RailStaff January 2016

Staff

Re-ballasting Project Management

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THE MOST POPULAR PUBLICATION IN THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY Issue 218 | January 2016

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© RALPH HODGSON

Rail upgrade beats storm front

In addition to battling flood damage, storms and torrential rain over Christmas and the New Year, 20,000 star-performing railway staff delivered Network Rail’s £150 million Christmas Railway Upgrade Plan bang on time.

CELEBRATE YOUR RISING STARS Do you have an exceptional young employee who is making a difference?

Page 22

INDIA’S MANY RAILWAYS

GED APPOINTED OBE

Colin Wheeler reports on his recent trip to India. Arriving in Dehli we were confronted by signs – ‘no horse-drawn vehicles’; ‘accident prone area’ and...

Morson chief executive Ged Mason has been made an officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to engineering.

Page 26

Page 9

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REDHILL REBALLASTING Stobart Rail were contracted by Network Rail to re-ballast the Down Line at Redhill Station.

Project Overview Stobart Rail were engaged by Network Rail to re-ballast three sites through Redhill Station.

Each wet bed area was showing signs of poor vertical top. The sites were on the DC Electrified 70mph Down Fast line.

Due to limited access on this line, the Stobart Rail Ballast Undercutter was lifted on track using a 500t crane from Ainscough.

The work was successfully completed over a single weekend possession. All objectives were delivered safely, within budget and exceeding the expectations of Network Rail.

This project was completed November 2015.

Mark Shead Project Agent

“Network Rail were lifting out an S&C unit using a 500t crane with our work area close by. This provided an alternative on tracking option by using the Crane to lift the Undercutter on line.

“I was very pleased in how seamless the whole process went throughout, along with the fact it only took 10 minutes to lift the Undercutter on and off the line.”

Craig Jones Senior Project Manager e. craig.jones@stobartrail.com Mark Shead Project Agent e. mark.shead@stobartrail.com Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Manager e. andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com David Richardson Plant Manager e. david.richardson@stobartrail.com Stobart Rail Head Office t. 01228 882 300

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COMMENT

January 2016 | RailStaff | 3

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Staff Contact us: Publisher:

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Love thy neighbour The rise of corporate social responsibility will prove an increasingly popular antidote to the shortcomings of the egocentric materialist culture in 2016. It is not the answer but a welcome development nonetheless.

The liberal west has proved ill equipped to answer the great challenges of our times. War in the Middle East, terrorism, climate change and the moral turpitude of the internet steadily erode the residual strength of a free and fair society.

Ambivalence in foreign affairs troubles many. The spending and sex scandals in Westminster are a disgrace. The shelving of an enquiry into behaviour in the banking industry likewise appalling.

In big business Volkswagen’s extraordinary behaviour in the field of car emission inspections typifies a mindset that sees environmental legislation as at best an inconvenient truth. How many shoppers over the last few weeks will recount tales of socalled special offers proving anything but? Mobile phone companies make it absurdly hard to discontinue an account.

People feel let down by the establishment. We look for a better moral compass in business and politics, a recognition of right and

“People feel let down by the establishment. We look for a better moral compass in business and politics, a recognition of right and wrong, of fair play and concern for the individual...” wrong, of fair play and concern for the individual.

It’s a struggle; but good news is at hand. The rail industry is lighting the way ahead. Community rail partnerships are an increasingly important part of franchise agreements. Company support for the legion of fundraising activities conducted by staff - charity trains, marathons run and mountains climbed - points to a healthy industry.

Notwithstanding some alarming examples of buccaneer capitalism, railway staff in the main are generous, concerned for colleagues and those in their care.

This is a face-to-face industry. Railway people know passengers entrust their personal safety to the staff running

the train. The passenger can see the driver, talk to the guard, ask questions of platform staff. Rail chiefs understand this. The idea of service, of looking out for other people, translates across engineers, signallers and track workers.

All subscribe to a safety first culture and, to the credit of those leading the industry, are encouraged to do so.

This culture of concern, of being responsible for other people, informs the railway at all levels. To look out for colleagues and people more widely, echoes one of the oldest moral precepts of humankind. Social responsibility is a good phrase; love your neighbour as yourself, better still.

Best wishes for 2016. andy@rail-media.com © MOD

14

38

Training focus in March

Technological revolution

Soldiers tackle skills gap

March’s RailStaff will include a spotlight on training where we will once again highlight some of the initiatives being delivered across the industry to train and upskill the workforce.

For information about how to promote your company within the focus, call 01530 816440 or e-mail: sales@rail-media.com

telent Managing Director, Rail, Steve Pears spoke to Marc Johnson about telent’s future and how new technology is the answer to rail’s skills challenge.

The rail industry makes a good successor career for military personnel looking for further challenges and adventure. That’s the message from rail chiefs helping heroes into rail.

NEWS

4 | RailStaff | January 2016

© COLIN WHYMAN

Earth, wind and wire As Britain suffered extensive flooding, sustained bad weather and gale force winds, over 20,000 members of Network Rail’s Orange Army worked on undaunted over Christmas and New Year.

Railway engineers and track workers refused to bow to the elements, pressing on with over 500 projects nationwide. Platforms were lengthened, piling pushed down, track and signalling renewed and electrification projects progressed.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin paid tribute to the Orange Army, ‘Network Rail and the operators have delivered essential improvements to the rail network over the Christmas period. These are crucial for providing better journeys for passengers, progressing key projects such as Crossrail and the Thameslink Programme and nearly £100 million of improvements in Lincolnshire, as part of our record investment in the railways.’

Challenging weather He went on, ‘I welcome the news that this has been completed on time. I would like to thank passengers for their patience and pay tribute to the men and women who have been working in challenging weather conditions for

much of the time.’

A 10-day long engineering project saw a new viaduct brought into use at London Bridge, carrying trains to Charing Cross and Waterloo East. Immingham’s heavily freighttrafficked railway was the subject of a comprehensive upgrade. The Greater Lincolnshire Railway Investment of £96.5 million saw 13 signal boxes closed and 60 miles of track between Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes resignalled. Around 25 per cent of rail freight, by volume, enters the UK through Immingham.

Proud of our team At Haymarket East junction in Edinburgh, a £7 million project saw new track and three sets of points installed. In Glasgow, engineers commissioned the new signalling system between Anniesland and Kelvindale. Points were replaced at Doncaster. Track was renewed on the West Coast Main Line near Stafford and two bridges carrying the railway over local waterways were also replaced. In East Anglia, over seven miles of new overhead lines were installed between Ilford and Shenfield.

Assiduous planning and staff motivation were key elements of the successful upgrade strategy.

Says Network Rail chief executive

Mark Carne, ‘I am extremely proud of our team who have worked so hard in the planning and execution of the upgrade plan over the last

year. This planning allowed them to deliver despite the atrocious weather conditions and is a great example of what the Network Rail team can do.’

Beneath the surface It wasn’t just Network Rail and its contractors delivering engineering works as the rest of the country was opening presents and overindulging on Christmas pudding. During the festive period, London Underground engineers completed more than 40,000 hours of improvements across the network.

Projects included a new underground section of railway for the Circle, Hammersmith & City and

Metropolitan lines at King’s Cross and 314 metres of new track at Paddington.

Life-expired point machines were replaced at Heathrow, low noise and low vibration track-securing plates were installed at Earl’s Court and a new station fire escape footbridge was built at Ealing Common.

Other schemes included preparatory works at London Overground’s Gospel Oak to Barking line in preparation for electrification work scheduled for later this year and rebuilding a junction at Acton. © EWEN RANKIN

NEWS

January 2016 | RailStaff | 5

An Orange Christmas Four students from Newcastle College’s Rail Academy spent Christmas working on the railway. It’s a fact not often appreciated by the armies of commuters, passengers and freight forwarders, but during the seasonal close down the Orange Army is hard at work on a multiplicity of projects up and down the network.

Being able to close stretches of the railway completely makes for safer working, faster progress and better value for money.

Aaron Richardson, 20, from Gateshead; Ben Shilling, 30, from West Denton; Liam Barrass, 23, from Wallsend; and Robert Hall, 25, from Bensham, work as linesmen on the East Coast Main Line.

The job opportunity came through ISS Labour, who signed a partnership agreement with the Rail Academy earlier this year and has already taken on 10 students in paid placements.

Aaron, Ben, Liam and Robert were selected because of their consistently high standards of work, professional attitude and technical knowledge and ability.

Aaron joined the Rail Academy after working in manufacturing. ‘I was sick of the job I was doing and thought I could come to the Rail Academy and better myself. To be honest, I thought I would just do the course and then have to go out and find a job. I never expected to get a paid placement after a year and then go on to get a job as a linesman.

‘Obviously the money is fantastic, but for me, the opportunity to go out and work as part of a team and actually do the job I want to do as a full-time career is amazing.’

Marc McPake, head of rail at Newcastle College, said, ‘Just over a year ago, Aaron, Ben, Liam and Robert came to us with no knowledge or experience

of rail engineering. What they did have was drive and enthusiasm, something which they have applied to every aspect of their studies.

‘The fact that they have now, less than 18 months later, walked into an extremely well paid job which will see them working with experienced engineers is just phenomenal and testament to the fantastic facility that we have built in partnership with industry.’

The Rail Academy opened in September 2014 with support from Network Rail and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR).

Pictured: Aaron Richardson (right) and fellow students chosen to work with ISS Labour.

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

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Deploy UK Rail hold the following qualifications: • RISQS Approved via Audit 4* (Maximum achievable first audit) • RCC (Rail Contractor’s Certificate) to supply SWL (Safe Work Leaders) • RIPS (Railway Interface Planning Scheme) 4* (Maximum achievable first audit) • ISO 9001, 18001, 14001 • ROSPA Bronze We are part of the DE Group of companies which complements the services we offer in Rail by providing expertise in Demolition, Asbestos Surveying and Removal and H&S consultancy specialising in Principle Design Services to clients for CDM. We work closely with our clients to help them achieve their project goals by delivering a professional reliable service which is flexible and adaptable to the ever changing Rail and LUL environment.

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NEWS

6 | RailStaff | January 2016

Orange Army battles Desmond The West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle was reopened just two days after it was under eight feet of floodwater thanks to roundthe-clock efforts by the Orange Army.

Unprecedented flooding in Cumbria and the north west continues to trouble the railway. However, there have been some successes.

After water subsided, post-Storm Desmond, in December, large amounts of debris and mud were removed from the railway, repairs made to the track and infrastructure and temporary measures put in place to allow trains to run.

Debbie Francis of Network Rail praised the efforts of all staff. ‘The Orange Army has worked tirelessly to reopen the West Coast Main Line for passengers as quickly as possible. Eight feet of floodwater caused widespread damage to the railway, but our teams have been on site round-the-clock to make repairs and clear the debris.

‘Before trains are able to run normally, large amounts of signalling equipment, including safety-critical electrical cabinets, need to be replaced following extensive flood damage and work will continue to take place over the coming days. Network Rail’s engineers have done a fantastic job to reopen the railway so soon after the floods which means passengers can begin to make their normal journeys

Safety prayer once more.

The Cumbrian coast line, running between Carlisle and Workington, was shut down as Network Rail continued to remove three landslides and repair two flood sites along the track.

On the Settle and Carlisle line part of the railway embankment gave way at Armathwaite in Cumbria. However, the Orange Army managed to rebuild and stabilise the embankment.

Pope Francis recently met railway staff in Rome and thanked them for their hard work.

Francis, son of railway worker Mario José Bergoglio, greeted 7,000 rail staff from the Ferrovie dello stato, the Italian State Railway.

The railway personnel packed the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican City.

Pope Francis applauded the railway and its staff for their historical commitment to works of solidarity and compassion, including their support for the recently concluded renovations of the Caritas Centre for homeless people near Rome’s central station.

The Pope went on to praise the commitment of railway workers for the difficult and often dangerous work they do running the network.

‘Many workers have also lost their lives in this work. We remember them all and let us make it so that, in so far as it is in our power, such things do not happen anymore.’

Rail over jackpot at Norton Bridge Railway staff at a major development near Stafford set a track-laying record as part of the final stages in the construction of a new railover-rail flyover at Norton Bridge.

The rail-over jackpot will remove a major bottleneck on the West Coast Main Line. The job has included construction of 11 new bridges, six miles of new track and a new 1.2km section of road, as well as four river diversions and movement of over one million tonnes of earth.

The previous record for track-laying in a 48-hour period was 3,932m set by Network Rail High Output. The Staffordshire Alliance achieved 4,017m of track laid over 12 and 13 December, hitting a peak production output of 375 metres an hour. This saw three kilometres of track laid in just eight hours.

A cutting was created for the new lines which branch off the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Little Bridgeford, north of Stafford, with one line re-joining the WCML towards Crewe and the other running over the WCML to re-join the Stone and Stoke-on-Trent line avoiding the existing Norton Bridge junction.

Staffordshire Alliance manager Matt Clark said he was

delighted with the progress.

‘This is another massive milestone for the project that has been achieved on programme, with the whole alliance team pulling together to deliver an exceptional amount of earthworks and track in a very short space of time.

‘We are all now focussed on the completion of the

remainder of this Railway Upgrade Plan project that will remove a major bottleneck on the WCML.’ The £250 million programme of rail investment is entering its final stages with the new rail-over-rail flyover set to be commissioned at Easter 2016 at Norton Bridge.

The Staffordshire Alliance is a partnership between Atkins, Laing O’Rourke, Network Rail and VolkerRail.

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PEOPLE

8 | RailStaff | January 2016

New Year’s Honour for Shaw

Margaret appointed MBE

Nicola Shaw, chief executive of HS1, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours for services to transport.

Margaret Hickish, Network Rail’s access and inclusion manager, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to disabled people.

Nicola Shaw became chief executive of HS1 Ltd in 2011. Shaw is currently working on a report for the Government on the future financing and structure of Network Rail.

Says Nicola, ‘I am both delighted and humbled to receive this honour.

I have always been passionate about improving the ways in which people and communities connect, so it is a privilege to be able to work doing what you love and to have your contribution recognised.

‘I see this honour as testimony to the quality of people I have worked with over the years and especially the team and Board at HS1, who have my great thanks.’

Shaw was educated at both Oxford

University, where she read History and Economics, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she received a master’s in transportation.

She has worked at the World Bank in the US, and for the engineering consultancy Halcrow in Malaysia, the Philippines and Abu Dhabi.

Shaw moved to become a director of FirstGroup PLC, after working for Bechtel and the Strategic Rail Authority.

With her husband, Andrew Lang, she is a founding member of the Blue Plaques Club. © SAM LANE PHOTOGRAPHY

A wheelchair user herself, Margaret has worked in the field of inclusive design for over 20 years, making a difference for tens of thousands of disabled people.

Margaret joined Network Rail in 2013 from the Olympic Delivery Authority.

She set up its Built Environment Access Panel (BEAP), a group of inclusive design experts and disabled people from across the country.

Says Margaret Hickish MBE, ‘I am delighted to be recognised in this way, however the award belongs as much to all those colleagues and consultation groups’ members I have worked with to improve the understanding and delivery of inclusive design.’

Double promotion at SNC-Lavalin Former Interfleet director of infrastructure Iain Court (below left) has been appointed business development director SNCLavalin (formerly Interfleet).

In his new position, Iain will manage the UK sales & marketing and bid teams.

Iain joined Interfleet in 2011 and has been instrumental in developing the company’s infrastructure product area.

He began his career at British Rail and boasts over 30 years worth of comprehensive experience in the rail industry. More recently, Iain led Interfleet’s Major Projects and will continue to do so for SNC-Lavalin.

Iain’s is the first of two senior promotions as the business fully integrates with its Canadian parent after adopting the SNC-Lavalin name on 1 January 2016.

Andy McDonald (below right) has been appointed director and will lead the new System Consulting & Assurance department.

Andy was previously Interfleet’s head of projects and strategy. He has been with the company since its inception in 1994, following a British Rail Management Buyout.

SNC-Lavalin launched its new department to complement the existing Rolling Stock, Rail Control Systems and Infrastructure products.

‘System Consulting & Assurance’ draws together the company’s Safety Management & Assurance, Business Consulting, Human Factors, Systems & Systems Engineering teams, as well as the Training & Software teams.

‘Iain and Andy possess a wealth of expertise and will continue to be an asset to our organisation moving forward,’ says Michael Grace, UK regional director for SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit.

‘Our name has changed, but fundamentally, our people haven’t. The new structure has united over 1,000 rail experts across the globe, including the former Interfleet team.’

Mark Carne, Network Rail chief executive, paid tribute to her inspiration, encouragement and advice. ‘She has made an enormous difference for tens of thousands of disabled people throughout her career.

‘We are extremely lucky to have such a dedicated person helping us to deliver our Railway Upgrade Plan. I’d like to congratulate Margaret on behalf of everyone at Network Rail for a truly deserved honour,’ he said.

No stranger to success, Margaret was voted the most influential disabled woman in 2014. She was also included in the Power 100 List 2015 of people with a disability or impairment.

Police move for O’Toole Ray O’Toole, one-time head of National Express, has been appointed interim BTPA member for the next 12 months by the DfT. It’s his second spell at the BTPA, having previously served as a member of the authority from 2005 – 2009.

Currently the chief executive of Essential Fleet Services, Ray was also chief operating officer for National Express.

A qualified mechanical engineer, who formerly served as director of engineering at FirstGroup, Ray O’Toole is also a non-executive director of the ORR.

PEOPLE

January 2016 | RailStaff | 9

Policy director for RDG

Glaister to chair ORR

Elizabeth de Jong has been promoted to director of policy at the Rail Delivery Group - she joined RDG in April 2015 as head of policy and has been acting director of policy since mid-October, following the departure of Nick Ellins.

Professor Stephen Glaister is to chair the Office of Rail and Road for a 12-month term.

She will continue to be responsible for rail industry reform, the planning of tomorrow’s railway, disability and inclusion, integrated transport and business analysis.

An economist by background, Elizabeth began her career with transport consultancies MVA and Steer Davies Gleave before undertaking a range of senior roles for Stagecoach Group. She then joined the Department for Transport where she worked in franchise management and franchise procurement, including letting the East

Coast franchise in 2014.

Elizabeth has a degree in economics and econometrics from the University of Manchester and read an MSc at Cranfield University.

Says RDG chief executive Paul Plummer, ‘Elizabeth has made a huge contribution to the RDG and the organisation as a whole already, and I am delighted to confirm her new role.

Elizabeth’s experience in my top team is invaluable as RDG develops.’

Elizabeth de Jong emphasised the importance of creating a supporting business environment for the expanding railway, ‘The last 20 years have brought great change to the railway with a doubling of passenger numbers and more than 100 million tonnes of freight carried every year, and a massive ongoing programme of investment to upgrade the network and deliver new trains.

Current chair Anna Walker has stepped down after more than six years in the role.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin made the short-term appointment to run while the role and responsibilities of the ORR is redefined.

This follows recommendations made in an independent report by Dame Colette Bowe last year. These will be considered along with Nicola Shaw’s report on the longer-term shape and financing of Network Rail, which concludes this year.

Stephen Glaister has served as a non-executive director on the ORR board since April 2015, and is Emeritus Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at Imperial College

London.

He has previously served on the board of TfL and has advised the Transport Select Committee. He recently retired as director of the RAC Foundation. In 1998, he was awarded the CBE for services to public transport.

Mason appointed OBE

Rail focus for Flexicon

Morson chief executive Ged Mason has been made an officer of the order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to engineering and design.

Flexicon has appointed Ian Hobbs as business development manager to focus on the rail and hazardous area markets.

Mr Mason dedicated his honour to his late father, Gerry, who passed away last summer, and who Mason said had supported him throughout his life.

Morson Group is made up of three main subsidiaries: Morson International, Morson Projects and Vital Human Resources.

Based in Salford, Ged is a keen supporter of many local charities -

most notably the Seashell Trust and Destination Florida.

‘It is an honour to receive this OBE, which I dedicate to the memory of my late father and all those who have supported me throughout my life,’ said Ged Mason OBE.

Flexible conduit manufacturer Flexicon, based in Coleshill, Birmingham, is expanding its services to the rail industry.

Says Tim Creedon, sales and marketing director, Flexicon, ‘Both rail and markets where hazardous area solutions are required are key areas where we can add value and offer new solutions. As a company, we are identifying opportunities and markets in both the UK and internationally where we can really focus our expertise.’

Ian Hobbs has been business development manager at 3M’s communications and electrical division in Reading for the last 10 years. Hobbs has over 20 years experience in sales and business development.

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RAIL ALLIANCE

10 | RailStaff | January 2016

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

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Rail Alliance: New Year Resolution New Members Remember to join the Rail Alliance

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event and speaker presentations, London) 12 May: Composites in Rail in collaboration with Composites UK (Manchester University) 19 May: T&RS Refurbishment (Midlands) 15 & 16 June: RAIL2016 (QRTC Long Marston) 14 July: Product Acceptance (Leeds) August: Asset Management/Comms & Data 20-23 September: Innotrans (Berlin) 6 October: RVE (members’ networking event and speaker presentations, Derby) 20 October: Rail Alliance Annual Conference 24 November: Product Acceptance 8 December: AGM and Networking The Rail Alliance hosts numerous networking events throughout the year for its members and potential new members. All networking events are currently free-ofcharge to attend for all full members of the Rail Alliance.

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Aspin Group (One of the leading UK suppliers specialising in the design and installation of foundations for trackside structures on the rail infrastructure) www.aspingroup.com Von Roll UK (Products for electrical power generation, power transmission & industrial applications. Market leader in fields of insulation products & systems for electrical machinery industry. Suppliers of composite materials & machined parts.

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NEWS

12 | RailStaff | January 2016

One station for high-speed Leeds HS2 is planning to scrap proposals to construct a new high-speed rail station south of the River Aire and instead integrate the new railway with the city’s existing station.

In an interim report on the future of Leeds station, HS2 chairman, Sir David Higgins, suggested that a common concourse linking the two services, with the north-south high-speed platforms running perpendicular to the current stations, was a better option than building a separate station south of the river.

Constructing a separate HS2 concourse the other side of the river would mean passengers would have to walk for up to 10 minutes between the two stations and would make access to the city centre more difficult. Incorporating HS2 as is shown in the preferred option would also not restrict the capacity of the existing station.

The report sets out pros and cons for three different options - two of which involve integrating HS2 into the current station in some way. Although the report

makes a clear recommendation of extending the railway north of the river, it does point out a few potential issues. One potential problem highlighted in the report was what effect it would have on the city centre flood defences, also the design would have to be sympathetic to the Canal Wharf and surrounding conservation areas.

Says Sir David, ‘Any future plans to accommodate HS2’s needs at Leeds station must take account not

only of HS2, but also continued growth in existing services and those anticipated to be added as a result of the Northern Powerhouse agenda, including HS3.’

He added, ‘We must ensure HS2 will build on the economic strengths of Leeds and Leeds City Region, maximising on the benefits of connectivity, jobs and skills, and integrated into the City Council’s vision for the Leeds South Bank, one of the largest regeneration schemes of its kind in Europe.’

Passengers and staff follow star Dover Soul

Passengers and staff at Ebbsfleet station were able to remember loved ones by hanging an ellenor star on the railway station’s stunning 12-foot Christmas tree.

Catherine Ellis, customer service assistant at Network Rail High Speed, said she was touched by the ‘Lights of Love’ services which charity ellenor holds at Christmas to remember loved ones.

‘At Ebbsfleet station, four friends and colleagues have sadly passed away recently and this seemed like a perfect way for staff to remember them and for our passengers to dedicate a star to someone special on our new Christmas

tree provided by High Speed 1.

The ellenor stars include a section to write the name of someone special over the festive period in return for a donation to the charity – which supports families facing terminal illness. The care which ellenor provides for families facing terminal illness continues 24/7.

‘We are so grateful to the staff and customers at Ebbsfleet station for supporting ellenor at this time,’ says Linda Trew, head of community at ellenor. ‘We know Christmas can be a difficult time for some people, particularly if a loved one isn’t there at this special time of the year, so we hope that the ellenor stars are bringing people some comfort. As a charity, not funded by the NHS, we are also extremely grateful for the donations.’

The stars have proved very popular since their launch. ‘Looking at the amount of stars on the tree and all the positive feedback we have received, this initiative promises to be a huge success,’ says Catherine.

The railway between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central in Kent has suffered severe damage to the sea wall.

High tides damaged the sea wall that supports the railway near Dover Harbour and cracks on the wall were discovered on Christmas Eve. In scenes reminiscent of Dawlish, the Orange Army was quickly on the scene. However, the wall has deteriorated further with a number of sink holes two or three metres deep opening up along the length of the wall.

Major work will need to be carried out to repair the track and the sea wall will also need to be rebuilt. Engineers braved the weather to carry out a full assessment of the damage. It is not known when the rail link will reopen.

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NEWS

14 | RailStaff | January 2016

telent Managing Director, Rail, Steve Pears (pictured) spoke to Marc Johnson about telent’s future and how new technology is the answer to rail’s skills challenge.

the established names in railway telecommunications which is helping to lead organisations like Network Rail and London Underground through this complex period of technological change.

The modern passenger takes for granted the ease with which they are able to make a call or access free Wi-Fi at stations. A high-speed internet connection is now almost a basic human right rather than a luxury.

To meet this expectation, the existing telecommunications infrastructure is having to rapidly mature and the railway in particular is trying hard to keep up.

‘Traditionally the rail industry has always been seen as technologically backwards,’ says Steve, who heads telent’s rail division. telent is one of

Five-year plan Steve joined telent’s predecessor, General Electric Company, in 1978.

He worked within the defence sector, designing radar and control systems for the military for 20 years before moving over to rail. In his own words, Steve is a ‘very long-term’ employee and has been involved in a number of major schemes, including the implementation of the first GSM-R network in the UK in the late 1990s.

In 2013, Steve set out in this magazine telent’s plan to double its rail division

and employ 100 new, skilled employees within five years. The company’s growth projection is broadly on target, says Steve, and recruitment is actually ahead of where the organisation expected it to be. Last year, telent’s rail division brought in eight new apprentices and 10 graduates. ‘They are really helping us to drive and develop the business,’ said Steve.

Shortly after that article went to press, telent was awarded a contract

by Network Rail to create a new national system to control traction power around the network. Known as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), the system will be managed from the new integrated Rail Operating Centres (ROCs).

SCADA, electrification control will

L I A R L G A C I N G I O L D I O N U H C G ROUGH ITS TE

N O I T U L O V E R TH

NEWS

January 2016 | RailStaff | 15

become a national function rather than a regional one. A nationwide programme such as this presents numerous challenges, especially given Network Rail’s desire for greater devolution to the routes, and it’s an example of the large-scale changes taking place within the rail telecommunications field.

Digital Railway Some of the biggest changes are encapsulated within Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme. telent is feeding its experience and expertise into Digital Railway, which over the next 15-25 years will see digital signalling and train control systems improving the availability and quality of services around the network.

The scale of Digital Railway’s ambition will require both the recruitment of new engineers and the retraining of experienced staff - not a task to be taken lightly given the lack of graduate engineers and the demand for qualified trainers. But Steve considers the Digital Railway to be rail’s best opportunity in years to attract bright, inventive young

engineers.

‘I think in terms of the new technologies that are coming in it allows greater flexibility, and it allows us to bring more people into the industry in a way that we would have found difficult in the past.’

He added, ‘If you think about most signalling systems, you’re talking about equipment that was developed back in the 1970s. It’s not been an attractive industry for young engineers who want to have the latest technology and the latest technical capability.

‘Whereas now, with Digital Railway, I think that’s quite different, and what you’re getting is very up-to-date skills and some really interesting projects on which to deploy those skills.’

Knowledge transfer One area of concern, however, surrounds the transfer of knowledge.

Decades of experience held by veteran employees could be lost over the next few years as a generation retire and leave the industry. There is also a risk that the introduction of vastly different

technologies and ways of working could speed up this exodus.

But Steve believes the current balance between new technology and old means established members of the workforce aren’t feeling managed out of the industry; they are embracing the changes.

Says Steve, ’Change at the moment is not so rapid. What we’re seeing is new things coming in but the level of requirement for the more traditional skills still remains… What we’re really seeing is an increase in demand for new skills. I don’t think that people feel threatened by the requirements for new skills because it isn’t a threat for them at the moment, but it is an opportunity.

‘At telent we spend a lot of money training our staff and on developing our staff because if you’ve got great people who’ve got the right approach to the job, who’ve got the right attitude and fit well within the business, giving them extra technical skills is an obvious thing to be doing.’

As well as relationships with Network Rail and London

Underground, telent supplies and maintains networks for train operators, including MTR Crossrail, HS1 and LOROL, which were all added to telent’s client list in 2015.

A significant part of its business is asset management, including the application of intelligent monitoring systems that are able to predict failures before they happen. It is this variety of work that has appealed to Steve over the last 37 years. ’I’ve always been able to do new and interesting, different things,’ says Steve. ‘If I look at what I do now compared with when I started in the business, it bares no resemblance whatsoever to it.’ telent’s diverse service offering will continue to grow over the next 12 months, as the company looks to stay at the forefront of the industry’s technological revolution. Says Steve, ’There are a number of opportunities that we’re currently negotiating where I think they offer similar large steps forward in our capability and will require people able to deliver those new services.’

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NEWS

16 | RailStaff | January 2016

Apperley ever after Closed by Beeching in 1965, Apperley Bridge station has reopened on the Leeds-Bradford line.

Two former stations - Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge - are being reopened on the route as part of the £16.9 million West Yorkshire Rail Growth (WYRG) scheme.

Apperley Bridge is the first new station to open in West Yorkshire in 10 years and reinstates a vital transport link between Leeds and Bradford, according to Dave Taylor, project director at contractor Spencer Group.

Spencer Group, which has been responsible for, among other things, the construction of a new 297-space car park, two new platforms and the communication systems, is also delivering the works at Kirkstall Forge. The new station is approximately five miles east of Apperley Bridge and is due to open in early 2016.

Says Mark Tarry, route managing director for Network Rail, of Apperley Bridge ‘We know how important this station is to the local community in order to improve access to jobs and education as well as travel for leisure.

We are pleased services will soon be able to call at the station.’

Dave Taylor said, ‘Our onsite team worked hard to ensure all works were completed to meet the specifications of the West Yorkshire Rail Growth scheme. The new station in Apperley Bridge will re-establish a vital transport link between Leeds and Bradford, which will be to the benefit of everyone.’

The first train left Apperley Bridge on 13 December and an official opening ceremony was held on 18

December. A further project is underway to build a new station at Low Moor, three miles south west of Bradford city centre, and proposals are being considered for interchanges at East Leeds, Elland, Haxby and Crosshills; these four were shortlisted from 62 potential sites. Low Moor is on the Calder Valley Line between Bradford Interchange and Halifax.

Mission to Meadowhall

TBF’s good news - INIT

Northern Rail provided Wakefield’s Crofton Academy’s visually impaired students with free travel for a special trip to Meadowhall.

INIT, Innovations in Transportation Ltd, in Nottingham, has made a £3,000 donation to TBF.

The students were taking part in independent travel training to help them build confidence and selfesteem. This will enable them to travel on different forms of public transport.

Says Pete Myers, client and stakeholder manager for Northern, ‘We work with many groups

throughout the communities we serve to support and encourage them to travel by train and show them how easy it can be.’

The trip went well and Sara Dooler from Crofton Academy thanked staff for going out of their way to help.

‘All the students had a fantastic day out travelling on the trains and shopping. All the Northern Rail staff were extremely helpful to our students and we would like say thank you for providing them with this worthwhile experience,’ says Sara.

Every year at Christmas, subsidiaries of INIT’s parent company, INIT AG Karlsruhe, Germany, select a charity within their area of operation.

TBF was this year’s chosen recipient.

The £3,000 cheque was presented to TBF development director Ian Barlex and TBF regional organiser Michael Gibson, by Jens Mullak, managing director of INIT Ltd, at the company’s offices in The Lace Market in Nottingham.

Ian Barlex said TBF was grateful that INIT had selected his organisation to be its beneficiary this Christmas.

‘This generous donation will assist us in our work, supporting public transport workers and their families at difficult times. The continuing relevance of the fund’s work to help those in the industry at their time of need is best illustrated by the volume of awards to members, which has

exceeded £500,000 in each of the last two quarters,’ says Ian. Jens Mullak said that as a socially responsible company active in the public transport industry, INIT highly appreciated the TBF’s work and was pleased to support it.

The company provides ticketing systems for Nottingham Express Transit trams.

With more than 47,000 members, TBF, the Transport Benevolent Fund, is the UK’s leading public transport industry membership charity. It offers a wide range of financial, health and welfare benefits at times of need to members, their spouse or partner and dependent children in full-time education.

TRACK SAFETY

18 | RailStaff | January 2016

TWO QUESTIONS FOR 2016 IS THE ORR RESOURCED TO DO IT ALL? CAN CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY BE AS EFFECTIVE AS INDIVIDUAL? SAFETY Colin Wheeler colin@rail-media.com

The equation ORR+ROADS=ORR may seem unusual to mathematicians. I have personal reservations about the ability of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR, given its size and diversity of remits) to fulfil the roles of both financial regulator and guardian of safety.

Individual responsibilities During the decades of British Railways, named individuals at area, divisional, regional and ultimately Board Headquarters were responsible for railway infrastructure, operations, locomotives and rolling stock. If something went wrong the responsible individual was easily identified.

I remember a briefing given by the solicitor about the Health and Safety at Work Act. He assured us that if an accident occurred resulting in prosecution we would be provided with legal representation including a barrister in court. He then went on to emphasise that if we were found guilty of an offence this could, and in most cases would, lead to loss of one’s job and pension too!

Scout Green Cumbria on March 7th.

Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate Years later I recall being asked by a local member of Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) to provide evidence of my safety visits and subsequent resultant actions after an accident to a member of my staff. I was reminded of this when I read two recent publications issued by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

Both seem to illustrate inadequately managed working and in neither case is any mention made in the reports of intervention by HMRI which these days is but an integral part of the ORR.

Running freight trains an hour early The RAIB is investigating two reported instances of signals being passed at

danger (SPADS). They have issued a “news story” meanwhile, with some initial comments. Both occurred in the same area involving freight trains on the same route. The first happened at 0822 on March 28th last year, when the scheduled 0825 Acton Yard to Merehead Quarry freight service (7C29) running an hour early, passed signal T1729 at danger by around 20 metres on the Up Westbury line as it approached the Reading/Westbury line Junction.

“Fatigue may have been a factor” The second also involved a morning freight service running between Acton Yard and Merehead Quarry, again it was running an hour earlier than timetabled.

This one was scheduled to run at 0622 but the SPAD occurred at 0612 when the train passed signal T1627 at danger at Ruscombe by around 60 metres. The news story says “the evidence suggests that driver fatigue may have been a factor”. In each case the driver had Deeping St Nicholas on March 31st.

booked on at around midnight and then worked a train from Westbury to Acton.

Then after “taking a layover at Acton” they had both departed from Acton about an hour earlier than scheduled with their return working to Westbury.

In the news report I found no references to supervisory or management involvement in what sounds to be a regular practice of shortening the planned working shift by reducing the layover time and starting back an hour early. Maybe this will be covered in the final RAIB report?

Container blown off in the wind The RAIB released on December 7th its report into “container detachments” that occurred last March in Cumbria and Lincolnshire.

The first was at 0220 on the morning of March 7th at Scout Green, Cumbria.

Twenty six container carrying wagons were being hauled by a pair of Class 86 locomotives travelling at around 75 mph.

TRACK SAFETY

January 2016 | RailStaff | 19

Right: Deeping St Nicholas on March 31st.

An empty 30 ft. container toppled onto the adjacent Up Main of the West Coast Main Line before coming to rest at the bottom of the embankment on the east side of the railway. It was on the 20th wagon (FEA-B type) and was one of just two empty 30 ft. containers.

The driver was unaware of the incident until he was informed after arriving at his destination two and a half hours later. There was no damage to railway infrastructure or other trains. A sleeper train had passed on the other line just four minutes before the container came off its wagon. The incident was first reported by a member of the public at 0655!

Another empty container blown off!

Within a month, at 1522 on March 31st an empty container was blown off a Felixstowe to Doncaster Railport container service of 34 container wagons hauled by a Class 66 locomotive. The wagon carrying the container was an FEA-S type and was the third in the train travelling at just 38 mph on the Down Main near Deeping St Nicholas in Lincolnshire.

The container fell against the wagon side and was dragged along before coming to rest on the adjacent track. The train carried on for around 250 metres before being brought to a stand by the automatic application of its brakes caused by the container striking several wagon handbrake hand-wheels. Telecommunications and signalling equipment, sleepers, rail fastenings, and a level crossing surface were damaged.

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This same freight container train had travelled to Felixstowe arriving there at 0520 that morning, March 31st. But the winds at Felixstowe were too strong for it to be safely unloaded so, “in accordance with the port procedures for avoiding congestion” the train was returned still loaded at its scheduled time without its containers being unloaded. The approach to Deeping St Nicholas is across flat agricultural land. The nearest weather station was recording wind speeds of 54 mph, but a nearby wind farm recorded speeds up to 67.8 mph.

Wagons spigots and hinges Both types of FEA wagons involved are designed to operate at wind speeds up to 75 mph, carrying containers up to 2.9 metres high. Both can carry 20, 30 or 40 foot long containers. Their retaining pairs of spigots can be used in combination as required with the corner castings on the wagons.

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TRACK SAFETY

20 | RailStaff | January 2016

standard. Their heads are shaped to guide container corners on and off. The standard UIC 571-4 limits the allowable inward tilt to just 2 degrees but neither of the wagon types involved comply with this.

Seven incidents in 2008 On March 1st 2008 a total of 7 containers were blown off FEA-B type wagons, 5 in Cumbria and 2 in Buckinghamshire. Freightliner issued a report on March 8th alerting the industry to its “concerns about the ability of hinged spigots to provide overturning restraint”.

Spigot locking pins were proposed but meanwhile speed restrictions were applied based on forecast wind speeds of over 55 mph, with the proviso that empty containers would not be carried if wind speeds exceeded 65 mph.

Railfreight indicated its support for this but and in June 2008 reported it had begun using locking pins to obviate the need for speed restrictions.

Risks outweigh benefits?

Later GB Railfreight dismissed the fitting of spigot locking pins as “the risks outweighed the benefits”. In May 2009 RAIB published their investigation reports into container detachments at Hardendale and Cheddington.

That report highlighted the lack of compliance with the UIC standard of the spigots with in-board hinges.

On 2nd April 2015 Network Rail prohibited the carrying of empty containers on non-compliantly spigotted UIC wagons. This was subsequently relaxed to being applied when wind speeds of 40 mph or more were forecast.

Since July 6th GB Railfreight pins empty containers to its wagons when speeds of 40 or more mph are expected but Freightliner pins all empty containers regardless of forecast winds. RAIB notes that seven years after Hardendale and Cheddington an acceptable re-design of spigots is still awaited.

14 track-workers at risk at Heathrow Tunnel Junction On December 16th last year RAIB issued its report into two separate “unsafe events” at Heathrow Tunnel Junction. On both 27th and 28th December 2014 track workers were in danger of being struck by trains at

Route taken by workgroup on 27th December 2014

Stockley Flyover, Heathrow Tunnel Junction. On the 27th at 1500 hours 14 track-workers were walking on the Down Airport line through an area of restricted visibility that was operational but which they believed was closed to rail traffic!

Luckily other workers in the area warned them and they moved clear before they were passed by a Heathrow to London train. The RAIB reports that an “inappropriate system was used to control access to the track”.

Trolley hit by a train The following morning at just after 10 am a train collided with a trolley which two track-workers were placing on the line. The train had emerged from a nearby tunnel at 45 mph and they moved clear just seconds before the trolley was hit. The workers believed the line was closed to traffic.

The report says that they were “accustomed to working in a way which differed from the mandated safety system”. It goes on to stress that site supervision had not identified this although they found that deviating from the planned systems had become normal practice.

100 COSSs I recommend careful reading of the full report in this case. The blockade working between Christmas 2014 and the New Year involved multiple possessions, with Engineering Supervisors working 12 hour shifts and a total of no fewer than 100 Controllers of Site Safety (COSS).

Each COSS was required to sign out on completion of his work but due to the numbers involved, a matrix of worksites and COSS names was drawn up so that ticks and a single signature was all that was needed. The report notes that the COSS “did not have faith in the Safe System of Work (SSoW) pack provided to him”.

SSoW only 12 pages of 52 “relevant”!

It also highlights the Rule Book changes of December 6th 2014 affecting possession working of which the Possession Delivery Manager (a qualified Engineering Supervisor) was unaware.

These included a requirement for COSS’s to formally sign out by telephoning the Engineering Supervisor, but the subcontractor involved did not issue these amendments until March 6th 2015!

A temporary access point had been provided but was not included in the Hazard Directory extract in the SSoW pack. RAIB report observes that although the SSoW pack was 51 pages long only 12 pages of it had relevance to the COSS’s working on the Up Airport line to whom it was issued.

I agree with their comment that, “irrelevant information makes it difficult for a COSS to find relevant information and is contrary to the SSoW planning process described in the Network Rail standard”.

One of a number of near misses Near misses continued last year. A Network Rail safety bulletin was issued

on October 29th following a near miss on 23rd September. The location is not identified. Apparently this was “one of a number of near misses that occurred nationally over recent weeks”.

On September 3rd a team of three with a COSS were crossing a limited clearance bridge when a train approached them from the rear at 70 mph passing one team member with just a metre to spare.

The planned access route avoided crossing the bridge but the COSS believed his route was a suitable alternative and the Hazard Directory did not indicate that the bridge had limited clearance.

Action needed now I do not like reporting on near misses or having to contemplate how many fatalities might have resulted from incidents like the ones featured in this article. But at least it is better than reporting on injuries and fatalities.

I suggest that the foregoing provides ample evidence of shortcomings in management, process and motivation that need to be overcome yesterday or earlier. Delegating responsibilities to individuals and enabling/encouraging the ORR in its HMRI role to take formal action with both companies and individuals is my suggestion for improvement.

There have been too many words written without action following.

Also, however complex the job after risk analysis, method statement development etc. surely specific information for a COSS should be limited to a single page?

Rail Safety Summit 2016

Safety Summit MAY 2016

After the success of 2015, the Safety Summit will return on the 5th May 2016.

Over the past few years there has been a huge push to improve the safety record within the industry, meaning change both in design and process. All areas of the industry felt that this often caused confusion due to the amount of change that happened at one time. Which policy do you implement? Have I missed anything? Which part applies to me?

Whether safety is your area of expertise or you just feel you need to brush up, the event will prove enlightening and create significant discussion points for you to take back to your organisation.

On top of listening to the speakers, you will be able to visit our sponsor exhibition stands and network over a well earned coffee and delicious lunch.

Visit www.railsummits.com to buy your ticket – This event is extremely popular and places are limited, so please book now to avoid disappointment.

Purchase your tickets now at www.railsummits.com

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

22 | RailStaff | January 2016

Young Rail Professionals A chance to celebrate your rising stars Do you have an exceptional young employee who is making a difference to your organisation and the rail industry?

Young Rail Professionals (YRP) is looking for this year’s Young Rail Professional of the Year to honour at their annual black tie dinner and awards evening, sponsored by CPC Project Services.

The award will be presented by Steve Mole, CPC’s managing partner, to the rising star who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution, ability and commitment to their role.

The winner will be announced on Friday, 8 April, in front of over 400 of the railways most ambitious and enthusiastic young talents and with one of the industry’s most influential leaders, Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, at the YRP Annual Dinner at the National Railway Museum in York.

For one night only, this special location will see the future leaders of the industry celebrate in a building which archives the railway’s past and the impact it has had on shaping the modern world.

Open to all individual and corporate members, the black tie event will consist of a drinks reception and dinner followed by the keynote speaker and the award ceremony, finished off with a live band and dancing.

The speaker, Sir Peter Hendy, will share with guests his experience of the railway industry and how he rose from a London Transport graduate to hold two of the country’s most influential positions, firstly commissioner of Transport for London and from last year the chairman of Network Rail.

Stephen Head, YRP’s national chair, said, ‘Our awards and dinner is a great opportunity to thank those who are at the beginning of their careers for their hard work, dedication and ideas. And what better place to celebrate these upcoming stars than in a location where we will be surrounded by some of the most significant pieces of railway history.

‘It is a pleasure to have Sir Peter Hendy as our keynote speaker this year. With such a broad and influential career, he will provide attendees with a unique view of the railway today and its challenges.

‘Over the last few years, YRP has really grown. We now have over 3,400 members and last year organised over 70 events. We have established regional committees, which help showcase the innovative companies and projects in the industry which are spread throughout the UK. The decision to hold the event in York this year is a great step forward for YRP and cements the fact we are now a truly nationwide organisation.’

This year’s YRP dinner is sponsored

by CPC Project Services, a project management company that specialises in delivering major rail projects.

Steve Mole, CPC’s managing partner, says, ‘We are proud to sponsor YRP’s 2016 Annual Dinner. YRP is an excellent organisation, nurturing young talent in the rail industry, and we are delighted that so many of our staff are active members who are committed to developing their careers in rail project management.’

How to enter Individuals can be nominated for the Young Rail Professional of the Year by completing the application form on the YRP website: www.youngrailpro. com. Submissions can be made by a colleague, mentor or anyone who knows the candidate well enough to give sufficient information of their achievements.

The award is open to anyone who is in the first 10 years of their railway career and is currently working in the rail industry Nominees will be judged on: • Commitment to the rail industry – showing passion and enthusiasm for the rail industry

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

The competition will be judged by a panel of leading rail industry representatives from the YRP committee and corporate members.

At the Annual Dinner, the 2016 Young Rail Professional will be announced alongside a number of runners-up.

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, 1 March 2016.

Event tickets A corporate table for 10 people is £1,260 and individual tickets cost £126, including VAT. Tickets and tables can be booked on the YRP website: www.youngrailpro.com/ events/yrp-dinner-2016. For more information on the dinner or awards, please e-mail dinnerenquiries@ youngrailpro.com.

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• Leadership – providing a role model to those around them and leading by example • Teamwork – effectively managing relationships and stakeholders • Inspiring others – commitment to engaging the next generation of young railway professionals • Achievement – demonstrating the ability to make a difference in the workplace and delivering results.

January 2016 | RailStaff | 23

NEWS

24 | RailStaff | January 2016

Sheffield’s tram-train experiment The UK’s first tram-train has been in the country for little over a month but already it is drawing significant interest.

On 10 December, Sheffield Supertram unveiled the first of seven new tramtrains it plans to start bringing into service this summer.

Built in Spain by Vossloh, the vehicle was officially unveiled at Sheffield’s Nunnery Depot as the centre piece of a two-year pilot being delivered by the Department for Transport (DfT), Stagecoach Supertram, Network Rail, Northern Rail and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE).

Passengers will be able to board one of the new vehicles at Sheffield Cathedral and travel directly to Parkgate Retail Centre in Rotherham, via Meadowhall South and Rotherham Central station, in about 25 minutes.

Static testing has already started. By the end of January, the first vehicle will begin testing on the tram network and by the summer, the operator hopes to have received three of the vehicles from Vossloh’s factory in Valencia.

Initially the tram-trains will be used to provide extra capacity in busy periods, with regular passenger services planned for early 2017.

Two-year pilot The tram-train pilot will run for two years. The popularity of the service will be carefully scrutinised and its success could lead to tram-train projects being pursued in other cities around the UK. Sheffield’s tram-train project team is already working with other transport bodies, says Rob Carroll, major projects manager at Stagecoach Supertram.

‘Manchester have been very interested from the start, so we’re currently having quarterly meetings

with Manchester just to relay what we’ve learned. What they’re currently planning on doing to feed into their projects from the start. We’ve now had a few meetings with Glasgow as well for the airport link, they’re interested, and then South Wales also.’

Glasgow only recently presented proposals for a tram-train service between the city centre and Glasgow Airport. The council has preferred tram-trains over a conventional light rail system between Glasgow Central

station and Paisley Gilmour Street.

Cardiff has for some time lobbied for a light rail system to connect the city with communities in South East Wales.

The project is drawing on the experience of Karlsruhe’s famous tram-train system. The Karlsruhe Model is often cited as the first tram-train system in Europe and has been the basis of other projects around the continent. The German city has also recently begun operating a new fleet of Vossloh Citylink tram-trains similar to those being trialled in Sheffield.

Drivers, conductors and rolling stock technicians have been to both Karlsruhe and Alicante to see the operation of tram-trains first hand. A driver training programme for the tramtrain has already begun.

Sheffield’s 37-metre, bi-directional Class 399 vehicles are dual-mode, allowing them to operate under the 750 V DC catenary on the Supertram network and the national network’s standard 25 kV AC OLE. The route to Rotherham will be electrified at 750 V DC - a project due to be completed by the end of 2016 - but a dual-mode vehicle was seen as essential given plans to electrify the Midland Main Line to Sheffield by 2023.

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FEATURE

26 | RailStaff | January 2016

Report by Colin Wheeler

India’s many

railways

Towards the end of last year I experienced a holiday in India. Years ago I spent a week in Chennai and experienced the performances of their taxi drivers but Dehli, Jaipur etc. were very different. The Virgin Atlantic car park at Heathrow exhibits warning signs banning Humervees, stretched-limos and any 4-metre high vehicles! Arriving in Dehli we were confronted by signs – ‘no horse-drawn vehicles’; ‘accident prone area’ and rather threateningly ‘you are under surveillance, over-speeding will result in prosecution’.

Candria Chowk Market was a frantic jumbled mixture of stalls and pedal powered rickshaws regularly bumping into each other. All the stalls had mains electricity connected by oversized multi-repaired cobwebs of wiring. Was any of it legal? No wonder Indian signalling engineers make light work of signalling repairs!

Winter blankets Dehli’s metro extensions were due for completion in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Having seen a couple of working sites I can confirm that the work is still underway. The city centre railways are carried high on double track concrete spans supported on heavy circular cross section columns.

Their weighty construction dwarfs the fume laden city roads beneath. Lead image shows New Dehli Street with elevated railway and expressway. Similar constructions carry dual carriageways above the crowded and grid-locked streets. Together they provide some shelter for rough sleeping village incomers who hawk and tout their wares at every roundabout and set of changing traffic lights.

Winter provision for the homeless of Delhi is a municipal concern and every November timber pole portal frames are roped together wherever there is space alongside main roads. During the rest of the year the poorest sleep rough in the open air but during the brief winter months they seek refuge in these tarpaulin covered temporary roadside barns.

According to the local papers this winter the donation of blankets for the use of those seeking overnight shelter is unlikely to be sufficient for their needs.

Driving right or left or?

We left Delhi on a three-lane, tolled expressway to Agra. I was assured that driving on the left was the rule as in the UK. But we were regularly overtaken from both sides, sometimes simultaneously. For safety’s

sake these moves were announced by the prolonged sounding of vehicle horns. Use of rear view mirrors is rare, indeed many commercial vehicles carry rear notices asking followers to sound their horns!

Occasionally the traffic would slow. Sometimes this was due to horse or camel drawn farmers’ carts using either the slow or fast lane in the right or wrong direction as it suited them. At other times a cow had decided to walk along or even across the road. On one occasion the cow we passed was contentedly lying down in the middle lane chewing the cud.

Tuktuk drivers naturally consider themselves exempt from all rules. As we went further out from the city centre the frenetic building of multi-storey residential flats increasingly gave way to small family farms. The most unusual road vehicles we saw were illegal farm ‘lorries’, self-built using a trailer and a converted water pump motor attached to the front with cannibalised steering and traction systems added. They were rarely under loaded as may be seen from the picture!

Pictured below is an illegal farmers wagon. Straw thatched barns abounded which are used to store dried out dung plats that are then used for cooking and heating.

Electrified railway There is a lot of railway in India. Indian Railways say that 23 million passenger train journeys are made each day and three million kilogrammes of freight is moved every 24 hours. Having observed some of their crowded trains I wonder about the accuracy of their passenger figures. How many avoid paying fares and are they included in the official statistics?

By April 2016, 1,600 route kilometres will be overhead electrified and the plan is for a further 200 kilometres to be electrified each year so that by April 2020 2,400 route kilometres will be using electricity rather than diesel.

117,000 kilometres of rail track To put the figures into perspective one needs to factor in the fact they their infrastructure includes 117,000 kilometres of track, covering 66,000 route kilometres. This serves around 7,500 railway stations.

Consequently, Indian Railways has around 1.4 million direct employees. The building and extension of city metro systems are not included in these statistics.

Naturally we did all the tourist things including a visit to the Taj Mahal and its Monty Don BBC featured gardens. We lingered expecting to see the sunset over the Taj dome. We were disappointed; despite the local use of battery driven rickshaws and both camel and horse drawn transport the pollution spoilt the view.

Particle pollution that day was around four times the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit and nitrogen oxide etc. limits were also being exceeded. The sun didn’t set that evening; instead it simply sank into the smog of pollution as it headed towards the horizon and disappeared.

According to the November edition of Indian Railways’ traveller’s magazine, ‘Railbandu’, which is published in Hindi and English, the relaying of the

FEATURE

January 2016 | RailStaff | 27

Shatabdi Express arriving.

previously one metre gauge route between Palakkado in Kerala and Pallachi in Tamil Nadu has recently been completed. The route was closed in 2008 to enable the work to be carried out. A major part of the project was the construction of the 200 metre long Yakkara Bridge over the Kannadi River. In addition to the conversion to standard gauge track a computer based system of signalling has been commissioned replacing the original Neal’s Ball token instruments and semaphore signalling.

Originally, detailed proposals for railway construction in India were drafted by a Mr F W Simms between 1845 and 1850. He was commissioned by the Board of the East India Company (EIC) to develop the detailed plans. In a letter written after his departure from India dated 4 July, 1850 Lord Dalhousie - at just 36 years of age the youngest ever Governor General of India - accepted the principle that railways covering the whole of India should be built.

It is estimated that over the next decade £150 million of British capital was spent building India’s railway system at an average cost of £18,000 per mile.

It was in March 1849 that the EIC signed agreements with both the Great India Peninsular Railway and the East India Railway companies allowing them to build and run railways with the EIC guaranteeing a 5 per cent return on their investment.

Bricks, lime and logs To support this effort industrial scale brick and lime manufacture as well as logging was needed.

Arguably the social consequences of these activities contributed to a growing discontent that culminated in the Great Uprising of 1857. Subsequently there was mass recruitment of workers for railway construction and whole villages took to following the work.

Following the uprising the return on investment criteria were modified to permit some routes to receive government assistance.

Long platforms and express trains After visiting the abandoned merchant city of Fatehpur Sikri we caught the Shatabdi Express train to Rhanthambhore where tigers, leopards and other wildlife may be seen. The train journey was timetabled to be just over three hours. I was surprised by the length of the platform, but later learnt that the express trains are normally made up of more than twenty coaches.

The wide coaches are open plan, seating five across (two and three) with an aisle between.

The use of the word “Express” is interesting as from my observations this does not imply that all (or indeed any) of the passenger coach doors need to be closed. As to the speed an average of around 40 mph is evidently considered adequate. Annoyingly penetrative chimes introduce each passenger announcement in two languages Indian English and Hindi. There is no need for a refreshment trolley.

Those apparently less than reliable pieces of kit are replaced by a number of energetic young men. One offers teas; others offer water, sandwiches, soup, crisps, sweets and chocolate.

At the end of each coach a red illuminated sign in Indian English gave the name of the next station, how far away it was in kilometres and the arrival time. As we approached each station the announcer gave not only the station name but also for how long the train would stop there - again in both Indian English and Hindi naturally. Usually just two minutes was allowed for minor stations but up to seven or eight for the larger ones. Our arrival at Ranthambhore was after sunset where we were met by safari jeeps that

whisked us through the lorry park, past an amazing range of individually decorated and precariously laden vehicles to our local hotel. Our trip to the game park was successful with three sightings of tigers.

‘Electric complaints office’ After Ranthambhore we travelled to the pink city of Jaipur and the Amber Fort before heading northwards deep into Rajastan to Sekhawati and Alsisar and then returning to Delhi and its smog. We travelled in ‘chair class’ the following day from Delhi Station to Kalka, a journey lasting four hours. The route length of the line is around 162 miles and it was first opened on 1 March, 1891. The station buildings are Victorian in appearance and were built from the locally available grey sandstone. Our train was 22 coaches long with each coach limited to a maximum speed of 110 kph.

We passed a freight train hauling over 50 oil tank wagons going more slowly than ourselves. A few kilometres before arrival in Kalka we passed through a local station without stopping but were moving slowly enough to see the platform being used by around a dozen large pink pigs, lying sunning themselves on platform 2. On arrival in Kalka we changed trains for Shimla. Walking between platforms we passed the offices of the “Government Railway Police” as well as more intriguingly the “Electric Complaints Office”.

The season of flirting It was Viceroy John Lawrence who achieved the official acceptance of Simla - later named Shimla - as the summer capital of the British Empire in India.

Afterwards although Kolkata and later Delhi were officially the capital cities, Simla continued to fill many of the capital’s roles all year round. Back in the early days of the Indian Empire it developed a social scene

FEATURE

28 | RailStaff | January 2016

Shimla maintenance shed.

that gave rise to some picturesque terminology.

Young wives whose spouses elected to remain down on the sweltering hot plains in their districts were known as ‘grass widows’. Then there were those unmarried ladies who sailed out from England looking for a husband. They were referred to as members of the ‘fishing fleet’. Many were successful and returned either married or with an engagement ring on their fingers. The less fortunate were dubbed as ‘empty vessels’ or ‘returned’.

So well-known was the scene that Rudyard Kipling in his role as correspondent of the Lahore Civil and Military Gazette wrote a column reporting ‘the season of flirting’! During his time in Simla he appeared on stage there in its miniature Victorian Theatre called the Gaiety, where Robert Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement also appeared on stage.

In July 2008 the Kalka-Shimla Railway was understandably awarded UNESCO World Heritage site status. As early as November 1847 a letter appeared in the Delhi Gazette together with an article proposing a railway up to Shimla. It included an outline route, estimated costs and forecast revenue returns. However, it was not until 29 June, 1898, that a contract was signed between the Secretary of State for India and the Delhi-Umballa-Kalka Railway Company for the construction and operation of the

Shimla Railway. The land needed was provided free of cost to the company by government and the railway was categorised as an “Assisted Railway” modifying the normal investment return criteria. Chief Engineer and Agent for the building of the Kalka-Simla Railway was H.S Harrington, who legend has it was assisted or guided on occasions by a local named Balku who allegedly had long lice infected hair.

Shimla Railway A route of 68 miles had been surveyed for a railway of just two foot gauge; as had been used for the earlier Darjeeling line. However the Army insisted on a 30 inch gauge being their standard for mountain railways. The ruling compensated gradient worked out at 1 in 33 and this was agreed. Back in 1895 consideration had been given to a rack and pinion railway with a gradient of 1 in 12, a rope hauling system and even a “1 in 25 adhesion railway”.

Three different weights of flat bottomed rail were initially chosen for the railway; 41¼, 60 and 62 lbs per yard. The rails were to be carried on baseplates fixed to timber sleepers. From my own observations, today most rails are 30 feet long. The tightest curves are check railed. The route of the railway rises from just 656 metres above sea level at Kalka to 2,075 metres at Shimla Station.

Tunnels, bridges and a brewery!

102 tunnels had to be driven resulting in a total route tunnel length of 8 kilometres - originally 103 were planned but number 46 at Solan proved to be unnecessary.

However a brewery was built at Solan instead, but more of that later! The railway has 900 ‘notable’ curves including reverse curves and a good many with 36 metre radii as well as 800 bridges. The tightest curves have a radius of just 33 metres and the completed railway route of just 96 kilometres is almost 12 miles shorter than that originally planned.

‘Kissing Tunnel’ The most impressive bridge is at Kanoh. It is actually a 2.8 km long viaduct built in masonry. The construction is five tiers of masonry arches high at the deepest point and to this day it is breath-taking to see.

Old photographs do it justice but today’s abundant undergrowth hides its grandeur. The longest tunnel is named Borag Tunnel, which quickly earned the nickname ‘Kissing Tunnel’ due to its length and the use made of the unlit carriages. A less happy story explains the original tunnel name. Mr or Colonel Borag was in charge of its construction. Tunnelling started from both ends due to the length of tunnel needed.

The stories vary, but essentially he realised that the two ends were not going to meet so shot himself and is buried near the tunnel. The second version of this tale claims that before shooting himself he shot his dog. Barog Station at 1530 metres above sea level is almost halfway. Reputedly it has the prettiest railway refreshment room in India with catering by ‘Spencers’

FEATURE

who used to boast of providing porridge with bacon and eggs.

Solan at 1494 metres is the next station after Borag.

However it is more famous for its beer than for its railway. The presence of the British Army in India naturally led to a demand for English beer. Although hogsheads of beer were shipped out the long voyage resulted in large quantities being delivered in an undrinkable condition.

One George Hodgson is credited with being the first to brew highly hopped pale ale; later known as India Pale Ale (IPA) as it is to this day. But although it travelled well, the cost was high due to the transportation from England. Around 1850 Edward Dyer whose family came from a small village in Devon started brewing Lion Beer locally in Solan. It was a great success, not least because it was sold at around half the price of its imported competitor.

Short steel and concrete sleepers From my journey up to Shimla in December 2015, I can confirm that much of the track is now carried on short steel sleepers with the former timber ones, now well rotten stacked nearby awaiting removal. However, when we passed a short concrete sleeper factory at lineside, I noticed that the sleeper ends had all been carefully painted black. I know not why. At Shimla terminal station point oiling was in progress during my visit. A steam locomotive fitted with a snow plough was stabled outside the maintenance shed and a train was being examined on the elevated cast iron maintenance pit stools in the open. Two tracks of stools are available for use but only one is under cover.

Signalling is by an absolute block system using Neal’s Ball token instruments together with semaphore signals. The route is subdivided into lengths which are each 9 kilometres long and are individually patrolled. When possessions are needed for maintenance or as a result of rail infrastructure problems detonators as well as warning flags are used to define the possession limits.

January 2016 | RailStaff | 29

Locomotives and wheel slip When the Kalka to Shimla Railway opened its first locomotives were supplied by Sharp, Stewart and Company of Glasgow. The first locomotives supplied were built in 1900 and 1902 respectively. They had been designed for two foot gauge and were modified for two foot gauge usage. Chief engineer and Agent Harrington commented that they ‘jolt considerably on curves’. Further locomotives were obtained with the next ten being heavier but with ‘abnormally weak adhesion on wet and greasy rails’. Not good when they experienced their first monsoon season. He found it necessary to reduce the number of coaches they hauled on the wetter days.

The next two engines had symmetrically arranged driving wheels and were fitted with steam brakes with two handles allowing them to be used on the engine alone or as vacuum braking throughout the train.

The government was asked by the railway company to buy the line after it was built and this was agreed.

The purchase was completed on 1 January, 1906, although work on the line continued for another year.

In May 1911 the first railcar was introduced to the line. It carried just two passengers but also up to half a ton of mail. Later ones could accommodate as many

as a dozen passengers, a postal clerk and the mail.

Railcar number 14 did not appear until 1934. This had a rear mounted diesel engine, side windows and doors to both front and rear. When the railway opened the population it served numbered around 25,000.

Today the population has risen to around 200,000 living within an area of 25 square kilometres.

Although the location and World Heritage site status has brought in large numbers of tourists, locals still use the “Toy Train” on a daily basis. The line has including both Kalka and Shimla its termini - no fewer than 16 stations with the distances between them varying between three and 12 kilometres. Travelling all the way takes around six hours so it is good to be able to observe local people hopping on and off for a couple of stops or so.

Now officially Shimla In this article, I have tried to use the spellings of Simla or Shimla as is appropriate for the times.

Originally the town was known as Simla. As part of the British Empire the Viceroy was Governor of the Punjab as well as being the Commander-in-Chief. Although the use of Simla in English was most prevalent in the early years, the original village name was variously translated as Shimlu, Shemalaya, Semla, Shumla, and even Shamla.

The last translates as dark lady or blue and is also another name for the Hindu goddess Kali who is especially popular in these hills. The English spelling Simla was popular until relatively recently, although a softer beginning it may be argued more fully reflects the Hindi vernacular pronunciation. The matter was finally decided by the government of Himachal Pradesh after its establishment when as recently as 1978 ‘Shimla’ it was agreed would be the single accepted spelling.

Officers’ rest home A final reminder of our long railway history and the British Victorian ways of doing things was evident as I left Shimla Station. I spotted the access gate to the ‘Officers Railway Rest Home’ not to be confused with nearby ‘Railway Rest Home’ which presumably is used for other ranks? Both appeared to still be in use.

NEWS

30 | RailStaff | January 2016

Double thumbs up for North Country The transfer of Northern Rail to Arriva and the retention of TransPennine Express by FirstGroup has been given a thumbs up by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP).

Says Neil Buxton ACoRP General Manager, ‘ACoRP welcomes the announcement of the new operators of the Northern and TransPennine franchise.

‘The Arriva bid has some very strong commitments to community rail. This underlines Government’s belief in community rail as a way of revitalising local lines and services.

There are some very exciting opportunities for the sector in the coming years, and ACoRP is looking forward to working with Arriva on developing their plans for Northern.’

Arriva has committed to the replacement of Northern’s Pacer fleet and service improvements on many community rail lines.

Both franchises transfer in April 2016.

FirstGroup will be relieved to have retained

TransPennine. Says FirstGroup’s chief executive Tim O’Toole, ‘Our plans include investment in new and refurbished trains on every part of the network, with millions more seats available, free Wi-Fi and simpler smart and mobile ticketing, allowing us to build on the success we have had over the past 11 years.’

Passenger journeys have doubled. ‘We will work with local authorities, customers and community groups to give them a real stake in the future of their

intercity rail travel.

‘The new TransPennine Express will connect the North and keep people moving and communities prospering across the region,’ adds O’Toole.

Neil Buxton acknowledged FirstGroup’s support for community rail. ‘First have been very supportive of community rail and we’ve had a good working relationship with them. We look forward to continuing and strengthening this relationship in the new franchise.’

Tyne Tees Tracker in charity spectacular A special train organised by staff at First TransPennine Express (FTPE) and the Branch Line Society has raised over £20,000 for Railway Children.

Supporters of the charity’s ‘If I Grow Up Appeal’ and rail enthusiasts travelled on the Tyne & Tees Tracker, starting and finishing at York, to raise money for vulnerable street children.

Through ticket sales, raffles and a silent auction coordinated by FTPE’s enthusiastic staff and their creative fundraising skills – not to mention the the amazing generosity of passengers – over £10,000 was raised in just a few hours for some of the world’s most at risk children. Thanks to UK Aid, the government will double every pound raised by the event.

Says Tim Brawn, duty control manager at FTPE, ‘We’re delighted with the fantastic support shown by the FTPE team, BLS volunteers and everyone involved to make the day such a success, helping to highlight a very serious issue, and we are over the moon to have raised over £20,000.’

Katie Mason, events manager at Railway Children, added, ‘We could not be more grateful to the staff at First Transpennine Express and BLS for their support and incredible enthusiasm, which made it such a great day. The funds will put more rescue workers on the streets, as well as helping Railway Children

to provide shelter, food, clothing, medical supplies, education and counselling for many more vulnerable children.’

First Transpennine Express staff and BLS volunteers present a cheque for £20,185 to Katie Mason, Events Manager at Railway Children.

Paris coup for rail video Routes into Rail’s video, ‘What I Have Always Wanted,’ has won first prize in the corporate films category at the 21st Festival International CinéRail at the UIC in Paris.

The video, produced by Rob Pendlebury, managing director of Picturascope, was supported by RSSB, Rail Research UK Association (RRUKA), IMechE, IRSE, BIS and Young Rail Professionals (YRP).

RSSB partnerships manager Giulia Lorenzini was in Paris to collect the award. ‘It’s great that the passion and enthusiasm of young rail professionals in the UK has been recognised by the festival jury.

‘It’s an amazing reward for all the work that was put in and for the generous help of the volunteers featured in the video,’ she said.

Routes into Rail, part of NSARE, helps attract people to pursue careers in the rail industry.

NEWS

32 | RailStaff | January 2016

Cross purpose

Transport for London plans to develop a park-side rotunda and eight deep level shelters as exhibition halls and a café.

Inspired by the success of the Crossrail project, the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) plan to set up a new company, Crossrail 2 Ltd, to take forward the north-south crossLondon rail link.

Crossrail 2 will run through an underground tunnelled section between Wimbledon and Tottenham Hale and New Southgate, and will connect with the rail network in Surrey and Hertfordshire.

Crossrail 2 Ltd will be a wholly owned subsidiary of TfL tasked with driving forward the development of the project.

The proposed railway received a boost in the recent Spending Review and Autumn Statement, as the Chancellor confirmed that the project would be eligible for funding from a new £300 million Transport Development Fund.

TfL and Network Rail have already made a comprehensive business

case submission to Government, and the project will now be considered by the new National Infrastructure Commission, chaired by Lord Adonis, which is expected to report back in spring 2016.

Says Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, ‘The contribution of the Crossrail project shows how successful we can be in taking forward vital infrastructure projects. It makes sense that we now proceed with forming Crossrail 2 Limited for the development phase and get construction underway as soon as possible.’

Take cover!

The building, near Clapham South station, sits above historic Grade II listed World War Two shelters.

Under the rotunda lie eight deeplevel air-raid shelters built between 1940 and 1942. The vast tunnels make up one of seven deep level networks constructed along the Northern line.

When the bombing of London intensified with the use of V-1 and V-2 bombs in 1944, the shelters housed up to 8,000 Londoners during air-raids.

After the war, the complex was used as a military and civilian hostel.

Then in 1948, 492 migrants from Jamaica, who arrived on the HMT Empire Windrush, were temporarily housed in the shelter.

The Festival of Britain in 1951 saw large

Wow factor for Norfolk apprentice scheme This month a new Stow station ScotRail is correcting the mispronunciation of a Scottish Borders village, Stow, on the new Borders Railway, seven miles north of Galashiels.

For several months locals have had to grit their teeth on hearing recordings announcing a stop at Stow mispronounced to rhyme with flow. In fact Stow should be pronounced to rhyme with wow.

The word is old English for Holy Place.

Railway broadcasters are thought to have confused the name with Stow on the Wold in Gloucestershire - which lost its rail link in 1962.

ScotRail communications director Rob Shorthouse said, ‘In the rush to get everything up and running, we got all the recordings done and it just slipped through the net. It was a bad mistake, and we are just really embarrassed about it in truth and we just want to get it fixed.’

apprenticeship scheme for customer service gets underway at Abellio Greater Anglia.

The training programme will see 10 new recruits join the company’s customer service team. As well as gaining experience of core customer

service roles on trains and stations, the apprentices will spend time with revenue protection inspectors, catering, train presentation and fleet maintenance teams.

All 10 apprentices will receive one-toone training while working at Norwich on the 12-month programme. They will work towards a Level 2 NVQ. The

numbers of tourists and school children arriving in London and the shelter was once again used to house them and others requiring cheap accommodation.

Says Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at Transport for London, ‘Clapham South’s deep-level shelters have played an important role in shaping the London that we know today.

‘The planning approval that we have received from Lambeth Council means that this structure can once again be brought back to life.’

It is the only deep-level shelter that retains original signage and many of the original bunk beds.

course is aimed at those aged between 18 and 23 and, although the jobs will be based in Norwich, it is expected that the apprentices will work across the East Anglia patch.

The initiative complements the Norwich for Jobs campaign, which aims to reduce youth unemployment in the city and surrounding area.

Luke Edwards, Anne Froud, Lucy Robert, Anna Miszczyk, Nicola Garwood.

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FEATURE

34 | RailStaff | January 2016

S Stock 191 all out

A total of 1,395 carriages and almost 13 years since being awarded the contract, Bombardier is close to completing the final train of its popular S Stock class.

At a ceremony in Derby, Bombardier’s UK managing director Richard Hunter and London Underground managing director Nick Brown presented the final car of the 191 trains on order for the Underground.

Once the speeches were complete, technicians continued the fit-out of the final carriage. Bombardier’s S Stock trains are now in service across the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, collectively known as the subsurface lines.

Nick Brown described the S Stock as the future of Tube trains. ‘They’re bright and light and airy inside, so it just feels much more contemporary, much more comfortable and much more easy to travel in.’

Signalling renewal The new £1.5 billion fleet, coupled with a major signalling renewal programme, will deliver a much higher frequency service on the sub-surface network - which makes up around 40 per cent of the London Underground. In August, Thales was awarded a £760 million contract to do the work. The contract had been re-let after Bombardier pulled out, deciding it would be unable to deliver the system.

Speaking to RailStaff, Nick Brown said Thales had made a ‘cracking start’ to delivering the new signalling and automatic train control systems across all lines by 2022. In order for this to happen, all 191 S Stock trains will have to return to Derby to have the onboard systems fitted.

He said, ’We’ve already tested the train-to-signalling and signallingto-train equipment at the Old Dalby test track, so proving that works and the train was taken under automatic control, which proves that the CBTC system works.

‘That is a huge milestone which has been achieved just four months after the programme started - a major testimony not just to the train but also to the excellent work of Thales and London Underground engineers.’

Talking about the introduction of the S Stock, he added, ‘Through the summer we actually accelerated the programme for a period of time. We brought more trains into service and managed to catch up with driver

FEATURE

and engineer training. Trains will all be in service by the middle-end of next year.’

Onward to Crossrail

order for new Victoria line trains, has been a significant part of the Derby factory’s output for the best part of 13 years.

Although the S Stock production line is winding down, Richard said the engineering workforce will actually increase to both deliver the Crossrail order and meet the servicing and maintenance requirement for the S Stock fleet. The new test shed being built specially for Crossrail is expected to be operational in Q2 2016.

Says Per Allmer, head of Western Europe, Middle East and Africa region at Bombardier Transportation, ‘With

© TFL

The 191 trains break down as 58 eight-car units for the Metropolitan line, to replace the A Stock trains, and 133 seven-car S7 units for the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines to replace the C and D stock vehicles.

The fleet is currently delivering 110,000 kilometres between service failures.

The S Stock contract awarded to Bombardier in 2003, along with an

January 2016 | RailStaff | 35

the successful completion of this new SSL fleet, together with our previous build of the new Victoria Line trains, we have now delivered more than 1,700 vehicles to London Underground since 2009 and

amassed over two million engineering hours’ experience.

‘As the only supplier currently providing air-conditioned stock on the Tube, we’re keen to capitalise on this experience in the future.’

NEWS

36 | RailStaff | January 2016

Hogmanay hurrah The ScotRail Alliance has announced a New Year’s start for its largest-ever train improvement programme.

The aim is to deliver thousands of extra seats, new trains, improved accessibility and enhanced facilities such as at-seat power points and better Wi-Fi. ScotRail will spend £475 million on the programme over the next seven years. This will see 75 per cent of its train fleet either renewed or fully refurbished.

180 carriages will be added to the fleet – bringing the total to almost 1,000.

Two-thirds of ScotRail trains will be refurbished by 2018. Seven Class 320 trains will be introduced early in 2016.

Says ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster, ‘This is the biggest improvement programme in ScotRail’s history…. I know that one of the biggest

New trail for Crofton Park Thameslink has launched its first Station Partnership with members of the local community officially adopting Crofton Park station.

The local group had already established a garden on spare land at the station. The station garden includes flowers, as well as

issues concerning our customers is busy trains. I hope, with the programme we are announcing today, people will see we are taking action.

‘Alongside the massive projects we are currently delivering, this programme will bring more seats, shorter journey times and a rail service that is better for our

environment.’

Eversholt Rail is carrying out the refurbishment programme and providing the seven additional Class 320 trains. All 21 of ScotRail’s Class 318s are being fully refurbished inside and out, with new accessible toilets, wheelchair spaces and companion seating.

The first of the 70 new Hitachi electric fleet will start to operate in autumn 2017 on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High line with the remainder appearing across the Central Belt the following year. In addition, 27 fully refurbished HSTs are being introduced onto inter-city routes during the second half of 2018.

vegetables, and is looked after by the Crofton Park Railway Group.

Thameslink has agreed to let the group expand further on the station.

The garden has helped transform an overgrown area of the station which, historically, was plagued with litter, including a number of old mattresses.

Since the creation of the garden, fly-tipping has reduced significantly and the group has plans to make it even more attractive to the 700,000 passengers who travel through the station each year. Thameslink will

also install a community board on the station’s footbridge to help promote the garden and events organised locally. Says Kay Pallaris, member of the Crofton Park Railway Group, ‘It’s very exciting to be the first station partner for Thameslink. It’s even more exciting to think we are the first of many communities who can also get involved in their station.

‘Partnership is very important in this day and age, and it’s positive to enable change in the neighbourhood.’

Crofton Park is a trail blazer and marks the start of a new initiative by staff at Thameslink.

Says Crofton Park station manager Graham Duncan, ‘We really like our stations to be part of the local community and the partnership is a great part of our engagement with the local area. This is the first of many station partnerships we hope to establish in the coming years.’

Snack attack

Blossoming relationship: Celebrating Thameslink’s first station partnership, at Crofton Park, are (from left): David Hutchen, station manager Graham Duncan, Veronica Ojarikre, Tony Rich, Ulla Carlisle, Ita Nicholl and Kay Pallaris.

Transport minister Lord Ahmad plans to take a new look at the phenomenon of hurrying passengers eating on trains.

The issue of fast food consumption was brought up by Lord Sherbourne in parliament. The Manchester peer is alarmed at the copious amounts of burgers, kebabs and sandwiches crammed down on crowded trains.

Rich smelling fried food is as offensive as cigarette smoke, claims Sherbourne.

‘Many passengers in congested carriages find that very offensive,’ he suggested in the House of Lords.

‘It creates litter and, when left lying around carriages, can create a health hazard.’

With record loadings on the London Underground, food on the Tube could be a thing of the past if Sherbourne and traditional diners have their way. The conundrum for the rail industry is the huge spending power of passengers at railway stations.

Lord Ahmad says there are no current plans for a ban but will raise the issue with rail chiefs in the new year.

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NEWS

38 | RailStaff | January 2016

Soldiers tackle railway skills gap

The rail industry makes a good successor career for military personnel looking for further challenge and adventure: That’s the message from rail chiefs and rail staff helping heroes onto the metals.

Now at work on the railway, the group had successfully completed a mixture of work-based and college training, delivered and funded by a partnership between Siemens and Wiltshire College.

Proven leadership skills Ten former military personnel graduated late last year from Wiltshire College, following six weeks of intensive training as part of Siemens Rail Automation’s new ‘Military2Rail’ initiative.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, David Attmere, himself a former Warrant Officer with the Royal Engineers and now a project director with Siemens, said, ‘There is a real skills shortage in the © MOD

rail industry, which cannot be remedied by recruiting apprentices, graduates and trainees alone.

‘We have developed this initiative specifically for former Armed Forces personnel; ready-trained and highly-skilled individuals who I am confident will become first class rail engineers. But not only will they bring much-needed technical skills to our industry, they are also highly motivated and loyal.

Above all, they have proven leadership and teamworking skills which will be invaluable.’

Siemens built the programme with the Careers Transition Partnership and Help for Heroes. The 10 trainees can look forward to rewarding jobs at Siemens as design engineers, testers and installation team leaders. An eleventh individual who applied for the course already had the required industry skills and was offered immediate employment.

What next?

Help for Heroes offers career recovery support to those who have become wounded, injured or sick during their time in service.

Says Susan Turnbull, head of career recovery at Help for Heroes, ‘When an injury occurs, it can change your life instantly and, before you know it, what you thought would be a career for life has gone. Suddenly you are left with the feeling of ‘what next?’

‘Through our Career Recovery programmes, we help injured servicemen and women identify a new, fulfilling future. We believe the skills of servicemen and women, such as communication, problem solving, leadership and teamwork, make them highly employable and valuable to the civilian workplace.

We are extremely grateful to Siemens for offering three of our wounded heroes a new and purposeful career outside the Armed Forces.’

NEWS

January 2016 | RailStaff | 39

© MOD

It’s a pleasure to work with military candidates says Rob Hand, deputy director at the Wiltshire College’s Chippenham campus.

‘The Military2Rail programme has been a fantastic opportunity to introduce service people into a much needed area where there is a skills shortage,’ says Rob. ‘It has enabled the candidates to transfer their skills from the services to a national company and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with them and Siemens.’

first Military2Rail training programme.

‘I am now really looking forward to working with a new team of people in Siemens’ Chippenham office, where I will be taking on the role of trainee signal design engineer.’

Siemens Rail Automation is heavily involved in the expansion of Britain’s rail network installing and commissioning track-side and in-train signalling and train control systems as well as track vacancy detection, level-crossing protection and rail communications.

The rail industry sets high value on the skills offered by soldiers and servicemen

A new career The new railwaymen are delighted, too. On completing the course, Paul Wilson, who served for 10 years with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, said, ‘Since leaving the Army in 2012, I have received fantastic support from Help for Heroes who are helping me deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and prepare for a new career.

‘I have been searching for a meaningful job where I can fully utilise the skills that I gained in the Army and was absolutely delighted to be chosen for the

“I have been searching for a meaningful job where I can fully utilise the skills that I gained in the Army and was absolutely delighted to be chosen for the first Military2Rail training programme.”

NEWS

40 | RailStaff | January 2016

Conductors welcomed Abellio Greater Anglia has launched a team of eight new conductors following completion of the training programme.

The conductors were welcomed

by Abellio Greater Anglia’s customer service director, Andrew Goodrum, at a graduation ceremony held in Norwich.

Trainee conductors participate in a rigorous 16-week training programme.

Says Andrew Goodrum, ‘It is always a pleasure to be able to welcome new colleagues into our team, and I should like to wish all of our recently graduated conductors every success for their future careers.’

Manchester meet for Women in Community Rail The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) has endorsed the new ‘Women in Community Rail’ support group.

A steering group is being put in place and will be holding its first meeting in Manchester on 22 January.

Anyone interested in helping should get in touch with Sally Buttifant at the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership or Hazel Bonner at ACoRP in Huddersfield.

The group will be supporting women active in community rail, including those who work in the industry railway organisations, train companies, and Network Rail - and the growing number of women already active in Community Rail Partnerships.

Hendy to speak at Infrarail

Team Locomotion wins graduate challenge

The chairman of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at Infrarail 2016 on 13 April, the middle day of this year’s rail infrastructure show at ExCeL London.

Sir Peter, who was previously commissioner of Transport for London from 2006 until 2015, joined Network Rail just as questions were being asked about the organisation’s ability to deliver its committed level of work by 2019, the end of Control Period 5.

The ‘Hendy Report’, reshaping the delivery of Network Rail’s five-year investment programme, has now been published. With the Shaw report - looking at the future shape and financing of Network Rail - due in March 2016, there will be plenty of topical news about.

Sir Peter’s address will be a highlight of an intensive programme of activities taking place during the exhibition.

These include a daily keynote speech,

‘We already have a lot of interest and backing from various industry colleagues,’ says Sally. ‘But we are really keen to muster more support throughout the industry. We’d like male colleagues to come forward and join the group as well as female colleagues. As part of our inclusive agenda we are very keen to show that WiCR isn’t just about women, it is about inclusiveness and partnership working.’

A team of six employees from Interfleet, now part of SNC-Lavalin, has won the Times Graduate Challenge.

industry seminars, project updates and discussion forums, all open to everyone attending. Details of these will be added to the Infrarail website - www.infrarail. com - as they are finalised.

With the latest equipment and products on display by leading industry suppliers and plenty of opportunities to learn about key developments in railway infrastructure policy and technology, Infrarail 2016 is shaping up to be an event not to be missed.

The show takes place from 12 to 14 April.

Entry will be free for pre-registered visitors, with online registration via the website opening during January.

This will also give access to CITE 2016 - the Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition, featuring many of the civils products and services needed for rail projects, as well as for highways, utilities and communications networks.

More information on Infrarail 2016 including the latest exhibitor list is available at www.infrarail.com, with details of CITE 2016 at www.cite-uk.com.

The competition aims to develop leadership potential in recent graduates at the start of their professional careers.

This year’s participants were given a number of practical tasks, including a plane crash survival challenge and a search and rescue operation.

As part of the challenge, each team was tasked with raising funds for Accounting for Africa, a charity which supports a dedicated orphan feeding scheme in South Africa.

Says Lynette Comrie, graduate development manager at Interfleet, ‘Team Locomotion: Charlie Morse, Emma Taylor, James Heede, Phil Bolton, Shail Patel and Vipul Hitesh, did a brilliant job. As well as proving their potential, they also raised money for a fantastic cause.’

2016 courses available to book now Leading Self and Managing Others (Level 5) A 2 day course to assist with developing 21st Century Leadership Skills.

20th & 21st January 2016 - Northampton

The new UK flagship Traction and Rolling Stock training centre NTAR, the new multi-million pound, state-of-the-art training centre for traction and rolling stock, was officially opened by Transport Minister Claire Perry recently, and is proud to have already hosted a number of courses, including a week long Railway Engineering Design Technician Apprenticeship workshop, with more than 50 students in attendance.

Introductory Vehicle Technical Course A 10 day course designed for newly appointed Rail Technicians.

7th March 2016 - Northampton Bogie Maintenance A 1 day course covering the maintenance and principles of operation of the bogie.

21st January 2016 - Northampton Introduction to Doors Maintenance A 2 day introduction to the set up and maintenance of train interior, cab and saloon doors.

30th March 2016 - Northampton

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To book please call: 01604 594 440

RAILWAY CHILDREN

42 | RailStaff | January 2016

Railway Children: New campaign to help East Africa’s street children What are you going to be when you grow up? It’s a familiar question for many children. When David Maidment, former head of safety at British Rail and founder of the charity Railway Children, was young it was always the railways. But for too many children across the world today, thoughts of the future evoke terror rather than excitement.

For too many children, the question of growing up begins not with when but if.

When travelling home from an international business trip in 1989, David saw a small girl whipping herself at a station in Mumbai and, more than 25 years later, he is still haunted by the experience. The encounter inspired him to launch Railway Children, a charity dedicated to helping street children.

In East Africa, thousands of children run to the streets, escaping poverty,

violence and neglect at home. The life they find on the streets is often far more dangerous than the one they left behind. Street children are abused, trafficked and prostituted. They face violence, disease and even death.

These streets had become home to 11-year-old Elnest. His father dead and his mother in hospital, he had nowhere to go. He endured things no child should experience. He was abused, beaten and at terrible risk – until he was found by Joram, a Railway Children rescue worker.

Railway Children traced Elnest’s mum, Elizabeth, and gave her a grant to set up a business, helping her to give Elnest the care he needs. It also helped him go back to school, which led to an apprenticeship fixing cars and a brighter future.

But there are only so many children someone like Joram can reach. Which is why, 20 years since David Maidment set up Railway Children, the charity launched the If I Grow Up campaign.

With the support of RailStaff and its readers, Railway Children hopes to raise £300,000 to expand its work where it’s desperately needed. And every pound raised before January 22, 2016 will be doubled by the UK government.

• £16 – doubled to £32 – could pay for a rescue worker to search the streets for two days looking for children at risk • £24 – doubled to £48 – could feed a child in a Kenyan shelter three meals a day for 12 weeks • £58 – doubled to £116 – could help us safely return two children home

and pay for a follow-up visit to work through the family’s issues Thanks to a huge amount of help from rail industry staff, passengers and corporate partners, Railway Children has been able to change the lives of over 270,000 street children in the UK, India and East Africa, since starting in 1995. The rail industry has done so much to help vulnerable children who live alone at risk on the streets – but now is a chance for every pound you donate to go twice as far.

You can find more information about the campaign and how you can help at www.ifigrowup.org.uk

NEWS

44 | RailStaff | January 2016

A running start Last year was a rollercoaster year for the rail industry. Mired by the pausing of several modernisation projects, there was an air of uncertainty surrounding Network Rail’s capability to carry out all promised works in CP5.

On the upside, we witnessed the grand reopening of the remarkable Birmingham New Street station, the completion of the Reading station area redevelopment, whilst HS2 and Crossrail 2 have both made great leaps forward towards starting construction.

It’s also been an extraordinary year for rail recruitment specialists advance-Training & Recruitment Services. The health and safety management system used by advance was recently OHSAS 18001 accredited by ACS Registrars. An OHSAS 18001 accredited safety management system enables advance to fully identify and control health and safety risks in the workplace, reducing the potential for future accidents and incidents.

The consultancy has also been awarded a five star audit after receiving zero non-conformances for two successive years. RISQS is a pre-qualification scheme used by rail industry buyers to certify capable suppliers of products and services.

‘We’re now coming off the back of a categorically outstanding year in 2015,’ says managing director, Andy Ridout. ‘I’m delighted that we’re being recognised

for providing services at the highest levels which we know is something our clients have come to expect in this industry. Everybody at advance has put in a huge amount of work within the last year, and we’re all really looking forward to a running start in 2016.’

The Surrey-based recruitment consultancy now employs 23 full-time staff and has plans to grow the workforce by up to more than 60 by 2019. Demand from clients has increased dramatically in the last year and turnover has increased more than 63 per cent within that time.

In order to accommodate the increase in demand from clients, advance has made an investment in a wider workspace and the team is currently in the

process of moving into new offices with more than twice the current floor space.

Advance is now looking forward to an even busier 2016 and with multiple projects due to begin, it’s an exciting time to find a new career.

Are you a talented rail professional looking for a new start this year? Advance Training & Recruitment Services are working with some of the biggest names in rail engineering on some of the UK’s most prestigious projects.

Get in contact with advance’s specialist recruitment team today, call 01483 361 061 or find the latest vacancies live at www.advancerailwayjobs.com ‘Together, we can all advance.’

CAREERS

January 2016 | RailStaff | 45

Opportunities now exist for skilled Maintenance Technicians to progress their career with an ambitious and growing market leader within the Railway Industry. We are looking for electrical bias or dual-skilled technicians with either a full apprenticeship, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in an engineering discipline. You will be working with a motivated team on modern rolling stock ensuring reliability, performance and production targets are consistently achieved. In return, you can expect long-term career progression and ongoing training and development from a supportive management team who actively seek to promote from within.

Su The Successful Candidate must come from either a Rolling Stock, Forces, Navy, Marines or Production Line background and must have worked on various different Electrical Systems.

Apply today for immediate interviews!

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Ideally live in the London area.

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· 5 years plus experience in the rail sector (not necessarily in sales).

If you meet the requirements and are interested in joining our exciting and expanding company, please email your CV to careers@21stplc.com Telephone: +44 (0) 844 871 7990 Web: 21stplc.com NO AGENCIES NEED APPLY

CAREERS

46 | RailStaff | January 2016

Isle of Man Government – Isle of Man Railways Railway Infrastructure Maintenance Manager 37 hours per week | Grade D506 | £42,902 - £50,125 per ammum Isle of Man Railways within the Department of Infrastructure are seeking a professionally qualified railway engineering manager to join the engineering management team and lead the maintenance of the track, structures, power supply, overhead line and associated infrastructure of the Isle of Man Steam, Manx Electric and Snaefell Mountain Railways to allow safe and effective railway operations.

The Isle of Man is surrounded by beautiful beaches and enjoys a mild maritime climate. Situated between Ireland and England it is 40 minutes flying time from London and has transportation links to other major UK cities. There are ferry services to Liverpool, Heysham, Belfast and Dublin.

For further information about living in the Isle of Man and the Island’s lifestyle visit www.visitisleofman.com

The post holder will be the line manager for approx. 25 staff, with an annual budget of approx. £1.25m. The post holder will also be the technical head for Permanent Way or Electrical Engineering.

A generous relocation package will be available for the successful candidate relocating to the Isle of Man.

Applicants must hold an appropriate professional qualification in an engineering or safety discipline and have at least 5 years experience in managing either permanent way or electrical related maintenance within a railway / tramway system.

The Isle of Man is a self-governing dependency within the British Isles.

The post holder will enjoy the benefits of low income tax, high rates of personal allowance and a low crime rate. Other advantages include good sea and air links, excellent quality of individual and family life, superb scenery and excellent leisure facilities.

More details of the duties of the post can be obtained from Mr Jeremy Reece, Chief Engineer on 01624 697476.

An online application and job description can be obtained from: www.gov.im/jobs If you have difficulties applying online please contact the Employment Services Team on 01624 686300 or by email at JobTrainHelpdesk@gov.im The closing date for applications is Friday 26 February 2016.

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CAREERS

January 2016 | RailStaff | 47

Morson International have exciting permanent and contract opportunities working on major electrification projects UK wide.

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