RailStaff November 2011 by Rail Media

ISSUE 168 NOV 2011

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In this issue...

Jowett Sidings Named after Popular Railwayman

Cable campaign connects up Squads of Gurkhas are helping patrol cable theft hot spots on the railway in the north east.

Page 3

London Bridge lowdown The redevelopment of London Bridge station, an essential part of the Thameslink project has picked up speed.

Page 4

Tay Bridge Award Tay Bridge photograph deemed the very best image of the national rail network. The latest jewel in the crown of the Thameslink Project has been named in honour of a Bedford railwayman. Jowett Sidings, as they are now known, have been built by Network Rail and will be used to stable First Capital Connect’s 12-carriage trains, each almost 250 metres long. Jowett Sidings will open for business on 12 December when FCC starts running three 12 car services from Bedford in the morning peak. Three 12-car trains will also run in the

evening creating almost 1,500 extra seats every day. The sidings were ofﬁcially opened by Shirley Jowett of Kempston, Bedford. Her husband, Rodney, began work as a Bedford cleaner in the days of steam. A popular man Rodney Jowett became a driver and later a senior driver instructor. He retired in 2000 and sadly died of cancer three years later. Mrs Jowett unveiled a plaque in Rodney’s memory. A 12-carriage train then entered the sidings, launching the facility. ‘Rodney is

still very much in our hearts today and we are proud and touched to have him remembered in this way,’ Mrs Jowett said. First Capital Connect Managing Director Neal Lawson said, ‘These sidings give us the capability to operate our ﬁrst-ever 50% longer 12-carriage trains. We’ll have three in the morning and three in the evening to begin with but many more will arrive with the new ﬂeet of trains in 2015. ‘To name these sidings in memory of Rodney was the right thing to do. He was a railway-

man through and through and a true gentleman which makes him an inspiration to us all.’ Jowett Sidings, stands close by the railway station, to its south, has ﬁve roads (tracks) and is a key element of the Thameslink Programme. FCC staff are among the best in the business - it’s ofﬁcial. A team of CCTV operators from First Capital Connect based in Edmonton, north London, won this year’s Rail Team of the Year Award at the RailStaff Awards. See centre pages for full reports.

This Christmas thousands of children will be trying to survive on the streets Railway Children race to reach children as soon as they arrive on the streets and intervene before an abuser can. Please turn to page 11 and help us get to street children before the streets get to them.

Page 8

Halloween humour at RailStaff Awards Staged at the ICC the RailStaff Awards had a Halloween theme as winners celebrate.

Pages 12-29

2 | RailStaff | November 2011

RailStaff Editorial Almost everyone reading this will have considered, at one time or another, taking their own life. To be alive, as the Buddha said, is to have problems. Sometimes they can seem insurmountable. If there is a second chance it seems far off. Yet the immediate effect of suicide on passers-by, let alone friends and family, is devastating and can stay with those left behind forever. Several RailStaff Award winners this year have had direct experience of dealing with potential railway suicides as well as their aftermath. In almost every case talking to the would-be suicide helped. It remains a big problem on the railway. As we go to press Transport for London reports a rise in suicides on the tube. People blame the recession and societal collapse. The sense of insecurity endemic in our times weighs heavily on us all. The eternal riddle - what is the point of it all - must be answered in terms of our own internal struggle. Yet this question of why am I here can prove insoluble. However the beginning of the answer lies within the sanctity of the individual. Every single circumstance we face is different as we are different. Every single person alive is different, has different ﬁnger prints, different DNA. We are unique. There has never been another you nor will there ever be. To deprive the world of one more life may seem immaterial but to deprive it of the wonder of you, the wonder of your life, your uniqueness, you, is a loss the world cannot afford. There is a further reason. Everyone in the world is linked, joined, however haphazardly to someone else. If you didn’t matter you would not have been made unique. If what ever made and sustains the universe can zero down to create a unique you then it follows you, the individual, must be very special: A work in progress which causes creation to delight and to rejoice. The purpose of you and what you are here for should never be left unanswered under the black mantle of despair. For you are not on your own. You exist in the miracle of someone else’s life, not just your own. Every person ever made is created for a purpose bound up with the living and a future yet to be revealed. It is always worth stepping back. Whatever the evidence contradicting it, you can, in the midst of doubt, acknowledge the possibility of a second chance. Possibly it is that glance from a stranger, the drama of two people talking in the street, a call to a friend or perhaps the Samaritans on 08457 909090. In short we, who you leave behind, are adrift on a broken chain. The beads of our failings fall through the place you held. Many of us will never recover and are far less able to cope with your absence than you might imagine. For the truth is, there is someone out there who really needs you. Someone who is looking to you and waits for you, and only you, to call.

Rail Freight: December Issue Transporting freight by rail is now more efﬁcient and growing year on year. Is your company making a difference in freight? Contact Paul on 01530 560021 or email pc@rail-media.com

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Thumbs up for High Speed 2 The Transport Select Committee has given a cautious backing for High Speed Two. The project has met considerable opposition mainly from people along the proposed line of route as well as others who doubt the need for a high speed rail network in Britain. ‘We’re convinced there is a good case for a high speed network,’ says Louise Ellman, who leads the committee. ‘And it’s the only way that the necessary increase in capacity for passengers and freight can be delivered,’ she continued. Louise Ellman sympathised with local objectors and said it was wrong to castigate them. However she said, ‘A high speed line

offers potential economic and strategic beneﬁts which a conventional line does not, including a dramatic improvement in connectivity between our major cities, Heathrow and other airports, and the rest of Europe. ‘High speed rail may be a catalyst for economic growth, helping to rebalance the economy and bridge the north-south divide.’ The committee remains concerned that the northern section beyond Birmingham could be 20 years away from completion. Supporters of the scheme in the north want the project ramped up. The committee also warned against starving the rest of the rail network of investment to pay for HS2. Dan Large, spokesman for the Campaign

for High Speed Rail said, ‘This is a victory for jobs in the North and the Midlands, and the moment the naysayers were proven wrong. They have told us for months that HS2 would never stand up to scrutiny, but the Transport Select Committee has decided otherwise. ‘The Select Committee, like us, believes that there is a good case for proceeding with HS2, and points out the substantial benefits to users of existing lines in terms of the number of seats it would free up for commuters, as well as adding much needed overall capacity to our creaking rail network. ‘They also agree with us that HS2 will bring economic benefits to the regions, and that those benefits may be even greater than predicted.’

Children meet Police dogs & horses The London Ambulance Service, local police and ofﬁcers from the BTP in north London have teamed up to organise a great day out for children from the Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children in Camden. The pupils, all aged between ﬁve and 11 years, will be taken to St Pancras International for a behind the scenes tour. They will go on to meet sniffer dogs from BTP’s elite police dog section and horses from the Metropolitan Police’s mounted branch. Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service will also be there to show the children life saving equipment and an emergency response motorbike. The children will travel with railway police on Southeastern’s highspeed service to Stratford International to see the Olympic site and learn all about the games. Says Inspector Julian Dixon from BTP at St Pancras, ‘It’s lovely for us to be able to take children from the local community to visit what will be the main attractions when the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to London next year. ‘We are looking forward to meeting the children and explaining a bit about our involvement in the 2012 Games. I hope everyone involved enjoys

the day and takes some happy memories away with them.’ The exercise has gone down well with local people. Says Karen Simpson, Head Teacher at

the Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, ‘I am thrilled that our children have this prestigious opportunity. ‘This is a great way for our chil-

dren to see different people working in our community along with supporting their learning through hands-on experience.’

Giant cake maps underground

To mark National Baking Week a massive cake measuring 2 metres by 2 metres was on display at St Pancras International recently. The huge cake bore a map of the London Underground system based on Harry Peck’s original design. The cake was unveiled within the Arcade, host to a suite of top notch patisseries. Face of National Baking Week and BBC Great British Bake Off Finalist, Ruth Clemens, revealed the cake in a ceremony which launched a wider schedule of cooking events.

RailStaff | November 2011 | 3

Rail News in brief > Russia plans massive improvements Russian Railways is poised for a massive upgrade and the building of more high speed lines. The total investment programme over the next three years is planned to reach 26 billion euros, including 9.7 billion euros in 2012. Says Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, ‘We have always insisted that investing in infrastructure is the best way to commit public money. Today, this idea is being (backed) by the Russian government.’ Projects which will beneﬁt include the Siemens AG - Sinara high-speed electric rolling stock programme and railway improvements in the South and Far East of Russia.

> Blue train rides again A unique and historic train that has been left almost untouched out in the open for a decade could be set for a bright new future if plans to move it to Glasgow’s new Riverside Museum come to fruition. The last surviving class 311 ‘Blue Train’ is currently rusting away in a remote corner of Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life. The train was designated for preservation by the Railway Heritage Committee. A move to the Riverside site would see it restored and once more on public display. Unfortunately there is not enough room to house the entire vehicle, so the driving car will have to be sectioned. Museum staff think it will make an ideal seating area.

Cable campaign connects up Squads of Gurkhas are helping patrol cable theft hot spots on the railway in the north east. The ex-servicemen are part of an industry wide campaign designed to tackle the growing problem of cable theft. Other plans include new forensic marking of cable and a change to legislation involving scrap metal dealing. BTP made more

than 900 arrests last year. On a single day recently Virgin Trains experienced 60 hours of delay. Cable theft costs the railways £19million a year. Recently at Coventry station passengers were invited to support the rail industry in tackling the thieves. Representatives watched SmartWater investigators demonstrate forensic

marking technology. Many want changes to legislation governing the sale of scrap metal. ‘We believe that the only way to signiﬁcantly reduce metal crime is to take away the illegal market, and that more robust legislation and police powers are needed to achieve that,’ says Dyan Crowther, Director Operational

Services at Network Rail. An amendment to the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964 to prohibit cash transactions would make payment by cheque or directly into a bank account mandatory and would be a signiﬁcant component in reducing metal theft. The retired Gurkhas work for the security ﬁrm G4S.

> Charity run for 150 The Class 150s used by London Midland are being retired. More modern 172s take over this month. To mark their passing, a special 150 Farewell Tour round the West Midlands, including Bridgenorth via the Severn Vallery Railway and Stratford on Avon has been organised by railway staff. All the proceeds from the event are being donated to Railway Children.

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4 | RailStaff | November 2011

London Bridge lowdown Rail industry backs engineer training scheme

The redevelopment of London Bridge station, an essential part of the Thameslink project, has picked up speed with the awarding of a track reconﬁguration contract and an area reconstruction deal. Costain Ltd will carry out the station redevelopment and Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd. will deliver the track remodelling. The station redevelopment will include a new concourse at street level, with entrances on Tooley Street and St Thomas Street, which will provide space for around 66% more passengers than the station handles today. Access into and around the station will also be transformed. Within the contract, Costain will carry out the detailed design and delivery of the project. Vital track re-modelling at London

Bridge will allow longer trains and more of them to stream through the centre of the capital boosting capacity and relieving congestion on one of London’s busiest railways. Under the contract, Balfour Beatty Rail will provide detailed design, installation, testing and commissioning of the track work. Says Simon Kirby, managing director of investment projects, Network Rail, ‘The way London Bridge evolved since the mid-1800s left us with a station and a track layout which makes it increasingly difﬁcult to provide the capacity and reliability passengers expect today. ‘The Thameslink programme allows the tracks, platforms and station layout at London Bridge to be completely re-designed, boosting the number of trains

that can run, unblocking the bottleneck and providing a modern and dynamic station which will make a real improvement for passengers. ‘The creation of the London Bridge Area Partnership is evidence of the reforms we have made in the way we procure and plan our key projects. By engaging our partners at an early stage we can benefit from their expertise when carrying out the design and construction work so projects can be delivered with maximum efficiency and offer best value for money.’ The signalling renewal contract was awarded to Invensys in July 2011. The Thameslink Programme reaches a key milestone in December 2011, when the first 12-car trains begin to run through central London.

Rope walk for Bowes Christmas is coming early at the Bowes Railway in Tyne and Wear. The preserved railway is to get almost £150,000 of funding from English Heritage with a further £35,000 coming from Sunderland City Council. The money will be spent on renovating a wagon shed at the railway museum in Springwell Village near Gateshead. Says local leader and Sunderland councillor, John Kelly, ‘Bowes Railway is the world’s only remaining operational rope-hauled railway and its in-

clusion in the risk register highlights just how important it is. The line played a hugely signiﬁcant role in the development of railways and coal production in the North East, and also in the wider industrial revolution.’ English Heritage said the buildings were more at risk than almost any other kind of historical building, and need protecting as many of the structures and technologies needed to drive the Industrial Revolution were invented in England.

In an ace move Network Rail has signed up with the Association for Consultancy and Engineering and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association to launch a new training programme for civil engineers in the railway. ACE and CECA will help graduates working for Network Rail spend time out in the field with other civil engineering organisations and vice versa. The idea is to provide a cross industry level of experience. Says Neil Thompson, Network Rail’s programme director for infrastructure investment, ‘This agreement provides an excellent platform for our engineering graduates to gain cross industry experience, working with different organisations to develop their knowledge and skills. It will also help the future of the engineering industry and develop our business by providing better equipped, more knowledgeable, engineers who will help to deliver a safer and better value-for-money railway for Britain.’ Mike Cocks, CECA UK rail director, agrees, ‘With the whole ethos of the sector moving towards a more collaborative approach, the graduate development scheme is a perfect example of how the industry can work together to help produce better outcomes for the rail sector. We look forward to seeing the benefits from this approach flourish over time as more and more graduates get the op-

portunity to go through the scheme.’ His sentiments were echoed by Graham Nicholson, ACE chairman, ‘ACE is pleased to support this initiative. It provides more pathways to enter the industry, and is a clear example of clients and suppliers working together to promote the next generation of engineers,’ Graham said.

Paul Clark (Network Rail), Mike Cocks (CECA) and Graham Nicholson (ACE) sign agreement.

Under starters orders Eurotunnel has reached an agreement with the Equine Travel Agency which will see horses travelling by rail on the shuttle between Folkestone and Calais. The new deal is good news for horse owners long unnerved by stormy sea crossings. Air travel is expensive and the new service looks odds on to be a considerable success. The World Equestrian games

Abellio’s take over of the Great Anglia franchise marks a great personal milestone for chief executive Anton Valk, who started the company ten years ago. Next spring if Mr Valk elects to travel from Delft, where he studied, to London using railways and the Hook of Holland - Harwich ferry he will ﬁnd himself using train services operated by Abellio in Britain and its parent company Nederlandse Spoorwegen in Holland. After gaining an engineering degree from Delft University and an MBA from Nijenrode Mr Valk worked for Philips Electronics and later KPN Dutch Telecom. In 1998, he joined NedTrain, the traction and rolling stock maintenance company of Dutch Railways. His responsibilities included change management and business development. In 2001, Anton Valk started Abellio from scratch as the in-

their equine travel arrangements. We are receiving more and more requests from outside of the UK, so it is important to extend our relationships with reputable and reliable international transporters. The signing of a partnership agreement with ETA will enable us to better serve our customers, especially when stringent conditions have to be met for major sporting events.’

in Normandy in 2014 looks set to beneﬁt from the new deal. The Equine Travel Agency transports about 5000 horses a year. ETA has now been authorised by Eurotunnel to transport horses on the shuttles. ETA holds DEFRA licences and is accredited by veterinary bodies. Says Jo Willacy, Eurotunnel Commercial Director, ‘Eurotunnel is delighted to help sportsmen and women with

Valk Tall

ternational subsidiary of Nederlandse Spoorwegen. ‘I am delighted Abellio has been selected for the Greater Anglia franchise. This win adds to Abellio’s already successfully operated franchises in the UK, Northern and Merseyrail and is a testament to the growing conﬁdence

that the Department for Transport has in our ability to bring positive change to rail services,’ said Anton Valk. Abellio also operates rail and bus services in Germany and the Czech Republic. The franchise is for 29 months only and starts in February 2012.

PEOPLE MOVES

RailStaff | November 2011 | 5

Express move for Elaine

The Only Way is Essex

Elaine Holt, popular chairman of government-owned Directly Operated Railways and the East Coast Main Line Company is stepping down at the end of her current contract. Elaine will be joining National Express. In her new role she will be spearheading the company’s drive for new franchises. Says a spokesman. ‘We are delighted to announce that Elaine Holt will be joining us from early January as a Bid Director in the Rail team. Elaine’s appointment demonstrates our continued determination to assemble a very strong bid team to allow us to compete for upcoming franchises.’ In a message to all staff at East Coast Elaine said, ‘I’ve enjoyed immensely being at the helm of East Coast. It’s a really good business and I’m genuinely sorry to be leaving. We’ve achieved a huge amount in the last two years and we’re just starting to see the beneﬁts of the company turnaround. ‘The business still has a number of challenges to overcome, but I’m absolutely convinced we made the right base choices and have established a strong new foundation for our suc-

Martin Cannon has recently joined Bridgeway Consulting’s HSQE team. A career railwayman who has worked for British Rail, Balfour Beatty and Cannon Training, Martin will bring a wealth of experience enabling the Bridgeway HSQE team to further reinforce its position in the market place. Says Martin, ‘Bridgeway has always had a great reputation for

cesses to be sustainable.’ Punctuality has increased and passenger volume is up. Following Elaine’s departure, Michael Holden will become Chairman of East Coast, and Doug Sutherland will become Non-Executive Chairman of Directly Operated Railways. Elaine thanked all staff and managing director, Karen Boswell. ‘I couldn’t have achieved this level of progress without the very strong support from the staff of East Coast, the board, and in particular Karen Boswell, East Coast’s Managing Director.’ Elaine was appointed Chair-

man of DOR by the Secretary of State in July 2009. Never one to shy away from lending staff a helping hand down on the platforms during disruption Elaine was praised recently by a journalist at the Observer. Thanks to a ﬁre in Newark, train services were disrupted and the journalist’s two children travelling up to London were lost. Elaine managed to help make contact with them. They were stuck at Doncaster. However the children aged 11 and 14 had worked out an alternative route and were continuing to London via Shefﬁeld, Derby and Leicester.

Henderson to step down Peter Henderson, Network Rail’s respected group asset management director, has decided to leave the company next year. A founding member of Network Rail, Mr Henderson was one of the original board members joining in 2002 as it acquired Railtrack. With over 25 years experience as an engineer and project manager in the transport business, his expertise proved invaluable in ﬁxing the problems bequeathed by Railtrack. Recognising Mr Henderson’s contribution to the company, David Higgins, chief executive, said, ‘Peter was a key member of the original Network Rail executive team in 2002 and has played an immensely important role in driving the recovery of the rail network. His industry expertise and strong leadership will be greatly missed.’ Peter was previously involved with the construction and operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro and the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway. He returned to the UK in 2000 to work for Bechtel where he was projects and engineering director for rail.

Opposition team reshufﬂe Maria Eagle MP has become Shadow Transport Secretary following a reorganisation of Labour’s front-bench transport team. Lilian Greenwood MP joins the transport team as Shadow Par-

liamentary Under Secretary of State for Regional and Local Transport. Jim Fitzpatrick MP, continues as Shadow Minister of State for International Transport and London. John Woodcock MP, is Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary

of State for National Transport; and Pat Glass MP, is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Maria Eagle, with responsibility for young people’s transport. The new team will also be undertaking a transport review.

safety and quality of delivery in whatever it does. I’m really pleased to be joining such a positive, forward thinking, innovative company.’ Martin’s experience in the rail industry allows him to provide up to date, sound and practical HSQE advice. He will work alongside Steve Diksa, Assurance Services Director, and Martyn Durrant, Assurance Manager.

Fast lady takes transport The DfT has roundly rebuffed suggestions that the new Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, will struggle with impartiality with regard to Heathrow Airport. Her constituency lies nearby and she helped campaign against a third runway. Greening has taken over from Philip Hammond who has moved on to Defence following the departure of Liam Fox. Justine Greening entered parliament in 2005. Born in 1969 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire she

is a ﬁnancial accountant by trade. She has worked for Price Waterhouse, GlaxoSmithKline and Centrica. Educated at her local comprehensive she read Economics at Southampton University and has an MBA. The coalition scrapped Labour’s plans for a third runway at Heathrow days after coming to power and has also blocked more runways at Gatwick and Stansted. Greening says there will be no reversal of the awarding of the Thameslink rail contract to German company

Siemens rather than Derbybased Bombardier. On high speed rail she is on record as saying, ‘To my mind, when you look at what highspeed rail has brought to other countries it’s impossible not to see the beneﬁts.’ Outside politics Justine Greening lists her interests as the environment and youth crime. Already nicknamed ‘Fast Lady’ for her espousal of the raised 80mph motorway speed limit, rail chiefs hope she will prove equally supportive of High Speed Two.

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6 | RailStaff | November 2011

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Stobart runs freight train

Age of the Train

Stobart Rail is developing plans for rail freight services after running a DRS-hauled service from the Port of Felixstowe to the new Stobart Rail facility at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal. The trial service carried 24 Stobart Rail Curtain Sided containers distinctively liveried with ‘Less CO2 Rail.’ The Direct Rail Services-hauled train performed well. Despite the recession Stobart Group boosted sales this year. Earlier this month the Group announced increased revenues, up 15.3% to £281.1m; a jump from £243.7m last year.

The face of British Rail’s ‘Age of the Train’ marketing campaign in the 1980s, Sir Jimmy Savile OBE has sadly died. Designed to boost interest in the InterCity 125s the campaign was a huge success. InterCity became a self ﬁnancing business under BR and was able to cross subsidise loss making lines. Born in Leeds Jimmy Savile started life as a coal miner and went on to become a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg. He hosted BBC’s long running Top of the Pops show and became a household name as the genial doyen of Jim’ll Fix It.The show saw children writing in hoping Jim

Lucy on the DC with Diamonds Romance continues to thrive on the railways. Recently Adam King proposed to his bride-to-be, Lucy Rodgers, on an evening service heading from Euston to Watford Junction – still known as the DC (direct current) - with the help of the choir in which he sings. Once safely out of Euston the ﬁrst chorister, a man, started singing ‘When I wake up in the morning…’ the refrain was taken up by a woman apparently reading a kindle. Then almost the whole carriage joined in the Bill Withers classic, ‘Another Lovely Day.’ ‘It’s just the biggest surprise I have ever had in my life,’ says

Lucy. Adam, 34, sings in the choir, the Adam Street Singers. Together with friends he planned the proposal and assembled choir members in secret at Euston. Lucy almost blew the plan by deciding to drive that day, but Adam, ever resourceful, disconnected the car battery. Says Adam, ‘I knew I wanted to do some kind of ﬂashmob, but wanted it to be quite intimate, so I came up with the idea of the Overground train from Euston, where we live. ‘The biggest problem was making sure Lucy made the train. There was only a three-minute window to get the choir, me

and Lucy on.’ As the ﬂashmob erupted and choir members stood around the carriage Lucy urged Adam to record the whole thing on his phone. In fact a friend was secretly ﬁlming and the video has since gone viral on youtube. Says Lucy, ‘I thought, hey this is my favourite song.’ Then as the song reached a crescendo everyone fell silent and Adam, on one knee in front of Lucy, pulled out a diamond engagement ring and said, ‘Lucy Rodgers will you marry me?’ Between laughter and a few tears Lucy said, ‘Yes,’ and put on the ring. The choir picked up the refrain and carried on singing, ‘Then I look at you and the world’s alright with me, Just one look at you and I know it’s gonna be - A lovely day - lovely day…’

could ﬁx their dreams of meeting rock stars or acting in movies.The show was immensely popular. Off screen Savile was a stalwart of Stoke Mandeville hospital, played a relaxed part as a volunteer visitor in Broadmoor and raised over £40 million running marathons for charity. His eccentricities and catch phrases were imitated by admirers down the years. Faced with a difﬁcult question Savile would throw his head back, puff at his cigar and emit a goggle eyed yodel - more Leeds than Lucerne. The HST adverts caught the public’s imagination and rail-

Transport Benevolent Fund

Sir Jimmy Savile helped ﬁx it for InterCity. way staff always reserved a special welcome for Sir Jimmy. A practising catholic Jimmy Savile was buried in Scarborough after a requiem masss at St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds.

Joyleen pilots Royal Tram Despite being told to hurry up Melbourne tram driver Joyleen Smith carried HRH the Queen and Prince Philip at the regulation 3 mph walking pace during their recent visit to Australia. Says Joyleen, ‘When they got on I said hello to the Queen, and Philip said, ‘Come on driver, let’s go, we’re running late.’ So I thought we better go (but) he said it with a smile on his face and I know he’s got a wicked sense of humour.’ The royal tram powered off

through central Melbourne. The 30 year old Z class tram had been specially refurbished.The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled from Federation Square along St Kilda Road to Government House for lunch. The Premier of Victoria, the state of which Melbourne is capital, Ted Baillieu, was also on board together with his wife, Robyn. Joyleen Smith, has been a Melbourne tram driver for seven years. ‘A couple of times I got a little overwhelmed and

Romance on the railways - a great place to propose.

Waiting game Good housekeeping and local power means Blackburn station is now the proud possessor of a fully enclosed nice warm waiting room. The original scheme just had ﬁnance enough to cover a plat-

form canopy under Network Rail’s £1.7m improvements scheme. However, ingenious railway staff managed to make the money stretch further. Says Network Rail route director Jo Kaye, ‘We said we would

thought I was going to cry - all the people were waving at her. At one point I even waved at someone I recognised. But despite being nervous at ﬁrst it was overwhelming. What an honour to drive the Queen.’ Ms Smith is based at Brunswick Depot and was nominated for the royal turn by colleagues. Trams in Melbourne are operated by Yarra Trams, a consortium of Keolis and Australia’s oldest rail company Downer EDI Rail.

provide a canopy over the full length of the platform and install an accessible lift before the winter weather arrives, and that is just what we have done. In fact, we have gone one stage further. We have made sufﬁcient ﬁnancial savings on the original scope of the work that we had enough money to include a fully enclosed, heated waiting room as well as all the other work.’ Work started on the project in May, when platform 4 was closed to passengers. A new lift shaft was constructed between the station subway and the platform. The subway was refurbished and a new lift installed. The canopy covers virtually all the platform. New bright lighting, seats and comms systems complement the waiting room. The new facilities were opened by Jack Straw, the local MP (pictured).

8 | RailStaff | November 2011

Tay Bridge award War poems mark Poppy day

Professional photographer and judge of the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2011, Charlie Waite, has been so impressed by railway photos that he’s decided to switch from road to rail when he travels about the country. Shahbaz Majeed from Dundee has won the Network Rail ‘Lines in the Landscape’ award at the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2011 for his superb photograph of the Tay Bridge at dusk.

Says Mr Majeed, ‘I shot this on the last day of December, hoping to get a great ﬁnal image to end the year on, (a picture) that showed one of Dundee’s two bridges. I could see that the sunset was going to be good behind the rail bridge and decided on this composition. I just waited for a train to pass and adjusted the exposure to get the train in motion exactly where I wanted it and everything just came together as planned.’ This photograph was deemed

the very best image of the national rail network from around 500 entries, by renowned landscape photographer and competition organiser, Charlie Waite. Mr Majeed wins a weekend break and a guided tour of the Severn Rail Tunnel’s Sudbrook Pumping Station. Says Charlie, ‘It was a delight to be the judge for the Network Rail Award again this year. Our railways have always been very close to my heart and, over the last few years, I have personally made

the decision to travel by train, rather than car, whenever I can. ‘The juxtaposition of the rail infrastructure with the surrounding landscape presents a myriad of photographic opportunities and it was good to see many of them realised so well this year. My congratulations go to Shahbaz, whose image, reminiscent of W H Auden’s Night Train, captures the essence of drama and speed and helps to reinforce how important the rail network is for us all.’

Welsh express beats record A First Great Western HST broke the record for the fastest train journey between Cardiff and London on 26th October 2011 completing the journey in 1hr 36min 19 sec. This beats the record that stood for 23 years. The special ‘capital to capital’ nonstop train left Cardiff Central Station at 12.21 and reached London Paddington just after 1357. The regular journey time is just over two hours from the Welsh capital. The previous fastest run of 97 minutes 37 seconds was set in August 1988. The special

non-stop High Speed Train was designed to illustrate future possibilities for journey times between the capital cities, when electriﬁcation will mean the Cardiff to London journey could be completed in less than two hours. Says First Great Western Managing Director Mark Hopwood, ‘This was an ambitious attempt, and its was great to be able to beat the record time and demonstrate the possibilities for future Cardiff to London travel. South Wales is a very important market for us and around a third of our High Speed

Services serve the country. It is not only a signiﬁcant business hub, but also a fantastic cultural and tourism centre, and we recognise the importance of rail travel to those industries and the wider community.’ Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan, MP travelled on the train and said, ‘With our economic policies we are determined to reduce red tape to make it quicker and easier for business to invest and to tap in to Wales’ skilled and qualiﬁed workforce. We are also helping businesses in Wales access opportunities in other UK and overseas markets.’

Warm reception for ScotRail Plan Power shower systems, developed in Finland and poly-tunnels will help de-ice trains this winter in Scotland. Passengers have greeted ScotRail’s plans to cope with snow and ice with relief. Better information updates will be available by text and twitter. The £2m plans for severe winter weather will see all traction and maintenance depots able to power hose the ice. The system has proved effective in Finland. The poly-tunnels will basically enclose the train enabling warm air to circulate more quickly. Railway staff and managers have been out in force explaining the new plans to the public. Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said, ‘Thinking ahead and being prepared for winter at home, on transport networks and

within local communities is something everyone can do easily. That is why we welcome ScotRail’s efforts to place customer information and investment in service resilience at the forefront of their efforts. By keeping trains moving and providing better information, the rail industry can minimise disruption while getting people on the move as quickly as possible when it does occur.’ The snow-show preparations come as ScotRail concluded a comprehensive £40m programme of improvements. This included £20m of station enhancements ranging from CCTV and customer information systems to toilets, waiting rooms and shelters. The company won a franchise extension from October 2011, the expiry date of its original seven-year franchise until November 2014.

A set of poems, which commemorates lives lost in war and celebrates the universal desire for peace, is now on display on the London Underground. Says Judith Chernaik, founder of Poems on the Underground, ‘Loss of life, grief, war and the pursuit of peace have inspired poets for centuries. I hope that passengers will ﬁnd the poems moving as they journey across the city.’ The poems, which are part of the Poems on the Underground programme, also draw attention to the grief suffered by those who survived. The display has been timed to coincide with the sale of poppies - part of the Royal British Legion annual appeal ahead of Remembrance Sunday. The collection includes six poems. ‘The Morning After’ by Tony Harrison is a vivid personal memory of VJ Day in Leeds and includes the following contradictory line ‘joy though banked with grief’. ‘PassingBells’ has the ﬁrst 14 lines of a new poem by the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. She writes in memory of soldiers lost in wars that continue to this day. ‘Song in Space’ is by Adrian Mitchell, who was a powerful advocate for poetry and a major anti-war activist. ‘Lost in France’

by Ernest Rhys, the founder of Everyman’s Library, is in memory of a young man killed in the First World War. ‘Futility’ by Wilfred Owen, one of the most famous war writers, who died in France seven days before the Armistice ending the First World War, is about the senselessness of the slaughter that marked trench ﬁghting. The ﬁnal poem ‘Lines from Isaiah’, with an image from the British Library copy of the King James Bible (1611) marking the 400th anniversary of the work, expresses the timeless hope for peace.

Poems on the Underground commemorates lives lost in war. Wilfrid Owen pictured.

All seeing aye Keen to avoid blizzard disruption on the railway this winter Network Rail in Scotland has signed up a helicopter to patrol the metals using thermal imaging surveillance techniques. The air borne heat-seeker will be able to detect points whose defrosters are not working. If points grow cold the helicopter will be able to identify which one and relay the data back to base. The plan is part of preparations for any return of the heavy snow and sub-zero conditions which hit Scotland last year. Other measures include the use of NASA-grade insulation, used in space suits, to protect the inside of points machines from freezing temperatures. A £1

million winter-weather engineering train will be used to defrost junctions and move engineers around the network when roads are closed. Says David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, ‘We are working closely with our industry partners and the Government to make sure we deliver as robust a service as possible this winter. ‘We are also introducing a wide range of new equipment and working methods after reviewing how the severe, prolonged snowfalls, last year affected the railway. We are conﬁdent that the Scottish rail network will be as well prepared as possible for another severe winter.’

Railways in Scotland will be better prepared for cold weather this winter.

RailStaff | November 2011 | 9

Memorial Service for Ann Bridgeway Consulting secures Crossrail contract A memorial service for Ann Edgar, popular Customer Service Director of East Coast, will be held in York Minster on 24th November 2011 at 2.00pm. Ann Edgar started her railway career with GNER in 1998 as a Train Service Delivery Manager, based in Scotland. Throughout ten years of committed and exceptional service to the company, she worked in a number of Customer Service posts, On-Board, Stations, Trav-

el Centres, and became Head of Customer Operations in 2006. She left the franchise in January 2008 for a liaison role within the DfT, but returned to take a seven month spell as Interim Customer Service Director to East Coast. Described as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;one of the railwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading lights and most inspiring leaders,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ann, who died in August, leaves a legacy of example and integrity which all colleagues value.

Asda takes to rail Supermarket giant, Asda, is to move more of its goods by rail. Freightliner Limited has signed a new contract with CMA CGM to transport containers for ASDA in the north east. Freightliner will initially be running contract services from Southampton to its Cleveland Terminal which is convenient for Asdaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North East Distribution centre. Says Alex Linton, Import Supply Chain Manager for Asda, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We are delighted that we have successfully implemented this

major milestone in reducing our carbon footprint. CMA CGM and Freightliner were able to respond quickly with a solution for us. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This enables us to ship a greater amount of product through Southampton port with the added beneďŹ t of fast transit and reduced

She is much missed by her partner David and her family.The service will be conducted by the Reverend Stephen Sorby, Railway Chaplain. All are welcome.

emissions by placing our product within a few short miles of the target destination. We see this only as the start of our vision to expand rail operations with Freightliner.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The new services will help Asda and CMA CGM to maximise the use of transport by rail to reduce congestion and pollution in the region contributing to Asdaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% from its transport ďŹ&#x201A;eet.

Bridgeway Consulting has been awarded a contract by Network Rail to deliver Overhead Line Isolation Services for the Crossrail (West) Project. Says Pino De Rosa, Bridgewayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managing director, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Winning this contract is great news. We look forward to progressing what is powering up to be one of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most ambitious infrastructure projects. Crossrail will bring huge beneďŹ ts to London, Britain and the railway industry. We look forward to playing our part with enthusiasm and efďŹ ciency.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; As an integral part of the Crossrail team, Bridgeway Consulting will be responsible for the planning, management and delivery of the Project isolations. Â The project area stretches from Paddington Station to Maidenhead Station and the work will continue until completion of the project, which is scheduled for 2018. The dedicated Bridgeway isolation team will consist of a Delivery Manager and Isolation Planners supported by a number of Nominated and Authorised Persons. The balance of the demands of the timetable

and the project, interweave to create a technically challenging area to deliver and this requires numerous teams to be deployed in order to carry out complex switching and earthing arrangements. Â Over the term of the project the

possessions and isolations will be increasingly challenging as the demands of the delivery program gain pace. Bridgeway are also successfully delivering Overhead Line isolations and possessions for the Kings Cross Station Redevelopment Project.

Tim Maddison (left) of Bridgeway and Kevin Tozer of Network Rail sign the Crossrail (West) AC Isolation contract.

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10 | RailStaff | November 2011

Join the Rail Alliance now

log on to www.railalliance.co.uk

Rail Alliance membership starts

email jo.bennett@railalliance.co.uk

from just £500 per year

or call 01789 720026.

Rail Alliance hails RailStaff Awards The Rail Alliance would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all nominees and all winners at the recent RailStaff Awards. It was a fantastic evening and so good to see so much good work

and unstinting effort being identiﬁed and rewarded. We look forward to another exciting month ahead in November and we are pleased to see one of our 250+ members highlighted in this issue of RailStaff: namely Jobson James.

Also, worthy of note, has been our continued season of seminars and networking events the most recent of which saw Clyde and Co hosting the 2ndNovember event at their brand new Bishopsgate ofﬁces in Cen-

tral London. (see www.clydeco.com for more information about their full range of legal services and their expertise in the transport sector in general and the rail sector in particular). We are particularly grateful to Clyde and Co’s Anna McGowan for all her help behind the scenes ensuring that the event went smoothly and to Robert Meakin of Clyde and Co for setting us off on the day. The event kicked off with Dr Robin Singleton (an Associate Director of PSL, www.pslcbi.com) presenting on BS11000. This standard is very new (December 2010) and is the ﬁrst national standard in the world that provides structure and framework for Collaborative Business Relationships and, in so many ways, this is a train that our industry needs to catch! Next up to the podium was Robert Cummins (Supply Chain Innovation Manager, Network Rail) who outlined the opportunities to innovate with Network Rail and in particular, the range of engineering challenges they

Jobson James Insurance Brokers Ltd Rail Alliance member, Jobson James, is an independent corporate insurance broker, specialising in risk analysis services for the rail, construction and manufacturing industries. Director Keven Parker explains the company philosophy and the importance of risk management in today’s changing insurance world. We have developed our culture over the last 20 years, providing innovative risk based solutions for rail industry supply chain companies. In the past many insurance brokers concentrated on securing purely rating information about a business (turnover, wages etc) and approaching a maximum number of insurers to elicit competitive quotations. However, insurers these days are much more selective about the risks they wish to write as they no longer receive signiﬁcant investment income to prop up poor underwriting results. In effect underwriters are much more personally liable for writing a proﬁtable book of business than ever before.

To achieve maximum competition and long term stable premiums for our clients we work in a very focussed and targeted way with fewer insurers competing harder and selectively for our clients.

The solution is truly unique High quality risk information is key. We have supported many of our staff to attain Chartered Insurance Broker status because we place a high degree of importance on understanding our clients business in detail which comes through professional qualiﬁcations. Only then can we begin to mould an insurance program in a bespoke way to meet their demands and needs so that the solution is truly unique to them rather than ‘off the shelf.’ It is essential that the insurance broker has a strong relationship with not just the Finance Director of a business but also with Health and Safety Management.

Insurers will provide better terms and conditions if they can easily see that the client has a strong health and safety policy statement signed by the Managing Director which gives leadership and priority to avoiding workplace accidents backed up by quality safe systems of work and thorough internal and external auditing. The underwriters will be more conﬁdent that claims frequency will be low.

No one simple answer Clients ask us how can they reduce their insurance premiums and there is no one simple answer. The best way is through a properly coordinated risk review involving the client, the broker, current and competing insurers. The client themselves need to embrace result risk improvement requirements so they can feel conﬁdent to self-insure some risks and only insure those risks that they really need to. If a business wished to review the services of their insurance broker and insurer by asking competing brokers to act for

them then there are actually 5 different ways that the review can be conducted.

face for which innovative solutions are sought. Visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/brightideas for how you can contribute to solving the issues of the day - yes, you!). Keven Parker a Director of Jobson-James (see article below,) gave an impassioned and insightful presentation on the corporate insurance industry (with a rail ﬂavour of course!) and this gave attendees plenty of food for thought. Last, but not least, Rob Furlong, the Development Manager of the Transport KTN (see www.transportktn.org) took to the ﬂoor to give us an update on the £4M “Accelerating Innovation in Rail” competition that opened

on 7 November and closes on 14 December. Please note that registration closes on 7 December (e-mail competitions@innovateuk.org for further infomation). We now look forward to our main December event which will be hosted by Southco (www.southco.com) of Worcester at their Touch Point facility on 6 December (0845hrs for a prompt 0930hrs start). This event includes a seminar programme on Lean Process Management as well as a Factory Tour and is likely to prove very popular. You are advised to book early - please book via e-mail to rhona.clarke@railalliance.co.uk or by phone on 01789 720026.

New members Keyline Builders Merchants (Suppliers of Heavy Building Materials, Civils and Drainage Solutions to the UK Construction Industry and Link Up Approved Supplier to the Rail Industry) www.keyline.co.uk Neo-Rail Ltd (Railway Signalling and Train Control Consultancy - offering skills and expertise in project delivery and integration at both Engineering and Project Management levels) www.neo-rail.com Transport KTN (Facilitator of Discussions,Opportunities & Innovations to Support the Development of Integrated, Efﬁcient & Sustainable Transport Systems) www.transportktn.org Murray Metals (Distributor & Processor of Steel & Aluminium Products using Sheet & Plate Metals) www.murraymetalsholdings.com

Benefits to membership Choosing the right method of review is critical to achieving the best results from insurers. All too often too many brokers are asked to compete and insurers end up issuing ‘vanilla’ quotations in the knowledge that so much competition will mean its unlikely they will win the business so they do not try hard to. Rail Alliance is organising some great events which allow suppliers and customers in the rail industry to network. However there are other benefits to membership too, such as providing a forum for educating members about peripheral matters which affect all of our businesses and that advice can save significant cost. Insurance is a good example. Keven Parker can be contacted on 0121 452 8717 or 07816 283949 Email: keven.parker@jobson-james.co.uk

EVENTS Rail Interiors Expo 2011 15th-17th November - Location... Cologne, Germany AusRail 2011 22nd-24th November - Location... Brisbane, Australia Members’ Meeting and Lean Process Seminar Dec tbc - Location... Worcester – hosted by Southco UKTI/Rail Alliance NW Regional Rail Brieﬁng Event 27th Jan tbc - Location... Crewe tbc Members’ Meeting & Networking Event Feb tbc - Location... TRaC Global, Skelmersdale - tbc Infrarail 2012 1st-3rd May - Location... NEC, Birmingham InnoTrans 2012 18th-21st Sept - Location... Berlin, Germany

The next few minutes will change Rani’s life forever... Rani has some quick decisions to make. Does she run from the man coming towards her, or does she talk to him? Should she trust him, or will he abuse her, or even rape her? She knows that it happens all the time. Should she agree to do things with men, bad things, if it means she can stop herself and her little brother starving? What should she do for the best? Thousands of children at stations around the world are making decisions that can shape their whole futures. The dangers are many, and the adults who will abuse them are all too persuasive.

Rani was lucky - because Railway Children were there Rani arrived at India’s Lucknow Train Station with her little brother. Orphaned, she was left with relatives that didn’t care. Desperation led them to board a train to the nearest city, they were alone and incredibly vulnerable. Fortunately, a Railway Children worker got to them first. He gained their trust, and made sure they didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Now Rani and her brother are safe, happy and hopeful - as children should be.

Please help children like Rani today by calling 01270 757 596 or use the form below (please quote ‘PRRSTF’)

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Please send to: Railway Children, FREEPOST RRHJ-ESZK-EYCG, 1 The Commons, Sandbach, CW11 1EG or donate online at

www.railwaychildren.org.uk To protect identities, names are sometimes changed. Wherever possible we gained the consent of the child pictured in accordance with our child protection policy.

Find us: facebook.com/railwaychildren Follow us: @railwaychi1dren

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

12 | RailStaff | November 2011

Halloween humour Railway humour was out in force at this year’s RailStaff Awards. Staged at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham the evening had a Halloween theme. ‘Come straight from work have you, Julie?’ said a railway manager to a colleague who was sipping a beer with a knife slicing through her head. ‘Yeah, another of those ﬁnancial compliance meetings - you know how tough they can be?’ As Colin Flack, master of ceremonies swirled by in a cloak,

a blood soaked vampire strolled past. A woman from a north country train company said, ‘I’m sure I know you - you’re from the Department for Transport aren’t you?’ The RailStaff Awards mixes railway staff from all over the industry. People from London Underground, ScotRail, London Midland mingle with track workers and signallers from infrastructure ﬁrms like Bridgeway Consulting, Amey and Network Rail. Many of the men dressed up in dinner jackets and bow ties, several sported full highland

regalia. Ladies tripped out in ball gowns and frocks sparkling in an explosive display of railway elegance unequalled this side of Donatella Versace’s best efforts on the catwalks of New York. 600 railway staff, families and friends dressed to impress and celebrated Britain’s recession defying industry with gusto. The swirling smoke, cobwebbed tombstones and gallows formed a ﬁtting backdrop as guests saluted the industry that refused to die. It is hard to imagine only 15

years ago railways in Britain were doomed to managed decline. Closure and weeds in the ballast have given way to new stations, white concrete, trams and tracks and the promise of still greater developments to come. Many of the people who stayed the course and turned the industry around were kicking their heels up at the RailStaff Awards. Top psychic and mind reader, Paul Stockman, provided an intriguing show that mixed Psychology and Intuition to give the illusion of real

psychic abilities. You don’t have to be psychic to guess at the future for railways. Passenger volumes continue to grow and rail freight operations are continually asking for more paths, better capacity. Major new projects like Crossrail and High Speed Two look like further increasing the scope of the new rail industry. Later people danced the night away to appropriately dressed top band Fully FunKtional. The band has become a ﬁrm ﬁxture at the RailStaff Awards. Humour apart railways in the main are serious affairs. A travelling passenger is entrusting her safety to a group of people she would probably not recognise if she passed them in the street. Behind the dry ice, rock mu-

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sic and stroboscope the focus is on the courage and professionalism of the driver, track worker, cleaner, signaller, guard and many more staff. Amidst the fog and thunder the RailStaff Awards sets out to recognise them all.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 13

Highly deserved

Some of the people presenting the RailStaff Awards are kind enough to escort the shocked winner off the stage and down to the room at the back where they collect the details of their prize. Winners are encouraged to have a quick word with the editor. ‘Highly deserved, very well done,’ said Eugene Meehan, managing director of McGinley Support Services arriving backstage with Stephen Green, Station Manager for Northern Rail at Manchester Victoria. Eugene was happy to help the astonished winner of this year’s Rail Manager of the Year Award which McGinley’s sponsor. The evening is a

chance for people from all parts of the industry to meet. ‘This really is an industry that is all about its people,’ said Colin Flack, chief executive of the Rail Alliance, who hosted the evening. Speaking at the event Peter Hansford former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers agreed, ‘We’re celebrating the people who keep our railways running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.’ If most awards schemes, quite rightly, are about best business practice and best performance the RailStaff Awards is simply about the people that make up one of the most dynamic and innovative industries in Britain.

Railways often get a bad press written by media that have little knowledge of the odds rail staff go through to bring the service to their public. The RailStaff Awards is a chance for the railway community or family to redress the balance and cheer the industry together. Said Howard Collins, chief operating ofﬁcer of London Underground, ‘This is about our people: the railway family, drivers, station staff, back room people. We’re very proud of them and of what we do.’ Many staff when praised for going above and beyond the call of duty will say, ‘Well, I was just doing my job….’ It didn’t look like that to Steve Feath-

erstone, a director at Network Rail. ‘I was absolutely amazed at the things people had done to keep people moving,’ Steve said. Although the RailStaff Awards covers just 15 categories the implicit message behind the evening in Birmingham is that this is an industry full of winners, of amazing people who work minor miracles almost as a matter of routine. This is also an industry where you can join on the shop ﬂoor and go right to the top. Neal Lawson of FirstGroup spoke equally highly of Jacques Goodall, Head of Employee Relations at First Capital Connect. ‘My congratulations to Jacques, he is outstanding,’ said Neal.

Jacques Goodall won this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award which is sponsored by FirstGroup. Jacques rose through the ranks from his original job of booking clerk best illustrating the imperatives behind the RailStaf Awards. Says Tom O’Connor, managing director, Rail Media Group, ‘Without the support of our corporate backers, London Underground, Network Rail, the Rail Alliance and all our sponsors, we could not stage this event. ‘This is a strong industry operating in a tough climate with many challenges ahead. Evenings like the RailStaff Awards strengthen us all as we toast the future together.’

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 15

Brightest Ambassador for Apprentices

‘I’d like to thank my dad, Phelim O’Neil,’ says Shauni O’Neill, a leading London Underground apprentice, proving once again that railways remain a family affair. Hailed as a great ambassador for LU’s railway apprenticeship scheme Shauni won this year’s Newcomer/Graduate of the Year award at the RailStaff Awards. Phelim O’Neil, who works as a train operations standards manager for LU, encouraged his daughter to take up a career in railways. Shauni also thanked Ian Smith and Pat Hansbury at LU. Shauni O’Neil was presented with her award by sponsor LPA’s George Renshaw. Colleagues sent in a glowing testimony to one of LU’s top performing ambassadors, ‘Shauni has been an ambassador for LU’s Apprentice Scheme from her very ﬁrst day. She is one of

the brightest, friendliest and enthusiastic people you could meet. Shauni’s contact with colleagues and customers is always helpful, cheerful and positive. She has had numerous written confirmations of this from both internal and external sources.’ Shauni, LU’s Apprentice of the Year 2011 was also awarded ‘London’s Apprentice of the Year 2011’ and went on to win the title of National Apprentice of the Year 2011. She is now an ambassador for the National Apprenticeship Service. Shauni is adaptable, equally at home keeping floods at bay with bucket and mop one day and putting the finishing touches to an important project on sidings usage the next. No job is too big or small for her. Alongside qualifying in every operational role, high scoring Shauni has undertaken many extracurricular courses in Railway

Operations and passed these too as well as studying business-relevant courses in her own time.

A true team player Friends write, ‘Shauni is a true team player and ambassador for the attitudes and behaviours the business aspires to. Shauni is engaging and well liked by all who meet her, and this is due in large part to her efﬁciency, friendliness, dedication and a sheer determination to do well wherever she goes. Shauni joined LU at aged 16 and was a consummate professional from the outset. Her initiative and drive to develop herself has afforded her a great knowledge of the business and a collaborative network of colleagues who want her to do well after working alongside her and seeing how hard she tries in every situation.

‘Going above and beyond what is required is normal for Shauni. Most recently she was asked to deliver presentations to younger apprentices in order to promote LU’s core values to those following her into the business. Shauni is often specially requested for various tasks by senior managers as they know she will get the job done quickly and effectively.’ Shauni was recently asked to help support the Jubilee Line as a seconded Line Information Specialist delivering Real Time Information to the Network. She has excelled at this task as she has with all others set for her.

LPA Group The Newcomer/Graduate of the Year RailStaff Award is sponsored by LPA Group Plc, a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of LED lighting and

electronic & electro mechanical systems. LPA provides cost effective solutions to improve reliability, and reduce maintenance and life cycle costs for the rail, aerospace, defence, aircraft support, infrastructure, marine and industrial markets. LPA was established more than 100 years ago, has world-

wide sales of $25m and employs 180 people in four locations in the UK (LPA Excil Electronics, LPA Niphan Systems, LPA Channel Electric, LPA Haswell Engineers). The Group is headquartered close to Cambridge and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

16 | RailStaff | November 2011

Someone to Watch Over Me

‘The work includes watching RPIs on barriers,’ says Jason. ‘We all work as a team,’ says Rabia who joined the railway six months ago. Since its launch in April 2008, staff at the Central Control Centre have answered over 70,000 help point calls and processed over 3500 requests for CCTV footage.

Highly motivated

A CCTV surveillance team which has signiﬁcantly reduced the number of assaults on staff has won this year’s Rail Team of the Year Award. Team members Rabia Tabassum and Jason Hyams, both CCTV operators, stepped up to receive the award presented by Scott Siwicki of CDI AndersElite. Rabi and Jason are members of a widely respected team that in-

cludes Elbert Cuffy,Team Leader; CCTV Operators Jason Hyams, Anneka Taylor, Dez Rose, Ade Showunmi, Wayne Spink, Serena Varnava, Rabia Tabassum, Daryl Jones; Tina Pandya, Evidence Gatherer and Kevin Frazer of the BTP. The team is part of First Capital Connect based in Edmonton, north London. A delighted Rabia and Jason said success is down to everyone in the team working together.

Rail Team of the Year Proudly sponsored by

For more information please visit www.anderselite.com Or call us on 0207 680 3100

With its complement of 9 dedicated CCTV Operators and BTP Police Ofﬁcer the team can view over 1400 CCTV cameras across 64 stations and is connected to over 170 Help points. It is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recommending the team FCC managers wrote, ‘What makes the Centre unique is the people who work there. The team are highly motivated individuals who are dedicated and committed to maximising the effectiveness of the centre.

‘There is a strong desire within the team to make our railway environment a safer place and they strive to do this through the proactive use of CCTV. Some fantastic results have been achieved in both fighting and preventing crime.’ BTP London North Area has significantly increased it’s detection of offenders. In July 2009 a fare dodger assaulted a female member of barrier staff at Letchworth Garden City then ran off into the town centre. This was observed on CCTV and a description of the male was quickly relayed to Police Officers who searched the town centre. The miscreant was located, arrested and prosecuted by the BTP. ‘Car theft and robberies from ticket vending machines have also been reduced. The team provided timely CCTV evidence of a gang of thieves who had

committed over 50 offences on FCC TVMs. A grateful violinist wrote in: My violin was stolen off a train at Finsbury Park. The CCTV team at Edmonton found clear pictures of the thief, and consequently the thief was caught and my violin was found! I cannot begin to adequately express my gratitude. My violin was bought with my parents’ retirement fund, and I am using the violin to gradually earn the money to pay them back so they can retire. I am so impressed by what they did. Accomplishing this clearly took great determination, dedication, patience, and skill. I will always be grateful to them.’

CDI AndersElite The Rail Team of the Year RailStaff Award is sponsored by CDI AndersElite which has a track

record in resourcing and placing thousands of technical personnel globally. CDI AndersElite specialises in the delivery of recruitment services, expertise and relevant knowledge across a wide range of rail and safety critical clients, including Network Rail and London Underground. The organisation has worked with some of the leading names within the rail industry on some of the most prestigious projects to date, engaging with clients from conception level through to build and maintenance. CDI AndersElite’s diverse portfolio of services has supported a number of major rail projects including the Evergreen extension and upgrade project, the redevelopment of Blackfriars Station and the East London Line.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 17

Good Samaritan Wins Out

Paul Trigwell, a driver with East Midlands Trains in Derby, has won the Train Driver of the Year Award. Paul joined the railway as a shunter at Toton in 2001. He received his award from Danny Williams of East Coast. Paul was commended for his work with the Samaritans. He was involved in a fatality in Luton in 2008, colleagues write. Shocked by what had happened he decided to turn his experience to helping prevent suicides and assisting colleagues that have been involved in events themselves. Through East Midlands Trains Paul has been assisting Samaritans in the development of training courses and education material. He has openly shared his experiences in order to help ensure the work that is being undertaken is tailored to a driver’s needs.

He attends the bi-monthly Network Rail-led Suicide Prevention Group, often in his own time. Paul was recently ﬁlmed by the BBC for a Samaritans ‘Vodcast’ that has been used to showcase the work that the Samaritans and the rail industry are doing to help both reduce the number of fatalities on the railway, and more effectively deal with the aftermath and associated trauma when they do occur. Says Paul, ‘After I was involved in a suicide in Luton in 2008 I thought this can’t just keep happening. So I made enquiries of the Samaritans asking if there was anything we could do to assist. This coincided with Network Rail’s project. It came together and I’ve done a lot of work with the Samaritans.’ Paul particularly wanted to thank his counsellor, Clare Roberts. ‘Without Clare Roberts

I couldn’t have said the things I needed to say to get to this stage. I’d not have been able to put my thoughts together. Counselling worked for me, it doesn’t work for everyone. You can put your thoughts in a logical way to make practical use of them.’

Proactive Says Sarah Burden, who manages the Samaritans-Network Rail project, ‘We have been working with Paul Trigwell from East Midlands Trains since last summer as he attended one of the local suicide prevention groups. Paul was extremely keen to get involved with the programme having been involved in a fatality on the railways. Paul is extremely proactive and wanted to share his story to help other drivers and staff members that may face this traumatic experience. He has

been willing to attend meetings, training days, workshops and agreed to take part in a vodcast to promote the partnership. He is a great advocate for wanting to make changes in the rail industry as to how this topic is addressed and is willing to stand up and say this is something that needs to be talked about and there is something that can be done about it. Since Paul made the vodcast it has helped the project team to explain what the programme is about and to allow rail industry members to see the positive affect that it is having.’ Recommending Paul for the award colleagues wrote, ‘Paul is a great example of a driver that is willing to put himself out to make a difference in an area of railway operations that he is passionate about, and as such is more than deserving of indus-

try recognition. He really is making a difference.’

East Coast Train Driver of the Year is sponsored by East Coast, a subsidiary of Directly Operated Railways Limited, which is owned by the Department for Transport. The company began operating train services on the East Coast Main Line in November 2009. Its long-distance, cross-border train services run along routes

totalling 936 miles, linking London King’s Cross with Eastern England, Lincolnshire, Humberside, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland, carrying over 18 million passengers a year. East Coast, which is headquartered in York, employs 2,800 staff in a wide range of customer service, operational, retail and support roles across the route.

eastcoast.co.uk

East Coast is proud to sponsor the 2011 RailStaff Awards –

Train Driver of the Year

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

18 | RailStaff | November 2011

E-ward for Electric Genius

Lee Johnson, Principal Electrical Engineer with Amey in Bristol won this year’s Rail Engineer of the Year Award. Lee was unable to be at the RailStaff Awards himself but Steve Cordwell of Amey was there to pick up his award and prize. Lee joined the Amey S&T graduate scheme in 2003 and since then has become a real asset to Amey in particular within the E&P department. On completing the Amey graduate scheme Lee joined the Amey E&P design team in Bristol. During his time there he has completely changed the way Amey approaches signalling power design which has resulted in Amey becoming one of the market leaders in this ﬁeld. Whilst identifying the limitations of commercial software for calculating 650V IT supply feeders Lee worked from ﬁrst principles to create a 110V loading

Proud Sponsors of the Rail Staff Awards 2011 www.amey.co.uk

model within Excel which he then interfaced with the 650V model already in its infancy with Graeme Brindle (E&P technical director). He then went a stage further and automated the whole process by teaching himself visual basic programming to produce a truly unique tool for signalling power. The SPA (Signalling Power Analysis) Tool is now used in all four of Amey’s E&P design ofﬁces and forms the backbone of Amey’s signalling power offering for design and construction. This tool reduces the number of lineside supply points and cross sectional areas of power cable whilst still conforming to current standards and has been used on no fewer than 7 Type A resignalling schemes amongst many other projects.

Highly commendable Colleagues write, ‘Lee’s technical knowledge is very strong

and his attitude to work and the development of staff is also highly commendable. As principal engineer in the Bristol ofﬁce Lee continues to develop all the staff within the team and is always willing to down tools and help out wherever possible. ‘Lee co-ordinates monthly training sessions that encourage each member of the team to take a turn in teaching the others about a particular subject they are familiar with, which is very popular across the business. He also receives regular calls from other Amey design ofﬁces, Amey construction teams and Network Rail.’ ‘During the last year Lee has been asked to extend Bristol’s E&P portfolio of services beyond that of signalling power. He is now establishing himself and the Bristol team as experts in points heating, lighting, traction, earthing and bonding, and all other aspects of electrical design.

Amey The Rail Engineer of the Year Award is sponsored by Amey, the largest provider of engineering consultancy services to Network Rail. The company is sole provider delivering Network Rail’s Civil Examination Framework Agreement (CEFA) in all ﬁve of its geographical territories; and is a leading provider of major and minor signalling renewals (Type A, B and Type C). Amey is also a key supplier of On Track Machines, is a leading track renewals provider and undertakes enhancements through its Multi Asset Framework Agreement (MAFA). This work is supplemented by design and management of the installation of state-of-the-art customer information systems, providing real-time train information via displays and public address systems, at 481 stations across the UK.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 19

Inspirational Trainer

Alison Walters, a Workforce Development Specialist with Network Rail in Leeds, has won this year’s Trainer of the Year Award. Craig King of TQ Catalis presented Alison with her Award. ‘I’d like to thank my family because I work long hours and work late,’ says Alison, ‘But everyone at Leeds has been fantastic. I’ve been with them three years and they’ve encouraged me and given me direction. My boss, Ross Macgregor, has been great.’ Says a colleague, ‘I have worked with Alison on many occasions, most recently in conjunction with Network Rail’s Managing Site Safety Programme. Alison has always been professional and a team player and always goes the ‘extra mile’ to meet the needs of all her delegates and to support her colleagues.

‘I know that Alison spends a lot of her own time in the evenings and weekends preparing for training sessions and she is constantly coming up with new and innovative ways to deliver the training sessions in an engaging and interactive way, regardless of the motivation level of the delegates. Alison is a team player and all the good ideas and good practice she develops, she shares with her colleagues.

Inspirational ‘Alison is an inspirational training professional and I know her to be highly valued by all who have been fortunate enough to have been trained by or worked with her.’ Alison Walters has also been actively involved with the Leeds education business partnership which delivers programmes and

activities in schools aimed at improving a young person’s employability skills. Alison’s ideas include inviting school children to visit the operations training centre at Leeds. Children get a real taste of life at Network Rail and see for themselves the career opportunities the railway industry offers. She took part in the Race for Life this year and with the help of her family and colleagues at Leeds - and with Network Rail matching the money - she raised £810. Described by friends as a breath of fresh air, one grateful student said, ‘I noticed a big difference in the way that Alison taught. Her attention to detail was second to none and combined with the way that she was so relaxed with everyone within the class made such a difference to the way I felt at the

end of the day. She has this knack of noticing where there are problems and deals with them promptly.’ Another colleague wrote, ‘Alison always strives to give her delegates the very best training they can receive. Nothing is too much bother for Alison and she provides support and coaching to all her delegates. Alison has determination to constantly look for ways to improve on training delivery and training approach to beneﬁt her delegates. She takes pride in all that she does and always has time to help and engage with the rest of her team at Leeds.’

TQ Catalis TQ Catalis sponsors the Trainer of the Year Award. TQ Catalis strives to provide a high quality, seamless industry-speciﬁc competency training and develop-

ment experience. With training centres in Clapham, Crewe, York and Derby TQ Catalis provides high quality training for the rail industry including Sentinel Scheme Training & Assessment, Rail Awareness, Health & Safety, Train Operations, Traction & Rolling Stock, Telecommunica-

tions, Electrical Engineering & Control Systems, Entry Level Signalling, Signal Design, Signal Installation, Signal Testing & Commission, Signal Maintenance, Small Plant and Tools (SPAT), Permanent Way skills, Rail Accident Investigation & Behavioural Based Safety.

Proud sponsor of Trainer of the Year 2011 At TQ Catalis we realise the importance of quality training within a safety critical environment, however the success of any training event is reliant on the trainer, that’s why we are proud to sponsor the Trainer of the Year award! We have our own great team of trainers that specialise in safety critical technical training for rail engineering, operations and essential Health and Safety skills required for today’s rail businesses. Many of our courses are accredited by NEBOSH, IOSH, Sentinel and City & Guilds. Our trainers deliver solutions enabling clients to meet compulsory legislation, keeping staff safe and the company performing to its full potential. Our drive is to provide a service that exceeds our client’s expectations. Delivering performance through people is not just a motto but a belief embedded within our business for over 70 years.

TQ Catalis The Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX T: 0845 880 8108 E: hotline@catalis.co.uk www.catalis.co.uk

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

20 | RailStaff | November 2011

Signaller Makes Allowance

training and planning. ‘I’d like to thank Phil James, my ops manager and Andy Myers our local operations manager. But I get a lot of support from all of the signalmen and MOMS – the mobile operations managers – and I’d like to thank them too, the whole team.’

Mentor Signaller

Michael Lane, who works at Wembley Mainline SCC, has won the Signaller of the Year Award. Michael has 27 years experience which is highly valued by colleagues and friends on the railway. David Franks, who chairs the Institution of Railway Oper-

ators presented the award. Says Michael, ‘I work at Wembley, on the main line and cover as far as Watford. I started at Marylebone and was asked if I wanted to go to Willesden. So I transferred there.’ Michael never looked back and is putting his local knowledge of the WCML to good use in both

Michael is engaged in ensuring that the right materials are available for signaller training within the signalling locations on West Coast South, and has assisted with detailed plans for single line working in engineering operations. He acts as mentor signaller for all the trainees at Wembley and gives dedicated time to each person ensuring they have the necessary training to become competent signallers.

Delighted to sponsor Signaller of the Year

IRO ad, RailstaffAw11.indd 1

01/06/2011 17:46

He has produced up to date comprehensive training manuals for all panels at Wembley, Watford and Ground Frames within the two areas. Mike also recently published a single line working brief that was issued to signallers, pilotman and Virgin Trains. A copy was also sent to Operations Planning who recommended that this be adopted nationally. He has also mentored and coached numerous signallers at Wembley and has taken them on visits around the area to point out what the equipment they operate looks like on the ground. In addition to this, Mike assists the Delivery Unit when disruptive possessions have been needed, ensuring that this has minimum disruption on the railway at London Euston.

Commending Mike a local ops manager writes, ‘I have worked with Mike for many years, most recently as a Local Operations Manager. He is the most approachable person I have met within the company and his knowledge is endless which he is happy to pass on to new as well as experienced staff. ‘He also assists, in his own time, in writing the training manuals for our area. This helped ensure that all new staff would be trained to the high standard we have expected. Mike has for some time been someone we all can rely on.’

Institution of Railway Operators The Signaller of the Year award is sponsored by the Institution of Railway Operators which exists

to develop and promote the safe, reliable and efficient operation of the railways. The IRO is seen as the leading organisation for railway operators seeking to develop their professionalism within their discipline and for those seeking to advance their careers within the rail sector. Established over ten years ago in 2001, the IRO has matured into a key industry provider of developmental courses and programmes. Its Professional Development Programme (PDP), delivered in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University, provides nationally recognised qualifications at Certificate, Diploma and Degree level for rail operators – including signaller - anywhere in the country.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 21

Goose Bumps for York Winner

‘I’ve got goose bumps!’ said Richard Millbank of East Coast. ‘I only actually got the details yesterday, because I work shifts and it was signed delivery. ‘ I couldn’t get to the post ofﬁce till yesterday to pick it up, but I’m here and I’ve had a wonderful evening. It’s great to see the whole spectrum of the railway industry at its very best from the guys and girls behind the scenes to those who are customer facing.’ Richard wins this year’s Station Staff of the Year award, presented by John Sheehy of the Transport Benevolent Fund. Richard is an Information Controller with East Coast at York Station. Richard’s prompt actions as a ﬁrst aider actually show the

railway industry at its very best. On Sunday the 12th June 2011, he was working back shift at York. The station had been affected by major signalling problems disrupting both north and southbound services. As an Information Controller Richard was busy dealing with passengers and also sorting out the station’s operational movements.

Comforting and reassuring Suddenly a request was made over the radio for a ﬁrst aider to go to the north end subway. An elderly gentleman had collapsed. Without a second thought Richard raced to the subway and attended the man. Richard also talked to the man’s family, which included his grandchildren in a comforting and reassuring manner. He

quickly took control administering CPR, as emergency services rushed to the scene. He did all this, said a colleague, ‘Whilst consistently showing great empathy and understanding towards the gentleman’s relatives who were located nearby and too frightened to speak. Richard never once during this very difﬁcult time put his own feelings ﬁrst. His priority was to ensure the gentleman had every chance of pulling through.’ Despite the best efforts of paramedics and Richard’s tremendous efforts the gentleman did not survive. ‘The story completely epitomises everything that Richard both stands for and holds dear. The family who were present in the subway at the time visited the station some

weeks after to personally thank Richard for all he had done and given, in trying to save the life of their grandfather.’ Despite the huge responsibilities of the job and the constant pressure Richard enjoys his work. ‘I thoroughly enjoy it. I never have a bad day at work. I work with such a good bunch of people at York station and the guys and girls of Network Rail locally, which is York South Panel, and Cross Country, Trans Pennine and Northern. I work closely with them every day and Joe Public! Everyday is brilliant.’

cluding health, legal advice, convalescence and cash help to its members and their dependants. The TBF is run by Trustees who understand the industry and the needs of staff. TBF is here to support those who work Transport Benevolent Fund in the public transport industry The Station Staff of the Year when they are in need, hardship Award is sponsored by the Transor distress. port Benevolent Fund which ofRailStaff_Advert_130x78mm_Layout 1 was 08/09/2011 16:21 Page 1 TBF originally established fers a wide range of beneﬁts in-

The Transport Benevolent Fund is proud to sponsor the Station Staff of the Year at the Rail Staff Awards.

✆ 08450 100 500 etd 00 38571 e-mail help@tbf.org.uk www.tbf.org.uk

to help families of London public transport workers serving in the First World War. A permanent trust was set up in 1923. TBF has been helping public transport workers for nearly 90 years. In recent years TBF has shown extensive growth nationally and now has members in most parts of England, Scotland and Wales.

tbf Transport Benevolent Fund

The Transport Benevolent Fund (known as TBF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1058032) and in Scotland (SC040013)

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

22 | RailStaff | November 2011

Steve By Choice

Croydon-based Steve Wiskin wins this year’s Rail Safety Person of the Year Award. Steve Wiskin works for Atkins as a Safe by Choice Manager and his work takes him all over the south. Steve joined the railway straight from school in 1987. Pino De Rosa of Bridgeway Consulting presented the award. ‘Can I thank my family. Cassandra my wife and Scarlett,

my daughter, they put up with me travelling away from home a lot to do workshops, so thanks to them,’ said Steve. He continued, ‘I’d also like to thank everyone at Atkins. Without their support we wouldn’t be running the workshops, changing the culture and challenging the way that we’re doing safety.’ ‘Safe by Choice’ manager Steve is an enthusiastic advocate of Health and Safety. He has pio-

neered a proactive approach to safety by developing, managing and leading the Atkins behavioural based safety programme ‘Safe by Choice’. Steve has led the development and roll out of the Safe by Choice programme in the rail division of Atkins. His innovative approach to the concept has resulted in a 200% rise in the number of safety close calls reported and a reduction of accidents by 50%.

A career professional This is another example of an award going to a career professional whose work is directly saving lives and reducing injuries on the railway. A colleague writes, ‘Steve’s belief is infectious and he is personally involved with leadership training to our

Sponsors of the Rail Safety Person of the Year 2011 With a reputation built on safely delivering multi-faceted projects we continue to provide a service of exceptional value to all of our clients. !"#$%&'()*+,-./0",$1-)#"2%!-%)3+!04+/"+)+4)-%!2"5%-)%,-.!%-)+.!)5/"%,0-)5+,0",.%)0+)6%,%70)4!+8)+.!)‘one stop shop’ service offering. We know that the quality of our people ensures that we provide a quality service and this is why we are pleased to sponsor the Rail Safety Person of the Year in the 2011 Railstaff Awards.

0115 919 1111|enquiries@bridgeway-consulting.co.uk

www.bridgeway-consulting.co.uk

supervisors, operators and subcontractors. Steve has led this programme over 3 years. The results have been recognised by various awards but Steve’s real satisfaction is to see the improvement in our safety record and the fact that people are not getting injured. ‘Steve is not happy with any injuries and maintains his enthusiasm, instilling in others the importance of constantly looking to improve the training and getting the message to the front line troops. It is very obvious to anyone who meets Steve that this is not just a job.’ The Safe by Choice safety programme at Atkins has been acknowledged across the industry as world class. ‘Steve has managed to embed within the com-

pany a process that empowers all personnel at all levels to stand up and say when things are not as they should be. Key Influencers are utilised to bring safety to the boardroom, office floor, and site location indeed anywhere our staff may work. As a company we have received recognition for our hard work. The time is right to give Steve the recognition for his hard work and dedication to improving safety for all.’

Bridgeway Consulting Bridegway Consulting sponsors the Rail Safety Person of the Year Award. Bridgeway is one of the leading consulting and contracting companies in the UK today, covering many aspects of civil engineering and asset management.

The company always aims to provide a safe, effective and professional service, underpinned by a detailed director led management process. This allows clients to utilise an expert team of engineers and consultants. Bridgeway Consulting carries out a vast array of engineering roles, from diving and roped access structural inspections through to permanent way works, track and structure alignment surveys, site and ground investigations through to detailed multi-disciplinary civil engineering projects. Other Services provided to clients include track access and possession management, railway security, training and assessments and IT management.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 23

Second Win for Kris

Change seems to be constant in the railway industry and Kris Parkin is right in the middle of it, a reassuring and professional guide, valued by colleagues and managers alike. Kris wins the Recruiter and Human Resources Person of the Year Award. He received his award from Mohammed Ajaz of Vital Rail. Kris is a Resourcing Manager Trains and Service Control for London Underground based at 55 Broadway, London Underground’s legendary ofﬁces built above St James's Park station in central London. ‘It’s great, this is my second win in two weeks,’ said New Zealander Kris, referring to New Zealand’s dramatic win over France (8-7) in the Rugby World

Cup. ‘I am a resourcing manager, making sure the service has the right people in the right place at the right time,’ says Kris who joined the rail industry ten years ago. ‘It’s all about making sure we have agreements about movement and that we have enough people in the right place.’ Nominating Kris a colleague wrote, ‘Kris is highly effective in ensuring that London Underground has the right number of train operators recruited to the right location at the right time. This is a complex and high proﬁle task, given that LU has 28 train crew depots and 3500 train operators. ‘As a result of our internal transfer arrangements a vacancy at one location can generate 3 or 4 co-ordinated movements

and a new recruit being taken on somewhere else. If Kris were to get this wrong, trains could be cancelled and the company receive negative media attention. However, he manages the task effortlessly.

Breaking down barriers ‘He has a detailed understanding of the business and provides the estimates that are used in the assessment of the stafﬁng implications of any changes. Recently he has been closely involved with the preparations for the Olympics.’ Kris has been liaising with other metro systems that have had to cope with Olympic Games, namely Madrid and Sydney. Another friend says, ‘He is an utter professional who in-

vokes enthusiastic smiles in meetings, breaking down barriers with his New Zealand sense of humour. ‘His professionalism and encyclopaedic background of trade union agreements has meant that solutions to the movements of staff are found quickly. Kris is proactive in his sharing of knowledge, often going above and beyond the call of his job to assist others. He has mentored members of other teams so that their resourcing knowledge has improved.’ In the past 18 months Kris has helped reduce overall business costs, using innovative approaches to resourcing and recruitment to help Transport for London ensure that it delivers better value for money.

Vital Rail The Recruiter and Human Resources Person of the Year Award is sponsored by Vital Rail, part of the Vital Services Group, founded in Manchester by chief executive John Smith, in 1983. Initially a design consultancy and a professional and technical recruitment business the group has evolved to encompass contracting businesses across many industry sectors. Vital Rail is based in Man-

chester with a network of ofﬁces and depots in London, Glasgow, Warwick and Swindon. Vital Rail undertakes multi-disciplined projects safely, on time and within budget. Training has always been a high priority at Vital Rail, which provides safety, technical training and assessment from its own internal RTAS and NVQ-accredited training company, Vital Skills Training Limited.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

24 | RailStaff | November 2011

Bridgeway Man Gives 100 Per Cent

ingness to learn has taken Paul out of his comfort-zone and in doing so he has also taught himself new methods of working, adding more strings to his bow mainly in terms of learning survey practices.

Maturity, professionalism and empathy

‘It’s a matter of just hitting it with 100 per cent every day, that’s the secret,’ says Paul Eggett who wins this year’s Rail Infrastructure Person of the Year Award. Daniel Jane of Cleshar presented the award. Paul Eggett works for Bridgeway Consulting Ltd as a Possession Support Team Member. Colleagues are unstinting in

their praise for Paul: ‘Safety is at the forefront of his mind at all times. He leads with a pro-active approach and takes on preplanned work with a mature approach with the client’s goals clearly visible. ‘Paul is an ambitious and highly driven member of safety staff who excels well within a team on site. He is willing to help out and muck in as part of his work which helps ten-fold. This will-

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Paul’s willingness to help out and learn has not gone unnoticed and has helped our company deliver on time and within budget. Bridgeway has undertaken some very delicate and sensitive work under Network Rail’s instruction on which Paul has been working directly. Once briefed on the situation Paul was sympathetic towards the circumstances in hand and when questioned by the client, landowners and other personnel directly involved, Paul’s response was one of maturity, profes-

sionalism and empathy. Again this was praised by the client, Network Rail, and was recognised by our company too! This particular project was live for a number of months and there were a number of safety audits that Paul excelled in. His safety record is second-to-none.’ Paul joined the railway in 1999, lives in Doncaster and is based at Beeston. However his work takes him far and wide. His general working approach is appreciated by clients and colleagues alike. He has excellent communication skills often making a courtesy call before the shift to ensure that all times and meeting details are in place and that all necessary paper work is also in place. This pro-active approach has saved several hours of unnecessary phone calls at a later date. His time keeping is also su-

perb. Every single shift sees him arriving at least half an hour early with all of his PPE on, having had a brief look at the site in question. If possible Paul will also pay a courtesy visit to the signal box to have a chat with the signaller, informing him or her of the work to be carried out. Feedback from Network Rail and other rail colleagues has picked up on this. Says one, ‘Paul is willing to go the extra mile on any job no matter how far away the site is and thinks nothing of putting in an extra hour to help the client complete the job with no negativity whatsoever. Being positive is one of his greatest strengths, he has a smile on his face day or night, wind or rain. Paul’s personality works well within a team and this rubs-off helping to motivate team members.’

Says Paul, ‘I give my clients 100 per cent and I’d like to thank them and my colleagues in Beeston.’

Cleshar Rail Infrastructure Person of the Year is sponsored by the Cleshar Group. Cleshar operates in the railway industry mainly in the south east of England, with a skilled workforce in excess of 1000, attentively supported by dedicated management teams. Cleshar has been awarded the ISO accredited CEMARS standard, by the Achilles Carbon Reduction programme. Offering a complete service - from major design and build projects to escalator cleaning - Cleshar’s ability to provide clients with a fully integrated and comprehensive approach allows for a cost effective solution for all rail service requirements.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 25

A Winter’s Tale for Paddy Fitzsimons

Morson International Paddy Fitzsimons best illustrates what the RailStaff Awards 2011 is all about. His ﬁrst actions on coming back stage to pick up details of his prize was to give Heather Neely, winner of Depot Staff of the Year, a big hug. ‘Congratulations, Heather,’ he said. The two might work at opposite ends of the country for different companies but that doesn’t matter at the RailStaff Awards. Paddy Fitzsimons, a Trains Manager for Virgin Trains at London Euston, won this year’s Outstanding Customer Service Award. Mark Davies of Morson International gave Paddy his Award. ‘I’d like to thank everybody I work with. We all work as a good team. I cannot believe this! Our team are absolutely fabulous.’ Paddy originally comes from County Meath in Ireland. ‘I

started in 2001 as a security guard with Railtrack and spent 6 months with them. Then I went to Virgin Trains based at Euston.’ A popular ﬁgure at Virgin, Paddy’s skills were nowhere better in evidence than on one of the last trains out of London during last December’s big freeze. A passenger travelling home to Ireland from Dubai provides the most eloquent account. All ﬂights from Heathrow to Dublin were cancelled and in desperation the man decided to take a train. ‘When I eventually got to Euston, they were just announcing that all departures from the station were suspended.’ However he managed to get on a train to Crewe. Hundreds of people piled onto the train including a brideto-be heading home for her wedding the following day.

‘I will do everything in my power ... ‘We stayed in the station for what seemed like an hour and for every second that passed I worried if someone would insist on unloading the train. When the doors closed a cheer rang out across the train. ‘Paddy announced himself on the PA system. He acknowledged that the train was packed and apologised to passengers who had reserved seats or who had ﬁrst class tickets. He then made an announcement that I still remember word for word: ‘The train is very busy today ladies and gentlemen but I will do everything in my power to get all of you where you need to go. I don’t know if I have a crew today so I don’t know if I will be able to open the shop. For now, get yourself as comfortable as

possible, sit anywhere you can on the train … except in my ofﬁce and I’ll talk to you again later.’ Despite the packed train Paddy worked his way through. ‘He stopped to have a chat with passengers. He spoke to me for a few minutes and he joked again about the fact that he had to throw a few giraffes off the train coz they were taking up too much space.’ Later he came on the PA again. He told us that he would open the shop, said he didn’t know the prices and asked that people group their orders to avoid too many people moving up and down the packed train. ‘The guy who took on the job of going to the shop for us came back and told us that Paddy was on the phone trying to organise buses to take us to Holyhead.

‘Sure enough, a short time later the PA sprung to life and Paddy told us that he had organised two buses to take the overflow. He said he would give us more details before we got to Crewe. As we approached Crewe Paddy told us where the coaches would be and how to get there. He said he could do no more but we had a “fighting” chance to make the ferry if the roads were ok. I managed to get on the first bus. The lady beside me on the bus was carrying her wedding dress. It was now Sunday evening and she was getting married on Monday afternoon. We all agreed to do whatever it took to get her on the ferry.’ The story had a happy ending and the girl made it home in time. ‘We got the ferry and I was home at 0600 on Monday morning. I felt GREAT.’ This passenger went on to broadcast his story live on Irish radio.

The Outstanding Customer Service Award is sponsored by Morson International which provides effective placement services to rail clients worldwide. Delivered through its dedicated Rail Division, Morson International manages innovative searches across key technical areas to source teams and individuals in Professional, Engineering and Trades disciplines. Morson currently supplies Project Management teams, Permanent Way Maintenance and Renewals teams, Signalling Installation teams, London Underground Protection Staff, Rolling Stock Engineers and Technicians. Building on over 40 years of experience and an unrivalled track record of success, Morson International offers clients a genuine competitive advantage in this rapidly developing global industry.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

26 | RailStaff | November 2011

Blizzard Beater Heather Triumphs

As a charge hand, Heather manages a team of fourteen cleaners, who work tirelessly to ensure that Southern’s trains are clean and tidy for passengers. Working a mixture of early, late and 12 hour shifts, Heather and her team complete several tasks from light cleans to deep cleans, which include the washing down and ﬂushing out of train toilets.

Indomitable spirit

A cleaning supervisor who hiked for two hours at night through two feet of snow in last December’s freeze up, wins this year’s Depot Staff of the Year Award. Heather Neely works as a Train Care Charge Hand for Southern

at Brighton Depot. She received her award from Marcel Kay of Bombardier Transportation. ‘I can’t believe I’ve won this,’ said Heather. ‘I’d like to thank my colleagues because without them I wouldn’t have a job. My daytime team, they are wonderful.’

December 2010 was among the coldest on record. Rail staff like Heather kept the railway moving as roads became impassable and all flights were grounded. Heather best exemplifies the indomitable spirit of the railways. Due to start a shift of 0600, Heather set off from home at 0400. She trekked through shin-deep snow for over two hours, finally making it

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to the Brighton Train Care Depot two hours and twenty minutes later. Heather’s commitment and dedication to delivering excellent customer service to Southern’s passengers and her consideration for her colleagues is outstanding. Against the odds, on a day when many others opted to stay at home, she honoured her shift pattern by walking in treacherous conditions for over two hours so that she wouldn’t let the night shift down; she is a shining example and role model for all who work with her. Heather’s long trek through the snow was also hailed as an example of how magniﬁcently rail staff performed during the late 2010 snow period. Chris Burchell, Managing Director of Southern, cited her example when giving evidence to the

Transport Select Committee’s review of the ‘Impact on Transport of Recent Adverse Weather Conditions.’ Chris addressed the committee citing Heather as an excellent example of railway staff who had, against the odds, attended work despite the weather conditions. Chris said: ‘Our staff performed magniﬁcently. I know of anecdotal stories of one of my members of staff, a cleaner, who walked for three hours in order to get into work.’ Says a friend, ‘As Chris’ comments suggest, Southern, and the rail industry, was extremely proud of Heather’s determination to meet her passengers and colleagues expectations on that freezing day. During what was a very difﬁcult time for Southern, Heather came to the fore ensuring that she support-

ed her colleagues and proved herself to be a role model for all. As a train cleaner’s work mostly happens behind the scenes, their achievements are often left unsung, yet they are invaluable to Southern and play a key role in its performance as a service provider. Heather leads a team of committed individuals whose labours ensure that our passengers travel comfortably, and when looking for an exemplary team leader and employee, Southern looks no further than Heather Neely.’

Bombardier Transportation Depot Staff of the Year is sponsored by Bombardier Transportation. From its workshops in Litchurch Lane, Derby, Bombardier supplies some of Britain’s ﬁnest trains ably supported by a team of top performing professionals.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 27

Manchester Victoria Goes Green

Stephen Green, Station Manager for Northern Rail at Manchester Victoria wins this year’s Rail Manager of the Year Award. Stephen received his award from Eugene Meehan of McGinley. Manchester Victoria forms the centre piece of Network Rail’s plans to create a Northern Hub. The proposed Ordsall Chord, a new short section of railway, will link Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly. ‘I’ve been based at Manchester Victoria 16 years,’ says Stephen Green. ‘I’d like to thank my boss, Paul Spencer, for nominating me and all my colleagues, thank you very much.’ Says colleagues, ‘Stephen is a very driven, focused, trustworthy, accurate and reliable individual who is completely passionate about his station and staff alike. Every task is com-

pleted with a keen eye for detail, extensive knowledge and timely delivery which constantly provides results that beneﬁt the business.

Calm, respectful and considerate ‘Stephen is extremely intelligent, innovative and enthusiastic yet calm, respectful and considerate to all. Much of Stephen’s work is so precise and informative that many things are shared amongst his peers for them to use as best practice. Stephen displays great leadership skills amongst his peers and directs his staff clearly and concisely whilst maintaining his approachable image.’ His job involves leading a team of 58 members of staff whilst ensuring the smooth operational running of the bustling Manchester Victoria station. The sta-

tion is situated beneath the busiest concert venue in Europe, the Manchester Evening News Arena. Rail staff, like Stephen, orchestrate a complex operation of trains travelling all over the north west from Victoria. Excellent communication with MENA staff, BTP and security teams is matched by exceptional planning skills to ensure that concert nights are managed safely. Many other events like football matches and shopping sales are managed effectively and professionally too, whilst maintaining a high level of customer service. Staff at Manchester Victoria are among the best in the industry. ‘Stephen provides all the tools and support they require to ensure delivery. This is proved by the number of frontline team members under Stephen’s jurisdiction that have won awards

for exceptional customer service provision,’ says a friend. Staff are kind hearted, genuine and a credit to both Stephen and Northern Rail. ‘Not only does Stephen nurture and assist his colleagues and staff but, he also spends a lot of time liaising with stakeholders and community groups and he is also heavily involved with safety related groups and their procedures which he has an immense talent for interpreting and sharing amongst his peers in a more digestible manner.’ Stephen Green is also heavily involved with the Manchester Victoria development programme which requires clear open minded thinking as well as business-critical decision making. He is a true ambassador for Northern Rail and is respected as a valuable asset to the team.

McGinley Support Services Rail Manager of the Year is sponsored by McGinley Support Services a leading innovator in the industry and one of the top specialist rail recruitment suppliers. McGinley Support Services has pioneered new initiatives that embrace safety systems and workforce management, upholding a strong safety and quality culture that is

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McGinley are pleased to announce that we have recently been awarded a national framework agreement with one of the UK's leading rail infrastructure companies to supply professional and technical staff across the UK. We are therefore keen to speak to the following: • Construction Managers • Health & Safety Specialists • Commercial Managers • Commissioning Engineers • Technical Officers

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RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

28 | RailStaff | November 2011

Motherwell Man Wins Lifetime Award

Jacques Goodall, Head of Employee Relations at First Capital Connect has been presented with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A specialist in the often challenging area of industrial relations, Jacques, a career railwayman, was presented with his award by Neal Lawson of First Group. Jacques rose through the ranks from his original job of booking clerk in his home town. ‘I been in the railway industry since 1967. I joined the Scottish

Region and moved south to BRB in 1985. I’m originally from Motherwell and started off as a booking clerk in Motherwell ticket ofﬁce.’ Jacques went on to pursue a career in personnel management. Following the creation of the BRB's new Anglia Region in 1987, Jacques was appointed Personnel Manager based at Cambridge. He took responsibility for the provision of a personnel and industrial relations service for engineering grades (signalling, telecommunications, permanent way and overhead

line) and operations grades (signallers, drivers, guards, shunters, carriage cleaners) as well as booking ofﬁce and admin staff. After OFQ (Organising for Quality) he was HR director at West Anglia Great Northern. Then came a spell with Serco before he was headhunted by Thameslink and appointed HR manager. He is now one of the most respected and longest serving senior HR professionals in the industry. ‘It’s a unique privilege being nominated for this award along with such worthy nominees. I’m based at Hertford House in London so I have a great many friends and colleagues there and many more who work out in the stations and depots. I’d like to thank them and all my friends in pensions management and at ATOC,’ said Jacques.

Proud sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RailStaff Awards

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Wise counsel Writes Jim Stevenson, former RMT Regional Organiser, ‘His main respect comes from his out of hours commitment to attending functions, representing the management, which gave employees the feeling that someone cared. He also visited individuals either sick or in need of welfare.’ Says Michelle Smart, FCC’s former Customer Service Director, ‘Jacques adds a stable and trustworthy presence to the employee relations arena in the rail industry. His wise counsel through various businesses over many years has been highly valued by management and trade unions, from General Secretary level to local representatives. No one has a bad word to say about Jacques - he commands the upmost respect from every-

one and has great personal integrity.’ Peter King, a onetime organiser for the National Union of Railwaymen ﬁrst met Jacques at Cambridge in the late 80s. ‘Jacques and I struck up a very good working relationship sharing and resolving together many difﬁcult employment situations both of us understanding each other's position and responsibilities. ‘Jacques was always able to consider the impact of working situations on the individuals that we were dealing with. His compassion and fairness and straightforward approach was obvious to me and he fully deserved the reputation of being a very reasonable and fair manager. Later our paths were to cross again, when I was engaged by Thameslink to carry

out some projects and investigations in the late 90s and I have enjoyed working with Jacques as a colleague and dear friend ever since.’

FirstGroup The Lifetime Achievement Award is sponsored by First Group. The company is Britain’s largest rail operator carrying over 280 million passengers per annum. It operates First Great Western, First Capital Connect, First TransPennine Express, First ScotRail, First Hull Trains and London Tramlink. It runs regional and commuter services, open access and light rail operations as well as high speed inter-city trains and overnight sleepers - everything from local branch line stopping services to long distance express trains.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS 2011

RailStaff | November 2011 | 29

Lifesaver Jenny Wins Award

Saving a life is all in a day’s work, according to Jenny Calvert. A station retailer with Merseyrail Jenny wins this year’s Rail Person of the Year Award for her extraordinary actions on a cold day in January. Steve Featherstone of Network Rail presented the award. ‘I’d like to say thanks to my managers for putting me up for this and in particular Tracey Upton and Clare Jenkins and all the people who I’ve worked with.’ Jenny covers a number of stations in South Wirral - letting staff go for meal breaks. On the 27th of January Jenny, Station Retailer, was working at Eastham Rake station when she suddenly saw a woman pacing back and forth along the platform edge. Jenny told her colleague she was concerned for

the person’s safety and could the woman be watched on camera. She advised the Control Room that they could quite possibly be looking at an emergency situation whilst she made her way up to the platform to go to the passenger’s aid.

Caring nature As Jenny approached the platform she knew that her instincts had been right as the woman was crying and threatening to take her life claiming she had nothing to live for. Jenny’s caring nature set in and she kneeled down in front of the customer talking to her calmly and situating herself appropriately so that the lady could not throw herself onto the line in front of a train as she’d been threatening to do. Jenny’s calm demeanour and

gentle persuasion thankfully worked and resulted in the lady moving away from the platform edge and away from immediate danger. Jenny then listened to her tell her sad story of how it was coming up to the anniversary of her young baby’s death. Jenny wiped her tears as she wept and comforted her until further help arrived. When the British Transport Police eventually arrived at the scene Jenny ensured they didn't scare her explaining what a fragile state the lady was in. She helped keep the woman calm by making her feel safe and secure until she willingly left the station with the police. Said Dave Stamper, Control Centre Manager, whose team watched this all on CCTV, ‘There was no doubt that Jenny saved a life that day and prevented

what could've been not just a tragedy but the cause of a huge disruption.’ This in itself is highly commendable and above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately despite Jenny’s help and support the troubled lady was later released by police only to return to the same station. When the duty staff tried to help her she was in an emotional state claiming that she only wanted to speak to Jenny as she understood her. When the staff contacted Jenny, now off duty, she made her way back to the station in her own time to make sure this lady was ok and helped her. Throughout this incident Jenny was quick thinking and professional as well as caring and supportive therefore not only setting an exceptional example to oth-

ers but making an outstanding contribution to Merseyrail. Friends describe Jenny as a star in the workplace. She regularly undertakes charity fundraising from baking and selling cakes to rallying up all the girls to take part in the Race for Life every year. ‘She has a heart of gold and is always putting others ﬁrst whether they be friends, family, colleagues, strangers or customers.’

Network Rail Rail Person of the Year is sponsored by Network Rail, operator of Britain’s railway infrastructure. Network Rail is a ‘not for dividend’ company and all proﬁts go straight back into improving the railway. Network Rail aims to deliver a safe, reliable and efﬁcient railway for Britain.

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TRACK SAFETY

30 | RailStaff | November 2011

Target Zero - A State of Mind for Safety? More than just a health and safety policy, it’s a state of mind that covers the way we think and the way we work

Design and maintenance of brakes

Colin Wheeler writes... I must apologise for the delay in featuring an incident that occurred on the morning of Saturday September 10th this year. However, the “Alert” sent out by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) came out at noon on October 17th. This was one of those incidents which, despite two work gangs being involved, the people on site initially chose not to report! I am convinced of the director level of commitment to track worker safety. But many managers, supervisors and workers (with good reason) continue to believe that it is in their own best interests to hide the occurrence of incidents and even minor accidents if they can. With the changes now being made to Network Rail’s top organisation I only hope that attitudes will also change lower down the pecking order. The emphasis needs to change from inventing new systems and processes to a new awareness and motivation for working more safely and sharing close call and near miss experiences for the beneﬁt of oneself and others.

1 in 80 gradient runaway near Haslemere On September 10th a Network Rail maintenance gang were working between Haslemere and Whitley near Havant. At just before 3 am their braked and loaded trolley was moved on the 1 in 80 gradient. But the brakes failed to hold, and it ran away. It travelled a total distance of three miles in the wrong direction towards Whitley Station before coming to rest when it reached an uphill gradient. It passed a second gang at Whitley Station who had not been warned, but had fortunately moved off the track just before the trolley ran through their worksite.

The RAIB investigation is continuing. The trolley was returned to the equipment store following the incident. They have examined it and found defects in both its design and condition. Apparently it is only used on Network Rail’s infrastructure and all trolleys of this type have now been withdrawn from use. The current investigation is looking at the design approval process employed before these trolleys were brought into use and how they were being maintained; also the “roles of the key parties involved in the incident”, “the arrangements for testing the brakes before use” and the “competence of the staff operating and maintaining the trolleys”.

Not yet featured on Safety Central! I am amazed that although this incident occurred on September 10th and a full RAIB investigation is underway, there is still no report of it to be found on Network Rail’s “Safety Central” gated website amongst the Infrastructure Group Safety Bulletins. A brief factual report emphasising what could have resulted, and stressing the importance of reporting all accidents, incidents, near misses and close calls should surely have been issued to raise the awareness of others working on track? Might it be that the HQ culture that has prevented this being done was reﬂected in the reluctance of the track gang to report the runaway? Doubtless the RAIB full report will tell us.

We have moved on since Grayrigg The verdict of the Grayrigg Inquest that the accident was caused by inadequately maintained points came as no surprise. It must also be remembered that the accident occurred way back in February 2007 and a lot of things have changed since then. But still relevant is the fact that the Track Section Engineer admitted not inspecting the points but had sent repeated messages to his boss criticising the maintenance procedures and saying “ensuring the infrastructure is safe and ﬁt for purpose is now virtually impossible”. The local track charge man admitted sending in tick box returns which were wrong, under pressure from his supervisors too. I am convinced that the culture and processes have been radically improved during the almost ﬁve

TRACK SAFETY

RailStaff | November 2011 | 31 ﬁg 2

ﬁg 1

Recent incidents occurred at Hendon (ﬁg1) and Littlehampton (ﬁg2) where connections from sidings joined the main line.

years that has elapsed since 2007, but some of the perceptions of management’s priorities I fear may remain even now.

Gareth Llewellyn Director Safety & Sustainable Development Network Rail Mr Llewellyn’s appointment was announced back in July, but he began his new job in September. We have heard little from him so far. I welcome this as it was always my practice to take time to understand the new organisation before making changes to improve performances. His seven years as Director Safety, Health and the Environment for the National Grid may well be useful to him now, given the continuing isolation problems on Network Rail’s infrastructure - see below. When appointed he was quoted as saying, “Nothing is more important in the rail industry than safety. I look forward to working with employees and other stakeholders to bring about a signiﬁcant shift in safety culture and performance”. I suggest he may wish to consider a close scrutiny of the culture, motivation and working practices in the Havant area that resulted in two gangs of maintenance staff trying to keep quiet about an incident which could very easily have resulted in multiple fatalities. Encouragingly, I have recently spoken to a number of middle ranking Network Rail, consultant and contractors staff who have already experienced the inﬂuence of his appointment. Even at this early stage comments like “a breath of fresh air” and “some common sense is being applied at long last,” are not uncommon!

Isolation Incidents and “additional work on the day” The most recent Safety Bulletin on Safety Central web site was issued on October 5th. Titled “Common Factors in isolation incidents”. It features two incidents where electrocutions could have resulted. One was at a conductor rail site; the other an overhead line electriﬁed one. The common factors relate to the fact that in

both cases isolations were in place for the main line only, but staff were under the impression that the adjacent siding was also isolated. The listed “Common Factors” will surprise few of those who regularly work on the railway. They include “planning failing to identify the need for siding isolations, isolations included on previous occasions but not this time due to operational reasons”, and planners not appreciating that local switching arrangements could have facilitated isolation without taking the siding out of use. However, the most telling on the list are the unplanned carrying out of additional or amended work on the day, with assumptions made by local staff that the sidings were isolated.

“We won’t let RRV lead to RIP” This is the title of the currently featured Safety Central safety initiative. Previously a Bulletin had naively told track workers and the operators of rail mounted plant that the standard use of warning horns was changing. No longer should an operator of a piece of plant give one blast of the horn to move forwards but two to move backwards. Instead a single blast should be used to announce all movements. Apparently the rule makers had realised that forwards and backwards are not good deﬁnitions for machines which can swing round through 180-degrees. I would have thought this was blindingly obvious, but maybe I have spent many more hours on rail sites than the rule writers! However, the poster for this campaign is good (see left). It emphasises the potential consequences for the families of those who are injured and as a result incapacitated. This is I believe, essential as part of any campaign to change attitudes and behaviours. Less impressively the rest of the web site message is all about practicalities.The use of radios, exclusion zones around machines and warning systems with on track plant are all mentioned. But not our awareness of the dangers of moving plant in narrow restricted and congested noisy work

sites often during the hours of darkness in falling rain etc.

Keeping it local With management changes at Network Rail I would like to think there is an opportunity to improve safety culture. I have worked on our railways for so long that I can just recall the introduction of mechanised maintenance. Essentially this was the ﬁrst introduction of rail mounted but quite small tamping, lining and ballast regulating machines. It was a long time ago when steam driven rail mounted brake-down cranes were still being used in bridge reconstruction. I remember a number of divisional “toolies” as they were known. One in particular drove his own tractor and trailer to the sites. He was muscle bound, multi-skilled, dedicated and admired by his workmates. His heavily laden trailer carried every item of kit he would need and his wizardry at overcoming site problems was legendary. Do we really value the skills and dedication of the track staff in the same way today and if not why not? I detest hearing good working people described as operatives which implies the status of robots!

Listening to track level concerns The teams knew their “toolie”, valued his work and looked after him. Tampers, liners, regulators and ballast trains, not to mention locomotives with steel hawsers dragging rails could all be seen on site; but I can only recall one accident with any of them. Admittedly the annual toll of fatalities was signiﬁcantly higher than it is now, but we did not have the sophisticated equipment of today and the manual content of the work was far heavier. Network Rail’s devolution has taken a step in the right direction by empowering local directors, but their success I suggest will only be achieved by recognising the skills of the “toolies” and many others at ground level and listening to their concerns. Work planning is done by trained specialists and sent out

to supervisors. I question the wisdom of this. Do local supervisors who do the work have a full input? In my experience they can almost always improve the planning, making the work both easier and safer. The fact that they will be doing it is the best motivation for this!

“Crossrail Target Zero – A State of Mind” The Royal Oak Portal for Crossrail has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget. It is a kilometre long and 21 metres wide and around 25,000 cubic metres of material had to be excavated to build it. It was completed ahead of schedule and within budget. The dedicated Tunnelling and Underground Construction

Academy is now training its ﬁrst students with the aim of training around 3,000 people to give them the necessary skills. “Target Zero – A State of Mind” is the title of Crossrail’s safety initiative and I like it! They describe it as, “more than just a health and safety policy. It’s a state of mind that covers the way we think and the way we work”. It is deﬁned as having three “Target Principles”: “We have the right to go home unharmed every day.” “We believe that all harm is preventable.” “We must work together to achieve this.”

A safety welcome to the new Route Managing Directors

I like the fact that these aims are direct and simply expressed without descending into safety management speak. They are even grammatically correct for a change! Network Rail’s Route Managing Directors took over responsibility from their Headquarters on Monday 14th November. They have delegated responsibilities for their routes, albeit with accountability. I welcome the change. It was overdue and it will surely make it easier for them to know and be known by all their staff and it will be easier for management to listen to those who work on the infrastructure every day. Hearing their concerns and taking action on what is said will improve motivation, performance and safety.

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32 | RailStaff | November 2011

Reducing Suicide on the Railways Every year over 200 people take their own lives on Britain’s railways. Railway suicide effects drivers and staff including station staff, track workers and police ofﬁcers. More horriﬁc still the family and friends of the deceased suffer too. A quiet initiative by the Samaritans and Network Rail and supported by the industry generally is now in its second year and enjoying a small but welcome success in helping reduce suicide. Network Rail and the Samaritans are running specialist training courses in how to spot and help potential suicides. It is a sensitive subject but some time ago Andrew Bolton a station manager at East Croydon was able to intervene and save a life. ‘I had attended the Managing Suicidal Contacts training course a few weeks prior

to this incident, when I was informed over the radio that a lady had walked off the end of a platform at East Croydon station threatening to jump under a train. Two members of staff saw her walk onto the tracks and brought her back onto the platform and into the mess room.’ Andrew went and spoke to the woman. ‘Hearing the words ‘I want to end it all’ and ‘he’d [her husband] be better off without me’ for real is very chilling,’ says Andrew. ‘The training prepared me for the fact she may say something like it. These words said, in real life, really struck me, but I did my best to talk her through things, using the various listening techniques that I had learnt on the course. ‘She told me that she had recently been diagnosed with cancer, she had lost her job, she

Railway suicide is never the answer.

had depression, and that everything was getting on top of her. I then offered to make a telephone call on her behalf to Samaritans, but she declined and decided to take a Samaritans pen with the helpline contact number on it instead. Her husband worked in Croydon, so I found out his details and contacted him. He arrived at the station quite quickly and at the same time as the British Transport Police Officers.’ The course Andrew took emphasises communicating and making contact with the suspect suicide. ‘The Managing Suicidal Contacts course made me realise that by talking to a distressed person, you are not going to make the situation worse. By talking to them, you are in fact breaking their suicidal plan. When the lady told me how she was feeling, I used the technique I learnt of reflecting what she had just said back to her. In this way I managed to get her to open up to me and tell me what was wrong. I can definitely say that the course prepared me to deal with difficult situations, which is a good start, because in reality, they are even more difficult. I will now be encouraging all my staff to attend this course, as I feel that having the skills to intervene in situations like this is a big part of our job. I also hope to continue working closely with the local Croydon & Sutton Samaritans branch in their awareness and outreach work.’ For more details of the course, Managing Suicidal Contacts and a new free course, Trauma Support Training, tailored to those supporting train drivers or others following a suicide contact: railcompanies@samaritans.org

Shock as Barbie grabs Thomas American toy maker, Mattel, has bought Thomas the Tank engine’s parent company, HIT Entertainment. Mattel which makes Barbie dolls is delighted with the acquisition which includes Bob the Builder and Barney the Dinosaur. Says Mattel chairman Robert Eckert, ‘Mattel is the right home for Thomas and friends. This powerhouse brand is joining the ranks of such iconic brands as Barbie, Hot Wheels,

Fisher-Price and American Girl.’ Thomas and his friends ﬁrst appeared in books based on stories the Reverend Wilbert Awdry told his young son, Chris, during the dark days of the Second World War. As a child Awdry lived 200 yards from the Box Tunnel in Wiltshire. The gradient meant steam engines had to be helped up by more powerful engines and their imagined conversations gave Awdry the idea for the stories.

Engineer praises Achilles backs greater collaboration Max Bentley Richard Sharp, Rail Compliance Manager at J Murphy and Sons is the new chair of the Link-up Steering Group. Annette Poehl, Director Rail and Transport at Achilles, is helping spearhead a new initiative designed to help the industry work together and reduce paperwork. Says Richard Sharp, ‘With the new Link-up governance structure in place, priorities are to ensure that we work to

include the whole industry meeting all needs. Historically the governance of Link-up has been controlled primarily by one duty holder. Now all who use Link-up as a prequaliﬁcation system will beneﬁt from enhanced collaboration, not having to undergo countless audits asking the same questions.’ Richard hopes that the companies involved will be able to agree on core aspects for pre-

qualiﬁcation. ‘This is about ensuring that companies have systems in place so as to not import risk into the infrastructure,’ he says. The new Link-up Steering Group has set up several working groups. Three of them, Audit, Product Codes and Version 3, are ensuring that Link-up meets the needs of the industry as a whole. Other working groups are dealing with EU procurement law and sustainability.

Achilles is keen to get more people involved. Says Annette Poehl, ‘People can get involved by contacting Achilles directly and volunteering for any of the Working Groups. Greater collaboration and exchange of ideas is important. ‘The working groups have been opened to anyone in the industry so that we can learn and incorporate the things that are important to the industry,’ says Annette.

Popular backing for new tram line

Metrolink has proved popular with local people.

Trams have proved such a success in Manchester that 75 per cent of local people want to see the system expanded. Three out of four people questioned during a public consultation exercise back the building of a second Metrolink line through Manchester city centre. The Second City Crossing will run from St Peter’s Square, through Princess Street,

Cross Street and Corporation Street to Manchester Victoria. Says local leader Roger Jones, ‘The Second City Crossing is a crucial part of the expanding Metrolink network, so it is vital that we get it right: that involves balancing the wider city centre strategy and the views of people who live, work and do business there with the best solution for the system and the public purse.’

A surprise visit by ScotRail’s engineering director, saw local station adopter, Max Bentley, singled out for praise at Giffnock. At the station to meet staff an impressed Kenny Scott, Scot Rail’s Engineering Director, said, ‘Max’s efforts have turned the station into one of the prettiest in East Renfrewshire and its surrounds. We hope others will follow his community spirit and adopt stations on the East Kilbride line.’

Mr Scott sets great store on good staff relations and was no less delighted to see the work Mr Bentley has put into the station over the last three years. Says a delighted Max Bentley, 69, who lives nearby, ‘I wanted to make a real difference in my local area. I’m delighted that so many rail users are beginning to appreciate the impact of the garden, and would welcome offers of help from anyone willing to lend a hand.’

RailStaff | November 2011 | 33

The hidden problem of child runaways This Christmas thousands of children will be trying to survive on the streets. The issue of child runaways in the UK is far greater than most of us imagine. 100,000 children under the age of 16 runaway from home in the UK every year; One in three is 12 years old or younger; and one in six ends up sleeping rough on the streets. The bitterly cold, wet weather can cause terrible physical damage – but that’s just the start of their worries. Children are actively targeted by drug dealers, who win their trust then use them for all that they are worth. A hit or a pill can take away the loneliness for a while, but soon hooks children in for life. Children are being used to carry and even sell drugs just to feed their own habit. For pimps, children on the streets are easily drawn into prostitution – whatever their age. The levels of cruelty and abuse are chilling. Children like Jade, who woke up cold, alone and on the streets last Christmas, she was just 11

years old. Jade left home just before last Christmas, for years she had been used as a punch bag by her abusive stepfather. Jade’s mum had given up trying to intervene – she only risked getting assaulted herself – and turned to drugs and alcohol to ease her pain. For children like Jade, the streets are hell – but they feel like they have nowhere else to turn to. Charity Railway Children is one of the only support services in the UK that children like Jade can turn to. The Refuge where she arrived is the only one of it’s kind in the country – the only place that can offer a vulnerable child complete safety and dedicated support, at a critical time. Expertly trained staff are there for as long as the child needs them. If a child returns home, they’ll still be there supporting them as they try to make it work, and if that’s not the answer, they’ll keep working until they ﬁnd one. A gift of £10 could provide food, overnight clothing and toiletries for a child at a runaway

refuge in the UK. £25 could help keep one of our outreach workers out on the streets, seeking out children who may be at risk. And £50 could pay for a child to be reunited with their family this Christmas. This Christmas Jade is safe and well, after a lot of care and effort she’s in a much better place than last Christmas – and she’s determined never to end up on the streets again. RailStaff have supported Railway Children for many years now, primarily through fundraising at the RailStaff Awards. We believe the cause is worthy of all of our support and especially at this time of year, when the weather has turned cold. To support Railway Children this Christmas please call 01270 757596 and quote PRRSTF or visit www.railwaychildren.org.uk, as the weather gets colder it is even more important that we keep outreach workers out on the streets, identifying runaway children and ﬁnding ways to make them safe and secure.

Marauder badge bonus Two Shefﬁeld-based rail staff, Ian Morrish and Matt Dawson, collected more money for the Railway Children charity by selling badges created to commemorate a special charity train operated by East Midlands Trains earlier this year. The train managers with EMT are pictured with Dave Ellis

(right) from the Railway Children. The Mid-Norfolk Marauder ran between London St Pancras and Dereham in Norfolk on Saturday 14 May. The train raised a total of £24,000 for the Railway Children through ticket sales, on board rafﬂes, and sales of food and a specially created beer. In addition railway staff sup-

porting the event either donated their day’s wages, or worked on their day off to help raise the maximum amount of money for the charity. Ian and Matt took the initiative to have special one-off badges made to sell on the day and after the event and have raised an additional £500 for the Railway Children.

34 | RailStaff | November 2011

Ops centre for York

Auf Weidersehen Pet Deutsche Bahn’s Arriva operation has taken on Grand Central, the pioneer Sunderland to Kings Cross open access operator. The acquisition for an undisclosed sum adds Grand Central to Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, and Trenau Arriva Cymru. Arriva also runs the Tyne and Wear Metro, and the London Overground. Says Tom Clift, managing director of Grand Central, ‘Today opens a brand new chapter for Grand Central and for open access operations on Britain’s railways. The decision by Arriva, one

of Europe’s largest transport undertakings, to acquire Grand Central is a huge vote of conﬁdence in all our staff who have worked so hard over the last four years to deliver the very highest standards of customer service to the growing numbers of passengers using our routes.’ Clift will continue to lead Grand Central reporting directly to Bob Holland, MD of Arriva’s UK Trains division. Grand Central will remain a self-contained business with its own unique brand, headquartered in York. Arriva UK is based in Sunderland.

A new rail operating and training centre is to be built on disused land adjacent to York station. The proposals are at an early stage but the York Rail Operating Centre would be one of 14 centres across Britain. It will eventually coordinate and control all rail operations on the London North Eastern route. The move will expand the number of rail related jobs in York. Says Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations for Network Rail, ‘York has a proud railway history and these new facilities will allow us

to continue that whilst providing a modern, efﬁcient service. The ROC is a key part of our strategy to improve reliability whilst driving down the cost of running and maintaining the railway. ‘It will allow us to retain jobs in the city as well as bringing future employment opportunities to the area, which is vital for long term economic growth and prosperity.’ The proposed ROC would be the largest centre in the UK and will enable services such as signalling and trafﬁc control to be consolidated into a centralised unit.

Says Bob Holland, ‘We ﬁrmly believe open access will play a valuable part of a balanced portfolio for our UK Trains division alongside our three franchises and concessions operated on London Overground and the Tyne and Wear Metro. ‘Bringing Grand Central on board means we have a live open access operation up and running, one which is popular with customers and which we believe we can develop to become a key commercial part of our UK rail operations.’

Swingers on the Broads Children check rail project A special new programme aimed at interesting young people in railways in Birmingham got off to a good start. 60 pupils from St Thomas’ Primary School visited Birmingham Gateway recently to ﬁnd out more about the development and how they will beneﬁt when work is completed in 2015.

The children met British Transport Police ofﬁcers and travelled by train to Birmingham International where they met Virgin Trains station staff. Says Darren Cobb, Network Rail’s health and safety manager on the Birmingham Gateway project, ‘The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street will

transform the station and provide a better experience for many generations of passengers. It was a great experience to meet with and work with the children from St Thomas’ Primary School.’ The children are now writing poems and creating artwork about their visit.

Railfest 2012 Celebration The National Railway Museum in York is planning a nine day celebration of Britain’s railways next year. The festival will bring together over 30 record-breaking locomotives that have made their mark on rail history. Railfest 2012 will be staged in York between the 2nd and 10th June. Both the Mallard and the Flying Scotsman are attending along with a ﬂeet of railway carriages and vehicles. Unusual railway equipment including snow ploughs and leaf blowers will be on display. Visitors will be able to take a ride behind working engines and meet railway staff. In addition to the giant engines, there will also be a wide variety of miniature locos and layouts staged by some of the biggest names in model railways. Hun-

dreds of stalls, refreshment areas and live music will also add to the festival. Says Steve Davies, Director of the National Railway Museum, ‘Our previous Railfest in 2004 celebrated the bicentenary of Britain’s railways and proved to be a huge success by attracting

over 60,000 visitors. Next year we hope to top this by providing an even bigger and better event. We’re certain that rail fans young and old will be well catered for and we look forward to making 2012 a year to remember at the National Railway Museum.’

Two much admired 100 year old railway swing bridges on the Norfolk Broads are undergoing a £900,000 revamp. The bridges at Reedham and Somerleyton are regularly maintained however this autumn they are receiving a little extra attention during a week long possession. Rail engineers pressed ahead with much needed repair work to the steel structures as well as signalling equipment refurbishment. Says Chris Curtis, Network Rail general manager, ‘Running a twenty-ﬁrst century railway on Edwardian infrastructure is a challenge but it’s a challenge we are committed to meeting. This essential investment is designed to make the

bridges more reliable for train operators and the boating community. ‘We recognise that the timing is not ideal for everyone but always look to minimise disruption with our works, and the half-term week is when the railway is at its quietest.’ The line between Reedham and Lowestoft was closed to trains from Saturday October 22 to Sunday 31st October. Somerleyton swing bridge, like its sister bridge at Reedham, was built in 1905 to replace the single track bridges that carried the railway between Norwich and Lowestoft over the Yare and Waveney rivers. Both bridges are constructed from wrought iron, brick, cast steel and timber.

Lighter brighter Leicester Leicester is getting a freshen up and a lighter, brighter entrance to the station. Listed building consent was recently received to complete the works inside the historic portecochère. Says Martin Frobisher, Network Rail route director, ‘These improvements will bring real benefits for passengers. First job is to renew the roof on the station and porte-cochère, then we move on to improve the flow of traffic ….. and create a pedestrian concourse. ‘We believe at the end of the scheme we will have a more welcoming station which is better for all users.’ The scheme will be finished by summer 2012. East Midlands Trains will also be completing works to refurbish the stairs to the platforms and the main station footbridge as well as installing a new canopy

Permission was recently received to work inside Leicester’s historic porte-cochère.

to cover the stairs and overbridge to the car park. Says David Horne, Commercial and Customer Service Director for East Midlands Trains, ‘We

welcome the changes at Leicester and look forward to working with Network Rail to deliver these signiﬁcant improvements to the station.’

APPOINTMENTS

RailStaff | November 2011 | 35

www.sw-gr.com

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Opportunities throughout the UK for Railway Staff (Competitive Salaries) Due to the fulfilment of on-going contracts and continuation of investment being made in Railway Infrastructure throughout the country, SWGR are keen to hear from the following individuals in a variety of locations throughout the UK. We have an urgent requirement for; We are particularly keen to hear from the following:

SPICOP/PICOP

Engineer Supervisors

COSS

Barriers/Points Operators

Lookout

PPS Planners

PTS Scaffolders

SSOW Planners

Track Induction Staff

General Trackworkers & Gangs

Strapmen

OHL Personnel

Isolation Assistant

Linesman 1

Senior Linesman

PTS Construction Staff

Rail Welders

PTS Qualified Welders

Please send your CV in Word Format to admin2@sw-gr.com or call 0844 692 0692

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APPOINTMENTS

36 | RailStaff | November 2011

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APPOINTMENTS

RailStaff | November 2011 | 37

Programme Manager, Health and Safety Management Systems £Attractive salary, plus bonus, final salary pension and benefits. Based in London, frequent European travel.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board works closely with businesses across the whole of the rail sector and delivers a range of national programmes to support and improve the rail industry against recognised business needs.

Duties will include: • Develop the programme against industry requirements together with a business plan for delivery, working with cross industry groups

Candidates should be safety professionals, possibly from the rail sector, and members of IOSH with extensive experience of applying safety management systems in a complex technical, engineering or industrial environment.

The Health and Safety Management Systems programme has a number of components aimed at developing solutions, resources and guidance through stakeholder engagement, research, development and analysis. It is leading towards improved health and safety performance, including in the area of Occupational Health, and impacts thousands of employees across the rail industry.

• Identify and manage internal and external resources including research requirements and specify their remits against programme objectives

You must be a strong leader, a team player, facilitator and credible influencer to work with senior contacts throughout the industry.

The Programme Manager will provide a technical lead and develop programme scopes, objectives and deliverables working with parties across the rail industry and managing a small group within a professional level strategy team.

• Lead and co-ordinate the UK rail industry input to European development projects on safety management systems

The UK rail industry functions increasingly in a European context and the Programme Manager will lead much of the UK’s input to European development projects on safety management systems.

• Provide technical leadership to the RSSB research function, aligning research activities to the programme • Develop and manage a communication plan for the programme within the rail industry

It is essential that the successful candidate possesses stakeholder and programme management skills. Second European language skills may be advantageous but are not mandatory.

• Maintain a current knowledge of health and safety management systems development for rail and other industry sectors, nationally and internationally • Establish relationships with industry experts, government representatives and relevant rail bodies to secure engagement with the programme

Please forward your cv and covering letter to Rod Shaw, rod@rgsexecutive.co.uk or call him on 0115 959 9687 with any particular queries.

Opportunities in Rail and Infrastructure If you’re a skilled Engineer, Manager or Technical Specialist looking to work on some of the most exciting and challenging projects in the Rail and Infrastructure sector, then TRS Staffing Solutions can help - now.

Keltbray Rail is a National Contractor with extensive experience in track renewal, maintenance and overhead line contracts.

u Construction Managers

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u Project Managers u Crane & Machine Controllers u OHL Linesmen & Supervisors u RRV Operators u Trackmen, Lookouts, COSS, Isolations u Aluminothermic Welders (Thermic & Railtech)

Keltbray Rail St Andrew’s House Portsmouth Road Esher, Surrey KT10 9TA Keltbray Rail is an Equal Opportunities Employer

We’re currently recruiting for the UK’s leading rail companies and major clients globally, across a wide variety of projects. These include major upgrades for the National Rail network and London Underground. To apply for any of the following vacancies, you should have relevant experience at the appropriate level.

Senior P-Way Design Engineers (London & Manchester - £60K-80K) Working on major new rail projects + station upgrades Senior Geotechnical Engineers (London Area £40-£60 per hour) Experience in rail projects, Quarrying experience also considered. Overhead Line Design Engineers UK and Australia - £60-80K, $120K-$140K Major Rail Programme, visa + relocation assistance Electrification Engineers UK - £50K or £70K + Benefits Chartered status is preferred Senior Project Planners/Project Controls Managers London £40-60k Airports, Rail & Building services Projects

TRS are a global organisation and we are currently recruiting for rail specialists in the UAE, Australia & Far East, West Africa Signal Design Engineers and Canada. If you are interested UK – London, Birmingham, Manchester + Australia £50-70K in working abroad contact TRS today. Experienced IRSE licenced design engineers

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APPOINTMENTS

38 | RailStaff | November 2011

Electrical Engineering Manager (Rolling Stock Electrical Engineers also required) £Professional level salary plus bonus and benefits Based in Doncaster

Wabtec Rail Ltd located in Doncaster, is a major supplier of Passenger & Freight Rail Vehicle, Products, Systems and Full Vehicle Services to the UK and Ireland rail industries. The site has an extensive facility covering over 22 acres and employing around 700 people. As part of Wabtec Corporation, the Doncaster business has plans for further business development with a commitment to high levels of service delivery across all activities. The business has a good reputation in the UK rail industry which is supported by a strong forward order book. The Engineering function of Wabtec Rail provides a wide range of rolling stock engineering expertise in support of vehicle refurbishment, upgrade, modifications and systems projects at professional levels. Disciplines covered include mechanical and, electrical engineering, design and design management, product quality and safety. The role of Electrical Engineering Manager, reporting to the Engineering Director, has now been established to focus the electrical engineering activities into a specialist area, recognising the increasing demands in this area and the longer term provision in the UK of electrical and electronic systems on rolling stock.

Key activities of the Electrical Engineering Manager will include to: • Provide a professional level technical lead to the electrical engineering activity • Maintain and develop a team of electrical engineers able to support and meet customer and project requirements • Ensure that design and other work is undertaken in accordance with industry and legislative standards, managing any change processes to meet industry approval requirements • Manage the procurement an delivery of third party engineering design, consultancy and approval services • Identify opportunities and undertake engineering reviews and studies into the development of new and improved products or services, overseeing testing and development

Engineering staff management and development experience should be allied to a strong technical background and supported by the personal and operational skills necessary to be part of the engineering management team at a professional level. This is an outstanding role for a person seeking to advance their career in rolling stock engineering with a strong and well regarded business in the sector. The Wabtec Corporation have a good track record in career development. Rolling Stock Electrical Engineers are also required to join the electrical engineering function, reporting to the Electrical Engineering Manager and to support the above activities. The role will be based at Doncaster and support may be available for those needing to relocate.

• Provide support to colleagues across the engineering function to facilitate the most professional and effective overall engineering service and strong relationships with customers, suppliers and a range of third parties in UK rail Candidates should be graduate level Chartered Engineers with strong backgrounds in the UK rail sector and knowledge of the “running” railway and current passenger fleets. Appreciation of TOC and Rosco requirements from a rolling stock engineering point of view will be highly beneficial.

Please forward your cv and covering letter to Rod Shaw, rod@rgsexecutive.co.uk or call him on 0115 959 9687 with any particular queries.

McGinley Support Services is one of the UK's leading technical infrastructure recruitment consultancies. Our experienced teams located in offices throughout the UK, focus on identifying candidates and employers needs for permanent and contract assignments. As a 1st tier supplier to many of the UK’s largest engineering companies, McGinley Support Services has developed a wealth of experience in recruiting all levels of personnel for complete projects and individual assignments. Due to our growing portfolio of major UK rail and infrastructure clients and our recently awarded national framework agreements with some of the UK’s leading infrastructure companies, McGinley Support Services is looking to recruit personnel within the following disciplines:

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We are currently recruiting for the following Professional and Technical Staff for the following contracts:

We are currently retained by a leading International Programme Organisation who has recently been awarded major Rail / Light Rail projects in both Qatar and Denmark.

We are currently recruiting for the following Safety Critical Staff for various contracts throughout the UK. Predominately weekend work, some mid-week shifts for the right candidates based on weekend performance:

• Construction Managers • Commercial Managers • Permanent Way Engineers • Quantity Surveyors • Project Support/Managers • Design Engineers • Information Management • Signalling Engineers • Health and Safety Specialists For more details please contact: technical@mcginley.co.uk or call: 01923 696692

We are currently recruiting the following staff with a minimum of 10 years rail experience. Ex pat packages available. • Commercial Manager • Quantity Surveyors • Interface Manager • Project Manager • Project Controls Manager • Contracts / Procurement Specialist Please forward your cv in the first instance to: paul_rance@mcginley.co.uk

• PTS • PTS Track Inducted • Look Out / Site Warden • COSS • Protection Controller • PICOP • Machine Controller • SPICOP • Engineering Supervisors • AOD - LXA, HSM, PO, STRAP (Level A and B) Please forward your CV and PTS details to: yani_groves@mcginley.co.uk or call: 01923 696639 We are also recruiting for:

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Health & Safety Advisors - £Excellent package - London

Principal Signalling Designer - £400-£500 per day - London

An excellent opportunity has just opened up to work on one of the most exciting projects in Europe. We are sourcing highly experienced tunneling Health & Safety Advisors to be responsible for this interesting and complex project. Experience of tunneling activities with experience of BS6164 regulations is essential. You will be either a chartered member of IOSH or working towards being chartered with at least an NVQ4/5, Diploma, or Degree. Contact: Rob Duncan-Anderson / 0208 600 1606 / robert.duncan-anderson@talascend.com

A leading UK rail company is currently searching for an experienced Signalling Designer to work on cutting edge new projects. Please get in touch if you are working towards or currently hold an IRSE Principles Signalling Designer License and want to work with industry leading professionals on groundbreaking projects. The position is available for both contractors and permanent designers. Contact: James Tidman / 0208 600 1618 / james.tidman@talascend.com

Site Manager - £350 per day - London

Cost Engineer – up to £400 per day – London

A great opportunity for an experienced Site Manager has just opened up on the UK’s largest infrastructure project in London. Working with industry leading professionals you will act as a client interface and lead from the front. Experience working on large projects, SCL and tunneling experience are essential. Contact: Rob Duncan-Anderson / 0208 600 1606 / robert.duncan-anderson@talascend.com

A great opportunity has just opened up for an experienced Cost Engineer to work on an innovative and exciting rail infrastructure project in London. With experience on large projects and a relevant degree you will take on a vital role within the project controls function and work with industry leading professionals delivering key milestones. Contact: Matt Roberts / 0208 6001 610 / matthew.roberts@talascend.com

Signalling Designer - £Excellent - York, Birmingham and London

Field Engineer (x3) - £300-£350 per day - London

There are currently vacancies at UK locations including York, Birmingham and London for IRSE Licensed Signalling Designers. Now is a great time to make a move in the Signalling market. Talascend have both permanent and contract positions available for experienced Designers. Please get in touch to discuss these opportunities further. Contact: James Tidman / 0208 600 1618 / james.tidman@talascend.com

A top UK rail project is currently seeking Field Engineers to be based out of Central London. Please get in touch if you have strong experience in tunneling, piling and large infrastructure projects. The positions available offer a great opportunity for Field Engineers to gain experience on a high profile rail project on long term contracts. If you are an experienced Field Engineer, Construction Manager, Site Manager or Site Engineer then please get in touch. Contact: James Tidman / 0208 600 1618 / james.tidman@talascend.com

Commercial Manager - £350-£400 per day London, York, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Swindon

Scheme Project Manager – £300-£350 per day - Nationwide

Experienced Commercial Managers required for opportunities in York, Rugby, Milton Keynes, Swindon and London. Knowledge of Railway and Construction industry forms along with commercially managing Rail projects is essential. Contact: Rob Duncan-Anderson / 0208 600 1606 / robert.duncan-anderson@talascend.com

Opportunities for experienced Scheme Project Managers across the country. The roles will be managing a portfolio of projects through various stages of the life cycle and assisting the Project Manager in delivering successful outcomes. Roles in signalling and electrification, building and civils and various other rail projects. Contact: Rob Duncan-Anderson / 0208 600 1606 / robert.duncan-anderson@talascend.com

Signalling Design conversion course - £Excellent - London

Senior Planner - up to £425 per day - London

A large mass-transit client is currently seeking Signalling Designers from a mainline background to attend a 5 day conversion course allowing them to work on mass-transit projects. Mainline designers with at least 5 years experience can diversify their skill-set open up new opportunities and maximize. Please get in touch if you are interested in exploring this exciting opportunity. Contact: James Tidman / 0208 600 1618 / james.tidman@talascend.com

A Market Leading multi-national rail and construction company is currently seeking a Senior Planner to join the planning function within their project team, providing guidance and direction to project planners, and assuring quality and consistency of all planning and associated reports. Experience with P6 and Planning within multi-discipline rail projects is essential. Contact: Matt Roberts / 0208 6001 610 / matthew.roberts@talascend.com

Your first stop for rail jobs... www.talascend.com

Currently Hiring We have a number of open positions for Recruitment Consultants in our London office. Please contact Matthew Roberts on +44 (0)20 8600 1600 or email matthew.roberts@talascend.com

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