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PLUS NEWS PEOPLE HEALTH & SAFETY DIVERSITY FEATURES TRAINING CAREERS
Get up to speed with RSSB RSSB is an independent body that works collaboratively with the rail industry, offering safety, consulting and engineering services and resources. We make our collective industry knowledge freely available to our members. So whatever project you’re working on, you can get up to speed quickly and efficiently. Here are three of the hundreds of resources we offer on our site. RSSB Tools
RSSB Guidance
RSSB Reports
Red Aspect Approaches to Signals (RAATS) Toolkit
The Rail Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework
Safety Performance Reports
An online tool that helps you to plan better timetabling, performance, and reduce the chance of signals being passed at red.
With a range of practical resources, the framework helps rail companies navigate the challenges of managing workforce mental wellbeing.
We also offer training and access to some of the world’s foremost rail experts. Visit:
rssb.co.uk/up-to-speed
A series of reports that combines the latest information on health and safety performance, operational learning, and risk reduction initiatives.
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CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | ISSUE 270 A PROBLEM SHARED IS A PROBLEM HALVED | 18
Health and safety concerns may be going unnoticed but reporting them is as important as ever, as confidential reporting service CIRAS explains.
IS THE INDUSTRY NEGLECTING THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PEOPLE MANAGEMENT? | 22
RailStaff safety expert Colin Wheeler explains how the latest reports on railway accidents and incidents all point to human error being the primary cause.
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CONFIDENCE AND COVID WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? | 36
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With passenger numbers still just a fraction of their previous level, the Rail Knowledge Transfer Network considers how to make rail travel more appealing.
SUPPORTING THE WORKERS ON OUR FRONTLINE | 40
Concerned for the mental health of key workers, Samaritans has joined other charities to offer support by launching ‘Our Frontline’.
THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE | 44
A different way of thinking is transforming the fortunes of Northern Trains, where new possibilities are bringing together a diverse range of talents.
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| 30 IVERSAEssociation D E R O into RAIL M ay Industry inorities MAKINGell and the Railw en and ethnic m m ess ract wo Clive K w to att o h s s u disc les. ering ro engine
A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER | 46
COVID-19 challenged the whole rail industry to keep on working, despite the difficulties. Recruitment consultancies such as Advance TRS were no exception.
Are your windscreen wipers the best in their class? If they are that’s great, if they aren’t then contact PSV Wipers by email sales@psvwipers.com or by phone 01905 350500
PSV Wipers have everything you need to improve your wipers from wash jets, wiper blades and wiper arms to full replacement electric motor assemblies including pneumatic to electric conversions. As the UK’s leading supplier of Rail stainless steel wiper blades, from traditional 460mm (18”) Rail Flat Blades to 1200mm Rail Bridged Blades PSV have consistently improved performance and minimised unscheduled maintenance for depots. Why not discover the benefits PSV Wipers equipment can bring to your fleet, by contacting our Rail Specialist Paul Curry today. PSV Wipers Ltd., 18 Kempton Road, Keytec 7 Business Park, Pershore, Worcestershire. WR10 2TA.
Staff
RAILSTAFF NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
NEWS
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The need for long-term planning
Contact us: Publisher:
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When I wrote this column for RailStaff’s April issue, which seems like a long time ago now, I said that it was hard to believe that 7,000 people in the UK, and 85,000 worldwide, had died from COVID-19. At the time, I was appalled by the size of those numbers.
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Face masks are not new, as witnessed by this group of policemen in Seattle, Washington, USA, during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak.
Today, the totals are 62,566 in the UK alone, almost as much as in the whole world back in April, and 1,570,000 worldwide – just more than the total number of infections in the UK. If I was appalled then, I am speechless now. The total UK deaths are the equivalent of the entire population of Taunton in Somerset. Slightly more than Runcorn in Cheshire, Wrexham in North Wales and Bangor in Northern Ireland. Little wonder, then, that both the rail industry and the nation have been badly affected. The UK Government and the devolved authorities have taken measures to protect jobs, save lives and keep things going. Trains were needed to move essential ‘key’ workers around the country, but the numbers travelling were under five per cent of what they had been. Franchise operators were government-funded, although they lost their franchises in the process, replaced by Emergency Measures Agreements. Open-access operators (Grand Central, Hull Trains, Eurostar) were left to fend for themselves. Businesses could furlough staff, the bulk of their wages paid by the state. Small businesses received additional support, as did some large retailers, though many of the latter are now repaying that money after they declared increased profits. Once lockdown finished, passenger numbers rose, but were still only around
one-fifth of what they had been. Now, after lockdown 2 and with most of the country in Tier 3, numbers are down again. And that creates several problems. Once again, the government is having to pay billions to keep the trains running. Once again, the open-access operators are being left to sink or swim – they are hoping to earn a small amount over Christmas. And once again, people who are not fans of the railway are asking why, if passenger numbers are down, are we spending money on improving the railway? Even worse, why are we building new ones, such as HS2? Much better that we spend the money on roads, buses, cycleways, feeding the poor, housing the homeless, subsidising health care, improving education, reversing global warming, maintaining the level of overseas aid, accepting illegal immigrants, expanding police forces, protecting nature, closing down raves and parties, preparing for Brexit and supporting the sinking pound. Anything but spending money on railways that have almost no passengers. How people forget. The railways we use today were built 150 years ago. The ones we build today will still be being used in 2170. The high number of passengers on Britain’s railways in 2019 was despite the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, 100 years earlier, which killed 228,000 people in the UK – three times the current COVID-19 numbers. So, it is reasonable to think that, 100 years from now or less, even the railways we are currently planning will be bursting at the seams. Personally, I wouldn’t like to guess at what passenger numbers will be like in even five or 10 years’ time. But I bet we will need all the railways we can get! nigel@rail-media.com FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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Most bashed in Britain The Watling Street bridge, on the A5 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, has the unenviable title of Britain’s most-bashed bridge after being struck 25 times in the last year, causing unnecessary delays and safety risks for rail passengers, motorists and locals.
Wales releases new Transport Strategy With transport currently making up 17% of Wales’ carbon emissions, the Welsh Government has committed to set new and stretching five-year priorities to tackle carbon emissions as it seeks to meet decarbonisation targets. Draft strategy ‘Llwybr Newydd – New Path’ was launched on Tuesday 17 November 2020 and will shape Wales’ transport system over the next two decades. It sets out a range of new ambitions to reshape transport in Wales, including a new sustainable transport hierarchy that will help shape investments towards greener transport options. Published as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect daily lives, the strategy recognises that patterns of less commuting and more home working are likely to continue. The Welsh Government has already outlined its long-term ambition for 30 per cent of the workforce to work from home or remotely, achieved by giving people more choice over how and where they work. The strategy recognises that more local services and more active travel can mean fewer people needing to use their cars daily.
New look planned for Stoke-on-Trent station Stoke-on-Trent railway station is to have a new look as part of a £29 million grant from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, helping to revolutionise the city’s transport network and how residents get around.
Plans for the funding include a dramatic revamp of the area around Stoke-on-Trent train station, where a brand-new transport hub is to be created that will offer local commuters and visitors to the city better access to taxis, buses and cycling, while also improving walking routes to and from the station. Further improvements are planned at Longton train station, with the installation of lifts, facilities to support cyclists and new passenger-waiting shelters. The upgrades will improve accessibility to the station, encouraging more people to make use of the station and its links into the city.
Figures show railway bridges are struck five times every day on average across Britain, causing almost half a million minutes of delays for rail passengers. As a result, the ‘Lorries Can’t Limbo’ campaign has been rolled out to motorway service stations, reminding drivers to ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ before starting their journeys. The second most-struck bridge, the Bromford Road bridge in Dudley, West Midlands, saw the most rail passenger delays attributed to bridge strikes with a staggering 4,300 minutes - almost 72 hours - of disruption from 24 bridge strikes. The problem is one which blights people across Britain, with bridges in Norfolk, Scotland, Middlesex, Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire, Hertfordshire, London, Somerset, West Midlands and Lancashire all making the 20 most-struck list.
TfW innovation Spatial Cortex has been declared the winner of the second cohort of Wales’ leading rail-dedicated innovation programme, following a successful virtual demo day. Competition organiser Lab by Transport for Wales, a concept introduced to Wales by KeolisAmey, looked to inspire innovation within businesses both in Wales and across the industry, with the demo day providing an exciting insight into some of the cutting-edge solutions passengers can soon look forward to. 11 start-up businesses pitched their ideas in a bid to secure extra funding to develop their products further and help shape the railway experience for customers in Wales.
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RAILSTAFF NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
Northern leaders agree way forward on Northern Powerhouse Rail
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Network Rail plants trees Network Rail and national conservation charity The Tree Council have joined forces to plant more than 80,000 trees and hedgerows across the country this winter, as part of a four-year, £1 million tree planting pledge.
At a meeting to discuss Transport for the North, regional elected mayors, council and business leaders have agreed an initial preferred way forward for a new railway network that will transform the region’s economy. The proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail network includes: • A new line to be constructed from Liverpool to Manchester via the centre of Warrington • A new line to be constructed from Manchester to Leeds via the centre of Bradford • Significant upgrades and journey time improvements to the Hope Valley route between Manchester and Sheffield • Connecting Sheffield to HS2 and on to Leeds • Significant upgrades and electrification of the rail lines from Leeds and Sheffield to Hull • Significant upgrades of the East Coast Mainline from Leeds to Newcastle (via York and Darlington) and restoration of the Leamside line.
NEWS
Funded by Network Rail and managed by The Tree Council, local planting schemes are taking place in areas from ancient woodlands to city parks and in communities from the Wirral to Worcester. The first 20,000 trees will be in the ground by Christmas, with another 60,000 planted by the end of March 2021, and tens of thousands more to follow over the lifetime of the pledge. The £1 million pledge was announced at the end of last year to give local people the money, materials and guidance to plant and look after thousands of trees within their communities. Network Rail and The Tree Council worked with community groups, parish councils, schools and others to identify locations and get everything in place for the winter planting season. Tim Wood, Northern Powerhouse Rail director, said: “This is a significant moment for Northern Powerhouse Rail. We have an initial preferred way forward for a rail network that will deliver thousands of jobs, cut carbon emissions and slash journey times between the North’s towns, cities and beyond. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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New MD at South Western Railway
Dave Bennett to join Atkins
Claire Mann has been appointed managing director of South Western Railway (SWR), to start early in 2021.
Atkins has announced that Dave Bennett will be joining as operations, improvements & innovation director for its UK and Europe business on 4 January 2021.
With more than two decades of experience in the transport sector, Claire has held a number of senior leadership roles in the rail industry including director for Docklands Light Railway at Transport for London (TfL), operations and safety director at Arriva Trains Wales, general manager east at the former First Great Western (now GWR) and customer service director at London Overground. Mark Hopwood, who is currently interim managing director of SWR, will return to being managing director of GWR
on 4 January 2021. The role of SWR managing director will be covered by Mike Houghton, chief operating officer, from 4 January 2021 until Claire joins. Matthew Golton, who has led Great Western Railway since last January, will be seconded to First Rail in a new interim role as rail business development director.
New commercial director for Story Contracting Story Contracting has appointed Bobby Forbes to be commercial director of its Story Scotland division.
New Chief Constable for British Transport Police Lucy D’Orsi has been appointed as Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) and will take up her appointment early in the New Year. She is currently the Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) for Specialist Operations. The current BTP Chief Constable, Paul
His previous role was as head of operations and business continuity at AECOM. A civil engineer, he joins Atkins on 4 January 2021 and will be based at the company’s European headquarters at Nova North in London. Dave will be responsible for leading continuous operational improvement across the business and overseeing Atkins UK and Europe’s digital transformation, which forms part of company-wide focus and investment into digital solutions that have the potential to revolutionise infrastructure delivery.
Crowther CBE, is set to retire in February 2020 after 40 years of distinguished continuous service with the Force. Lucy joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1992. Currently Counter Terrorism Policing’s Senior National Coordinator for Protective Security and Preparedness, she works closely with UK businesses, UK military and International law enforcement agencies. A gold public order commander who has led the policing of multiple events, she currently has London responsibilities for Royalty and Specialist Protection, Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection, Aviation Policing and Protective Security. She recently led on the Centenary celebrations for 100 years of Metropolitan Police Women and is also the National Police lead for Taser and Counter Drone UK capabilities.
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Bobby, who brings with him over 30 years of experience, will support Story Scotland with its strategic growth plans and ensure that its commercial team has the capability and capacity to meet clients’ expectations. He joins the business from Babcock Rail, where he held a number of commercial and quantity surveying roles before
being appointed as commercial director in 2004. Bobby said of his appointment: “I am excited to have joined a dynamic and ambitious business, which strives for continued development and improvement in all areas; from customer service provision to market diversification and people development.” “I’m really looking forward to working with the team and bringing my experience to help in the delivery of these key objectives.”
McLaren joins Readypower Terrawise Andy McLaren, former head of track projects at Babcock International, has been appointed to the role of regional director Scotland at Readypower Terrawise. With a wealth of experience in rail, built up during a long and successful career, Andy will now develop the company’s specialist civil engineering business in Scotland, delivering package
WITH THOUSANDS OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES UPDATED DAILY, YOUR NEXT CAREER IS A FINGERTIP AWAY. #OURKINDOFRAILWAYPEOPLE
works for existing Tier 1 clients and for Network Rail direct. Readypower Terrawise provides and delivers innovative solutions in design, foundations, permanent way, piling and other services. Russell Jack, Readypower Group’s chief executive officer, commented: “We are extremely excited to have attracted such a high calibre person to head up our Readypower Terrawise business in Scotland.”
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Steve Featherstone joins Two new directors for Geobear East West Railway Geobear, the company formerly known as Uretek, which helps infrastructure and general construction asset owners, contractors and design consulting firms with cracks on their structures, reduced bearing capacity of foundation soil, water ingress, wear and tear caused by dynamic loading and many other common challenges, has announced the appointment of Steve Featherstone as a senior advisor. As track programme director at Network Rail, Steve was responsible for the safe delivery of Network Rail’s programme of track and associated rail systems works, valued at some £800 million per year and delivered in collaboration with supply chain partners.
East West Railway Company has appointed two new nonexecutive Directors of the Company, with effect from 1 November 2020.
During Steve’s eight years at the helm, safety performance was recognised with eight Safety Swords of Honour from the British Safety Council, engineering overruns reduced by 85%, high speed handbacks became the norm, volume delivery exceeded 100% of target and costs were substantially under budget.
Thirty new apprentices for Alstom Alstom has a long tradition of taking on apprentices, and this year it has welcomed 30 new apprentices to its UK business, three times as many as were brought in during 2019. 15 of these are carrying out degree apprenticeships. Seven are female.
The apprentices, joining at Levels 3, 4 and 6, will be working across 10 different locations across the UK, in areas including engineering, supply chain, maintenance, design, environment, health and safety (EHS), and HR. Part of the increase this year is
DON'T MISS OUT!
Professor Lynette J Ryals, OBE, MK:U chief executive, is leading the development of a proposed STEM-focused university in Milton Keynes and combines extensive leadership experience with a demonstrable commitment to driving the regional development which sits at the heart of the East West Rail Project. She was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list for services to Higher Education. Joanna Whittington is director general, energy and security at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Her previous roles include CEO of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and she has used her considerable knowledge of railway markets and economics to spearhead projects and improve standards across several organisations. Rob Brighouse, interim chairman of the East West
Railway Company, said: “East West Rail will help to create an unrivalled knowledge arc, using new infrastructure and innovative technology to link internationally renowned science parks and world-beating universities. Lynette and Joanna both bring with them the kind of passion and experience which will help to guide EWR Co as we look to deliver an exciting new rail link. I am sincerely looking forward to welcoming them both into the NED team.” Professor Ryals said: “I’m delighted to be involved in this important and innovative infrastructure project which will bring sustainable transport to residents and businesses, underpinning growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. I look forward to working as part of the EWR Co team and further developing our region’s mix of highly-planned transport infrastructure and new technology initiatives which has already become a model for smart living and an example for planners to follow internationally.”
the result of success in signalling, with Alstom being awarded a number of major contracts. Last year, Alstom saw its first Level 3 rail engineering apprentices achieve End Point Assessment (EPA), and 14 more have done the same this year. There has also been a move towards degree apprenticeships,
under which apprentices will work towards a degree in a range of areas: manufactured engineering, supply chain, control systems support engineer and chartered manager. NOTE: the photograph of 2019 apprentices was taken before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Network Rail sets ambitious targets to tackle global warming Network Rail has become the first railway company in the world to set ambitious Science-Based Targets to limit global warming. This means that the company will be the first railway to commit to cutting emissions which limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – below the 2 degrees scientists declared necessary to meet the Paris Agreement. Chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Rail is already the cleanest and greenest mode of transporting large numbers of people and goods, but we’re committed to cutting our carbon footprint even further. That’s why we’ve set carbon reduction targets backed by science rather than simply ones we think are easy to achieve. “We are the first railway in the world to set targets that will help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and this shows our commitment to change.” Around two-thirds of the railway’s emissions are generated by suppliers, so as well as working on elements within its control, the organisation is keen to work with its wider supply chain, such as manufacturing and construction companies, to help them to set their own targets.
New year, new enterprise Despite the uncertainty due to COVID-19, a new, independent, boutique consultancy providing hiring solutions within the Built Environment market launches on the 5 January 2021. New Step Recruitment is the brainchild of Stephen Bullock (former RailStaff award winner) and Andrea Barnes. Together, they have a combined 40 years’ recruitment experience and are delighted and excited about bringing a first-class service to their industry. Offering talent solutions for both permanent and contingency staff, they intend to recruit for roles at all levels across the transportation, civil infrastructure, cost and project management disciplines, while also going the extra mile by conducting free IR35 determination at job intake stage. If deemed outside IR35 using a leading edge IR35 tool, they will even provide insurance protection against full legal, tax expenses should an investigation take place, giving
OBITUARY
Jeremy Candfield (1953-2020) The Railway Industry Association has announced that its former directorgeneral Jeremy Candfield passed away on Sunday 1 November, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
the RIA membership and throughout the railway industry. On behalf of Team RIA, our members, and the wider industry, we send our condolences to Jeremy’s family. Jeremy will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.”
Jeremy was director general of RIA from 1998 until his retirement in 2016. Darren Caplan, RIA chief executive, said, “Jeremy Candfield was my predecessor and led the Railway Industry Association with distinction for 18 years, over a truly transformational period for both RIA and UK rail. “He was incredibly well known and regarded across
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the client and the contractor peace of mind come 1 April 2021. For the safety of its operatives, New Step has partnered with a company offering digital PPE solutions (to include being COVID-19 fit for work). Stephen and Andrea pride themselves on a simple but effective business partnering approach. Having both worked Internally for some of the largest consultancies and main contractors for a number of years, they fully understand and respect the importance of following internal processes, candidate care, timely communication, honesty, integrity and attention to detail. Their focus is to provide, quite simply, a clear and concise, exemplary recruitment service to both client and candidate, whilst continuing to build long term relationships, built upon trust, results and reputation. Permanent Hires, IR35 Determination, Compliance, Finance, Insurance, Digital PPE... All under one roof.
Deploy UK opens its third new office this year Despite the current pandemic, recruitment specialist Deploy UK has opened a new office in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. It is the third office the company has opened since March, the others being at Havant (Portsmouth) and West Malling (Kent). Deploy UK, which has its headquarters in London’s Liverpool Street, is a respected and rapidly growing recruitment company within the construction, rail, signalling & telecoms, utilities, aviation and highway sectors. It is able to offer permanent, contract or temporary recruitment solutions across the UK and overseas, working in a collaborative approach with its clients and suppliers. Known for its uncompromising professionalism and integrity, Deploy UK has become a trusted partner for clients working on some of the UK’s biggest infrastructure projects. Paul Smith, Deploy UK’s technical sales director, said: “The new offices have been a great benefit during the Covid crisis, allowing our team to have the flexibility to work from home or an office.”
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The announcement by the Welsh Labour Government that it is to take passenger rail services into public ownership is welcome. There should now be no more excuses for the Scottish Government, who have greater powers than the Welsh government over rail services, not to take similar action. And, with rail services in England now wholly underwitten by the taxpayer, it’s plainly daft not to just cut out the middleman and take them fully public as well. Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary
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Major rail freight investment at Port of Grangemouth Heritage award winners The University of Northampton has won a coveted heritage award for keeping one foot firmly in the past. Opened in 2018, the £330 million Waterside campus foregoes traditional lecture theatres for interactive spaces that are geared up for a blend of physical and online teaching and learning. However, one building on the site dates back more than a century and a quarter. Home to the Students’ Union, the Engine Shed is a Grade-II listed former railway building that was brought back from dereliction when it was restored by the University for the Waterside project. The careful restoration has landed the building with its biggest award to date, after it was named the overall winner of the National Railway Heritage Awards 2020. Built by Midland Railway, the building dates back to 1873 and was originally used for the stabling and maintenance of locomotives operating on the line to Bedford. Taken out of use in 1921, the shed was used for various railway purposes up to 1998, when it was finally shut. Badly damaged by arson in 2000, the shed fell into disrepair until the University breathed new life into it, and an associated office building that was converted into a post room.
The UK’s major railway industry exhibitions, Railtex 2021 and Infrarail 2021, have been postponed to 7-9 September 2021. The co-located events were scheduled to take place from 11 – 13 May 2021 at the NEC Birmingham. The announcement by organiser Mack Brooks Exhibitions follows the postponement of Infrarail earlier this year, which was rescheduled to be co-located with Railtex 2021 following the ongoing COVID-19 crisis globally. The two exhibitions have been organised in alternating years since the launch of Infrarail 25 years ago; the decision to co-locate Railtex & Infrarail was taken to maximise the potential of both events by gathering the whole industry under one roof at the same time. “After closely monitoring the situation around COVID-19 and the associated restrictions currently in place, we have been able to secure an alternative slot to hold Railtex & Infrarail in September 2021,” said Nicola Hamann, managing director of MackBrooks Exhibitions, about the announcement. “Whilst the decision to postpone the event was not taken lightly, our number one priority is to set up the correct framework and planning security for the UK rail industry. This RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
A multimillion-pound investment has been announced in the rail freight offering at the Port of Grangemouth, intended to cement its position as the key strategic freight and export/ import hub for Scotland. The £3 million investment will significantly scale up and modernise the port’s current rail capacity to create an extended
dual rail siding of 775 metres – currently 200 metres – capable of handling the longest freight trains on the UK network. When operational early next year, Grangemouth’s will be the first rail freight terminal to offer this and provide enhanced container / domestic intermodal options particularly for customers in the food, drink and perishables sectors across the Scottish freight community.
Railtex/Infrarail postponed until September 2021
includes setting up extensive measures to do everything we can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved. “Our aim is to provide the railway industry with the marketplace it needs to recover from this crisis quicker and stronger.
The Railtex & Infrarail Team will communicate closely with customers and partners over the coming weeks and months and thank their exhibitors, partners, suppliers and visitors for their support during this time.
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Network Rail to help restore disused canal Network Rail is to invest £350,000 in helping to restore a section of the historic Draycott canal route in Derbyshire, both to reduce flooding on the railway and to rebuild heritage, creating new recreational facilities for locals and tourists alike. Known locally as the Golden Mile, the section to be restored was infilled in the 1960s after freight trade stopped using the waterway. In 1999, a drainage ditch was installed along the canal route to help to prevent flooding on the nearby Midland main line, which connects Derby and London. Whilst this did help, increased rainfall has seen the railway flooded 19 times in the past eight years, costing around £2 million and causing over 357 hours, or 14 days, of delays for passengers. Work on the scheme has now started and will see a 1.1km stretch of canal restored, as well as low points of the canal bank raised by one metre to reduce the chances of water overflowing onto the nearby rail route.
GTR launches Sector-based Work Academy Programme Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has launched its first ever Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) with East Sussex College, despite the onset of a second national lockdown. After training and preparing 12 local candidates for employment, the programme is now close to completion.
participants have successfully completed the programme. GTR’s SWAP with Sussex Skills Solutions supports the government’s aim to help communities that would otherwise be left behind.
The SWAP has been designed in partnership with Sussex Skills Solutions (part of East Sussex College) and Jobcentre Plus. It aims to break down barriers that many people face when seeking employment. Targeted at those who are long-term unemployed or who aren’t in training or education, the programme has given candidates the opportunity to develop essential employability skills whilst gaining qualifications. This new partnership builds on the success of the operator’s established ‘Get into Railways’ programme with the Prince’s Trust, which is now in its sixth year. So far, 94% of
Liverpool to invest in new station A £1.5 million investment by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has given a big boost to plans to build a new station in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has pledged to build a new station on the site of the former St James station, which closed in 1917, in one of the fastest growing areas of the city, near to the former Cains Brewery. Proposals for the station on the Merseyrail network are a step closer thanks to two new developments – an agreement with Network Rail, worth £1.2 million, to start the next stage of the design process, and the purchase of a plot of land adjacent to the railway cutting off Stanhope Street for £300,000, protecting a potential future site for the new station ticket office building. RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area has undergone huge redevelopment in recent years. It is home to a diverse range of over 350 creative and digital industries, with over 1,000 apartments built since 2012 and future plans for at least 3,000 more.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Alstom to take over Bombardier on 29 January 2021
The takeover of Bombardier Transportation by Alstom has come a step closer after both companies have confirmed that all necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the sale have been received. In September, Alstom announced that it signed the sale and purchase agreement with Bombardier Inc and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). The closing of the transaction was expected for Q1 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. With this latest news, Alstom and Bombardier now expect the transaction to close on 29 January 2021.
Funding approved to finish Crossrail
Funding and financing for the final phase of the Crossrail project has been agreed by the Mayor of London, Transport for London (TfL), the Department for Transport (DfT) and HM Treasury. Crossrail announced in August that it expected the Elizabeth line to open through central London in the first half of 2022 and that it would require funding beyond the agreed funding envelope. The shortfall will initially be covered by the Greater London Authority (GLA) borrowing up to £825 million from the DfT, which will be given by GLA to TfL as a grant. The GLA will repay this loan from Business Rate Supplement and Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy revenues.
Rail industry rejects 'Christmas chaos' claims
Recent newspaper reports in the ‘popular’ press predicting ‘travel chaos over Christmas’ have prompted a response from the Railway Industry Association (RIA), the trade body for UK rail suppliers. Hitting back at these claims, Darren Caplan, chief executive of RIA, said: “The work that rail suppliers deliver over the Christmas period is essential to ensuring our railways continue to run effectively and reliably. Despite recent reports suggesting this work is unnecessary, the vast majority of the rail network, around 95%, will be unaffected by these engineering projects, and the work that does take place is vital to keeping the network moving for the future.”
Rail Ombudsman handled 6,500 complaints in two years
Figures from the Rail Ombudsman, released on its second anniversary, reveal that around 6,500 complaints to train operating companies, that remained unresolved to the satisfaction of the rail passenger, were escalated to the Ombudsman. Over the past two years, 76% of rail passengers received a full or partial remedy to their in-scope dispute, with those awarded a financial settlement as part of the Ombudsman’s ruling, receiving on average £126. The Rail Ombudsman was established in November 2018 following a campaign by consumer group Which? and was outlined as a pledge in the Conservative Party Manifesto released ahead of the 2017 election campaign. Decisions by the Rail Ombudsman are legally binding, and all train operators within England, Wales and Scotland are part of the scheme, which also provides learning and accredited City & Guilds training.
RSG lists 'Act Now' priorities
Earlier this year, the Rail Supply Group (RSG) established a Coronavirus (Covid-19) Taskforce to understand the impact of the crisis on businesses supplying to the rail industry and put plans to support their recovery and growth. Following an extensive industry-wide supplier survey, which attracted 442 responses, the RSG completed a review of the original Rail Sector Deal. That identified three priority ‘Act Now’ initiatives to meet the immediate needs of the industry: • Improve work pipeline visibility across the whole supply chain to allow organisations to plan and deliver with confidence; • Provide ‘Open Data’ to increase economic prosperity and Build Back Better; • Change railway access arrangements to help increase productivity and strengthen the rail industry’s recovery.
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Signal box moved overnight A disused signal box in Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, has been moved to a new location just 100 metres from its original location, so it can be restored and eventually opened to the public. The structure, which controlled passing trains on the busy Nottingham-Lincoln line, as well as working the gates of the adjacent level crossing, for 120 years, became redundant four years ago with the 2016 introduction of upgraded and centrally operated train signalling. The timber building, complete with its original lever frame, had been gifted by Network Rail to the Lowdham Railway Heritage charity, which wanted to move it to a publicly accessible location close to the now privately-owned Lowdham station building. It will be restored on its new site by a team of volunteers and eventually opened to the public. The move, which was undertaken by Railway Support Services (RSS), took three years of planning. One of the challenges was moving the signal box between the level crossing lights and a nearby building – careful measurement showed that there was just a few centimetres clearance. The task was completed with about half-an-hour to spare.
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NEWS
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MPI Safety Award winner As safety is paramount in the Rail Industry, recruitment specialist MPI has choosen to reward good safety practices with its own Safety Awards.
New centre for digital railway engineering The University of Birmingham has opened a new purposebuilt centre designed to deliver specialist research in digital railway engineering. The university has partnered with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) to commission the facility, with £16.4 million in funding from Research England. The Centre of Excellence for Digital Systems showcases successful collaboration between academia and industry and sits within the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE). It is set to unite existing
academic and industry capabilities to innovate and support transformational change within the rail technology sector, globally. Procured through the Constructing West Midlands framework, the 3,000 square metre facility offers a variety of contemporary and flexible design and research spaces that act as an incubator for innovation, strengthening teaching and building research partnerships. Open offices, meeting rooms, seminar rooms and event spaces will enable industry partners to come and work directly with University experts and researchers.
The most recent winner is Kevin Roberts, who was nominated for an MPI Safety Award for his actions while working on site for one of their biggest clients. Whilst observing drainage works being carried out by another company, Kevin became concerned that an operative working beneath machinery in an excavation was not only working unsafely, but there didn’t seem to be a suitable rescue plan in place should there be an accident. When nothing was done, Kevin then took the matter up with his installation manager on site, A supervisor, sent down to site to check out the situation, stopped all work and praised Kevin for his actions, commenting that it was not exaggerating to say that Kevin might have saved someone’s life that day. Kevin commented that, without the unwavering support from both MPI’s client and Network Rail, he would not have felt empowered to step in and report this incident. He feels that it is important that everyone knows that the support is out there to enable you to report unsafe working and examples like this should give everyone confidence to take action.
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A PROBLEM SHARED IS A PROBLEM HALVED HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS MAY BE GOING UNNOTICED BUT REPORTING THEM IS AS IMPORTANT AS EVER
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s the end of 2020 rapidly approaches, CIRAS urges everyone to take a moment to consider how the year’s challenges might have changed them. Has it made you think differently about what matters most?
Perhaps how you perceive risk has changed too. Think back to before 2020, a time before Covid-19, and to what concerned you in the workplace then. You may recall health and safety issues that you haven’t thought about for a while, because you have been too busy adjusting to new ways of working. Those issues may still exist, even if they aren’t on your mind. But, according to reporting trends at confidential reporting service CIRAS, and at CIRAS member companies across the railway industry, people are not reporting them as often as before. When they are speaking up about health and safety, it is often about COVID-19. You might have carried the mental load of these other health, safety and wellbeing concerns with you throughout the year, but not wanted to tell anyone “because it isn’t a priority” with the virus taking centre stage. The truth is that those concerns do still matter. If not now, then when will the issues be resolved? Months into the future might be too late to prevent an accident or other harm coming to colleagues, passengers or anyone in your workplace. If not you, then who? You might be reluctant to voice your concerns if you are new to the team, or the youngest or most junior employee – just in case you ‘get it wrong’, or out of fear that you might be ridiculed – but often a fresh pair of eyes is exactly what it takes to spot the problem. Maybe you have a sense that something isn’t right, but you aren’t confident enough to raise it formally or ask.
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Hazard blindness can occur where a risk or hazard becomes so familiar that, over time, those who grow accustomed to it, seeing it regularly, stop recognising it as a potential threat to safety. Sometimes people simply do not see what they are not looking for. You might assume that someone else would have spoken up if there was a problem – but, this year, everyone has been more preoccupied than usual, so a serious issue could slip past unnoticed. It could be you who people are depending on to stay safe.
WAYS TO SHARE These days, most companies have internal reporting channels for health and safety concerns, and it can make sense to raise a concern with your line manager. Even if you don’t want to report anything now, it is a good idea to find out the options, so you are ready if the time comes. There are also ways to report real-time incidents and concerns that could lead to imminent danger, so that they can be resolved as quickly as possible. If you are worried about a colleague working under the influence of drugs or alcohol, report this to your company straight away, because it is a real-time issue that endangers lives. If you prefer to speak up without being identified, you can use the confidential reporting service CIRAS. When you get in
and will never release details that could identify anyone raising a concern. If CIRAS can take your concern forward, it will go to the company with all information that could identify you removed. You’ll see the company’s response and be able to give feedback and ask further questions, again confidentially. CIRAS gives the company a time limit and escalates your concern if the time limit passes without a response.
touch – by phone, text, freepost or online form – a trained analyst will contact you and arrange to discuss your concern whenever it suits you. They will ask you questions, to uncover the full picture of what’s concerning you and what you do, so they can decide whether your identity could be protected and, therefore, whether CIRAS can take it forward. CIRAS has never breached confidentiality
Confidential Reporting for Safety This is Fred Fred’s workmate is cutting corners Fred doesn’t want to cause trouble Fred called CIRAS and his company gave a safety briefing Fred feels much safer now Be like Fred The name we’ve used is fictional. We share your concern so the company can address it. You will not be identified.
Work environment
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www.ciras.org.uk Report hotline: 0800 4 101 101 Be like... adverts for Rail Media (190mm x 130 mm half page).indd 5
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WHY REPORT IN CONFIDENCE? People often raise concerns confidentially when they do not want to use other reporting channels. They could have watched other colleagues’ concerns go unanswered or not be addressed how they would have liked, so they try another reporting route. Other times, there is a fear of reporting internally. Someone could be reluctant to tell anyone what’s going on in case of consequences, such as being singled out at work for having the courage to speak up. Whether this is likely or not, the fear discourages them. With confidential reporting, people can pass on their concerns or safety suggestions with their identity protected, so that there is no fear of personal consequences and the company can focus on the safety issues, not the person. Sometimes people are just not aware of internal reporting channels. CIRAS also listens to third-party concerns, where someone wants to raise a health and safety issue about a work site or project run by a company that is not their employer. It may not be possible to report these another way. You can still contact CIRAS if you have already reported an issue to your company, and almost three-quarters of those who raised concerns with CIRAS in the financial year 2019/20 did so after trying internal channels.
ACTING ON CONCERNS Anything that puts health and safety at risk is worth raising – whether it is about the risk to individuals, including long-term occupational health issues, or about something operational that could lead to an incident. What is concerning you? Nights are closing in, days are shorter, and teams may feel pressured to do more, in less time, so as to keep work within daylight hours. This
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could lead to stress, with decisions made hurriedly or without a clear head, meaning more chance of accidents. Staying alert and speaking up if you are concerned can keep the focus on working safely and protect your colleagues. Rostering is a frequent issue: for example, travel times to and from site not being considered at the planning stage, especially when travel could take longer in winter weather or at busier times. Or double shifts – working two back-to-back – causing fatigue and a lack of concentration. If your colleagues take unsafe shortcuts with their work, you might not feel able to challenge them face-to-face or tell your manager, but you can use confidential reporting to be heard. Then the company can investigate and act, perhaps by providing better training or by looking at why someone decides to take those shortcuts. You might consider that the training on offer for your team is not suited to your tasks or roles. If you identify gaps in training or competence, or question whether you are being taught the safest approach, you can speak up, using confidential channels, without feeling that people think you are a ‘troublemaker’. Ultimately, it is worth speaking up. You can take comfort from knowing that you have done the right thing – which is all you can do in most instances – and that the issue may be resolved as a result. For example, a concern raised with CIRAS about trespassers accessing a site resulted in new measures to stop trespassers entering. Another report, about the quality of GSM-R radios, led to a sound quality check across the fleet of trains. There is often a simple solution, once the right people know about the problem. Don’t let problems go unnoticed. Whichever channels you choose, speak up for the safety and wellbeing of yourself, colleagues and others.
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REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER
IS THE INDUSTRY NEGLEC OF GOOD PEOPLE MANAG A SERIES OF REPORTS ON ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THE LAST YEAR ON THE RAILWAY ALL POINT TO HUMAN ERROR BEING THE PRIMARY CAUSE
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flurry of Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) reports came out as the end of the year approached, giving safety expert Colin Wheeler plenty to mull over. The incidents they describe were diverse, including derailments, signals passed at danger (SPADs), a fire and, sadly, an injury and a death. But was there a common theme? Depot operating beyond its capacity?
RAIB report 09/2020 follows its investigation into the fatal accident that occurred at 20:00 hours on Saturday 14 December last year. The train driver who died was “passing between two closely spaced trains when one was moved towards the other as part of a coupling operation.” It happened at Tyseley depot in Birmingham, where carriage sidings 1 to 15 can be accessed from both ends and the depot is well lit. The trains were two Class 172 Diesel Multiple Units (DMU’s). The gap between the gangways of the two DMU’s was 540mm or just 350mm between the horns on the auto-couplers. The report states that “West Midland Trains (WMT) had not adequately considered the risks faced by drivers on depots”. Tyseley depot was operating “at or beyond its capacity at night”, and “management assurance processes had not promoted safe working practices”. Workload is specifically referred to in the published report.
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Colin Wheeler.
“RAIB found no evidence that WMT had undertaken any assessment of the hazards faced by train drivers when they were working or walking within maintenance depots, even though the presence of train drivers within such depots is a routine and regular part of their duties.”
Recommendations and learning points for train operators
WMT is recommended to assess the risks to those walking or working in depots, yards and sidings, so that suitable measures are put in place to control risks. The train operator is to “ensure that unsafe working practices within the company can be effectively identified and their causes addressed”. The report also lists five learning points: • The dangers of being close to rail vehicles; • The need to make authorised walking routes known to staff; • The importance of assessing the capacity of depots to ensure they can operate safely; • The need to ensure brake tests and safety critical examinations are routinely checked and understood by staff; • The importance of screening staff involved in accidents for the presence of drugs or alcohol.
Near miss at Trewern Mill UWC
This features on Network Rail’s own Safety Central website. At 13:53 on 20 July 2020, a signaller working at Whitland signal box was asked for permission to use the Trewern Mill User Worked Crossing (UWC). He checked the Box diagram and, seeing that the track circuit was clear, gave permission, believing the train shown in the next track circuit area had already passed the UWC. At 13:56 the user confirmed having crossed, but advised that, after opening the gates, a train had travelled over the crossing! The reason for this was that the signal box diagram showed the wrong position for the UWC. During 2019, various signal box diagrams were altered, with mileages and level crossings added to them following an RAIB recommendation. Three of the four user worked crossings added to the Whitland Signal Box diagram “were depicted incorrectly-all have now been rectified.” RAIB also found that some distances were quoted in yards whilst others used chains.
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CTING THE PRINCIPLES GEMENT? Llangennech.
Sheffield station freight train derailment On 11 November at 02:45, a 34-wagon cement-carrying freight train travelling from Hope, Derbyshire, to Dewsbury derailed at Sheffield station (see above). Significant damage was caused and there were days of delay as wagons were unloaded using heavy duty vacuum pumps before they could be lifted out using a rail crane. The train derailed at the north end of Platform 1 at just 12mph. The leading 10 wagons and the rear eight stayed on track. One wagon tipped over and spilt onto the tracks and RAIB has already said that a number of rail fastenings were broken before the accident happened. They are looking at the design and maintenance of both track and wagons involved.
Bognor Regis passenger train derailment
This derailment on 22 October was reported as a news story by RAIB on 27 October. At 05:11 that morning, the 05:05 Bognor Regis to Littlehampton service derailed as it departed from Platform 4 with just 15 passengers on board. They were evacuated from the rear part of the train which was still on the platform. There were no injuries, but a set of points was damaged. RAIB has decided to publish a Safety Digest “in the next few weeks”.
Llangennech derailment and oil train fire update On 5 November, RAIB published its Urgent Safety Advice 02/2020 relating to the oil tanker train derailment and subsequent fire at Morlais junction, Llangennech, on 26 August.
It focusses on wagons that carry dangerous goods and is aimed at those charged with their maintenance. Such organisations, described as “Entities in Charge of Maintenance” or EMCs, are told to have “appropriate arrangements in place to manage the safety risk associated with malfunction of the braking system, including facilities, tools and equipment, systems for assuring the competence of those involved, and instructions for assuring work quality, methods for initial and ongoing assurance of the security of fastenings and processes for the identification and tracking of safety critical components.” The Safety Advice adds that “the assessment should take into account the particular hazards associated with the conveyance of dangerous goods”. The Urgent Safety Advice includes a picture from the Pen-y-Bedd CCTV camera, 12 miles from Morlais junction, where the train derailed after the leading axle of the third wagon
stopped turning. It states: “There is no record of any check on the tightness of the relay valve fastenings ever having been made and there was no process requiring such checks or provision of any measures, such as witness markings, which would have indicated that the fastenings were becoming loose.” This report will be important for all operators of rail freight services.
Unpowered new units with isolated brakes
RAIB’s report 10/2020 was published on 9 November on the signal passed at danger on 26 March at Loughborough South. Around 10:57, train 5Q26 was making a rolling stock transfer move from Old Dalby to Worksop when it passed red signal LR507 at 20mph and stopped 200 metres past it. The safety overlap of the signal was exceeded, but it came to rest 600 metres short of the point where conflict with other train movements could occur.
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to Bristol train whose driver had booked on at 14:36 hours. He had been issued with a hard copy notice with ESRs including the Dauntsey cyclic top one, over which he had driven in previous days. Network Rail did not advise GWR of the hot weather ESR until 16:33, but, by the time the train reached Dauntsey, new signs had replaced the stop and caution. ATP (Automatic Train Protection) had not been modified to include the 20mph heat restriction ESR, since it was likely to be lifted within hours. On seeing the ESR Board the driver assumed the 125 part had been displaced. He saw the 20mph at the ESR commencement whilst travelling at 117mph. A full brake application reduced his speed to 105mph. He reported to the signaller that some signage was missing.
The ESR was removed at 19:07 The train was formed a four-car Class 710 EMU (Electrical Multiple Unit) with Class 57 locomotives at each end (see above). New Class 710s were being moved unpowered with brakes isolated, with the brake piping between the 57’s providing braking. The driver with the shunter prepared the locomotives and carried out a brake test. After departing Melton, the train was held in the loop outside Melton Mowbray station for 45 minutes but departed on time. It travelled at 75mph. Two miles before reaching signal LR 507, on seeing LR 503 showing a single yellow aspect, the driver applied half full-braking which he increased to full as he passed that signal. Signal LR 519 was replaced to danger before 2L58 departed from platform 3 at Loughborough in response to an alarm resulting from LR57 being passed at danger. How the train was driven, its speed approaching the yellow signal, the train driving sheet incorrectly specifying a speed of just under 75mph and the amount and timing of the braking all contributed to the incident. RAIB commented that the Rail Operations Group’s (ROG) management did not detect lack of compliance with its safety systems; the driver did not conduct an adequate braking test, and ROG did not adequately manage the retrieval of information from locomotive OTDRs (On-Train Data Recorders). Both the RAIB and ORR (Office of Rail and Road) investigations were hampered as a result.
Previous SPADs (Signals passed at danger)
Back on 24 March 2016, at Ketton, Rutland, a Class 47 locomotive hauling a four-car Class 321 passenger unit passed a signal at danger. Since then, there have been five more ROG SPAD incidents: • 10 July 2017, Droitwich Spa; • 26 March 2018, Potters Bar; • 25 November 2019, Moreton-on-Lugg; • 8 February 2020, Bristol Barton Hill; • 26 March 2020, Loughborough South. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) served an improvement notice on 28 April with an initial compliance date 28 July, this was later extended to 31 August. Actions taken include the introduction of a weekly electronic notices system, with new documents issued to drivers at the start of each journey, prepared by shunters. On 18 June, a safety brief was issued explaining the new system. The company has procured more OTDR downloading equipment and trained staff in its use.
Over-speeding at Dauntsey Wiltshire
On 10 November, RAIB published preliminary results of its investigation of over-speeding that took place on 12 August. The 16:07 Great Western Railway (GWR) London to Bristol service travelled at 117mph over a section of track with a 20mph ESR (Emergency Speed Restriction) on it! The restriction was imposed on 25 June due to a cyclic top track defect affecting a 100-metre length of track using 30/125 (30mph restriction for freight but 125mph for passenger trains). In the heat of 12 August, rail temperatures reached a critical level, trains were stopped and cautioned with a 20mph imposed. This began at 13:55 and, by 15:52, revised local signage replaced the stop and caution procedure. Subsequently, the first train over the affected section was the London
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RAIB decided not to investigate further, referring back to its recommendations following a similar incident at Sandy on 19 October 2018. Recommendations made then included operating companies to “review their practices of making drivers aware of ESRs” and the industry was “to consider and review options for a safe and suitable means of providing drivers with warnings of ESRs on the route ahead through the use of suitable technologies”. At Dauncey, the 30/125 mph restriction had been allowed to continue for some time without being converted to a TSR (Temporary Speed Restriction). On motorways, car satellite navigation devices flag up emergency lane and other restrictions ahead. Surely, we can do the same for railways? Sandy happened in 2018, so why the delay?
Waybeamed bridge derailment
On 16 November RAIB issued report 12/2020 into the freight train derailment at Wanstead Park, London, on 23 January. Just before 06:00, a wagon in the rear half of a heavily loaded freight train derailed on a small radius curve whilst crossing a waybeamed bridge. Two adjacent wheel sets from different wagons derailed. One re-railed shortly afterwards, but the other caused significant track damage over a distance of two and a half miles (see below). The remainder of the train stayed on track. Severely rotted longitudinal timbers at the point of derailment were concealed by superficially good exteriors. RAIB says “inspection methods and tools used by Network Rail were not sufficient to detect poor internal timber conditions”. Track gauge widening had been identified on six occasions between March 2019 and January 2020. On three occasions, work was done, but in nearby locations due to “erroneous GPS data”. On three other
occasions, the recording software failed to report any location of the fault! Following a longitudinal timber failure in the same area in August 2017, Network Rail updated its standard for the inspection and management of long timbers. This was not published until March this year. One wagon pushed the rails apart, resulting in the derailment. Wagon maintenance records show rapid wear over some years resulting in high lateral forces. RAIB makes a single recommendation to Network Rail to improve the provision of track recording data to maintenance staff. The recommendation to the wagon owner concerns maintenance of wagons and reducing the risk of defective ones entering service. Learning points cover management of longitudinal timbered bridges and wagon loading in freight terminals.
Grove Ferry, Kent Route Southern Region This was the location of a serious injury accident on 24 October, reported on Network Rail’s Safety Central website. Track measurements were being taken to align sleepers from the adjacent line on which an engineer’s train was standing. The train was authorised to move and ran over the operative’s hand amputating two fingers. Two hours elapsed before the accident was reported to Route Control, which delayed reporting of the incident. RAIB, the Office of Rail and Road, Network Rail and the contractor are now investigating.
Leeds Neville Hill Depot report
RAIB published report 13/2020 on 18 November, just over a year after the accident. A new LNER express train, travelling at 15mph, collided with the back of an HST (High Speed
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Train) which was travelling at 5mph. There were no injuries. The report states that the driver, “focussed on reinstating the onboard system that he had recently isolated instead of driving”, had “commanded too much acceleration”. “Ambiguous documentation” from Hitachi led to LNER misunderstanding the setting up of the train management system when developing the driver training programme. The RAIB report also added that “crash-worthiness at speeds lower than 36kph and derailment performance were not specifically considered.” Two recommendations to LNER relate to setting up the train management system, whilst Hitachi is to reassess the design against the crashworthiness standard and RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) is to consider modifying its crashworthiness standard.
Bromsgrove, blame Boris?
On 23 March, at Bromsgrove in the West Midlands, a passenger train collided with a derailed locomotive. RAIB published its report 14/2020 on 19 November. Before leaving home for work, the locomotive driver had watched the Prime Minister on television detailing the COVID-19 lockdown. He was to drive a Class 66 locomotive as a banking locomotive for a freight train ascending Lickey Incline at Neville Hill Depot.
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Bromsgrove.
around midnight. During his drive to work, he received a telephone call about child care arrangements. He reached Bescot Yard, Walsall, and departed in the locomotive at 21:32 hours, travelling via St Andrew’s junction and Kings Norton. He received three text messages on his mobile in 11 minutes and sent four replies. A picture message, received at 22:38, showed advice from the school. Approaching Bromsgrove Neck, the locomotive was coasting at 18mph, increasing to 23mph on the downhill gradient. When just 40 metres from the siding buffer stop, the driver realised where he was and made a full brake application. Four seconds later he ran into the buffer stop at 21mph. The locomotive derailed foul of the adjacent main line. Less than a minute later, a passenger train collied with the corner of it. The passenger train did not derail, but stopped between the locomotive and Bromsgrove Station. RAIB’s recommendation is for the revision, as necessary, of processes and standards applying to buffer stops and ensuring adequate management of risks arising from buffer stop collisions.
Putting safety first, or get out look and listen
“Putting safety first” is the mantra with which all railway people are familiar. Doing a good job, one of which you can be proud, is satisfying. Arguably, almost all of the incidents and accidents in this article are the result of human error. I suggest this is due to reduced commitment, motivation and acceptance of personal responsibility. This situation has grown due to remote management and, in particular, lack of face-to-face listening management. Management via email and hiding behind rules never works. “Get out, look and listen” is a better slogan.
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IN A FOOTNOTE TO HIS MAIN ARTICLE, COLIN WHEELER ASKS WHETHER THE LACK OF FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION IS RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS?
SAFETY IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
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s we approach the end of a year like no other for most of us, maybe we need to reflect on why the reduction in train services caused by the pandemic has not been accompanied by a reduction in accidents and incidents? There has been a recent increase in the number of RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) reports published as we approach the calendar year end. The predominance of accidents and incidents related to both track and freight wagon maintenance is very evident. The preface to every RAIB report reads as follows: “The purpose of a Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigation is to improve railway safety by preventing future railway accidents or by mitigating their consequences. It is not the purpose of such an investigation to establish blame, or determine liability, since neither the investigation nor the reporting process has been undertaken for that purpose.” The Preface goes on to define its own precise use of words such as “probable, possible, more, less, underlying and observation”.
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Consequently, we may assume that blame, liability etc are matters to be assessed and acted on by the Office of Rail and Road, using the organisation that I recall as part of Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate. Ideally, we ought all to be working towards reducing accidents and incidents and ultimately no longer needing the RAIB!
FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION One of the main problems is the reduction in face-to-face communication resulting from our increased, and still increasing,
use of emails and texts. I question whether listening to the concerns of and difficulties encountered by those operating, maintaining and managing railway infrastructure and trains is adequate? The key to improvement is the direct involvement of front-line chargehands, supervisors, technical workers, managers and trades union representatives. To be more precise, I have reviewed the recently published RAIB investigation reports on pages 23 of this edition of Railstaff, and give below my own conclusions.
2020 PUBLISHED REPORTS The report on the tragic fatality at Tyseley Depot of a train driver identifies the problems of walking safely in that depot, especially at night, and suggests that exceeding the depot working capacity was a known problem. Drivers, union representatives, supervisors and management were presumably all aware of this – if not, they surely should have been. In Whitland signal box, surely someone must have noticed that the amended diagram showed Trewern UWC in the wrong place, so why were communications between signallers and their supervisors and managers such that no action was taken? The derailment and fire at Llangenech were the result of inadequate wagon maintenance, according to the RAIB report.
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HEALTH+SAFETY
Rail Accident Report
Rail Accident Report
Rail Accident Report
Rail Accident Report
Rail Accident Report
Fatal accident at Tyseley depot 14 December 2019
Signal passed at danger at Loughborough South Junction, Leicestershire 26 March 2020
Track workers struck by a train at Margam, Neath Port Talbot 3 July 2019
Derailment of a freight train near Wanstead Park, London 23 January 2020
Passenger train collision with a derailed locomotive at Bromsgrove 23 March 2020
Report 09/2020 October 2020
Report 10/2020 November 2020
Competent fitters would have known that their work was less than perfect as would their supervisors, managers and, presumably, union representatives. Had concerns been raised? If so, what had been done, and if not, why not? The signal passed at danger (SPAD) at Loughborough South highlights a train operating company’s history of such incidents. The report, in line with the stated purpose of RAIB’s investigations, does not identify who decided on the through braking arrangement between the two Class 57 locomotives or who approved the details. Llangennech.
Report 11/2020 November 2020
Surely, given the frequency of SPADs, action should have been taken before this one happened? The over-speeding at Dauntsey (105mph on track covered by a 20mph Emergency Speed Restriction) should be easy to solve by adding the relevant equipment for train drivers so that warnings show in train cabs without the need for anyone to erect any physical warning boards on track- itself a safety challenge! Who should be held personally accountable for not implementing recommendations following the Sandy incident? Penalising the organisation
Report 12/2020 November 2020
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Report 14/2020 November 2020
rather than individuals can be, and often is, ineffective. From my own experiences, I empathise with the patrollers, maintenance staff, supervisors and track engineers involved in maintenance of waybeamed bridges at Wanstead Park, where a freight train derailed due to rotten timbers resulting in gauge spread. RAIB’s report is clear; “they did not have adequate inspection methods and tools”. Three reports from the inspection train without location information plus six trackwidening reports between March 2019 and January 2020 should surely have resulted in an emergency line closure, instituted by the local track engineer, before the derailment? A similar comment is surely deserved in respect of the cement train derailment at Sheffield Midland Station at 02:45 on 11 November, following RAIB’s comment that some track fastenings were already broken before the train arrived there! I remember a not dissimilar incident that resulted in the equivalents of a supervisor and track engineer leaving their employment. The Leeds Neville Hill collision between a High-Speed Train (HST) and new Hitachi ‘Azuma’ questions the training regime for drivers using the Hitachi train management system. It does not reveal who checked and agreed the training course or whether FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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there were criticisms of it from drivers, supervisors, traincrew managers and trades union representatives. Had no one raised concerns?
METHODS OF COMMUNICATION We have developed numerous clever systems to provide support to those undertaking the inspection, operation, use and maintenance of railway infrastructure and trains. There is, sadly, a predictable blind spot. Information may be available online or via email, but is it read, understood and accepted? When those involved are at the sharp end of moving trains and renewing or maintaining rail infrastructure, how easy is it for them to raise their concerns?
RULE READING When I started on the railway, there were many track staff whose ability to read and write was very limited, and the practice of Rule Reading in the cabin during bad weather was still followed. Discussion of the readings were inevitable and were, in many ways, the most valuable part of the rule reading. Discussions about Rule application increased everyone’s understanding and knowledge and concerns were regularly raised with supervisors, trades union representatives and management.
Neville Hill. Face-to-face training, discussion and involvement needs to increase if accidents and incidents are to reduce. Ensuring everyone has logged in and read the latest electronic missives, I suggest, is all too often less effective.
“NOT TO ESTABLISH BLAME OR LIABILITY” When a local inspector from what was then Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) was appointed to the city where I was based, I soon learnt to consult him on safety matters. He gained the respect of the workforce and trades unions too. We all benefitted, and I believe accidents were avoided as a result. At joint investigation inquiries, I was reminded of my personal accountability for the actions of those who worked for me and recall cases where prosecutions were begun against individuals.
Such actions nowadays must be progressed by the Office of Rail and Road, which includes HMRI. Prosecutions are against employing organisations rather than individuals. I still remember drafting my personal health and safety statement, setting out how I was to personally ensure safety management. The local HMRI inspector periodically, and almost always unexpectedly, checked my record of site safety visits and safety meetings. Personal liability realisation was an unsurpassable safety performance motivator! As I started to write this article, news came in of the fatal accident on Monday 30 November at the Long Welded Rail Depot in Eastleigh. The police were called at around 14:50. A sad reminder to us all, and my thoughts and prayers are for all involved at Eastleigh, including the family and friends of the individual who lost his life at work.
RAIL SAFETY WEEK 2021 21st – 27th June 2021
Building Safety Together For more information: call
0161 302 0575
email alan@railsafetyweek.co.uk
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WHITE-ZONE WORKING
THE ANSWER FOR THE FUTURE?
NOW THAT THE REPORT ON THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT MARGAM HAS BEEN RELEASED, IT IS TIME TO MAKE SURE SUCH AN INCIDENT CAN NEVER TAKE PLACE AGAIN.
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aving track workers maintain a live railway track is always fraught with danger and needs safety rules to be followed to the letter. The accident report says that they weren’t, and Colin Wheeler questions why more work can’t be done while no trains are running.
On 12 November, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) published its final report 11/2020 on the fatal accident to trackworkers that occurred at Margam, near Port Talbot, on 3 July 2019. Nine of its 11 recommendations are addressed to Network Rail. They cover “planning and supervision of maintenance staff, safety behaviours of staff, supervisors and managers, and the establishment of a group to provide vision, guidance and to challenge initiatives to improve track worker safety, improve safety reporting culture and improve assurance processes for assessing changes to working practices of front-line staff”. Work to be done when no trains are running!! Additionally, RAIB, together with Network Rail, rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Department for Transport, is to “investigate ways to
optimise the balance between the need to operate train services and enabling safe track access for routine maintenance tasks”. This, I suggest, at least hints at a future review of train operating timetables and on-track work aimed at timetabling predictable work for times when no trains are running. “White Zone” working is a good name for it and post-COVID changes to working and commuting norms should make it easier to achieve. RAIB’s final recommendation is not related directly to the Margam accident but was picked up during the investigation. It calls for research into the practicality of establishing train horns to sound automatically when a driver initiates an emergency brake application. In addition to being the right thing to do to provide the earliest possible warning, this must surely be relatively easy to achieve?
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DIVERSITY
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MAKING RAIL MORE
DIVERSE
THE RAIL INDUSTRY HAS A SEEMINGLY ETERNAL PROBLEM WITH ATTRACTING WOMEN AND ETHNIC MINORITIES INTO ENGINEERING ROLES.
R
ail is not the only industry to have this challenge, but it seems particularly bad at it. Clive Kessell, covering the Rail Industry Association annual conference for sister magazine Rail Engineer, found himself involved in discussions on how to improve diversity at all levels.
Skills, Opportunity, Inclusion and Diversity. Much is made of these four facets of modern-day society and how they feature in rail. They are, however, a growing concern in business life generally, and especially the engineering sector.
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It is a fact that the country is desperately short of qualified engineers, something like 50,000 more will be required in the next decade if the major infrastructure projects are going to be delivered by a home-grown workforce. Why should this be when, half a century ago, engineering was seen as an attractive career, with the UK in the premier league of nations in the development of technology?
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For rail in particular, the industry is perceived to be dominated by white, middle-aged men in the management echelons, but is this true?
THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE At the recent Railway Industry Association (RIA) conference, a panel session chaired by Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1, looked at some of the truths and myths. The proportion of women occupying senior posts in the rail industry is seen as being below the alreadypoor national average. In HS1, around 50 per cent of the senior team are women, no doubt due to Dyan’s efforts, and many of us will know names of women who have held or are heading up Train Operating Companies, such as Louise Cheeseman (below). They are much less prominent in infrastructure, however. It would seem that engineering, and rail engineering in particular, is not a discipline that readily appeals to girl school leavers or female graduates. Media studies, international relations, IT, law and the health service all seem to offer more appealing prospects.
The ones that do ‘cross the line’, and study engineering into a career progression, are very good at it and more than a match for most of their male counterparts. It should be an exciting time to take on a rail engineering role, what with HS2, East – West Rail and electrification yet women feature only on the margins.
YOUNG PEOPLE INTO RAIL
This is a different situation to females, even admitting that many of the latter will also be young. The chairman of Young Railway Professionals (YRP), George Chilcott, told of his university’s graduate fairs, where rail was not prominent in selling a railway career. Many young people remain interested in trains (I was one of them several decades ago) but the industry as a whole is not cohesive enough to provide the broad-based training that used to happen on BR. Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, subscribes to this view. There is a need to bring the industry alive and to strip out the orange workwear image. As Adeline Ginn from CPMS Group remarked: “Think of the career you want, and it will exist in rail.”
DIVERSITY This is another banner which hits the headlines, but Florence Eshalomi, MP and London Assembly member, acknowledged that train crew, including drivers and station staff, are filled by a goodly proportion of people from mixed ethnic backgrounds. Higher up the supervisory and managerial layers, however, this proportion drops off quite quickly. Railways should be a fun industry to be in, but how to make it more attractive? It is in the thick of some of the global challenges, climate change being one of them, where youngsters are known to have a particular concern. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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RESEARCH IN ITS WIDEST MEANING Universities have taken over from the erstwhile BR Research department as the main instigators of rail innovation. The Universities of Leeds and Birmingham are two of them, and Clive Roberts, Professor of Railway Systems at Birmingham, comes into contact with many young people as part of the courses on offer. Rail has to be put forward as a career that makes a difference and, whilst engineering is important, maybe rail should portray itself more as digitisation and transport. Andrew McClean from the National Railway Museum emphasised that a museum is not all about the past. The showpieces and information on display at York and Shildon cover many decades, from the birth of railways through to the present day. Entrepreneurs from the past, such as Brunel and the Stephensons, may well inspire young people to want to be a part of the rail industry.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? There seems little doubt that many of the answers lie within the rail industry itself. There is no excuse for rail not to feature at university fairs and careers events. Schools, particularly where they exist in locations that have major rail employers, should be targeted for the apprenticeships and training schemes on offer. Derby has a regular event under the ‘iRail’ banner, where local schools are invited to attend. Pupils are able to talk to potential employers and groups are formed in a type of competition to see how they would solve specific rail problems. Obtaining qualifications is important, which is where universities and colleges running specific rail courses can be an encouraging factor. Getting the experience that BR once offered needs to be tackled. Could RIA facilitate students employed by one company to have a placement in other companies as part of their training? The professional Institutions with a rail bias (IRSE, IMechE Rail Division, RCEA, IRO) could well help with this. For women, maybe, while the industry is tackling the problem of making it more attractive to study engineering, other opportunities should be explored as well. Project management has no gender or ethnic barriers, all it needs is a commitment to succeed. The message to the industry is one I often told my staff: “Don’t tell me the problems, give me solutions.” RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
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FEATURE
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A GREENER, BETTER CONNECTED
FUTURE WITH VERY LIGHT RAIL IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY IS THE AIM OF EVERY LOCAL AUTHORITY. TWO PROJECTS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS ARE BRINGING THAT AMBITION TO FRUITION.
A
new dawn in public transport is on the horizon with the rapid development of a concept that will help to provide many more, much needed, local rail connections. With the help of the government and two local councils, Very Light Rail (VLR) is set to move out of the sidings and, at the same time, help with moves to decarbonise transport. Although tram networks in several cities continue to expand, progress is often painfully slow, partly because of high costs and disruption. The same can be said for plans to re-open many railway branch lines, closed by Dr Beeching in the 1960s. But things could be about to change with the development of a new transport solution. VLR is set to transform the rail industry and help support better connections to and from the national rail network and through towns and cities across the country. It utilises leading-edge technologies from the rail and automotive sectors and, according to those behind the concept, delivers significant benefits.
DEVELOPMENT IN DUDLEY A forerunner to the latest VLR development, the ‘Class 139’ railcar, has been carrying passengers on a branch line in Stourbridge since 2009. But now a new organisation has been set up to take VLR to a new level. The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) has just started work on the construction of a state-of-the-art national innovation centre in Dudley. Costing around £25 million to build, the centre will help to develop the next generation of Very Light Rail vehicles and infrastructure. BCIMO’s formation has been made possible through a collaboration between Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Coventry RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
City Council, together with input from Cenex, the low emission transport consultancy. Dr Nick Mallinson, chief executive of BCIMO, said: “This initiative is about developing a new form of low-cost rail-based transport, which will be manufactured and installed by UK companies and in particular supported by manufacturing companies in Dudley and the wider Black Country.” The centre, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (BCLEP), will include a triple-height engineering hall, research laboratories, conference and seminar rooms and offices for 45 people. There will also be a dedicated test track running along part of an old disused railway line. BCIMO’s mission statement talks about positively transforming the rail industry by providing supplementary VLR solutions and helping the Black Country to both regenerate and innovate. But Mallinson maintains that it’s more than that. “We plan to look at the bigger picture and how VLR systems can fit into the overall concept of hub-to-home public transport.” And that’s where VLR could really help. Around the country, there are scores of branch lines that are ripe for reopening and where there is need for new local connections, perhaps to mainline inter-city services. Recently, the government announced start-up funding for 25 schemes across the UK under its ‘Restoring Your Railway’ programme. BCIMO thinks that
BCIMO - Rail Test Facility Supervisor Career Opportunity - Page 49
many of the successful schemes announced so far would be ideal for a VLR solution. Richard Jones, BCIMO’s Business and Partnerships Manager, said: “We’re not in competition with the railways. Very Light Rail both supports and sustains the current railway network, providing more railway and more connections.” The main benefits of VLR come with its low capital and operating costs and shorter lead times, with fewer disruptions than conventional rail systems. And VLR could be especially useful on short routes where operating traditional heavy rail or tram solutions is uneconomic. Experts point out that it can also help with government moves to decarbonise transport. Nick Mallinson added: “Not only can its vehicles provide low or zero emissions solutions, but VLR can go where some other forms of public transport can’t, meaning new journey opportunities that could help to bring down car dependency.”
CONNECTIVITY IN COVENTRY One such scheme is being planned in Coventry. There, the city council, together with lead partner WMG, is developing a VLR solution that will see batterypowered vehicles running on a route that will connect major
employment sites with the city centre and the railway station. Vehicles will run on a lightweight innovative new track, specifically designed for the Coventry system. Construction of the first vehicle is already underway and is due to undergo rigorous testing at the new centre in Dudley in early 2021. The project has been made possible thanks to funding from the government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and the West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal. With the current modernisation of the city’s railway station and the on-going regeneration of the city centre, the VLR scheme will provide a vital missing new link in the city’s transport network. Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, commented: “We want our public transport to be efficient, affordable and most importantly environmentally friendly. Coventry led the industrial revolution and now we are leading the green industrial revolution. I firmly believe that VLR is the future of public transport in small and medium sized towns.” But the Coventry vehicle isn’t the only Very Light Rail project underway. A separate scheme
RAILSTAFF NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
called ‘Revolution VLR’, led by Warwickshire based Transport Design International, is also well advanced. In line with the Dudley innovation centre, a key aim is to facilitate low-cost connectivity of regional and rural lines. Its first prototype vehicle, which has also been built in conjunction with WMG, is nearing completion, before also undergoing testing. Meanwhile, the Black Country Innovation Manufacturing Organisation talks a lot about being progressive and collaborative. And its work is clearly more than just dedicated to pioneering VLR concept. It’s also about developing and nurturing a new supply chain in the Black Country. Nick Mallinson explained: “We have set up an ‘Innovation Forum’ to encourage and support the local SME community. Many companies might only be active in certain sectors and might not realise that the products they make, for instance automotive
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components, could be adapted for new markets, including for use in the Very Light Rail industry.” Counsellor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, added: “The Very Light Rail Test Track and National Innovation Centre is a key project for our borough. It will offer an innovative and exciting opportunity to provide lower cost local rail connectivity, encouraging shift from private vehicles towards public transport.” Very Light Rail has been a concept that’s been talked about for a while, but now seems to be coming of age. It’s bringing with it the promise of lower-cost, greener and better-connected public transport. In the Black Country, it’s also hoped the development of VLR will help to create new jobs and secure others, which might be under threat as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction of the new VLR innovation centre is expected to complete in 2022.
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CONFIDENCE AND
COVID WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WITH PASSENGER NUMBERS STILL JUST A FRACTION OF THEIR LEVEL A YEAR AGO, HOW DOES THE INDUSTRY MAKE RAIL TRAVEL MORE APPEALING?
C
OVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way people work, live, travel and play around the world. With passenger numbers at an all-time low, Daisy Chapman-Chamberlain, rail lead at KTN, considers some possibilities.
The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global transport networks has been enormous; in the UK, rail passenger numbers fell by as much as 96 per cent at the height of the pandemic, compared to an average pre-COVID day, and, in late November, passenger numbers were still at just 20-23 per cent of their former levels. The way people think about work and travel has also changed; with many roles being performed at home, the need to board a peak hour service with a costly season ticket seems greatly diminished, and, with recent positive vaccination news, the nation seems to be entering yet another state of change and flux. However, it seems unlikely that there will be a return to the 9-5, five-day standard working week for the average commuter anytime soon, if at all. The Department for Transport has led a number of surveys into the attitudes of passengers in recent months; highlighting that some of the most important features to passengers looking to return to rail are wearing of face coverings, social distancing and cleanliness of carriages. However, 86 per cent of those surveyed in October’s National Travel Attitudes Study (wave 4) expressed concerns for their health when thinking about using public modes of transport, but only 17 per cent of respondents were concerned about using a car. 65 per cent of respondents said it is very or fairly likely that they will avoid using public transport if it is crowded once travel restrictions have been removed.
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It is clear that trust and confidence, as much as practical steps around cleaning and mask use, are just as vital in considering how to attract passengers back to rail; and how to encourage new customers to engage into the future. Rail must be seen as safe, affordable and comfortable for the industry to both recover and thrive.
TICKETING INNOVATIONS In light of these changing passenger priorities, ticketing systems come to the fore as a crucial area for innovation. In order to attract back the commuter market, train operators must look at flexible and Carnet systems of season tickets; particularly those which incentivise passengers to use off-peak services, for both social distancing and to ensure a more comfortable travel experience into the future. Beyond the need to re-engage with commuters is the need to ensure both previous and new leisure travellers view the railway as an attractive option. Discount ticket deals will be key to this; Northern’s 10p ticket sales are an excellent example of how to encourage leisure travellers, with 180,000 tickets to Manchester, Leeds and York snapped up by eager customers. Of course, the need following a sale of this type is to ensure a smooth service, to incentivise travellers to return to rail with a fully paid ticket.
LEISURE TRAVEL VERSUS COMMUTER TRAVEL It is fair to say that many rail services are built around the commuter market – in light of the financial value to operators of a traditional season ticket, this is perhaps not surprising. As rail travel moves into the future, and the need to enhance the leisure travel offering becomes clearer, what can be learned from heritage railways? With lines from the Bluebell in Sussex to the Keighley and Worth Valley in Yorkshire attracting scores of eager, happy passengers each year, where the train is the focus of the day, how can the industry bring some of this magic to mainline services? Perhaps a Pendolino Santa train, making the two-hour trip from Manchester to London a family experience, would incentivise travellers looking for a festive start to their day out. Or, taking a note of heritage catering services, providing higher-end, seasonal meals and treats could well be key to attracting discerning customers.
What can be learned from Japan? There, trains are themed with everything from eternally popular Pokémon characters to a cat train aiming to raise the levels of local cat adoption. Making the journey an experience may be key to a rail leisure revival. Beyond these quainter concepts, boosting support and funding to existing work could have a major impact. Community rail enhancements to local stations take place across the country, making them pleasanter, more community-linked environments, and adding 2.8 per cent passenger growth above that on non-community rail lines per annum (2015). Some companies, including new tour company Byway, are viewing the current situation as an opportunity to promote travel by train rather than by plane. With the tagline, “Discover the world by travelling through it, not flying over it”, encouraging holidaying sustainably within the UK and across Europe has significant potential to restore and boost passenger numbers. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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PERSONALISED JOURNEYS Passenger information and choice becomes key to this; providing real-time information about journey options and progress, enabling passengers to make better choices about which services to use, better connectivity during journeys (including for at-seat media use) and more. Systems must be seamless, clear and communicated in a wide range of ways. The travel process must be smooth, from the stage of booking, to punctuality of service, and the provision of information to empower and reassure the customer.
This agenda encompasses multimodal links and better integration of active travel; for the leisure traveller in particular, the issue of taking bicycles on trains is a long-standing point of contention (storage of all types, including of suitcases, must also be prioritised). Beyond this, links to e-scooters, electric bicycles and walking options must all be part of the door-to-door journey experience. For much of this work, rail staff will be key; ensuring that systems run smoothly and that passengers feel supported. Staff confidence, training and safety must be a constant thread through every innovation.
Inclusion and accessibility are central to this; enabling all passengers, including those with less-visible disabilities, to access the network must be a central focus for the future. The Research Institute for Disabled Consumers found that 52 per cent of respondents to their recent survey said they were unsure about returning to public transport after COVID-19 travel restrictions have been removed. Innovations such as WelcoMe, by Neatebox, enhance the existing passenger assist service with digital connectivity, making travel and communication simpler for both passengers and staff. Provision of information, as highlighted above, is also vital. Innovations in this area make it easier for all passengers to use the network. This also includes making it easier to travel for those with needs including anxiety, for those with heavy luggage, and for the passenger who may simply be stressed on a given day, giving some of the confidence needed to return to public transport.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Finally, this is a chance to build a more sustainable future. Encouraging greater train use,
attracting new passengers, linking to active travel and beyond, can reshape the way people think about travel across the UK and beyond. Cleaner, greener trains, systems and stations are a clear priority moving forward. One example comes through HydroFLEX, a forerunner of the development of hydrogenpowered trains in the UK. A perhaps more unusual and traditional example comes from India, where tea will be served in earthenware cups called kulhads at all 7,000 railway stations, an environmentally friendly and biodegradable alternative being employed as part of a plasticreduction drive. Across the backdrop of major rail changes, from EMAs (Emergency Measures Agreements), to ERMAs (Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements) and to the new future rail system, this is indeed an opportunity for great change across rail, as priorities around travel and commuting shift, and as the country looks to a future of rebuilding and revitalising. The rail industry must seize this time to shift its thinking around rail and rebuild collaboratively, sustainably and inclusively.
Contact the transport team at KTN for more information about collaboration opportunities, innovation and funding potential – daisy. chamberlain@ktn-uk.org or visit https://ktn-uk.org/transport/ About the author Daisy is Rail Knowledge Transfer manager at KTN, working across transport innovation, accessibility and sustainability. She also leads on Accessible and Inclusive Mobility (AIM), supporting and driving business innovation in AIM across transport modes, and working to enable full inclusion. KTN is a UK-wide organisation that brings together businesses, academics, government agencies and research organisations to facilitate knowledge transfer and to build better links between science, creativity and business. She is also a board member for the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Vice Chair of ITSUK’s Inclusive Mobility Forum and a Northern Power Woman; Future List winner. RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
Here when you need us... TBF continues to offer help and support to its members during these unprecedented times. Helping to make a difference. Just ÂŁ1 a week covers you, your partner and dependent children Email help@tbf.org.uk to find out how we can help you, or visit www.tbf.org.uk Transport Benevolent Fund CIO, known as TBF, is a registered charity in England and Wales, 1160901, and Scotland, SC047016.
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SUPPORTING THE WORKERS ON
OUR FRONTLINE CONCERN FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF KEY WORKERS DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC, SAMARITANS HAS JOINED OTHER CHARITIES TO OFFER SUPPORT BY LAUNCHING 'OUR FRONTLINE'.
T
he advent of coronavirus in March has forced everyone to adapt their lives in different and unexpected ways. Daily routines have completely changed, and, for many people, their work environment is now their home. For the millions of key workers around the country, however, this is not the case. They have continued to go to work and form the frontline against coronavirus, in an effort to keep the nation going. These key workers have faced a prolonged period of pressure that shows no sign of easing this winter, and, as well as putting their physical health at risk, there can be a toll on their mental wellbeing. The concern around the acute and longterm impact of coronavirus on key workers’ mental health led Samaritans to join forces with Mind, Shout85258 and Hospice UK and launch ‘Our Frontline’ in April. Through Our Frontline, this coalition of charities provides free, round-the-clock, one-to-one mental health support, as well as extensive resources, tips and guides for key workers, that can all be found in one place. Rail staff are a group of key workers that is keeping the nation connected. Whether it is helping doctors get to hospitals or teachers to schools, the UK’s rail workers are there to ensure the safety of passengers. During these challenging times, rail workers’ roles have evolved, and many are finding themselves taking on more responsibility and new tasks. In times of heightened uncertainty, it is more important now than ever for rail workers to take care of their mental health and check in on the wellbeing of colleagues. RAILSTAFF.CO.UK | @RAIL_STAFF | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF
A PERSONAL ACCOUNT
Syed Asim Shah is the shift station supervisor at London Bridge station, and he shares his experience of the pandemic’s effect on his life, and how he looks after his mental health and that of his staff as a priority. “When the pandemic first hit us, there were so many challenges. The main thing I needed to focus on was uplifting staff morale. Some of my team were scared that, if they came to work, they were risking their life, as they would be coming into contact with so many passengers each day. “My role adapted quickly. I went from spending a lot of my time based in the office to standing with colleagues on the concourse, helping them lead passengers and trying to reduce the fear they were feeling. “I came up with a plan that gave staff more breaks and less contact, so they didn’t feel they were exposed for long periods of time. I came up with the idea of social distancing badges for all our staff, that were then ordered for the staff for all stations. We wanted to encourage passengers to maintain their distance from staff and ensure our team felt they had some support to help communicate the government guidelines to protect themselves. “Anyone with underlying health issues were sent on special leave to shield, and many staff had to step into new roles or cover different stations. This meant I had to step up and support in roles that were new to me including briefing new staff, looking after the existing team and ensuring everyone was as safe as possible. “The main focus for me was to engage the team as much as I could and make sure I stayed connected to them, checking in on them and leading them to keep the country running. Network Rail has always prioritised the mental health of its staff, with training courses for managers to help us support staff effectively.
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KEEPING IN CONTACT
“Network Rail also offers its staff free access to Validium, an independent employee-assistance programme that we can call for counselling, information, signposting and support, as well as encouraging us to reach out to Samaritans if we are ever struggling to cope. “We also have a railway chaplain and mental health champions that staff can speak to, and, because we’ve always encouraged people to share their feelings and seek support if they need it, it has made it easier to reinforce that message in the wake of the pandemic. “Every week we had a station manager zoom call with all our staff, including those working from home. They would ask me how I was getting on and be there to listen and support. I did get emotional sometimes. During the first lockdown, my daughter lived with her mum and because I love my daughter so much, it was difficult not seeing her for so long. I did have bad days, but my job gave me something to focus on and it was my responsibility to look after my team and my customers.
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“I live alone and, without all the things I used to be doing, such as going to restaurants and get-togethers, I made a routine for myself to ensure I was still doing things I enjoyed. I use the extra time I have outside of work to stay connected to my loved ones. Video calls with my daughter make the biggest difference to my mood, and I regularly check in on friends and family to see how they are coping as well as sharing how I am doing. “I find doing moderate exercise regularly helps me feel healthy, particularly as my shifts can change and include nights. I also watch different comedies as I find laughter is really good for my mental health. I’m reading more books and trying to learn things through documentaries. I’ve advised my colleagues to consider doing similar things to maintain good mental health during this tough time. “As we come out of the second lockdown, we are a bit wiser to what we all need to do. For instance, we know how to equip our station with the right PPE for both our staff and passengers to be safe and the public is social distancing and wearing masks without needing to be asked. “However, we still have to remain vigilant and keep adhering to the restrictions required. As rail workers, we have been working under these new pressures for so long that it’s essential that we continue to take care of our mental health. As every individual is different and things affect them in different ways, having support like Our Frontline is incredible as every resource is in one easy to find place. “I hope my fellow rail workers are as proud of their role as a key worker as I am, and I hope platforms like Our Frontline help their wellbeing so we can all keep going this winter.”
Key workers can find out more about Our Frontline here: https://www. mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ourfrontline/
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YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS
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S L A N IO S S E F O R P L YOUNG RAI O VIRTUAL! AWARDS G
D DUE TO E L L E C N A C S T N E V WITH LIVE E RP MOVED ITS Y , IC M E D N A P ID V THE CO NLINE ANNUAL AWARDS O
E
very year, YRP hosts a dazzling black-tie dinner and awards ceremony to showcase and celebrate the achievements of young professionals working throughout the industry, as well as to inspire them to become the future leaders of rail.
The event is attended by some of the largest and most influential organisations and individuals from across the rail industry, presenting an incredible opportunity to network and socialise with like-minded professionals of all ages who understand the importance of supporting and investing in the future of the industry’s workforce. Through the customary presentation of the prestigious YRP Awards, YRP recognises individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the rail industry, through their outstanding achievements, extraordinary enthusiasm and inspiration to others. Past venues have included The Roundhouse, Derby (see right), and The Brewery, London. For 2020, the stunning Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester was earmarked as the venue, with keynote speaker Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s plans had to be put on hold several times – but we remain hopeful we can still hold a big awards dinner next year. However, not to be defeated, YRP made alternative plans to move the event online and hold a virtual awards ceremony, without the dancefloor and photobooth, but still with the tuxedos, sequins, awards and – at attendees’ own discretion – glass of fizz! The run-up to the awards carried the usual flurry of excitement. We shortlisted 38 brilliant industry colleagues from hundreds of applications. From that list, a judging panel of senior rail representatives chose 11 exceptional finalists. The online event itself took place on 3 November and was led by our YRP Chair, George Chilcott, together with Steve Mole, managing partner at CPC Project Services. CPC is the proud sponsor of the YRP Annual Dinner and Steve is a long supporter of YRP as well as an entertaining speaker, so we were delighted he could join us in this year’s different format. We were joined, not only by our hosts and finalists, but by YRP members and supporters from across the country in an entertaining hour of celebrations.
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We are now delighted to announce, and introduce you to, our three winners (through short extracts from their nominations and their reactions to winning):
YRP of the Year – Hannah Truscott (commercial project manager, Bombardier Transportation) After learning first-hand about the huge impact of working with local schools, Hannah actively supported setting up Bombardier’s ‘STEM Hub’, working with key contacts from across the business on this. Hannah is committed on the diversity agenda and is always keen to get involved in activities to support this. Working with local schools she has invited careers advisors to Bombardier to promote career options within rail ensuring that we are making the most of our local talent by encouraging a broad range of students to consider a career in rail. Hannah said “My interest in rail stemmed from a visit of a Bombardier employee to my secondary school, where she spoke about the importance of changing the stereotypical perception a rail employee. She talked about the variety of roles available in the sector, ranging from train drivers and customer service to engineers and project managers. “I hope to have the same impact on the schools I visit over the course of my career as she did for me.”
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YRP Mentor of the Year – Nerdeep Mann (area production manager, Bombardier Transportation) Nerdeep works tirelessly towards encouraging and empowering our people, in addition to supporting females and the wider diversity agenda within our production area. Nerdeep’s drive and determination, supported by his strong personal values in nurturing and developing people, is an inspiration to many colleagues, peers and apprentices yielding widespread positive outcomes. Nerdeep said: “Over the last few years, I have seen the criticality of recruiting young rail professionals as they offer such valued contributions to our business, a new way of thinking and doing things in what has been a very ‘traditional’ world! “Many of our apprentices are already on successful paths, setting out their career goals with development plans – our company’s future is in very capable hands!”
YRP Apprentice of the Year – Jack Dalton (Network Design Engineer, Telent Technology Services) Jack is always looking for ways to increase efficiency, particularly for repetitive tasks. He challenges the way in which things are done with a view to streamlining processes, but always in a positive and appropriate manner. He even
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highlighted improvements that could be made to a new Network Configuration tool, which was appreciated by all and has made him popular with the customer. Jack said “It is an absolute honour to receive this award and I’d like to thank Telent for making this possible and giving me the opportunity to learn and succeed! “My future career ambitions are to keep heading in this current direction. I want to delve deeper into the Networking world and continually challenge myself every day. “I think it is vital to have young people within the Rail industry as they form the future, and I encourage young professionals to learn more and get involved!”
Word from the chair
Speaking about the event, YRP chairman George Chilcott said: “Whilst I would have liked to present the YRP awards in the usual way at our annual awards dinner, I am really pleased we were still able to take the time to recognise all the nominees, short-listers, finalists and winners for their achievements over the last 12-18 months. “The online presentation proved a popular event, and the event recording has been widely shared through YouTube – showing us that the level of interest the industry has in its young, brightest and best is as strong as ever.” Thank you to all involved and, again, huge congratulations to our winners!
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THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING IS TRANSFORMING THE FORTUNES OF NORTHERN TRAINS, WHERE NEW POSSIBILITIES ARE TAKING SHAPE BY BRINGING TOGETHER A DIVERSE RANGE OF TALENTS.
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en weeks into his new role as Director of Engineering at Northern Trains, Jack Commandeur is looking at the possibilities of making history. Attracted to Northern by the size of the challenge to transform the network, he’s already encouraging others to see those challenges with new eyes.
Jack Commandeur joined Northern Trains in September 2020 from Hitachi Rail, where he had been group director of service and maintenance engineering. Before that, he had engineering roles at Virgin Trains East Coast and at Southeastern. However, his engineering degree comes from Wits University – the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. It allows him to step back and take a different perspective sometimes. “In the UK, we have a unique relationship with our railways, something that was surprising to me as a native South African,” he told RailStaff. “When it comes to rail in South Africa, there is far less a burden of history. In the UK, there is a lot of historical connection around the railways that shackles us, perhaps more than we realise. “We are on the cusp of such big change. It’s time to think differently about rail from a UK plc point of view – to think more boldly. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do here at Northern. The great thing is the whole philosophy is changing, and has to change, as we become more sophisticated as a
business – we have to be better at thinking on our feet.”
RADICAL CHANGE Investment into rail in the North has resulted in a new fleet of 100 trains, as well as existing rolling stock, depot and system upgrades. But it’s not just the kit and the technology that’s being radically modernised at Northern, it’s the entire culture, including ways of working. “The intensity of the focus here within the engineering team at Northern has, quite rightly, been on the trains and the infrastructure,” Jack continued. “But the next step, for us, is to balance this with really looking at the effectiveness of our business, to look at new ways of working, doing. To get into the habit of always asking ourselves ‘why not’ (rather than wondering why something won’t work).
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“It’s easy to say that we're trying to build a brand-new future for rail travel, but the reality is that we’ll only get to that point by making sure our business is as diverse and inclusive as the communities we serve. “It’s been a difficult couple of years. Stakeholders and customers have not been happy. To turn that around offers an enormous trajectory and, from an engineering perspective, a unique chance to get up close to the customer. You’re not a step removed here. The impact of our work is felt by millions – and known to millions when people are sharing their experiences on social media.” Jack directly challenges the notion of careers in rail being as predictable as a well-run timetable.
“The intellectual content of our work, the intellectual horsepower we need, is far greater than it was. The balance of the intellectual versus the physical in engineering is rapidly shifting. We’re going digital. We’re talking about battery hybrid trains and hydrogen trains. We’re aligning engineering to operations for better diagnostics, predictive modelling and systems harmonisation. That means working in engineering where there are a lot of skills being played through.”
MAKING RAIL APPEALING In some respects, the railway suffers from an image problem when it comes to recruitment. Despite how compelling Jack and his peers make it sound, the railway always seems to have a shortage of good engineers. And, with a workforce that seems predominately white and middleaged, recruiting women and ethnic minorities to engineering roles can be a problem, even if they are available. “I think there’s still a ‘safe and secure’ school of thought,” Jack continued. “I don’t think people realise how avant-garde rail is, that it’s more about needing a younger generation armed with laptops than more guys like me with spanners.
“At Northern we have a great apprenticeship programme, attracting new talent - often from diverse backgrounds representing our communities and customers - bringing different points of view, fresh energy and new skills. “Digital technology drives our trains and operating systems. Information management is massive for us. That younger generation is coming through. People are beginning to see the scope we can offer. “Our future success is not going to be an overnight success story. There are too many complex interdependencies for that. But that’s the sell here, to be at the start of that journey and to be able to formulate what it’s going to be.” Jack’s colleague Andrew Marden, another former Virgin Trains East Coast manager who is now Northern’s head of engineering transformation, agrees. Having been with the company for the last three years (and enjoying a welcome return to working in the region he’s originally from), he’s seen the business’s transformation journey gather great momentum. “We’ve got a very strong leadership team now, and a senior team that are very supportive of where we’re going,” he stated. “We know it
will take time, but there was a lot of buy-in for our plan, which was a consultative and collaborative process, and the appetite is there. “There are a lot of expectations. We’ve shown, during Covid, we can deliver better performance. Now we’ve got to build back better. How do we keep the performance going?”
ENGINEERING DIVERSITY Both agree the long-term success of the network will depend on a greater diversity of talent. As Andrew explained: “There’s huge power in diversity, you want people with different perspectives, different ways of thinking. That blend of experiences, insights and skills provides healthy challenges to the way you work. “The best engineers have a wish list of what they want to do
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from a people perspective, not a wish list from an engineering perspective. Representing different communities in engineering is key to developing solutions that reflect everyone’s onboard perspective. That can drive massive change, and improvements, for our customers. “We need more people who come from a data science and analysis background, who can think differently inside functions. I’ve been working with a project manager recently who has no experience in engineering, but she’s absolutely superb, very process driven, bringing lots of different ideas and values to the team and really strengthening our output.” So, what would Andrew tell people to encourage them to explore a career at Northern Trains? “The best kept secret of Northern is the passion of the people. You can learn so much
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here. People are not afraid to invest their time and effort to help you learn. “It’s also not a one-size fits all industry, there are so many hidden routes and opportunities to progress. Lots of MDs in the rail industry are ex-engineers. I did a geography degree and started in procurement, and now I’m in engineering. It’s a brilliant springboard. “Essentially, we’re creating the kind of workplace where you can focus on being your best, whatever your background. And whoever you are, there’s a great chance you’ll fit right in from day one.” He then offered some advice to anyone thinking of joining the rail industry in general, and Northern Trains in particular. “You do have to be resilient. You’ve got to stick to your principles. Stay positive in the face of obstacles. Remember what’s possible. Remember the customer. And remember, ultimately, we’re there to keep the nation on the move. “There are huge opportunities for new joiners to be part of that transformation, that journey. The scope is endless. We just need more people from all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life to see it and get on board.”
All the current engineering vacancies at Northern Trains can be found online by visiting https://bcn.to/kW1 FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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A YEAR LIKE
NO OTHER COVID-19 CHALLENGED THE WHOLE RAIL INDUSTRY TO KEEP ON WORKING, DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES. RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCIES SUCH AS ADVANCE TRS WERE NO EXCEPTION.
A
t the beginning of January 2020, nobody could have imagined the challenges that the year ahead would bring. These truly have been unprecedented times, but, looking back on the past 12 months, the railway industry has not let the pandemic slow it down. Everyone stayed motivated and worked hard, no matter the circumstances.
Despite COVID-19, lockdowns, Tiers 1, 2 and 3, social distancing and face coverings, work continued. And people were still needed to do that work. New starters joined the industry, fresh from school or college or transferring in from other sectors. Some of those already in rail changed jobs, projects or employers. So, recruitment companies and labour supply agencies still had an important role to play in keeping the sector running.
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ADAPTING AND EVOLVING
Typical of these is Advance TRS, a niche recruitment consultancy specialising in the provision of highly skilled technical professionals for both rail and the built environment in general. Its team lost no time in adapting to the changing world – supporting candidates and internal new starters were amongst its top priorities. To be able to continue with the recruitment process while ensuring everyone’s health and safety, video interviews were introduced early on. Candidates were briefed accordingly, and human interaction and a face-to-face process were maintained, albeit virtually. This change from the usual face-to-face interviews had an unexpected silver lining. Arranging interviews via Zoom was often significantly easier for both candidates and clients, helping consultants to keep recruitment on schedule throughout the pandemic. “Many of the elements of this ‘new normal’ have been a great change,” explained Louise Oldham, senior consultant for managed accounts at Advance TRS. “Arranging interviews has been made easier, when using technology, for candidates and clients. There is no more having to arrange visits to different offices, at different times, taking into account tricky transport options! “Video interviews have actually been quite helpful in that regard, and I think they are definitely something that will be continued in some capacity,” The team at Advance TRS prides itself on providing high-quality service and has
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IR35
worked hard to maintain this throughout the pandemic. With more and more candidates commencing their new roles remotely, the level of support given throughout onboarding for all new starters was stepped up. Sam Jennings, divisional manager for rail signalling, explained: “Our clients have been very understanding and, together, we have worked closely to support candidates and make sure they feel completely reassured about moving forward through the process. “Everyone has helped to make this simple because we all understand that the concerns are there. People are having to make tough decisions at the moment, so we are always going the extra mile, even more so than usual.” These new processes enabled the Advance TRS team to ensure all new starters recruited during lockdown were given additional support, so they were able to fully settle into their new role and integrate with their new colleagues.
Founded to be a company that places quality over quantity, Advance TRS is committed to delivering a high degree of excellence in all its areas of responsibility and strives to demonstrate best practice throughout the entire recruitment process. It was imperative that the challenges faced due to COVID-19 did not stand in the way of this trademark commitment to delivering highquality recruitment solutions. Working closely with clients to confirm priorities on a regular basis ensured consistent delivery against essential requirements throughout the pandemic. Many clients still had key requirements that needed support, and, despite the doom and gloom of national news, there remained a lot of positivity and movement in the market within the rail sector. Partnering closely with clients, recruitment procedures evolved to maintain the safety of all involved, whilst keeping important delivery timelines on track.
One of the key changes on the horizon for 2021 is the upcoming reform of IR35 in the private sector. Since these changes were delayed from spring 2020, Advance TRS has been working with clients and contractors throughout the year to prepare for these to come into effect in April 2021. IR35 encompasses two sets of tax legislation that are designed to combat tax avoidance by workers, the firms hiring them and those who are supplying their services to clients via an intermediary, such as a limited company, but who would be an employee if the intermediary was not used. Advance TRS is committed to supporting both contractors and clients through this process of change in such a way that all stakeholders are educated, informed and understand the full implications and considerations associated with the upcoming IR35 reform in the private sector. Due to the scale of the impact of this legislation, Advance TRS is already prepared to ensure its compliance and has partnered with Kingsbridge Insurance to assist in managing the assessment of status determinations. This will provide clients and contractors with the comfort of knowing that their determination has been assessed by one of the country’s leading IR35 legal experts. A new online portal provides assessments on individual roles, or alternatively assesses an assignment, if it has already been agreed. If the assessment is carried out by Kingsbridge through its partnership with Advance TRS, contractors are able to FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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take IR35 Protect insurance, underwritten by Zurich (secured by the PSC/limited company), which will cover all parties in the supply chain for the services provided in the assignment. This insurance provides for annual coverage for legal expenses and tax liabilities, should there be a challenge on the determination by HMRC. This solution allows for cost savings by removing unnecessary audits and costly assessment fees, whilst offering peace of mind throughout the supply chain. The specialist team at Advance TRS will be only too happy to explain how the IR35 changes will impact any individual business, and urges clients to explore their own situations well before the April 2021 implementation date.
KEEPING THE TEAM STRONG From the start of the first lockdown, Advance TRS’ founder and group managing director Andy Ridout made it his mission to keep the team entertained by setting weekly challenges
and activities. Challenge entries were submitted to the business’ WhatsApp group and a winner was selected each week, who then received a prize in the post. This really helped keep morale high. Since the beginning of the year, Advance TRS has also welcomed seven new starters, who have all settled in incredibly well and have quickly become an integral part of the team. Some started just weeks before lockdown, while others embraced their remote onboarding. All have been amazingly flexible and professional, proving to be real assets in their short time with the business so far. The growing headcount meant that additional office space was urgently needed for the South Coast team. Fortunately, the company managed to secure larger offices in September, with great views over the marina and providing the team with room for meetings as well as a breakout area. This has enabled the team to work from the office between lockdowns, whilst maintaining
TECHNICAL RECRUITMENT FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Call 01483 361061 visit advance-trs.com or turn to the back to see some of our latest opportunities
SIGNALLING | PWAY | M&E | OLE | TELECOMS | HSQE CIVILS | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | COMMERCIAL
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social distancing guidelines with ease. To ensure the Advance TRS team stayed as connected as ever, regular video catch ups and team meetings were encouraged and even the company’s Half Year Conference in November became a virtual event. Speakers from each department gave updates on what the last few months have been like and their goals and targets for the coming year. “As such a close-knit team, I really didn’t want us to lose that connection whilst separated. So, keeping us linked through fun challenges was a great way to keep the whole business engaged and motivated. It also unearthed some hidden talents in the team!” Andy Ridout explained. “When Railway Children launched the Rail Aid campaign, I knew it was a great opportunity to have some fun whilst raising money for an exceptional cause. I am so proud of what the team has achieved in such a challenging year, and it just goes to show that Advance TRS is as strong as ever and is not letting the impacts of the pandemic get in our way.” Fundraising has always been at the core of Advance TRS’ activities
and the team was very aware that, for people in need, these will be even more challenging times. This is why November was dedicated to fundraising activities. While some of the team grew moustaches and raised money for Movember, many others took part in a virtual triathlon to support Railway Children’s mission Rail Aid. This brought together the best of the UK rail community to raise money and to support children around the world who have been struggling with the impacts of COVID-19. The Advance TRS team greatly appreciated all donations made, which enabled it to help two great charities during these tough times.
READY FOR 2021 With everyone at Advance TRS pulling together and working hard to make the best of a challenging year, looking back at the company’s achievements over that period provides excellent motivation for the months ahead. Although aware there is a long way to go yet to weather the storm that is COVID-19, Advance TRS is feeling positive about the future and ready to take on whatever 2021 has in store!
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Rail Test Facility Supervisor Location: Dudley, West Midlands Salary: Competitive salary and benefits A state-of-the-art national innovation centre is being built in Dudley, transforming the rail industry through the creation of a new form of low-cost public transport to supplement existing rail-based systems - Very Light Rail (VLR).
Supervisor who will be responsible for inspection, maintenance and repair of the track facility and also safe and efficient operation of the facility.
The driving force behind the centre is the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), providing the opportunity for UK companies to collaboratively develop new VLR solutions leading to the growth of a new industry supplying UK and international rail schemes. It will also provide significant supply opportunities for Black Country based manufacturing businesses.
We offer a completive salary and benefits in addition to real career prospects as BCIMO grows and develops, so if you have what we are looking for don’t delay – apply now as interviews will start shortly.
For more information and to apply, visit: BCIMOcareers.com This post is fully funded by the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020
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The facility includes a single test track for prototype trials, providing a unique opportunity to test and develop products and ideas including technology transferred from other sectors, in a safe and controlled way. The track facility comes online early in 2021, and we are now recruiting a Rail Test Facility
The ideal candidate will be qualified to at least HND/BTEC level in an engineering discipline and have significant experience in rail operations including infrastructure and rolling stock, preferably in a depot or MRO environment.
ys wanted…
…with the largest dedicated website for rail opportunities, we’re sure to have the role for you…
VISIT WWW.RAILWAYPEOPLE.COM TODAY Railway People wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Career. FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAIL_STAFF | RAILSTAFF.CO.UK
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Project Manager HS2 and Strategic Rail Location: County Hall, Matlock Reference: JOB/20/03252 Salary details: Grade 14, £47,181 - £52,640 per annum Job term: Full Time Appointment type: Permanent Hours: 37 hours per week The HS2 rail project, will have a profound impact on the economy of Derbyshire for many years to come with phase 2B including proposals for a new high speed hub station at Toton, stops at Chesterfield station and an Infrastructure Maintenance Depot at Staveley. At the same time there are a number of other strategic rail scheme proposals which will also have a direct impact on Derbyshire including the Northern Powerhouse Rail and Midlands Engine Rail projects. These schemes form an important part of Derbyshire County Council’s wider ‘good growth strategy’ and are fundamental to the economic growth zones in the north-east and south of the county. To ensure that Derbyshire gets the best possible outcomes from these projects the County Council is now looking to recruit a dedicated project manager to lead and coordinate our response to HS2 and the other strategic rail projects in our area. This is a wide ranging role which will include working with a variety of different internal and external stakeholders and acting as the main point of contact between the Council, HS2 Ltd and the promoters of the other strategic rail projects. Specific responsibilities will include leading and coordinating the Councils efforts associated with any Parliamentary petitioning process and developing appropriate mitigation proposals. Excellent communication and organisational skills are therefore essential, along with a ‘can do’ attitude. For an informal discussion about the role please contact Joe Battye on 01629 536574 or Chris Hegarty on 01629 536721 Provisional Interview Date: Week commencing 22 February 2021. Closing Date: 31 January 2021
For all Derbyshire County Council vacancies see www.derbyshire.gov.uk or visit your local library or Job Centre
We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from everyone.
Rail Infrastructure Manager North Wales We’re looking for a Rail Infrastructure Manager with curiosity, personal drive and technical knowhow, to work both independently and as part of the railway maintenance and operations department. Applicants must have the following:
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, at 2.1 or above • Experience in railway infrastructure with a track bias • Enthusiasm for a career in Rail, underpinned by a knowledge and understanding of our sector and work
Desirable:
• Membership of a relevant engineering professional institution e.g. Permanent Way Institution, Institution of Mechanical Engineers. • A sound knowledge of technical, safety and performance standards relating to track • Experience in design, installation and maintenance www.snowdonrailway.co.uk
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Please apply in writing to info@snowdonrailway.co.uk For further information please visit smrcareers.co.uk or call 01286 870 223. Closing Date – 15th January 2021
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ALSTOM & ADVANCE TRS PARTNERSHIP KEEPS RECRUITMENT ON TRACK THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC Live multi-disciplinary opportunities across the UK Excellent salary and benefits packages available; dependant on experience
SIGNALLING DESIGNERS
Derby | York
SYSTEMS ENGINEERS
Birmingham York | London
SIGNALLING DESIGN VERIFIERS
LEAD QUANTITY SURVEYORS
Birmingham York | Derby
PROJECT ENGINEERS
Cambridge | York
Derby | York
ADVANCE-TRS.COM
01483 361 061 | info@advance-trs.com
OTM TRAIN DRIVER & OPERATOR OTM FITTER & OPERATOR LNW SOUTH / MIDLANDS AREAS Swietelsky Construction Co Ltd utilises the latest on-track technology to improve safety, reliability and sustainability of mechanised railway engineering works. In a recent Financial Times survey of employees, Swietelsky were ranked 14th out of 850 European companies for Diversity Leaders. Working as part of the SB Rail Joint Venture partnership since 2004 Swietelsky have developed and purchased the most capable and diversified fleet of on-track machines in the country and have been responsible for introducing a number of ‘first of type’ equipment advancements. We are proud to have the most modern and youngest OTM fleet supplied to the UK Rail industry. Candidates who are progressed will be required to complete the Company’s Application Form.
We are a family friendly company and our ethos is shown in our flexible roster pattern of one in two weekends working, over our competitors. Generous rates of pay for a good and enjoyable day’s work. Successful candidates will be: • Experienced OTM Drivers & Operators with a valid European Train Drivers License • Drivers will have good route knowledge across Midlands & LNW South and be highly motivated • OTM Fitter Operators will be experienced, highly motivated and a talented On Track Plant Fitter Operator
In return: • A generous and composite salary fully pensionable. • 35 hours a week over a 4 day shift pattern. • 28 days holiday per year for full-time employees, which increases on a tiered system after 5 year’s service and 8 Public holidays. • A company vehicle is provided for business use.
If you are interested in applying for this role please contact the recruitment team on recruitment@swietelsky.co.uk who will be pleased to provide you with a copy of the full job description.
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