RailStaff September 2014

RailStaff THE MOST POPULAR PUBLICATION IN THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY

Issue 202 | September 2014

www.railstaff.co.uk

AUTUMN BILLIONS for Framework and Fleet

IN THIS ISSUE IN THE FRAME

MCLOUGHLIN PLEDGES SUPPORT

ARITH JOINS UKDN WATERFLOW

Network Rail Awards framework contracts.

Page 4

Dawlish and south-west gain support.

Page 6

UKDN Waterflow recruits Mr Liyanage.

Page 8

A fleet of Desiros for South West Trains is set to arrive on the metals from 2017. Page 5.

The £210 million order for 30 five-carriage Desiro City trains comes as Network Rail announced it had awarded nine top suppliers 20 framework agreements, valued at £1.6 billion, to take forward the £38 billion renewal of Britain’s railways. Meanwhile GB Railfreight is boosting its loco fleet and the first Class 700s for Thameslink are being fitted out.

@StobartRailLtd

DAN METCALFE – PLANT RESOURCE CO-ORDINATOR Dan is Stobart to the core, both in values and experience.

Dan joined the company in 2003, when it was WA Developments, as an HGV driver and during his career he has embraced the transition from WA Developments to Stobart Rail with enthusiasm, including the company relocation from Appleby to Carlisle.

During his time as an HGV driver Dan has wanted to broaden his skill base and input to the company and decided to train to be a Road Rail Plant Operator. This has enabled him to operate the road rail excavators and road rail mewps successfully on various contracts throughout the country. It also provided Dan with invaluable experience of project delivery and an overall view into the company’s contractual activities. Further training by Stobart Rail’s in-house training department has allowed Dan to become part of a unique team of operators that are qualified to operate our specialist ballast undercutting machines, commonly referred to as the Gopher. The machines provide ballast and spoil extraction by non–intrusive means.

Keen to continually improve, when the position of Plant Resource Co-Ordinator became vacant Dan saw this as an ideal opportunity for career progression, enabling him to utilise his in depth knowledge of machines, transport, resources and project delivery within the role. Dan is enjoying his new position and his experience allows him to continue to operate machines on occasion, which facilitates Dan’s passion for operating plant and project delivery.

Dan added: “The rail industry is a fantastic place to work.

I have continued to learn and develop my career within a company that genuinely cares for its employees and values the contribution that all staff bring. This new chapter will allow me to utilise my experience within the plant planning function of the company and my aim is to deliver a plan that works for employees, the environment and, most important of all, the customer.”

Stobart Rail plant Stobart Rail have invested, maintained and continually improved its own plant for over 20 years.

If you need reliable plant to support your maintenance / refurbishment / renewal activities on the

UK rail network look no further than Stobart Rail. Our comprehensive fleet of Road Rail Vehicles, track reballasting machines and specialist on track plant will exceed all your expectations and

requirements. The fleet is maintained by our own maintenance staff and supported in the field

by mobile fitters. Ongoing innovation and high levels of quality maintenance ensure that all our plant is reliable, cost effective and fit for purpose.

If you would like to discuss your requirements or would like further information on the fleet and its support mechanism please feel free to contact us and we will be pleased to help you.

Dave Richardson Plant Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. david.richardson@stobartrail.com Gary Newton Contracts and Estimating Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. gary.newton@stobartrail.com Andrew Sumner Business Development and Stakeholder Manager t. 01228 882 300 e. andrew.sumner@stobartrail.com

stobartrail.com

COMMENT

September 2014 | RailStaff | 3

RailStaff Contact us: Publisher:

Paul O’Connor

Editor:

Andy Milne

Production and design:

Adam O’Connor

Senior Reporter:

Marc Johnson

Senior Writer:

Colin Garratt

Track Safety:

Colin Wheeler

Event Sales:

Jolene Price

Advertising:

Asif Ahmed

Chris Davies

Craig Smith

Keith Darlison

Contact Email Addresses News: news@rail-media.com Pictures: pictures@rail-media.com

From Bubble to Arena

Adverts: adverts@rail-media.com Subsciptions: manda@rail-media.com

Contact Details RailStaff Publications, Rail Media House,

Despite news of a drop in railway crime - both cable theft and crimes against the public - the media chose only to report the sad rise in crimes of sexual assault.

“the rail industry is quietly getting on with rebuilding and re-equipping after a generation spent cringing in the twilight zone.”

Samson Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3FP.

Tel: 01530 816 444 Fax: 01530 810 344

Web: www.railstaff.co.uk Email: hello@rail-media.com

Printed by Pensord.

RailStaff is published by RailStaff Publications Limited A Rail Media Publication

© All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.

Likewise good news about new train fleets and locomotives coming on stream finds little favour with the press. Bad news about the retention of old stock is all that matters. Don’t hold your breath either about objective coverage of the awarding of major multi-million pound framework contracts for CP5.

The rail industry might be used to this and rises above the murky low tide of bad news with philosophical regularity.

However, the wider country continues to suffer. Fed a junk food diet of bad news and negativity, countries like Britain are losing their nerve. We have been told for so long and with such relish that we

are mired in terminal decline that many have come to believe it.

The prospect of war in Iraq and Syria to defeat the satanic battalions of blackflagged ISIS terrorists disquiets us. Events in Ukraine and the growing likelihood that NATO might actually be called upon to defend allies like Poland and Estonia this winter, further alarms our electorate.

The same electorate that made it clear it wanted no part of a bombing campaign in Syria.

If the wider body politic has lost confidence in itself, the rail industry is quietly getting on with rebuilding and re-equipping after a generation spent

cringing in the twilight zone. Managed decline has no more meaning for an industry keen to expand. Daily it delivers a miracle of resurrection and confidence.

Better still it regularly makes time to celebrate itself - as it will be at the RailStaff Awards 2014.

Our leaders and opinion formers would do well to book a table or two at Coventry and make a study of a group of people, confident and forward thinking, hard working, brave and morally continent who sweep all before them.

How refreshing to swap for one night the defeatist Westminster bubble for the Ricoh Arena.

16

48

RailStaff Awards 2014 Review in November

Siemens’ MTS

Scotland’s staff praised

The RailStaff Awards started in 2007 with an aim of recognising the great work that the people who work in the industry do. As publishers of RailStaff, we saw great achievements, courgage and bravery from rail staff in every edition.

Yet nobody was saying ‘thanks’ or ‘well done’. 2013 saw over 1,000 people in attendance, 1,200 nominations and 32,000 votes.

Siemens’ Mobility Turnkey Solutions (MTS) unit is responsible for the acquisition and handling of turnkey projects in the fields of Rail and Road & City Mobility.

Among the clear winners of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games is the Scottish railway industry with exceptional work of the 4,800 staff over the period of Glasgow 2014.

NEWS

4 | RailStaff | September 2014

In the Frame

Network Rail has awarded framework contracts to seven successful suppliers who will deliver more than 1,000 maintenance, renewals and enhancements projects, improving earthworks, bridges, tunnels, footbridges and station buildings.

It is all part of Control Period 5’s £38 billion programme to create extra capacity and more efficiencies on the railways.

London North Eastern & East Midlands route:

• Structures – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Viaducts – Taziker Industrial Ltd • Bridge reconstruction – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Structure repairs – Amalgamated Construction Ltd • Station footbridges – Construction Marine Ltd • Earthworks – Construction Marine Ltd • Station buildings – Miller Construction (UK) Ltd • Major structures – Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd Total value approx. £150m

• • • •

Scotland route: Structures – Amalgamated Construction Ltd Structures repairs – Taziker Industrial Ltd Geotechnical (earthworks) – QTS Group Ltd Buildings – Story Contracting Total value approx. £100m.

The frameworks run for an initial three years and have been designed to deliver better levels of safety, value for money and greater productivity. CP5 runs until 2019.

Nine on the Line Network Rail has awarded nine suppliers 20 framework agreements with a combined value of £1.6 billion.

The framework contracts cover an ambitious programme of works on the London North Western and East Midlands routes planned to unfold over the next five years. The framework contracts will take forward a significant

portion of the £38 billion being invested over the next five years (CP5) on running and improving of Britain’s railway.

Says Network Rail’s infrastructure projects director, Rob Offord, ‘The awarding of these frameworks represents a significant milestone in the implementation of our new procurement and contracting strategy.

This will bring improved safety,

whole-life cost efficiency and delivery performance through collaborative relationships with a consolidated and strategically aligned supply chain.’

The nine suppliers are: Amalgamated Construction Limited, Amey, Buckingham Group Contracting Limited,

Carillion Construction Limited, J Murphy & Sons Limited, Miller Construction (UK) Limited, Skanska Construction UK Limited, Story Contracting Limited and VolkerRail Limited.

The tables above show who does what where.

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 5

From Wildenrath to Waterloo Despite controversy over the retention of ageing Pacer units in the north, new fleets now on order, will substantially boost capacity on South West Trains and Thameslink services.

An agreement between the DfT, Angel Trains and Siemens will procure 30 new five-carriage Desiro City trains and provide more than 18,000 extra peak-time seats in and out of London Waterloo, the country’s busiest station.

The first of the 150 new carriages will begin arriving in 2017 and all will be in service by early 2018.

The new trains will be maintained by SWT at its Wimbledon depot, which has recently benefitted from a £6 million investment.

The new second generation Desiro City trains being built by Siemens are similar in style to the Class 700 units being produced for the Thameslink route.

Three complete Thameslink Desiro City carriages will be displayed at Innotrans 2014.

Siemens is manufacturing 1,140 Class 700 carriages for the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise, which Govia begins operating in September.

The first of the new Class 700s will start operating on the route from 2016. Siemens is building two new depots at Three Bridges and Hornsey to maintain the fleet.

Says Rail Minister Claire Perry, ‘More passengers are travelling on our railways than ever before and to meet

the demand for extra seats and services over £38 billion will be spent on the railways during the next five years.

‘This latest new train deal is proof not only of our determination to transform Britain’s railways but also the industry’s commitment to deliver a better journey for Britain’s passengers.’

Healthcare Connections High blood pressure can increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Book our mini health assessments to ensure your employees know their blood pressure readings.

Checks include: » »

Blood Pressure Glucose and Cholesterol

» »

Height, Weight, BMI General Health Advice

Supporting Blood Pressure UK’s ‘Know Your Numbers!’ Campaign 15–21st September 2014 Call Alere Healthcare Connections on +44 (0)8456 773 002 ahcc.sales@alere.com | alerehealthcareconnections.com @AlereHCC

© 2014 Alere. All rights reserved. The Alere Logo and Alere are trademarks of the Alere group of companies. | AHCC0055 Ed.1a

Detecting the Silent Killer

NEWS

6 | RailStaff | September 2014

Statue Recitals The anniversary of the start of the First World War and the Normandy Landings this year has been further marked by the introduction of talking statues at Paddington Station in London.

Actors Sir Patrick Stewart and Hugh Bonneville have recorded monologues for statues of the Unknown Soldier and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Network Rail is supporting the Talking Statues project organised by Sing London and Antenna Lab. The Unknown Soldier is voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart who reads a piece about the scarf the soldier is wearing.

It was written by the playwright Tony Harrison.

‘People often assume that he’s wearing a belt of bullets round his neck, but if you look closely you see that it’s a knitted scarf,’ says Tony. ‘I imagined it as red scarf, hand knitted by his mother.’

The statue of Brunel has been animated by Hugh Bonneville, reading a piece written by the playwright Rachel Wagstaff.

Says Nick Hartnell, Network Rail’s station manager at London Paddington, ‘We’re delighted to see the statues at the station brought to life in this manner. I hope that passengers who have the time will stop and listen to these statues for a few moments.’

The Talking Angels project has taken on 35 statues in London and Manchester animated by a cast of actors and comedians. The producers, Sing London, have commissioned some of the nation’s most celebrated writers to pen monologues for the statues, which will speak for one year.

Among the sculptures now startling passers by are Nicholas Parsons as Samuel Johnson’s famous cat, Hodge, in Gough Square and Hugh Dennis as a talking goat in Spitalfields, London.

In Manchester, Coronation Street star David Neilson, who plays Roy Cropper, is heard propping up the bar as LS Lowry at Sam’s Chop House.

Titchmarsh Congratulates Cantley

Classic FM presenter and TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh paused to greet station adopters at Cantley station in Norfolk.

Alan and his film crew had been filming near Lowestoft. Whilst filming on the train, an Abellio Greater Anglia employee mentioned the wonderful gardens at Cantley. Alan and the film crew were so impressed they got off the train and filmed at the station.

Station adopter Steve Bennett was at Cantley with Reedham adopters Mike Warner and Mike Stoker when Alan dropped by. Says Steve, ‘What a surprise. He was a really nice chap and

told us the gardens looked wonderful, he was really impressed.’

Says Alan Boagey, at Abellio Greater Anglia, ‘The adopters have been working really hard on the gardens and they look fantastic. To have a visit from Alan Titchmarsh and his team was a wonderful surprise, the icing on the cake which has made all of the hard work worthwhile. We were all really pleased that Alan and his team had the opportunity to spend time in the gardens and enjoy them.’

Alan Titchmarsh, film crew and Cantley Station Adopter, Steve Bennett and Reedham Station Adopters Mike Stoker and Mike Warner.

McLoughlin Pledges Support The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, has assured local people of his support for Dawlish and railways in the south-west.

McLoughlin visited Dawlish for the first time since the reopening of the railway line in April and met the local MP, Anne Marie Morris, railway staff, station staff and community rail volunteers.

The Friends of Dawlish Station played a part in the high profile re-opening of the main line to Cornwall, giving the station a revamp. Gardening days were organised as part of Citizens Rail, an EU project led by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership which aims to get more people involved at stations on the Riviera Line between Exeter and Torbay.

Says McLoughlin, ‘The rail line at Dawlish is vital to the economy of the South West. Reopening the line after the severe weather earlier this year was a remarkable feat of engineering and a huge relief to the region. We are

committed to developing a strong and resilient rail network for the South West. We have already announced full funding for a £31 million package of improvements to boost resilience on the route and more than £146 million is being spent on improvements to the Riviera sleeper train service and upgrades to the network that will provide faster journeys into London.’

PEOPLE

8 | RailStaff | September 2014

Bentley for HS2

Nottingham Man for BTP

Will Bentley has joined HS2 Ltd as programme controls director.

A police Commander who began his career with the Nottinghamshire Constabulary before transferring to the Metropolitan Police Service has been appointed Deputy Chief Constable of the British Transport Police.

Bentley joins from EC Harris where as head of programme controls he worked on the new Heathrow Terminal 2a project.

With 25 years’ experience in delivering programmes and projects worldwide, Will joins HS2 Ltd having played a key role in the success of the rail programme for the 2012 London Olympics. He has also worked as an advisor to the Norwegian government helping plan the delivery of Norway’s high-speed rail link.

Says HS2 Ltd Construction chief executive, Simon Kirby, ‘I’m pleased to welcome someone of Will’s extensive experience and calibre to HS2 Ltd. This is a hugely exciting, challenging and vital project and it’s imperative that we have the best people working to meet our objectives.

‘Will has already played a significant part in some of the biggest infrastructure projects of recent times and he will now play a crucial role in ensuring HS2 is delivered on schedule

and on budget.’

Bentley has worked for Atkins where he became head of project controls. He has also worked for Bechtel. Originally from north Wales, Welsh speaker Bentley was educated at Hawarden High School and the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he read Economics.

“This is a hugely exciting, challenging and vital project...”

Adrian Hanstock is currently a Commander with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) serving as Head of Crime and Criminal Justice. Hanstock was operational Commander of the MPS Safer Transport Command and Roads Policing. As commander he has also led major programmes for the MPS including the roll out of body-worn video cameras, crime data integrity, performance improvements and stop and search.

Says Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, Paul Crowther, ‘Adrian brings with him a wealth of experience and he will play a crucial role in helping the force deliver our strategic objectives of reducing crime, reducing disruption and increasing passenger confidence. I am delighted to welcome Adrian to BTP.’

UKDN Waterflow recruits Arith Liyanage UKDN Waterflow, which provides water and drainage services to the rail industry and all major infrastructure sectors across Britain, has appointed Arith Liyanage as interim director of rail.

Mr Liyanage, who joins from Laing O’Rourke where he was infrastructure director, will head a comprehensive review of rail and infrastructure strategy at UKDN Waterflow.

Liyanage has worked on a broad spectrum of construction and infrastructure projects - focussing these last six years on the rail sector. At UKDN Waterflow he will help determine the company’s sector strategy for 2015 and beyond.

Says Nick Harris, UNDN Waterflow’s chief executive, ‘We have great relationships with Network Rail, Crossrail, London Underground and Transport for London, and having Arith on board will allow us to explore new ways in which we can challenge and innovate our services and strategy, to benefit our clients and users alike.’

Arith Liyanage read a degree in construction engineering management at Loughborough

University and has an MBA from the University of Reading. He joined Carillion after graduating and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming operations director for Carillion Rail and later managing director.

In November 2011, he joined Laing O’Rourke as infrastructure director.

At Laing O’Rourke, as European rail sector leader, Arith was responsible for determining and shaping company strategy and for directing the successful delivery of live projects for Network Rail, Crossrail, London Underground and Transport for Greater Manchester.

His career has spanned the delivery of major building and infrastructure projects, leading change management programmes and the introduction of new business improvement processes aimed at rail business growth.

Says Arith, ‘I will be initially carrying out a strategic review of the rail and infrastructure sectors, as part of the 2015-17 business strategy. When I met Nick and the team, I was taken with their great people, proposition and potential. This feels like a really good fit for me, and I’m looking forward to working with the UKDN Waterflow team.’

Hanstock once led a nine-month undercover operation to disrupt a major organised drug supply network. He held the post of Director of Intelligence at the Metropolitan Police’s gun crime command where he was responsible for international criminal intelligence.

He is an alumnus of the Winsor Leadership Trust, a graduate of the FBI Leadership Academy in Washington DC and a member of the Society for Evidence Based Policing.

Adrian Hanstock lives in London, enjoys live music and describes himself as an ‘amateur fitness enthusiast’.

PEOPLE

September 2014 | RailStaff | 9

Experts Join Ford and Stanley Ford and Stanley has boosted its expanding rail business by recruiting David Perrin and Jade Pettit.

David Perrin joins as head of practice – rail control systems and Jade Pettit as head of practice – infrastructure. Both previously worked for ATA Recruitment.

David Perrin will be expanding the control systems sector of Ford & Stanley. Linking up with other members of the rail team, he takes responsibility for maximising and developing existing relationships with several rail infrastructure companies.

Originally from Manchester, David graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in crime, deviance and society. He is an associate member of the Institute of Railway Signalling

Engineers (IRSE) and has worked in the rail recruitment sector for over six years, focusing on signalling, permanent way, telecoms and power.

Outside work, David enjoys spending time with his family as well as going to the cinema, bowling and watching re-runs of comedies such as Only Fools and Horses.

Jade Pettit specialises in rail civil engineering projects. Having spent nearly three years in this sector, Jade has a strong knowledge of the rail market and is now responsible for growing this area with Ford and Stanley.

Originally from Nottingham, Jade has moved around living in Surrey, York and Newcastle before finding herself back in the Midlands to begin a career in recruitment. Jade graduated from York

University with a degree in history. Away from work, Jade has reached black belt level in the martial art Choi Kwon Do and is set on obtaining a black belt in kickboxing in the near future.

AECOM strengthens rail business AECOM has appointed Simon Pimblett, David Hubbuck and Gary Hicks to strengthen its fast growing rail business, which spans both Britain and Ireland. In Manchester Simon Pimblett has re-joined the rail team from Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he spent three years and is now Permanent Way Design Manager. Pimblett previously spent ten years at AECOM working on Manchester Metrolink and the Tees Valley Metro. After graduating from Bolton University with a BSc in Civil Engineering he worked for Survey Systems.

David Hubbuck has been appointed as Telecoms Lead providing over 30 years of professional experience of multi-disciplinary telecom projects. recruitment-lg_Layout 1 09/01/2014 He will be based in Altrincham,

Simon.

For more than 20 years Ford and Stanley has recruited for rail companies. The company recently became a corporate member of the Young Rail Professionals.

Gary.

David.

Greater Manchester. Hubbuck has a comprehensive knowledge of the industry and has worked for Invensys Rail, Balfour Beatty-Carillion joint venture, Amey Rail and Birse Rail. He studied at Northumbria University Newcastle and has a post-graduate Diploma from the Institute of Operations Management.

Gary Hicks has joined AECOM’s 12:49 Page Croydon office1from Hyder Consulting

(UK) Ltd as Electrification Lead with notable experience in electrification systems for both new and extended heavy and light rail networks. Previous jobs include working on Bangkok Skytrain electrification and he has also worked for Balfour Beatty Power Networks, ABB Mowlem, Network Rail, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Halcrow and Mott MacDonald. Hicks read a BEng degree in Electrical Engineering

Ganymede has a long heritage of providing contingent labour to safety critical aspects of the rail industry. As a Link-Up approved supplier, we provide semi-skilled and

at London South Bank University Says Dan Rodgers, Head of Rail, UK and Ireland, ‘As one of the fastest growing rail businesses in the UK, these appointments further strengthen our capability to provide end-toend solutions for the UK’s major rail operators and vital infrastructure projects in the UK including HS2, Crossrail, Transport for London and Network Rail.’

To find out how we can help to fulfil your labour supply needs, contact us for further information:

skilled labour, on call off and temporary

Call us: 0845 880 8104 or Email us: info@ganymedesolutions.co.uk

term contracts.

www.ganymedesolutions.co.uk

RAIL ALLIANCE

10 | RailStaff | September 2014

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

log on to www.railalliance.co.uk email info@railalliance.co.uk or call 01789 720026.

New Members Perpetuum Ltd (Developers of a suite of remote condition monitoring systems around its innovative algorithms and award winning vibration energy power harvesters, delivering comprehensive and concise information from complex condition datasets particularly around maintenance intensive mechanical assets such as wheelsets, gearboxes and traction motors) www.perpetuum.com/rail

Spring Mode With the summer break now a long-lost memory, the Rail Alliance is gearing up for what could perhaps best be described as a ‘bracing’ autumn, writes Colin Flack, chief executive of the Rail Alliance.

Unlike the season itself we are in what can only be described as ‘Spring Mode’. Many of you will have noticed that we are busy recruiting four new posts, which when combined with our partner’s endeavours at the Centre for Rail Research and Education at the University of Birmingham will see our staff here at Long Marston increase by a further six people. This will enhance our capability and extend our reach dramatically.

‘We are delighted to report that we have had an excellent response and are looking forward to introducing our new team in a future edition of RailStaff.

Our schedule for the coming months is action packed. Highlights include the further development of the UK Rail Interiors Cluster and our attendance at InnoTrans in Berlin. The Rail Alliance will have a presence not only in the UK pavilion but also in Hall 7.1A, where Rail Alliance friends and members have over 90m2 stand space of our own.

Visitors are always welcome.

Hot on the heels of this, our national SME Mentoring Scheme, which is being conducted on behalf of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Rail Supply Group (RSG), will get underway in October and November. We look forward to working with Andrew Kimitri and his team at Fhoss to produce the UK’s, and possibly the world’s, first railway trade event,

devoted to the hi-vis/lighting sectors needs, after dark and outside. Watch this space for details on the ‘Light After Dark’ show!

Concurrent with all of this, we are busy working with Jane Simpson and her team at Network Rail on Product Acceptance, with David Clarke and the Future Railway team and the Testing Voucher Scheme our colleagues at BIS and DfT as part of the secretariat to the RSG and of course our members and their supply chains.

And finally… Look out for our new website… it’s going live soon!

Portaramp UK Ltd (Market leader for access ramp solutions specializing in the design and manufacture of lightweight portable ramps to give safe passage for both user and operator) www.portaramp.co.uk MIRA Ltd (MIRA Rail Engineering Safety Centre – for rail vehicle structural and interior crashworthiness design, consultancy and testing) www.mira.co.uk Censol Ltd (Specialists in spill management systems which contain absorbent pads, socks, mats and rolls to manage spills, leaks and hazards in the workplace. Also manufacturers of range of impregnated wet wipes and low linting dry wipes for the rail, aerospace, engineering and clean room industries) www.censol.co.uk Convert2Green Ltd (Manufacturer and distributor of second generation biodiesel and biofuels made from used cooking oil collected in the UK. Supplier to over 1000 road vehicles including Bidvest 3663 fleet, Environment Agency Fleet, Biffa kerbside collection vehicles and United Biscuits primary distribution fleet. Looking to supply diesel trains with biodiesel mixes at competitive prices) www.convert2green.co.uk

NEWS

12 | RailStaff | September 2014

Autumn Gold for Nine Elms The London Underground’s Northern Line extension to Nine Elms and Battersea has come a step nearer with the appointment of Ferrovial Agroman Laing O’Rourke to design and build the new railway.

The contract, worth approximately £500 million, lasts for six years and covers the main construction works.

The £1 billion scheme is being funded entirely through the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station and surrounding area. The new railway from Kennington in south London is expected to presage substantial regeneration in Wandsworth and Battersea. Already new building projects are pushing ahead. The

American Embassy is moving to Nine Elms.

Ferrovial Agroman is a Spanish company and has been involved in the building of 4,600 kilometres of railways in Spain and Mexico since 1952, including high-speed lines. Laing O’Rourke has been involved in the upgrade of rail maintenance and stabling facilities

at Willesden and played a leading role in the construction of St Pancras International.

Says Mike Brown MVO, managing director of London Underground, ‘This is an important step in ensuring the delivery of this vital extension which will significantly improve transport links in the area.

‘It is vital that our proposal is delivered cost effectively for our passengers, taxpayers and the local boroughs and developers who are helping to fund the extension. As our population grows faster than any other European city, the case for stable and sustained investment in London’s transport network has never been stronger.’

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Return of the Highlander

Gleneagle Has Landed

GB Railfreight is bringing back a class 59 ‘Yeoman Highlander’ from Germany.

Further reinforcing the success of the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup makes a welcome return to Scotland this September with the railway helping out once more.

Players and supporters arriving at Gleneagles station will step into a freshly restored Caledonian Railway station looking much as it did when it first opened in 1919. The work has been managed by ScotRail thanks to grants from the Railway Heritage Trust totalling £131,000.

The station was built by the Caledonian Railway to serve the company’s new hotel at Gleneagles and replaced the earlier Crieff Junction.

Gleneagles was the first station that the Caledonian built after the Great War. The company was swallowed up by the newly created London Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923.

Gleneagles station struggled for some years in the colours of the former Strathclyde PTE and fell into disrepair.

Falling passenger numbers meant that the station was no longer staffed.

Windows had been boarded up. The

station is Category B listed but looked much older.

With the news that the 2014 Ryder Cup was to be held at Gleneagles, the rail industry and the Scottish Government decided to upgrade the station. The project included new road access and full disabled provision together with new waiting and toilet facilities. The new lifts to the footbridge have been worked in without compromising the original 1919 design.

The station has been painted in the original colours of the Caledonian Railway.

Locomotive 59003, ‘Yeoman Highlander’, has been working for German-based Heavy Haul Power International (HHPI). 59003 will be the first Class 59 to join the GBRf fleet.

The 59003 has heavy haul capability and has successfully hauled coal trains in Germany for the last 15-20 years.

Says John Smith, managing director of GB Railfreight, ‘We’re delighted to be bringing the ‘Yeoman Highlander’ back to the UK. The extra power it provides will be of a prime importance for our work in the aggregates market and will allow us to further expand our business in other areas. This will be the first Class 59 to join our fleet, and from December, we hope to have it working on flows across the UK.’

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 13

Royal Reminder for Wolverton

Video Competition The Institution of Civil Engineers is calling on those with a passion for civil engineering to enter its, ‘I Love Civil Engineering’ video competition.

The competition aims to inspire more young people to pursue a career in the profession. Competitors explain why they love civil engineering in a

60-second YouTube video or via a sixsecond Vine loop.

Entrants stand the chance of winning either an iPad Mini or a GoPro Camera.

A compilation of competition entries will be used to promote civil engineering to school students, apprentices and undergraduates. More info at www.ice.org.uk/ilovecivileng

Former Royal Train designer and construction foreman Leo Coleman and his wife, Joyce, have received a special telegram from the Queen on their 70th wedding anniversary.

Mr Coleman, who worked at Wolverton Works - north of Milton Keynes, married his wartime sweetheart on a special 48-hour pass from the Army Service Corps in 1944.

Joyce and Leo both come from New Bradwell and have lived in Wolverton all their married life. Leo was closely involved in the design and construction of the Royal Train in the 1970s. He met the Queen several times. Her Majesty took a keen interest in the train project and valued Mr Coleman’s knowledge and salient advice. He was later awarded a Silver Jubilee Medal.

Joyce and Leo Coleman are both aged 92 and put their longevity down to keeping busy and family life.

Railway Chaplain Shortlisted for European Award A railway chaplain from Yorkshire has been shortlisted for a European award.

The Reverend Stephen Sorby, who is based at York Station, is going through to the next stage of the 2014 European Diversity Awards.

Stephen’s category is Inspirational Role Model of the Year. The annual awards recognise the achievements of organisations and individuals who have shown innovation, creativity and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Stephen was nominated for his work as an ambassador for equality and diversity, which he weaves into his job of being on hand to thousands of railway staff and passengers.

Reverend Stephen Sorby.

Supporting workers, families and witnesses after railway suicides and other serious incidents is part of Stephen’s role with the National Rail Chaplaincy Service.

Stephen, who comes from York, will learn if he is successful at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum on 2 October.

Says Rev Liam Johnston, executive

The fastest growing membership charity in the public transport industry. Just £1 a week covers you, your partner and dependent children. & 0300 333 2000 8 www.tbf.org.uk e help@tbf.org.uk

director of the Railway Mission, ‘Stephen works very hard to engage with everyone he comes into contact with in the course of his valuable work. We’ll all be rooting for him on 2 October.’

as TBF h to... d movoeom Houseane L hL w

Ne ck Churc U L a 101 B ndon E1 1 records. r Lo te you upda tact Please ll other con the A in a m re details ame. s

The Transport Benevolent Fund (known as TBF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1058032) and in Scotland (SC040013) TBF_RO&RS_WeeklyAds_190x50.indd 9

02/05/2014 11:47

NEWS

14 | RailStaff | September 2014

Underneath the Arches Chorley Tunnel and the 16 historic Grade II listed flying arches on the approach to the tunnel have been refurbished.

The railway between Chorley and Leyland reopened following a six-week closure. To allow electric trains to operate between Manchester and Preston from December 2016, the track through the 113m long Chorley tunnel has been lowered so it can accommodate the overhead line equipment which will power the trains.

The work is part of £1bn being spent to deliver a fast, efficient railway in north west England. Significant work also took place to rebuild three bridges at Harpers Lane, Chorley, Railway Road, Adlington and Lockstock Lane, Bolton as well as the River Chor aqueduct.

Two bridges at Station Road, Blackrod and Chorley Road, Adlington, will be modified in preparation for reconstruction in 2015. Says Ian Joslin, area director for Network Rail, ‘More than £1bn of investment is being

Second France for Heart Man John Barber, who works for the RSSB, is cycling from London St Pancras to the Gare Du Nord in Paris later this month.

Mr Barber, a career railwayman, suffered a heart attack last October.

Thanks to the skilled medics at the Royal Derby Hospital he lived to tell the tale. Although not a cyclist, John has been training as part of his rehabilitation programme. The England-France spin is aimed at raising over £2,000 to be split evenly between the Railway Children’s Charity and the British Heart Foundation.

Says John, ‘My father died of a heart attack in the early 1970s, so I know what advances have been made in medicine since then and just how lucky I am to be alive, albeit with a few extra bits and pieces. During the days, weeks and months following my

heart attack, I set myself various and evermore ambitious targets to focus my rehabilitation and help my return to health, for example, standing unaided, climbing the stairs, walk a hundred yards, pick my granddaughter up and

made to provide a better railway and boost the economy across the north of England.

Electrification forms a significant part of this and the completed work through Chorley means the line is now ready (for the installation of ) the equipment needed to run electric trains. It was a significant engineering challenge to lower the track and as well as rebuilding bridges we have also returned the historic Chorley flying arches to their former glory.’

swing her around and return to work.

I am pleased to say that in the main I have achieved this, but there is one target that I set which I have yet to realise, a cycle challenge.

‘I’m not a cyclist at all, and at the time that I was thinking of setting a challenge, cycling didn’t even get a look in. However, following discussion

with friends, colleagues and family, the idea to cycle from St Pancras to Paris Gare Du Nord was born.’

John has worked in the railway industry for 35 years and his job takes him to Europe - by train.

‘I have lost count of the number of times that I have been to Paris on the Eurostar and can’t actually remember ever looking at the view out of the window so as well as being a major personal challenge for me, the idea is to see bits of England and France at a more sedate pace and raise some muchneeded money for charity,’ says John, who lives in Derby but works in London.

Friend and colleague, Andrew Tandy, will accompany him. The pair plan to leave St Pancras on Sunday, 14 September. Eurotunnel has kindly agreed to provide free passage. Friends and family will be in Paris to greet Andy and John when they arrive on Wednesday, 17 September, hopefully in time for an evening reception at the Moulin Rouge.

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 15

Onboard the Battle Bus

O2 was in Milton Keynes earlier this month to answer the important question; what is IP and what does it do?

The O2 ‘Battle Bus’ was parked outside The Quadrant:MK on 1 September to demonstrate to Network Rail employees the benefits of the railway’s upgraded Fixed Telecommunications Network (FTN) - FTNx. O2 has been helping develop FTN with Network Rail to enable the internet protocol (IP) facility, which will allow a variety of equipment to utilise the network using IP. Network Rail’s many iPhone owners were able to get their precious mobiles protected on the day, with Tech 21 demonstrating its impact-resistant phone cases. However, the axe used at Rail Live was replaced with a simple mallet this time.

There was also a demonstration of O2’s mobile CCTV camera solutions. As well as offering ordinary video capture, the cameras, which can record footage up to two miles away, offer smart analysis, drawing attention to people walking in zones they shouldn’t be in and picking up on unattended items of luggage.

Network Rail began building FTN 10 years ago.

This involved the construction of a completely new 16,000-kilometre network of fibre optic and copper cables alongside railway tracks around the country.

HEALTH

SAFETY

DOUBLE-SHIFTING

TRAINING

TRAIN DISPATCH

WORKLOAD

SKILLS

SKILLS

FREIGHT

RIDDOR

APATHY SKILLS

POSSESSION

ASSAULT SECURITY

SEATING BRIEFINGS

TIME

AND

MANAGEMENT

STRESS AGENCY SECURITY

HEALTH AND WELLBEING POSSESSION MANAGEMENT

FAULT MANAGEMENT

RAIL ROAD RISK LINESIDE EQUIPMENT APATHY

COMPETENCE

LEVEL-CROSSING

DECISION RISK COMMUNICATION SUB-STANDARD

LINESIDE EQUIPMENT

WORKLOAD

DRIVING

TRAIN

ENVIRONMENTAL

INVESTIGATIONS

REPORTING SIGNALLING

INFRASTRUCTURE

PPE ROLLING STOCK MANAGEMENT DISPATCH

EXPERIENCE UNDER

CAB-DESIGN MAINTENANCE

0800 4 101 101 ...alternative reporting for your health and safety concerns.

Freepost CIRAS Text 07507 285887 www.ciras.org.uk

INTERVIEW

16 | RailStaff | September 2014

Siemens’-Mobility Turnkey Solutions Siemens’ Mobility Turnkey Solutions (MTS) unit is responsible for the acquisition and handling of turnkey projects in the fields of Rail and Road & City Mobility. The term ‘turnkey project’ should here be taken to refer to the delivery of a complete turnkey system. Within the framework of the conception, optimisation and implementation of these complete systems by the business units concerned, MTS undertakes the project management and overall system integration.

Among other projects, complete rail systems are currently under construction by Siemens in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar. Many successfully implemented turnkey projects, for example Bangkok, Thailand, and Edinburgh, are already in operation. Here, two employees report on their project experiences, and provide an insight into day-to-day business.

Simon Linnemans (right).

Timo Plattner.

Simon Linnemans, Timo Plattner, you both work for Siemens’ Mobility Turnkey Solutions (MTS) on major international projects involving complete rail systems. What does this entail?

Plattner: You have to imagine that complete rail solutions comprise different systems, products and components. This includes everything from track, overhead contact lines, signal and control technology through to the actual rail vehicles. These individual elements are supplied by different Siemens units.

In addition, there are frequently construction and consortium partners involved too. Within these major projects, we assume overall responsibility for the project management and technical systems integration for the component parts involved, as well as for the coordination of the individual stakeholders, for example customers or sub-suppliers.

Linnemans: The customer could of course assume this role themselves, but in light of the great complexity

Siemens driverless subway system in Riyadh.

of these complete systems, many customers delegate this task to Siemens, as we boast the requisite experience and expertise. The customer thus receives everything on a turnkey basis and from a single source.

What functions are you involved in during these projects?

Linnemans: Years ago, I started as an engineer in the Energy Group, where I was responsible for the design and engineering of low-and medium-voltage plants. Over time I then developed more specifically in the direction of project management.

After a number of international deployments, for example in Turkey, I was most recently Project Director on the Edinburgh tram project, where I oversaw its successful completion and handover to the customer.

Plattner: For 2 years now I have been in Doha, where I am currently engaged on the Qatar Education City People Mover System project. I started

INTERVIEW

off as interface manager, that’s to say I coordinated the technical interface between Siemens, the customers and the construction partners. At the moment my role is as system integration manager. I recently extended my delegation to Qatar by a further year.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Linnemans: My day-to-day activities are strongly characterised by communication. Basically we conduct daily meetings with internal and external stakeholders. My current project involves a core team of some 40 employees on site, as well as further experts at other locations. It’s never a matter of spending the whole day sitting at my desk.

Plattner: I can confirm that! My job likewise involves a great deal of interaction. As an engineer not only do you have to bring technical knowledge to the table, but you also need the

September 2014 | RailStaff | 17

ability to coordinate the various interface partners and optimally reconcile the different interests involved. One good example of this is a level crossing. The signal system elements for rail and road traffic are supplied by different partners. This has to be looked at in conjunction with the rail operator, as well as road traffic and landscape planning considerations.

In order now to be able to optimally harmonise the signal system, not only do you have to understand the technology involved, but you also have to work to convince the partners about any relevant issues.

Linnemans: But these daily activities are also interspersed with special days that are particularly memorable.

Last year the first tram rolled into downtown Edinburgh. Passing Edinburgh Castle at night in front of a throng of spectators – these are the real moments of success for all those involved.

And what is the special aspect of your everyday work?

Plattner: I’m thinking about diversity in a number of guises. You work on many different topics or sub-projects, and are in contact with the most disparate interest groups. Of course international projects also have an intercultural aspect. Each and every day you enjoy the opportunity for further development at different levels, both technically and as a person.

Linnemans: Also, a project is always characterised by a particular dynamic.

Each new day is in the truest sense a surprise. You look at your calendar in the morning and tell yourself “Today’s going to be quiet” and go home in the evening thinking “Wow, what a crazy day!”

And what does it feel like when a project is successfully concluded?

Linnemans: Successfully handing over a project to the customer is a matter of great teamwork, and of

course we celebrate accordingly as a team. That goes with the territory!

Plattner: You are simply proud of what’s been achieved, and of all those who have taken part, investing so much time and energy. Then comes a certain feeling of liberation.

Linnemans: Yes, when you then see your project successfully concluded you feel like a champion, along the lines of “Yeah, we made it!”

Career Opportunities As a result of Siemens’ healthy order books and with a view to covering future projects in the field of complete rail systems, Siemens is constantly seeking engineers and Project Managers with relevant professional experience.

You can obtain information about our vacancies at www.siemens.com/jobs or get in touch on +49 9131 727 565; or michael.tax@siemens.com

NEWS

18 | RailStaff | Seotember 2014

Magenta Magic in Birmingham Report by Marc Johnson Midland Metro’s new magenta trams have entered passenger service between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, ticking off the first major milestone in the system’s relaunch.

When the New Street link opens in 2015 - returning trams to Birmingham City Centre for the first time in 60 years - service frequencies will increase from every eight minutes to every six minutes. By February 2015, the operator hopes to be running a full CAF fleet.

‘We saw this extension as a way of relaunching the service and really raising the profile of Midland Metro,’ said Centro’s metro programme director, Paul Griffiths, ahead of the launch on 5 September.

Griffiths also said a decision to procure the final four trams under the original framework contract would be made by the end of the year, by which time all 21 of the current order are expected to have been delivered.

The trams, which began arriving from CAF’s plant in Zaragoza, Spain, in September 2013, are longer and wider than the former AnsaldoBreda T69 stock. To allow the new vehicles to be introduced into service,

Centro has had to modify platform edges along the route. The authority has also had to spend around £25 million doubling the size of its depot at Wednesbury.

Altogether, £128 million is being invested in the network. As well as new trams, Line 1 is being extended further into the city centre, firstly to a rejuvenated New Street station in 2015, from there to Centenary Square in 2018/19 and eventually to a new HS2 interchange on the site of the former Curzon Street station by around 2022. As well as planned extensions to Edgbaston and Wolverhampton railway station, Centro wants to eventually establish metro links to Birmingham International Airport, Solihull, Dudley and Walsall.

Tram tracks have already been laid along Colmore Circus Queensway where services from Wolverhampton will pass by Snow Hill station across a new bridge over Queensway to a new on-street stop.

When the New Street section opens, Centro will hand the two platforms at Snow Hill back to Network Rail, which plans to potentially reinstate platform 4 for main line rail services.

Unlike Nottingham, which is running a combination of ADtranz and Alstom vehicles, Midland Metro opted to completely replace its existing fleet. Griffiths said the decision was partly driven by the fact that the older trams would have been unable to cope with the gradient difference on

the extension to Centenary Square.

The remaining AnsaldoBreda T69s will be gradually withdrawn from September. One of the original units, which entered service on Line 1 in 1999, has already been decommissioned and given to UK Tram and Future Railway for the Light Rail Test Fleet. The rest of the T69s will be taken into long-term storage at Long Marston.

In 2016, Centro will begin the tendering process for the new operating concession, with the current agreement with National Express set to expire in 2018.

FEATURE

20 | RailStaff | September 2014

to

Neryungri Part two:

Construction veterans.

Report by David Shirres In last month’s Railstaff David Shirres described his TransSiberian railway journey from Moscow to Irkutsk. In this article David reports on an historic trip from Irkutsk on the BAM40 train as part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the start of construction of the modern Baikal Amur Mainline (BAM) railway.

This train carried rail workers, construction veterans, railway and district officials. It had 17 coaches including three restaurant cars. One coach was for the singers and dancers who performed at twelve celebratory stops along the train’s 3033 kilometre route. I was the only foreign journalist on the media coach.

Another similar train left the far eastern city of Khabarovsk. Both trains arrived at Tynda on 8th July,

exactly 40 years after the decision to construct the modern BAM from Lena to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Another reason to celebrate is the £9.4 billion investment programme for Russian Railway’s Eastern Zone, of which £4 billion is to be spent on the BAM. In 2012, the new 3.9 km Kuznetsovsky tunnel and its 20 kilometre deviation was opened at a cost of £1 billion. This new route’s reduced gradient enabled train weight to be increased from 3,600 to 5,600 tonnes. The original alignment is retrained for empty freight trains.

Built by prisoners then volunteers Work on the BAM started in 1937 by decree of Stalin who wanted an alternative rail route to the Pacific. The Trans-Siberian railway was considered vulnerable to attack from China.

Under Stalin, lines from Tayshet to Lena and Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Sovetskaya Gavan were completed as was the “Little BAM”, joining Tynda to the Trans-Siberian, however its tracks were then removed to support the war effort. They were not replaced until 1975. These lines were built at appalling human cost by prisoners, firstly from Soviet Gulags and later German and Japanese prisoners of war of whom 90% are estimated to have died. Construction ceased when Stalin died in 1953.

In the 1960s, increasing awareness of the area’s vast mineral resources and deteriorating relations with China led to a renewed desire to complete the BAM. In 1974 Russian leader, Leonid Brezhnev, proposed that this be done “with clean hands only”. Rejecting the use of prisoners, he called for volunteers to “build the construction project of the century”.

Around a hundred thousand young people throughout the Soviet Union then left their homes for Siberia to build the railway and move into the new settlements along the line. They faced temperatures down to minus 50°C, difficult tunnelling conditions and permafrost which turned the ground to a swamp once the insulating layer of earth above it was disturbed.

The BAM was one of the world’s most expensive civil engineering projects. It runs about 700 km north of the TransSiberian railway and much of its 4,324 km length is through permafrost. It crosses seven mountain ranges and has 4,200 bridges with eleven over large rivers.

From Tayshet, it is double tracked to Lena and electrified at 25kV AC to Taksimo.

The “Siberian BAM Guide” by Athol Yates and Nicholas Zvegintzov is essential reading for anyone wishing to know more about the line. Also worth reading is Dervla Murphy’s “Through Siberia by Accident” which gives a good description of life in the BAM zone in 2002.

FEATURE

September 2014 | RailStaff | 21

5th July - Lena to Severobaikalsk

Unveiling BAM40 plaque at Tayshet.

3rd July - Irkutsk to Tayshet The BAM40 train left Irkutsk at 05:50 hauled by a class 5,700 h.p. Bo-Bo-Bo EP1M locomotive introduced in 1998.

It travelled 669 kilometres along the Trans-Siberian railway and at 17:00 arrived at Tayshet, a town of 35,000 and the junction for the BAM. Celebrations then started with girls in traditional costumes greeting dignitaries with bread and salt.

After unveiling a stone to mark the BAM’s modernisation, the dancers and singers on the train provided entertainment. As the train didn’t leave until early morning, the frequent heavy freight trains through the station were evident.

Tayshet’s freight yards are 11 kilometres long and consist of four arrival, three departure and two marshalling yards that together have 169 tracks totalling 116 kilometres.

Tayshet currently handles 138 pairs of trains a day and, by 2020, is expected to handle 200 pairs. To increase its capacity, its sidings are to be lengthened from 1050 to 1500 metres and additional rail over bridges provided. Wagon repair shop capacity is to be increased from 20 to 60 wagons a day.

4th July - Tayshet to Lena From Tayshet the train was hauled by a 5,000 h.p. Bo-Bo-Bo VL65 locomotive. Introduced in

1992, this was the forerunner of the EP1M locomotive. The first stop was Vikhorevka (269 km – all distances from Tayshet) to pick up construction veterans. Based at its railway depot are 12,300 h.p. 3 x Bo-Bo Ermak 3ES5K locomotives. The many timber wagons in the yard showed it to be a centre for timber production.

Soon afterwards the train crossed the four kilometre long dam at Bratsk (330 km), built between 1955 and 1967 and provides 4,500 MW for its city of 250,000. Next stop was Korshunikha Angarskaya (554 km) which has a large open iron ore mine that generates much traffic on the BAM. At Lena (722 km) the BAM joins the Lena River, a great Siberian river BAM concert at Lena.

flowing into the Arctic Ocean and the world’s 11th longest. Here are shipyards and a rail/river interchange for north eastern Siberia’s river traffic.

The line from Tayshet to Lena was built between 1938 and 1951, with a five year halt because of the war. The modern BAM starts immediately after Lena with a bridge over the river which was, in 1975 the first to be constructed

by Brezhnev’s volunteers.

Commemorations at Lena included a visit to the town’s BAM museum, a splendid 1½ hour concert by the train’s performing artists and the unveiling of a plaque showing that, on 2nd May 1974, the XVII Congress of the Young Communist League were the first to start work on the new BAM.

At the construction veterans’ insistence I had the vodka and fish stew that was part of the train’s welcome by the small railway settlement of Kirenga (890km). After two hours there the train moved to the small settlement at Ulkan (931 km). Each of the BAM stations has a distinctive look. This is because each part of the BAM was built by volunteers from a different part of the Soviet Union. Ulkan was built by the Crimeans.

After departure the line climbed between 2,000 metre mountains where it could be seen that new power supplies are being installed. This work will be complete by 2017. After a horseshoe curve, at the summit the line enters the 6.7 km Baikal (Daban) tunnel (1006 km). Here tunnel boring machines are being set up for a second bore to be completed in 2017.

Severobaikalsk (1064 km) is on the north western shore of Lake Baikal. 636 kilometres long and with mountains descending steeply into the lake, this presented a formidable obstacle to Russia’s railway builders. Here the volunteers from Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad) designed the station in the shape of a sail. The city’s celebrations included a parade, unveiling a BAM memorial, a concert in the town square and fireworks.

6th July - Severobaikalsk to Severomuysky After spending the night at Severobaikalsk, the train passed through the four cliff tunnels above the lake in daylight. Its three celebratory stops for

FEATURE

22 | RailStaff | September 2014

(Above) Crossing Bratsk Dam. (Right) Parade at Severobaikalsk.

(Below) 3ES5K Ermak Locomotive.

the day were the small settlements of Kichera (1141 km), Angoya (1182 km) and Novy Uoyan (1257 km). Kichera and Novy Uoyan were built by the Soviet Baltic states. At Kichera, a replica signpost showed it to be 7090 km to Vilnius and 7068 km to Riga. At these stops, a study of the BAM exhibition posters and photographs gave an understanding of what was involved in its construction and the conditions in which those who built it lived.

Novy Uoyan’s street party was still going strong when the train departed at 23:00. Soon afterwards the train enters the 15 kilometre Severomuysky tunnel (1354 km), the BAM’s greatest challenge.

It is in an earthquake zone with complex geology. During tunnelling high pressure water ingress could only be prevented by pumping liquid nitrogen into the rock face. Tunnelling took 24 years before completion in 2003. In 1984, a 28

km tunnel by-pass line with maximum speed of 15 km/h was opened but its ruling gradient of 1 in 25 ruled out carriage of passengers. In 1989 this was replaced by a 54 km by-pass with a ruling gradient of 1 in 55 that could carry passengers. To relieve capacity, this is still in use.

7th July - Severomuysky to Yuktali After spending the night by the eastern portal of the tunnel, the train passed between mountain ranges to reach Taksimo (1484 km). This is the end of the 25kV AC electrification so the VL65 locomotive was exchanged for a 6,120 h.p. 2 x Co-Co 2TE10M diesel locomotive introduced in 1981. On a plinth outside the station is the Tupolev ANT-4 seaplane used to survey the route of the line.

At Kuanda (1557 km) a monument celebrates the completion of track laying in 1984 although tracks from east and west actually met at Balbukhta (1615 km). At this time there was much work outstanding, especially permafrost settlement. It was 1989 before the line was fully opened.

At Novaya Chara (1734 km), a new housing scheme for railway workers was ceremonially opened. In an interview for a special BAM40 magazine, East Siberian Railway’s Chief Engineer, Alexander Romanovich, stressed the importance of investing in people to give them better living conditions as well as new training

FEATURE

September 2014 | RailStaff | 23

BAM concert at Lena.

establishments.

This area has one of the richest mineral deposits in the BAM zone. In addition to titanium, vanadium, iron ore and rare earth mines, the Apsatskoe coal mine has reserves of 675 million tonnes with a current annual production of 0.5 million tonnes a year. Udokan, 30 kilometres to the south, has 26 million tonnes of copper reserves, the world’s third largest reserve. Production is expected to start in 2020, once the infrastructure to the mine is complete.

After Novaya Chara, the 2TE10M diesel worked hard to lift the 17 coach train at a steady 60 km /hr to 1310 metres above sea level, the BAM’s highest point at 1866 km. The overnight stop was the small settlement Yuktali (2028 km) where the 22:18 arrival was not too late for dancing and other celebrations.

This is an area of wilderness. From much of the line there is no-one for hundreds of miles. The only “road” is a track of sorts that parallels the railway between Novy Uoyan (1257 km) and Lopcha (2171 km). Blogs by motor cyclists who have ridden this track show that its poor and missing bridges make it a challenging expedition.

8th July - Tynda The simultaneous 09:30 arrival in Tynda (2364 km), a city of 38,000, of veteran’s trains from Irkutsk and Khabarovsk started a day of celebrations and events. Russian Railway’s President, Vladimir Yakunin and Russian Minister of Transport, Maxim Sokolov took part in the official programme which included opening a new railway training centre, presentations to the veterans and a conference on the future of the BAM. This was also an opportunity to visit

(Above) Old BAM poster.

(Right top) 2TE10M diesel locomotive attached at Takismo.

(Right bottom) BAM40 train and VL65 locomotive at Novy Uoyan.

the city’s BAM museum which has much about the line’s history, how it was built and social aspects of bringing so many young volunteers to the BAM Zone.

In Tynda, the volunteers were from Moscow.

For the locals this was a holiday with street fairs, theatre and an evening pop concert during which Vladimir Putin spoke to cheering crowds via a video link. The Russian President acknowledged that the doubts in the 1990s about the need for the BAM but added that with the start of the 2000s “it became obvious that the BAM was highly needed, and its capacity was already not enough”.

9th July - Tynda to Neryungri The Neryungri coal field has estimated reserves of 3 billion tonnes. It is on “The Little BAM” which currently terminates at Nizhny Bestyakh from where it is planned to connect it to the northern city of Yakutsk by a three kilometre bridge over the River Lena. It has been suggested that this line could be extended to Alaska via a tunnel under the Bering Strait.

For those returning to Moscow after the BAM celebrations there was a 229 kilometre overnight train journey to Neryungri, where a chartered Boeing 777 awaited. Since leaving Moscow I had spent nine nights on Russian trains. This plane took me back there in just over six hours.

No longer a folly The BAM has been a controversial railway. First built on the suffering of Stalin’s prisoners, it was then restarted by the heroic efforts of willing volunteers.

When it became fully operational in 1989, it had taken almost sixty years to construct. It was then unable to live up to its promise due to the political and economic circumstances of the time. Western commentators were not impressed with one writing a book entitled “Brezhnev’s Folly”.

Today it is clear that there is great enthusiasm for the line in Russia. With the line’s capacity constraining exports to Asia-Pacific countries, Putin clearly sees its development as a priority. After a slow start the line is now thriving and will be carrying more than double the current traffic when the current investment programme is completed in 2017.

The BAM will then be a fitting memorial both for Stalin’s prisoners who died building it and the heroic work of Brezhnev’s volunteers.

NEWS

24 | RailStaff | September 2014

NCB Collaboration Working side by side to reinstate a second platform at Whitby Station Two steam trains have stood side by side at Whitby station for the first time in 50 years to mark the opening of North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s (NYMR) second platform.

NCB worked in partnership with both Network Rail and NYMR to issue the new platform’s safety assessment report.

On Saturday 16th August the North Yorkshire Moors Railway officially opened a reinstated second platform at Whitby Station. This £1.95million, multidisciplinary project was managed by a NYMR team consisting largely of volunteers, supported by Network Rail and Northern Rail.

The work was significant; it involved

alterations to the track layout, signalling changes and the construction of a new platform face. As an added pressure, the project timescales were very tight – aiming to get the platform open and increase passenger services in time for Whitby’s tourist season.

In February 2014, we were contracted to provide an independent safety assessment to ensure the work was compliant with the provisions of the Common Safety Method for Risk Evaluation and Assessment (CSM-RA) Regulations.

This was the first time we had contracted our services to an independent railway company running jointly on Network Rail infrastructure and the work involved consideration

of the methods and processes of the Safety Management Systems of both Network Rail and NYMR. All parties felt a great sense of pride working on this special heritage railway project, with successful cooperation between us all allowing the assessment to go smoothly and quickly. Our Safety Assessment Report was issued on 21st

July within the project’s budget and timescales.

Working collaboratively in this way is part and parcel of what we do at NCB and we look forward to tackling more special projects like this in the future.

Report by David Fuller, Principal Infrastructure Conformance Engineer.

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 25

Spencer Rail teams up with Hull College Spencer Rail’s parent company, Spencer Group, has taken on 12 apprentices as part of a successful partnership with Hull College.

The apprentices, aged from 17 to 29, joined Spencer after studying at the college and will work across the group including the rail division.

Says Jonah O’Leary, 18, an apprentice from Bransholme, Hull, ‘This is the start of a career, not just a new job. Since I finished college, I have been counting down the days to start here. This programme gives us the opportunity to use what we have learned at college.’

The rail division is currently completing on a number of major projects including Ipswich Yard and Wessex Package 7 and has recently been named as a principal contractor

on MAFA for Scotland.

Says David McLoughlin, Spencer Rail chief executive, ‘At Spencer we are always looking for the next generation of talent in the rail industry and are very keen to develop our staff in-house.

The apprentices will get a brilliant insight into the way the whole group works as well as getting a hands-on experience of the type of work Spencer Rail delivers on a day-to-day basis.’

Fleet Overhaul at ScotRail Alstom plans to invest over £500,000 in its Glasgow and Manchester traincare centres after agreeing a contract to upgrade ScotRail’s Class 334 fleet.

Eversholt Rail awarded Alstom the two-year contract, worth £36.1 million, to recondition and spruce up the 40 Class 334 units.

The trains work on the heavily trafficked Airdrie and Bathgate services.

Work starts early next year.

Alstom’s modernisation team in Preston will lead the work, with the Glasgow Traincare Centre in Polmadie removing and refitting components, supported by Manchester Traincare.

Alstom will provide a 22-metre long shed at Glasgow allowing the 334s to be completely covered during the full overhaul. Track will be extended at the bogie drop off area.

In Manchester a self-contained bogie overhaul facility will be created to allow

for multiple overhauls to be completed in parallel without competition for equipment, tooling or space.

Additional staff will be recruited to help with the overhaul.

Says Mary Kenny, chief executive officer of Eversholt Rail, ‘We are pleased to be working with Alstom on this contract. This investment of £36.1m in our Class 334 is our third fleet upgrade for Scotland and once again demonstrates the importance of Scotland to our business, and our commitment to delivering the best value and highest quality proposition to our customers and rail passengers.’

SIMPLY REVOLUTIONARY OUT WITH THE OLD...



...IN WITH THE NEW!

 

THE ORIGINAL INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR ON-SITE ROLE IDENTIFICATION. The QuickBand® solution is simple; one armband with a clear pocket which takes the entire range of QuickBand inserts.

This means you no longer have to wear multiple armbands, and when covering multiple roles, you can quickly change the insert when required.

♦



♦



 ♦



♦



♦



Call for your FREE trial today.   

t: 023 9225 4442 safeaidsupplies.com



NEWS

26 | RailStaff | September 2014

Magnum Force Operation Magnum, drawing on the experience of BTP officers and railway staff, has helped bring about a remarkable drop in crime on the network.

Notifiable crime fell by six per cent during 2013/14. More dramatic still was the reduction of 18 per cent in recorded robberies, a 17 per cent drop in theft of passenger property and a 37 per cent fall in theft of cable from the railway.

Operation Magnum was launched to combat growing concerns at the rise in the theft of passenger property. Thieves had come to see people at stations and on trains as easy pickings.

Operation Magnum saw police and railway staff advising passengers about the most common tactics used by thieves.

Says BTP Chief Constable Crowther, ‘We have led the way in combating theft and there can be little doubt that Operation Magnum, which was driven by online content and social media, has had the desired effect with almost 3,000 fewer people falling victim to this type of crime year-on-year.

‘During 2013/14 we also continued to spearhead efforts to tackle metal and cable theft both on the railway, and in other sectors, through the National Metal Theft Taskforce – bringing about a 37 per cent fall in railway cable theft which,

in turn, significantly reduced the delays and disruption faced by the railway as a result of criminal activity.’

Crowther claims specialist knowledge and cross industry thinking on the issues involved has helped BTP and rail chiefs push for changes in the law. This has been particularly effective in dealing with metal and cable theft.

‘Working with industry and Government, we were instrumental in helping to craft the new Scrap Metal Dealers Act which has levelled the playing field for legitimate scrap metal recyclers, brought legislation into the 21st Century and significantly increased the risk of prosecution faced by thieves and unscrupulous dealers,’ says Crowther.

However, sexual offences have risen by 21 per cent year-on-year. Project Guardian will address this. Project Guardian is a joint initiative between BTP, Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command (STC), City of London Police and Transport for London (TfL). It focuses on increasing awareness and confidence amongst the public to report unwanted sexual behaviour to the police or members of staff.

Says Chief Constable Crowther, who was appointed in May this year, ‘For the coming months and years we will have one simple goal – to make sure everyone who travels or works on the railway can get home everyday, safe, secure and on time.’

Your colleagues need your help

Railway people, both current and retired, sometimes find themselves in financial difficulty due to no fault of their own.

It may be because of injury, illness, bereavement or adversity.

Some of the ways we help include: Funeral costs, debt, disabled equipment, house contents, medical equipment.

We can help and so can you Yes! I’ll help you support railway people in need.

Here is my gift for £10

My own choice of £

I enclose a cheque OR please debit my Visa/Mastercard/Switch/Maestro/CAP Card.

Card No. Security Code: Start Date: Title:

/

Expiry Date:

/

First Name:

Issue No.

Switch/Maestro only

Surname:

Address: Postcode:

Telephone:

Email Address We will never disclose your information, without your consent. We’d like to send you messages about our work and provide you with the opportunities to help us. If you would rather not receive these communications please call us on 01270 251316.

Please return this form with your donation to: Freepost Plus RRBA – KSXA – RYAE, Railway Benefit Fund, Electra Way, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 6HS Email: info@railwaybenefitfund.org.uk - http://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk Reg charity number 206312 RailwayBenefitFund

Blog

Make your gift worth a quarter more – at no extra cost YES please treat as Gift Aid donations this qualifying gift of money made today/any donations made in the last 4 years/and in the future (delete as applicable) I confirm I have paid/will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April-5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all charities that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts from that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give.

Please notify the charity if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or Capital Gains Tax. Sign:

@RBF1858

TheRBF1858

railwaybenefitfundblog.com

flickr.com/groups/therbf

Date:

Thank you for your kind support

NEWS

28 | RailStaff | September 2014

ACoRP’s Scarborough Fair A walk along the esplanade at Scarborough on an autumn evening is hard to beat. Cold air laced with sea spray and the smell of fish and chips backed up by the distant whirl of a barrel organ lifts the spirits.

On the evening of 2 October, keen observers of all that is brightest and best in railways will witness one of the most remarkable phenomena of the new rail industry. Far away from the contentious debates about HS2, franchising and fare hikes, an unsung army of railway heroes will be making its way to the 10th annual Community Rail Awards.

Held by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, the awards celebrate the growing success of a quiet and patient network of local initiatives involving thousands of volunteers and aimed at opening up local railways, often in overlooked parts of the country.

Most of the work is done by unpaid, ordinary men, women and children from all walks of life. Equally at home

with paint brush and planting pot, Garmin or guitar, community railway volunteers adopt and clean up stations, run awareness campaigns for railway services, stage beer and music trains, set out bookstalls and, in hundreds of ways, are helping bring the railway back into the heart of the communities it was originally set up to serve.

Impossible tasks The Community Rail Awards, ACoRP’s Scarborough Fair, celebrates the growing success of 43 community rail partnerships. The song incidentally was not written by Paul Simon but is based on a very old folk song, thought to date back to the 17th century. In the song a boy asks a girl to perform various almost impossible tasks to win his love.

These include sowing him a seamless shirt, drying it on a bush that never bore berries. Sentimental it might be, but it fits the mood of celebration of an industry for which the British public, whatever the grizzled commuter on the 7.09 might argue, retains a unique affection.

ACoRP was founded in 2000 to put the Community Rail movement on a formal footing. By 2004, the late Strategic Rail Authority, under Richard Bowker, put in place the Community Rail Development Strategy. The SRA became a keen supporter, reflecting an emerging political consensus that community involvement and social responsibility should inform all industries.

Eventually the SRA appointed genial railway factotum Chris Austin as executive director, Community Rail development. Happily ACoRP survived the demise of the SRA, its champions melting away from Victoria Street to a safe haven behind government forces at the DfT.

European influence Community Rail itself dates back to the early 90s. The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, formed in 1991, was set up at Plymouth University, mainly as a marketing initiative aimed at increasing ridership on branch lines already popular among tourists. Then in 1993 rail hero Dr Paul Salveson, a one time train driver from Lancashire, came up with the idea of a communitybased rail partnership whilst discussing the gloomy future of regional and rural railways in a pub one rain-swept afternoon near Huddersfield station.

After more discussions and meetings, the Penistone Line Partnership was launched in June at Stocksmoor Village Hall. Salveson went on to help found over 20 Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs) before stepping down as general manager of ACoRP in 2004.

Neil Buxton, erstwhile officer at the Esk Valley Community Rail Partnership, took on the role. The movement grew and community rail is a phenomenon that is now attracting interest from Europe.

Neil Buxton answered questions for this article sitting in a pavement cafe in Lille, northern France, attending a rail funding conference organised by the EU. ‘We’re starting to have an influence in Europe with the SusStation, CAP’EM and Citizens Rail EU funded projects,’ says Neil. CAP’EM was responsible for helping fund the spectacular redevelopment of ACoRPs new offices in Huddersfield station’s water tower see pictures.

‘Community rail and ACoRP are now playing a much bigger part in new

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 29

they will then feel enabled... and won’t despoil the station.’ The BTP is right behind community rail - it cuts crime and makes a real difference.

Skills and dynamism

franchises, thanks to our success and a new view from DfT,’ says Neil. ‘We’ve already had input into the TSGN and East Coast franchises and we have been much more closely involved in the ScotRail, Northern and TPE franchises.’ The DfT and ministers generally want to see more evidence of community engagement by train operators. Community rail offers an already well researched and locally accepted method of achieving this.

Scottish success The movement has now spread to Scotland and has been taken up by the Scottish Government. Scotland has already benefitted from the energy and ingenuity of a host of station adopters, fulsomely encouraged by the indefatigable John Yellowlees, external affairs manager at ScotRail.

Scotland now has two CRPs: The Stranraer to Ayr Line Support Association, SAYLSA - a long-standing local group. The other is East Lothian CRP, which was created this summer.

ACoRP links government organisations and railway companies with the local communities they

serve. ACoRP is mainly funded by the DfT, however, local authorities chip in too. For everyone it is a cost effective win. Knowledge and best practice are shared; the energy and affection of local people for their railway is coupled up with the onward progress of an expanding industry. Community rail is working well.

Each CRP has a partnership officer - sometimes part-time - who is largely an enabler. Many of these are women and the community rail movement is a great uniter of widely different classes and types of people as the enthusiastic cohorts at the Community Rail Awards attest.

Cost benefit analysis by the DfT says for every pound spent, the railway gets back over four. Other benefits are long term and of inestimable value.

People feel safe to use trains, graffiti and vandalism go down. Says Neil, ‘Local people get a sense of ownership.

They’re the best ambassadors and it tends to reduce trespass and vandalism. One reason for this is because it is self-policing. If you get the trouble makers involved in doing something like art work on a station

Back in the 90s most people thought railways were doomed. Privatisation could have seen off community rail.

In fact the reverse happened and the skills and dynamism of the volunteers emphasised that the British wanted to keep all their railways, thank you very

careers and endeavours in the future.’

Ridership on Community Rail Lines has grown by 58 per cent since 2006-07. Whilst ACoRP acknowledges that in absolute figures, there is no comparison between community rail and the rest of the network, it is nevertheless an extraordinary achievement.

Scarborough Fair is a love song about achieving the impossible. Towards the end of the song the girl replies with a series of equally extraordinary

‘Community rail and ACoRP are now playing a much bigger part in new franchises, thanks to our success and a new view from DfT,’ says Neil Buxton. much, and no Thatcherite, ‘cut it if it doesn’t make money’, economics was going to change that. Twenty years later in a society where big business is desperate to prove it cares, community rail has become an integral part of the new rail industry.

Says Tom O’Conor, managing director of Rail Media, which is sponsoring the Community Rail Awards, Best Marketing Campaign, ‘We strive to report good news stories about railways and the people who work for and support them.

The community rail movement has provided a welcome fund of these down the years. We wish all CRPs and everyone at Scarborough every success both on the night itself and in their

challenges - get me a field between the sea and the sand - Simon and Garfunkel missed all this out. Hayley Westenra does a fuller version, well worth tracking down. Maybe Paul Simon was troubled by the lack of a happy ending. If so he would be immensely bucked by the Community Rail Awards in Scarborough.

Among the CRP volunteers at Scarborough will be a leaven of railway managers and bosses, celebrating an industry that with the help of its supporters achieved the impossible.

Those who cannot make it will doubtless wish to be remembered to those who live there. True love, when it comes to local railways, is still going strong.

NEWS

30 | RailStaff | September 2014

Sheffield’s Cutting Edge One successful recruit to the army of small businesses and entrepreneurs boosting the fortunes of the railway is Russell Cutts.

The erstwhile structural engineer turned bike mechanic has opened a new cycle workshop and hire centre as part of the next phase of Sheffield’s £850,000 Cycle Hub development at the city’s main railway station.

Interest in the Tour de France, which this year started in Yorkshire, is helping Russell’s business. Bigger premises are a help too.

‘At times it’s been really hard.

Everybody knows just how bitterly cold a railway station can be and working with your hands in such freezing conditions can be a real challenge. No matter the weather, I’m passionate about bikes and helping cyclists use them daily. So, now having my own

workshop and retail space, which will be lovely and warm in the winter, will really transform what I can do to help Sheffield’s growing community of cycling commuters.’

Russell’s Bicycle Shed is a real bonus for the rising number of passengers using bikes as part of their journey avoiding traffic jams and car parking charges. Bikes for hire is further

increasing the appeal of cyclists in the city.

‘People in London have taken to hiring city bikes,’ said Russell. ‘We are Sheffield’s first city centre bike hire scheme. But a London style ‘Boris’ bike is just too heavy for the hills of Sheffield, so instead we’ve got a fleet of lightweight multi-geared Marin bikes.’

Russell worked at various engineering

jobs but several years ago decide to strike out on his own and follow his true passion - cycling. In 2012, he asked rail bosses at East Midlands Trains if he could set up a mobile cycle repair service in the station car park. They agreed and the business grew.

Russell moved into the Cycle Hub at Sheffield station on 13 August and is open for business.

RailStaff Awards RECOGNISING THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP THE UK RAIL INDUSTRY MOVING

www.railstaffawards.com

Awards Party: 25th October, Ricoh Arena Coventry

Stars of the Silver Screen

Pick up almost any DVD and the blurb on the back will strive to list all the nominations the film received. It doesn’t matter if the film won, it is the fact that it was deemed worthy of nomination that convinces viewers of its intrinsic value.

It is the same with the rail industry. People need to be reassured that they matter, that they’re special. All are potential winners and nominations prove this. The RailStaff Awards 2014 aims not only to promote railways and the people who work in them but to help the industry retain staff at all levels. This is why the RailStaff Awards has been expanded and moved to a new, bigger, better location at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

The recruitment, retention and training of the people whose careers thread the railway forms the foundation

stone of the industry’s future. Many of the organisations backing the RailStaff Awards 2014 are not only railway companies but top recruitment and training firms. Rail bosses will often allude to railway staff as the greatest asset of the railways. Quite right too, as the flurry of nominations - extended to 15th September - confirms.

Rail is a labour intensive industry, an aggregation of many people, talents and disciplines.

With the projected expansion of the railway over Control Period 5 and beyond, the need for more school leavers, graduates, ex-servicemen and second careerists will continue to increase. The challenge for the industry is to present itself as a great place to develop a career.

In an uncertain and ever changing world the railway industry stands for stability, innovation, initiative and reward.

NOW OPEN FOR

NOMINATIONS www.railstaffawards.com

The importance of encouraging and supporting all who work in railways cannot be over stated. People, if they do not feel valued, leave, seek fulfilment elsewhere.

Particularly in the south east of England the rail industry faces huge competition from a ballooning economy full of the promise of high earnings and prestige.

Primarily the RailStaff Awards was set up to shine a light on the thousands of railway staff who are the real heroes of the industry. But it means more than than just a simple thank you. The RailStaff Awards demonstrates that this is an industry that values its people, that is comfortable and at ease with itself. Nominations by friends and colleagues can be valued down the years. The rail industry is keen to support, encourage and take forward the careers of all its members. Such heroes might not make top billing on Broadway but they will always be worth watching.

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

32 | RailStaff | September 2014

SETEC backs Trainer of the Year Top training company, SETEC, is sponsoring the Trainer of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2014.

This popular award salutes the work of an army of trainers and instructors throughout the rail industry.

One growing side effect of the search for more people to take forward the expanding railway is the need for concise training and development.

As the rail industry recruits, converts and trains its next top flight generation there has never been a greater need for effective and motivated trainers.

Not only is the volume of recruits stepping up but the pace of change in new technology coming on stream means professional careerists in the industry also need up to-the-minute training and development.

Says Craig King, managing director of SETEC, ‘Training is a constant in the rail industry. We need to encourage the men and women engaged in training. Their role is not sufficiently

PROUDLY SPONSORING TRAINER/TRAINING TEAM OF THE YEAR

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS

craig.king@setecltd.co.uk | 07748 32 88 31

recognised. With the ever increasing demands of high-tech equipment and methodologies the industry is changing dynamically.

‘New ideas mature fast in this industry and education in new technologies is important. We need to support and encourage our people as well as celebrate their success.’

SETEC is a technical expertise and skills business, supporting the rail sector in specialist engineering and training & competence activities.

Considerable experience in railway signal engineering, electrical & electronic engineering, sales and business development supports a comprehensive and training and competency organisation. SETEC delivers solutions for all railway projects and operations where safety critical activities are undertaken.

SETEC promotes excellence through high-quality engineering, technical & safety training solutions.

The company is led by Craig King, a professional electrical and electronics engineer with many years experience in railway signalling control systems, leadership, business development and management.

Says Craig, ‘We are railway through and through and completely

understand the pressures and demands of today’s fast-paced and dynamic rail industry. We only engage industry professionals with considerable experience in railway engineering or occupational safety.’

SETEC works with Network Rail and London Underground as well as leading railway infrastructure companies.

Says Tom O’Connor, managing director of Rail Media, ‘This is an inspiring category - it’s what the RailStaff Awards is all about - thanking people who have helped us get to where we are today. Even more important it’s about encouraging them, as Craig says, to go on beefing up the knowledge and skill sets of all men and women building a career in the fast growing railway industry.

‘We are delighted that SETEC is backing the Trainer of the Year Award and wish all those who have been nominated every success on the night itself.’

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 33

Network Rail is proud to sponsor the RailStaff Awards 2014 It’s the hard work of individuals and teams within our industry that’s helping us build a better railway for Britain. From pioneering investment and development projects, to innovations that make everyday services faster, smarter and safer, we believe in recognising the excellence that’s enabling the transformation of our network.

That’s why we’re very proud to once again sponsor this year’s RailStaff Awards.

Building a better railway for a better Britain. networkrail.co.uk

C52280 RailStaff Awards Ad 190x130mm.indd 1

01/05/2014 12:28

just ek we ur £1 ras you, yod cove rtner an ldren. pa nt chi nde p e d e

Joiny! toda

TBF provides practical, confidential help for rail staff and their families.

Hope we shall see you at the Awards.

Proud sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RailStaff Awards firstgroup.com

& 0300 333 2000 etd 00 38571 e-mail help@tbf.org.uk www.tbf.org.uk

Transport Benevolent Fund

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

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

34 | RailStaff | September 2014

Shorterm Backs Rail Manager Award Shorterm Group, specialists in recruitment and technical support services for the engineering industry, is proud to be sponsoring Rail Manager of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2014.

Steve Gallucci, CEO at Shorterm Group says, ‘We are proud to be sponsoring this prestigious award. With over 35 years experience of supporting the rail industry we are all too aware of the value outstanding frontline managers bring to the day to day performance of the network.’

An accredited provider under RISQS (formerly Link-up), Shorterm provides managers, engineers, safety critical and support staff across a wide range of rail projects throughout the UK. In addition the company is also the leading provider of engineering staff to the rolling stock sector.

Says Asif Ahmed, Director, Rail Media,

‘People who understand what the rail industry needs - where and when in terms of staff - add real value to the ever increasing portfolio of projects and organisations taking forward an expanded, better performing network.

I am delighted Shorterm is supporting this top award. Railway managers face a unique set of challenges as passenger loadings increase, freight volumes grow and more capital is invested in expanding capacity. Making it all happen is the responsibility of us all but the onus of meeting budgets and deadlines falls on front line managers.

It is a hard task and the RailStaff Awards goes some way to recognising these often misunderstood heroes.

Thank you Shorterm.’

Shorterm is a service led, customer focused organisation that is committed to continuous development of rail managers, engineers and staff at all levels.

SHORTERM ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR Rail Manager of the Year Category at the Rail Staff Awards 2014

Shorterm Group is a railway recruitment specialist with more than 35 years’ experience placing permanent and contract staff across all major rail projects.

For more information call our rail team

0800 122 3456

With extensive rail engineering expertise Shorterm is able to provide a dynamic and innovative service to its clients, and is perfectly placed to undertake small or large projects efficiently, professionally and most importantly, safely.

Shorterm Group’s diverse rail offering includes: • Permanent Way Engineering • Signalling & Telecoms Engineering • Rail Welding & Grinding • Rolling Stock Technicians • Depot & Fleet Management • Rolling Stock Design Engineers • Overhead Line Electrification Engineering • Safety Critical Personnel

• Electrical & Mechanical Engineering • Rail Training & Assessment Services.

Lawrence Dobie, Shorterm Group’s Director of Rail says, ‘The RailStaff Awards 2014 will be a wonderful celebration of the extraordinary men and women who make the rail industry a success. Outstanding managers are key to that success. At Shorterm Group we continue to rise to the challenge of providing the rail industry with the skilled people it needs to grow. I am proud that we are sponsoring Rail Manager of the Year.’

For more information about Shorterm Group, please visit www. shortermgroup.com

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 35

PROUD TO SPONSOR TRAIN DRIVER OF THE YEAR

The smarter way between Heathrow and central London. heathrowexpress.com

twitter.com/heathrowexpress

Morson International is the UK’s No1 Rail Supplier.

Your colleagues need your help

Railway people, both current and retired, sometimes find themselves in financial difficulty, through no fault of their own.

We can help and so can you If you need help call us on 01270 251316 or visit www. railwaybenefitfund.org.uk To make a donation telephone us or visit the website.

Proudly sponsoring ‘Signalling & Telecomms Person of the Year’ Proudly sponsoring Proud sponsors of the RailStaff 2014 ‘Signalling & Telecomms PersonAwards of the Year’ Westermo is a global player in mission criticalAwards data communications Proud sponsors of the RailStaff 2014 solutions. Westermo products thrive in the harsh environments of Westermo is aatglobal player in mission critical data communications the trackside the edge of today’s enterprise networks. solutions. Westermo products thrive in the harsh environments of theQuality trackside at theaudited edge ofbytoday’s … systems leadingenterprise global railnetworks. companies Designed for highaudited reliability and long life leading … Quality systems by leading global rail companies to reduced maintenance costs … Designed for high reliability and long life leading … Legacy serialmaintenance communications to reduced coststo Ethernet IP networking solutions … Legacy serial communications to Ethernet … Secure and resilient networking solutions IP networking solutions Tested and to EN50121-4 EMC standard and … Secure resilient networking solutions operational at extreme temperatures … Tested to EN50121-4 EMC standard and … Wide range at of extreme Networktemperatures Rail operational accepted products … Wide range of Network Rail … accepted Low power consumption helping products to build sustainable railway … Low power consumption helping to build sustainable railwa railway

We proudly sponsor the Rail Engineer of the Year Award.

Find out what Morson Group can do for you today.

Contact us on:

T: Manchester 0161 707 1516

T: London 0207 633 2040

W: www.morson.com

E: rail@morson.com

Proud supporter of

A Beijer Electronics Group Company A Beijer Electronics Group Company

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

36 | RailStaff | September 2014

SSL - Developing and attracting talent Signalling Solutions Ltd (SSL), the Alstom/Balfour Beatty joint venture is delighted to endorse and sponsor the ‘Graduate of The Year’ at the RailStaff Awards 2014.

Steve McLaren, SSL Managing Director, says: ‘As a company which has a strong focus on developing the best talent at all levels, giving our support to this award is a fitting demonstration of our commitment to the future of the rail sector. Offering young people different routes into the industry is very important - and is something that SSL is committed to through our own graduate and apprenticeship programmes. I hope that the nominations for the Graduate Award category will reveal an exciting showcase of young talent and success stories from across all areas of the industry.’

SSL believes that in light of the

skills shortage, graduate intake for the rail sector is vital - pointing out statistics from research by Engineering UK which predict that for each year up to 2020, the industry will need to find 87,000 graduates. Mindful of this, last year SSL launched their own Graduate Trainee Programme - and recruited 13 graduates to its growing team. The company’s 2013 recruitment campaign attracted over 500 applicants. Five graduates joined the company in January 2013 and a further eight joined in June 2013.

Career Progression Nurturing talent and career progression is at the heart of SSL. Orla O’Connor, Resourcing Manager at Signalling Solutions, explains: ‘We are very careful to make sure our employees are doing the jobs they want to do and are best suited for.’

The company offers comprehensive training and development, plus

GRADUATE OF THE YEAR 2014 PROUDLY SPONSORED BY SIGNALLING SOLUTIONS

dedicated goal-setting and feedback, so that graduates can advance personally and professionally in their chosen career. All SSL graduates go through a three-year graduate training programme which gives them an ideal foundation to build on their existing skills and realise their high potential.

Further training courses and ‘on the job’ training also give the company’s graduates a great start.

SSL’s approach is all about real world, hands-on experience, coupled with first-class training and development.

Orla points out that in common with most successful companies, SSL’s staff is its biggest asset and critical to its business success.

Orla says: ‘Our people make SSL what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. We are proud of the knowledge, skills and experience of our people. We believe that maintaining and building on that heritage is a vital part of our success.

We want to actively encourage new talent and ideas - and do all we can to create an environment where we attract talented people who are motivated to give their best, and reach their full potential. Our ability to meet the needs of customers, take on new challenges and achieve our goals depends on the capability within our business.

So staff development is a key part of Signalling Solutions - and we have an increasing commitment to accelerating success and supporting our teams. We make sure our people have meaningful work, that they are motivated to give their best, and also that our clients’ experience of working with us is a positive one. Our aim is to build the best possible workforce, and give them the support and mentoring they need to succeed.’

Recruiting Recipe

excellence in train control A Balfour Beatty and Alstom Company

www.signallingsolutions.com

SSL believes strongly in recruiting and developing the best talent at all levels. To achieve this, their approach is to maximise all avenues - classified advertising in professional media, such as RailStaff and Rail Engineer; national and regional press, as well as social media sites and recruitment

open days. SSL has used LinkedIn successfully to advertise job positions, Orla reports. ‘We see social and business networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook becoming more important - and we have recently set up a SSL Facebook Careers page.’

Another successful approach has been recruiting people with transferable skills from the forces.

‘Many veterans have engineering training, and they understand the importance of discipline, health and safety, more than anybody,’ Orla says. She adds that a further positive route to harness fresh new talent has been developing opportunities for apprentices and trainees across the business.

The company also regularly hosts successful recruitment events around the country so that potential applicants interested in learning more about the business can meet Orla and members of the SSL team. ‘Earlier this summer we held a recruitment open day at our new offices in Newport,’ says Orla. ‘We hope to recruit 15 experienced designers at Newport by the end of the year, which would allow SSL to launch a new graduate and trainee scheme at the start of 2015.’

Orla sums up the company’s approach to developing staff skills and talent: ‘We want everyone at SSL to have the chance to reach their full potential and enjoy being part of an exciting and successful business. We plan to keep making this happen!’

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 37

We keep Britain moving Proud to Sponsor

‘Apprentice of the Year’ at the RailStaff Awards 2014

Cleshar is a leading civil engineering company specialising in the Railway Industry

Proud Sponsor of Outstanding Customer Service Award

GB Railfreight

15–25 Artillery Lane, London E1 7HA T: 020 7904 3393 info@gbrailfreight.com www.gbrailfreight.com

Heather Park House, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7NN Tel: 020 8733 8888 Email: info@cleshar.co.uk

www.cleshar.co.uk

SAMARITANS/ NETWORK RAIL PARTNERSHIP

Proud sponsors of

Rail Team of the Year At The Rail Staff Awards 2014

are proud to be sponsoring the Lifesaver award at this years’ RailStaff Awards

Experts in providing safety critical staffing and professional recruitment services to the rail industry

Talking saves lives Over 5000 rail industry staff and BTP have been trained with the skills to help a person in need, and are using these skills to prove that encouraging someone to talk about their problems can save lives.

For more info and to nominate yourself or a colleague go to

www.railstaffawards.com A registered charity

In partnership with

One Safe Service. One Clear Solution For more information, call us on 0207 743 7500

www.anderselite.com

38 | RailStaff | September 2014

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

Mane Event for Depot Team Award

Pictures are of RailStaff Awards Depot Team of the Year 2013.

Technical recruitment specialist, Mane Contract Services, is sponsoring the Depot Team of the Year at the RailStaff Awards 2014.

The UK now has one of the newest and best performing passenger rail fleets in Europe. The rail freight industry has also re-equipped with modern locomotives and wagons.

Overhead line electrification, new railways and tram networks, projects like Crossrail and Thameslink will further develop what is now recognised as a unique industrial phenomenon.

Up and down the network depots are busy places from traction and rolling stock depots to electrification centres, freight depots and booking on points.

These powerhouses of the new rail industry are centres of motivation and excellence.

Says Patrick O’ Reilly, Rail Director at Mane Contract Services, ‘We supply skilled professionals at all levels to the

rail industry. Good depot teams are one of the essentials of the industry and are what make the railway the success it is. We are delighted to be backing the RailStaff Awards.’

Based in London, Bristol, Manchester, Dunfermline, the Netherlands and Germany, Mane provides technical recruitment solutions worldwide, specialising in supplying the Rail

Market Leaders Market Leaders Market in rail Leaders in rail Market in rail Leaders recruitment recruitment in rail recruitment recruitment Proud Sponsors

Proud Proud Sponsors Sponsors Depot Team of the Year Depot Team Proud Sponsors Depot Team of of the the Year Year Depot Team of the Year

Technical Recruitment Specialists Call now on: 01923 470 730 www.mane.co.uk rail@mane.co.uk

Industry as well as the Aerospace, Automotive, Construction, Engineering, Manufacturing and Oil & Gas sectors.

Mane has been successfully leading the market for over 20 years and is proud to maintain preferred supplier status to many clients, operating fully managed accounts in the rail sector.

Mane has extensive knowledge of emerging industrial legislation, laws and regulations, and ensures it is fully compliant.

‘We are fully aware the rail sector is one where Health and Safety is at the forefront of all projects,’ says Patrick. ‘Our clients recognise how

much we value this, which is why we facilitate the screening process of every candidate we send to work – ensuring required documents such as rail certification, rights to work and training are validated. Better still, we carry out random drug and alcohol tests on all candidates, as well as on-site inspections, to make sure our Health and Safety standards are to the highest level.’

Depot Team of the Year is a unique category and is a chance to thank several people at once. Says Tom O’Connor, managing director, Rail Media, ‘These cohesive teams come together to provide all that is brightest and best in the railway. Almost every trainer will tell you that team work is important, but on the railway it is essential. The winners and runners up in this category demonstrate this with an eloquence that is often quite humbling. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Mane to the RailStaff Awards 2014.

For many years Mane has itself been one of the unsung heroes of the new rail industry steadily advancing careers and putting the right people in the right place at the right time - teamwork at its very best.’

RAILSTAFF AWARDS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 39

Proud Sponsors of

Rail Safety Person of the Year

The Colas Group is a world leader in railway infrastructure services Our capabilities: Track Renewals Rail Plant & Freight Services Multi-disciplinary Railway Projects Design & Survey Training

ASSURANCE & COMPLIANCE SERVICES

Proudly sponsoring David Maidment Award for Charity www.colasrail.co.uk

020 7593 5353

Progress Rail Services UK Ltd proudly sponsors

"Project Manager of the Year" at the RailStaff Awards 2014

Progress Rail Services is the U.K.’s largest manufacturer of permanent way infrastructure, specialising in the design and manufacture of permanent way trackwork and materials for mainline, freight, industrial and light rail customers in the UK and globally.

RailStaff Awards recognises the Professionalism, Innovation, Service and Excellence of individuals and companies in the rail industry.

Join us on 25th October 2014 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

For more information and to book your place visit www.railstaffawards.com

SAFETY CONSULTANCY

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

LEADERSHIP, TEAM AND BEHAVIOURAL TRAINING

SITE & GROUND INVESTIGATIONS

STRUCTURES EXAMINATIONS

GEOMATICS

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

ACCESS AND ISOLATIONS SERVICES

DIVING

SPECIALIST ACCESS

ROPE ACCESS

PERMANENT WAY

SITE PROTECTION FENCING

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS

SIGNALLING

We know that the quality of our people ensures that we provide a quality service and this is why we are pleased to sponsor the Rail Safety Person of the Year in the Railstaff Awards 2014. w e t

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

Engineering the future

TRACK SAFETY

40 | RailStaff | September 2014

WILL NEW TRACK RENEWAL CONTRACTS WITH MORE REGULAR WORK IMPROVE SAFETY ON TRACK? AND THE THOUGHTS OF A RETIRED BUT STILL MOTIVATED RAILWAYMAN

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

SAFETY Colin Wheeler colin@rail-media.com

On railways, engineering solutions usually last at least until new technologies or improved methods are developed.

But our safety when working on track is far more a result of motivation, culture, conviction and beliefs. These are liable to be short-lived due to the simple fact that we are human.

By definition that means we will wilfully and otherwise make mistakes and do things wrongly. Mankind’s inventiveness in working around safe systems and misusing equipment is amazing.

Wheel chairs and push chairs Unusually the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) in a recently published report has included two accidents in one document, but with good reason. At Southend Central on August 28th last year a wheel chair user and carer were waiting for a train on the platform. The brake on the wheel chair was not on and the chair ran away before the carer had time to stop it. It ended up on the track.

Fortunately both the chair and its occupant were recovered back onto the platform before the train arrived. Sadly the wheel chair user was seriously injured by the fall. Just a couple of weeks later on September 18th at Whyteleafe, a mother with two small children were on the platform. One child was strapped into the pushchair when she stopped to

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

buy a ticket from the platform ticket machine. As she did so the unbraked pushchair slowly moved off towards the platform edge. Although she ran after it; it too ended up on track but fortunately the child in the push chair only suffered minor injuries.

Platform Drainage to blame?

The report refers to previous accidents that have occurred. Most often the inquiries resulted in the conclusion that the prime cause was the errors made by the individuals involved. However this report draws attention to the change that was made in 1996, when for the first time a decision was made to mandate that platform construction should include platforms draining back from the platform edges. During my early years in a design office I recall that for ease of drainage detail as well as future maintenance, platforms with a gentle slope towards the track were the preferred solution.

Will ten year order books improve safety?

Network Rail’s new track renewals contracts for both plain line and switches and crossings began in July and have continued to be progressively rolled out around the country. Amey, Babcock, Carillion, and Colas are all involved and the work will now begin to ramp up as September progresses.

Steve Featherstone, Network Rail’s Programme Director Track in his most

recent Track Delivery Update says he is working closely with the newly appointed contractors and comments, “the mood of the new teams was great to see”. Excellent, and so of course it should be, perhaps bolstered up by their new laptops, phones, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and even new vans. The most important thing now is for that enthusiasm to be sustained, and indeed built upon to encourage the highest possible safety

TRACK SAFETY

September 2014 | RailStaff | 41

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

awareness and motivation.

Not only now but next week, next month and indeed throughout the completion of all the work specified in the ten year order books promised by the contracts.

These should allow the culture to grow and with it a continuing increase in both safety and productivity. Already Steve Featherstone is reporting an improvement in the reliability of track renewal plant.

The expensive yoghurt pot But there is always the unexpected.

Who would have thought that the foil lid of a pot of yoghurt could have brought the railway to a halt? The foil cover must have been blowing about.

It came to rest across a block joint near Spa Road Junction on the western approach to London Bridge Station.

Then a train ran over it resulting in the completion of the track circuit. Train delays totalling 900 minutes resulted at a cost of £117,000!

Arcing and sparks on the platform

Higher speed hand backs Network Rail’s track renewals organisation is rightly proud of what they describe as “a first 80 mph handback in line conditions following a weekend possession.” The site was in the LNE area at the end of a fifty one and a half hour possession which also involved ALO (Adjacent Line Open) working.

Interestingly I recall 30 years ago that when working for InterCity we successfully refined the use of Dynamic Track Stabilising Machines so as to be able to hand back track at line speeds of 100 mph.

Nonetheless the achievement of higher hand-back speeds is a very worthwhile objective and I hope to see it becoming a regular feature of main line track renewals. The forming of regular local work groups may well be the key to the development of techniques to achieve this; and benefit safety at the same time!

Wisdom from a retired railwayman Whilst being nostalgic, I must thank a regular reader for his comments about fatigue after reading last month’s article. He recalls that “in the early days of privatisation” he found four subcontractor workers from Kent working on track near Market Harborough. He discovered that they were working 12 hours each day and driving home between shifts.

Being subcontractors they had no way of obtaining hot food during their shifts and their transport was a twoseater Ford van! He also refers to an old fashioned and outspoken Inspector who whilst working for Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate made many unannounced site visits and cynically refuted the assertions made that all was well by senior management.

He commented that he was “hearing the words of giants but finding the deeds of dwarves”. Hopefully that statement is less true today than it was?

But my reader’s final remarks I suggest accurately reflects the motivation for safety that needs to extend to everyone; especially those who work on track.

“Oh how I wish I was 20 years younger, I would be out there kicking arse!”

HI VIS ORANGE

SOFTSHELL JACKET Unit 3 Waltham Park Way, Walthamstow, London E17 5DU

• Retro reflective piping • Water resistant, windproof

• Spiral wound, front zip to neck

• Fleece backed, breathable fabric

• Hip draw cord

• 2 hand warmer front pockets

• Lightweight, stylish and comfortable

• EN4712003: +A1 2007 • 6cm retro reflective tape • Class 3 ‘soft-shell’ jacket • Adjustable cuffs Sizes: S to 4XL

HI VIS ORANGE POLYCOTTON

Another recent tale of the unexpected is being investigated by the RAIB. On Monday 11th August this year a two car metro-train arrived at Walkergate Station on the route between South Shields and St James’ on the Tyne and Wear Metro. Whilst it was stationary in the platform a fault on a line breaker under the train started to produce smoke. Next circuit breakers at the substation that supplies the overhead line equipment (OLE) tripped open.

After about a minute the power returned to the train and a brief fire broke out in the area of the original fault under the train. This produced more smoke. Soon afterwards the OLE wire parted and its flailing ends fell onto the train roof. Then one end fell onto the adjacent platform with arcing and sparks (described as “significant” in the RAIB initial report). That continued for around 14 seconds.

Fortunately no-one was on the platform at the time although around 30 people were on the train.

No-one was injured and there was “no significant damage to the train”.

Announcing this investigation RAIB refers to an accident that occurred at South Gosforth on Tyne and Wear Metro in June 2013, adding that

its similarity to this incident will be considered and that they will also look at the actions that have been taken since the South Gosforth investigation.

CARGO TROUSERS

• 7 belt loop waistband • Cargo pockets • Knee pad pockets • GORT 3279

• Durable, hard-wearing whilst remaining soft and comfortable • Retroreflective leg bands

• EN471 Sizes: 28” to 56”

T: 0208 527 5888 www.spartansafety.co.uk post@spartansafety.co.uk

Please quote ref number “RS09”” when ordering to receive your free gift

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

42 | RailStaff | September 2014

Plant showcase at Rail Live 2014 Rail Live 2014, held at the Rail Alliance’s base at Long Marston in Warwickshire in June, gave many suppliers of plant and equipment a great opportunity to present their products in its best light.

Three hundred exhibitors were spread out over 120 acres, so there was plenty of room to put the exhibits through their paces. The worksite environment also leant itself to demonstrations of piling machines inserting piles, excavators digging holes and moving ballast, and large cranes lifting steam locomotives (as they do!).

There were far too many exhibitors present to name them all. However, the two-day event was supported by manufacturers such as Rexquote, GOS Tool & Engineering Services, Geismar, Colmar and SRS Rail Systems International. They were rubbing shoulders with their customers Quattro, TXM, Story Contracting, Stobart Rail, QTS and Keltbray amongst others.

Smaller plant was everywhere.

Husqvarna, Cembre, Morris Site Machinery, Torrent Trackside, Jafco Tools and Hilti all had stands as did seemingly the entire Vp plc group.

The big boys were there as well. An enormous Ainscough crane was just inside the entrance while Road Rail Cranes were a bit further on. Plasser & Theurer and Matisa tampers were painted in several different colours and Railcare Sweden had sent one of several

vacuum excavators on display. Colas had one of its new Class 70 locomotives on show which had been used to haul a lot of the other kit onto site.

Dressed in orange The whole site was very busy for two hot, sunny days. Other aspects of the railway - signalling, telecommunications, track and asset management were all represented.

Everyone in the industry seemed to be there - dressed in orange of course.

Even the VIPs - pop impresario turned rail training promoter Pete Waterman had an orange waistcoat over his navy blue blazer, while Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin had his hard hat fastened tightly under his chin.

Representatives from Japanese railways had strangely-shaped helmets and oddly-coloured overalls while two promotional girls in orange lycra and high heels were sent to the Goliath Footwear stand to get some proper boots.

Everyone seemed pleased with the way the two days went.

Richard Bowen, sales director of Safeaid LLP, commented afterwards, ‘As a company we do a lot of exhibitions each year but none of them offer the unique opportunity to see the products you sell, being worn and in use, in a real rail environment. This gives the show a lot of credibility.’

QTS’ Gregg McEwan was equally complimentary, ‘Long Marston bursts to life during the show with the bold plant

and sea of people in orange PPE really transforming the abandoned airfield into an array of colour. It was great to see some numerous other suppliers at the show and the friendly atmosphere made it far more enjoyable.’

Elizabeth Gregory from Story Contracting was pleased with the way it all went. ‘We were thrilled at the overall feeling of positivity that is out there in the industry at the moment and the interest we received in our capabilities, machinery and the Story team was fantastic. Not only was the weather fine, but the overall atmosphere when walking the vast stretches of the exhibition was brilliant.’

Geotechnical Engineering also felt it was a very worthwhile exercise. ‘We attended Rail Live to demonstrate our innovative slope climbing rigs and collaborative methods for working in such an exciting and growing industry.

The event was a fantastic networking opportunity, highlighting the potential of how many new projects are available in relation to CP5.

‘Some of our personal highlights include the Pete Waterman talk and being asked to do some lunchtime seminars at the Rail Regulation offices.

Summing it up in the words of one of our employees “Rail Live is one of the best shows we’ve ever attended!”,’ says Elizabeth Withington.

A full report of the event can be read in the July issue of The Rail Engineer - now available for iPad through the Newsstand.

Solar Lighting

Rail operators are under increasing pressure to keep noise to a minimum, particularly in heavily populated areas. While much of this noise comes from the trains themselves, a large part is due to the ongoing maintenance work that needs to be carried out to improve track condition and safety.

The network is under constant review and it is essential that operators have reliable and robust equipment not only to help keep them working efficiently but also to help minimise noise pollution.

Of course, this is not just for residents but also for those working on the site for longer periods of time.

Morris Site Machinery has seen an increase in its lighting towers being used across the UK rail network for repair and maintenance work. The growing regulation to help minimise and reduce noise pollution on these projects has driven the demand for an efficient, robust, zero-noise lighting tower.

Taking account of these environmental considerations, Morris Site Machinery has produced the first solar lighting tower in Britain. Developed at its base in Gosberton, Lincolnshire, over a period of three years, the SMC Solar-2 offers 100 per cent fuel saving and importantly emits no noise or CO2. Requiring virtually no maintenance, the tower light is the ultimate solution for rail operators looking for environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and low maintenance site equipment, whilst its no-noise output makes it ideal for highly-populated residential areas.

In addition to this, the four high-power 55 Watt LED lamps provide directional light. This keeps light pollution and wastage to a minimum while illuminating the work site so that teams can undertake intricate repairs.

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

September 2014 | RailStaff | 43

Supporting plant operators nationwide Plant reliability is critical to delivering projects on time and to budget. Fitzgerald Plant Services has the largest independent field service support network in the UK, which is primed to respond to breakdowns as well as provide preventative maintenance support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The company has been based in South Wales since it was established in 2002 and has developed from purely offering support services to delivering equipment upgrades and manufacture.

Fitzgerald Plant Services has seven service vehicles stationed at different sites around the UK, ready to react when things go wrong.

According to Fitzgerald Plant Services, ‘Our understanding of rail machines from a maintenance point, and attending breakdowns in the middle of the night, gave us a unique insight into what we believe

are the good and bad points of products currently used. Armed with this knowledge and our ongoing commitment to develop new and innovative solutions, we believe our products and solutions are tailored to our customers needs.

‘We passionately believe in what we do and what we can offer our customers, and our continuous innovation on what we have achieved serves for improvements in all areas of our activities.’

INTRODUCING… THE ALL NEW T25 RAIL · Coil sprung axles braked whole axle braking for · Disc maximum efficiency · Air or hydraulic braking system

· High capacity, low weight trailer · Tare weight of just 2650kg · 22350 kg payload, best in its class · 25,000 kg G.V.W Telephone: 01633 860693

Website: www.fitzgeraldplant.co.uk Email: sales@fitzgeraldplant.co.uk

Fitzgerald Plant Sevices Avondale Industrial Estate Avondale Way Cwmbran NP4 41TS

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

44 | RailStaff | September 2014

An uplifting experience

Formed in 2013, Road Rail Cranes’ mission was to develop a range of mobile cranes to travel and work on the Network Rail Infrastructure.

The first model was the Road Rail Crane AC 40 City All Terrain. This 40-tonne capacity all-terrain mobile crane has all-wheel steering and hydraulically adjustable suspension. The resulting manoeuvrability makes light work of using a RRAP (road rail access point) even in the most confined areas.

AC40 cranes are currently being used in the erection of signal gantries. They also installed sections on the rail swing bridge in Selby, North Yorkshire across the River Ouse on behalf of Kier Construction.

Road Rail Cranes’ innovative approach promotes both safer lifting and cost savings to a varied client base. Since 2013, the company has worked with, amongst others, Birse Rail to install four-track signal gantries using an AC40, Balfour Beatty Rail and Siemens.

The innovative design of the machines enables customers to respond rapidly to changing planning requirements.

Excellent feedback has been received many times, including that from Colin Adams of Siemens for the installation of

signal gantries. Says Colin, ‘I just wanted to say a big thank you for your hard work and professionalism that enabled last weekend to be a success. From intricate planning and cross discipline cooperation we managed to execute a safe and successful job.

‘You are a very close, safety focused, well planned and managed team and this sort of success is becoming the day job. Well done again.’

Lifting capacity for the AC40 ranges from 40 tonnes at three metres radius to 1.4 tonnes at 28 metres radius, and the vehicle also has a towing capacity of 40 tonnes with up to three rail trailers.

The crane’s outriggers can be set in three positions and it is also fitted with a search hook that fits directly on the jib head with a lifting capacity of 12 tonnes.

Excellent low boom angle and telescoping duties enable the AC40 to work under isolated overhead lines and structures. CCTV colour night vision cameras are fitted on the side and rear for all round visibility.

Safety features of the AC City All Terrain include: • Datalogger rated capacity indicator; • Interlocking outriggers (preventing

travelling down the track with outriggers extended); • Lifting on outriggers only; • Cameras side and rear; • Auxiliary engine for emergency recovery.

All lifting operations are planned and supervised by a competent appointed person and crane supervisor in accordance with LOLER Regulations 1998.

During August 2014, Road Rail Cranes worked on the River Chor aqueduct project in conjunction with J Murphy & Sons. Three sections of pre-fabricated FRP (fibre-reinforced polymer) sections, weighing up to 3.3 tonnes, were lifted into place. The crane accessed the rail via a difficult seven-metre RRAP and travelled to the remote site location. The track ‘cant’ was at a maximum of 150mm see picture above.

To achieve the lift, the AC40 was rigged at 25.3 metres of main boom at a radius of 17 metres. The safe working load (SWL) was 4.65 tonnes on full outriggers.

Other recent works have included installation of the renewed, listed ‘Flying Arches’ in Chorley, also for J Murphy & Sons.

AC 40 CITY

ALL TERRAIN ROAD RAIL CRANE 40T LIFTING CAPACITY RIVER CHOR AQUADUCT

CARDIFF GANTRY BIRSE RAIL

WATFORD GANTRY INSTALLATION

THE MOST COMPACT & VERSATILE 3-AXLE CRANE SPECIFICATIONS: l l

l

l

l

l

l

roadrailcranes.com

Main boom length of 7.8m extending to 31.2m Lifting capacities ranging from 40t @ 3m radius to 1.4t @ 28m radius Hydraulically adjustable suspension that will assist when accessing track All wheel & crab steering and 6x6 drive enables the crane to on-track at the most confined access point Towing point’s front and rear for push-pull airbraked rail trailer application (40t towing capacity) Colour night vision CCTV cameras fitted on offside and at rear for all round visibility Stabilisers can be set at three positions - 2.55m, 4.40m and 6.2m

For more information contact Steve Williams: t 0844 693 2213 | m 07891 401520 e steve@roadrailcranes.co.uk

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

46 | RailStaff | September 2014

Balfour Beatty committed to ‘core; track plant business Report by Marc Johnson Balfour Beatty’s rail business has been making headlines across the national and specialist trade press in recent months.

The company has been slimming down in order to stay competitive in a challenging market and each new development has been played out in print.

In July, Balfour Beatty Rail announced the sale of part of its track plant and equipment (TP&E) business to Vp’s plant rental subsidiary TorrentTrackside - an announcement which became a little lost between briefings about discussions with Carillion over a potential merger, talks which have now come to an end.

Balfour Beatty Rail’s small tools business was sold for £5.5 million, including a five-year framework agreement to supply plant equipment to the company. The news was reported widely, but somewhat inaccurately, says managing director Mark Bullock.

‘We most definitely have not disposed

of our plant business,’ says Mark.

Although Balfour Beatty has sold its small tools business, it has retained the core part of its business, delivering track geometry services, road rail vehicles (RRVs), specialist plant services, rail grinding and seasonal treatment works.

Balfour Beatty’s rail plant business operates out of 15 sites in the UK and Ireland. The sale has seen 59 of Balfour Beatty’s 557 rail plant employees transfer to Torrent. Although the sale has reduced the overall size of Balfour Beatty’s offering, Mark believes it will allow the company to focus on developing its core business.

‘We have a successful rail plant business, and what we have done at group level is review all of our plant businesses.

‘There was a process where we started to look at which of the plant assets were core to the business. [It] concluded that whilst we most definitely wanted to focus on growing and developing the rail plant business, the small tools wasn’t core and strategic to us.’

New high torque augers for TXM UK rail contractor TXM Plant, engaged in long term contracts to drill foundation holes for stanchions during Network Rail’s Phase Two line electrification work, recently invested in three new 50,000MAX augers supplied

by Sandhurst, to meet increased workload.

Having made the decision to purchase, in preference to further long-term auger rental, TXM called in several suppliers, including Sandhurst, in an effort to identify the auger most capable of meeting their demands for drilling in a variety of tough ground conditions and, tight nightly work schedules.

Following a very successful demonstration, TXM decided to purchase from Sandhurst based on outstanding performance during the trial.

As main UK Auger Torque dealers, Sandhurst was able to call upon

considerable experience of the products in action. The company has Auger Torque augers in its national attachment rental fleet for many years and was confident of both performance and capability.

Working hand in hand with Auger Torque factory representatives, an overnight demonstration in the North West on a TXM / Network Rail site was arranged.

Balfour Beatty has won a number of high-profile track plant contracts over the last 12 months. These include operating and maintaining Network Rail’s Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) seasonal fleet, winning a five-year contract to operate and maintain track plant for Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) and being granted an extension to its fouryear rail grinding contract for Network Rail.

Mark added, ‘We’re optimistic about our opportunities to grow that and we’ve been quite successful in the last 12 months in winning new work.’

There is still a lot of restructuring to

come across the rest of Balfour Beatty in the UK and overseas. Canadianbased WSP is now expected to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff for US $1.35 billion, and although talks with Carillion were cancelled last month, the company is still looking for a buyer for its German and Italian rail businesses, having already sold its Scandinavian and Spanish assets.

Reflecting on the Carillion merger discussions, Mark said, ‘Basically that the board of Balfour Beatty considered the proposal from Carillion but decided that it wasn’t in the interest of the shareholders.’

A 50,000MAX auger, with a torque rating of 50,000 Newton metres, was fitted onto one of TXM’s Liebherr excavators and quickly demonstrated a substantially increasing drill rate into hard sandstone over existing drilling equipment used on the site.

TXM has tight schedules to follow, drilling foundation holes - often in tough ground conditions - to depths of three metres and widths up to one metre. It seemed that Sandhurst certainly provided the solution TXM

were looking for with the 50,000MAX and a deal was struck to supply three units each fitted with 750mm and 1000mm flights and auger extension shafts. In addition, Sandhurst was able to promise rental support for similar units should additional drilling capability be required.

Says TXM Plant managing director Gareth Richardson, ‘Our decision to buy Auger Torque augers from Sandhurst was helped by our experience of Sandhurst’s rental service and their on site support. Both are excellent.

‘It was key in our selection that this equipment must outperform anything we had used before; we needed to bring maximum performance and maximum reliability together for our client on this project.

‘The highly powerful Auger Torque 50,000MAX auger Sandhurst demonstrated was extremely impressive and ordering three units will give TXM better control over our on site productivity, reliability and cost efficiency”.’

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

September 2014 | RailStaff | 47

Accolade for VolkerRail VolkerRail has been awarded ‘The Best OTM Operator/ Company’ accolade by Network Rail. The team earned this prestigious award due to the hard work and dedication shown on the seven-year framework contract for the supply, operation and maintenance of the Tamper and Ballast Regulator Fleet.

Among other services, VolkerRail’s plant division supplies, maintains and operates a fleet of 11 On-Track Machines (OTMs), which tamp track and regulate ballast across the UK on Network Rail’s infrastructure.

VolkerRail was awarded the OTM Contract in 2011 which provides Network Rail with nine S&C Mainline Tampers, two Matisa R24s ballast regulators and a full supporting team of staff.

VolkerRail’s drivers/maintainers/ operators, considered to be some of the best in the country, have

undergone an extensive and arduous training programme to ensure safe and efficient delivery of operations in excess of 99 per cent reliability.

While all suppliers in this specialist market regularly deliver a high value service to an excellent standard, this award recognises the fact that VolkerRail consistently stand out

There’s money in demolition

RailStaff regularly looks at new railway construction, but not so often at demolition.

Keltbray’s Demolition & Civil Engineering division, which includes piling, asbestos management,

from the crowd on key performance measures.

Says Mark Jackson, general manager for VolkerRail’s plant division, ‘We are pleased to receive this award as it recognises the exceptional work our whole team put in to operate safely, keep our machines reliable and exceed our customer’s performance

requirements.

‘It would have been more difficult for VolkerRail to attain and maintain this commendable performance level without the collaborative approach we share in the OTM Reliability Improvement Group and the OTM SSWG (Supplier Safety Working Group), chaired by Network Rail.’

engineering design consultancy as well as haulage and plant, is actually responsible for 66 per cent of the group’s turnover. Despite this, turnover increased by a further 10 per cent last year.

On the other hand, Keltbray’s Rail division, which covers around 30 per cent of the business and includes overhead line electrification design and build as well as rail engineering and civils projects, grew by 24 per cent last and was responsible for the company’s biggest turnover increase.

The future rail order book looks strong after Keltbray became the delivery partner for ABC Electrification and Costain to work on a seven-year rail electrification framework contract, which is expected to provide workloads until 2021.

Taken together, this is Keltbray’s best ever performance in the 38-year history of the company. Gross profit improved by 29 per cent, and operating profit remained stable at £2.6 million.

turnover growth and maintenance of operating margins.

‘To meet increasing market demands, we invested a record £9 million in new plant and assets in 2013. We also bolstered our human resources and training functions to manage our future skills and labour requirements effectively.

‘In 2013 we also produced our first sustainable development report to record progress we are making in aligning our operations to include a greater awareness of our corporate social responsibilities.

‘We expect to continue to stay ahead of the construction market recovery by growing the business in excess of 20 per cent in 2014 based on our good pipeline of work. Our challenge for 2014 and 2015 will be to meet the widely reported skills shortages in our industry by widening the talent pool and continuing to build on our track record of attracting

Says chief executove Brendan Kerr, ‘I am pleased about the continued strengthening of our performance and our consistent improvements in

young people to Keltbray by offering good prospects, job security and a range of training and development opportunities.’

FEATURE

48 | RailStaff | September 2014

Scotland’s

Railway Staff Praised

Among the clear winners of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games is the Scottish railway industry.

Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, acknowledged the exceptional work of the 4,800 staff over the period of Glasgow 2014.

‘Delivering the biggest timetable that Scotland has ever seen would not have been possible without the commitment, enthusiasm and sheer hard work of staff across the business. They pulled together to ensure we helped to deliver a fantastic and successful Commonwealth Games,’ says Steve. He added, ‘I thank everyone for their efforts in the lead up to - and during - the Games. Fantastic contributions were made to deliver Scotland’s biggest ever transport operation, and we should all be incredibly proud of what we have achieved.’

The tributes were paid to engineering teams and train crews as well as planners and track workers.

David Dickson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, agrees. ‘Glasgow produced a Games of which the city can be immensely proud, and we are pleased to have been able to play our role in keeping sports fans and regular travellers on the move. With thousands of extra trains and millions more travellers on the network, the rail industry faced a considerable challenge and one which we were only able to match thanks to the commitment and hard work of our staff and those of the train operators,’ says David.

Says Steve Montgomery, ‘With 1.1 million journeys to and from Glasgow 2014 events on our trains, there is no doubt that staff on the ground had their work cut out for them. They rose to the challenge and delivered a fantastic service with laughs and smiles thrown in.’

FEATURE

September 2014 | RailStaff | 49

Rail Projects and Preparation Rail services for the Games had been the subject of years of preparation. First ScotRail spent over two years planning the biggest train timetable that Scotland had ever seen. Longer in the planning were specific infrastructure projects. £11.5 million was spent re-constructing Dalmarnock’s rundown station in Glasgow’s east end, including moving its entrance to face adjacent sporting venues. Work to the value of £1.6 million at 30 other stations was also done for the Games.

Electrification of the Cumbernauld line was completed in May. This released train paths at Glasgow Queen Street High Level and diesel-multiple units to strengthen trains for the Games.

With 27 million passengers per year, Glasgow Central is second only to Birmingham New Street as the busiest station outside London. From 2011 to early 2014 around £10 million was spent renewing its 15 platform surfaces. In addition a further £2 million

was spent on a range of improvements to facilities and improvements at the station prior to the Games.

Since 2011, Glasgow’s unique fourfoot gauge Subway has been subject to a £288 million modernisation programme, expected to be completed in 2019/20. This programme was

phased to ensure station refurbishment at games venues and in the city centre, together with a new ticketing and gating system, was completed in time for the Games.

As with the Olympics the balance between engineering access and train access was changed for the Games.

During the Games, Network Rail suspended major work and scaled back non-essential engineering work in Scotland’s Central Belt. This reduced the potential for engineering work to affect services, allowed trains to run later at night and released staff to respond to faults during the event.

FEATURE

50 | RailStaff | September 2014

Scotstounhill

GLASGOW – RAIL AND SUBWAY GAMES HOTSPOTS

Scotstoun Partick Interchange Kelvinhall Glasgow Queen St

SECC Ibrox

Glasgow Exhibition Central Centre

KEY

Bellgrove Argyle Street

Bridgeton

Glasgow Green

Venue Venue Rail Line

Dalmarnock

Venue Rail Station Non Venue Rail Line Interchange Station

Mount Florida

Subway Line

Celtic Park

Emirates Arena

Hampden Park

Venue Subway Station

To help get everyone into the spirit of the Games, ScotRail installed sportinspired signs at a number of stations, for example Falkirk High was renamed Falkirk Higher, Springburn changed to Sprintburn and Polmont became Polevault. ScotRail also gave more than 3,000 of its staff specialist ‘World Host’ customer service training ahead of the Games to ensure a real welcome for those visiting both Glasgow and Scotland this summer.

Further west Scotstounhill serves Scotstoun Sports Campus. On the city’s east side Bellgrove, Bridgeton and Dalmarnock serve Glasgow Green, Celtic Park and the Emirates Arena. To the south Mount Florida is the station for Hampden Park.

Other than Mount Florida, reached from Glasgow Central High Level, all these venues are served by Glasgow’s northern electric lines that run in tunnels under the city centre. Since

the opening of the Airdrie to Bathgate line, there are trains from Queen Street Low Level and Bellgrove to Edinburgh.

Most Games journeys required travel through Glasgow Central Low Level and Argyle Street where a special crowd control measure was introduced. Spectators travelling west from the city centre could only do so from Glasgow Central Low Level and those travelling east could only do so from Argyle Street. There was no restriction on alighting at these stations.

•

•

• •

Scotland’s Biggest Timetable ScotRail’s Games timetable was introduced on Monday, 21 July, two days before the opening ceremony.

Key features included: • Eight trains an hour between

•

•

Getting There Glasgow’s Games Venues all had rail or subway stations within easy walking distance. On the west side of the city, Exhibition Centre station serves the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and Kelvinhall, whilst Ibrox Subway station serves the adjacent Ranger’s football ground.

•

•

Exhibition Centre and Dalmarnock, double the current off-peak service.

A 15-minute service throughout the day on the main route between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High.

Late night trains on almost all routes out of Glasgow running until around 0100, including three limited stop services from Glasgow Central to Haymarket and Edinburgh using long InterCity trains provided by East Coast.

Large numbers of trains were lengthened with: Train length doubled between Glasgow Central High Level and Mount Florida whilst events were held at Hampden Park; More than double the number of coaches between Glasgow Queen Street Low Level and Scotstounhill; All trains through Glasgow Central Low Level were of six coaches, the maximum for this route. Together with the extra trains this increased capacity on this route by 86 per cent; More than three-quarters of trains on the main route between Glasgow and Edinburgh had six coaches, the maximum for this route; Longer trains on many longdistance routes between Glasgow and the rest of Scotland.

FEATURE

September 2014 | RailStaff | 51

3.7 million passengers passed through Glasgow Central, nearly five times its normal footfall These extra coaches had to come from somewhere.

Some stock was released from changes to maintenance schedules. However, with a national shortage of rolling stock, it was inevitable that commuters on ScotRail’s non-Games routes would suffer. Nearly 150 shorter trains ran each day on these routes. The North Berwick line through East Lothian was reported to be one of the worst affected as passengers at some stations could not get on the trains.

To prevent and minimise delays from incidents British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail created a joint Emergency Response Unit for the Games. This used a specially equipped 4x4 vehicle, with a range of specialist equipment, and was crewed by a BTP officer and a Network Rail mobile operations manager. Network Rail’s infrastructure inspection helicopter was also manned by trained

BTP air observers to survey the network for potential problems, and if necessary, direct officers on the ground.

Network Rail and the national police force were ready to travel together in marked police vehicles to respond to incidents, such as trespassing or vandalism. This builds on the successful use of similar teams during the London Olympics in 2012.

The Results After years of planning and the busiest eleven days in the history of Scotland’s railways, the results for the Games were as follows: • 3.7 million passengers passed through Glasgow Central, nearly five times its normal footfall. Its busiest day was 31 July when 454,000 people passed through the station. On the same day Edinburgh Waverley welcomed 187,500 people to the station - three times the normal number; • 1.4 million miles were travelled by ScotRail trains; • 1.1 million passenger journeys were made to the 13 Games venues; • 350,000 passengers came to the Exhibition Centre nine times the normal amount.

Although the press and Twitter mentioned numerous instances of helpful railway staff, those at Glasgow Central deserve a particular commendation.

On a hot 29 July, seven tonnes of free water were

handed out to passengers, whilst on a wet 2 August rain ponchos were handed out. They also provided Scottish country dancers to entertain the queues.

Finally, says Andy Miller, ScotRail’s Commonwealth Games project manager, ‘The support of staff was fantastic as more than 1.1 million people travelled with us to and from the 13 Games venues. We used every carriage available to us, including extra trains hired from elsewhere in the UK to ensure we were ready for the unprecedented demand.’

Organised by

RVE, now in it’s third successive year, will be back at the IPRO STADIUM hospitality suite, PRIDE PARK, DERBY on 9:00am to 4:30pm 15th October!

This years RAIL VEHICLE ENHANCEMENT show will feature: • 2 Suites with twice the number of Exhibitors • A bigger, broader range of Product and Service Exhibitors • A Rail Technology Forum chaired by Ian Walmsley • 2 NEW PRODUCT launches!

To exhibit at RVE 2014, call our sales team on 0121-771-4219 or e-mail sales@onyxrail.co.uk To visit RVE 2014 go to www.RVE2014.co.uk and register your interest to attend.

DOORS OPEN – 9:00am to 4:30pm Wednesday the 15th October, 2014

Rail Vehicle Enhancements 2014 Derby | Derby Rams Football Club | iPro Stadium Suite | October 15th

Sponsored by

NEWS

52 | RailStaff | September 2014

Change Here for Better Prospects Railway apprentices at Prospects College of Advanced Technology in Basildon, Essex, will benefit this winter from a new purpose built Rail Academy.

The academy has its own mockup station with a platform, track, customer information system and CCTV. It also sports both line and trackside equipment including Training Protection Warning System (TPWS) and axle counter systems. The apprentices will be trained on a broad range of disciplines including signalling, telecommunications and systems testing.

Nick Boles MP, Minister of State for Skills & Equalities officially opened the

Rail Academy and met representatives of Thales, a key sponsor and investor in the academy. Thales has worked closely with the college to develop the academy. The college has been home to 20 Thales apprentices in the past year - the highest number from within the rail industry - along with others from Serco and Bombardier.

The academy has opened ahead of another 20 trainee engineers joining

the Thales apprenticeship scheme for the 2014 intake in early September.

Other rail industry suppliers will also see youngsters benefitting from the academy in the near future.

Says Alistair McPhee, VP Ground Transportation Systems, Thales UK, ‘Thales is extremely pleased and proud to have worked with the college and played a key role as sponsor for this fantastic new facility that provides

Daughter Power Wins Donor Gold

a real, but safe environment for the apprentices to learn. It is vital to train the next generation of railway engineers in an industry where adding specialist skills to the resource base is critical to the long-term future of railway engineering. The government continues to invest in our transport networks, and we must continue to invest in the skills needed to deliver on that investment.’

Priv Deal © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

David Mushet, regional finance manager at Siemens Rail Automation’s Glasgow office, has won the gold medal in the 5km Race Walk at the British Transplant Games in Bolton.

David received a liver transplant at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in January 2013. Speaking after the race, David said, ‘Although I had concentrated all my efforts on the cycling events, things didn’t quite go to plan and despite achieving a personal best in the Time Trial, I was a little disappointed not to win a medal. However, I exceeded all my expectations by winning gold in the walk – which I only really entered because it was walking that first got me back to fitness following my transplant.’

David Mushet helps out with the organ donation campaign in Scotland. He also gives talks to people who are on the transplant waiting list. Keeping fit is important and David also took part in the Queen’s Baton Relay at the recent Commonwealth Games.

The annual British Transplant Games, held in Bolton this year, saw 1,200

athletes competing across a wide range of sports. David took part in the cycling time trials and road race events, finishing just outside the medal positions in the time trial. David’s daughter also competed at the games, matching her father’s achievement by winning the gold medal in the Families, Donors and Supporters section of the Golf

competition.

‘Participating in the games was an amazing experience, with each of the 1,200 athletes having an inspirational story to tell. It was also great to finish the event with my wife and daughter joining me for the ‘Donor Run’ which marked a great conclusion to the whole proceedings,’ says David.

ATOC has announced that from 7 September, the “Priv” rate entitling rail staff to a 75 per cent discount will be extended to include off-peak tickets on a year’s trial.

The move comes after sustained campaigning by unions. ASLEF has long been pushing for the change.

Until now Priv rates were only applied to full fares. This meant even at 75 per cent off, they were very often more expensive than advanced tickets available to the public. Now that the discount can be applied to off-peak tickets, rail staff will be able to benefit from cheaper rates than those available to the public in most circumstances, making considerable savings.

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 53

JOIN OUR EXPERT RAIL TEAM

Shorterm Group is a railway recruitment specialist with more than 35 years’ experience placing permanent and contract staff across all major rail projects.

We are growing our existing teams and have vacancies for the following disciplines;

• SIGNALLING & TELECOMMUNICATIONS • OVERHEAD LINE ELECTRIFICATION • WELDING • PERMANENT WAY For more information on the above opportunities please forward your CV to railteam@shortermgroup.com or call our rail team on

0800 122 3456

72899.013 Shorterm rail advert 190x130.indd 1

05/08/2014 11:47

The rail training experts Providers of safety critical and technical training.

Courses include;

• • • • •

Track Safety training Auxiliary Operating Duties training Safe System of Work Planning (SSOWP) training Lift Planner, Machine and Crane Controller training Permanent Way technical training

• • • • •

Mentoring and Workplace Assessments Small Plant training Railway Awareness and Key Principles training Signalling & Telecoms training Overhead Line Equipment Competence training (OLEC 1-3)

To book call 01277 811300 or email training@trainspeople.com TrainsPeople Limited, Unit 22, Horndon Industrial Park, Station Road, West Horndon Essex CM13 3XD

72899.013 Shorterm trainspeople advert 190x130.indd 1

05/08/2014 16:21

NEWS

54 | RailStaff | September 2014

Underneath the Arches Hard-working staff at Crossrail Paddington contractors Costain Skanska Joint Venture have now dug down to the new Crossrail tunnels, breaking into the top of the caverns 16 metres below ground level.

Earth is now being excavated from between the two tunnels creating a large open station. Next comes the building of the station platforms and laying of the track bed.

Cambrian Connection

Tunnelling machines Phyllis and Ada built the new train tunnels through Paddington last year. The new Crossrail station is being constructed alongside the existing Paddington station beside MacMillan House. The 250-metre long and 30-metre wide spacious station will include a 120-metre long glass canopy.

Costain Ltd and Skanska UK PLC are working together on seven Crossrail contracts, including the construction of the complex and prestigious Paddington and Bond Street stations. © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Talent Trawl for Railways

Solihull College and Virgin Trains have joined forces to find unemployed young people, aged between 18 and 24, to join the company’s training scheme.

The 13-week course will combine classroom training with first hand experience on trains and stations working as a member of the Virgin Trains customer service team in the West Midlands.

Successful candidates will gain qualifications in customer service as well as beefing up skills in English and Maths. Top performers will have

a chance of joining the company full time.

Says Amanda Robinson of Virgin Trains, ‘We know that there are a lot of young, talented people in the West Midlands who are struggling to find work. The new traineeship programme is designed to give them a real insight into a career in customer service, something that will stand them in good stead and give them the confidence to go out there and secure full-time employment.’

The traineeship is an unpaid, workbased, programme designed to teach people basic work and interpersonal skills

WALK-FM Northern Rail has donated three pairs of two-way radios to local community group, the Friends of the DalesRail.

The group takes visitors on guided walks around the Settle and Carlisle line. The radios will help the walk organisers keep in touch.

Says Pete Myers from Northern Rail, ‘We’re pleased to support the Friends of DalesRail in their efforts to bring

more visitors to this glorious part of the country, and especially in this wholly practical way. Walking in the Dales is a wonderful experience, but there are always dangers, especially if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

‘The Friends always have someone at the front and the back of these groups, and we trust that these radios will help them communicate better and so promote the safety of all concerned.’

Trains can now run the entire length of the Cambrian Coast line thanks to a new bridge at Llandecwyn in Gwynedd.

The road and rail bridge over the Afon Dwyryd means the rail service between Harlech and Pwllheli is open for business again as of 1 September.

The original 150 year-old wooden Pont Briwet viaduct, which was to be retained as a walking route, was found to be beyond economic repair and has now been demolished.

The upper section of the Cambrian Coast railway was closed between Harlech and Pwllheli in November 2013, shortly after the £20 million bridge-replacement project commenced.

Further work was required on the Cambrian Coast earlier this year after ferocious winter storms caused widespread damage. The lower section of the line between Dovey Junction and Harlech closed in January, after storms and tidal surges severely damaged the infrastructure.

The railway was quickly opened between Dovey Junction and Barmouth, with more substantial works needed at Llanaber. Following a £10 million programme to repair the damage, the railway opened between Barmouth and Harlech in May. Work continued at Pont Briwet through the summer months.

Arriva Trains Wales is launching a Pricebuster ticket offer on the line to win back business.

Bikeathon Success A cycle team from VGC has taken part in the London Bikeathon.

Mark Nunn, Paul Hambidge and Matt Dean raised funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. As part of the UK’s largest charity bike ride, Matt cycled 26 miles and Paul 52 miles around London, while Mark

volunteered to tackle 100 miles including some punishing climbs through the Surrey hills.

‘We’re doing this to raise funds for a charity close to our hearts,’ says Matt.

‘Paul suggested it and we just said yes.’

To sponsor the team, please go to www.justgiving.com/teams/BeerMX or text VGCG60 £INSERT AMOUNT to 70070

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 55

A Garden for Robert

Open Borders The Borders Railway is on schedule to resume services in September 2015 - after a gap of 50 years.

Colleagues of Robert Hall, who sadly died in a car accident three years ago have unveiled a special remembrance garden at Abellio Greater Anglia’s Joint Signing On Point (JSOP) in Norwich.

Drivers Paul Brock and Lee Warnes and conductors Kelly Seaman and Christine Cliff joined together to develop the wasteland behind the JSOP to create a garden in his memory.

Robert Hall was a long-standing member of staff with 40 years’ service.

His sudden death was a shock to family and friends alike.

Friend and colleague, driver Lee Warnes, said, ‘After months of hard work and the generosity of so many colleagues who gave up their time to dig and plant, and the businesses who donated funds and materials, the result is a wonderful garden area for use by

all employees and a fitting tribute to a colleague who we all miss greatly.

‘I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made the memorial garden possible.’ Staff at Abellio Greater Anglia helped with fundraising events and volunteer days working on the garden.

Local businesses such as Mervyn

Lambert Co, Patrick Thompson, Wood Yard of Norwich, British Sugar, Network Rail, landscape gardener Danny McCleod and maintenance contractor Wates Living Space all weighed in with materials and a helping hand.

The Robert Hall Garden is a peaceful place with large areas of flowers, a pergola and covered bench area.

According to the Scottish Government the first train will be waved off on the Tweedbank to Edinburgh line on 6 September 2015.

Passengers will be able to travel end to end in around 55 minutes.

The £294 million project has seen the construction of 30 miles of new railway and seven new stations. The platform at Galashiels will accommodate longer tourist trains.

With structures largely completed and station works well underway, rail engineers are moving in to lay ballast, sleepers and track this autumn. Across the whole route the upgrading of old Victorian cuttings has been completed, with new retaining walls installed and embankments strengthened with stone.

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Findlay Irvine Joins Rail Alliance

Kemble Double

Findlay Irvine Ltd has joined the Rail Alliance and is now working closely with Network Rail.

The railway between Swindon and Kemble has been redoubled, earthworks improved and signalling equipment installed.

Findlay Irvine was one of the key companies instrumental in supplying Network Rail Condition Monitoring Data Loggers as part of the Intelligent Infrastructure project. Having worked closely with Network Rail in developing the DCU390 Series Data Logger specifically to meet the unique needs of the UK rail network, there are now more than 5,000 of Findlay Irvine’s units monitoring signalling applications across the country.

As the initial Intelligent Infrastructure

project is nearing completion, Remote Condition Monitoring is now an essential part of renewals and new projects. With Findlay Irvine’s unique experience with the technical aspects, the DCU390 is an option worth considering for Signalling Engineers when specifying Data Loggers for their project.

The robust, intuitive design and LCD touch screen allow for ease of installation and initial setup. An array of innovative sensors and adaptable viewing platforms ensure that engineers can get the best out of their system and extend the whole life cost of the asset.

Findlay Irvine joined the Rail Alliance in order to share expert knowledge, make new contacts and learn from the wealth of experience already within the membership. The company plans to work with the Rail Alliance to improve its visibility with potential signalling engineers throughout the UK by actively engaging in events in order to discover new partners and potential customers wishing to utilise the enormous benefits that can be gained from Remote Condition Monitoring.

The upgrades means trains from south Wales can be diverted along the route when Bristol Parkway station and the Severn Tunnel are closed for electrification work.

NEWS

56 | RailStaff | September 2014

Staff Mind Watford Gap Over the August bank holiday weekend more than 300 track workers and engineers went to work upgrading the West Coast main line at Watford, laying new track and installing new signalling.

It’s a long job with whole sections of the railway being replaced. Planning is already underway for the next blockade at Watford between Christmas Eve and Monday, 29 December.

Says Jim Syddall, acting route managing director for Network Rail,

‘The section of track at Watford is one of the most intensively used, high-speed pieces of railway in Britain and has seen tremendous growth in traffic and passengers over the last five years. There are still a further four weekends of work to come, starting with the next closure over the Christmas period.’ To complete the work more than 21,000 tonnes of stone ballast will be used, more than 28,000 tonnes of waste will be removed from the site and 11,000 new railway sleepers will be installed as part of nine miles of track renewals.

August Novena for London Bridge

For nine days in August over 1,200 engineers worked through one of the wettest and coldest bank holidays on record.

The rail engineers braved wet and wind to bring two new platforms into service, lay new track and install a complex signalling system at London Bridge. At the same time a triple-track Victorian bridge on the approach to the station was completely rebuilt.

In addition rail engineers stepped up work on a new junction to the north of St Pancras International. When ready for use in 2018, it will enable services to run directly between Gatwick and the south

coast and Cambridge and Peterborough.

Genial teams of concourse railway staff were out in force to help passengers find alternative routes during the part-closure of London Bridge. These are the same teams that helped passengers find their way around London during the London 2012 Olympics. The Rail Olympians will be back from 20th December when another closure is needed to bring two more platforms into service.

Then in January 2015 work starts on the rebuilding of the second half of the station. When completed the £6.5bn Thameslink Programme will see new spacious trains running every 2 to 3 minutes through central London.

Merseyrail’s managing director, ‘This was certainly an unusual request, but we had a really good think about it. We came to the conclusion that with a bit of effort, it would indeed be possible for us to play a part in what we hoped was a wonderful, memorable day for Ms Cole and her new husband.’

Leanne and Andrew Corkery were married at St George’s Hall in Liverpool.

Says Leanne, ’The whole experience was completely surreal - I really did feel like a very important person. I think everyone should be made to feel special that once in their lifetime and this was my day. I’m over the moon - it really has been amazing.’

Bridal Train If you want to get to your wedding on time and throw in a bit of romance too, then take the train - that’s the message from Merseyside bride, Leanne Cole.

Railway staff, when they heard of Leanne’s plans, decorated the carriage with white balloons, bouquets, ribbons and roses. Well-wishers supplied glasses of champagne.

Surprised bride, Leanne Cole was apparently quite taken aback. Staff also decorated her local station, Fazakerley, from where she caught the 10.50 Special Wedding Service.

‘We didn’t want to fork out for a flashy car, so we decided to use the train. But I never expected this.I really can’t believe the service I was given - it was exceptional.’

Bridesmaids Kerry Corkery, Christine Corkery, Lisa Reilly and Katherine McInerney, plus two flower girls,

daughter Gracie, eight, and four-yearold niece Lola joined Leanne for the journey. Leanne’s mother, Lesley Cole had discussed the train ride with staff at the station, wanting to make sure it would all be all right. Staff rose to the occasion and transformed her journey.

Says Maarten Spaargaren,

NEWS

September 2014 | RailStaff | 57

© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A healthy mind for a healthy career There cannot be any doubt that the key to a fulfilling career begins with nurturing one’s physical and mental health, says Carl Taylor at advance Training & Recruitment Services.

In the UK alone, more than 10 million work days are lost each year as a result of work related stress. In comparison, just over 4 million work days are lost each year as a result of work related injuries. Stress is the frequently overlooked silent killer of the workplace, chipping away behind the scenes, often with no visible symptoms or indicators.

Individual health and well-being is extremely important in industries such as the rail industry, where workplace safety can mean the difference between life and death for not just yourself, but your co-workers and the thousands of rail passengers travelling at any given moment.

Understandably, many stressors can play their part in highly organised work environments such as a live railway. Tight deadlines, unfavourable work hours or a tough boss can take an unwanted toll and before long, a protracted state of stress can lead to physical or mental illnesses.

One of the simplest ways of channelling a healthy mind is by taking an active interest in fitness. Exercise has been proven to reduce stress and depression by reducing the body’s stress hormones and releasing ‘feelgood’ endorphins to the brain. At advance-TRS, it has been found that a penchant for fitness and wellbeing in the workplace contributes to a more competitive and healthy work environment.

“We find that most of the recruitment consultants here at advance-TRS have a predisposition for fitness and wellbeing.” says Managing Director, Andy Ridout.

“Not only does a health conscious workplace

contribute to a more positive atmosphere but I tend to find that staff who place an importance in fitness often exhibit a certain extra drive, determination and competitiveness.”

Ridout himself is no stranger to fitness, having completed multiple marathons and triathlons in his time, including an Ironman triathlon that he completed last year, raising £12,777 for Railway Children.

Operations Director, Paul Merton is currently training to run the Marathon de Paris in 2015, whilst the rest of the advance-TRS sales team is made up of footballers, tennis players, a boxer and a women’s national team basketball player.

Looking to make improvements to your health and wellbeing? Here are five quick tips for a healthy mind and a healthy career.

Eat well. It can be quick and easy to pick up processed foods or ready meals but you’ll be lacking that vital nutrition that comes from fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. Aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day and steer clear from short-term energy boosts such as caffeinated drinks. Caffeine blocks the neural signal that tells your body that it’s out of energy, leading to that late afternoon crash.

Get active. Exercising for just 20 minutes per day can reduce stress and depression, simultaneously boosting

self-esteem, energy and sleep quality. Not only that, but regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, by up to 50%!

Plan your day. Prioritising your workload is essential to combatting stress at work. Ensuring that you get the most important tasks finished first will go a long way to putting your mind at rest. If you can’t get everything done in your work hours, take solace in the fact that what’s left is less important than what you’ve accomplished.

Switch off. The UK has the longest work hours in Europe and workers are commuting longer than ever before. This means people are spending less time doing the things that they enjoy. Take a couple of evenings a week to ignore your e-mails and spend time doing the things that make you happy.

Get social. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Having a supportive network of friends, family and co-workers to discuss troubles with has been proven to reduce high levels of stress.

You can find more career advice at the advance Training & Recruitment Services website at www.advancerailwayjobs.com/advice.

Make sure you keep up to date with the latest rail jobs, rail news and career advice by following advance-TRS on Twitter @railwayjobs © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

NEWS

58 | RailStaff | September 2014

Scottish Expansion for VGC

New Look for RBF

VGC, originally from London, is expanding and opening two new offices, at Eurocentral near Glasgow and Canning Town in east London.

The move allows VGC to serve a growing number of local clients more efficiently as well as supporting recruitment of local people for large infrastructure projects.

RBF has formally adopted its new working name, RBF, for the railway’s own charity, the Railway Benefit Fund.

The company’s Scottish office is at Eurocentral, one of the largest industrial parks in Scotland and home to the original rail freight Euroterminal. It is just off the M8 and staff will be perfectly positioned to support the company’s rail and civil operations. Eurocentral is also ideal for working on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), a comprehensive package of improvements to Scotland’s railway infrastructure. The £650 million EGIP includes modernisation and upgrades and electrification of the main line between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

‘We are very excited about the potential of large infrastructure projects in Scotland,’ says Sean Dempsey, contract supervisor, based in the new Scottish office. ‘We are planning a series of recruitment days, to support our expanding role; information will be published on the VGC website and in local media.

The office in Canning Town will be a base for staff based in east London.

‘East London is a key location for some of our current and future projects,’ says Chris O’Sullivan, operations manager.

‘We already have an office in Rochester and our head office is in west London.

Canning Town is pretty much in the middle, and is an ideal location to help us service our clients in the east of London more efficiently.’

VGC began life in 1960 when two brothers, Vernon and Colin Clements, set up V G Clements Contractors Limited to provide construction services in the London area.

With the new name comes a host of other changes that form part of its longterm strategy of growth. The changes include a new RBF logo with a new strapline: supporting railway people.

There’s also a new website and domain name: www.rbfcharity.org.uk The changes are aimed at widening RBF’s appeal, making it more visually attractive and more relevant to younger rail workers.

‘Changing brand is not something to do without careful thought and a very clear idea of what you want to achieve from the change,’ said Abi Smith, RBF’s executive director.

‘Competition for charitable donations is intense, so the need to have significance, to show clear intent and purpose is hugely important. We need to

It Could Be You The 2014 Could IT Be You? competition starts this month, September 2014.

The top prize is again the first year of university fees paid for by Network Rail. The winner and runners up will also receive paid work experience.

The aim is to get more women into railway technology careers.

Zoe Moore, 17, from Towcester in Northamptonshire, won the first competition. Over two weeks, Zoe and five other girls shadowed Network Rail IT managers and saw how technology helps run Britain’s railway.

The team visited signalling centres, stations and the National Records Centre, which holds over five million historical records, including original architectural drawings by Brunel, which are still used today by 21st century engineers.

Says Zoe, ‘One of the most unusual things we got to see was all the historical railway records at the National Records Centre in York, the oldest of which was from 1509. One particularly special document contains Florence Nightingale’s signature from a land deed. Where else do you get to see that?’

Runners up included Sarah Jones, Colchester Sixth Form College, Pippa Hawkley, Brooke Weston Academy, Northamptonshire, Danielle Ball, Nottingham Girls High School, Esther Madueke, Loreto College, St Albans, Hertfordshire and Hannah

Blair, Langley Park School Sixth Form, Kent.

Says Susan Cooklin, chief information officer, Network Rail, ‘Popular culture has helped create a perception amongst young women that a career in IT is all about writing code in basement offices – the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘All these girls have shown a creative mind for solving problems and good communication, and these are the skills that business leaders are after.’

put £1,400 in the bank every day of the year just to stand still but our long-term goal is to help more people. We are looking at how we might do this and we are considering the possibility of offering different or additional types of help. We are reviewing this as part of our longer term strategy, but whatever we choose to do we will need funds to achieve it, so raising our profile is essential if we are to help the men, women and children of the railway family.

‘We’ve been around for over 150 years,’ she added, ‘and intend to still be here in another 150.’

RBF is the second working name for the charity. In 2008, the Railway Benevolent Institution adopted the name Railway Benefit Fund.

To recognise the excellent work consistently carried out by the best talent in Rail Human Resources, Recruitment and Training.

NOMINATE NOW! Who is the best?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Awards for Companies: Best executive search company Best labour supply agency Best rail professional recruitment company Best Client Service Learning Provider / Solution of the Year Awards for Teams: HR Team of the Year Learning Provider / Solution of the Year Awards for Campaigns: Best Candidate Engagement Best Occupational Health at Work Programme Best Attraction Programme of the Year Most successful change management / employee engagement strategy People Development Programme of the Year

Railway People

Awards for Individuals: Outstanding Contribution

AWARDS

Nominate for free at www.railhrawards.com

CAREERS

60 | RailStaff | August 2014

Find more jobs at:

www.ata-recruitment.co.uk @ATA_jobs

GLOBAL REACH, LOCAL DELIVERY

Signalling Project Engineer

Signalling Designers Salary ranging from £35,000- £75,000 dependent on experience

Salary

Salary ranging from £40,000 - £60,000 dependent on experience

ranging from £55,000-£65,000 dependent on experience

Location

Location

Locations

Design Manager

London, Swindon, Bristol, Hertfordshire, Manchester, Birmingham, York & Glasgow.

East Midlands

East Midlands

ATA Recruitment are currently working on behalf of the UK’s leading rail signalling contractors, covering a variety of multi-disciplinary projects nationwide. Opportunities include framework agreements and major tendered schemes, regenerating the UK’s rail infrastructure.

ATA are working on behalf of a market leader in signalling design, installation and commissioning. Using cutting-edge technology and working on major heavy rail projects across the UK and Ireland.

Due to growth in projects and unrivalled success in delivery of existing projects, a Signalling Project Engineer is required to lead and manage signalling projects from their Midlands offices.

Our client is a principle contractor who is looking for a Design Manager to work on Station projects from their Midlands offices. This is a great opportunity to work with the client on long term projects. A rail background is essential.

For further information on the above roles or to enquire about other vacancies with ATA, please contact the Rail team on: 01332 861326 or email your details to civils@ata-recruitment.co.uk referencing

You’ll make sure we really deliver.

Business Manager

£34,622 + Up to 10% bonus + benefits • Carlisle/Crewe, however location will be negotiable Direct Rail Services is a dynamic business and fast paced Rail Operating Company. We set the highest standards in the industry and put our clients first to provide tailor-made transport solutions. With a turnover of around £50 million a year and more than 300 people, we’re expanding rapidly into new sectors – and you will help to spearhead our development.

Managing existing accounts and actively developing new business, you will ensure complete satisfaction and make certain we go the extra mile every day.

In particular, you will represent us at high profile industry events and exhibitions, develop and submit tenders, and set some stretching KPIs for your accounts.

At the same time, you will take care of all associated administration, including payment applications, sales and costs reports, so you can be certain that every day will be different – but equally stimulating.

To join us, you will need innate ability to identify and maximise profitable work streams, backed by a proven record of enhancing revenues. Naturally, you will require an excellent education such as a qualification in a vocational or specialist field short of degree level e.g. HNC/HND (NVQ4), outstanding interpersonal and influencing skills and considerable initiative and drive.

What’s more, you will relish the opportunity of progressing multiple projects simultaneously and will be happy to travel extensively to meet clients, for which a current driving licence is essential.

Previous rail experience and comprehensive geographical knowledge would be desirable.

In return, you can expect an attractive salary, 33 days’ holiday, generous bonus, company pension scheme and healthcare scheme, plus scope for career development.

If you would like to apply for the above position please forward an up to date CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the above criteria to recruitment@drsl.co.uk Further information may be found at our website: www.directrailservices.com Closing date: Tuesday, 30th September 2014.

Interviews will be held in Crewe and Carlisle on 9th and 14th October 2014.

Successful applicants will be required to undergo security clearance including, reference, nationality and identification checks and Drug and Alcohol testing.

Rail Technical Training Lead To support major rail training bids in UK and Oman through development of technical training solutions, programmes and courses.

Salary negotiable, depending on experience: The ideal candidate for this role will be able to demonstrate achievements in both operational and management roles within the Rail sector. You must be able to demonstrate the ability to apply technical sector knowledge to manage and create training capability in the areas of rail, maintenance, track installation and renewals.

Key Experience required: • A breadth of Rail based skills and knowledge • Experience potentially across a number of rail sector disciplines, including Track, Signalling, Telecommunications, and Electrification • Experience within an installation, and or, maintenance environment • Current Knowledge of rail sector environment • For example, Safe working practice / Business critical rules Preferred Experience: Training Needs Analysis (TNA) capability / Programme, course development awareness / International exposure, bid exposure Qualifications: HND or above / Preferred degree / Incorporated – Chartered status The majority of our activity is based in Milton Keynes, Portsmouth and London. However, this role could be worked remotely. UK and international travel is essential.

Email your application to etrecruitment@babcockinternational.com SKILLS AND LEARNING | SUPPORT SERVICES | BABCOCK INTERNATIONAL GROUP

CAREERS

August 2014 | RailStaff | 61

Come on-board and enjoy our view!

Qualified Train Drivers

Attractive salary & relocation package + benefits

Northern operate passenger services across the country’s most beautiful scenery connecting our vibrant towns and cities. We’re proud to offer careers full of opportunity, support and trust along with a wide variety of routes with frequent commuter stops and supportive train teams.

From our rewards and training packages to our efforts to create a truly diverse workforce, we’re showing the whole industry that we’re a railway the north can be proud of. We think you’ll love it here.

We are currently looking for Qualified Train Drivers at depots across the Northern network. Apply online at northernrail.org/careers Be proud to be Northern

northernrail.org/careers

Lead Auditor Location: Derby

RIQC are a long established UKAS accredited certification body, specialising within the rail Industry and we have an excellent opportunity for an experienced Lead Auditor. Our ideal candidate will be IRCA recognised and have a strong background within the rail Industry.

Key Skills Required: • An established IRCA recognised Lead Auditor • Ideally experienced in the delivery of management system audits to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 • Maintain a comprehensive Professional Development log reflecting experience within the rail sector, ideally against EA codes 22 and 31, and 16, 17, 18, 19, 28, 34 and 35 • Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail • Good judgement and decision making capability • Flexible including working away from home, occasional nights away and prepared to be trained for other audit areas • Able to act as part of a team and work alone • Critical Success Factors: – Proactively advise Directors and Colleagues on QHSE latest development and best practice.

– To work with RIQC Director to develop new business opportunities.

– Maintain accurate and up to date customer records.

– Contribute to the tendering, evaluation and negotiation process for the award of contracts and agreements as required.

To be considered for this vacancy, please send your application and CV to careers@riqc.co.uk Tel: 01332 221421

www.trsstaffing.com

Salary: £ Negotiable

Web: www.riqc.co.uk

RIQC Ltd, 2 St Georges House, Vernon Gate, Derby, DE1 1UQ

Rail and Infrastructure Vacancies

TRS Staffing Solutions are international engineering recruitment specialists. We recruit for major National and International projects for leading National Rail organisations, main contractors and consultancies. Currently we have vacancies for the following:

Site Manager/Agents

P6 Project Planners

London, Anglia and Yorkshire £250-325/day Mainline Rail, Station and Bridge experience

London, Midlands & Swindon £40K – £50K or £300 - £400/day Experience of Network Rail Projects, Primavera experience essential

Senior Pway Engineer

Senior Quantity Surveyors/ Commercial Managers

Birmingham, Manchester and Stroud £35K - £55K or £250 - £400/day Experience of Network Rail Projects, Horizontal and Vertical Alinements and Track Renewals

Project Managers Swindon, Milton Keynes, Preston, Derby & London £35K - £60K or 300-450/day Civils, Signalling & M+E enabling works

London £40K – £65K Experience of Network Rail/LUL Projects, NEC contract experience essential

Principal Senior Structural Engineers Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, London £300 - £350/day or £30K – £60K Bridges, Station and Buildings - Rail

Please send your CV or if you’d prefer to discuss a role in more detail and in confidence, please contact one of our specialist consultants on

+44 (0)20 7419 5800 or email rail@trsstaffing.com

Rail, Infrastructure & Construction

CAREERS

62 | RailStaff | August 2014

Site Manager / Construction Manager - Track Superintendent - (Track / Permanent Way) Location

Singapore

Salary

£48,000 - £50,000 per year

•

Salary $8500 per month (Singapore $), Approx £4100 per month (GBP).

•

Benefits Package includes: Paid Accommodation or Generous Accommodation Allowance.

•

Plus min Bonus of $400 per month (Singapore $) - Approx £200 per month (GBP).

•

Low Income Tax Rates.

•

Major National Track Maintenance and Renewals projects work replacing Sleepers and Bearers.

•

Minimum 32 Days Holiday.

Asia Rail Engineering (ARE) is a privately held rail engineering consultancy, management, training and manpower services group headquartered in Singapore and operating in South East Asia and the United Kingdom. Asia Rail Engineering has the capacity to undertake small to medium rail engineering projects and in addition provides a wide array of services including survey, design, maintenance, construction, project management, training and manpower services at all skill levels.

Due to ongoing existing long term contracts, along with an increase in recent major contract wins, and a growing order book we are now looking to recruit Track Superintendents / Site Managers / Construction Managers with Track / Permanent Way experience. We would like to hear from Rail professionals with a proven Track / Permanent Way construction background to manage our major projects in Singapore. It is essential that you have previous experience working in the Track / Pway Engineering discipline with an established Rail Contractor. We require you to have a solid Track Hand Back / Raising and Removing Speed Restrictions experience.

You will have numerous years of knowledge and experience on Permanent Way construction upgrades and track maintenance / renewals projects, with proven experience at Track Superintendent / Site Manager / Construction Manager level. The role involves maintaining safe working practices and managing large skilled site teams during engineering hours in short track possessions. The successful candidate will be reporting directly to the Managing Director.

Build a career with Asia Rail Engineering

Asia Rail Engineering offers you a career which is challenging, fulfilling, and rewarding.

For more information about this position and to apply please email jobs@are.sg or visit www.are.sg

Track Safety Trainer/Assessor Salary

Negotiable (plus benefits package) – Depending on experience

Location

Lenham, Kent

Position Type

Permanent

Vacancies

One

CCS Group Plc is a multi disciplinary service provider to the Railway Industry. Our in-house training company, Infrastructure Training Service (I.T.S) has an opening for an experienced NSARE qualified Track Safety Trainer/Assessor based at our Training Centre in Lenham Kent.

The main purpose of the position

• Ensure discipline and control of learner during training and assessment events

• Licensed through NSARE as Track Safety Trainer and Assessor

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Excellent communication skills and different learning styles

• Accredited Level 3 Qualification in Training and Development

• Deliver both workplace assessments and NWR training programmes

• Sound knowledge of track safety / RTAS / NSARE / Sentinel rules and working instructions

• Personal Track Safety PTS AC

• Deliver learning events which are conducted to the highest standard

• Facilitation skills to captivate E-Learning tools

• Individual Working Alone

Candidates Requirements

• Lookout

• City & Guilds 7331 or D32 / D33 or A1 Assessor qualification

• Controller of Site Safety (OLP/CRP)

Reporting to Training Manager – Lenham, Kent

• Motivate learners by creating an environment conducive to learning

• DCCR

• T.I.C

For more information about this position please contact Gail Peters on 01622 851586 or forward a copy of your most recent CV to recruitment@cleshar.co.uk

OUR PEOPLE MAKE OUR PROJECTS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES - UK URS is a leading global engineering and environmental consultancy and we are hiring across the UK. If you are an engineer or technician with experience in rail, we would like to hear from you.

CURRENT VACANCIES:

URS PROJECTS INCLUDE:

• • • • •

• • • • •

Civil & Structural Design Engineers Signalling Design Engineers Electrical & OLE Design Engineers Permanent Way Engineers Rail Project Managers

Crossrail High Speed 2 Switch & Crossing renewals Borders Railway Bank Station

If you want to learn more about how you can join a world class team and contribute to some landmark projects visit our website or send your CV to transportation.recruitment@urs.com

WWW.URS.COM We are an equal opportunities employer

KEEPING YOU RIGHT ON TRACK

RAILWAY MEDICAL SERVICES FROM EXPRESS MEDICALS

Express Medicals have been providing railway medical services since 1996.

We provide medical examinations and drugs & alcohol testing to meet Network Rail, London Underground and DLR standards.

ONGOING SUPPORT

PROMPT SERVICE

If you have a requirement for such services please do not hesitate to contact us.

MEDICAL EXPERTS COUNSELLING DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

TRAVEL HEALTH

PHYSIOTHERAPY

WELLBEING

RAIL MEDICALS

Marketing and Sales Team

020 7500 6900 020 7500 6901 www.expressmedicals.co.uk www.expressmedicals.co.uk

VACCINATIONS BLOOD TESTS

MARKET LEADERS