RailStaff July 2016 by Rail Media

JULY 2016 | ISSUE 224

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CONTENTS JULY 2016 | ISSUE 224

RAILSPORT GAMES 2016 | 20 A roundup of the results from this year’s event, and the history behind railway sport competitions in the UK and overseas

RAIB ANNUAL REPORT | 26

Colin Wheeler discusses the findings of the RAIB’s 2015 annual report with chief inspector Simon French.

LIFE OF A CROSSRAIL APPRENTICE | 34 George Holder, who had been training to be a doctor, explains why he chose to pursue a career in rail.

SOMME OFFENSIVE MARKED BY RAILWAY | 44 The rail industry commemorated the First World War with a series of events to mark the Battle of the Somme in which one million soldiers were either killed or wounded.

E G N AL L E

| 38 LENGE L A H C ised RAIL PEAKSPeaks Challenge ral raised for E E R H T e tota Three n. ing th ar’s This ye .4 millio 0, bring £165,00 n charity to £2 to e s clo ildre way Ch the Rail

NIGHT TRAIN TO MOSCOW | 52 David Shirres makes Europe’s longest train journey - the 3,483 km Paris to Moscow service run by Russian Railways (RZD).

NATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY | 58 Marc Johnson visited PROCAT to see how Thales is working to bring more women into engineering.

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Post-EU Britain has a choice: Make a success of country, job and self, or descend into a madness of imagined failure and what Welsh socialist Aneurin Bevan called the Poverty of Aspiration. The central challenge of every business, sports team, apprentice and careerist is the nagging doubt: Can I do this? Right at the start of RailStaff a platform dispatcher, a woman, was offered a position as community relations manager on the basis of several school visits she’d made. She initially turned it down, saying working class people like me don’t do this. I’m not clever enough. The local PR manager, with some delicacy, argued that her superiors at HQ hardly dwarfed her with their vaunting intellect. This magazine exists to encourage people like her to take up that challenge, promotion, new job. The railway is effective because it © Shutterstock.com

is led by so many people who worked their way up. Britain needs a consensus that we can do this; we can make a success of the fifth strongest global economy fuelled by the imagination and ingenuity of its peoples from around the world. Be assured the world’s oldest functioning democracy is not about to crumble because its political class succumbs to a fit of the vapours. For self-confidence consider the magic of Rail Live 2016 and the 1,000s of staff and suppliers who came together to exchange views and take part in live on-track equipment demonstrations - a ballet of positive thinking. Lest we grow over-whimsical, contrast this with the industrial relations at ScotRail and Southern. Staff and public remain deeply suspicious of driver only operation. Change is a constant, but the strikes prove the fundamental importance of taking your workforce with you - lest it Votes Leave. Consider too the great efforts made at RailSport Games and the many fundraising activities like the Three Peaks Challenges and innumerable cycle rides, triathlons, dances and dinners undertaken by motivated staff from every conceivable background. Many demonstrate the humour and grass-court eloquence of Marcus Willis. Everyday folk astound with extraordinary achievement. The implosion of politics is a rare delight we should savour. Let new leaders emerge who believe in Britain and its unique heritage. Ignore the hand wringing of the establishment, the BBC and big business. Write a new script where an industry and a country, freed of witless bureaucracy, ride undreamt of thermals to success. In this story, the secret aspirations of everyday workers, apprentices and new immigrants fuel a country and a culture that is the envy of the world. andy@rail-media.com FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

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Bananarama A bright future beckons for Derby as Network Rail announced further plans to base another 88 staff in the historic railway city. Two different teams within Network Rail are looking to expand their workforce. Half the jobs will be with the team leading the Midland Main Line electrification. The rest will join the new measurement train – dubbed the Flying Banana.

The high-energy team will support new technology for plain line pattern recognition based on the train. Highly sophisticated monitoring equipment on the new measurement train takes high-definition photographs of the track while traveling at over 100mph. High-speed cameras take photographs of the continuous welded track at 70,000 frames per second (or every 0.8mm of track). These are streamed

together and compared against the established pattern and anything that doesn’t match is marked as a potential fault. Urgent faults are flagged by an expert on

Arise Sir Tel! Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan CBE has received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016. Sir Terry Morgan CBE was appointed as Crossrail chairman in 2009 and chair of the HS2 College Governing Body in 2015. Last year, he was appointed by the government to lead the development of a transport infrastructure skills strategy. The knighthood caps an extraordinary career for the former apprentice. Terry Morgan was educated at Croesyceiliog School - motto Learning, Respect, Ambition - in Cwmbran, South Wales. He served his apprenticeship with Lucas Girling and later made time to read for an MSc in engineering and industrial management at the University of Birmingham. He went on to rise to the head of Rover Group. He is married with two children and his interests include golf and rugby. Says the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, ‘I am delighted that Terry Morgan has been honoured for all the extraordinary work he has done in overseeing the delivery of the Crossrail project and developing the government’s transport infrastructure skills strategy. By placing engineering skills development at the heart of Crossrail, he has shown that delivering huge infrastructure projects on time and on budget and investing in skills go hand in hand.’ RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

the train to the local track manager for immediate attention. While a small number of jobs are based on the train itself, the majority are office-based data analysts.

Over the last 50 years, Sir Terry has been a powerful advocate of apprenticeships. He pioneered the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy (TUCA) in east London. Sir Terry is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Civil Engineers and is the past President of the Chartered Management Institute. He was previously Chief Executive of Tube Lines; Group Managing Director, Operations, BAE Systems and Managing Director Land Rover. ‘As a former apprentice himself, Sir Terry has inspired a new generation of apprentices and encouraged more women and young people into this vital sector, whatever their background and aspirations. He has been both a leader to his peers across industry and a relentless champion for vocational skills. This honour is a well deserved recognition for many years of hard work,’ adds Patrick McLoughlin.

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White cliffs terror threat

Engineering staff at Dover have had to brave rock-throwing thugs on the cliffs above. Rail staff are working to repair the railway along the beach at Dover which has been closed since Christmas 2015. Network Rail is creating a new, 235m long viaduct that will sit on 134 piles - steel and concrete columns - of which more than 100 have been completed so far. Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke has condemned their actions, saying, ‘The rocks missed site workers by inches and if they hit anyone, they could have been killed or at the very least have been seriously injured.’ He appealed for help in tracking down the perpetrators and praised the efforts of the team at Dover. ‘I’ve been massively impressed by the hard work and dedication of the team, who worked tirelessly to rebuild our railway and we need to support them in any way we can and do our bit to help keep them safe.’ Network Rail’s programme manager, Steve

Kilby, is pressing ahead with cliff top security. ‘The consequences of a serious injury or fatality as a result of someone being hit by one of these stones would be enormous. We are taking action to put our own 24/7 security and lighting at the top of the cliff,’ said Steve. More than 500 cubic metres of concrete was poured into place over one weekend, in a 15-hour continuous operation involving a fleet of 13 concrete vehicles from Kent supplier Brett concrete, using their plants at Dover and Ramsgate. Says Steve Kilby, ‘This was a serious feat of organisation, and we knew that once we started to pour the concrete, we couldn’t stop until the whole pour was completed. That way we knew the deck would be one consistent slab with no joins. ‘I’d like to pay tribute to our contractor Costain and concrete supplier Brett Concrete for their work this weekend. We’ve now got to do it three more times before the viaduct structure is complete!’

Carbon footprints Over 40 tonnes of soot has been removed from the Severn Tunnel. Cleaning what amounts to a chimney is an important part of preparatory work ahead of a six-week project to upgrade the railway in the 130-year-old tunnel this autumn. The tunnel will close to trains for six weeks between 12 September and 21 October 2016. The work forms part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan and the electrification of the line between South Wales and London. Says Dan Tipper, area director at Network Rail Wales, ‘It was initially anticipated that around four to five tonnes of soot would be cleared, but the build-up of soot was greater than anticipated, and the team of engineers have removed over 40 tonnes. ‘Removing the build-up of soot is an essential element of the extensive programme of preparation work that is taking place.’

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Youth partners

People from TransPennine Express are giving up their time to take part in the Make the Grade Programme - helping equip young people to become the engineers and drivers of the future. More than 40 rail staff, ranging from conductors to managers are running a range of activities that encourage secondary school children from across West Yorkshire to develop skills and learn more about the world of work.

Bridging the gap between young people and businesses, the Make the Grade scheme supports children with skill sharing through mentorships, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workshops, careers advice and talks about safety. Says Sue Whaley, HR director for TPE, ‘We are delighted to be involved with this project which will run for the next two years. As the intercity rail operator for the North, we have a responsibility to the communities we serve

and a vision to Take the North Further. ‘It’s vital that future generations have the skills and support needed to strengthen their career prospects and we all have a part to play in this.’ The rail industry is growing rapidly and career prospects are bright for skilled workers. The programme got off to a good start with students from Leeds City Academy checking out different roles and the skills required at Huddersfield railway station.

Sixth form pilot

Top cop honoured

A pilot scheme launched by Network Rail and Wigan University Technical College (WUTC) looks like attracting more young people to seek careers on the railways.

The head of Suicide Prevention at British Transport Police (BTP), Mark Smith, has been given an MBE. Mark Smith, 53, who lives in Colchester, joined the force in 1981 before retiring as Chief Superintendent in 2013.

Sixth-form students at WUTC will be able to take part in a two-year work placement as part of the engineering course. Ten students are expected to start the pilot in September. If it works out more will follow and the scheme could be extended to other sixth forms. Students on the course will undertake work experience at Network Rail two days a week, whilst studying at Wigan UTC for a level three engineering qualification. Work includes track and signalling maintenance, renewals and conversions and safety-critical lineside vegetation management.

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As a senior investigator he assumed responsibility for the investigation into the Ladbroke Grove train crash in 1999 where 31 people were killed. He also led the investigation following the Potters Bar train crash in 2002 where seven people died and many people were left injured. Later he became the national police lead for corporate manslaughter and worked with the government to develop new corporate manslaughter legislation. His leadership of many investigations has been of immense benefit to BTP and the rail industry. Following his retirement as a police officer, he took up his current role as head of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health for BTP. Mark developed ground-breaking work around the management of fatalities and suicide prevention initiatives. Says Mark, ‘I am deeply honoured and delighted to have received this award. I have had the privilege to have led some of

the most high-profile investigations during my career as a police officer and now have the opportunity to influence how the force deals with fatalities on the rail network. As a team, we’re working to make real changes to improving how we help those in crisis and help prevent suicides on our railways.’

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Castle move for ABC Graeme Castle is the new managing director of ABC Electrification; he joins from Laing O’Rourke.

Great Western Rail Modification (GWRM), Newport for GWRM Wales, and Rugby for the Central Power & Electrification Team (CPET).

ABC Electrification was formed in 2012 by Alstom, Babcock and Costain to support Network Rail’s ambitious OLE programme. ABC has made dramatic progress under the current chief executive, Alan Kay. Graeme Castle was the rail sector and operations leader at Laing O’Rourke, having previously held senior roles at Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty Rail Projects and Scott Wilson Railways. ABC Electrification is now one of the largest electrification contractors in Europe. Under the UK National Electrification Programme, ABC has been awarded three significant electrification programme elements, controlled from three centres: Bristol for the

Trainline ticket for European director of communications Top independent rail ticket retailer Trainline has appointed Victoria Biggs as European director of communications to help drive the Trainline brand throughout Europe. In March this year, Trainline took over Paris-based Captain Train, Continental Europe’s largest rail ticket retailer. Victoria joins Trainline after six years at MSL Group London. Previously she was at BursonMarsteller and before that Out of the Blue Communications. She spent seven years at Freud Communications and three years at eBay UK as director of PR. Biggs read French at the University of Reading. Trainline and Captain Train together create the world’s leading independent European

Travers joins Unipart Rail Noel Travers has joined Unipart Rail as deputy managing director. Formerly managing director and interim chairman of Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd, Travers will oversee the work of George Tillier, managing director T&RS and Graham Jackson, managing director infrastructure and manufacturing. He will report direct to overall chief, John Clayton. Both businesses have ambitious strategies for growth. Noel Travers joined Bombardier in 2008, initially as sales director UK, Ireland and South Africa. He read mechanical engineering at Loughborough University and subsequently gained an MSc in rail systems engineering at the University of Sheffield. Travers did a spell at British Rail as shift production manager at InterCity West Coast’s Wembley Depot. In 1995, he went on to work for Freightliner for five years as T&RS engineer - this at the time when the company staged one of BR’s most successful management buy-outs. Then followed three years with the Chicago-based rail leasing and financial services giant GATX. In 2002, Travers joined RBS Global Banking and Markets, the Royal Bank of

rail ticket retailer. The combined business will be a one-stop-shop for people travelling by train in and around Europe, offering the broadest coverage of 22 countries across 37 operators and access to the best available fares all on one easy-to-use online platform. Victoria joins Trainline in August.

Know-how boost for Alstom Stuart Fletcher has joined Alstom as sales director.

Scotland’s wholesale banking arm where he stayed until joining Bombardier. Unipart Group’s acquisition of Railpart and NRS from BR saw substantial investment and the implementation of the Unipart Way to ensure that both businesses deliver high levels of customer service and top performance. Unipart Rail is now one of the most successful rail supply organisations in Europe, with an expanding international portfolio. The team at Unipart Rail puts its success down to a strong set of principles which underpins corporate responsibility, safety and employee engagement.

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Fletcher was previously in charge of the sales and commercial team at Knorr-Bremse Rail Services. Prior to his role with Knorr-Bremse, Stuart worked for Porterbrook from 2000 to 2014 and for Alstom, at the Washwood Heath manufacturing facility, from 1991 to 2000. He has a degree from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in electrical and electronic engineering. Interests include keeping fit, squash and rugby, his family, backgammon and good food. Stuart is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the IET. He also holds the MCIPS qualification having led the procurement team at Porterbrook for five years.

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

New focus for London and South East Route

New MD for TES

Andy Derbyshire has been appointed to the new role of chief operating officer for London South East at Network Rail.

Tom Kerins takes up the role of managing director at TES as Tony Evans steps up to the position of CEO.

Andy, currently business unit director metro and rail franchising for Amey Plc, is a chartered engineer and has extensive rail industry experience, having held senior roles at TfL, Bombardier, Alstom and Virgin. He will join in the next few weeks. After 18 months with Network Rail, Alasdair Coates, route managing director, South East Route, has decided to leave the organisation. Taking his place will be John Halsall, currently route managing director for Wessex. Stuart Kistruck, currently route asset management director for Wessex, will become interim route managing director, Wessex. Phil Hufton, managing director, England and Wales, acknowledged that performance in the South East continues to

struggle. ‘More progress needs to be made to support the return of the train service to acceptable levels of punctuality and reliability. The creation of a new chief operating officer role will bring an even greater focus to the daily delivery of a better train service.’ Derbyshire read engineering at Leeds Beckett University. A keen footballer, he also captained the England Universities football team and still coaches junior soccer in his spare time. After graduating, he trained as an engineer with BAE Systems where he stayed for 10 years. His career has also seen him working for Rolls Royce and in the rail industry as project manager responsible for the acceptance of the Class 390 Pendolino fleet at Virgin Trains. At Alstom he worked on fleet operations on the Northern and Jubilee line and was fleet ops director for Pendolino service provision. A spell at Eurostar as head of engineering preceded his move to Bombardier in Derby.

Tom brings more than 18 years’ of professional experience, gained in a number of senior leadership roles and most recently as operations director at C Spencer Ltd. Tom Kerins was educated at CBS The Green in Tralee, Ireland, and the University of East London where he graduated with an honours degree in civil engineering. He began his career as a site engineer with Birse in the civil engineering division. Kerins has delivered major infrastructure projects in railways, transport, water and mining in Britain, Ireland and Australia. Notable projects include the M1 Motorway construction in Ireland, CTRL St Pancras station, Sandgate Grade Separation and Maitland to Minimah 3rd track in New South Wales, Australia,

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with John Holland. Tom also progressed Gravesend Station Remodelling and East Kent Resignalling Phase 2. Tom’s appointment will lead TES towards becoming a more project-led business with its focus on delivering Pway, OLE and civils projects, whilst retaining existing services such as possession management, isolations and worksite management. Says Tom, ‘It’s a great privilege to be joining a company with such a great reputation in the rail industry. We have an abundance of talent in the business who are specialists in the complex aspects of the railway. This will help us capitalise on opportunities within the market and establish us as a project delivery business.’

Crossfield to lead Alstom UK Alstom has promoted Nick Crossfield to the position of managing director for UK & Ireland. He is currently managing director for train control. Nick joined Alstom last year and has extensive rail industry experience. Crossfield is a former managing director of Siemens Rail Automation UK and

was also managing director of Invensys Rail Ltd and director, contracts and procurement at Network Rail. At Alstom, Nick has been in charge of the growing UK signalling business and has successfully led the integration of the newly acquired SSL Ltd into Alstom’s UK & Ireland business. Alstom has become responsible for providing

signalling renewals and enhancements as primary supplier in three out of eight geographical regions in the UK and secondary supplier in four other geographical regions. Recently, Nick secured Alstom’s largest ever UK signalling contract for the full re-signalling of the Great Western Main Line between Reading and Paddington.

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More steam for Borders ScotRail is to run more Sunday steam services on the Borders Railway, beginning on Sunday, 7 August. Following the success of last year’s sellout trips, on Sundays during August and September, vintage steam-hauled specials will run between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank. August’s trips will be hauled by 46100 Royal Scot, and September’s will see the return of the popular 60009 Union of

South Africa. ScotRail is teaming up with local companies to offer passenger excursions from Tweedbank. Says Cathy Craig, commercial director for the ScotRail Alliance, ‘These journeys give people a chance to appreciate the new Borders Railway from the wonderful setting of a vintage steam train. This is a fabulous opportunity to showcase the line, and in such a romantic style. Not many train journeys can match the outstanding scenery on this route.’

Freight hub A new rail freight terminal is planned for the West Midlands near Birmingham. The 600-acre freight terminal at Four Ashes, four miles west of Cannock in Staffordshire, will be situated near junction 12 of the M6 and on the West Coast Main Line. Speaking as a public consultation got underway, Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail manager, said, ‘Terminals are the freight equivalent of stations for passengers.Without more terminals in the right locations near population centres with good road and rail links, rail freight cannot expand its market and reduce the adverse impacts of freight

OBE for Boswell

New bid for South Western

Karen Boswell, managing director, Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s June Birthday Honours List. The OBE recognises a strong and gamechanging contribution to the rail industry. Karen Boswell was managing director of East Coast from 2009 to 2015 as part of the governmentowned operation brought in after the failure of two previous franchisees. Boswell and her team rebuilt staff and consumer confidence, making the train company profitable and preparing it for a return to the private sector. Before East Coast, Boswell worked at FirstGroup leading service improvement strategies for Thameslink as part of First Capital Connect. In 2015, Karen Boswell was elected president of the Railway Study Association for 2015/16 - the first female president in its 106year history. She is a Council Member of the Railway Industry Association and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. Karen Boswell was appointed managing director of HRE in June 2015. HRE is currently delivering the InterCity Express Programme providing new fleets for East Coast and Great Western, new commuter trains for Scotland and innovative bi-mode trains for the West of RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

distribution. ‘Interchanges like Four Ashes could realise a step change in the use of rail for transporting consumer products as they allow rail to compete with HGVs by reducing costs. Each freight train out of this hub could remove 60 HGVs from the congested road network. We have long called for the need for a strategic terminal in this region. Now the public can have their say on the proposals.’ If successful, the new freight interchange could be as big as DIRFT - Daventry. The project is being led by Kilbride Holdings, a partner in Four Ashes Limited, which specialises in developing railrelated infrastructure projects.

MTR and FirstGroup are joining together to bid for the South Western rail franchise, currently run by Stagecoach.

England and TransPennine Express. Karen Boswell currently leads an HRE team of over 800, which is expected to increase to some 2,000 employees in three years’ time, operating from service delivery and manufacturing facilities across the UK. In September 2015, HRE’s brand new £82 million Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham was opened by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, thereby bringing the manufacture of rolling stock back to its UK birthplace in the North-East of England. Says Karen Boswell OBE, ‘I am extremely honoured and thrilled to be appointed an OBE. It’s a great privilege to serve within an industry which makes such a positive difference to the lives of millions of people who travel for work and pleasure on Britain’s railways every year.’

The DfT has approved the move. FirstGroup/ MTR will be one of two shortlisted bidders for the franchise, which is due to start in June 2017. Says Steve Montgomery, First Rail managing director, ‘We have extensive expertise of running commuter, inter-urban, regional and long distance services - such as those that make up the South Western franchise - and a strong track record in delivering passenger growth.’ Jeremy Long, chief executive - Europe, MTR, agrees, ’South Western is a complex mix of shorter and longer distance services. Our joint venture will combine MTR’s experience of running successful London Overground and TfL Rail commuter services in the UK, and Stockholm Metro commuter and MTR Express intercity services in Sweden, with FirstGroup’s strong track record.’

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

Safely does it

Inspiring wiring

UK Power Networks Services has been awarded an elite safety accreditation by the SafeContractor assessment scheme.

Keltbray Aspire has named its innovative new wiring unit after one of its longestserving engineers, Les Blake.

Says Lucy Innes, a safety expert at UK Power Networks, ‘As a business we are very proud to have gained this accreditation, which ensures clients can be confident of our high commitment to safety. It also helps create a better working environment for all our colleagues. We are always striving to improve our practices.’ Over the course of a three-month period, UKPNS said the assessors ‘took a magnifying glass’ to the company’s practices. The accreditation puts UKPNS in front of more than 200 companies which have signed a pledge to only hire contractors with SafeContractor accreditation. John Kinge, Safecontractor’s technical director, said, ‘Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place. ‘More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that UK Power Networks Services has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.’

The vehicle has been named after rail industry veteran Les Blake, who has worked on virtually every major electrification project since the early 1960s. The overhead electrification wiring unit, which was displayed at Rail Live 2016, is a first in the UK. Developed by Sweden’s SRS Sjölanders AB and German-based ZECK, the road/rail vehicle can run out contact and catenary wires at full tension, halving the time it typically takes to install conductors for rail electrification. The unit also offers more flexibility than a conventional wiring train - it doesn’t rely on the availability of train crews and drivers. Les came up with the initial design and led the team which brought the concept to fruition. Now 73 years old, Les began his career in the freight department of British Rail before moving over to rail electrification. He said the naming of the unit was ‘a proud moment’. Says Les, ’I’ve always been committed to the rail industry and electrification… I’ve always set high standards - even as a trainee lineman.’ Says director of Keltbray Aspire Martin

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Brown, ‘Les has worked with rail overhead line electrification for 54 years and is well known in our industry. He has worked on nearly every major electrification project in the UK since 1962, and despite being in his 70s, he is showing no signs of slowing down. ‘Besides being out there at the coal face, working night shifts and supporting our projects, Les is an expert on problem solving and innovation. He is also a fantastic mentor for our apprentices. ‘Beyond Keltbray, Les acts as a key industry adviser on projects worldwide, and most recently his knowledge and expertise have been sought after to support projects in Australia.’ Keltbray Aspire has invested almost £6 million in the development of new rail electrification plant over the past two years. The Les Blake road railer has been approved by Network Rail and has already installed overhead catenary for AmeyInabensa on the Great Western Main Line.

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Region power for Northern Rail

As part of a plan to bring its business closer to the people it serves, Northern Rail has launched four new business regions based in Leeds, Manchester, Preston and Newcastle. July marks the start of the new system and four regional directors have been appointed. Liam Sumpter, based in Manchester, will lead Central. Paul Barnfield heads up East - Northern’s largest new region, based in Leeds. North-East region will be lead by Mike Paterson from Newcastle. Sharon Keith is the regional director, West, working from a new Northern base in Preston. Liam Sumpter, regional director Central, joins from Network Rail, where he was area director for the West Midlands & Chilterns - closely involved with operations and maintenance at Birmingham during the construction of the revitalised New Street Gateway. Liam joined Railtrack in 2002. His Railtrack career included roles in engineering, innovation and finance. He was financial controller for Sussex route. Liam was born in Leeds and read history at York University. Former conductor Paul Barnfield, regional director East, joined Northern in 2010, rising to director of operations. He joined from National Express East Anglia in 2007 where he started as London Terminals manager. Paul’s career started in 1993 as a conductor and station co-ordinator in Sheffield. After becoming a chartered member of the Institute of Transport he joined Midland Mainline in 1998 as a train manager, eventually leading to a top role in customer service. Mike Paterson, regional director North East, joined Northern from PA Consulting. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Prior to this, he spent 26 years in the Royal Navy - rising to the rank of captain. As Captain of HMS Gloucester he saw operational deployments to the Persian Gulf. He has served in Afghanistan, the Congo, Lebanon and the Falklands. Paterson has an MA in defence studies (international relations) from King’s College London and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI). One of Mike’s first naval appointments was as the Navigating Officer of HMS Newcastle, which included a number of visits to its namesake city. Sharon Keith, regional director, West joined Northern from Tyne & Wear Metro, where for the last 18 months she was managing director. Her six-year career at Metro also included roles as customer service director and the dual role of customer services and operations director. Before Metro, Sharon’s

career included time at GNER, Airtours and npower. Says Alex Hynes (pictured above), managing director, ‘Regions are at the heart of our new franchise. They will enable the transformation of Northern, bringing our people and service delivery closer to the communities and customers we serve.’

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

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Royal renewal for Coleraine Line Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh made an historic rail journey between Coleraine and Bellarena in June to officially open two new station platforms, marking a major milestone in Translink’s Coleraine – Londonderry Railway Renewals Project.

TransFeline Felix TransPennine Express together with Network Rail’s National Stations Improvements Programme has upgraded Huddersfield station with three new glass waiting rooms, a cycle rack and a first class lounge. The facilities will be a part of the new-look Huddersfield station. The original building with its neo-classical frontage was designed by James Pigott Pritchett and built in 1850. It’s not only passengers and staff who benefit. Felix the Huddersfield station cat is understood to have backed the scheme.

The route takes in the spectacular North Coast of Ulster and is popular with tourists. The railway runs alongside the River Bann. When the line was built two tunnels named Castlerock and Downhill had to be cut and blasted using 3,600 lbs of gunpowder. These are the longest railway tunnels in Ireland measuring 668 and 307 yards respectively. The journey continues along Benone Strand and the Atlantic

Ocean – a popular surfing location. On board the Royal Train were local school children, railway staff and representatives from the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. On arrival at Bellarena, Her Majesty was met by Translink chairman Frank Hewitt and unveiled a commemorative plaque. The event marked a major milestone in the £46.4 million renewals project.

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

Forging ahead Kirkstall Forge station has reopened to passengers - more than 100 years after the original station was closed on the Leeds to Bradford railway. Kirkstall Forge is one of two former stations to be reopened on the route as part of the £15.9 million West Yorkshire Rail Growth (WYRG) - the other being Apperley. Having waited 10 years

for a new railway station, West Yorkshire has now opened two in six months. The first service to use the stations was the 8.38 from Leeds on Sunday, 19 June. A full opening was held on 27 June, attended by the Under Secretary of State for Transport, Stuart Andrew. Built by Spencer Group, the new Kirkstall Forge station includes a 297-space car park and new two 100-metre platforms. A new modular footbridge was also installed and as well as constructing new OLE masts, existing overhead electrification masts had to be modified to accomodate the new platform layouts. The station will serve a new £400 million mixed-use development area. Says Dave Taylor, project director for Spencer Group at Kirkstall Forge Station, ‘We are delighted and proud of our work on the new station at Kirkstall

Forge, which is going to be crucial in rejuvenating this part of Leeds. ‘During the project, we were based on CEG’s site – the developer for the adjacent development. We interfaced with them particularly well and developed a great rapport. For our part in the scheme, there were zero RIDDORS and the project was delivered extremely safely – which is something we

always strive for.’ Councillor Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council, added, ‘The station has a key role to play in realising the major regeneration potential of the broader Kirkstall Forge development, bringing with it new jobs, training opportunities, housing and a range of office and leisure facilities to offer a significant boost to the local economy.’

How does this affect me?

site or temporary location away from your main place of work. At Advance-TRS we make every effort to ensure contractors are fully supported. For help and advice on contractor benefits and rights give Advance-TRS’ operations director, Paul Merton, a call on 01483 361061 or visit www.advancerailwayjobs.com for your next career move.

Expense changes HMRC expense changes, what you need to know. Are you a temporary or contract worker affected by the latest HMRC changes? Since April 2016 many contractors employed through employment intermediaries are no longer able to claim tax relief on travel and subsistence expenses for their regular work commute. By introducing new rules HMRC aims to equalise tax breaks between contractors and permanent employees. Contractors working on contracts operating under IR35 and what HMRC defines as supervision, direction or control (SDC) will have been affected.

What is SDC? • Supervision: someone overseeing your work - ensuring you are completing the work correctly and to the required

standard. • Control: someone dictating what work is done and how it should be completed. (This also includes having the authority to move you from one job to another). • Direction: someone ensuring you work in a certain way, by providing instructions, guidance or advice; or generally coordinating work undertaken.

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If your role meets even just one of these SDC criteria the new regulations state you can no longer claim tax relief or National Insurance contributions on travel and subsistence expenses for your regular work commute. This could result in you paying more in tax. However, these changes do not apply if you are sent to visit a

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

A health unto Her Majesty Passengers and staff celebrated the Queen’s official birthday, her 90th, at stations across Britain in a unique celebration of rail’s royal connection. At Hexham the Vieux Carré Jazzmen played on the platform at an event organised by the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership. Passengers at Bexhill

station enjoyed a sweet treat, as free cakes and soft drinks were handed out to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday. The event was organised by the Sussex Community Rail Partnership, with financial support from Southern. Staff at Abellio Greater Anglia dressed up, decorated stations and gave out more than 7,000 cupcakes. Says Keely Pagdin, head of customer service, ‘The railway’s links to the Royal Family go back as far as the mid-nineteenth century when Queen Victoria chartered the first royal coaches, so we are delighted to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday at stations across the network as part of the national Station to Station Queen’s Celebration campaign.’ Station to Station Queen’s Celebration, held between 10-12 June, has so far raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

Says Chris Leech, founder of Station to Station, ’Without doubt, the UK rail industry has the largest community footprint in comparison with any other sector. Albeit for just one weekend, we have challenged through our collaborative actions a decade or more of negative media and public perceptions.’ Adding, ‘This very special weekend has helped to demonstrate that railways are more than just transport hubs in the centre’s of communities but that they are also integral to those communities.’ On the day that she became

Britain’s longest-reigning monarch last year, on 9 September 2015, Her Majesty opened the Borders Railway. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth has opened many new stations across the country, notably Birmingham New Street last November and Reading in July 2014. Crossrail is to be called the ‘Elizabeth Line’ in her honour. Photos from the Station to Station Queen’s Celebration weekend can be found at www. queenscelebration.com/imagegallery. If you’d like to submit images from your event, contact geena@nimblemedia.co.uk

Golf-rail colleagues rally round

Friends and family of Lee Walker, operations manager at Morson, are rallying round to help raise money for treating his daughter, Lee-Anna. Mr Walker is a popular figure at the company’s Canning Town office, in East London. Lee-Anna, 17, was diagnosed with leukaemia in February. She now needs funds to support her treatment. Lee-Anna isn’t a British citizen so this treatment is not available on the NHS. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

On Sunday 17 July, 13 brave friends plan a skydive at Sibson airfield. Keeping their feet firmly on the ground, staff at Morson will be holding a Charity Golf Day at the Shire Golf Club in Barnet, Hertfordshire on Thursday, 4 August. The course itself was designed by golfing legend Seve Ballesteros and is of Masters’ quality. The day includes entertainment and a slapup dinner. Jack Roberts and Paul Anscombe at Morson are organising the golf tournament. ‘Summer is a busy time for the rail infrastructure industry, but we believe it’s important to make time for Lee-Anna too,’ says Jack. ‘Lee himself makes a great contribution to Morson and the wider industry. We want to stand with him and do what we can to help save a bright, brave intelligent girl any one would be proud to call their daughter.’ Lee-Anna was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia - a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. Time is precious. Lee-Anna, from Jamaica, has completed two cycles of chemotherapy treatments. The assessment received from the consultants is that the disease is a lot more severe than originally thought, and as such, Lee-Anna will require an urgent bone marrow

transplant if she is to survive this life-threatening illness. Cost estimates total £100,000. Treatment to date has cost well over £40,000 which has depleted the family’s savings. Please make a donation - however small - at https:// crowdfunding.justgiving.com/joanne-hewitt. Jack Roberts can be contacted at jack. roberts@morson.com

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Sport Games

NEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

RailSport

Games 2016

OROL capped their victory in this year’s RailSport Games five-a-side final with a beautifully lofted goal from behind the halfway line - a high quality finish to what had been a hard-fought day of competition. Teams representing companies from across the rail industry competed in the 23rd RailSport Games at Blackpool’s Stanley Park on 11 June. LOROL wrestled the title from defending champions Lucchini Unipart Rail with a 5-3 victory in the penultimate match of the day. Lucchini had won the previous two competitions and now head to Austria to represent Great Britain on the international stage. Both teams made it to the final with relative ease: Lucchini thumping Faiveley Transport 5-0 in the quarter finals and Northern Rail Dynamo 4-1 in the semis, while LOROL came past Merseyrail 6-3 and ScotRail 5-1. The depth of Irish Rail’s squad showed in a competitive final for the Over 35s six-a-side competition as they beat Keolis Amey Docklands 2-1 (pictured right). Trophies for the winners and runners up were presented by Rail Media’s managing director Tom O’Connor. Drizzly conditions in the North West presented a challenge for the cricket competition, but the sun shone through just enough to allow Thales Paddy’s Marauders to take hold of the final against Thales Tornadoes to win by just 13 runs. Like the cricket, the rounders final was a single company affair, with RVEL’s Smack My Patch Up getting the better of Son’s of Pitchers. The men’s badminton tournament was also keenly contested. Network Rail’s Craig Harrop won the singles event, beating Mike Koscow from London Underground. Craig was also in action with Duncan Fraser, formerly of East Coast Trains, to take the doubles’ trophy. Duncan Taylor continued the pair’s domination, winning the veterans title against Merseyrail’s Sheen Matthew. Rail Media’s Adam O’Connor and Chris Davies put in an admirable performance to finish third. On the other side of the sports hall, Dave Fox beat Network Rail’s Darren Morgan 3-2 in the final of the table tennis. Recovering from his loss in the singles final, Darren paired up with Network Rail colleague Matt Coups to win the doubles. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Away from Stanley Park, Northern Rail’s John Pattison scored 611 pins to take the men’s Ten Pin Bowling title. The women’s competition was won by Louise Lamb from TransPennine Express. The Abellio Greater Anglia pairing of Phil Croydon and Jerry Chapter saw gold in the doubles and DB Schenker came first in the team event. The darts tournament took place in the nearby Talbot Club. Darius Festijo, Network Rail, beat LOROL’s Steve Morris to win the men’s singles. Di Kellow, of Great Western Railway, won the women’s singles against Merseyrail’s Sally Ralston. Darren Bowell from London Midland and Steve Morris teamed up to win the men’s doubles. In the mixed doubles, husband and wife team Derek and Sally Ralston retained the title they won last year. The individual chess tournament, held over two days, was won by Hassan Mugalu from Abellio Greater Anglia, while the team event went to a joint Abellio Greater Anglia and South West Trains, which included Hassan Mugalu, Peter Eldridge and Trevor Jones. Graham Bolt, Will Taylor and Mike Broad, Network Rail, were runners-up.

A history of sport on the railway RailSport celebrated its 23rd birthday this year, but the history of sporting competition among railway companies goes back well over 100 years. Records dating back to the 19th century reference the achievements of railway football teams, and a number of current professional teams can trace their roots back to the railway - even one of the largest, most successful teams in the world. Explains research fellow at the National Railway Museum Dr Oliver Betts, ‘Although arguably the biggest impact railways had on the development of British Football was in terms of transport, enabling away fixtures and travelling supporters, there was

MATCH REPORT

Angling to kegels - Rail sport in the UK and overseas Since the early 1990s, RailSport has been encouraging railway staff to reignite their long-held hopes of sporting glory and compete to be crowned the industry’s best. The tournament, which since its opening weekend has welcomed thousands of competitors from around the rail industry, was established by the

TH AN EV ER .

BIG GE R& BE TTE R

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In 1902, with few ties left to the railway company, this became Manchester United.’ The arrival of professional footballers and the Football League in the late 19th century led to a decline in participation. Even so, competition among railway companies has endured. The National Railway Museum has a scrapbook compiled by the GWR Drawing Office Staff at Paddington Station from 1901 which includes a light-hearted report of a works football match. The book also suggests that as well as football, workers competed in swimming, cycling and shooting.

GA ME CH AN GI NG

an active football culture in the railway companies themselves. ‘From the late 19th century onwards many of the larger railway companies encouraged their workers to participate in athletics or simply provided financial support for teams and associations already underway. ‘Some of these clubs morphed, over the years, into household names today. In 1878, for instance, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway gave permission for men in the Carriage and Wagon Department to form a team that became known as Newton Heath LYR.

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NEWS

British Rail Staff Association, in part as a way to curb the drinking culture for which the organisation had become notorious. BR was becoming more attuned with health and wellbeing issues and set about creating the competition, hiring a full-time RailSport manager to oversee the organisation of the event. David Franks, the current chief executive of Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), has been involved in RailSport since the

RailSport is moving…

…to Loughborough University – the home of UK Sport. With the same great games plus new disciplines, this is an energetic, fun-packed weekend for all. For more info and to find out how you can compete, visit railsport.uk or call 01530 816 444.

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

very beginning and became its chairman in the mid-1990s at a time when privatisation cast a shadow over the future of the competition. ‘It was when the full-time resources that existed weren’t there anymore yet we still had a lot of people that were desperately keen to take part in events and particularly the international events,’ said David. Despite this, RailSport has been held every year since, kept going by a team of loyal volunteers.

’It’s clearly competitive and we want people to compete at the highest possible level, but it’s also an opportunity to meet colleagues from other countries and to share some cultural experience.’ As well as helping to organise the events, David has represented Great Britain in the angling. Ahead of his first USIC event in 1988, David was asked to step in and lead the team after the team manager at the time took ill and tragically passed away. Team GB went on

24 member countries It’s not just the UK which hosts annual rail sport competitions. The International Railway Sports Association (USIC) - the sporting equivalent of the International Union of Railways (UIC) comprises 24 member countries, each with their own national competitions. USIC events, which are held every four years, bring together the best teams from around the world - although predominantly Europe - to compete internationally. It is taken very seriously: USIC, which was formed in 1947, even has its own anthem and opening ceremony. Every two years, USIC trophies are presented to the countries that have accrued the most points in the men’s and women’s events. Points are given for participating in sports, so it’s not necessarily the best performing teams but those competing in the most events that come out on top. David recently stepped down as president of USIC, having served the maximum two terms.

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to win the championship. The competition offers staff a rare opportunity to represent their country. The international competitions were a chance to be paid to travel around Europe playing football, one BR veteran explained. The first year he took part, the team over-indulged on the journey and were duly thrashed. Next time around, they were well drilled, trained

hard, abstained from alcoholic beverages and… suffered a similar drubbing. The quality of play was, and still is, striking. That said, the UK has a respectable record internationally, doing particularly well in angling, golf and orienteering. Great Britain has even managed to field a competitor for the Nordic Skiing competition. The event gives rail industry staff the opportunity to compete in a wide, even obscure,

variety of sports. ‘There have been things like kegels [the German version of skittles]. I mean I didn’t even know about kegels until I joined USIC,’ said David.

said David. ‘I started it off by saying, traditionally we would have considered safety to be staff and customer accidents and operating incidents and the

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

like… We wouldn’t easily have recognised that actually health and wellbeing of our employees, and occupational health issues, are as important as those other things. ‘And when you get people realising that this is about looking after you not necessarily making

NEWS

sure we’re getting it right for customers and everything else, you suddenly get people really sit up and take notice, and sport plays a massive part in helping keep people fit.’ Information about upcoming USIC competitions can be found at www.usic-sports.org

Health and wellbeing David described the event’s standing in recent years as ‘cyclical’. It relies on its volunteers and support from the industry, which has been impacted by changes in franchise holders and the reclassification of Network Rail. In other countries, like India and Russia, there is significant, consistent funding for rail sports. In the Netherlands, competitions are being held every week, said David. But as health and wellbeing topics become more central once again, he’s finding the interest in RailSport is finding new vigour. This was demonstrated during a recent meeting with health and safety representatives. ‘It was the most enthusiastic of all the subjects from everybody that was in the room. I mean it really got the juices flowing, and I was quite impressed, surprised, actually,’

Sport Games

GA M E S – 2 0 1 7 railsport.uk

We are thrilled to announce that RailSport is joining the Rail Media family. Rail Media is the leading rail publisher in the UK with brands such as RailStaff, Rail Engineer, RailwayPeople.com, RailStaff Awards and Rail Live.

Bo pla ok you ce n r ow facebook.com/railsport

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RAIL ALLIANCE

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NEW MEMBERS

WHAT A SHOW!

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big thank you to everyone who made Rail Live the success it was this year! We had the biggest show yet - packed with exhibitors showing a huge range of products and services. Thousands of visitors in orange hi-viz attire flooded through the entrance gates of Rail Live 2016. Demonstrations, both on and off track, wowed visitors with innovation and solutions to challenges faced everyday by the rail sector. For the show highlights, please see the fantastic video produced for the Rail Engineer - www.railengineer.uk/2016/06/24/ video-rail-live-2016/ and also the web gallery packed full of images captured over the two days of the show: http://elirees.zenfolio.com/ p133088777. We could not deliver a show like Rail Live without the incredible support from our sponsors and partners!

Show Partners: Rail Media - Thank you to Rail Media which has been part of the core delivery team for Rail Live. Rail Media has developed the website, created the Rail Live identity and branding, digitised and maintained the site plan, supported the show with marketing communications material, provided exhibitor support and designed and produced the Rail Live show guide. ISS Labour - We are hugely grateful to CEO Simon Higgens and his team from ISS Labour for once again ensuring that operations and delivery ran smoothly and safely on-site over the days building up to the show, show days and the aftermath. VP plc - With the breadth and depth of service that VP plc offers the rail sector, VP company ESS Safeforce provided radios for the control team and a sophisticated CCTV set-up for site security. Temporary roadway for the exhibitor car park was delivered by sister

company, Torrent Trackside, and a personal thank you goes to Paul Smith for organising extra hands and specialist suppliers needed during the set-up phase of the show. Express Catering - Visitors and exhibitors will not have been disappointed by the excellent choice and quality (and value) on-site throughout the duration of the show. We are delighted that Express Catering (Rail Alliance Member) received an award at Rail Live 2016 for the Best Newcomer! Safeaid - With so many visitors coming through the gates - the additional supply of hi-viz vests supplied by Rail Safety Workwear Specialist, Safeaid, was well needed! Link2 & Cisco - Without the specialist expertise of some very clever people, Rail Live exhibitors would be without connectivity which is an essential tool for any business. Wi-Fi also meant that visitors could be scanned into the show site over the two days. Delivering a Wi-Fi solution across the entire exhibition site (which is essentially open fields) is no easy feat! TXM - The assistance from the telehandlers provided by TXM was exemplary. There were so many requests from exhibitors to respond to - from delivering track panels and sleepers, to moving bags of ballast and lifting equipment off low-loaders - and all done with a smile! No wonder they were selected as Rail Live Award winners for Best Stand and Sam Snelson (who works for TXM) for Best Plant Engineer. Quinton Rail Technology Centre - Without the QRTC there would be no show! This is the home of Rail Live, and we give a special thanks to Steve Dunmore and his team from Motorail who ensures that the site is ready for the show as well as providing all the essential support services to exhibitors from special track panel requests to undertaking demonstrations using facilities and equipment on site. Rock Safely - With vast experience and knowledge of managing safety and

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minimising risk at large events, Chris Burke was our man on the ground for health & safety prior to the event and throughout the duration of the exhibition keeping everybody safe.

Sponsors: • Lloyds Bank - A fantastic show of support from this major high street bank who sponsored the Business Zone at Rail Live this year - a facility set up with support services and information for businesses in rail. • Shannon Rail - Sponsors of the Rail Live Awards evening • Prea - Manufacturer and supplier of the Rail Live Award trophies • Batch Plant - Sponsors of water bottles • Ballyclare - Sponsors of water bottles Steve Featherstone, programme director track, Network Rail, said, ‘This was the 8th Rail Live event, which has come a long way from its origins in a Westwood car park to now being the rail plant event of the year. ‘The basic idea is to bring people with challenges and people with solutions together in a live railway environment so that best practice can be shared, safety can be improved and work can be delivered more efficiently. ‘Well done and thanks to the Rail Live team.’ For info on Rail Live 2017, contact info@railalliance.co.uk.

Networking Events: • 11th August: Asset Management, Communications & Data • 13th September: First Time Approvals • Oct: Opportunities in Infrastructure • Nov: Education in the Supply Chain in Rolling Stock • Dec: Members Only Christmas Lunch In October, Rail Vehicles and Enhancements (RVE) will be held at the Riverside in Derby. Rail Alliance members are eligible for a discount if they book before the 31st of July.

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

RAIB ANNUAL

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

REPORT FOR 2015 DISCUSSED WITH THEIR CHIEF INSPECTOR SIMON FRENCH

he Rail Accident Investigation Branch recently issued its annual report for the calendar year 2015. Headline details for 2015 include 32 accidents and incidents reported with another 21 full investigations started. During the year 20 reports were published in which 74 recommendations were made. In addition three bulletins and five safety advice notices were also published.

Luck prevented multiple fatalities The RAIB has now completed more than a decade of accident and incident investigation. In his foreword their Chief Inspector Simon French rightly claims that the country’s safety record is “amongst the best in Europe”. He also draws attention to the fact that there were, “a number of events where luck prevented an accident involving multiple fatalities”. Sadly I remember all too well knowing some decades ago that on average two members of my staff were killed on track each year. Over 18 months had passed without a fatality. Tragically the following week two track patrollers working together were hit by a train and suffered fatal injuries. I still remember the incident, but do today’s managers and supervisors need the same experiences? Is that the only way to achieve a safer working environment?

13 recommendations outstanding from 2011! The format of the Report is one which I hope will be continued. It sets out their operational activities during the year and their recommendations, the identification of recurrent issues and other activities. The first of four appendices A, lists the narrowly avoided multiple fatality accidents. B summarises the recommendations still outstanding through to and including those made in 2015, whilst C and D provide a glossary of abbreviations and acronyms. The review of recommendations sadly shows that of the 93 recommendations made in 2011, no fewer than 13 have yet to be implemented. One is now classed as “non-implemented”. Another six are “in progress” and a further six are categorised as “implementation ongoing”. “In progress” means

that the safety authority is not yet satisfied that a plan, timescales are in place but work is in progress to provide these. “Implementation ongoing” means that work to deliver the recommendation is agreed and in process of being delivered. I am dismayed that so many recommendations from 2011 still fall into these categories.

“Repeated causality” The report identifies Lundridge Farm User Crossing accident reported in 2013 as having had “actions inappropriate or insufficient”. Another four incidents from 2014 are listed as having had action taken, but RAIB still has concerns. “Repeated causality” is another piece of RAIB jargon used to describe incidents which “might have been avoided had previously identified factors been addressed more fully or in a more timely fashion”.

“Safety Digests” The year also saw the publication of their class investigation into engineering protection irregularities and I look forward to reading the class investigation into on track working whilst trains are running; hopefully later this year. The report announces another new initiative namely the issuing of “Safety Digests”. These are to be used when, after initial investigation RAIB has concluded that further investigation is not justified. The Digests will provide safety information. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

TRACK SAFETY

Annual Repo rt 2015

Summary of recommendations of RAIB concern.

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Future priorities As to the Branch’s future priorities, three are listed: • Continue to improve good engagement with the industry, regulators and other stakeholders. • Explore ways to further reduce the average time taken to publish reports, without compromising on quality. • Find additional effective ways to disseminate key information to stakeholders, press and media. In its conclusion the report identifies the following as priorities still to be addressed;

safety of track workers, track quality (including staff resources and competence), freight train condition, platform train interface, level crossings, earthworks and structures. I could not agree more whilst noting that nearly all involve railway civil engineering. Elsewhere there are references to the importance of leadership, planning and clear instructions for track-workers. Derailments due to defective track, spigots and containers together with comments about the Planning & Delivery of Safe Work are also amongst my concerns.

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TRACK SAFETY

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Interview with Simon French As a follow up to studying the 2015 RAIB Report I interviewed Simon French at the Department for Transport Offices on Horseferry Road in central London on May 27th. I continue to admire how since its formation to meet one of the recommendations of the Cullen Report it has fulfilled its role in investigating accidents and incidents. Its expertise and consequently the respect with which it is regarded has grown year on year. I questioned Simon French about the recommendations made in reports which are still outstanding; some going back as far as 2011! These include what RAIB describes as “repeated causality” events. Understandably his response was to suggest that my question should be put to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). That is now my intention.

Class Investigation “red zone” report this year We discussed his Class investigation of “red zone” working incidents and accidents. Simon confirmed that he expects to publish the findings later this year.

He hopes the report will trigger track level discussions with front line staff, management and the trades unions. On the subject of track worker safety, I referred to the current impasse over the Planning and Delivery of Safe Work (PDSW) initiative. He told me that he agreed with my view that assigning track safety responsibility to a COSS (Controller of Site Safety) who is often not the most senior or influential voice on the site, is not the best way to do things in future. We then went on to discuss both the inadequacy of timely information provided to track staff and the excessive amount of irrelevant and unnecessary information paperwork provided in many safe system of work packages. Simon added that he is continually disappointed by investigation findings that include the identification of a lack of awareness of the requirements mandated by the Rule Book. I suggested that the time may have come when the industry’s aim should be for all track work to be done under signalled protection as is planned for High Speed 2. He responded by saying that speed is the relevant factor

in deciding on methods of protection. He added that the use and scope for the use of lookout protection in the future is one of the focus points for the current RAIB red zone working class investigation.

Reports take average of 11 months to complete In the early days of the RAIB I was critical of the time taken between an incident or accident and the publication of their report. The average time has reduced to 11 months which Simon is confident will be maintained if not reduced further. He stressed that his first priority in carrying out investigations is the quality and content of the report. He has no intention of setting a target time and reminded me that finalising a report includes time spent liaising with the organisations involved. One of his priority tasks is communicating information to the industry and sharing the technical evidence which may include the issuing of urgent safety advices. For the future his focus is on providing more web page updates of factual information to ensure their findings, and more particularly recommendations are available and in the public domain. He cited the recent Ivybridge information digest as an example setting a precedent for the future.

RAIB’s remit I pressed him on the sufficiency or otherwise of actions on their report recommendations. For a second time he referred me to the Office of Rail and Road. The RAIB was set up in response to one of the recommendations of the Cullen Report Part 2 Ladbroke Grove Inquiry. Its recommendations on accident investigation are numbers 57 to 74 in that report and relate to the purpose and practices to be used by RAIB. Chapter 11 is devoted to its formation; it is worth re-reading. Simon explained how, when progressing an investigation RAIB collects and share factual evidence with both the Police and Office of Rail and Road. Evidence is taken in accordance with police standards but written statements are not shared. He reminded me that the only RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

way in which they could ever be shared would be as a result of a Court Order following a determination of “Public Interest” as defined in the Cullen Report. He added that in the 11 years since their formation there has not been a single case where this has occurred.

RAIB’s focus, responsibilities and concerns The role of the ORR Simon sees as complementary to that of RAIB. Ian Prosser as Chief Inspector of Railways and Director of Railway Safety at ORR clearly has the responsibility for driving the responses to RAIB recommendations as part of his responsibilities as well as deciding how and when to take enforcement actions. In the current financial climate I was pleased to learn that the RAIB last month began the process of recruiting inspectors to fill the vacancies they have. I also asked about the growing number of reports I have read about accidents and incidents at the train/platform interface. Speaking of a recent RAIB investigation Simon confirmed that having examined timetables and actual stopping times generally he was satisfied that they were both adequate from a safety perspective. However he shares my concerns over the reports of “trap and drag” incidents. His main concern based on their investigations is of a belief that the electronic door closed warning system alone may be relied upon when in fact safety checks before setting off are all important. Over reliance on train warning systems he commented had contributed to recent incidents. Next we discussed his concerns about track quality, which have grown due to the findings of a number of RAIB reports that have already been published. In particular he said he has been dismayed by the limited technical knowledge exhibited by some track maintenance engineers. I responded by raising my own reservations after reading a number of RAIB reports that a similar comment was maybe applicable to those carrying out both annual superficial as well as detailed structural examinations of structures.

HARD R E WA R D IN G 10 Y E A R S O F N OF N AND WOME E M G IN K R O W IN D U S T RY… T H E U K R A IL

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2016

A multi-disciplinary, multi-talented bunch The majority of people in the UK will benefit from at least one Amey service every day, says the company’s business director for the North, Richard Walker. Richard was astonished by that fact when he joined the company a few months ago from Network Rail. Amey is Network Rail’s secondbiggest supplier and heavily involved in the rail sector, but the extent of its reach will surprise many. The list of sectors the business serves vary from power, water and gas to healthcare, environmental services like waste collection and treatment, facilities management and social justice, which can include activities as diverse as running offender rehabilitation schemes or escorting criminals to prison. Amey, which employs more than 21,000 people nationwide, currently holds Network Rail signalling, electrification and track framework contracts and is involved in the electrification of the Great Western Main Line. As well as its design and consultancy services division, Amey looks after more than 100,000 Network Rail assets as part of its civils examination framework contract. Only recently, the company was also named as a member of the construction alliance which will deliver Manchester’s Ordsall Chord. Celebrating staff achievement is one of the company’s central tenets, says Richard, and so this year Amey is sponsoring the Rail Plant and Equipment Person or Team of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards to celebrate those who operate the big yellow plant which works around the network day and night.

Efforts and energies ‘It’s lovely to be nominated, it’s lovely to be recognised for what you do and for me the awards are about thanking people for their efforts and their energies to make the railway a better place to work; I think it’s absolutely spot on,’ says Richard, who has

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himself been nominated for an award in the past. Attracting and retaining people is essential to any business and finding ways to salute their efforts is part of that. Richard continued, ‘As a business, we’re trying to recruit the right people and these kind of awards are absolutely complementary to getting the right people in our industry. There’s no better way of keeping people with you if you thank them for what they do and recognise their hard work.’ The Rail Plant and Equipment Person or Team of the Year Award was first introduced in 2015. Network Rail’s High Output transition team, which successfully transferred over 507 staff members when Network Rail decided to move the delivery of High Output Track Renewals (HOTR) in-house, won the first ever award. The transition itself was big news, but it was the first real praise to be heaped on the team that ensured it went smoothly. Richard says he has seen how for some people the awards had ‘really kicked their careers on’. ‘It does raise team morale, it does raise team performance and it does get people thinking about their own personal development and what more they can do, what more they want to do.’

Biggest, best and brightest ‘For me they just take a whole cross section of the people that actually run the railway and recognise people’s personal input and commitment to the industry,’ says Richard, when asked for his thoughts on the ethos behind the RailStaff Awards. ‘I do like the variety and the background and also it’s good to see what other people are doing and other new ideas.’ Visit www.railstaffawards.com/nominate and make someone’s year!

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2016

Where are they now? Brian Keenan, winner of the Rail Manager of the Year Award 2015, remembers the day he saved a passenger's life Stories about railway staff members approaching and calming people in distress are becoming more common. The industry has gone to much further lengths in recent years to ensure its people have all the skills they need to help prevent the loss of life at stations and on track. But these interventions can take many forms. At 5.20am on 4 April last year, Heathrow Express duty station manager Brian Keenan received a call from a member of staff aboard an inbound train informing him that a passenger had fallen unconscious and, despite the best efforts of fellow passengers to deliver CPR, was displaying no signs of life. ‘Ironically, at the time, when the call came through, I’d just finished doing my compliance checks, so I was literally walking away after checking the defibrillator on the platform,’ said Brian, who has worked at Heathrow Express for 12 years. Prior to that he had been dispatching planes, rather than trains, at the international airport. As Brian made his way to the platform, he tried to remember his first aid training. ‘The good thing is I had seven to eight minutes at that point to try and get myself ready for it; for the worse-case scenario.’ When the train arrived at the platform, Brian began working on the passenger, switching between the defibrillator and CPR. He continued

simplifying the complex

treating the passenger as the paramedics arrived and after 10 minutes, he saw his first signs of life.

Clean bill of health Brian was praised by the paramedics on the scene; he was even asked by the London Ambulance Service if he’d be interested in joining its rapid response team. But, not knowing what happened to the passenger, Brian wasn’t able to appreciate what he had done that day. The following Friday, as he was cleaning out his garage, Brian received a call to tell him that the man he had brought back to life had left hospital with a clean bill of health. ‘For that first week afterwards, I couldn’t even raise a smile because that guy went into the back of the ambulance still unconscious… It’s at that point when he went in that the paramedics said you should be really proud of your achievement just to get him this far.’

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Brian described the response from his colleagues at Heathrow Express and around the industry as ‘unbelievable’; he’s since won several awards, including the Rail Manager of the Year category at the RailStaff Awards. ‘If someone says you get your 15 minutes of fame, I’ve certainly exceeded that,’ Brian’s actions are now recited by Heathrow Express as part of its first aid training. But he said it was the RailStaff Awards honour which really stood out. ‘As I said on the day, it was an

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honour: it was an honour to be nominated, it was an honour to be winning.’ He added, ‘I just hope that if I had a heart attack or something happened to me someone would put themselves out. That’s all I would ask.’ Remarkably, Brian isn’t the first person in his family to perform such an heroic act. Before Brian was born, his dad had pulled a man from a burning building, for which he subsequently received a commendation for bravery. The father of two hopes the awards leave a similar legacy for his own children. ‘I was proud of my dad for doing that: I wasn’t even alive when he did that, but I was proud and now that’s the same type of thing with my boys.’ The 2016 RailStaff Awards will be held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 8 October. Keen to return, Brian is urging those around him to nominate exceptional staff members. ‘To actually have a night out and recognise just individuals who do their normal job, and the occasional people who go up and beyond that, it’s brilliant.’

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INTERVIEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON

LIFE OF A

All Photos © High Viz Media

CROSSRAIL APPRENTINCE

t is difficult to precisely quantify the contribution made by apprentices. Spread so widely and embedded so deeply, there are probably few major programmes that haven’t benefited from their work at some point. With skills in such short supply, their contribution is needed more now than ever. ‘We’re certainly not just making tea or doing photocopying,’ said George Holder, a higher apprentice employed by the Alstom, TSO and Costain (ATC) joint venture working on Crossrail. George is one of the 550 or so apprentices to have been recruited through the Crossrail programme. The project is achieving well above its original target to create 400 apprenticeships through the project - a fact Crossrail’s chairman Sir Terry Morgan, who was an apprentice himself, is extremely proud of. George, who is originally from Hampshire but now lives in London, is an innovation and knowledge exchange champion for Costain within Crossrail’s ATC joint venture. He works across different teams to find clever solutions to engineering challenges by looking at what technologies and techniques are being applied in other areas of the project. ‘It sounds a bit cliche, but it really is a fantastic first project to be on,’ said George. ‘To get such a huge exposure so early on in my career is obviously fantastic. To be working with such a large number of apprentices and graduates as well on the project is very enjoyable.’

‘I don’t look back on it with any regret,’ said George, reflecting on his decision to pursue engineering over medicine. ‘It was certainly something I was very passionate about at the time. I still have the greatest amount of respect for my friends who still are working and studying… so no bad feelings about it, but it was just a very personal decision as this is not the career that I want to work towards. What else can I apply for? What else can I apply myself to that’s still beneficial, worthwhile?’

PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER George’s pathway into the industry differs from most. The 24 year old had been training to become a doctor. However, two years into his studies, a somewhat disenchanted George decided his future lay elsewhere. ‘I just wanted a career change, but still one that was involved in the sciences and provided a benefit to society,’ said George. ‘I still wanted to be contributing to something bigger - that’s a main part of why I enjoy working for Costain and working on Crossrail. I’m really quite enjoying being part of something much bigger and that’s going to provide a lot of benefit to a lot of people when all is said and done.’ After leaving medical school, George joined a health and safety consultancy, which at the time was working with Costain on its Prince’s Trust programmes - the initiative works with young people who are not in employment or education to give them the skills needed to work on a construction site. While in that role, he found out about the opportunity to pursue a higher apprenticeship with Costain. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Crossrail's Plumstead railhead in South East London.

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016 INTERVIEWS

APPRENTICE FORUM

George had been training to become a doctor before choosing a career in engineering.

Upon completion, George will achieve an NVQ Level 5 in construction management and a HND Level 5 in construction in the built environment from East Berkshire College. With his apprenticeship almost over, George is looking forward to moving on to the three-year Costain Graduate Scheme, which he is eligible for thanks to credits earned while at medical school and courses he’s completed since, in his spare time, through the Open University. The contribution of ATC’s apprentices is clear. It was an ATC apprentice, Charley Whitlock, who won Crossrail’s Apprentice of the Year award in March. Several more apprentices were highly commended and ATC won the Outstanding Tier 1 Contractor award for the work it has done around apprenticeships. ‘I think that the management on the project are both very supportive of apprentices and provide us with a number of very beneficial opportunities for work on the project.

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INTERVIEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

‘We’re given an appropriate level of responsibility, but one that certainly pushes and challenges us. We’re certainly not just making tea or doing photocopying, but equally we’re not just left out on our own.’ ‘We’re expected to be the trainee engineers,’ he added. ‘We’re expected to be able to represent and answer questions on, and provide information on, our respective disciplines. We are certainly seen as full members of the teams that we work within.’ George has also helped to establish an apprentice forum within the ATC Systemwide joint venture, which allows the 15 or so apprentices working on the C610 contract the opportunity to meet with Costain’s apprentice manager once every couple of months to discuss any issues. ‘I think apprenticeships as an entity, are hugely beneficial and positive for the industry,’ said George. ‘You’re actually bringing in people who want to work and contribute to the company, to something bigger, whilst learning as well.’ Costain currently employs 114 apprentices. Of these, 48 work within the rail business as civil engineers, surveyors and administrators. ‘It’s the nature of the project. It’s

the nature of the roles that they go into,’ said Caroline Towner, Costain’s apprenticeship manager. ‘They need to be able to learn on the job quite quickly and they need to have really good organisational skills and they need to be able to communicate effectively.’ Later this year, George will become the first Costain apprentice to join the graduate scheme. Caroline said she was immensely proud of George’s achievements and hopes to see more apprentices going down this route. ‘The buzz for me is to see them achieve,’ said Caroline, who has been managing apprenticeship programmes for 23 years.

POSITIVE CHOICE Apprenticeships are a positive choice, says George, when asked about the stigma that still exists, to some degree, around apprenticeships. However, there is evidence to show this is changing. In 2015, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) recorded a 20 per cent increase in apprenticeship applications. With the option to study up to degree level with an apprenticeship, George thinks it’s not just a positive choice, but the obvious one. ‘Do you want to spend three years and get something like £30,000 into debt to get a degree or would you rather spend five years earning for a company that actually values you and still get a degree at the end of it?’

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

THREE PEAKS TRIU THIS YEAR'S 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE BY RAIL HAS RAISED CLOSE TO £165,000 FOR RAILWAY CHILDREN, BRINGING THE TOTAL RAISED FOR THE CHARITY TO £2.4 MILLION.

hree Peaks by Rail was launched in 2004. A team from the Department for Transport achieved the fastest time this year, completing the combined 11,200 feet of climbing in just 13 hours 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Says Katie Mason, events manager from Railway Children, ‘This year we introduced a new award for ‘Best Team Support’, which was won by Ashurst. One of their young team members, Michael Smith, lost most of his sight a few years ago, yet still managed to climb every mountain with help from his team members, who talked him through each step. It was very emotional and inspiring when they crossed the finish line at Ben Nevis.’ A team from Rail Media completed the gruelling challenge along with 39 teams. Teams tackled Britain’s three tallest mountains in one weekend. Starting at Euston and picking up more climbers at Crewe, the first stop was Bangor where, after a short coach ride, the teams tackled Snowdon in the dark, rain and mist. Not pleasant, but there was still a sense of achievement once the first peak was reached.

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The Rail Media team of Adam O’Connor, Jolene Price, Karen Edwards and Paul O’Connor were all snug in their waterproofs that had been supplied for the occasion by PPE specialists Gore, along with head torches from Tower. Ravenglass was the next stop, where a change of trains onto the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway brought hikers closer to Scafell Pike, although it was still a two-hour walk to the bottom of the mountain. After a sunny and drizzly climb, it was off to Fort William to tackle Ben Nevis. This time the weather was much better so a good view greeted the 39 teams, all of which completed the course. A very happy, and tired, group made it back to the train for home.

Says Rail Media’s Paul O’Connor, who completed the challenge for the fourth time, ’As soon as you step back onto the train having completed Ben Nevis, you say to yourself ‘never again’, but a couple of months later you’re signing up for next year. There’s something addictive about it. ‘Physically, it is a real challenge, but the support team are amazing and the atmosphere among those taking part really helps to drive you on.’ Katie Mason thanked the legion of support staff who crewed the train and looked after the climbers. ‘The on-board crew of volunteers were amazing as always, preparing delicious food and refreshments. Their unrivalled commitment has been an integral part of everything we have achieved over the years. A special thanks also needs to go to one of our train drivers, who donated his day’s salary to the charity and the companies supporting this year’s challenge - Riviera, DRS, Network Rail, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, ATOC and Rail Gourmet.’ Paul O’Connor added, ‘It’s a great cause to support and a small sacrifice to make given the situations of the thousands of children and young people the charity supports.’

UMPH

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NEWS

'Physically, it is a real challenge, but the support team are amazing and the atmosphere among those taking part really helps drive you on.'

Tough on the legs, but beautiful views power you on.

The weather was relatively kind to the teams this year.

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

A sadness in the eyes Cat Gibson is a big supporter of Safeguarding Children on Transport (SCT). Now training and competency manager at Network Rail, Gibson was shift station manager at Manchester Piccadilly from May 2007 until March 2016. It’s a challenging job in one of the North’s biggest and busiest premier gateway stations. She talked to Andrew Collis at Railway Children. ‘I decided to get involved with the SCT programme because I was already the single point of contact with BTP for Piccadilly station,’ says Cat. ‘I had contacts with all 18 of the stations that Network Rail manages nationally, so I was well placed to extend the scheme… I thought if it’s worth doing here, it’s worth doing everywhere.’ Gibson sees the programme as a logical fit with proactive security mindfulness. Training is thorough and professional. ‘The training builds on what I was already doing with BTP and the Counter Terrorism Unit and organisations like the Samaritans. It’s all about looking beneath the surface at what’s really going on. With young people it particularly equipped me to look beyond antisocial behaviour - to stop seeing that surface issue as if it’s the main issue - and understand what might be going on to drive that behaviour.’

A case of conversation ‘The training provided me with a useful toolkit for starting conversations. That’s what we need to be doing at stations - not just to stop the behaviour or to move people on but to start a conversation and ask some questions.’ SCT training helps build confidence and bridge the gap between how effective people think they are - usually over modest - and in fact how effective they can be. It’s a case of initiating conversations - often with people very different from yourself. ‘Rail is a male-dominated industry. I think some of my male colleagues particularly felt a bit of fear about starting conversations with young people at stations - about how that would be perceived - but the training has just helped give us the confidence and understanding to know we can and should be doing that.’ RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Sadness in the eyes Haunting images from the course stay with Cat. ‘There’s a picture from the training materials that really sticks in my mind: it’s a young person sort of hiding - out of the way - in the sort of places we do sometimes see them at Piccadilly - like under a stairwell. It’s the sort of situation where you’d walk past and think ‘Uh oh! Trouble. What are you up to?’ When we did this with the group, everyone’s initial response was just that - that the young person looked like they were up to no good. But actually when you look at the picture more closely you can see bruising on the person’s face. And there’s a sort of sadness in the eyes. So when you look again, you see so much more. I thought that was really powerful and my colleagues responded to that really well too.’ The SCT training is soon put to good use. Just a few weeks after attending a training course, Cat Gibson encountered a young man and a girl, 16, spending a lot of time at Manchester Piccadilly. ‘They were quite abusive to our staff. They’d swear and shout and say things like ‘you know you can’t touch us’. We worked with BTP to find out what was going on and to start that conversation.’ It turned out there were serious problems - including the relationship with the male alcohol, and the girl’s care home, which planned to ask her to leave, citing antisocial behaviour. Following on from that initial conversation, helped by the BTP and social services, the girl received remedial support and kept the place where she lives.

Nephews and nieces The value of the course in SCT lies in knowing what to do when confronted with outwardly recalcitrant youngsters at railway stations. It’s a basic skill set in non-threatening intervention. ‘I believe anyone who works on the frontline of the railway would benefit from the SCT training. It is so simple: Be Aware, Be Concerned. Look and look again. It is not a complicated new skillset – the SCT trusts that you as frontline staff already have the key skills to deal with safeguarding issues. It simply gives you the confidence and structure to

start a conversation where perhaps you would usually just walk past. We so often avoid getting involved because we don’t know what to do. This is an opportunity to gain that confidence and use the experiences we deal with every day to help vulnerable young people.’ Gibson brings the point home by urging staff to think about those close to them. ‘Think of your own family. Think of your children, nieces and nephews. How would you feel if they ended up on the streets or they came to a station because they had nowhere else to go? You would want to know that rail staff would be there for them and would help them, wouldn’t you?’

Light and busy Why do railway stations attract runaways and homeless children? Food kiosks are expensive. It’s more basic than that. ‘Our stations, and the railway in general, appeals to young people as a safe place to go. Stations are light and busy and much safer than the street.’ The runaways are already there. What the railway does about them reflects on the industry as a whole. Frontline staff have an essential role to play. Certain behaviours have underlying causes not immediately apparent. Vulnerable adults and people with mental health issues make for stations too. ‘Our staff are our key resource. Equipping them to deal with scenarios that present themselves every day is important for an engaged workforce. It also helps ensure that the railway is a safe place for everyone. Too many vulnerable children and young people pass invisibly through our stations every day. Who knows what difference a simple conversation with someone who is willing to spend the time might make?’

Open return to childhood ‘If you look at the bigger picture again, building a strong workforce, that’s not afraid to have difficult conversations, has benefits in many ways.’ Not least it can make a lifetime’s difference to younger, more vulnerable people at stations. ‘We are all entitled to a childhood. Most of these vulnerable young people have already

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NEWS

Touch rugby win for Railway Children For the second year running, the Rail Rugby charity tournament took place at the birthplace of the sport, Rugby School in Warwickshire, raising £70,000 for Railway Children.

BTP Safeguarding help Railway Children and British Transport Police have joined forces to back a new Safeguarding Children on Transport programme. Developed by Railway Children, the programme aims to improve staff awareness of vulnerable children and young people on the railway. According to research, every five minutes a child runs away from home in the UK. Railway Children estimates that 16,500 children are at risk of sexual exploitation every year. Children in need of care and affection will often seek this in inappropriate places. They become easy prey for child abusers who operate to groom children without them realising. In 2014, British Transport Police (BTP) received approximately 6,000 reports of child safeguarding incidents at railway stations. Says Terina Keene, chief executive at Railway Children, ‘Children often behave in ways we perceive to be troublesome,

been deprived of that right. By simply starting a conversation and passing on the right contact details, maybe we can ensure that some of these young people get some of that back.’ At Manchester Piccadilly enthusiastic staff, alert to the dangers young people face, are starting conversations, looking again rather than dismissing what looks like antisocial behaviour. ‘I’m keen to roll out the training to other more remote rail locations in my new role. I would like to take the training to trackside staff who

but this can be the result of things that have happened, or are happening, to them. ‘By enhancing the awareness of railway staff and retailers at stations, we can create a network of people who understand, identify and support children who are vulnerable or at risk across the railways.’ BTP’s Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Newton, says staff are the eyes and ears of the new campaign. ‘Children are a priority and in forming this collaborative group, we are able to share our professional knowledge and ensure that we safeguard children in the best way we possibly can. ‘Staff play a vital role in spotting and reporting unusual behaviour. They can be our ‘eyes and ears’ as they go about their day-to-day work by providing us with the information we need to recognise signs of vulnerability or potential exploitation.’ Railway Children is also working with BTP, train operating companies and charity sector partners to ensure better

might be the first to see a young person trespassing on the line. I would like them to understand that they need to do more than just getting that person away from the line. They can talk to them too.’

HIV positive ‘I’ve seen so much at Piccadilly over the years - especially on night shifts. There’s one incident that really sticks in my mind - from years ago. It was about 03.30 on a Saturday morning. The station was full of drunk young people hanging around. I was called to give first

With the support of Network Rail, 14 teams from across the rail industry competed to become the 2016 Rail Industry Touch Rugby Champions. Says Katie Mason, events manager at Railway Children, ‘The success of last year’s inaugural tournament was always going to be a tough act to follow, but the enthusiasm and extraordinary commitment from our rail industry supporters was outstanding, ensuring a great day and £70,000 raised for vulnerable street children. A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making the event

such a success, in particular our tournament sponsor VolkerRail and Nuffield Health for giving amazing sports massages.’ The tournament is the brainchild of Katie Ferrier, a senior programme manager at Network Rail. ‘The continued success of this charity tournament is an inspiring response for a great cause and its significance goes beyond the money alone. ‘At the heart of this event’s success is the generosity of the competitors and volunteers involved, all coming together and helping to give a louder voice to the millions of street children across the world,’ said Katie. Morson International were the winners (pictured). The day concluded with an evening with rugby legend Kyran Bracken, sponsored by ABC Electrification.

reporting of incidents and to increase availability of emergency accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds. Says Mark Newton, ‘We all have a responsibility to look after children and whilst these incidents are rare, if you see something that doesn’t feel right, please report it to us, however small or insignificant you may think it is. Your information may just help to save a young life.’

aid to a young woman. I didn’t ask her age, but I could see she was really just a teenager. Her face was really cut up. I needed to clean her injuries but she said, ‘don’t touch me - I’m HIV positive.’ I persuaded her that it was OK and anyway I had gloves on. ‘She let me help her and talked to me a bit. I asked her how she got hurt and she said, ‘at work.’ She was working in the sex industry. She called herself a dancer. I gave her the number for MASH - a sexual health charity. This was before the SCT training and before

our work with Railway Children. I don’t know what happened to her - or if she accessed any help - but I still think about her.’ The programme has seen different elements of the railway station staff, train crew and police - coming together to make a real difference. Supporters hope the programme will be expanded across the rail network. A recent SCT Champions training day in Leeds was a great success. More are planned. To get involved contact SCT@railwaychildren.org.uk or go to www.railwaychildren.org.uk/SCT

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GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

WHAT LIES

BENEATH

rior to any significant construction or remedial works being undertaken on the infrastructure a ground investigation (GI) is carried out. So what is the purpose of a GI? A ground investigation is carried out in order to enable a geotechnical and geoenvironmental assessment of the ground conditions and to analyse the engineering and environmental considerations related to the proposed site. These investigations are usually carried out initially at GRIP 2/3 stage and then a more detailed Investigation at GRIP3/4 once the single option has been decided upon. So what sort of equipment carries out this challenging work? In short, the most suitable type of plant for the job. Bridgeway Consulting Ltd specialises in planning and executing the most challenging of GIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the network by utilising an array of standard and bespoke equipment.

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

GEAR+TECH

CABLE PERCUSSIVE Cable rig drilling has been the mainstay of the GI industry for many, many years. Conventional cable rigs are large, bulky and have to be towed by a vehicle. BCL developed a cable rig transportable like a Window Sample Rig to work in areas usually inaccessible to this proven method of investigation.

D1500 TRACK PERCUSSIVE RIG TRIAL PITTING The basic method of attaining sub-strata information on or off track. On track generally hand dug due to the cost of on-track plant and the limited working area. Pros: Relatively cheap, able to extrude large bulk samples for testing, easy to gain California Bearing Ratio (CBR) readings from base of the pit employing TRL probe, exposes foundations to structures, allows good examination of material types and layers insitu, allows slow careful excavation to expose services. Cons: Limited information for design purposes can be gained, limited depth without Form C for temporary works design (shoring) in rail environment, limited in location with regards to the track support zone.

Pros: Maximum achievable depth 50m, standard mob 12m equipment, strength profiling possible through SPT, cased holes 6 inch standard, 8 inch possible for shallow depths, good sample recovery, disturbed and undisturbed samples (U100, Ut100) samples, 12m per 8 hour shift achievable depth with testing in good ground conditions Cons: Not the same pull back power as a standard rig but far more mobile. Mast has to be stripped to ensure the rig is under the maximum permissible weight for hand trolleys.

WINDOW SAMPLING The workhorse of rail GI. These relatively lightweight rigs are easily transportable by hand trolley and manoeuvrable on track. The maximum depths achievable are dependent upon ground types and conditions which should be ascertained and estimated at desktop study phase.

WS RIG Pros: Maximum achievable depth 12m drilling 15m probing, strength profiling possible DP-H, DP-SH, & SPT, cased holes, good sample recovery, disturbed & undisturbed samples (Ut70) samples possible, Portable on site, moved via hand trolley on track, 108mm diameter maximum decreasing with depth. Cons: Requires possession of the line or safeguarded (all lines blocked) line blockage, decreasing diameter sampler gives limited sample size for testing.

SLOPE DRILLING While slope climbing rigs have been around and utilised for a number of years, over the past few years they have been embraced in the rail sector as they allow the works to be conducted often with the line open to traffic.

IBEX BESPOKE SLOPE CLIMBING RIG Pros: Can access up to and including 55 degree slope from greenfield/brownfield access, maximum achievable depth 30m, standard mob 15m equipment, strength profiling possible through DP-SH & SPT, cased holes, can rotary auger, good sample recovery, disturbed and undisturbed samples (U100, Ut100) samples, cored samples of bedrock, quick installations. Cons: Large machine, track access requires RRV, mobilisation costs are quite high due to size and weight for haulage, not as powerful conventional rotary rig as the GEO 205, noisy for night works as it runs a compressor in addition to the engine, requires relatively large working space.

ROTARY PERCUSSIVE DRILLING Rotary rigs are conventionally used to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;follow onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; when a cable percussive rig hits bedrock. These rigs have the ability to take quality samples of bedrock for further geotechnical testing.

COMMACHIO GEO 205 PERCUSSIVE RIG Pros: Maximum achievable depth 60m, standard mob 20m equipment, strength profiling possible through DP-SH & SPT, cased holes, good sample recovery, disturbed and undisturbed samples (U100, Ut100) samples, cored samples of bedrock, can core through platforms & car parks, 20m per eight-hour shift achievable depth with testing in suitable ground conditions. Cons: Difficult to access track side without road rail vehicle, Noisy for night works as it runs a compressor in addition to the engine, Requires relatively large working space compared to other methods available. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

SOMME OFFENSIVE MARKED BY R

REPORT BY ANDY MILNE

'Their name liveth for ever more.'

he rail industry continues its commemoration of the First World War with a series of events to mark the Battle of the Somme in which one million soldiers were either killed or wounded. On the first day alone 57,000 British troops died. The Somme Offensive lasted from 1 July 1916 until November. Staff from TransPennine Express (TPE) took part in the Somme commemoration parade on Friday

1 July 2016 in Manchester. Matt Strode, a TPE driver based at Manchester Piccadilly, said, ‘I served in the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman Radar Operator for seven years from 1992 – 1999, aboard the HMS Exeter and HMS Glasgow. I served in Singapore, Mombasa and most of Europe too, but on Friday the main reason I was marching is to honour the memory of my great uncle, William John Strode, who was killed at the Battle of the Somme at just 19 years of age.’

We’re here because we’re here Men dressed as soldiers in First World War uniforms visited trains and stations, sang marching songs and handed out cards with the names of soldiers who fell. Cities visited included London, Belfast, Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow. The National Railway Museum (NRM) marked the day by opening a new exhibition featuring the Ambulance Trains used to ferry thousands of seriously injured troops away from the front. Descendants of ambulance train medical staff gathered with museum experts to mark the anniversary by opening the new display, which explores the little-known story of the trains that evacuated injured soldiers.

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Ambulance trains reconstructed The centrepiece of the exhibition is an historic railway carriage of the type that would have been converted for use in a First World War ambulance train, transformed inside and out to recreate the atmosphere on board these hospitals on wheels. The carriage has been carefully transformed both inside and out to enable visitors to step on board and move through spaces including a ward, a pharmacy and a nurses’ mess room. Digital projection, sound and historic images, alongside interior fittings, recreated an intense atmosphere of these confined trains. Jane Sparkes, interpretation developer at the NRM, said the exhibition, Ambulance Trains, not only explores stories of the wounded soldiers who travelled with their harrowing memories of warfare, but also the medical staff who worked tirelessly in claustrophobic conditions to provide comfort and care. ‘It also looks at the railway workers who built the carefully designed trains at incredible speed to keep up with demand, and the wider public who saw the grim reality of the overseas war when these trains pulled into British stations.’

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

FEATURE

RAILWAY

All Photos © NRM

Nurses honoured Among the descendants of ambulance train medics gathered to open the exhibition was Caroline Stevens, whose ancestor Kate Evelyn Luard worked on an ambulance train in France for the entirety of the First World War. Caroline Stevens said, ‘My great-aunt Kate Evelyn Luard worked on First World War ambulance trains for the first year of the war. ‘From 1915-1918, she also served in a field ambulance and as sister in charge of casualty clearing stations on the Western Front. She carried out her duties with unfaltering composure and dedication to those in her care under difficult and often dangerous conditions and was one of the few nurses to be awarded a Bar to her Royal Red Cross. We are delighted to be at the opening of the National Railway Museum’s new exhibition which has been inspired by people like her and which features extracts from the numerous letters she sent back to her family from France.’

Barbed wire The Battle of the Somme was an attempt by the French and British to break the emerging stalemate on the Western Front. The attack was launched on a 20-mile long

'The Somme is rightly remembered for its unprecedented loss of life...'

front, from north of the Somme river between Arras and Albert. An eight-day bombardment failed to destroy German positions or barbed wire entanglements. British troops running across open ground were often caught in the barbed wire and mown down by machine gun fire. Allied commanders continued to send French and British troops over the top all summer.

Railways on battlefields A further exhibition, now on tour at stations around the country, highlights the role played by railways in the Somme Offensive. Jeremy Higgins, customer service director of CrossCountry Trains and author of Great War Railwaymen: Britain’s Railway Company Workers at War 1914-1918, said, ‘The Somme is rightly remembered for its unprecedented loss of life. With military stalemate on the horizon, the railway stepped in to support the delivery of vital supplies to the Western Front: thanks to the leadership of senior railwaymen such as Sir Eric Geddes, new rail

developments helped change Britain’s military fortunes, leading to eventual victory in 1918.’

Reginald and Gerald Wilkinson Organised by the Rail Delivery Group the exhibition tells the story of how Britain’s railwaymen revolutionised military operations by building battlefield railway lines. By 1917, over 2,000 miles of track had been laid on the Western Front. This helped ensure ammunition and supplies reached the frontline. Approximately 1,000 railwaymen were killed at the Somme. The exhibition features the story of two of them – Reginald and Gerald Wilkinson, brothers from Yorkshire who had worked for the North Eastern Railway. Both men were killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The exhibition will be at York station until September when it moves to Swansea until October then Birmingham New Street through till December 2016. In the new year it moves to Glasgow Central for January and February 2017. ‘Their name liveth for ever more.’

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NEWS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN WORKHORSE LOCOMOTIVE REACH MILESTONES

rish Rail currently use two General Motors built locomotive types for their passenger and freight requirements, the 1976 built ‘071 class’ and the 1994/5 built ‘201 class’. The 071 class were the prime Intercity locomotives on passenger services. 18 years later, the more powerful and faster 201 class flew in - the first (201) being delivered by an Antonov An-124 aircraft arriving from Canada on 9 June 1994. The 201 then assumed most main line passenger duties with the 071’s being used on freight and departmental services. Tim Casterton reports on the milestones reached this year for both types - the 071s turning 40 and the 201s reaching a point where a ‘mid-life’ refurbishment is required following 20 years of hard acceleration, fast running and frequent stops taking its toll.

New engines at mid-life refurbishment for 201s The Iarnród Éireann 201 class, built in 1994/95 by General Motors in London, Ontario was an order of 34 locomotives – 32 for IÉ and two for Northern Ireland Railways (208 and 209) for the jointly operated cross-border ‘Enterprise’ services. There are three variations with locomotives 201 to 205 and 210 to 214 supplied with fixed buffers and shackle couplings most suited for freight use. The remaining locos were modified before delivery to have retractable buffers, electronic fuel gauges, automatic or shackle coupling options and push-pull capability. For operating the cross-border ‘Enterprise’ passenger services, nine are fitted with HaslerRail 2500 Event recorders, NIR train radio and TPWS/AWS. By 2014 after twenty years of intense use and with a life expectancy of 40 – 45 years, the class was due for a midlife refurbishment as reliability was becoming an issue. Having seen the success of the replacement of the HST engines in the UK, Peter Smyth, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, looked at the feasibility of replacing the ‘as built’ EMD 12-710G3B diesel engines with a more fuel efficient type. Although one of the most widely used types of engine used internationally, it is basic 2 stroke with mechanical fuel with a maximum power output of 3200hp (2,388kW). It also pre-dates current emissions standards.

Technical visits Smyth set a project brief to replace the current engine, coolers, generator and loco control system with a modern, fuel efficient replacement. The specification is to meet continued mixed traffic use on 160 kph / 100mph push-pull passenger trains and freight trains of various tonnage up to 1300t gross weight (trials are currently taking place for longer freight trains). To assess what the market could offer a number of companies RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

in the UK and Europe were visited. Bogies and traction motors will remain as now. The current axle weight is 18.6 tones and to maintain the current tractive effort capabilities the re-engineered locomotives will need to retain a similar weight which may require some ballasting. Smyth received assistance from Derby-based industry consultant Russell Birnie for a feasibility study and when that was completed in mid-2015 it showed a strong business case to repower based on reduced life cycle costs from maintenance and fuel savings. The study considered the suitable engine types available in the market and evaluated them considering various scenarios. Birnie also assisted with a technical specification.

Market interest In March 2016 tendering for the work commenced. Smyth advises that the project created considerable interest from the market. A lead integrator was sought to take the locomotive and to engineer and implement the solution including choice of engine – the study considers solutions of 1, 2 or 3 engines could be possible. Evaluation of tender returns is being carried out this year with a contract award being made early 2017. A prototype will be developed and from 2017 to 2019 up to 4 locomotives at any time will be worked on. The initial requirement is for 22 locomotives with options on a further 12. The 22 include two owned by Translink Northern Ireland Railways (208 and 209) and the company has been involved and is fully supportive of the project.

V.I.P. Charter use looms Twenty two locomotives are currently required for services employed on the push-pull passenger trains on the

Cork line whilst the ‘Enterprise’ crossborder services to Belfast sees them used on the Bombardier push-pull carriages. Number 216 is currently being overhauled and re-painted as the Belmond ‘Royal Hibernian’ luxury. charter train. The class also sees regular use on the IWT freight trains from Dublin Port to Ballina.

Forty Years of the IÉ 071 Class 2016 marks the 40th Anniversary of the introduction of the Irish Rail 071 class locomotive and it is being celebrated with tours organised by the IRRS and the RPSI. These revered diesel electric locomotives were built at the LaGrange, Illinois works of General Motors EMD in 1976 with an order of 18 type JT22CW being placed. Despite a few bumps and bruises along the way all remain in service in 2016. The 18 locomotives were transported from the USA to Ireland on Lykes Lines barge carrier ‘MV Tillie Lykes’, arriving in Dublin Bay on 2 September 1976. Following off-loading they were towed to Inchicore for commissioning.

CIE and General Motors From the early 1960s CIE had fallen in love with General Motors (GM) locomotives following earlier issues with locomotives sourced from UK companies. The smaller GM 121, 141 and 181 classes of Bo-Bo wheel arrangement locomotives ran on the Irish network for around 50 years and the 071 was basically a development of these. The 071s at 57’ in length were around 13 feet longer, had a Co-Co wheel arrangement and a top speed of 90mph with mixed traffic capabilities. As delivered they had General Motors 12 cylinder 645 E3C turbo charged engines developing 2450 hp at 900 rpm and with 2250 hp being available for traction. The use of a turbocharger gave some 50 per cent

greater power than was achieved from a similar sized engine. Traction is supplied through six axle-hung, nose suspended series wound motors driving independently. Maximum tractive effort is 65,000 lbf with a continuous tractive effort of 42,390 lbf (at 15.1 mph) providing 1823hp power at rail. Following an engine failure that couldn’t be rectified, locomotive 076, was re-fitted with a 645 E3E engine sourced from Sweden. All of the locomotives are fitted with straight air brakes.

Introduction to service Following delivery, an industrial dispute resulted in the class being stored at Inchicore Works for around 9 months with the first service train, the 14:30 Dublin to Cork, being worked by 082 on 23 May 1977. Once introduced the locos could be seen operating passenger services on all main lines from Dublin except initially the Rosslare line and the Great Northern route to Belfast. By autumn of that year the class were noted on Knock Pilgrimage trains (to Claremorris) and other special workings. In 1979, the locos took over workings on the line to Rosslare, however due to interoperability requirements of the ‘Enterprise’ services to Belfast, introduction was delayed until 1982 when Northern Ireland Railways purchased three similar locomotives (designated 111 class) to operate the jointly run services. It wasn’t until 1996 that the class was able to work the Ballina Branch due to strengthening works being required to the Moy bridge. Early in their career the Co-Co bogies suffered some issues, but these were resolved by fitting additional dampers. The class remained on front line passenger trains until the introduction of the 201 class locomotives in 1994 and of the 22000 class ICR railcars from 2007 onwards.

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NEWS

Four liveries over 40 years Initially locomotives wore a black and tan livery with the CIE ‘broken wheel’ logo displayed on the cab fronts. Over the years new liveries have been applied, the first revision being the ‘Supertrain’ livery with a bright orange colour and the ‘plug’ logo. Once the 201 class had arrived in service and had taken over principle passenger trains and subsequently with Inter City Railcars operating the remaining passenger services, the 071 class became the primary freight and permanent way train loco on the Irish network. Post 2011 a new freight livery of black and silver was applied to the class with the orange finally vanishing in May 2013. The latest livery is the ‘slate grey’ with 077 being the first painted in it in April 2013. The repaint into ‘slate grey’ also coincided with substantial body work and bogie overhauls. UIC numbers are being applied (for example – 071 becomes 0117071). Whilst initially only the UIC numbers were applied, now the IÉ three figure number is also being displayed. At the time of writing around two-thirds of the class have received the new livery. None of the 071 class were named, however 082 carries a commemorative plaque in Irish and English reading ‘CUMANN NA NINNEALTOIRI / THE INSITUTION OF ENGINEERS OF IRELAND’. 071 and 076 both carry a plaque to commemorate the 40 years of services and this reads: ’40 years 1976 – 2016’ (with the old CIE ‘flying snail’ logo underneath).

tanks, new cab metal work and sealing to prevent drafts. Modifications include: a new handbrake system, a Driver Reminder Appliance (DRA) to reduce SPADs and structural modifications to under-frame mounted diesel fuel tanks.

Accidents Two of the 071 class were sadly involved in serious accidents involving loss of life. On 1 August 1980 number 075 was involved in the Buttavant derailment (2 miles north of Mallow). The derailment occurred due to poor practice whilst permanent way works were being undertaken and resulted in the loss of 18 lives with 62 recorded injuries. On 21 August 1983, 086 was involved in slow speed collision in poor weather with the rear of a failed train at Cherryville (near Kildare), this resulting in seven deaths and 55 injuries. The high toll on the latter collision was due to wooden bodied carriages and resulted in recommendations for restrictions in their use.

Trailblazers and tours This year several members of the class (076, 077, 079 and 083) were involved in the Irish Railway Record Society (IRRS) celebratory tour to Limerick, Cork, Tralee and Waterford over the weekend of 9 and 10 April. The RPSI operated a 40th Anniversary diesel tour on 13 May as a prelude to the weekend steam tour and IÉ repainted the class leader back into the orange and black livery for this. 076 working the first container train from Dublin for 4 years on 20 August 2009 and 081 the first diesel hauled passenger train to both M3 Parkway and Docklands stations. In 2015 the class were used to haul the first luxury railtour of Ireland, the “Emerald Isle Explorer”, operated by Railtours Ireland.

Future assured Overhauls and modifications From 2011 onwards body repairs were carried out to the locos at Inchicore Works. A more substantial repair and overhaul programme was commenced in 2013 encompassing engine rebuilds, refurbishing bogies, under-floor piping renewal, air

The 071 class is still in great demand on freight services from Navan, Dublin, Westport and Ballina as well as permanent way materials trains. On freight services, two are required every weekday on the Tara Mines to Dublin Port ore trains and they see regular use on the IWT and DFDS intermodal trains and pulpwood trains. With the current overhauls and the possibility of more freight workings on the cards, the future requirement for all 18 locomotives looks assured for some time yet. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

Spirit of Peru Freightliner Poland has taken delivery of the first of six new Dragon locomotives to bolster capacity for its growing Polish business. In a special ceremony at Warsaw’s Warszawa Wschodnia station the loco was named ‘Ernest Malinowski’ – after the Polish railway engineer and Peruvian freedom fighter. The Newag Dragon locomotives are built in Gliwice, Upper Silesia, by Newag S.A. a railway rolling stock manufacturing company based in Nowy Sącz, southern Poland. Ernest Malinowski was born in Poland in 1818 and raised in France where his father fled after problems with the Russians - at that time occupying Poland.

After studying at the National School of Roads and Bridges, graduating in 1838, Ernest Malinowski worked in Algeria and France before moving to Peru. The country was still trying to shake off Spanish hegemony. Malinowski helped build defences and commanded artillery units at Port of Callao on the Pacific Coast.

Rail help for youth hostel Fifty rail workers from Network Rail’s S&C South Alliance have transformed the grounds of Stratford upon Avon Youth Hostel. They completed more than £10,000 of landscaping and maintenance work in a single day. The rail effort was part of S&C South Alliance’s pledge to donate 1,000 days of volunteering over the next 12 months. The Youth Hostel is on Wellesbourne Road in Alveston and work involved clearing vegetation, replacing fences and undertaking essential maintenance work. As well as supplying staff, S&C South Alliance also brought plant and equipment used to maintain the rail network to undertake substantial landscaping work. A disused

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area of the car park was formed into the New Shakespeare’s Amphitheatre. The new outdoor theatre will be used by the hundreds of students and school groups who visit the Youth Hostel as part of their studies each year. Stephen Dodgson, manager of YHA Stratford upon Avon, said, ‘I am overwhelmed at what has been achieved in a day by so many people. ‘The work has made a huge difference to the youth hostel. ‘The new amphitheatre looks amazing, and I can’t wait to see it put to use by the school groups that stay with us. It will make their stay at YHA Stratford upon Avon even more memorable.’ YHA is a charity and aims to inspire people to broaden their horizons through adventure and discovery.

The Spanish were unable to land their fleet and Peru’s independence was assured. Malinowski was proclaimed a national hero. He went on to build the Central TransAndean Railway - in 1870 - the then highest altitude railway in the world. At the highest point of the railway stands a memorial to Ernest Malinowski. He died in 1899.

ATA plans 1000 miler A team of intrepid cyclists from ATA Derby plans to raise money for Railway Children with a tough 1,000 mile cycle ride round Carsington Water in Derbyshire. All the riders have been training hard in the lead up to the challenge on 16 July. As well as riders, the team is fielding a dedicated array of first aiders, mileometre-ologists, caterers, puncture repairers and cheerleaders. All that ’s needed now are donations - go to: http://uk.virginmoneygiving. com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/ showFundraiserProfilePage. action?userUrl=ATABikeChallenge2016

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Challenge 1100 for telent staff More than 220 telent employees have joined forces to undertake a 1,100km-long relay around the UK to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. The relay has two starting points - one in the north and one in the south - with the teams making their way to the finish line at telent’s headquarters in Warwick. Many others will be volunteering their time to plan the various relay legs, pit-stop logistics and will be supporting their colleagues en route with refreshments and general encouragement. Says Mark Plato, chief executive at telent, ‘I am delighted that so many staff, as well as some of our

customers, are getting behind the challenge. ‘Macmillan is an extremely important charity as many of us have and will be affected by cancer in some way during our lives. ‘Through continued donations and fundraising efforts, Macmillan is able to provide much needed support during very difficult times. We’ve set ourselves a target of £100,000 and are asking people to dig deep to support the charity’s on-going efforts.’ Adam Nash, account manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, is enthusiastic about the ambitious race. ‘We are delighted that our corporate partnership with telent is continuing to go from strength to strength. ‘Their staff are really pushing themselves with their fundraising, and we’ll look forward to supporting them through this huge challenge as well.’ To support the telent team in raising funds for Macmillan, please donate here: www.justgiving.com/ teams/challenge1100

Orion racers take off Integrated transport takes on a new and dynamic dimension this summer as Orion Group’s rail division joins Turn Eight Racing as a sponsor. The aim is to spread the message that the rail industry and rail businesses can be winners in every race. The message will reach contractors and individuals seeking work and training opportunities. Turn Eight driver Pip Hammond walked away with an armful of trophies after three wins and three fastest laps at Snetterton in June. Says Orion Group’s marketing and communications director, Scott Burns-Smith, ‘Our rail division is delighted to be sponsoring Turn Eight Racing,

and we look forward to seeing the team on the podium in 2016. ‘This is our first season with the guys and we are hoping for a successful year ahead on and off the track.’ Driver Gavin Johnson says he’s delighted to have won backing from top performing Orion Rail. ‘Orion values its people and is known for operating at a consistently high level. Something we hope to emulate as a racing team,’ he said. Snetterton Racing Circuit in Norfolk is among the best in the business and has undergone a refurbishment in recent years. It’s based on the former airfield, RAF Snetterton Heath, base of the United States Army Air Force heavy bomber squadrons in the Second World War.

‘My favourite part of the course was the day trip to Thameslink’s headquarters, as this helped me to consider different job roles that might be available. The motivational aspects of the course helped me to understand my skills and what I was looking for.’ Jim O’Connor MBE, chief executive of Noah Enterprise is

delighted with the scheme. ‘A big thank you to Sam, Joe and all their colleagues. The visit to the depot at Hornsey was a special highlight and such a different experience for our people. My team puts great store by the value of mentoring that has been provided by Thameslink’s managers. All of this is greatly appreciated.’

Taller and prouder Railway staff at Thameslink have been helping unemployed locals in Luton. Working with Noah Enterprise, local station managers, Joe Healy and Sam Bowler, devised a programme which included help with interview techniques, a trip to Hornsey depot and lunch with Thameslink’s senior team in London. Says Sam, ‘It’s been all about building the confidence of those involved and helping them realise that they are worthwhile individuals. By giving them a little time and treating them with respect they have all really brightened up. When they came to King’s Cross, we had a small lunch where the top teams spent time talking to

them. Apparently they had not experienced anything like this before. It’s quite humbling to see a man actually stand a bit taller and prouder as the day goes on.’ David, one of the participants, who has now secured work in Flitwick, said, ‘Before coming to Noah, I had not been in work for 11 months and I felt my age was a barrier to finding work.

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INTERNATIONAL RAIL

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

NIGHT TRAIN TO MOSCOW DAVID SHIRRES MAKES EUROPE'S

LONGEST TRAIN JOURNEY - THE 3,483KM PARIS TO MOSCOW SERVICE RUN BY RUSSIAN RAILWAYS (RZD)

hree times a week Russian Railways (RZD) train number 024 leaves Paris Gare de l’Est at 18.58 to arrive, just over 37 hours later, at Moscow’s Belorussky station. The train has 17 stops which include departures from Strasbourg at 23.25, Berlin at 07.13, Warsaw at 13.40 and Minsk at 01.04. There is quite a history of trains between Paris and Moscow. After 1945, there was no through service until 1960 when a train using Russian sleeping cars was introduced. In 1969, this train became the Ost-West Express which also included through coaches from Ostend to Moscow. In 1994, this train only served Brussels and stopped running in 1999. A through Paris-Moscow sleeping car started in 2007 and took about 48 hours. In 2010, a train between Nice and Moscow was introduced. Such was the demand for these services that the Paris to Moscow train started in December 2011.

Branded teapot

The train consists of three luxury sleeping cars, five standard sleeping cars and a restaurant car. The luxury cars have four spacious double occupancy compartments with their own toilet and shower for which the fare is about £820. These were built in 1994 and were recently refurbished.

Standard sleeper compartment.

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The standard cars have eight compartments configured for either first class, with two passengers, or second class, with four, as well as an attendant’s compartment and two toilets, one of which has a shower. The first class fare is around £320 and the second class about £220, slightly less for the upper berth. Occupants are given bedding and a key card for their compartment. Snacks are available from the attendant. A nice touch is the Paris-Moscow branded teapot in each compartment that can be filled with continuously available hot water in the attendant’s compartment. Drinking water is also available. These standard cars were built under a RZD order for 200 sleeping coaches awarded to Siemens and Russian coach builder Tverskoy Vagonostroitelny Zavod in 2009. They are the first Russian-built vehicles to meet RIC standards for use on networks of International Union of Railways (UIC) members. They weigh 59 tonnes, can run at 200 km/h and have interchangeable Russian and standard gauge bogies.

Bogie change at Brest.

Dinner with Russian family

I am on the train as RZD had invited me to their 1520 Strategic Forum in Sochi. I share my four-berth compartment with Michal, Olga and their son Evgenia who welcomed me to ‘their’ compartment and insisted I share the meal they had brought onto the train. Their warm welcome was typical of my previous experience travelling on Russian trains. Although they speak little English, and I little Russian, I learn they are returning from a holiday in Paris and are to leave the train when it enters Belarus at Brest. The train is full, although the restaurant car manager advises that it is less busy in winter. I wonder why people choose this train which takes 10 times longer than flying for about the same cost. He tells me that only about 40 per cent of its passengers are travelling from Paris to Moscow as many join and leave at Berlin and Warsaw. Some use the train because of the amount of luggage that can be carried for free. For others the experience of travelling on this train is an attraction in itself, especially for those who have treated themselves to the luxury cars.

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

INTERNATIONAL RAIL

Various overheads

Wheels within wheels

The nine-coach, 523-tonne, train left Paris hauled by SNCF 25kV AC class BB 26000 locomotive. In Berlin and Warsaw there are stops at the city’s main station and one just beyond for operational reasons. In Berlin, the DB class 120 locomotive, which had hauled the train under the German 15kV 16 2/3 Hz AC electrification system was replaced by a Traxx class F140M locomotive that can operate under 25kV AC, 15kV AC, 3kV DC and 1.5kV DC overhead lines. This was needed to haul the train through both Germany and Poland, with its 3kV DC overhead line system. At Warsaw, the restaurant car was removed. This is operated by the Polish train operating company, PKP Intercity. Its manager explained that this could not travel through to Moscow because of customs regulations. As it was the train’s third coach, its removal required a number of shunting moves.

At the border between Terespot in Poland and Brest in Belarus, the train’s passengers faced their first customs and passport check to ensure that those travelling to Moscow had the required transit visa through Belarus. The train arrives at Brest at its standard gauge platforms. It is then shunted to a siding to empty toilet tanks and then, past sidings with dozens of bogies, to the two-road gauge changing shed. Here the train is split into two portions, each of which is split into individual coaches. The standard gauge bogies were then disconnected and the coaches jacked up. These bogies were then pushed from under the coaches by a ‘train’ of Russian-gauge bogies moved by a cable system. Each Russian bogie was then positioned under its coach and the jacks lowered. It takes an hour to re-bogie the entire nine-coach train. This is done on tracks which are mid-gauge (between the 1435 mm standard gauge

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INTERNATIONAL RAIL

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

and 1520 mm Russian gauge). As a result, the standard gauge wheelsets have their rims near the railhead and Russian gauge wheelsets have their flanges against the rail.

Brest in the west

More shunting sees the Russian restaurant car attached and the train moved to Brest’s Russiangauge platforms. After a Russian class ChS4T 25 kV AC locomotive has been attached, the train leaves Brest 137 minutes after arriving at the station’s standard gauge platforms. Although the Russian border is crossed at about 04.00, no-one is woken up for passport checks as the border check at Brest was also a passport check for Russia. At 09.21, RZD’s train 024 arrives on-time at Moscow’s Belorussky station.

8,300 hp Class ChS4T locomotive at Brest.

Shunting at Warsaw.

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At the head of the train is a ChS7T locomotive under 3kV DC overhead lines. After at least five locomotives, with a change of restaurant car and bogies the train has averaged 94 km/h between Paris and Moscow. It is certainly not the fastest journey

between the two cities but, for anyone with an interest in railways, it is the best way to travel. Further information about this train is available from the man in seat 61 website. seat61.com/paris-moscow-express

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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

S L A N IO S S E F O R P L I YOUNGWREAEK: PIONEERS RAIL

CRIS TACKLE THE SKILLS

he inaugural Rail Week took place at the end of June, a pioneering initiative co-ordinated by Young Rail Professionals which aimed to showcase the opportunities and diversity available across the industry, inspiring future generations to join this thriving sector. Over the course of a week more than 70 train operators, infrastructure companies, government departments and charitable bodies threw open their doors to give students, teachers, career advisors and parents a behind-the-scenes look at how the rail industry keeps the UK moving. Rail Week reached more than 1,500 young people at schools, colleges and universities with over 125 events taking place across the country. These were reinforced by 100 Rail Week STEM Ambassadors who visited schools to run railthemed educational activities; YRP worked with the educational charity STEMNET to deliver this ambitious outreach programme. Among the schools to welcome Rail Week STEM Ambassadors were St Mary’s High School in Hereford, All Saints R.C. School in York and Warminster School. Rail Week also coincided with seven regional Big Bang Fairs organised by Engineering UK, and Rail Week STEM Ambassadors reached out to hundreds of children at each event. Equally, the Rail Week team was determined that over the course of the seven days there would be a celebration of the passion and variety that is central to the success of our railway industry; the fastest-growing and safest in Europe. By showing off the diverse roles, career paths and entry points, Rail Week also emphasised the importance of ensuring that the industry is open to everyone, irrespective of gender, background or ethnicity. Needless to say, with such an array of events happening across the country from Portsmouth to Glasgow, it’s impossible to list each one, but a few of the site tours which stood out included: • A visit to the partly-completed Crossrail station at Farringdon in central London, hosted by Bechtel and Crossrail Ltd; • A tour of the Bombardier rolling stock factory in Derby; • A visit to the control centre for the Merseyrail network in Liverpool; • The ‘Rocket to Bullet’ exhibition at the National Railway Museum, York. Nor were visits and open days the sole focus. Reflecting on the many multifaceted disciplines necessary to support a complex network, the Department for Transport held a seminar looking at the commercial aspects of the rail industry; Arriva CrossCountry offered an Introduction to train planning; and Temple Group highlighted the sustainability lessons taken from recent major rail projects. ‘YRP and our members know first-hand that the rail sector is a great place to work, with exciting projects to get involved in, good career prospects, and a wide range of different roles to undertake,’ explains YRP national chairwoman Sabrina Ihaddaden. ‘Unfortunately, many children, parents and teachers don’t realise the variety of jobs and opportunities available. We hoped to change this with Rail Week. ‘Through Rail Week, we gave young people, parents, teachers and career advisors first-hand experience of the projects, ideas and technology leading the sector today. We welcomed them in to see behind the scenes of some of the biggest and most innovative projects and show them how exciting and varied an industry rail is.’ ‘The need to attract highly-skilled and capable talent is one of the biggest challenges and most exciting opportunities facing the rail industry,’ added Nicola Shaw, outgoing chief executive of HS1 Ltd and author of the recent Shaw Report into Network Rail. ‘The long-term future of the sector is dependent upon drawing in ever more diverse talent to the fantastic careers that are available in rail. Initiatives like Rail Week are commendable for the work that they do in highlighting what the rail industry

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has to offer young people, apprentices and graduates, and I’m delighted to support them in encouraging people to consider a career in the sector.’ Claire Perry MP, offered the support of the DfT to help make Rail Week a success, saying, ‘We are making the biggest investment in the railways since the Victorian era, with major projects such as HS2 and Crossrail improving journeys for passengers right across the country. ‘The career opportunities in rail are huge. And we need skilled young people – men and women – to build a future in the rail industry and help us deliver these projects. ‘Who doesn’t remember waving at a train as a child and the excitement we felt? It’s a question of harnessing that enthusiasm and helping young people understand what the possibilities are in rail. ‘That is what Rail Week is doing. I am delighted to support it and I applaud the Young Rail Professionals’ initiative in making it a reality.’ The inaugural Rail Week has been a resounding success, inspiring the industry to work collaboratively to address the skills gap, and reaching thousands of young people too. YRP and its partners are now already planning for next year, learning lessons and building upon the great groundwork to make 2017 bigger and better.

Turning vision into reality: our Rail Week journey The concept of a national Rail Week was first conceived by Young Rail Professionals in July 2014 as we looked overseas to see what was being done to attract young people to rail, and at what other sectors were doing with similar goals. Our vision for Rail Week was published in Autumn 2015, along with a strategy to deliver this pioneering

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

initiative. The ambition was huge, but in order to make an impact we knew we needed a lot more than just a list of possible events and a database of ambassadors. Our PR, communications, branding and website workstreams were created to help the industry and education engage with Rail Week. We also needed to equip ambassadors and interested companies with resources and activities to promote the rail sector in its best light. Our Education Resources and Industry Promotion workstreams developed these materials, thus creating a crucial repository for the future. Rail Week’s interactive activities are designed to help young people understand how their knowledge can be applied in the real world. YRP is always reliant upon young people donating their spare time in evenings and weekends to deliver all of its activities, and Rail Week was our most ambitious challenge yet. Our strategy recognised this, and we sought help from industry partners to provide support to our workstreams. In a fragmented rail sector which is running to keep pace with demand, it was always going to be down to the volunteers of YRP to

take the lead in getting Rail Week across the finishing line. But we did have important assistance in key areas, including funding for public relations activity provided through the High Speed Industry Leaders’ Group. In addition, YRP has managed the Routes into Rail Universities Presentation Programme for two years and we know how tough it can be to manage complex events programmes. For this reason we approached the educational charity STEMNET to help us form Rail Week STEM Ambassadors, connecting the rail industry to schools across the country. In spring of this year, more and more industry players were expressing an interest in taking part in Rail Week, and our workload became more taxing still. Thanks to a generous grant from the Department for Transport, Department of Business, Innovation & Skills, Rail Alliance and the Railway Industry Association, YRP was able to hire Hannah Jones as Rail Week delivery manager for three months. Hannah has been the unsung hero behind Rail Week giving it real momentum and transforming the vision into reality. Under her

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

the programme team and watch, Rail Week expanded from industry together to achieve the 25 participating companies to 66, unprecedented. and from a dozen events to 125. Our thanks also go to YRP’s YRP would also like to give Corporate Members, without credit to the following people whose continuing financial support who’ve made outstanding initiatives such as Rail Week would contributions to Rail Week: not be possible. • Giulia Lorenzini, RSSB The Shaw report published in • Nick Kingsley, Railway Gazette March 2016 called for a pan• Olivia White, TfL industry strategic focus on skills • May-Ann Lew, SNC-Lavalin and diversity in rail. We hope • Mohanad Ismail, Telent we have risen to the challenge • Mutsa Kamudzandu, Telent through Rail Week, and we • Temi Afolabi, Lendlease forward to continuing to • Tom Aley, CPC Project Services Network Rail and thelook Institute of Civil Engineering with to thehelp rail industry to Lastly we must also (ICE)give visited Twecharcollaborate Primary School the skills gap in 2017 particular credit to Adam Steaditsofpupils bridge encourage to become the engineers ofand beyond.hands-on workshop Instead Consulting.the A former YRP an innovative future with Forinitiative. more information on Rail chair, Adam has led– Rail the Week Bridges to Schools Week, visit www.railweek.com or from its inception; conceiving email hello@railweek.com. the idea and vision, and bringing

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TRAINING

RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING LEARNING FROM THE PAST FOR THE SAKE OF OUR FUTURE

REPORT BY MARC JOHNSON

here was a time when women ruled the railway. By the end of the First World War, an estimated 70,000 women worked on the network. Then, as their male counterparts returned from the front line, they were either let go or shuffled back into their pre-war roles. Things have moved on in the decades since. Now the railway wants them back. In some areas the industry has been progressive: women now occupy senior leadership roles in a way they didn’t 30 years ago and female students are no longer blocked from certain careers on the railway altogether. But the number of women in the rail industry, and engineering more widely, hasn’t radically improved, and if things don’t change soon it could be several generations before women are fairly represented.

NATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY

Engineering consultancy, AECOM made this point in the run up to National Women in Engineering Day last month. The company suggested that if action isn’t taken, it would be at least another generation before women are equally represented in engineering fields. AECOM quoted figures from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, which indicated that women make up less than 8 per cent of apprentices in engineering and manufacturing technologies and that the numbers have been tumbling, not rising, in the past few years. ‘I suppose it’s not really bothered me that I’m the only female in meetings,’ said Philo Daniel-Tran, head of strategy at Thales. ‘What is nice as well though is to see that there are more girls/women starting in fields of engineering and that the diversity has improved, which just makes it a more natural working environment.’ Philo, alongside her colleagues Lydia Saunders and Lisa Walker, visited Prospects College of Advanced Technology (PROCAT) in Basildon last month to speak to a group of female students from the Chelmsford County High School for Girls about what it is to be an engineer. Thales, along with the likes of Eurostar, Virgin East Coast, Bombardier, Atkins and TfL, sponsors PROCAT’s railway academy and uses the facility to train its apprentices. The academy has its own full-size, functioning station platform, which includes equipment donated by Thales. The specialist technical college says it is engaging with its employers to encourage more young women to pursue apprenticeships in rail engineering, but currently only 5 per cent of PROCAT’s engineering apprentices are female. Numbers did improve last year, but it was a small increase overall. Reflecting on what it is like to be a woman in the engineering sector, Philo said that throughout her 20-year career she had ‘never felt wrongly done by’. RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

‘I’ve always felt like I’m just another individual,’ she said. ‘I’m good at what I do and I’ve been there doing my work and I’m the best at what I do, which is why I’ve got to the next position… so I’ve never really felt that I’m a female and I’m special or unique in that way. ‘I’m just another engineer doing my day job and working with my colleagues, and they just happen to be mostly male, sometimes they’re female.’ Lydia (pictured above), a human factors engineer, and Lisa, a systems engineer, both agreed. It’s a scenario they’ve just grown to accept. Speaking to one of PROCAT’s female apprentices, it seems the new generation share this view. ‘You just learn how to handle it,’ said Sarah Stoppel, 20, a telecomms apprentice with Thales. She is the only woman on her course, but that doesn’t faze her. Says Sarah, who is at the end of her second year at PROCAT, ‘I started doing electronics when I was like 13/14, and I was the only girl in that… I’ve only ever been the only girl and I just get used it.’

OUTREACH PROGRAMME Are individuals like Sarah and Philo the exception? Is engineering really just for boys or is that rubbish? ‘Yeah, I think it is rubbish. I think it’s about knowing what’s out there,’ says Philo. Thales’ transportation business, as part of a wider UK STEM outreach programme within the company, has so far visited more than 25 schools, addressing in excess of 3,000 students aged between 14 and 16. It appears to be having some success already. Of the applications Thales received for its most recent work experience week, around 40 per cent were from female students.

Thales is currently running a STEM outreach programme, visiting more than 25 schools...

Says Philo, ‘I think if you give them all the same information, they make the decisions based on their preferences, that this is actually a viable career and a great, rewarding career to have.’ Some of the other stories to come out of National Women in Engineering Day showed that many want to see the end of the ‘used to it’ mentality shared by women in the rail industry. Women in Rail announced its list of the 20 Most Inspirational Women in Rail, illustrating some of the notable female role models within the industry. Women in Construction, another organisation which promotes the role of women in STEM fields, said it had placed its 600th candidate into paid employment since 2011. The press release announcing the news included a quote from Sir Terry Morgan, who spoke about the success Crossrail has had in the area. ‘Crossrail is doing everything it can to make construction an exciting and attractive career option for women,’ said Sir Terry. ‘Thanks to partnerships with organisations like Women into Construction, Crossrail has been able to give opportunities to hundreds of women who would not have considered construction as a career. The benefits of a diverse workforce are clear, but the construction industry must continue do much more to grow its talent pool and create a workforce capable of delivering the huge pipeline of projects planned.’

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TRAINING

DIVERSE WORKFORCE To mark the day, Network Rail published testimonies from several of its female engineers and managers, including its chief engineer Jane Simpson, who believes that the industry’s acceptance of the need for a diverse workforce will lead to change. ‘The railway industry has and hasn’t changed since I joined in 1996,’ said Jane. ‘The core of what we need to deliver and the passion and ambition of our people to deliver a safe, reliable service is the same. ‘When I joined I couldn’t fail to be impressed by how much passion staff have for the industry to be successful and this hasn’t changed. What has changed is the understanding that we need to be more inclusive if we are to get a more diverse workforce that is representative of the UK population.’ The railway once fielded 70,000 women in the UK’s hour of direst need. In a challenging future rail bosses see Jane, Lydia, Lisa and the returning thousands are the cavalry.

"I'm just another engineer doing my day job..." Philo Daniel-Tran

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RAILSTAFF JULY 2016

> Isolation Staff Required Due to our continued success and business growth, TES 2000 are recruiting! TES are at the forefront of safety, developing best practice and setting the standards for safer working in the industry. Specialising in Isolations, Electrification, Possession Management, Technical, Track Services and Safety Critical Training, there is no better time to join our team. Working predominantly in the Anglia, Greater London, LNW South and LNE South areas, we are looking for skilled, enthusiastic and motivated people to join our operational teams with the following grades;

• • • • • • • • •

Salary and Benefits Competitive rates of pay apply and excellent training and development opportunities will be available to successful candidates. Applications To apply, please contact the HR team on: Tel: 01206 799111 Email: human.resources@tes2000.co.uk

Nominated Person Authorised Person Possession Support Staff Crane Controllers Qualified Trackman COSS/IWA Engineering Supervisor Linesman OLEC 3

www.TES2000.co.uk

Creating safe railway working environments

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