RailStaff March 2019 by Rail Media

MARCH 2019 | ISSUE 255

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PLUS NEWS PEOPLE FEATURES HEALTH & SAFETY EVENTS INTERVIEWS TRAINING CAREERS

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EAST OF ENGLAND ARENA UGH PETERBORO

JUNE 11-13

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Easier fares for all

Rail industry publishes radical proposals for once-in-a-generation reform of fares system Following the biggest ever rail fares consultation, which found eight out of 10 of the almost 20,000 respondents wanted the system overhauled, Britain’s rail companies have published proposals to overhaul the country’s fares system, aiming to make it easier to use and bring it up to date with how people travel today. Reform would support: ‘tap-in, tap-out’ pay as you go being rolled out across the country; enable greater local control over fares in devolved areas; and better integration of rail fares with those for other modes of transport. With a new system, commuters working flexibly and travelling in off-peak hours could see savings while overcrowding could be reduced by up to a third on some of the busiest long-distance services. We want to work with government to begin reforming regulation.

Find out more www.bigchang.es/easierfares

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CONTENTS MARCH 2019 | ISSUE 255

HAINES’ 100-DAY REVIEW | 18 Chief executive Andrew Haines has concluded "the need for radical change is clear“ at Network Rail.

HEALTH, HIGH OUTPUT AND THE NEW COMMUNITY CHALLENGE | 26 Track worker health is the focus of a new project that takes aim at unhealthy lifestyles.

RSSB’S ANNUAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING CONFERENCE | 30

Topics included the effectiveness of mental health first aid, establishing credible benchmarks and rail’s occupational health struggle.

FAREWELL TO DAVID WABOSO | 32 Industry colleague Clive Kessell looks back at the career of the talented project engineer.

MAJOR RAIL MERGER HITS THE BUFFERS… …BUT ANOTHER REACHES ITS DESTINATION | 36 The proposed mergers between Siemens and Alstom as well as Wabtec and GE Transportation have been resolved.

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THE TRAIN DRIVERS ACADEMY | 42 While sitting in the cab of brand-new trains may be a big draw for some drivers, others will be more interested in another major project the industry has been quietly progressing.

Do you know someone who might make an exceptional contribution for the greater good? If they qualify, they should apply for an

Exceptional Contribution Award Who? The EWS Educational Trust. What? Is looking for people who might make an exceptional contribution to society and have a close family relative who works or worked in the UK’s rail freight industry. Why? We offer grants at our discretion to those who qualify for an Exceptional Contribution Award to help them achieve their ambition. When? Right now. Applications for the Exceptional Contribution Award must be submitted by 31 March 2019. For further information please contact admin.office@ewseducationaltrust.co.uk

Financial support for exceptional individuals The EWS Educational Trust is an independent charity that can offer financial support to help people achieve excellence.

The Exceptional Contribution Award is aimed at those likely to be involved in, but not limited to medical, scientific or engineering advancement and likely to be in doctoral or post-doctoral research.

To qualify for an EWS Educational Trust grant you must have a parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, partner or civil partner who works or who worked in the UK’s rail freight industry. You also qualify if you are an undergraduate, a graduate or post graduate to whom the Trust has given grants and who may be interested in receiving further funding. The full list of EWS Educational Trust grants are the Exceptional Contribution Award, our Educational Award for people at university, our Special Access Funding for those who face barriers to achieving their full educational potential and our Sporting and Artistic Grant for those seeking excellence in these fields.

Go to the Trust’s website for full details of our grants and how to apply www.ewseducationaltrust.co.uk Registered charity number SC040334

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Turning point

Contact details RailStaff Publications,

Rail Media House,

Events of 2018 have proven to be the final straw for Network Rail in its current shape. After seven years of consecutive bad performance, with poor punctuality, timetabling chaos and strike action causing passenger satisfaction of rail services to plummet to a 10-year low, chief executive Andrew Haines announced a major reorganisation of the infrastructure manager in February.

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His message was clear: we cannot wait for Keith Williams’ Rail Review to tell us how to do our jobs, we must put passengers and freight users first now. From his broad experience of the rail industry, Andrew is all too aware that the industry’s success is intrinsically linked to that of Network Rail. His resolve to make Network Rail into a more customer-focused organisation was echoed by Keith Williams, who shared some of his preliminary thoughts at the annual George Bradshaw Address a fortnight later. Talk about beating him to the punch. Coincidentally, 2008 - when Transport Focus’ National Rail Passenger Survey last recorded an overall satisfaction score lower than that registered in the 2018 autumn report - also marked the same year in which Andrew departed the rail sector. Perhaps his return will now result in an uplift in passenger satisfaction?

In early March, it was great to hear firsthand from Andrew exactly how he plans to turn Network Rail’s performance around. It won’t be easy, but with fundamental changes being announced just months into his reign with Keith Williams in the rearguard - there is a sense that we’re reaching a turning point. As we go to press, the same cannot be said for Brexit. With the prospect of leaving the EU on March 29 without a deal becoming more likely by the day, plans are still being ironed out for cross-border rail services. In a letter dated February 19, Chris Grayling said the government was still actively engaging with European counterparts to “secure bilateral arrangements for cross-border rail services”. Hopefully the government has learned from the embarrassment surrounding the award of contracts to provide additional freight capacity in the event of a no deal Brexit, which has seen it reach a £33 million out-of-court settlement with Eurotunnel after excluding it from plans. Fortunately, the Swanage Railway was on hand to provide a lighter moment in the fiasco on Twitter: “Can someone tell us how we can apply for our compensation for not being offered the chance to provide rail and ferry services? After all we do have locomotives and Paul our Ops Manager has been to France on his holidays once.” With major announcements following major announcements, coupled with a number of significant events, the past month has been a jam-packed one. Despite this, among all of the talking, train transfers and transcriptions, we’ve squeezed in time to launch a refreshed website. It’s not quite as major as Network Rail’s reorganisation but, if you get the chance, drop me a message and let me know what you think. stewart@rail-media.com

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George Bradshaw Address Keith Williams, chair of the Rail Review, delivered the 2019 George Bradshaw Address at the Institution of Civil Engineers on February 26. His report isn’t due until the autumn, when recommendations will be turned into a white paper, but he addressed how far the review team have got and his views on what he’s heard so far. Above all else, Keith said the industry needs to “fundamentally realign itself to its customers”. He warned that if passengers are not at the heart of the future railway they will turn away. Keith commented that, despite doubling the number of passengers on Europe’s safest railway, the industry “cannot ignore some harsh realities: that poor performance, fare hikes, disruptive industrial action

and the failures to deliver key infrastructure on time or to budget have contributed to a few dismal years for the railway”. “It is a hard truth,” he added, “that, despite everything that is being done and all the money that is being spent over time, the rail industry has lost sight of its customers – passengers and freight – and therefore lost public trust.” The review team has spent the last five months looking into the causes of this. They have found there are many barriers that prevent the industry from improving and modernising its services for customers, including fragmentation and shorttermism; a lack of accountability, flexibility and joined-up thinking; conflicting interests within the structure of the railway and the need for leadership throughout

Ride India A team of 23 riders has returned home after cycling 450km in six days across India’s golden triangle. Organised by Railway Children, the Ride India challenge took place between February 22 and March 3, raising £46,000 for charity in the process. Among the triumphant troop was Andy Savage, executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust. On day four of the ride, Andy came off his bike but managed to continue for 35km before going to hospital to be told he had broken his elbow. In the city of Ghaziabad riders visited one of Railway Children’s projects which cares for children found struggling to survive in and around the stations of Delhi.

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the system – where everyone knows their responsibilities and is held to task on performance. Keith sees his role as being to “realign the different parts of this fragmented industry so they face the same way with shared incentives, with risks (and rewards) sitting in the right places, always with a singular focus on the customer”. Franchising, which he said too often incentivises short-term behaviours and inhibits reform, cannot continue in the way it is today, Keith added. Keith’s feedback was

welcomed by Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith. He said: “At the half way point of his root and branch review Keith Williams is right to acknowledge that the rail industry has lost sight of its passengers and must put their needs and experience at the heart of what it delivers. “The focus on improving the passenger experience, improved access to compensation and driving better value for money outcomes from the substantial passenger and taxpayer investment is a step in the right direction.”

They also visited Ghaziabad station, where they saw how Railway Children is able to help provide children with safe spaces, clean clothes, food, medicine, emotional support and education. Ride India then gave participants the chance to explore India’s stunning golden triangle, travelling from Delhi to Agra before cycling to Jaipur - where they stopped at the Taj Mahal - and passing through the towns and villages of Rajasthan. Railway Children events manager Katie Mason said the charity is "so proud" of the riders. She added: “The Ride India 2019 team has been amazing. We never said it would be easy, but they have had to manage some tough terrain, not to mention the daily obstacle course of camels, pigs, motorbikes, dogs and tuk tuks!”

Are you ambitious, driven and dedicated? Do you want to work for a company servicing all phases of the project lifecycle across a range of interesting projects? To join us send your CV to careers@cpmsgroup.com or visit www.cpmsgroup.com to ďŹ nd out more. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for: Project Managers | Engineering Managers | Quantity Surveyors / Commercial Managers Construction Managers | Environments and Consents Specialists Roles are based in London, Peterborough, York, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Swindon, Bristol and Cardiff.

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Demolition and construction Three giant container cranes and a former railway works have been taken down as part of early works on HS2. The 22m-high cranes at Willesden, West London, had stood next to the West Coast main line for almost 30 years but have been dismantled to make way for a new logistics hub. Enabling works contractor Costain Skanska JV worked with demolition specialists JF Hunt and ALE Heavylift to move the first two container cranes in 2018 so they could be safely dismantled. The third – and heaviest – was moved over Christmas using a specialist moving motorised jacking system. After weakening the structure, the team used a 49 tonne excavator to pull the whole thing down onto specially built crash mats. This crane has now been disassembled at ground level, with 95 per cent of the structure set to be recycled. A fourth container crane, at the north-west end of the site, will be left in position.

The project has been described by HS2 as “one of the most complex engineering challenges the project has faced so far”. Originally known as Willesden Euro Terminal, the site was built to handle container traffic through the Channel Tunnel. It’s replacement is the rail logistics hub, which HS2 project director Colin Thomas said will be “the beating heart of our construction activity in the capital”. With 16 freight trains a day serving the hub, it will be able to deliver equipment and construction materials and transport huge amounts of material excavated by tunnel boring machines. Meanwhile, in Birmingham, the demolition of a former railway works is well underway to allow for HS2 to begin construction of a train maintenance depot. Formerly known as the Washwood Heath Railway Works, the site, which was last used by Alstom, is the preferred location for HS2’s future depot because of its central location in relation to the completed HS2 network. The depot will employ up to 500 staff, either in jobs within the depot, as maintenance and support workers, or train drivers who will start and finish their day there.

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The demolition covers a site larger than 110,000sqm and is being carried out by HS2 alongside an early works joint venture between Laing O'Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons. Both projects are part of HS2’s early works programme, to clear the way for the start of construction. Currently 2,000 businesses have secured work and 7,000 job roles are already supported, which includes 256 unemployed people.

Euston and Old Oak Common In a further development, construction teams for the high-speed line’s two London stations have been confirmed. HS2 has appointed Mace and Dragados as construction partners for Euston and Balfour Beatty, Vinci Construction

and Systra for Old Oak Common. The joint ventures will be responsible for working with HS2 and the station designers, to coordinate the delivery of the station, including platforms, concourse and links to the London Underground and other rail services. Welcoming the news, HS2 CEO Mark Thurston said: “Mace/Dragados and Balfour Beatty/Vinci have a strong track record of delivering some of the world’s most challenging and exciting infrastructure projects and I look forward to welcoming them to the London teams.”

Britain’s Largest Specialist Transport Union

21 % PAY RISE guarantees a real living wage

Major pay victory for DHL staff on Virgin West Coast Mainline contract

This is a MASSIVE PAY VICTORY for our members employed by DHL on the Virgin West Coast Trains contract engaged in catering stores and supplies logistics for Virgin Trains. Some of the lowest paid in London now move up to the real living wage – outside London we move beyond the real living wage. The solid strike mandate we had behind us was the foundation of our campaign for better wages for these low paid staff and gave us the leverage to secure huge improvements through serious negotiations with the company. This stunning deal sets a benchmark now for the whole outsourcing industry. Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary

Protecting our members’ interests is our priority

Join us today www.rmt.org.uk

FREEPHONE 0800 376 3706

Move for digital railway boss

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Doug Blanc joins Ricardo Rail where he will lead the digital railway and digital resilience teams. Based at Ricardo Rail's Derby technical centre, Doug will work directly with clients to help them to deliver a secure and high performance railway of the future. His digital teams are already working with clients in the industry to identify current and potential threats and develop proportionate responses to them.

Doug said: “Digital Railway has been in development for a few years but recently it has been gathering pace, particularly in the areas of traffic management and digital resilience. This is confirmed by Network Rail’s stated priorities for CP6. Ricardo has been delivering projects in these particular areas for customers and when Ford & Stanley’s digital rail recruitment team first approached me for the role, what drew my initial interest is the opportunity to spearhead Ricardo Rail’s further ambitions in one of the industry’s biggest growth areas.” Olivier André, managing director of Ricardo

ENT •

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Rail Consulting in the UK, added: “Doug has now joined the team to realise our digital rail aspiration and his mix of technical excellence, customer relationship and entrepreneurship makes him the right person to take this forward and develop, with our customers, better solutions making use of all the technical know-how available within Ricardo Rail.”

Waboso’s successor Stuart Calvert, director of programme technical services and supply chain at Network Rail’s Group Digital Railway (GDR), has been announced as its new managing director following the retirement of David Waboso. When he takes up his new post, on an interim basis, in April, Stuart‘s main task will be to ensure the delivery of GDR activities while overseeing the changes that affect the way GDR is organised as a result of new chief executive Andrew Haines’ 100-day review. This includes: • Asset Information Services moving to Route Services; • Digital Railway Programme moving to Network Services, which will be established later this year; • Elements of Network Rail Telecom being devolved to Routes, with other parts moving to Network Services.

In a message to colleagues, Andrew Haines said: “I would like to take this opportunity to repeat my thanks to David Waboso for all he’s done at Network Rail and for the industry in spearheading the Digital Railway, and I am grateful to Stuart for picking up the baton.” Stuart, who started his career as an engineering sponsored student with British Rail before specialising in project management, holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and structural engineering and a master's degree in project management. He has over 30 years experience in major rail and infrastructure projects throughout the UK and Europe, having held senior executive roles with Railtrack, Bombardier Transportation and Jacobs Engineering. A board member of the National Skills Academy for Rail, Stuart joined the Digital Railway team in September 2016.

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Nottingham Trams boss joins RFM Paul Robinson, the managing director of Nottingham Trams, has replaced outgoing chair Paul Francis at Rail Forum Midlands (RFM). Nottingham Trams is a joint venture between Keolis (80 per cent) and Wellglade (20 per cent) which operates and maintains the NET light rail system. The incoming chair has more than 35 years of experience in the rail sector having held director positions at Babcock/ Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom Transport. Paul said that RFM “punches way above its weight” on the national stage and that he was keen to meet members and understand their key issues and opportunities. In addition, RFM has announced that general manager Elaine Clark, who has held her current role for almost three years, will take up the new position of chief executive officer. She said: “We have achieved a lot over the last couple of years, but there is much more to do to ensure our industry and supply chain benefit from the support they need to allow them to deliver better services for the customer, improve their productivity and grow their businesses."

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Execs depart Network Rail

Francis Paonessa, the managing director of Infrastructure Projects (IP), and Alison Rumsey, group human resources director, are both set to leave Network Rail. Francis joined IP from Bombardier in 2014 and will leave Network Rail as a result of its reorganisation after Easter. Under his leadership IP’s safety record has improved by 65 per cent over the past three years. He has also been responsible for major projects such as London Bridge station, Thameslink and Crossrail. Meanwhile Alison, who joined Network Rail as HR director of IP in 2015, will leave in late spring to take up her new role as chief HR officer at Associated British Ports.

L-R: Tom Milton, Terri Radford, Sarah Lamb and Ian Brook.

Building strong foundations With heavy expectations for 2019, piling specialists All Foundations has reinforced its senior team.

thick and fast, and having seen a period of strong growth we are looking at a bumper 2019 in both construction and rail. “The new leadership team we have built over the last two years puts us where we need to be to meet the demands of an increasingly higher-end client base and bigger jobs." All Foundations has also recruited Terri Radford as management accountant and Sarah Lamb as credit controller.

Ian Brook has joined as senior contracts manager from Roger Bullivant, while Tom Milton joins the Derbyshire-based firm from Van Elle as senior sales engineer. Managing director Shahrooz Zojaji said: “Orders are strong, enquiries are coming in

Success Story A trio of senior promotions have been made at Story Contracting after what it describes as an "exceptional start" to 2019. The infrastructure company grew by 36 per cent in 2018 - welcoming its 700th employee in the process - and has continued that success into the new year by securing further major contracts. Recent wins include: • Story Scotland landing a five-year Network Rail framework to deliver up to £135 million of renewal and enhancement projects; • Another five-year Network Rail framework contract, this time in England worth up to £50

million for geotechnical work on the London North Eastern route; • Three framework agreements worth up to £50 million with Transport for Greater Manchester for the renewals of structures, property and track on Metrolink. As a result, Ian Purdham (Left) and John MacArthur (Right) will become, respectively, managing directors of Story Contracting’s rail and Story Scotland divisions. In addition, Frank McFadden (Centre) will take

on the role of rail technical assurance director. Story's rail division is also expanding its team, particularly in the Midlands, where it has opened a new office in Birmingham. Jason Butterworth, Story Contracting CEO, said: “I am delighted with the progress that our company is making – we are enjoying a successful 2018/19 and we are in a strong position, partly as a result of recent long-term major framework wins in both England and Scotland."

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Amey promotes ex-Carillion MD Andy Joy has been promoted to rail sector director at Amey. The former business director joined the company in 2018 following the acquisition of the majority of Carillion’s rail business. Andy has played a key role in ensuring the smooth transition of 600 employees and several major contracts into Amey as well as the safe delivery of critical milestones on Midland main line, Crossrail and the North-West Electrification projects. He was previously the national operations director and managing director of Carillion's rail division. Nicola Hindle, managing director of Amey’s consulting and rail divisions, said: “Having seen significant growth of our rail business within the last 12 months, I am confident that the breadth and depth of Andy’s

senior executive experience will be invaluable to the growth and consolidation of our position in the sector.”

Isle of Purbeck’s community partner Purbeck Community Rail Partnership (CRP) has employed a parttime community rail partnership officer (CRPO) thanks to funding from South Western Railway (SWR). Kelly Marshall, the newly appointed CRPO for the Purbeck area, will work with local communities, SWR, Network Rail and with well-established adopters at Wareham and Wool stations, to promote the benefits of using the railway. Initial plans include working with SWR’s community ambassadors to organise a 'try the train' trip for groups that feel excluded from the railway. Kelly will also help the CRP

to attract funding for future developments, including supporting the reinstatement of a regular train service from the Swanage Railway to the main line at Wareham, with the aim of enhancing education, employment, leisure and tourism across the area. SWR has provided funding for eight CRPs to employ a part-time officer and deliver projects that support station communities.

Shepherd to tend to safety Hull Trains has appointed Mark Shepherd as its head of safety and environment. Mark will tackle issues surrounding the operator’s existing fleet, its new Class 802s and also address abuse to train staff. The one-time conductor began his career in 1991 at Northern, working his way through the ranks before joining Loram. Along the way he has overseen the introduction of new stations, accessibility improvements at existing ones, level crossing safety improvements, new depots and trains. Mark, who replaces Phil Green, said: “I have always considered my role as being more than the traditional health and safety element – it is about caring for our customers and staff, getting them home in the same or better condition every single day, improving their environment and how we as a business impact on it

New head of apprenticeships Network Rail has hired its first dedicated head of apprenticeships.

whilst improving the customer experience overall. “I believe that effective communication, building good relationships and correct implementation is key and the team here are vital to the success of that.”

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New starter Richard Turner joins from Virgin Trains where he was responsible for the company’s training and development as well as its talent academy in Crewe. He will now oversee Network Rail’s entire range of 40 apprenticeships and its graduate programmes to help recruit and train the rail professionals of tomorrow. Richard said: "Network Rail has a long history of running great

apprenticeship and graduate programmes, and our early careers offering is only going to increase over the next few years. “My role will be about giving some of that growth direction, to work with business areas and industry partners to create exciting career paths for future railway professionals, and to make sure our apprentices get the best possible experience they can have.”

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Running for PTSD999 BTP officer Leon McLeod is running his first marathon to raise money for servicemen and women who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On April 28, PC McLeod will be among the thousands of runners waiting at the start line of the London Marathon. After months of training he'll be in peak condition, but it'll be a far cry from where his health was following his heroics during the London Bridge terror attack in June 2017. The BTP officer helped many innocent people caught up in the attack, including his colleague PC Wayne Marques but the experience changed him "beyond comprehension". PC McLeod said: "For a long time after the incident I didn't know anything was wrong. "I wasn't looking after myself properly, I wasn't eating, sleeping or exercising. I threw myself into work and neglected my (now ex) wife and child and really didn't seek help from the right people soon enough. "I didn't sustain the injuries - and worse that so many did on that night but mentally it's taken its toll." Recognising he needed help, Leon eventually spoke out, first of all to his friends before approaching his supervisors.

You can make a donation to Leon's fundraiser by going to: www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/leon-mcleod "There is still too much of a taboo about asking for help," he added. "There is somewhat of a macho nature in society and this is also the case in policing, meaning some people feel it's better to bottle things up and stay quiet. I feel lucky not to be that kind of person." Feeling stronger after receiving support, PC McLeod has now turned his efforts to helping others who are experiencing similar challenges by attempting to raise £10,000 for social enterprise PTSD999 through running the London Marathon. PTSD999 supports all the emergency services and, as well as assessing and treating PTSD, provides trauma response awareness training and psychological health and safety services. PC McLeod added: '"Having struggled with mental health issues of my own in the past 16 months I think it's vital that people potentially in a similar position know help is out there. I've spoken to people from within the blue light services and its shocked me how many people are battling their own demons, often without support."

RMT suspends strike action Union RMT has suspended its ongoing programme of strike action at Northern and South Western Railway (SWR) after significant breakthroughs. The disputes over the retention and role of train guards have been running for around two years. News of the suspension of strikes at Northern came after substantial progress in talks brokered by Sir Brendan Barber, chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Through that process, Northern offered a guarantee of a conductor on all trains,

including the new fleet, for the duration of the current franchise. The guarantee is supported by the Department for Transport. Northern managing director David Brown said: “We warmly welcome RMT’s decision to suspend its strike action and recommence talks about what the future role of the conductor looks like. "We have been very clear in these discussions that there will be a conductor on all our trains now and into the future. We are looking forward to further positive talks with RMT about operational models moving ahead so that we can resolve their dispute and bring it to an end.

"The suspension of the RMT strikes is good news for customers and businesses across the North." Again through the talks process, a breakthrough at SWR followed less than two weeks later when it also offered a guarantee of a guard on its services. RMT general secretary has since paid tribute to the resilience and determination of members for their sustained campaign.

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29/08/2018 16:41

Time to upgrade your wiper system?

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

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• Arms • Blades • Motors (24v and 110v) • Linkage systems • Components & spares

Replace your pneumatic wipers with one of our electric motor conversion kits Pneumatic windscreen wiper systems have been around for decades. When new, they work well, but as time progresses they can become prone to failure due to system leaks. Failed wipers result in inoperable trains, causing service disruption (costing both time and money). Thankfully, there’s an economic alternative. With over 35 years experience producing complete wiper systems, PSV Wipers Ltd have developed a number of conversion kits specifically for older rolling stock. These are a direct replacement for your existing pneumatic system. They’re reliable, easy to retrofit and can save thousands in maintenance costs and lost operating time. PSV have been developing and manufacturing robustly engineered wiper systems since 1980, supplying new and replacement components and systems for UK and international OEM train builders, fleet operators and fleet support distributors. Our products are designed to improve reliability and lower ‘Life Cycle Costs’.

Why not discover the benefits of electric wiper systems? Call us today and ask for our Rail Specialist, Paul Curry. PSV Wipers Ltd, Navigation Road, Diglis, Worcester WR5 3DE, UK Tel. +44 (0) 1905 350500 │ sales@psvwipers.com │ www.psvwipers.com Photo reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Credit Phil Sangwell.

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Service diamond Blake A train conductor has started using Twitter to keep passengers up to date while they travel on his trains. Blake Cracknell came up with the idea after his employer Greater Anglia asked him how customer service could be improved. He said it helps to provide a human face to the company and, after accumulating more than 650 followers under the handle @ConductorBlake, is encouraging other conductors to try it out. Blake, who has been a conductor for four years, said: “I always try to look after my passengers as best I can, and let them know what’s going on during the journey. “I make regular announcements, but sometimes during disruption I can’t always be near the PA, so I took to Twitter to keep people up to date. “I’m really pleased the company agreed to let me do it and maybe other conductors might want to give it a go.”

Greater Anglia recently singled Blake out as one of 30 ‘service diamonds’ and tasked him with finding ways to raise customer service standards across the company. This group, which includes cleaners, caterers and train dispatcher, is helping to coach colleagues, generate ideas for improvement and communicate customer experience results and feedback. Greater Anglia customer service director Martin Moran added: “We have a lot of staff across the business who regularly go above and beyond for our customers and the service diamonds initiative is a great way to harness that dedication and enthusiasm and spread it across the network, giving all our staff the skills and confidence to go the extra mile for our passengers.”

Stay safe, adults Children can now be heard advising customers to take care on the stairs and not run on platforms over the public address systems at Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway and Bath Spa station. Great Western Railway hopes the new announcements will help reduce the number of slips, trips and falls by attracting the attention of the public. Year 5 and 6 students from Victoria Park Primary School, Bristol, were given a masterclass in voice coaching before recording the messages in a temporary studio at Bristol Temple Meads. Each of the students were presented with a certificate, a special GWR pin badge and activity pack and will be treated to a journey on-board an Intercity Express Train. Heather Cullimore, partnerships and social inclusion manager at Severnside Community Rail Partnership, hopes the scheme will encourage the youngsters to consider a future career in the rail industry. RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Five-month extension for East Midlands Trains Weeks before it was set to expire, the Department for Transport extended Stagecoach's operation of the East Midlands franchise. The new contract began on March 3 and extends the transport group's East Midlands Trains (EMT) operation until at least August 18, 2019. Confirming the news to parliament in a written statement, rail minister Andrew Jones added that, if it is required, there is an option to extend this agreement by a further six rail periods, meaning EMT could continue to operate the franchise into 2020. EMT began operating the East Midlands franchise in November 2007. Officials say the deal will bridge the gap to the new

franchise and ensure a smooth transition. In 2018, a second shortlist for the new East Midlands franchise was announced. The competition process was restarted following the cancellation of the Midland main line electrification programme north of Kettering and Corby. Abellio, Arriva, Stagecoach and a FirstGroup/Trenitalia joint venture were initially shortlisted. The First GroupTrenitalia JV has since pulled out of the running to focus on its bid for the West Coast Partnership franchise.

All sectors covered at Railtex With the exhibition now less than three months away, Railtex is taking final reservations for the last remaining stand spaces, as the industry prepares to come together for three days of insight and networking. The 14th international exhibition of railway equipment, systems and services is UK rail’s premier event, where organisations meet, network and demonstrate products, innovations and expertise to the wider rail industry. More than 360 exhibitors from 22 countries have now booked a stand at Railtex. Wellknown names include Alstom Transport,

British Steel, HS2, Hitachi Rail, Pulsar, Siemens, Stadler and many more. Rolling stock suppliers, including telecoms and networks provider ADComms, commercial toilet supplier Dan Dryer, hydraulic hose and connections supplier Flotec Industrial, component manufacturing and refurbishment firm Sabre Rail Services, and adhesives, sealant and coating provider Sika have all confirmed their appearance at Railtex, taking place between May 14-16 at Birmingham’s NEC. In the design, infrastructure, asset management and operations sectors, exhibitors including infrastructure specialists Adey Steel, switchgear supplier Craig

New Railway Challenge, new test A new safety test has been added to the IMechE Railway Challenge for 2019. Teams will have to design their locomotive to stop automatically as close as possible to a marked point on the track. They will also have to produce a technical poster to encourage them to communicate effectively how the principal systems of their locomotive work. Railway Challenge chair professor Simon Iwnicki, of the University of Huddersfield, said: "Introducing an auto-stop element to the competition encourages the next generation of engineers to understand the critical nature of railway safety. It also gives them practical experience in designing a safety critical system." The auto–stop function element will be one of a series of track-based and presentation challenges in the competition, which this year will

be held across June 29-30 at the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire. Participants are tasked with designing and manufacturing a miniature gauge locomotive in accordance with a number of precise rules. So far 14 teams have been confirmed for the 2019 Railway Challenge, including entrants from Egypt, Germany and Poland.

& Derricott, track sensor manufacturer Frauscher, industrial doors supplier Jewers Doors, railway electrification specialist Pfisterer, and cable and pipe seal manufacturer Roxtec are all set to showcase their latest offerings to thousands of visiting buyers, managers and decision makers. With visitor registration now also officially open, keynote speakers and details of the exhibition’s supporting programme are set to be announced in the coming weeks. Visitors are being encouraged to register in advance to avoid paying a £20 on-the-door fee. For more information, go to: www.railtex.co.uk

Westside tram extension Light rail minister Jesse Norman was joined by regional transport chiefs to see the Midland Metro Alliance lay the first track for the Westside tram extension in Birmingham. Jesse used the opportunity to launch a call for evidence to seek views on the potential for new light rail systems in the country's towns and cities. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the Midland Metro milestone, which was reached on February 7, is "just the start of a revolution in public transport" in the region over the next few years. The new tracks are the first to be installed in the city centre since 2015, when the extension from Snow Hill to Grand Central was under construction. The project is being developed in two phases. The first, between Grand Central and Centenary Square, is due to open by the end of 2019. The second phase will take passengers along

Broad Street to Edgbaston Five Ways and will be operational by the end of 2021. Combined, the two sections will add 2km of tram tracks to the network. This tram extension is part of a wider £1.35 billion expansion of the region’s tram network over the coming decade, with new lines serving Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull. As a result, the tram network will treble in size in the next few years, helping to unlock housing and employment sites, tie in with HS2 - which is set to open in late 2026 - and help to reduce pollution in Birmingham.

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FEATURE

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

HAINES'

100-DAY REVIEW

hief executive Andrew Haines has concluded that "the need for radical change is clear“ at Network Rail after completing his 100-day review. Under his direction, Network Rail is set for a reorganisation to drive up performance, efficiency and deliver a better service for passenger and freight customers. Continuing the trend of bringing track and train closer together, more devolution is on the cards with the creation of more routes. Network Rail will now operate with 13 - previously eight - routes, which will report to five new regions, to better align with rail franchises. Each of these routes will be responsible for the delivery of the operations, maintenance and renewals activity for that geographical route - essentially the day-to-day running of the railway. A director will be appointed for each route while the regions, which will be thin but absorb some of the central responsibilities in support of the routes, will be led by managing directors. Appointments to these posts should be confirmed by May. Network Rail's new operating model will also include two service directorates - the existing Route Services and a new Network Services Directorate - and smaller teams at the centre as more responsibilities are devolved to the regions. Plans will see Infrastructure Projects as well as parts of System Operator, Safety, Technical & Engineering, and Group Digital Railway gradually devolved up until the end of 2020.

Finance, human resources, communications, legal and property departments will be largely unaffected at this stage. During a roundtable briefing with the trade press, Andrew denied he is “shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic” with the reorganisation and described these as “fundamental changes” to Network Rail. The start of a more detailed organisational redesign began on February 12.

TRAINS TO PLANES TO TRAINS Andrew had a wide-ranging career in rail, from British Rail to South West Trains, before he joined the Civil Aviation Authority in 2009. When he applied for the chief executive post at Network Rail, Andrew - who was warned he was taking on “one of the worst jobs in Britain” - knew it wasn’t one to be taken on lightly. He therefore approached 36 people, ranging from existing Network Rail board members and route managing directors to former Network Rail and Department for Transport board members as well as a number of stakeholders, to gather their thoughts on what changes need to be made at his prospective employer. At the final selection panel as part of the process to replace Mark Carne, Andrew presented his plan, a plan which centered on further devolution. It was accepted and he was handed the post. Not wanting to come in and make the mistake of thinking he knew everything, Andrew tested it out by talking to more than 300 colleagues from dozens of organisations during his 100-day review, which helped Network Rail realise how to make the plan work.

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From these conversations he found overwhelming support for the closer integration of train and track. He also found out that Network Rail’s biggest strength is in its safety record but that it has numerous weaknesses. This includes train performance - “We have a 100 per cent success record at failure,” said Andrew, referring to Network Rail’s failure to improve performance for the past seven years - the lack of confidence industry has in its cost control and that it is viewed as bureaucratic, slow, arrogant and difficult to work with. He said: "The need for radical change is clear. Performance is not good enough and my comprehensive discussions with partners, passengers and politicians up and down the country has made it clear to me the things we do well and the areas where we need to improve. "Devolution has to go much deeper to enable us to get much closer to our partners and customers and be in a much better place to put passengers first and deliver for business too.”

JOBS The vast majority of Network Rail staff - signallers, supervisors, electrical control room operators, controllers and those in frontline maintenance roles and station teams - will be not adversely affected by the change, according to Andrew.

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66 LNW LNWSouth SouthRoute Route

Scotland ScotlandRegion Region 77 Scotland Route Scotland Route

Southern SouthernRegion Region 8 Kent Route 8 Kent Route 9 High speed rail Route 9 High speed rail Route 10 Sussex Route 10 Sussex Route 11 Wessex Route 11 Wessex Route

Wales and Western Region Wales and Western Region

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Although there is a risk of redundancy for members of the executive leadership team, Network Rail does not intend to place any colleagues at risk of redundancy, if necessary, until the start of 2020. Andrew also stressed that this reorganisation is not about increasing or reducing the amount of staff. He said: “There will be no increase in headcount. I’m actually clear that, over time, we have to have fewer people in management and senior management roles in Network Rail. That is not an ambition of this process, because it’s more important that we concentrate on getting Network Rail functioning well, but if you say to me in the medium term I would say we are going to have to be more efficient just to get some decisions taken more quickly.”

TIME WILL TELL poor performance any longer. He said: “I, personally, do not believe that we can sit around and wait for Williams… because a white paper in the summer or autumn, I think, is unlikely to result in primary legislation for another three or four years. I don’t believe, if we’re going to make the case for continued investment in the railway, that we can afford to have another four years of continuous decline whilst we wait for someone else how to do our jobs.”

Unlike predecessors, Andrew isn’t an engineer but his experience of working with train companies, infrastructure managers and the public sector gives him a unique insight when it comes to improving Network Rail’s reliability. Changes to its setup may already be underway but Andrew said that installing a mindset of putting the customer first will be more important than any reorganisation. Only time will tell how successful this will be.

BREXIT AND THE WILLIAMS REVIEW Andrew’s 100-day review comes at a time of uncertainty in the industry with Keith Williams’ ongoing review into the country’s railways and Brexit looming ever closer. Andrew admitted there is uncertainty as to what Network Rail could look like after the Williams Review but stressed that he is not there to protect the status quo and that Network Rail cannot afford to continue its

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION

TO IMPROVE RAIL SAFETY WELCOME PLANS FROM ANDREW HAINES

etwork Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines recently outlined his “100-day plan”. He emphasised his belief in the need to put passengers and freight rail traffic first, whilst adding that there is a need to re-unite train operators with rail infrastructure engineers. His timing - apart from being driven by reaching 100 days as chief executive - followed the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) settling the Control Period 6 budget at £35 billion. He also raised the spectre of a future organisation with responsibility devolved for infrastructure project delivery, operations, technical, engineering and safety. But he went on to admit that, because devolution will need to go deep, it will only be achieved when the new route and regional structure is in place. His plan is for an organisation expanded up to 13 routes responding to just five regions. The objective is the creation of a “culture of collaboration” - I suggest he might like to consider renaming the “routes” as divisions perhaps? I believe that many if not most accidents and incidents occur as a result of miscommunication. Devolution so that individuals know each other and understand detailed work arrangements locally will improve safety. The adage “keep it simple stupid” and encouraging small local teams to speak to each other and listen to one another will bring benefits. In some ways email communication, I believe, can be detrimental to safe working! The 100-day plan is a good starting point for improving the industry’s safety culture.

HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN SIGNALLING At the end of January, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) launched a class investigation into “factors affecting safetycritical human performance in signalling operations on the national network”. It cites “numerous incidents in which the decisions of front-line workers have been pivotal to the outcome, and where the safety of the railway system has been entirely dependent on those decisions (i.e. scenarios in which there were no engineered safeguards)”. RAIB highlights incidents involving signallers’ decisions on line blockages and responses to users at

The large flat on the leading left-hand wheel of the 4th bogie and its associated false flange.

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user-worked crossings which highlight the “vulnerable nature of such decision-making”. With management and motivation as the focus, it lists “the person, task, equipment, environment, and organisation” as potential factors. The announcement suggests it expects to make recommendations at systems level to improve safety. Clearly this falls well within the remit of RAIB, but to my mind even more important for safe working is the local knowledge and working

relationships between those planning and carrying out the work.

RAILHEAD TREATMENT TRAIN DERAILED Also at the end of January, RAIB published its first safety digest of 2019 about the derailment of a railhead treatment train near Dunkeld and Birnam on October 20 last year. It was caused by the formation of large wheelflats. The Class 67 locomotive, and its

specialised wagons operated by DB Cargo, was travelling between Inverness and Perth. After passing Dunkeld and Birnam station, both wheelsets of the fourth bogie derailed at trailing points. After running on for about 100m - causing considerable track damage - it rerailed at the next set of trailing points and then continued for a further 15 miles to its Perth destination. At some previous location early in its journey, the trailing bogie wheelset of the leading wagon had begun to slide

A) The false flange on the left wheel between the switch and stock rails,

B) The false flange trapped between the rails,

rather then rotate. Large wheel-flats resulted and false flanges formed.

RAILS WERE PUSHED APART The false flange became trapped between the switch and stock rails of the trailing points causing the outside of the wheel to run along the stock rail gauge face whilst the righthand wheel pushed against the stock rail. Consequently, the rails were pushed apart overloading both fastenings and sleepers. The Dunkeld signaller heard the derailment and contacted the train driver by radio. Although the driver had noticed a loss of speed, after the train rerailed it handled as before, and he assumed he had run through some sand. The driver confirmed that he was able to continue on his journey. Due to a signalling fault, the signaller decided to inspect the track in person rather then caution the next train. After finding the track damaged, he blocked the line and contacted the route control office.

LACK OF “ROLL BY” TESTING C) The resultant high lateral forces pushing the rails apart.

The safety digest cites an October 2005 derailment near Cheltenham (08/2006) where, again, the cause was the formation of false wheel flanges. At Cheltenham, the derailed wagon ran on for four miles, causing extensive track damage which resulted in the line being closed for eight days! On January 5, 2006 (27/2006), a train travelling from

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

Meldon Quarry, Devon, developed large wheelflats. These caused a broken rail at Urchfont in Wiltshire as a result of the high impact wheel loading and two further broken rails at Kennington near Oxford. Both these reports drew attention to the fact that there had been no “rollby” test.

ONE OF FOUR LIGHT LOCOMOTIVES DERAIL AT DONCASTER A freight locomotive derailed at Doncaster at around 17:17 on December 21 last year. It was the third locomotive in a train of four light locomotives and was travelling at just 13mph. The locomotives had only just left Roberts Road depot when the accident happened. The train was traversing a tight left-hand curve travelling towards Doncaster station. There were no injuries but the damage to both the infrastructure and train resulted in heavy disruptions to train services. RAIB will issue a safety digest in due course.

PENRHYN CROSSING RAIB has, after its preliminary examination, decided to publish a safety digest after an accident on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways that occurred on January 6. At around 16:30 an engineering train was unable to stop and ran into the crossing gate at Penrhyn levelcrossing. It protects the A4085 road and the train came to rest across the carriageway! The gate was damaged but there were no injuries.

PENRYN, CORNWALL This Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland accident at Penrhyn crossing should not be confused with the derailment of a passenger train at Penryn in Cornwall that occurred on January 28. It was at 12:36 when a two-coach passenger train derailed its leading bogie at a set of points in Penryn station whilst travelling at just 15mph. There was only minor track damage and no injuries were caused. RAIB has already carried out a preliminary examination and expects to issue a safety digest in the next few weeks.

TRACK WORKER NEAR MISS TWO SECONDS RAIB is also investigating a near miss with a track worker that occurred near Gatwick Airport station on December 2 last year. Whilst the investigation is ongoing the near miss is already on their website. It happened at 23:25. The track worker had been removing short circuiting straps in connection with engineering works but managed to move clear with just two seconds to spare before the train passed him travelling at 51mph. RAIB advises that in addition to “rules and procedures” and “underlying management factors”, its focus will include “factors influencing the actions of the track worker and other staff involved in the work”. I have my own opinions of what that may reveal!

Derailments at Doncaster (above) and Penryn, Cornwall (below)

PLANNING MISTAKE NEAR MISS Yet another near miss occurred on January 20 this year. It happened at around 23:45 when a Northern train “encountered” two track workers who were walking around Browney Curve on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) south of Durham. They had just set up a worksite and were walking with their equipment to their place of work. Due to what RAIB describe as “an earlier planning mistake” which went undetected, “trains had not been stopped on the line where the work site had been established”. The possession did not encompass the location of the work! RAIB's website says it has decided not to undertake an investigation.

A POSSESSION 90 MILES AWAY! However, the bulletin on Network Rail’s Safety Central website refers to the ECML site as being on Croxdale Viaduct. A train driver reported hitting a worksite marker board on the Up Main and a subsequent near miss with two trackworkers who jumped clear with five seconds to spare! Their work included monitoring the track and was associated with overhead line electrification work. They were working at a planned and agreed worksite. However, an error had been made which is described as having been “linked in error during planning to an unrelated possession at the same mileage on a different ELR some 90 miles away”. Consequently, they were on a 90mph open line with no possession protection. If anyone had been injured or worse….?

KEEP IT LOCAL Clearly in error, I thought we had already moved forward to a situation where those working in possessions were involved in the planning process details (to the extent that they had input into the Safe System of Work plans) and were able to both check the details, and put forward amendments and make improvements where there were benefits in doing so. Network Rail’s chief executive’s plans for progressive devolution

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down to local level where local knowledge exists cannot come too soon! The examination and maintenance of the operational infrastructure and trains should in my view also be the unambiguous responsibility of suitably qualified individuals. Again, this would be better done by local people.

LAWYERS AND PROSECUTIONS I question the position we are now in so far as the law is concerned. When mistakes are made or deliberate unsafe acts take place it falls to the ORR to decide on whether or not legal action is justified. Over recent years an increasing level of fines levelled on companies and organisations instead of individuals has resulted. Back in the early days of the Health and Safety at Work Act I recall having my own safety policy statement and being told that if I failed to comply with it fully and in detail, I could be liable to personal prosecution. I recall following incidents and accidents being visited by our local Inspector from Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate whose first act was to check my personal safety policy statement and my record of site and office safety checks and audits. The Inspector then moved on to check not only manager’s but also supervisor’s records and actions. In a small number of cases I recall when colleagues were taken to court. When the process of devolution is completed would it be a good idea to revisit how best the law should be applied so as to reduce safety risks? Which way of applying the law will result in safer working? Photos and diagrams courtesy of RAIB / Crown Copyright and Network Rail.

Three leading PPE companies with over 150 years of experience. Exhibiting together we are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Safety in Numbersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the specialists in safety and protection.

Come and see us at

Stand B31

SUP P

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TED BY OR

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

HEALTH+SAFETY

FIT FOR PURPOSE HOW AMEY’S PROCUREMENT OF NEW PPE HAS LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY

ack in September 2016, Amey’s consulting and rail business improvement team reviewed its workers’ PPE provision, to ensure that supplied garments were fit for purpose. As a company that places a high value on its safety culture as well as accountability and traceability, this review was an important step towards increasing the protection and comfort of all Amey consulting and rail staff who require personal protective equipment (PPE) to go about their work duties.

GORE-TEX Following a tender process that involved more than a dozen bidders, the contract to supply essential workwear was awarded to Midlands-based Bodyguard Workwear in February 2017. A key part of Bodyguard Workwear’s submission was the provision of high-visibility, wet weather bomber jackets, coats, trousers and salopettes made using Gore-Tex fabrics. Amey was familiar with the durability and quality of Gore-Tex garments having previously procured such workwear in some of its non-rail businesses. Not only does the durability of Gore-Tex garments mean they last longer, which cuts out the long-term costs associated with disposable garment provision, but they simultaneously reduce a company’s carbon footprint by cutting down on waste.

WORKWEAR ROLLOUT The new garments were rolled out to staff from July 2017 as part of educational roadshows to depots in Crewe, Doncaster and Motherwell - the first time Amey has launched new workwear on one of its educational roadshows. During the roadshows, Amey’s senior team and representatives from Bodyguard

Workwear explained how the technology behind Gore-Tex fabrics ensures it provides waterproofness and breathability so that end users keep warm, dry and comfortable, even in the harshest of weather conditions. Since January 2018, Amey has also supplied its new intake of 780 former Carillion staff with Gore PPE. Amey staff now order their garments directly with Bodyguard Workwear using a dedicated cloud system with products delivered to the customer the next working day. The safety clothing provider, which has its office and superstore in Birmingham, is also able to brand customer garments and hold them in stock in its warehouse until required. Bodyguard Workwear director Kamal Basra said: “Bodyguard Workwear and Amey share the same organisational objectives for innovation and safety. We were delighted to win this prestigious account and to work collaboratively in full partnership with them to ensure that their workers receive excellent customer service and prompt delivery of technically superior Gore-Tex garments.” Martin Welch, Amey’s rail health and safety business partner, explained the importance of efficiency, from reviewing working practices, safety, worker output and reducing costs.

One of the ways in which safety is assessed at Amey is through monitoring its close call system, which records and manages conditions and behaviours that, under different circumstances, could have led to injury or harm. This could range from machinery performance, uneven pathways en route to a job or PPE. Since using the GoreTex garments from Bodyguard Workwear, Amey has noticed a “remarkable reduction” in close call notifications regarding garments. In addition, no garments have been returned and Amey has seen a total acceptance from the staff who’ve been provided with the workwear. Martin Welch added: “PPE is the last line of defence for our workers who typically carry out manual work outdoors in all weather conditions on a daily basis, both night and day. Visibility, comfort and foul weather protection from cold and wet conditions is key to ensuring that our teams don’t get distracted and can stay safe. We have an excellent record for staff safety and we aim for zero harm, zero injury and zero accidents. Incorporating the Bodyguard Workwear garments with Gore-Tex fabrics into our PPE provision is a key part to help us maintain this aim.”

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HEALTH+SAFETY

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HEALTH, HIGH OUTPUT ...AND THE NEW

COMMUNITY CHALLENGE “Basically, it’s Weight Watchers with your mates at work,” explained Steve Featherstone, Network Rail’s track programme director, who is putting his weight behind a new health challenge launched in February. His description of the project might be brief, but its potential impact is anything but.

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME

whether it’s weight loss, building strength, better sleep or improved mental health. Progress is then tracked in the booklet’s diary, which participants can choose to keep confidential or share with others.

Titled the Track Safety Alliance (TSA) Health Challenge after its adoption by the industry group, the voluntary programme involves four six-week ‘workouts’, which have been designed to improve participants mental and physical health by focusing on the four key elements to the health jigsaw: sleep, nutrition, fitness and mental wellbeing.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

A 90-page booklet sits at the heart of the challenge, guiding participants through the process, from baseline evaluation to each four-week workout programme and the final evaluation and survey. After inputting data such as the amount of alcohol consumed each week, weight and the number of push ups the participant can achieve, they are guided each week by advice, objectives and meal inspiration to help them achieve whatever their aim is -

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Although the challenge takes place over a fixed period of time, it hopes to promote positive changes to workers’ lifestyle over the longterm. Working on the railway is, for many people, more than a job. It leads to unsociable hours with irregular shift patterns and is often in locations with a lack of access to healthy foods. Historically, it doesn’t lead to a healthy lifestyle. The challenge came about because of the stark contrast in the experience of Ian Gildart, who joined the rail industry as a machine operator at the turn of the century after a successful career in

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

HEALTH+SAFETY

TRACK WORKER HEALTH IS THE FOCUS OF A NEW PROJECT THAT TAKES AIM AT UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLES

RAIL STAFF SHARE WHY THEY'RE TAKING PART IN THE CHALLENGE:

STEVE FEATHERSTONE

MICHELLE MARSH

DAVID MUNNELLY

AGE: 52

AGE: 36

AGE: 32

JOB TITLE: TRACK PROGRAMME DIRECTOR

JOB TITLE: TRAINING CO-ORDINATOR

JOB TITLE: MANAGING DIRECTOR

EMPLOYER: NETWORK RAIL

EMPLOYER: REDSTONE RAIL

EMPLOYER: MACRAIL SYSTEMS

“I need to lose a stone in weight and I’m highly competitive. So, if I can combine a sense of competition with a need to lose weight, then I think I’ll be much better for it. “I’m most looking forward to being a little bit fitter. I took up cycling a few years ago and I would like to be carrying a stone less weight when I’m out.”

“I’m hoping to gain more knowledge on nutrition and see if it helps with my anxiety. I also want to feel less bloated. I have never been able to get back to how my stomach used to be before I had my son, so I would love to see results there. I also want to get physically stronger.”

“As a business leader I think we have an obligation to our workforce. It’s easy to fall into bad habits, especially in rail where there are quite unsociable hours, where its easy to pickup a pasty or a sausage roll and not think about health, but health is wealth and its essentially going to keep you engaged with society and family.”

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HEALTH+SAFETY

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

workforce in 2018. After a refresh and rebrand, the challenge has now been rolled out to the supply chain.

HIGH OUTPUT EXPERIENCE

rugby league. From an employer such as Wigan Warriors which was almost entirely focused on Ian’s health and wellbeing, to maximise his performance, to those in the rail industry which would ask him to work all manner of hours in difficult conditions, it was quite the contrasting situation. Later down the line Ian and his Network Rail colleague Mick Haley created what was initially branded the High Output Health Challenge, which was successfully rolled out to the unit’s 700-person

Ben Brooks, High Output Alliance director, took part in the initial challenge and spoke to TSA members about his experience as part of the new challenge’s soft launch in February. “Some people saw it as the thing that made them think about their sleep,” said Ben, who lost 10lbs and started to pay more attention to his hydration and sleep levels during the six-month challenge in 2018. “Others have said it motivated them to think about exercise when they’re away from home and staying in a hotel for weeks or months on end. “I was in Retford with some of the guys last week and, on their initiative, they went to the hotel and said: ‘Look, we’re here for two months, is there any chance you can change the menu and work with

SAM KNIGHT

ANGELA RODGERS

AGE: 42

AGE: 34

JOB TITLE: WORKFORCE SAFETY ADVISOR

JOB TITLE: ENVIRONMENT MANAGER (IP TRACK)

EMPLOYER: MCGINLEY SUPPORT SERVICES

EMPLOYER: NETWORK RAIL

“I’m taking part to get back on track with a healthy lifestyle following becoming a father again eight weeks ago. Following separation in 2016 I adjusted my eating habits and trained like hell and achieved some great results. This lasted six months then fell by the way side and I’m now possibly at my heaviest I’ve been. “I’m hoping to achieve positive change through the eating and exercise regime."

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“After coming back from maternity leave I thought this could be something good for me. Returning to work after so long you want a bit of motivation so I got one of the books to improve my fitness and to eat a bit better. "I’m much fitter now than when I started the last health challenge. I’ve pretty much been on maternity leave for the last two to three years, so I wanted to get back into my fitness. I think the fitness and food side of things is definitely what I’ll carry on focusing on in this next challenge".

us?’ So the hotel put some daily specials on and tried to keep it healthy. “Some of it is the team recognising they shouldn’t just accept the burger and chips, fish and chips and steak kind of menu. That’s great if you’re off out on a Friday night for a meal but you can’t live like that. “The guys also got lunch bags from the hotel too with a healthy sandwich and a piece of fruit rather than having to call at the garage to pick something up on the way to site. “They’re small things but by raising awareness you raise people’s expectations.”

THE BENEFITS OF GOOD HEALTH ORR has calculated that ill health costs the UK rail industry around £790 million a year, demonstrating the importance of looking after the workforce’s health and wellbeing on a business level. But, as Ben added, when the work is as intense as it is, the employer should have a personal responsibility to give staff the necessary support to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Ben added: “Ultimately there are benefits to those taking part and clearly benefits to the business as well from having a healthy, engaged workforce. Certainly, from a Network Rail point of view, it’s about demonstrating that we care about the guys. It is a lifestyle decision getting involved and working away from home working nights, so let’s support the whole lifestyle.”

TO FIND OUT MORE OR TAKE PART IN THE TRACK SAFETY ALLIANCE HEALTH CHALLENGE, GO TO: TRACKSAFETYALLIANCE.CO.UK.

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING CONFERENCE TOPICS INCLUDED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID, ESTABLISHING CREDIBLE BENCHMARKS AND RAIL’S OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH STRUGGLE RSSB’s chief operating officer Johnny Schute began proceedings at its Annual Health and Wellbeing Conference in January. The former British Army chief health and safety officer moved from the ORR to his current employer in May last year and knows all too well about the importance of worker health. In the military there is an “absolutely fundamental” focus on the health of soldiers to develop a “finelyhoned razor-sharp team”, said Johnny, speaking at the 99 City Road Conference Centre in London. During his time in the rail industry, he has noticed that health can often be treated as “the slightly poorer cousin to safety” and wants to see that change. “I believe that the health issues that we have to confront within the rail industry are in many respects more challenging than the ones we have to face in the safety arena,” Johnny added.

OVERCOMING THE TOUGH SELL Health and wellbeing specialist Bridget Juniper, who heads up RSSB’s Health Economics Group (HEG), followed soon after. She has worked with public and private organisations for more than a decade to measure employee wellness and help inform health and wellbeing decision-making. Although businesses are starting to value worker health more and more, Bridget understands the difficulty in making a good business case in this area and stressed the need for “analytical, rigorous [supporting] evidence”. HEG members – including Costain, Eurostar and LNER – meet on a quarterly basis to gather, evaluate and promote evidence that supports rail’s investment in health and wellbeing. Currently it is working on four projects. The first of two Bridget detailed is T1124, a study to examine the impact of managers’ mental health training in rail. “In our view, and the literature supports this, line managers are absolutely critical to helping and supporting the frontline where health and wellbeing matters are concerned,” she said. “They are the gatekeepers for support, for signposting, for taking the temperature on the team, they’re meant to be good role models as well. So, they really are

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important. But when you look at the evidence base surrounding training for line managers it’s not very good.” Bridget took a show of hands on how many in the room were interested in mental health first aid, which has become popular since training courses first became available in 2007. She added: “I have to say that the jury is really out on mental health first aid. While studies have been shown that it does raise awareness of mental health issues, there is no evidence to show that it brings about sustained improvement to mental health in the workplace. “I understand why people do it, but there are better, more effective approaches out there and that’s one of the things we are hoping to share information on over the next year or so.” The Institute for Employment Studies is partnering RSSB on this study, which is showing rail to be a “real leading light” in this area, according to Bridget.

BENCHMARKS The development of suitable benchmarks to help drive health and wellbeing performance across the industry is another HEG project Bridget touched on. She said benchmarks, informed by evidence from indicators such as absence frequency rates, presenteeism and health leadership, would help organisations grade themselves using accepted standards and help justify investment by showing improvements. Eight companies are onboard – East Midlands Trains, Eurostar, Freightliner, HS2, LNER, MTR Crossrail, Network Rail and Siemens - and the first results are expected in April.

OHSAG, DRUGS AND ROLLING OUT NEW TRAINING Next up, Dr Richard Peters, Network Rail’s chief medical officer, and Dr Mark Hall, chair of the Association of Railway Industry Occupational Health Practitioners, spoke about their work in RSSB’s Occupational Health Special Advisory Group (OHSAG). OHSAG has three main priorities: • Drugs and alcohol – particularly the broad spectrum of testing and new drugs that are being used; • Diabetes – how to manage it and the risks associated to it;

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• And the delivery of a training package for occupational health (OH) practitioners – on which the pair focused their talk. Dr Peters said: “The ORR has a vision that the rail industry consistently achieves best practice in occupational health and ensures that the railway industry proactively manages health risks. “What do I find is an issue? That there is insufficient knowledge from the rail providers to be able to deliver occupational health services across our sector. The clinicians? There are decreasing numbers of them, they’re working on many different contracts - whether it be blue collar or white collar - and the knowledge is not maintained or being updated.” Dr Peters added that it can be difficult to review the quality of OH services. Organisations such as Network Rail and Transport for London will have inhouse medical teams but others won’t, so they’ll find it difficult to know what they want to buy. Mark said that OH worked “really well” under British Rail with a guided structure and governance but that the fragmentation of the franchise system has seen expertise lost. SAG’s ongoing work will see the creation of RSSB-accredited OH practitioner training, to ensure that governance is reinstated.

‘WITH YOU IN MIND’ In November, RSSB received a grant from the Department for Work and Pensions in support of the government’s goal of having one million more disabled people in work by 2027. Its project, named ‘With You in Mind’, hopes to help individuals who suffer from mental health issues, especially those caused by the industry’s unique working environment, to get back into work. Speaker Michelle O’Sullivan said it won’t be a therapy service but a psychological-informed employment service that will offer consultation to employees, link with their employer, bridge into peer support groups, self-management resources and external support if needed.

IN GOOD HANDS Workshop sessions followed in the afternoon where RSSB members had the opportunity to share even more of their ongoing work. Highlights included: a project to introduce colour-coded HAVs labels for hand tools, inspired by food nutrition labels; a scheme called Health By Design, which aims to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal issues by thinking about risks not just in the design stage but during construction, supply, commissioning, maintenance and decommissioning; and also a session on encouraging healthy behaviours by engineering the workplace to help develop new habits rather than relying on willpower. RSSB’s annual conference provided a great window into the countless projects going on behind the scenes. Based on the energy and enthusiasm on display - combined with resources colleagues can draw on - rail staff can rest assured that their physical and mental health at work is in good hands with many potentially significant improvement projects in the pipeline.

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Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy once described David as "one of the most talented project engineers in the world".

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FAREWELL TO

DAVID WABOSO INDUSTRY COLLEAGUE CLIVE KESSELL

LOOKS BACK AT THE CAREER OF THE TALENTED PROJECT ENGINEER

he impending retirement of David Waboso, who currently heads up the Digital Railway team in Network Rail, calls for comment on the man who has made such an impact on the industry. At a recent meeting, David discussed his motivation and many achievements.

He, like many of us, has been in the right place at the right time. Chance meetings with high-profile people led to job opportunity offers from which he obtained his incredible knowledge base and experience.

EARLY DAYS Although born in London, David spent his formative years in rugby-mad Gloucester, leaving school to study civil engineering at, firstly, Coventry University and then at Imperial College London, and graduated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His engineering degree meant an aptitude in mathematics and, after seeing an advert to teach maths, he was interviewed at County Hall on a Friday and began teaching at a school in East London the following Monday. It was a baptism of fire, handling kids where a sizeable number didn’t want to be there and were potentially disruptive to the others. David stuck it for a while and has some incredible memories that helped build his confidence in addressing large and challenging audiences. Being a keen rugby player helped his credibility and integration into the local community. However, teaching for the next 40 years was not his career choice so a change was needed. Back into engineering, David joined Arup, which was constructing the Essex section of the M25. Here he learnt how sections of motorway were built like a production line, everything needing to arrive on time and in the right order. Following that he joined Pell Frischmann for an assignment in northern Nigeria where upgrades to water supplies and transport were taking place. Overseas contracts meant taking on much wider responsibilities and opportunities for development, looking after teams and business development as well as undertaking engineering.

DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY After answering an advert in New Civil Engineer in 1989, David joined the Nichols Group as an assistant project manager. Founder Mike Nichols made an impact on David and they remained close friends until Mike’s untimely death in 2013. David’s first job saw him upgrade the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) facilities at its Poplar depot, including accommodation, toilets and car parks. Whilst not the most fashionable of projects, it taught David an important lesson – any task must be done to the best of your ability and then you’ll be given greater things to do. David was then given the project to remodel the Delta junction at West India Quay and it was here that he first encountered the complexities of ATO signalling and its crucial interface to infrastructure, trains, timetabling and human factors. Once completed, David was asked to lead the project to update the signalling system using the Thales SelTrac CBTC 'moving block' technology, a first such application on UK railways. With days of endless software drops, integration tests and weekend closures, the criticality of the project was not lost on him and a hugely improved railway to DLR customers resulted. The Beckton extension was then being built but a significant project overrun had big implications for the company structure.

David's engineering degree meant an aptitude in maths and, after seeing an advert to teach, he was interviewed on a Friday and began teaching the following Monday. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

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David spent more than 10 years at London Underground as director of engineering and then capital programmes.

David had to produce a remedial action plan and, in noting how defence contracts were run, he became an advocate of a “prime” contractor taking the lead, and being totally output focussed while never losing sight of the railway’s operational requirements. For this work, he was given the Project Manager of the Year award, which was presented to him by British Rail chairman Sir Bob Reid. It influenced David’s future thinking about not just technology, but how best to introduce it.

JUBILEE LINE EXTENSION Moving to London Underground (LU) in 1996 to work on the Jubilee line extension (JLE), David had to assess the intended moving block signalling system, including its integration with train fitment, driver and maintainer training, power requirements, telecoms and screen door operation. Within weeks, his analysis to the board was that the risks were considerable with delivery in time for the Millennium very unlikely. This led to much discussion and the decision was taken in 1997 to implement a fall back solution using manual driving and lineside signals. To de-risk delivery of this, a test section was set up between West Ham and Stratford. Many interfaces needed re-engineering, including enabling drivers to stop trains with sufficient accuracy to allow train and platform doors to align and open safely. The line opened in time for the new century celebrations and remained in that condition until 2011. David talks fondly of the great teams at JLE during that period.

THAMESLINK CORE AND THE STRATEGIC RAIL AUTHORITY During a subsequent spell working for Bechtel, David became project manager for developing the central core from London Bridge to beyond St Pancras. To get the throughput of trains, ATO with attendant automatic train protection (ATP) was deemed necessary but what system to choose posed a difficult question. Following the Ladbroke Grove disaster in 1999 and RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

in the wake of the Uff/Cullen Report, the industry had to come up with a workable strategy to implement a nationwide ATP system. Whilst ERTMS with ETCS was seen as the eventual endgame, this was insufficiently developed to implement in a quick timescale. The cheaper but not so technically advanced train protection warning system (TPWS) was seen as the short-term fix. David joined the team which produced the industry response and took part in the press conference to announce this recommendation. Afterwards, in 2003, he was asked to join the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) as its technical director. Representing the UK at the European Rail Agency proved useful in understanding the thought processes elsewhere. When the SRA was abolished, David needed a new assignment.

LONDON UNDERGROUND JUBILEE, NORTHERN AND VICTORIA LINES David joined LU as the director of engineering, a first job being to manage the replacement of the ‘temporary’ signalling on the Jubilee line. A new contract had been let with Thales to provide their SelTrac CBTC system. This had a difficult birth and regular weekend line closures and lateness in delivery caused travelling public anger and questions in parliament. It was a difficult contractual framework as LU was always ‘armslength’ from the public-private

partnership (PPP) company Tube Lines, which was delivering the system. With the eventual PPP collapse, David brought the system teams from the separate companies into a single new directorate and LU took over the running of the Thales contract. The system was duly commissioned in time for the 2012 Olympics. Lessons had been learned and the Northern line upgrade - using an identical system - was introduced so successfully that the changeover happened almost without any disruption. Both lines now have a moving block system that yields much needed additional train throughput. In parallel, the Victoria line was already an ATO railway (the world’s first in 1968) and needed to be re-equipped with a new signalling system, new trains, a new control centre plus power, track, telecommunication and platform upgrades. The signalling was a “Siemens Chippenham” fixed block radio-based system and now delivers a record-breaking 36 trains per hour. David recalls many challenges, but the integrated team of engineers, operators and the whole supply chain worked wonders. Getting close to the operators is seen as crucial in David’s experience. Another challenge was ‘cooling the Tube’ as more trains result in more energy dissipated and rising temperatures. David’s team explored regenerative braking, more ventilation shafts and an optimised coasting algorithm as part of the solution.

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SUB SURFACE LINES With 70-year-old signalling, an upgraded system was desperately needed for the Metropolitan, District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. These are complicated routes with lots of inter-running plus sharing of tracks with some main line train services. An earlier contract with Invensys (now Siemens) had been abandoned so a new specification was put out to tender. David’s intention was ‘to change LU, not change the product’. Bombardier won the contract in 2011 based on its CityFlo CBTC system that was successful in Madrid. Early and continuing problems emerged and eventually both parties agreed that cancellation was the only option and the contract was terminated in 2013. For David, it was a salutary lesson: bringing in new systems to UK railways can be very challenging often involving significant re-work. A new contract was let with Thales for the SelTrac product but using radio instead of track loop based transmission. Now known as the 4LM project, it is well on the way to delivery, but is recognised as probably the most challenging signalling upgrade in the world.

STATION AND TRACK UPGRADES As well as ATO projects, David had responsibility for other station upgrades, including: Victoria, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Bank, all of which used innovative procurement that incentivised value not just cost. Replacement of huge swathes of bullhead and old ballast with modern

track forms came within his portfolio, where work processes to move away from disruptive weekends to track replacement in smaller sections overnight was encouraged. Giving options to the operators, where trade-offs between cost and closures could be measured, was part of the process. For all this work on LU, David was awarded the CBE in 2014.

THE DIGITAL RAILWAY In early 2015, Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme produced a vision to offer digital solutions for everything everywhere. Recruited in 2016 to bring more realism to this vision, David changed the focus to prioritise elements that would yield business benefits for passenger and freight movements whilst supporting the TOCs' roles of interfacing with the end customer. As such, the roll out of ETCS, TMS (traffic management system) and C-DAS (connected driver advisory system) is now prominent, all of which are logistic challenges rather than devising technical solutions since the products are largely developed and proven. The Cambrian ETCS has been operational since 2010 but is virtually a self-contained railway with captive rolling stock, so whilst the experience gained has been beneficial, it did not test out the logistics of equipping a mixed traffic route. Past plans to equip some key main lines based on huge capacity gains

were over optimistic but under David’s guidance, are slowly making progress. The Thameslink central core has been commissioned, including the overlay ATO, East Coast with its innovative procurement under the route management structure is in preparation, and other main line schemes are being developed. Asked whether a total outsourcing of a route to a contractor is feasible, David says that the client must still be the informed customer and the contractor can be the system supplier, but only if they are prepared to deliver whole life solutions, incentivised on benefits to passengers and freight. On ERTMS Level 3, which will facilitate moving block and the elimination of conventional train detection equipment (track circuits and axle counters), David commented that proving train integrity remains a fundamental problem. When L3 does come, it is likely to be led by industry but backward compatibility must be assured. TMS, originally thought to be a quick win, has proved more difficult to implement, but is making slow progress and accelerating. The Thales systems at Cardiff and Upminster are finally being commissioned. The Great Western main line Luminate system, a product from Delta Rail (now Resonate), has had a smoother introduction as it is an overlay to the IECC (integrated electronic control centre) Scalable product designed to interface with other applications within a signalling centre. The Hitachi system for Thameslink is well advanced and development work for TMS on TransPennine, East Coast, West Coast and South East is well underway. Along with these, real progress is also being made in introducing C-DAS, which with crew and stock systems, will deliver real operational benefit. David is confident that in CP6, digital technologies will become dominant for the mainline network. In all of these, David emphasises the need to avoid a big bang approach and introduce the systems in small stages. There is a ‘critical mass of capability’ so getting people within NR, TOCs and FOCs into the right mindset is important, particularly engineers who are endeared to past technology and practices. Safety must be an integral part of the culture of all railway engineers and not be regarded as an overlay. Does the Group Digital Railway still need to exist as a separate entity? David’s teams support the devolved routes and train operators who ultimately will deliver the digital railway but a central advisory team has to continue in the immediate future to maintain the expertise. In the longer term, integration into mainstream businesses will happen. So where does David go from here? At 63, he wants some time out as years of playing rugby have played havoc with his back. He has accepted a small number of non-executive roles outside the rail industry but looks forward to sharing his experience with the next generation of rail engineers, project managers and operators in an industry he obviously loves. A version of this article originally appeared in RailStaff's sister title Rail Engineer. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK

FEATURE

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

MAJOR RAIL MERGER HITS THE BUFFERS… BUT ANOTHER REACHES ITS DESTINATION After 16 months of toil, the fate of the planned European rail giant Siemens Alstom was revealed on February 6. Unresolved concerns surrounding its impact on competition and the price of signalling and very high-speed trains proved fatal as the European Commission vetoed the move, despite concessions being made. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Millions of passengers across Europe rely every day on modern and safe trains. "Siemens and Alstom are both champions in the rail industry. Without sufficient remedies, this merger would have resulted in higher prices for the signalling systems that keep passengers safe and for the next generations of very high-speed trains. "The Commission prohibited the merger because the companies were not willing to address our serious competition concerns." Alstom described the decision as "a clear set-back for industry in Europe”.

GLOBALISATION Both parties had stressed that the combined company would have created a European player with the ability to cope with growing competition from non-EU companies. Globalisation of the rolling stock market has created opportunities for both but it has also led to increased competition from countries such as South Korea, Japan and China - particularly the world's dominant rail equipment supplier CRRC - which are not open to competition. As a result of the decision from Brussels, the merger - which was backed by both the French and German governments and would have seen the creation of a new entity with a turnover of €15.3 billion and 62,300 employees in over 60 countries - will no longer proceed.

THE ORR’S STANCE During its lengthy investigation, the European Commission received negative comments from customers, competitors, industry associations and trade unions, including Britain's Office of Rail and Road. Responding to the news, it released the following statement: "We’ve made it clear from the outset that this was a bad deal for British passengers, freight customers and taxpayers. "We are pleased to have played an important role,

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alongside colleagues at the Competition and Markets Authority, in persuading the Commission to reach the same view and block this tie-up, protecting vital competition for the supply of signalling and high speed rolling stock." When the merger was announced in 2017, Alstom chief executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge initially said the two believed there was "no fundamental risk". Siemens said it will now "take the time to assess all options for the future of Siemens Mobility". Alstom meanwhile said it will "project itself into a new future and define a strategic roadmap including appropriate capital allocation". Speculation has already begun as to whether the decision will refuel potential tie-up talks with Bombardier, which benefited from a lift in its shares following the European Commission’s decision.

MERGER SET TO CLOSE Elsewhere, another merger of two rail sector juggernaughts has been completed. Plans for Wabtec to merge with long-term client GE Transportation came to fruition on February 25 when the two parties announced the deal’s close. The $11.1 billion move – which sees GE Transportation merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Wabtec – represents the latest in a long list of specialist companies acquired by Wabtec in its 150-year history. This includes British company Brush Traction Group, known for locomotive overhauls, services and aftermarket components, as well as French firm Faiveley Transport, a leading global provider of value-added, integrated systems and services. As a result, the combined business - which is expected to have revenues of more than $8 billion in 2019 - becomes the world's fifth largest railway equipment supplier behind CRRC, Siemens Mobility, Alstom and Bombardier Transportation. Reacting to the completion of the merger, Wabtec CEO and president Raymond Betler said: “Today, we are a stronger, more diversified company ready to better serve customers across the globe and capitalise on new growth opportunities at an attractive point in the cycle.”

Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser and his Alstom counterpart Henri Poupart-Lafarge.

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STEWART THORPE DETAILS HIS KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ANNUAL SAFETY SHOWCASE

assenger, worker and community safety is paramount to the operation of the country’s railways. Such is the close relationship between the two that Mark Carne often said that safety goes “hand in hand” with performance. So, last month, it was fitting that the safety exhibition Safestart was held on Valentine’s Day at the NAEC in Warwickshire. Organised since 2014, the annual show provides a platform for the industry to come together and talk about safety, bringing it to the forefront of workers’ minds for the start of a new year. And it was clear how serious the sector takes safety with exhibitors representing all corners of the industry. This included Balfour Beatty, the National College for High Speed Rail, Emerson Crane Hire, the East West Rail Alliance, welfare and plant hire specialists Garic as well as builders merchant Scott Parnell – which spread some love by handing out single roses. With dozens of exhibitors, a conference programme and two seminar domes, there was plenty to see and do. Here were some of the key highlights and lessons learned:

COULD CLOSE CALL REPORTING HAVE PREVENTED THE CROYDON TRAM CRASH? Katie Healy, stakeholder manager of confidential reporting system CIRAS, kickstarted the conference programme with a presentation on encouraging close call reports. She shared a powerful video of the Croydon tram derailment narrated by RAIB investigator Richard Harrington. Richard said it was dark and raining when the tram emerged out of Sandilands Tunnels at 78km/h. The driver applied some braking and reduced the tram’s speed to 73km/h but entered a sharp bend with a 20km/h speed limit, which resulted in the tram overturning. However, as Richard revealed, this was not the first time a driver had to resort to emergency braking measures to try to navigate the curb. He said: “We found out during our investigation that several of the other drivers… had themselves become inattentive or distracted and had recovered by applying the tram’s emergency or hazard brake to reduce their speed to negotiate the curb successfully. “But they didn’t feel they were able to report this to their management for fear of actually, perhaps, being ended up on a development plan or being disciplined for losing attention or being distracted in the first place…” Although in his short narrative Richard

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did not go as far as to say that a close call report could have prevented the crash, the video raised the question and stressed how important it is to flag unsafe acts or conditions to learn lessons and help reduce the risk of future accidents. CIRAS research has found that blame, fear, lack of time, apathy, a negative view of reporting and a lack of knowledge of what to report are the key reasons why people don’t report close calls.

DIFFERENT WORKSITES, DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS Katie also touched on further CIRAS research that indicated a stark difference in how seriously health and safety concerns are taken between those that work in management or an office and those on the frontline. In the former’s case, 87.5 per cent of those who responded said they felt health and safety concerns were taken seriously. This dropped to 40 per cent for those working on the frontline.

HI-VIS WELLINGTONS COULD BE COMING TO A WORKSITE NEAR YOU Situated in Safestart’s Innovation Zone was Brightboot, a provider of safety boots that use

WELLINGTONS, WELLBEING

AND AN END TO WHISTLES, HORNS AND DETONATORS?

hi-visibility materials to add an extra level of protection. Managing director Marcus Aldred, who launched the company in 2018, said that when trousers are tucked into boots, a significant amount of the lower body can be left unmarked by hi-vis, a problem he hopes to overcome with this new range of products.

VR IS A GREAT TOOL FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN ON THE DANGERS OF LEVEL CROSSINGS Motion Reality, the not-for-profit arm of engineering firm Motion Rail, is touring schools and Big Bang Fairs with its specially designed virtual reality (VR) software that raises awareness of the dangers of playing on the railway. Users have to strap their head into the VR headset and grab two controllers, which allow them to move around in the virtual world. They’re then presented with a typical scenario at an automatic half barrier level crossing. When a train begins its approach, the barriers begin to close and the user has to decide whether to attempt to cross or not. If they decide to cross as the train passes, it does hit them but doesn’t result in any gore. However, as RailStaff found out, the body naturally braces for impact as the train gets closer, which leaves a lasting impact. Such is the reaction of some users, that a colleague from Motion Reality was on hand to stop them from jolting backwards.

60,000 PEOPLE DIE AS A RESULT OF OUT-OFHOSPITAL SUDDEN CARDIAC ARRESTS EACH YEAR In one of the show’s igloo-like training domes, Track Safety Alliance chair Brian Paynter continued his campaign to push for more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places as well as greater awareness and confidence in people using them. Teaming up with manufacturer Cardiac Science, Brian stressed that every second counts when it comes to reacting to someone in sudden cardiac arrest. Around 60,000 people die as a result of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year and 12,000 of those deaths occur in work. Significantly, life expectancy reduces by as much as 10 per cent for each minute that passes after cardiac arrest. Currently no government regulation surrounding access to AEDs exists, but Brian wants defibs to be viewed as critical as fire extinguishers or first aid boxes.

THE END OF DETONATORS, WHISTLES AND HORNS? ORR chief inspector Ian Prosser also featured on the day’s conference programme. He has spent more than 10 years at ORR and took the opportunity to reinforce his challenge for CP6 over the use of outdated techniques

to manage the safety of track workers. He said: “I have said to the industry numerous times in the last few years that before I retire, I want to see the end of detonators, whistles and horns. In the 21st century this is not really acceptable. That technology goes back to the 1800s. “We funded Network Rail to develop technology in CP5 so in CP6 I’ve been telling the route managing directors I want to see this implemented. I want to see real change in the way in which we do track work.”

THE MILLION HOUR CHALLENGE Prosser also talked about the upcoming ‘Million Hour Challenge’. Working with the Samaritans, the challenge will see rail staff volunteer one million hours in support of the charity, whether this is through fundraising, supporting branches or volunteering to be a listener. Pilots have already been run and the project is expected to be launched on March 27. So far RDG, ORR, Network Rail, RSSB, MTR Crossrail and TfL have signed up. Prosser said that 60 per cent of people experience mental health problems at work but only 10 per cent tell their manager. He hopes volunteering will help to initiative more of those conversations in the workplace and improve mental health and wellbeing.

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TRAINING

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

THE

TRAIN DRIVERS ACADEMY

n the months up until 2021, around 7,000 new vehicles are set to be introduced by train companies across the country. Drivers will swap some of the oldest rolling stock on the network for some of the most stateof-the-art in the world as a result of the country’s current multi-billion-pound trainbuilding boom. The good news doesn’t end there either. While sitting in the cab of brand-new trains may be a big draw for some drivers, others will be more interested in another major project the industry has quietly been getting on with: the Train Drivers Academy.

BEGINNINGS The academy was launched RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

by the Department for Transport (DfT) in April last year to further professionalise the train driver's occupation through improvements to training and recruitment. Backed by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and train operators, the project has gradually gained traction and in April a free-standing organisation with its own identity will emerge. “The idea of the academy is to increase the amount of trainee drivers in the industry,” explained Phil Barrett, RDG’s rail modernisation team leader, who heads up the project. “Drivers are a critical resource for the industry and the aim is to increase the bandwidth for training drivers and to have enough trainees going through the system. “We are also planning to improve the quality of driver training by working together and

Rail minister Andrew Jones meets apprentices and tests out a driver simulator at East Midlands Trains' academy.

we very much want to improve diversity because there aren’t enough female drivers."

THE DETAILS Each year 100s will graduate from the Train Drivers Academy but none will ever pass through its doors as the academy only exists online. Operators will still undertake the training themselves but it will be standardised, drawing on existing industry training resources, best practice and the promotion of innovative training techniques. Training will focus on two core

elements. • Part A: a complete set of basic training documents, modules, methods and media, developed by RSSB, that explore the rules and theory and allow trainees to gain their formal certification. This standard package will be hosted on an online learning management system that has been procured from Net Dimensions; • Part B: the necessary driving hours, traction, route and company-specific training to become a qualified train driver.

Part A and B will usually take around 32 weeks to complete, depending on the complexity and size of the trains and routes to be familiarised. In addition, a new level 3 train driver apprenticeship standard developed by the academy will incorporate parts A and B with the addition of wider English language, maths, IT and communication skills. By pooling resources to standardise the process, operators will benefit from economies of scale. Training will now be developed once for the

industry, rather than separately by each operator.

EAST MIDLANDS PIONEERS Kirsty Derry, East Midlands Trains’ human resources director, who is also chair of the Train Drivers Academy, welcomed rail minister Andrew Jones to Derby in November, to introduce him to a special cohort of nine new apprentice drivers. The group – one of whom was previously a window blind fitter – was chosen from 2,500 applicants to join the first trial for the level 3 train driver

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TRAINING

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

apprenticeship standard. Further trials on the standard are also now underway with Northern and VolkerRail. Kirsty said: “Train drivers are key to delivering great customer service, and with the industry’s exciting investment in technology it was clear that there was a skills and capability gap developing across the entire sector.” Applicable to passenger, freight and depot train drivers as well as on-track machine operators, the level 3 apprenticeship standard replaces the level 2 rail services framework which, according to East Midlands Trains, no longer meets the level of competence required for a train driver. Developments in security, digital technology and new traction and rolling stock as well as the need for drivers to react and make decisions unsupervised have

changed the required skillset. This new apprenticeship level has also been designed to support the industry’s commitment to growing its skills base by providing trainees with formal certification, and to further professionalise the train driver role by setting industryrecognised standards.

A WORKFORCE THAT REFLECTS ITS PASSENGERS Recruitment is a key branch of the academy’s work to help diversify the workforce because, as Phil explained, it is a largely male-dominated and aging one. Academy members Southeastern and East Midlands Trains have recently announced their efforts to encourage more women to become train drivers by introducing such practices as anonymous candidate screening

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and advertising campaigns targeting women. Southeastern, which launched its campaign in November, is aiming for 40 per cent of applicants for its train driver roles to be from women by 2021. Currently women only make up 4.5 per cent of its driver workforce. East Midlands Trains has only recently launched its campaign, but has already seen the number of female driver applicants double. “Although we attract a lot of people to become train drivers, it doesn’t appeal to everybody. The aim is to have a website to improve the attraction across the board,” said Phil, explaining how the Train Drivers Academy’s website will support this drive.

SMARTER WORKING Phil has worked with passenger operators over the last year to make the Train

Drivers Academy a reality. All of them are now on-board and Phil is excited about the future possibilities - plans are in place to include all freight operators too - to help make the next generation workforce of train drivers more diverse, sustainable and skilled. He said: “There is a momentum and enthusiasm to actually deliver the academy. We’ve moved from what was an idea to starting delivery very quickly. “The industry is training between 800 and 1,000 drivers a year so there is a fair amount of throughput. What it hasn’t been so good at doing is dealing with the big lumps. By pooling in all of the training resources from across the country we can be the most effective in the way we deliver training. It’s just being smarter as an industry."

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When people have worked hard throughout their life and have been committed to helping others, we think they deserve extra cherishing. We are a railway charity and the only residential facility in the country dedicated to providing residential and respite care primarily for former railway employees and their close family members. At Woking Homes, we provide a secure, relaxed and homely environment in which the care, wellbeing and comfort of residents are of prime importance. Our philosophy emphasises the individuality of everyone within our home. Prospective residents are encouraged to visit the home to sample the atmosphere and level of service. Sometimes a short-stay of two or three days can be arranged to “feel the way”. Get in touch today for a brochure or visit the website to find out more: Telephone: 01483 763558 Email: sarah.kemp@woking-homes.co.uk (Chief Executive) Web: www.woking-homes.co.uk w te no e Dona differenc ed ke a ave serv a m to th . se tha ustry to tho the rail ind and in E06 HOM mount t x e t a e Pleas donation £5 or your £2 £3 £4 0 of £1 0 to 7007 £1

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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS AN INTRODUCTION FROM NEW NATIONAL CHAIR DAVID WESTCOUGH I began my career in the rail industry in September 2016 on a graduate scheme in SNC-Lavalin’s rail consulting practice, from which I have since graduated to become a project engineer and currently support Arriva Rail North in investigating alternative energy traction methods. My involvement with YRP began following the 2017 Black Tie Dinner and Dance, where I was motivated to join the East Midlands committee as the professional networking and development manager. My enjoyment of the regional role led me to take up the national position in March 2018, which I held for a year alongside the East Midlands vicechair role. I am elated to have been elected national chair for 2019/20 and I am incredibly proud and excited to lead the organisation during the year of its 10th anniversary. This year my primary aspiration for YRP is to establish our first committee abroad, in order to bring the benefits of our cause to young rail professionals in a new country. My secondary aspiration is to strengthen the organisation within the UK, in order to provide our members with equal opportunities to promote, inspire, develop and volunteer regardless of their geographical location. My final aspiration is to progress the development of new YRP initiatives, thereby increasing the value we provide to the rail industry. Outside of work, I am a keen swimmer and training towards the improvement of my 50m and 100m front crawl sprint times.

DAVID WESTCOUGH, NATIONAL CHAIR

Joe Whalen of Railway Project Services.

BUILDING AND RUNNING A START-UP On January 23, the West Midlands region welcomed Joe Whalen, the managing director of Railway Project Services, to give attendees an insight into what it’s like to create an SME within an industry as complex as rail, especially in the current climate. 15 members were present as Joe discussed his journey to date, some common pitfalls and some of the key challenges - such as finding your first client! As Joe is still under 30 and has been running the business since 2017, it was interesting to get his unique perspective and learn about this aspect of the industry as few young professionals in the rail industry are exposed to it. The event was enjoyed by all as evidenced by the influx of questions after the presentation.

FUTURE OF RAIL IN 2050 On January 30, the North West region hosted Colin Stewart, NCHSR board member and former global rail leader at Arup to outline and summarise Arup’s “Future of Rail in 2050” publication. Colin delivered an enthralling speech about the way forward for UK rail. After a summary of current risks and trends, the vision detailed how rail services will focus on the total journey. How an integration of journey information and seamless connections to other transport modes will create a hassle-free and holistic travel experience. Colin delivered his talk to 24 members who took advantage of some amazing free burritos to partake in some networking.

ANNUAL CORPORATE MEMBERS DINNER

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP This month YRP welcomes RSSB onboard as a platinum corporate member. YRP said it looks forward to an exciting year ahead working with RSSB to deliver some fantastic events across the country to help promote, inspire and develop the careers of future and current rail professionals.

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On February 13, YRP hosted its second corporate members dinner, following the success of the event last year. The dinner, hosted at the Vinoteca restaurant in London, gave YRP the opportunity to thank its corporate members for their support and give them an update of what YRP has achieved over the last year. The evening started with drinks and networking before chair Michael Charteris provided a presentation highlighting YRP’s 2018-2019 accomplishments. Rail Week programme lead May-Ann Lew then delivered an overview of the 2018 programme’s successes. Rail Week is a dedicated week of activities which aims to address the skills shortage in rail-related roles and to inspire the next generation to join the rail industry.

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS WARDS A

YRP has announced the ‘longlist’ for its 2019 awards. The awards recognise individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the rail industry, whether through their outstanding achievements, extraordinary enthusiasm or how they've inspired others. The winners will be announced at YRP’s Annual Black Tie Dinner on April 11.

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Adrian Moorhouse Amy Ogden Askin Alpinar Ben Smith Elizabeth Elliott Grace Hayward James Featherstone James Goodger Joseph Marner Liam Quinby Lloyd Harriman Michael Edwards Miraan Jothinath Olga Garzon-Guinea Ryan Huxford Thomas Walton

Transport for London Bombardier telent Mott MacDonald Bombardier Colas Rail Network Rail Transport for London WSP Bombardier telent SNC-Lavalin Network Rail WSP SNC-Lavalin's Atkins Colas Rail

UPCOMING EVENTS YRP WEST MIDLANDS: Sustainable Interregional Transport Network Rail, Baskerville House, Birmingham March 20

YRP LONDON: Signing on the dotted line: setting your project up for success Arcadis, 34 York Way, London March 21

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR: Arooba Noor Babatunde Olorunsogo Cameron Landa Carl Braid Charlotte Webster Emily Connor Harshil Patel Jake Banton Katie Roberts Luke Bunting

JOIN

Transport for London Colas Rail Bombardier telent WSP Bombardier WSP Bombardier Colas Rail Bombardier

MENTOR OF THE YEAR: Adam Wallbank Balduino Del Principe Beckie Bartlett Chris Fox Chris Harris Chris Hoare Gavin Jones James Richards Kirsty Towell Mark Maclean Mark Warrender Mikela Chatzimichailidou Nerdeep S Mann Peter Woodbridge

Siemens Arup Network Rail HS2 SNC-Lavalin's Atkins AEGIS Engineering Systems Colas Rail Network Rail Colas Rail telent telent WSP Bombardier Siemens

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

MEMBERSHIP Young Rail Professionals promote, inspire and develop the careers of young people in the rail industry. Membership is free and entitles you to attend our annual black tie dinner, seminars and be part of the fastest growing online rail community. www.YoungRailPro.com

YOUNG RAIL

PROFESSIONALS

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TIME FOR A JOB CHANGE It’s March already and we’re now in full swing for 2019. After a well deserved break, lots of you will have returned to work and have had the chance to think about your careers. You might even have decided that a change in jobs is a top priority this year. Whether it’s a case of ‘new year, new you’ or simply new priorities or new ambitions, whatever your reason for wanting a new job, you need to know what to do next. So where do you start?

1. Engage a specialist recruiter

Good recruiters will have a comprehensive understanding of your market and current opportunities. Engaging recruiters is a quick way of tapping into this knowledge to help you in your search. They can proactively represent you! Even better, they already have a relationship with the hiring managers and can guide you through the process, from g.

2. Update your CV

st impression potential employers have of you. Make sure you have a clean and clear layout and TRIPLE check your spelling and grammar. Get someone else to check it over for you as well. Highlight your key relevant ls in your last three jobs, as this is likely to be how far your potential employer or a recruiter looks. Make sure your CV doesn’t go over two pages if possible. Have a look online for some CV templates if you need some help getting started.

3. Update your online CV

/7 as your own personal advert to the job market. The sites you need to create or update are LinkedIn and your chosen job board accounts. On LinkedIn you should detail your relevant skills and experience to maximise your online presence. The more experience you detail, o draw The number one reason people change jobs is due to a career opportunity and the number one way people discover a new job is through a referral. Professional social networks are the number one source of quality hires, followed by internet job boards and employee nesses and recruiters are utilising this to look for new talent. You can choose to show recruiters and hiring managers, who are searching for potential candidates, that you are ‘open to opportunities’ on LinkedIn. This will not be visible to your current company but will alert hiring managers and recruiters that you are open to approaches. If you are looking for a new job in rail, contact Advance TRS today today on 01483 361061 or via www.advance-trs.com. We are a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly-skilled technical professionals with plenty of permanent and contract roles. Most importantly, our recruiters are here to help!

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

CAREERS

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ALL THE LATEST RAIL NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS The Rail Media App includes current and archived issues of Rail Engineer and RailStaff magazine. There’s no limit to the number of issues you can read. RAIL ENGINEER Rail Engineer is written by engineers, for engineers. Our writers visit factories, worksites, stations and depots all around the UK to bring you the best in the latest projects and developments in the rail industry.

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CAREERS

RAILSTAFF MARCH 2019

Severn Valley Railway Job Opportunities INFRASTRUCTURE / PWAY TEAM LEADER

EXPERIENCED BOILERSMITHS

The Team Leader will manage, lead and motivate the team of Permanent Way Engineers (paid employees and volunteers) to enable the achievement of goals and meeting deadlines whilst communicating safe practices.

Experienced Boilersmiths required at our Bridgnorth Engineering Services boilershop, for the maintenance, repair, overhaul and reassembly of steam locomotive boilers for the SVR

Specific responsibilities will be supporting our current team and developing a five-year plan for track improvements, taking responsibility for a management plan for lineside vegetation and the transition of reported track defects into a job bank for timely attention and completion, making sure that all team members perform to the SVR safety standards. There will be occasions when the Team Leader will deputise / provide cover for the Infrastructure Manager when

he is on annual leave or where volume or timing of meetings / project management necessitates delegation. The team have a large workload, managing large civils projects through to responding to water leaks and this position will help share that burden of work. We would expect the successful candidate to have a thorough technical knowledge of bullhead and flat bottom rail systems including switch and crossings and hold (or be competent to achieve) SVR Personal Track Safety Certification). It is a full time, 40 hours, paid post working 5 days out of 7 including occasional weekend work and a reasonable share of weekend, bank holiday, and other out of hours availability on call when the Railway is operating.

fleet as well as contract work. Apprentice trained or qualified by experience of machine tooling, principally drilling, reaming and tapping, welding and fitting.

APPRENTICESHIP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES We will be recruiting via Dudley College for our Heritage Skills Training Academy Apprenticeship Programme starting in August 2019.

TO APPLY To find out more or to send written applications with full detail of previous experience and qualifications to: recruitment@svrlive.com Please visit our website for full job descriptions.

www.svr.co.uk

DELIVERING QUALITY RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE RAIL INDUSTRY Commercial Manager Location: London Salary: £ Negotiable Type: Permanent A Commercial Manager in Rail Signalling is required for an outstanding opportunity, joining one of the leading rail organisations, playing a vital role in commercially managing a large scale rail project.

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Senior Electrical Engineer Location: Wembley Salary: £38k per annum Type: Permanent This role is to carry out maintenance routines unsupervised, diagnose and repair faults on electrical building services, electrical switch gear, domestic and industrial installations and PAT testing.

info@advance-trs.com

Health & Safety Advisor Location: North West England Salary: £270 per day Type: Contract This is a long term contract for a Health & Safety Advisor, required for the North West of England, Liverpool, Manchester and surrounding areas. Must be willing to travel distances between sites.

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