks at all. When a cotton sock gets wet, it loses all insulation value.

The end result of wearing cotton socks during the winter is that as your foot perspires the sock absorbs the moisture and then holds it, thereby coating your foot with a slick film of water while losing all insulation value in the process.

Supermarkets and discount shops sell dozens of pairs of socks incredibly cheaply but these are usually not good quality and will not keep you warm and comfortable when working outside all day long. It’s often a good idea to invest a bit more in some good quality socks that are designed for all conditions with comfort and wearability in mind.

There are also many serious problems caused from the age old concern of cold feet, not to mention that freezing feet are painful and annoying.

Having cold feet

can limit mobility, lead to the discomfort of chilblains, and cause fatigue at work which may lead to lapses in concentration and accidents which could easily have been avoided.

Good quality socks use a combination of specially selected advanced fibres, technical knitting features and design techniques that work together to ensure that the socks are fit for purpose whenever they are called upon to perform the task they were designed to excel in. Any inserts or orthotics should be prescribed or recommended by a doctor or foot health professional.

When you are searching for socks, take note of the following: look for a high thread count, as denser socks repel moisture and protect the feet for longer periods, look for socks with a reinforced heel and toe, look for socks with cushion sole support, make sure to buy the proper sock size as your toes should reach the seam and the heel padding should hit your heel in the proper place.

You can buy socks specially designed for use with steel toe-capped boots and shoes which are ideal.

People often do not realise the total protection that socks provide. Offering

much more than just padding and cushioning, they provide a barrier between your shoes and your feet. As well as absorbing some of the daily pounding suffered by feet and ankles, socks reduce soreness and prevent foot conditions like calluses, blisters, and fungal infection.

Socks that are too tight often trap moisture which can lead to fungal development and conditions like athlete’s foot and toenail fungus while good-fitting socks keep feet cool, dry, and comfortable. Quality winter socks absorb far more moisture and dry themselves by simply being worn.

Hopefully, this gives you some useful information about the importance of a good pair of socks as part of your PPE. The right choice of sock can keep your feet warm and dry in challenging outdoor conditions which will certainly help you feel a lot happier as the chill of winter rolls around.

Get yourself a good pair of socks from the Workforce socks site: www.workforcesocks.co.uk

NEWS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 37

Top names and new ideas at this year’s Railtex Vauxhall As the countdown to Railtex Makeover

2015 continues, the amount of confirmed stand space booked at this year’s exhibition continues to run ahead of the level achieved in 2013. In early January, space taken by exhibitors was 10 per cent up compared to the same period two years ago, with activity accelerating after the Christmas and New Year break.

The number of confirmed exhibitors has now risen to well over 300, with Vossloh Cogifer and Vossloh Fastening Systems among the latest companies to finalise their stand plans. The Railtex team expects more significant exhibitor contracts to be concluded soon.

Railtex 2015 also promises to showcase plenty of new ideas for the industry, with more than 80 registered exhibitors taking part in the event for the first time, all keen to engage with visiting engineers, managers and buyers to

Construction work on the £36 million upgrade of Vauxhall station on the London Underground is now at the half way mark.

discuss their capabilities.

Reading like a roll call of the leading names supplying the UK rail market, a full list of organisations planning to take part in the show can be accessed at www.railtex.co.uk/exhibitor-list/ Complementing the latest thinking from the supply industry at Railtex will be a wide-ranging programme of seminars, project briefings and discussion forums that is set to be the most stimulating

yet. Also returning this year are the popular Railtex Awards. Details of all these activities are being added to the show website as plans are finalised.

The website will also be the gateway to online registration to visit Railtex free of charge - the availability of this facility will be announced soon.

The venue for Railtex 2015 is the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 12 to 14 May.

With passenger numbers at Vauxhall Underground station set to increase by 40 per cent over the next few years the race is on to create extra space, a bigger ticket hall and more ticket gates. The ticket hall, subways and stairs are being completely refurbished and a lift installed.

Says David Waboso, capital programmes director, London Underground, ‘A lot of hard work has gone on behind the hoardings to modernise Vauxhall Underground station over the past year.

Now it is half way complete with a new station control room, new equipment rooms and a lift shaft excavated. Vauxhall is a very busy Tube station, with about 21 million people using it annually, and it’s set to get even busier.’

Some passions never end Become a Patron of the National Railway Museum As a Patron you will be at the heart of the Museum, enjoying our world class hospitality and intellectual resources. Patrons have exclusive access to Britain’s National Collection and our expert curatorial staff, as well as a tailor-made programme of events and dinners.

Your annual patronage makes a real difference to our work, ensuring we are able to tell the story of the railways. Your support helps us to inspire the next generation and influence the way people connect with the National Railway Museum now and in the future. There has never been a more exciting time to become a Patron of the National Railway Museum.

Patronage levels start at just £500 a year.

For more details contact The National Railway Museum, Development Team, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ. Tel: 01904 685774. development@nrm.org.uk

NEWS

38 | RailStaff | January 2015

Training for Tanzania

Forth Bridge Abseil Challenge © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Scottish children’s charity Aberlour is organising a sponsored abseil off the Forth Bridge this June.

Aberlour provides help for over 6,000 of Scotland’s most vulnerable children.

The 165 ft freefall abseil is proving popular and places are filling up fast.

Scotland’s largest abseil will help celebrate the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890.

Abseilers will receive an exclusive Forth Bridge 125th anniversary medallion collectable afterwards.

For more information check out aberlour.org.uk. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Multimodal 2015 exhibition organiser Robert Jervis is raising money for Transaid by taking part in the Tanzania cycle challenge. This involves riding 250 miles from Kilimanjaro to Ngorongoro (pictured).

Transaid is an international development charity specialising in local transport solutions which improve access to basic services and

economic opportunities for people in Africa.

Says Robert, ‘Transaid provides the expertise to help deliver food and vaccines before they spoil, to train taxi drivers in basic midwifery skills and help provide schooling for children.

Transaid has helped save thousands of lives - and I would like to try and help them save thousands more.’

To donate go to www.justgiving. com/RobertJervis

Inside Motion Special

Allan Garraway, 1926 - 2014 Allan Garraway: Rail Pioneer Remembered

News and information for staff, volunteers and supporters of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways

Allan Garraway, who has died aged 88, was a career railwayman, an army officer and an inspired leader of the railway preservation movement.

As head of the Ffestiniog Railway Company in Wales for 30 years, he ran the world’s oldest operational railway company. He was also closely involved with the Strathspey Railway in the Scottish Highlands - an area he knew well from childhood.

He was the only child of Ron and Connie Garraway and was educated at the Leys and Perse Schools in Cambridge. Ron Garraway was a locomotive superintendent on the London North Eastern Railway.

During the war Allan was evacuated to Pitlochry in Perthshire where he became a keen Rover Scout. Towards the end of the war he was back in

Cambridge but this time as a student reading engineering at St Catharine’s College. Upon graduating he gained a short service commission in the Royal Engineers and was posted to On Thursday, January 8th, in a chilly Inverness wind, It is hoped that the many who wish to remember Allan Allan Garraway's by more than will be ablein to attend the service which is likely to be 348 Railway Operation Division in funeral was attended Society in Bristol 1951.

A few years 50 people. Mourners included friends and colleagues held during the morning of Sunday May 3rd. More from all aspects of his life, including his BR days, the details will follow as plans take shape.

Strathspey Railway, his local rowing club, the Gresley Germany. There, in 1947, he became later, he went to work for ofthe Ffestiniog Welsh Pony is to be In addition, the restoration Society and 12 representatives from the F&WHR. dedicated to Allan Garraway. He had long wished to see the locomotive completed and coined the phrase A wreath from the railway carried the inscription: a locomotive superintendent on the Railway as engineering manager. 'unfinished business' in respect of the loco.

Allan Garraway. Remembered with admiration and respect by your many friends and the supporters of the An excerpt from a letter from Allan to current GM Paul Your railway and Promoted our railway: your Lewin is reproduced below. A cheque he accompanying Detmold military railway -Festiniog nowRailway. being to general manager, efforts made it all possible and have given purpose the letter started the restoration fund in 2011. and fulfilment to so many. Diolch yn fawr.

An excellent obituary appeared in The Scotsman run by the British Army. It is planned that a memorial servicestayed for ofand hiscanworking will be held at the the earlierrest this week be found here: life, Ffestiniog Railway on the weekend of the FRS AGM / http://tinyurl.com/lk6kqva 150 years event at the beginning of May. The railway bug had bitten - drawing equally at home on the footplate as he on an existing genetic predisposition was behind a desk.

- and back in civvy street in 1949 Allan The Festiniog Railway grew and now Garraway joined British Rail’s Eastern attracts 400,000 passengers a year. For Region. He worked for the motive some years he lived in a simple flat power as superintendent for the above Harbour Station, Porthmadog.

This newsletter is distributed to those who request it by email andmarried is also accessible from the main website at Eastern Region.

Then in 1965 he Moyra www.festrail.co.uk along with previous issues. Diary and event information is available on the online site.

Feel free to print this document in order that people without web access can read it.

Contributions, details of group meetings etc to athomas@ffwhr.com Already familiar with the narrow Macmillan, speeding off with his bride gauge Talyllyn Railway in Wales, he on the footplate of a steam engine realised the Ffestiniog Railway, at the into the wilds of Snowdonia. When time closed, ought to be reopened. he retired in 1983 the couple moved Garraway attended the inaugural to Boat of Garten in Scotland. His wife meeting of the Ffestiniog Railway died in 2011.

Costain 150 Challenge Staff at Costain are marking the company’s 150th anniversary by launching a major national fundraising campaign.

To help focus employee fundraising for the campaign and to act as a significant grant funder, the group recently set up the Costain Charitable Foundation.

Marking the start of the fundraising year, the Costain Charitable Foundation has now signed gift agreements with four national charities - the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Macmillan Cancer Support, youth charity The Prince’s Trust and Samaritans. The Costain 150 Challenge aims to raise £1 million during 2015 through a multitude of fundraising events.

Costain says it will match donations raised by employees throughout 2015.

NEWS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 39

Community Rail Rescue for Helmsdale

Helmsdale station on the Far North Line on the east coast of Sutherland has been done up and refurbished.

The station buildings now serve as a holiday let as well as brightening up the station. Much of the work has been undertaken by local people and volunteers from further afield.

Michael Willmot of the North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership used to spend a week

each summer cycling in the far north of Scotland, especially Caithness and Sutherland. During these rides he came across the redundant station building at Helmsdale.

Designed by the third Duke of Sutherland’s estate architect, William Fowler, the station building, now listed, is an uncommon 1870s concrete construction. Unused for more than 20 years, it was a boarded up eyesore. As a retirement project, Michael resolved to restore the station building, adapting

community rail partnership principles which had been so successful in revitalising unstaffed stations on the Crewe – Derby line and elsewhere on the network.

A community interest company (CIC) was set up in 2009. Building restoration and community benefit were the aims.

Working closely with Network Rail and ScotRail, the CIC secured funding from Highland LEADER, the Railway Heritage Trust, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and the Stations Community Regeneration

Fund. Work included reconstruction of original platform features such as the glazed panel in the canopy end wall – bricked up in the 1970s.

The waiting room has been restored.

The stationmaster’s accommodation and the original station office have been revamped to create a fourbedroomed holiday cottage with a difference.

Holidaymakers are encouraged to help out with the restoration. At the opening Michael Willmot said, ‘The renovated building restores community pride in this station, provides improved facilities for passengers, supports the local community and increases passenger footfall. What more can you ask of a station building recently rescued from terminal decline? We hope other redundant station buildings might find similar roles combining community, passenger and rail benefit.’

The village of Helmsdale was created in 1814 to provide homes for those displaced as a result of the Highland Clearances. The name comes from the Norse Hjalmundal, meaning Dale of the Helmet.

RMT Assistant General Secretary Election Ballot papers out January 26th

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www.alanpottage.com facebook: Alan Pottage for RMT AGS

CAREERS FOCUS

40 | RailStaff | January 2015

How to Kick Start your Career this year New Year means it’s time to throw away the junk food and dust off the cross trainer that has been used as a clothes hanger. Carl Taylor, of advance-TRS, reports. great time to draw a line under the past to make beneficial changes for the next 12 months and beyond.

The start of 2015 will also be a particularly busy time for those considering making changes in their careers. An estimated two fifths of

employed Britons will be looking for a career change in January, that’s more than 12 million people in Great Britain.

For those looking for a new job, the timing couldn’t be better. The latest figures from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) show that permanent engineering vacancies are up 50 per cent in 2014, buoyed by huge infrastructure investments throughout the country. Flagship projects such as Crossrail and High Speed 2 are creating tens of thousands of engineering and construction vacancies alone.

Are you looking for a new job this January? Take a look at our top five tips for kick starting your career in 2015.

Consider Your Options Take a moment to consider what you really want in your career. Are there issues within your current role that could be resolved by meeting with your manager? If you decide that it’s time to move on, you’ll need to be sure of what you want from your next role.

Better salary, better working hours or more responsibility? Sit down and flesh out your ideal job so that when you come to apply, you’ll have a good idea of the type of jobs you want to apply for and the ones you don’t.

Get Connected LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool that is too often under-utilised by jobseekers. Candidates can link up with companies they’re interested in, keep up to date with their latest vacancies and learn more about the company’s history and corporate culture.

You can also create invaluable connections with hiring managers and recruiters which will open you up to more job opportunities. Remember, around 80 per cent of jobs today are landed as a result of networking.

Get Signed Up Staying abreast of every new career opportunity is a near-impossible task.

This can be made easier by setting up job alerts with various job boards.

This way you’ll get up-to-the-minute opportunities straight to your inbox and recruiters will be able to work on your behalf to find you a new career. You can sign up and receive weekly tailored job alerts to your inbox by visiting www. advancerailwayjobs.com/candidate

Refresh Your CV It is vital that your CV is completely up to scratch. Take a moment to update your latest position(s) and the skills you have learned since you last wrote your CV. Remember, you should tailor your CV to each specific job that you apply for, taking time to carefully highlight the skills and requirements that the employer is looking for.

Prepare Your Pitch OK, you have an interview pencilled in. What are you going to say? What questions are they going to ask? It is particularly important to be prepared for any and all possibilities at the interview stage. Research the most asked questions at interviews and prepare your answers accordingly.

Prepare some questions to ask the interviewer. Not asking questions will suggest that you’re not interested in the company or the role. Preparation is paramount. advance Training & Recruitment Services is a specialist rail recruitment consultancy. We are experts in placing skilled engineers and managers at every level into various roles within domestic and international rail projects.

CONSIDERING A CAREER MOVE?

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, there will have been many of us already making resolutions that will define how successful 2015 will be. Some of us will aim to lose weight, others to give up smoking or perhaps learn a new skill. The New Year is a

Are you considering a new career move in 2015? Call us for a confidential discussion about your career on 01483 361 061. Come find us at Railtex between 12-14 May on stand D50.

Advertisement

Transforming rail in the Midlands How Siemens is investing in, and expanding, its expertise in the region.

Over 140,000 passengers use Birmingham New Street Station every day, with a train leaving the station every 37 seconds.

As the busiest station outside London, it currently sees more than double the number of passengers it was originally designed to accommodate. But thanks to the high level of maintenance and investment, the station will be completely transformed by 2018.

As one of their flagship projects, Siemens is working collaboratively and safely with Network Rail on Birmingham New Street, and providing the signalling that will create a more reliable service, making a real impact on the lives of the passengers in the West Midlands. Matt Kent, Head of Delivery, Central West, explains that Siemens’ portfolio of rail projects is growing significantly larger year after year.

“Our office in Birmingham is looking after a range of Network Rail projects, each being a multidisciplinary scheme with a healthy order book.

“Our other big ticket projects currently include the Watford resignalling project, East-West rail, which is a new railway between Bicester and Oxford, Banbury Resignalling and the Bromsgrove resignalling project. Our Derby remodelling project, which is a major Network Rail hub, is also due to commence in around six months and will be completed in 2018.”

Siemens looks after a lot of smaller projects, too. Matt says that these are very popular with the employees at the Birmingham office. “These are the interesting projects that our engineers like to work on because they are unusual, offer more of a challenge or have a novelty associated with them.”

And, with over 130 people, the Siemens Birmingham office is currently looking to expand its in-house numbers by creating more design and project management teams. Its recently refurbished workplace in the heart of the city centre is easily commutable and combines an open plan environment with excellent facilities.

The technology portfolio is also a huge part of the Siemens offering. While it’s up-to-date with every aspect of traditional and current signalling technology, Siemens is also well placed to move towards future technology, too.

John Gill, Regional Engineering Manager, Central West, explains: “We have a very diverse skillset here and that’s a powerful offering. We’re essentially a one stop shop for delivery and engineering excellence.

Everything here is under one roof and utilised by the whole team.”

Siemens looks after its employees and the culture of training and succession planning means everyone has their own individual career plan showing where they could potentially go in the next year and beyond.

Training is available to all and there’s also a lot of additional support available for less experienced members of the team.

In addition, John mentions that there is also a focus on wellbeing: “There’s a big safety culture in the office: Zero Harm is embedded in all our people and we firmly believe that all accidents can be prevented.”

This safe, encouraging and successful team has grown hugely in the past two years through development and training and is committed to creating a larger in-house team to ensure they rely less on contractors and concentrate on further expanding their expertise.

siemens.co.uk/careers

Open day The Siemens Birmingham office is holding an open day on Thursday 29th January 2015 from 12pm-6.30pm.

This is a great opportunity to have a look around the office, get a feel for the organisation and meet some current employees. If you’re interested in a career at Siemens, the company will do all it can to make a role to fit individual rail backgrounds and skillsets.

Venue: etc. Venues, Maple House, 150 Corporation Street, Birmingham B4 6TB 12pm-6.30pm, Thursday 29th January 2015

Siemens Rail Automation Birmingham, Manchester & Derby Roles available: Design Managers & Engineers Birmingham, Manchester, Derby All Levels

Project Engineers Birmingham, Manchester, Derby All Levels

Test Engineers Birmingham, Manchester, Derby All Levels

Project Manager Birmingham, Derby

Quantity Surveyor Birmingham

Commercial Manager Birmingham, Manchester

Civils Construction Manager Birmingham, Manchester

Civil Installation Manager Birmingham, Manchester If you are unable to make it to the open day and would like a confidential chat about potential opportunities, contact Savin Sathyanath savin.sathyanath.ext@siemens.com

CAREERS

42 | RailStaff | January 2015

Recruitment Open Evening

3rd February 2015 4pm – 8pm

Blakemore Hyde Park, 30 Leinster Gardens, London, W2 3AN

11th February 2015 4pm – 8pm

Holiday Inn, 10a Chestnut Plaza, Westfield Stratford City, London, E20 1GL

VolkerFitzpatrick is one of the UK’s leading engineering and construction companies, providing specialist civil engineering, rail, highways, building and industry focussed skills to a range of market sectors including industrial, rail, aviation, waste and energy.

We are looking to recruit a range of professional people from operational and commercial disciplines including Project Directors, Project Managers, Project Surveyors, Agents, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers, Foremen and Works Managers across both the civil engineering and rail environment.

Come and meet our management team at one of our Recruitment Open Evenings to find out why there has never been a better time to join us. No preregistration is required. Contact recruitmentfair@volkerfitzpatrick.co.uk if you would like to organise a confidential discussion on the evening or if you are unable to attend but want to find out more.

Read about all our opportunities at: www.volkerfitzpatrick.co.uk/recruitmentfair

www.volkerfitzpatrick.co.uk

VW7154 Recruitment ad 130x190_AW.indd 1

22/12/2014 13:34

Business Development Manager (BDM) Essex based or National positions available Starting Salary up to £40,000 OTE + Benefits Package Step On Safety is an Essex based business & leading UK rail industry supplier of GRP. We design, fabricate, supply and install anti slip GRP products.

Subscribe to our free publications at www.railsubs.com

We are expanding our workforce across the board and seek experienced Sales and Business Development people with extensive knowledge of the UK Rail industry to join a successful organisation within the GRP arena.

The post holder will be expected to pro-actively quote and estimate works to customers. The ideal candidate will be competent in reading technical drawings and calculating costs of materials, labour, and fabrication. You will liaise with customers about works/projects - discussing any technical issues and troubleshooting any issues with the occasional site visit being undertaken. Candidates will be able to develop new business through fostering and nurturing longterm customer relationships.

To apply, email your CV to: jobs@steponsafety.co.uk

Marine | Rail | Construction | Industry | Leisure

www.rail-media.com

CAREERS

January 2015 | RailStaff | 43

Rail Auditors Nationwide, UK

Salary: Competitive + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits package

Further to ongoing success and expansion of the Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS), Achilles, leading supplier of global supplier pre-qualification and procurement solutions, is looking to appoint a number of new Auditors to join our growing and vibrant UK team. Become a part of our success story, work with some of the largest companies in the UK Rail Industry and progress your career with a company that promotes drive, talent and passion for excellence.

We are currently looking to appoint Auditors with the following experience: g Working knowledge of the Rail industry sector, including an understanding of how contracts and projects are discharged. g A working knowledge of health and safety, environmental and quality management systems. g Exposure to the delivery of audit programmes. g A track record of liaising with clients or work experience of a customer service industry. g Full driving licence.

Candidates with a recognised Health and Safety professional qualification such as NEBOSH Certificate or equivalent and Lead Assessor via examination (preferably IRCA or equivalent) are preferred, however training can also be obtained via Achilles for the right candidate.

For all enquiries or to apply, please contact Global Resourcing Manager Marta Cherrill on marta.cherrill@achilles.com

About Achilles Achilles creates and manages a global network of collaborative industry communities, allowing trading partners to share high quality, structured, real-time data. Using cloudbased technology and industry expertise we act as an independent partner, providing validated data and insightful analytics to enable buyers across a sector to identify and manage risk and suppliers to increase market reach while increasing compliance and minimising costs for the network as a whole.

Around 800 of the world’s leading buying organisations and 90,000 key suppliers currently benefit from being members of the Achilles’ network of over 40 different communities in 11 industry sectors. We are continuously expanding our services into new markets.

Our network of communities is supported by over 950 dedicated employees, providing local support in 29 different languages, based in 22 different countries.

One of the world’s most thriving and demanding passenger railways; being transformed through a £35bn programme of large-scale investment projects.

One vast, unique challenge.

Britain’s railways are being transformed – and we’re at the heart of the transformation. The Department for Transport’s Rail Executive is taking Britain’s railways into the future, with £35bn in government investment funding and an exciting, ambitious vision that puts the passenger at the centre of every decision being taken. With strong leadership, innovative thinking and an energised culture, we’re building a world-class railway.

That’s why we’re searching for the best talent around to drive progress and tackle the complex projects ahead. You’ll have an unparalleled opportunity to make the most of your intellect alongside people who share your aims.

Together, we’ll lead industry thinking and build the railway of tomorrow.

Access & Operations Manager Salary c.£50k - c.£57k + up to c.£12k allowance Performance Regimes Manager Salary c.£50k - c.£57k + up to c.£12k allowance Route Integration Manager Salary c.£50k - c.£57k + up to c.£12k allowance Finance Lead – Rail Franchising Salary c.£60k - c.£70k + up to c.£14k allowance Lead Negotiator – Rail Franchising Salary c.£60k - c.£70k + up to c.£14k allowance

www.trsstaffing.com

Procurement Assurance Manager – Passenger Services Salary c.£60k - c.£70k + up to c.£14k allowance

Global Scale. Local Focus.

Procurement Strategy and Policy Manager Salary c.£60k - c.£70k + up to c.£14k allowance

– Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies Currently Available –

Senior Commercial Manager, Franchising Procurement – Passenger Services Salary c.£60k - c.£70k + up to c.£14k allowance

Senior Quantity Surveyors URGENT / Commercial Managers

P6 Project Planners

URGE NT

London £40K - £65K Experience of Network Rail/LUL Projects, NEC contract experience essential.

London, Midlands and Swindon £40K - £65K Experience of Network Rail Projects, Primavera experience essential .

Principal Senior Structural Engineers

Sub Agents / Agents Engineer

Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Plymouth

London, Anglia and Cardiff £250 - 325/day Mainline Rail, Station and Bridge experience.

£30K - £60K or £300 - £350/day Bridges, Station and Buildings - Rail Project Experience.

Project Manager London, Swindon and Milton Keynes £40K - £55K or £450/day Projects civils, Signalling and M+E enabling works Experience.

Senior Pway Engineer Birmingham and Manchester £35K - £55K or £250 - £400/day Experience of Network Rail Projects, Horizontal and Vertical Alignment and Track Renewals.

Senior Quantity Surveyors / Commercial Managers London £40K - £65K Experience of Network Rail/LUL Projects, NEC contract experience essential.

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

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

Senior Commercial Manager, Franchising Delivery – Passenger Services Salary c.£60k - c.£70k Procurement Assurance Advisor – Passenger Services Salary c.£50k - c.£57k + up to c.£12k allowance Supplier Engagement and Market Development Manager – Passenger Services Salary c.£50k - c.£57k + up to c.£12k allowance Commercial Manager, Franchise Lead Passenger Services Salary c.£50k - c.£57k Commercial Manager – TSGN Business Change Salary c.£50k - c.£57k All salaries and allowances are dependent on experience & performance.

Wherever your expertise lie, it’s important that you’re committed to our vision and ready to play your part. The transformation will take time, so you must focus on the end goal and help others see it too. A champion of change, you’ll collaborate and influence in your quest to create a world-class railway.

Visit www.penna.com/railcareers to apply or find out more.

CAREERS

44 | RailStaff | January 2015

Ferrybridge/Crewe

Fleet Project Manager (York)

Freightliner Heavy Haul Ltd

Train Planners x 2 Closing date: 07 February 2015

Vacancies have arisen at Freightliner Heavy Haul – Ferrybridge and Crewe for 2 x Train Planners reporting to the Planning Manager.

The successful applicants will work within the wider planning team to produce a weekly Train Plan, liaising with industry contacts as necessary.

Particular emphasis will be placed upon producing a plan that maximises profitability for FHH whilst meeting customer requirements.

The successful candidates will have the ability to work as part of a team and have a flexible approach to working. A good knowledge of freight train operations with a sound knowledge of railway geography is required.

Applicants should have excellent Train Planning skills, with the ability to validate paths for FHH services over Network Rail infrastructure. A good working knowledge of the Rules of the Plan, Rules of the Route and Part D of the Network Code is needed, along with good computer skills, including the ability to use Voyager plan (train planning software), TOPS/TRUST and general office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook).

The positions are not safety critical.

Freightliner is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Please note that the company operates a strict drugs and alcohol policy.

Please send all applications via email to: guttenl@freightliner.co.uk or post to: Laura Gutten (Personnel Manager), Heavy Haul, Basford Hall, Off Gresty Road, Crewe, CW2 5AA

Salary: Competitive

Three year contract

Grand Central is one of the leading Train Operators as recognised in the industry wide National Passenger Survey. Ongoing developments within Grand Central and the wider industry have created the need for a long term project management resource.

In light of this we now have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced project manager who can support our engineering team in developing, implementing and managing projects. In addition the project manager will identify opportunities ensuring that these are translated into clear business cases which support Grand Central’s competitive strategy that delivers the best possible customer experience.

Whilst working closely with our internal teams, the role will also need to work in partnership with and influence our external partners.

The post is located at our York Head Office, but the post holder needs to have a flexible approach to the job as travelling and familiarity of all GC routes, locations and people is essential to fulfilling this role.

The role offers a competitive salary and holiday entitlement, along with other benefits including an optional health insurance scheme, pension scheme, free travel on Grand Central services and concessionary travel on Arriva Group rail services.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING • 5 years experience of managing complex engineering projects with a value in excess of £1m • Rail industry knowledge • Experience of managing contractors • Qualified to degree or equivalent (HND) • A recognised project management qualification (Prince 2/APM) • Computer literate (MS Office and MS Project) For further details and application form (closing date 1st February 2015)

www.grandcentralrail.com • recruitment@grandcentralrail.com Human Resources Grand Central Rail, River House, 17 Museum Street, YORK, YO1 7DJ

ail Jobs R f o s d n thousa Search the eople.com yP on Railwa

Phone: 01904 461370

Join our winning team

46 | RailStaffrailstaff_January_bleed.pdf | January 2015

1

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CAREERS

10:48

Find more jobs at:

www.ata-recruitment.co.uk @ATA_jobs

GLOBAL REACH, LOCAL DELIVERY

C

Senior Mechanical Engineer – Rail

Multi Skilled Maintenance Technician

Salary

M

Salary

£45,000 per annum

Y

Salary

£37,000 per annum

Location

CM

Field Based Maintenance Technician £34,000 per annum

Location

Derby

Liverpool

Location Central UK, nationwide travel

MY

CY

CMY

K

The Role:

The Role:

The Role:

To take responsibility for the delivery of work packages ensuring technical, quality, financial and delivery requirements are met whilst ensuring customer satisfaction.

To contribute to the development of the capability and technical excellence of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and to develop effective technical relationships with existing and new customers.

To carry out reactive and planned preventative maintenance, modifications and repairs to a range of diesel and electrical multiple units against an agreed maintenance plan.

To carry out scheduled maintenance and repairs of heavy rail maintenance vehicles in a 5S working environment to maximise availability of the fleet. This is a mobile role that will involve UK-wide travel and regular periods away from home.

• Comprehensive initial & on-going training • Development opportunities into management/leadership positions Candidates should hold NVQ 3 or be apprentice trained in an electrical/mechanical maintenance discipline, and have a keen eye for quality and detail. A progressive and rewarding company with clear promotion and progression opportunities.

Candidates should hold NVQ 3 or be apprentice trained in a relevant engineering discipline and have maintenance experience in electrical, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Any experience of calibration of rail plant operating systems would be a distinct advantage.

For further information on the above roles or to enquire about other vacancies with ATA, please contact the Rail team on:

01332 861326 or email your details to paul.willerton@ata-recruitment.co.uk referencing RAILSTAFF + Job Title

Join our award winning team Be part of an award winning team delivering innovative solutions to the challenges of modern electrification projects. Furrer+Frey is a dynamic company, backed by 90 years of experience and technical expertise from projects delivered around the world.

We are growing and need talented technical staff to deliver outstanding customer service. We are looking for:

+ CAD technicians + OLE Design Engineers + Senior and Principal Design Engineers + Trainee Design Engineers

In return, we offer competitive packages and opportunities to develop your skills and career revolutionising rail electrification.

Contact our HR department at GB@furrerfrey.ch

This is my story Improving together

“I never know where my career will take me next, especially as our workload keeps going up and up. I’ve been able to work on a variety of resignalling projects across the UK and there are lots of opportunities to work in different countries and sectors.

And it’s great that there’s so much knowledge you can tap into.”

Peter

Senior telecoms design engineer - Birmingham Assistant telecoms engineer - York Telecoms design engineer - Glasgow £competitive + great benefits Our Rail Communication Systems team works closely with our railway, underground and airport clients to deliver groundbreaking security and telecommunications solutions. Taking on some of the biggest engineering challenges of our time, we drive all kinds of projects and make the UK’s railways more reliable and efficient.

Growing fast, we’re looking for more talented professionals who will push the boundaries as part of our design and installation teams. Taking great pride in your work, you’ll use your experience of

railway communications to deliver next generation operational telecoms and station information and surveillance systems.

Unique projects. Fantastic training and support.

And the opportunity to specialise and shape tomorrow’s railway communication systems.

Your story starts here.

To apply and discover more visit www.atkinsglobal.com/careers/railtelecomms or email steve.birnie@atkinsglobal.com

KEEPING YOU ON TRACK

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Express Medicals provides a full array of drugs and alcohol services including the following:

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