RailStaff September 2017 by Rail Media

SEPTEMBER 2017 | ISSUE 238

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WATERLOO DAWN FOR SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2017 | ISSUE 238

WATERLOO DAWN FOR SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY | 07 RailStaff attended the launch of the SWR brand and spoke to the operator’s new managing director, Andy Mellors.

VERSTER HEADS FOR ONTARIO | 12 Rail legend Phil Verster is taking up a new role in Canada as president and CEO of Metrolinx.

CZECH TESTS FOR SLEEPERS | 18 12

The first rake of the 75 new carriages for the Caledonian Sleeper service are now under test at the Velim Test Centre in the Czech Republic.

FUTURE OF RAIL INVESTMENT | 24 Professor Peter Hansford sat down with Marc Johnson to talk about why Network Rail needs private-sector investment and competition to continue to improve Britain’s rail infrastructure.

DOWN TO THE RIVER | 28 Stewart Thorpe takes a detailed look at London Overground’s Barking Riverside Extension.

T H G I L T O P

8 ECH | 4RPB Safety T + R A d n GE us , Sievi a cial foc ard pe Bodygu this month’s s ment in ip re u featu ing, eq th lo c ty on safe rkwear. and wo

OPPORTUNITY OVERHEAD | 46 46

BakerHicks’ rail director James Howles explains why he believes now is the ideal time for the company to launch its new electrification venture.

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Scotland has been voted the most attractive country in the world. Sweeping vistas of meadows and glens, mountain ranges, forests and lochs give Scotland a unique identity. Islands and peninsulas, pointed with old castles and crenellated with sea lochs offer a life time of exploration and serendipity. Cynics will say there is a different side of Scotland largely unknown to the casual tourist: the legacy of urban slums, sectarian divide and the tragedy of the Highland Clearances. This should not detract from the accolade bestowed upon it by Rough Guide. That the readers of Rough Guide were able to fix on the north European state and vote it number one was undoubtedly helped by Scotland’s railways. Arguably Scotland is best seen by hiking across its landscape. However, viewing the puzzle of forests, lochans and mountains from a railway carriage window © Shutterstock.com

has to come a close second. Small wonder exasperated ScotRail staff urge awe-struck passengers to avoid visits to lost property offices by paying more attention when alighting. Trains are weather proof - an important consideration for foreign tourists and returning clanna alike. Better still, new trains - on test in Germany and the Czech Republic and electrification - will improve the network. The hard work and ingenuity of railway staff - both on track and train - underpins a service struggling with capacity and performance issues - as all UK railways do. Colleagues from Scotland feature regularly in these pages. Different maybe, but people like Mary Grant, now heading up Porterbrook, John Yellowlees, pioneer of the community rail movement in Scotland and Borders Rail Campaign Chairman, Allan McLean, testify to the continuing strength of an expanding industry that captures the imagination of so many who work and travel on Scotland’s railway. Recently Virgin’s new Azuma crossed into the Lowlands at Berwick. The rail industry puts effort and investment into faster, better services. Rail passengers taking the low road can indeed expect to arrive in Scotland well before motorists on their clogged three-lane high roads. However, high-speed lines will form the backbone of the future. Amidst the success of HS1, the progress on HS2 and aspirational politicking about HS3 we hear too little of a high-speed link for Scotland. Cynics argued that the Borders Railway would never be built, that Edinburgh’s trams would never be finished; but they were and they flourish. Let the rail industry argue that a Rough Guide to Scotland’s future should include a high-speed rail link to London, Paris and beyond: High Speed Four. andy@rail-media.com FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

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Back HS3 urges RIA The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has thrown its weight behind calls by former Chancellor George Osborne for the Government to back HS3, as the Northern Powerhouse Partnership launched a campaign for the new-high speed connection, starting with a line across the Pennines. © Shutterstock.com

Says Darren Caplan, chief executive of RIA, ‘In the recent Queen's Speech, the Government initially refused to commit to both Crossrail 2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, or HS3. It has since announced support for Crossrail 2 - a move that the Railway Industry Association fully backs - and we now strongly urge them to do the same for Northern Powerhouse Rail, another major transport infrastructure scheme which will benefit the whole country.’

Game of Life for Cambridge North

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has unveiled a plaque at Cambridgeshire’s newest station to officially mark its opening. The station opened on 21 May this year. The striking landmark station has three platforms which serve trains operated by Greater Anglia on the Cambridge to London Liverpool Street and Cambridge to Norwich routes.

There are currently four Greater Anglia trains an hour, two in each direction. Great Northern trains also stop at the station, with two trains per hour to London King’s Cross. The nearby business park is benefiting as is the Science Park and St John’s Innovation Centre. Local cycle routes connect with the new station. The exterior of the building and footbridge incorporates a pattern based on a mathematical theory called the Game of Life by Cambridge mathematician John Conway. Says Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, ‘This station brings a welcome boost to the local economy as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. It has improved the way people travel around the city with better connections to both Cambridge city centre and to London, and provides vital rail links to the science and business parks, to support jobs and create new opportunities.’

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Cyber security and digital apprentices The breadth and range of apprenticeships offered by the rail industry looks set to expand this autumn. Plans are in progress to offer 600 apprenticeships with Network Rail. New and expanded opportunities will include cyber security and digital railway, as the industry seeks to future-proof skills sets. The company is currently recruiting 177 apprentices to join its award-winning Advanced Apprenticeships Scheme - which delivers front-line engineers. As well as the Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme, Network Rail wants to increase the number and range of business apprenticeships that it offers. These include apprenticeships in corporate functions such as accounting, HR, project management and commercial surveying all leading to professional qualifications. The number on offer will be doubled over the next year. Says Guy WilmshurstSmith, head of professional development, ‘Network Rail is committed to investing in the future talent that we need to build and maintain the bigger, better railway that Britain wants,

and apprentices are a vital part of that Railway Upgrade Plan. ‘The rail industry is one of Britain’s success stories as more and more people want to travel by train. Demand has doubled over the last 20 years and is set to double again in the next 25 years, so we need more people to help make that possible. Unlike many apprenticeships, our schemes have no upper age limits, so are suitable for anyone wanting to build a career in an industry that impacts millions of people every day. All that we ask is that our applicants have a passion for making a difference.’ Marisa Bajerski is just completing her first year of the Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme. ‘I’ve loved my time so far on the apprenticeship scheme. There has been so much variety in the job – from working inside an office to being out on a track – and I’m meeting and working with different people all the time. It has given me so much confidence in myself and my abilities, especially now that I’m based in a depot and can really see my work helping people to make their rail journeys and get to where they need to be.’

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Waterloo dawn for South Western Railway ‘It’s certainly been a challenge,’ said Andy Mellors, the new managing director of South Western Railway (SWR), standing in Waterloo’s old international terminal in front of the first Class 444 to bear the new livery. FirstGroup and MTR took over the franchise on 20 August. In its first week in charge, the new operator had to juggle its timetable around one of the largest station redevelopment projects of recent times - a challenge made more complicated still by late signalling problems and a passenger train derailment. Says Andy, who was speaking to RailStaff at an official launch event earlier this month, ‘I think we shouldn’t underestimate the significance of the works that have just been completed at Waterloo because they have enabled us to operate longer trains into and out of Waterloo and provide much-needed additional capacity.’ In August - as Stagecoach bid farewell to the South Western franchise after 21 years - two Class 707 Desiro City trains went into passenger service on the Windsor route,

beginning what will ultimately be a short-lived spell on the route. SWR will begin running 10-car Class 707 trains into Waterloo in a couple of months’ time. More new trains have been promised as part of a £1.2 billion investment in the service between now and 2024.

New suburban fleet Around £900 million is being spent on a fleet of new Bombardier Aventra trains. From its factory in Derby, the manufacturer will supply 90 new Class 701 trains: 60 10-car and 30 five-car trains. SWR is also refurbishing and re-engineering 90 Class 442 trains for the Portsmouth line. The Class 701 fleet will replace several of the South West’s existing suburban fleets, including the brand new Class 707 Desiro City trains built by Siemens. ‘The suburban fleet of trains that we’ve inherited with this franchise are a wide variety of trains built to a number of different designs over many years,’ said Andy, explaining why SWR has opted for a Bombardier-built fleet instead. ‘What we really want on our

Encore for La La Land The funicular railway that featured in the movie La La Land is back in action following a campaign by locals. Known as Angels Flight, the 116-yearold railway that stretches just 298 feet up Bunker Hill was closed in 2013 after a derailment. Now refurbished to modern safety standards, the two carriages, Olivet and Sinai were relaunched by Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti. In the Oscarnominated film, La La Land, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling climb aboard for a romantic ride.

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and help deliver longer trains and more capacity in other places.’ Asked about how involved the Department for Transport (DfT) would be in ensuring the fleet was acquired by another operator, he added, ‘I think you can safely say that we have a view on where we’d like to see longer trains and people who want to win franchises in the future will, I hope, respond to our view about where we want to see longer trains if they want to win the franchises.’

Stagecoach bids farewell suburban network is a homogenous fleet of trains that really drives the maximum possible performance and capacity on the existing network that we’ve got.’ A homogenous fleet provides consistency with stopping points on the platform, said Andy, and a familiarity with the onboard layout. The new 701s will also have something that none of the current fleets have, including the 707s - a toilet. When questioned to what extent it had been a financial decision, Andy added, ‘As part of the FirstGroup and MTR bid there was an evaluation of the various options for the rolling stock fleet and it was decided that the most appropriate rolling stock solution was to get a brand new fleet of homogenous trains introduced to all our suburban services, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do for the December 2020 timetable.’ Transport secretary Chris Grayling, who attended the launch of the new SWR brand on 4 September, said he was confident that the 707s wouldn’t gather dust. ‘The franchisees have no obligation to use the existing trains… This is a different strategy. It’s about having a more harmonised fleet of trains that improves efficiency, improves ways of working. ‘It does mean that Angel Trains has a fleet of Siemens trains that won’t have a home after 2020, but we’re not in a position today where we have got a surplus of trains on our network and I’m absolutely certain they will find a home

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The new South Western franchise covers a network of almost a thousand kilometres and 186 stations - including those on the Isle of Wight’s Island Line network. SWR has said it will spend £90 million improving its stations, including major modernisations of Southampton Central and Wimbledon. Further growth is expected across the route, which currently operates around 1,700 services a day and carries 230 million passengers a year. Martin Griffiths, chief executive of Stagecoach Group, issued a statement thanking the 5,000 or so staff at South West Trains for all their hard work over the past 21 years. ‘Collectively, they work hard day in, day out as one railway to deliver a great service to customers.’

During the brand launch event, Andy presented three SWR drivers with golden whistles (pictured left) and said the operator would invest heavily in staff training and development, including creating more than 100 apprenticeship places each year the largest apprenticeship scheme to be run by a UK train operator. Says Andy, ‘We’re really keen that we ensure that this franchise is put on a sustainable footing and that means making sure that we invest in our people, not just our current employees but also future employees as well to make sure that we leave a legacy within this franchise of the right people with the right skills to drive this railway forward.’

National good news story The investment planned for the South West is ‘part of a national good news story’ said Chris Grayling, who uses the route regularly. ‘The positive story will start on my part of the network in about two months' time when we get 10-coach trains and eight-coach trains,’ said Grayling. ‘We are spending as a government, and the train operators are spending as companies, more on improving the railways than has happened for decades and decades and decades because demand is rising and rising.’

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Top troika celebrate Keyline century Three employees at Keyline in Peterborough have notched up a joint total of 109 years with the business. Stock controller, Dave Cave, was presented with the company’s long-service pin and certificate for achieving 30 years of Keyline employment. Sales office manager Eddie Shevlane initially joined the company in 1973, but after leaving in 1981, he was re-employed in 1983 and is celebrating a total of 41 years at Keyline. Internal sales assistant Danny Horgan has been part of Keyline Peterborough’s branch team for 38 years. Eddie and Danny had previously received their

long-service pins and certificates when they celebrated 40 years and 35 years respectively. Says Alex Bagnall, branch manager at Keyline Peterborough, ‘Our fantastic team is a major part of our continued success. Eddie, Danny and Dave are all valuable members of the Peterborough branch and I’m delighted to mark their loyalty and long-service.’

Porterbrook gets Grant Mary Grant is taking over as chief executive officer at Porterbrook Leasing. She succeeds Paul Francis, the retiring CEO, who has been with Porterbrook for over 20 years. Grant shot to fame as the dynamic marketing director of Silverlink Trains soon after privatisation. Corporate roles with National Express Group followed. Mary - a Scot - came home to head ScotRail for FirstGroup. Under her leadership, ridership rose by 20% and customer satisfaction also powered up. Grant, always good company, charmed union officials and local politicians alike. She also found time to marry Cameron Grant, head and founder of Glaswegian PR firm, 3x1. At FirstGroup she rose to be managing director of the Bus and Rail Division. Grant briefly left the railway to head up Phones4U as chief executive officer of distribution business. Dean Finch, CEO, NEG, is credited with getting her back into railways over lunch in July 2013. She worked as managing director, business development. With over 20 years’ experience

working in the international transport sector including senior roles at FirstGroup, National Express and Eurostar International Mary Grant is well positioned to take Porterbrook forward as the industry seeks to answer demand for increased capacity. ‘It is an exciting time to be joining Porterbrook,’ says Mary. ‘I look forward to working with the chairman, board, shareholders and employees to create a new vision for the company, help drive and support business growth within the UK rail industry and deliver value to Porterbrook’s existing and future customers.’

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Perfect Dey FirstGroup has made further appointments to its senior management team for the new South Western train operating company. In addition to Andy Mellors, previously announced as managing director, Jacqui Dey has been appointed as operations director with responsibility for the driver resourcing, planning, performance and operational standards teams. Jacqui has previously held senior rail leadership roles, including operations and safety director at First ScotRail. Gerard O’Hanlon, from FirstGroup’s franchise bidding team, will provide additional support to Jacqui Dey - the new operator will continue to operate joint teams with Network Rail. Neil Drury, who led the rolling stock planning in the franchise bid, has been appointed as engineering director. Neil is a chartered engineer who joined FirstGroup in 2004. He has had a number of roles in First Rail franchises, including head of engineering at First

Capital Connect, prior to joining FirstGroup’s franchise bidding team in 2014. Alan Penlington joins from Virgin Atlantic as customer experience director to lead the on-board, stations and revenue protection teams. He brings valuable experience to help transform customer experience having most recently been head of cabin crew operations and senior manager customer experience-innovation at the transatlantic airline. Joost Noordewier will be commercial and business development director. Joost joined FirstGroup in 2005 and led the operator’s successful bid for the TransPennine Express franchise. He has also worked for the Strategic Rail Authority. Chris Cornthwaite has been appointed as finance director. Previously finance director at First Capital Connect, Chris has held a number of roles supporting franchise development within FirstGroup. Seamus Scallon, safety director, First Rail, will act as safety, sustainability and security director, pending a permanent appointment to this role.

Strategic role for Meikle Nexus, the public transport authority for Tyne and Wear, has appointed local man, Philip Meikle, as transport strategy director. Philip Meikle, 39, joins from CrossCountry Trains and has also worked at the Department for Transport. Philip, originally from Whitley Bay, will lead a team shaping the future of transport in North East England, including making the case to fund extensions and improvements to Metro and local rail services. ‘I wanted to join Nexus because I’m passionate about the north east,’ says Meikle, who was educated at Monkseaton High School and Bath Spa University. ‘I live in the community that

Nexus serves and I really want to see those communities succeed. This job gives me a chance to play my part in keeping this region moving forward and I am very much looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.’ Philip previously worked at CrossCountry Trains as its head of franchise growth and development and also head of operational performance.

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Utrecht call for Maarten Welsh job for Joyner Spaargaren Tom Joyner has been appointed managing director of Arriva Trains Wales.

Maarten Spaargaren is to head Ricardo’s rail business interests in continental Europe. The former managing director of Merseyrail - who once described himself as an adopted scouser - is returning to his native Holland. He lead Merseyrail between 2011 and 2015 as passenger numbers doubled. Maarten has previously held strategic, operational and commercial roles in Nederlandse Spoorwegen where he spent 14 years. Ricardo has more than 200 staff based in its Utrecht offices, primarily serving rail industry clients in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Maarten will oversee the delivery of client projects ranging from rolling stock test services to ERTMS migration programmes, and

also launch new consultancy capabilities for clients across the region. Maarten succeeds Gert Liefting, who will take over responsibility for Ricardo’s global Rolling Stock Design & Engineering services. Says Spaargaren, ‘I am very excited about developing the growth of Ricardo’s rail business and also look forward to contributing to the group’s wider expansion aspirations.’

Tec innovation for RIA The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has taken on Richard Jones as technical and innovation manager - a new post. The job will see RIA increase its technical offering and back more initiatives that support innovation and collaboration in the rail industry. Richard will work on delivering the Technical Interest Group (TIG) programme and RIA’s highly regarded Unlocking Innovation Scheme (UIS) events. The role also covers participation in a

range of industry forums where RIA represents the interests of its members. Richard Jones has over 20 years' experience in the rail industry, covering most aspects of the rail system. RIA was established more than 140 years ago and its members today represent over 85 per cent of the UK rail industry supply chain by value. Under the leadership of CEO Darren Caplan, RIA is continuing to build up its team and resources to better serve the interests of members.

The move caps a steady career progression for the current passenger services director of London Midland. Tom heads for Cardiff on 2 October, taking over from Ian Bullock who is stepping down as managing director. Tom has over 20 years’ experience in the rail industry. He joined London Midland in 2013 where, as passenger services director, he led a team of 2,000 people. Joyner worked in the field of future rail systems at Network Rail. Tom also held board and leadership roles within FirstGroup and National Express. It’s not his first time in Wales. As performance director at FirstGroup, he had specific responsibility for turning round the company’s Welsh services. In contrast, he also ran Silverlink

Metro - the largely underrecognised precursor to much of the London Overground. Says Chris Burchell, Arriva’s managing director for UK Trains, ‘We are really pleased that Tom has decided to join the Arriva team and continue our investment plan for passengers through the Wales and Borders franchise. I would also like to thank Ian for his enormous contribution to Arriva Trains Wales, and the role he has played in driving improvements in services for passengers.’

BTP Surrey connection Charlie Doyle is BTP’s new Assistant Chief Constable, responsible for Public Contact and Specialist Crime. The new ACC joins the force from Surrey Police, where he is currently Head of Transformation and Change. ‘I am absolutely delighted to be taking up my new role at BTP – and hugely excited to be starting the next chapter of my policing career with you,’ says Charlie Doyle. ‘Having served in Surrey

for 29 years, I was only ever going to choose a role that I was particularly passionate about – and I couldn’t miss an opportunity to join such a specialist force at what is a critical time for frontline policing.’ Says BTP Chief Constable, Paul Crowther, ‘I am delighted that we have attracted such a talented individual as Charlie. I know his extensive experience of shaping and improving frontline capabilities will be a huge asset to the Force.’

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Supervising East Coast A supervisory board has been set up specifically to look at improving services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). Sir Gary Verity (left), chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, has been appointed to chair the new board. Network Rail has said it will ‘ensure there is one voice representing customers, holding the rail industry to account’. The supervisory board will be made up of senior representatives from Network Rail, the route’s train operators, passenger groups and regional economic figures. Says Rob McIntosh (right), managing director of Network Rail’s London North Eastern &

East Midlands route, ‘Britain's railway is ever more important to economic growth so, working together, we are determined to deliver more for customers and communities across the country. ‘The board will work together with one voice to best represent customers the length of the East Coast Main Line, bringing track and train closer together, driving improvements and holding the industry to account.’

FEATURED PLACEMENT

Philippa to join team at Bombardier Derby

Philippa Wardale Bale has joined Bombardier, embarking on a new chapter of her career as a senior project engineer. A mechanical engineering graduate from Newcastle University, Philippa has been a part of the Eversholt Rail engineering team since 2011. Highlights during that time include working on the Class 321 Renatus project. ‘Bombardier takes pride in actively encouraging the attraction of female engineers both into the business as well as the industry,’ said the Derbybased manufacturer. ‘Working closely with different women engineering organisations, we support young engineers in reaching their full potential, by developing skills that will ensure career growth and astonishing achievements.

At Bombardier we value initiative and encourage employees to express ideas that would innovate tomorrow’s transportation sector. ‘When Philippa was first introduced to us by Ford & Stanley we were looking for a highly skilled profile. It was a great surprise to see such a young engineer with a wealth of experience and so passionate about their work. We are very glad to have her onboard; she is a valued addition to our team.’

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Verster heads for Ontario Rail legend Phil Verster is taking up a new role in Canada as president and CEO of Metrolinx, Toronto’s ambitious transport authority. Fresh from progressing the East West Rail Link that aims to connect Cambridge with Oxford, Verster will be leading a vast $34-billion transport build in Ontario. The former managing director of the ScotRail Alliance was route managing director of London North Eastern between November 2011 and April 2015. This came after a five-year stint with Iarnród Éireann which he joined as chief mechanical engineer and rose to deputy CEO. Previously he was engineering operations director with South Eastern Trains, joining in January 2003. Verster has also worked for Bombardier Transportation. A South African, he was educated at Stellenbosch University where he read a masters degree in electrical engineering and has an MBA from Newcastle University. Toronto’s plans for railways are jaw dropping. ‘We’re implementing a $34-billion transit build – the biggest transit investment in Ontario’s history and one of the largest in the world today,’ says Rob Prichard, Chairman of the Metrolinx Board. ‘We’re quadrupling the number of weekly GO Train trips - from 1,500 to 6,000. We’re electrifying

key GO rail lines to provide 15-minute express service all day long throughout the region, and we’re building new LRT lines to tie the region together.’ Says Phil, ‘I am very excited about joining the team of dedicated women and men at Metrolinx, and to be part of one of the most exciting transit transformations taking place anywhere in the world. I believe Ontario is the place to be. Not just because of the very large scale of investment being made in transit, but because of the dynamism, optimism and quality of life that has made this region so envied all over the world.’ Metrolinx has 4,000 staff and is owned by the provincial government of Ontario. The Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, now known as Metrolinx, was founded on April 24, 2006. Metrolinx was created to deliver a seamless, integrated urban transit network allowing people to use public transport more easily. In 2009, Metrolinx merged with GO Transit, the regional public transit service. The organisation grew further with the addition of two more operating divisions – the Union Pearson Express in 2010 and Presto in 2011. The Union Pearson Express is a rail shuttle between Union Station, Toronto and Pearson Airport. Presto is an electronic fare card that allows riders to transfer seamlessly across multiple transit systems.

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OBITUARY Leading light at Mack Brooks exhibitions and doyen of Jane’s World Railways, Ken Harris, 70, has sadly died after a short illness. Friends have many pictures of Ken Harris: guitarist, gricer, editor, organiser and genial family man. Perhaps he will be best remembered for his kindness - always a beacon of comfort, whatever the pressures of the hour. Ken Harris was born in Frome, Somerset, where he was brought up with his brother, Brian. From an early age Ken was a keen rail enthusiast. At school his interest was further stimulated by joining the after-school Rail Club. Keen to expand his knowledge Ken travelled to engine sheds all over Britain assuring his elders that it improved his academic performance at Geography.

Ken Harris: a kind and gentle man who will be much missed

Publishing and printing After A-levels, Ken was taken on as a management trainee at a printers near Bristol. With a thorough grounding in the trade he moved to Redwood Press in Wiltshire. The new job saw him assuming responsibility for publishers’ accounts, seeing through the printing of books and magazines. His wife to be, Jean, was one of Ken’s customers, based in London. After talking on the phone to each other at various times over a period of two years they finally met at a function. There their common destiny fell smoothly into place. Shortly afterwards, Ken was offered the position of production manager of Jane’s Yearbooks by Sidney Jackson which meant a move to London. Whatever reservations Ken may have had, were more than compensated by the prospect of working with Jean. The pair worked together for several years and eventually married. Together they started a family and always delighted in their daughters, Rebecca and Claire. Ken progressed to become publishing director.

Freelance and fruitful After twenty years at Jane’s, Ken Harris decided he needed a change from corporate life. He joined a small publishing company for a couple of years. This in turn gave him the skills and confidence to go it alone. He set up as a freelance publishing consultant. Ken was never busier. He became editor of Jane’s World Railways. Alongside this he developed a fruitful relationship with Mack Brooks. Ken was a quiet behind the scenes force for good on various exhibitions and was a welcome figure at Infrarail and Railtex. Ken liaised with everyone from government transport ministers to student interns struggling to prepare exhibition stands. His wise counsel saved the day for many an exhibitor more used to the mud and ballast of the open railway than the exigencies of the exhibition hall. Ken spoke their language; understood and admired every piece of RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

plant and kit on display. His knowledge and appreciation of the industry helped inform many an article tapped out in the press centre at Infrarail and Railtex. Ken was a genial host plying the press with sandwiches and beer.

Folk music and railways Away from work, Ken was an unrepentant rail enthusiast, a gricer. Among colleagues and friends his skills as a photographer and his rail knowledge were legendary. Ken Harris would drive for hours to ‘get’ a special train, or tear around on a ‘bash’ where one or more trains were involved. Jean learnt eventually that if Ken said he was just popping out for an hour, it meant three, and a couple of hours meant most of the day. Ken would watch the weather forecast avidly, trying to coordinate sunshine and special locos for the perfect picture, usually with success. Music was another of Ken’s pleasures, folk rock being his favourite genre. When Jean first met him, he was playing bass guitar in a band in Somerset. The couple regularly attended gigs in Brighton. Ken was delighted to discover a fellow musician with the same interests in Ric, their son-in-law. With Ric he loved discussing bands and artists they both liked, and telling each other of new discoveries.

Lightness and warmth Whatever one’s pictures of Ken - whether on stage playing folk rock, standing on the end of a railway platform, camera at the ready, or pouring tea in the press centre at Railtex - it has at its centre a lightness and warmth authored by a kind and gentle man who will be much missed. Ken and Jean celebrated their Ruby Wedding anniversary last year. Ken is survived by his wife, Jean, daughters Rebecca and Claire and new addition to the family, grandson Laurie.

Absent shunter fills in GB Railfreight’s two charity charter trains, ‘The Charity Chibble’ from Ipswich and ‘The Absent Shunter’ from Newcastle, have raised over £26,500 for GBRf’s three chosen charities: The British Heart Foundation (BHF), Woking Homes and The Ripple Project. The Charity Chibble took place on Sunday, 15 July. Starting at Ipswich, it headed for London to then take a circular tour via Peterborough and Sheffield, back to London and on to Basingstoke. The second trip on Sunday, 13 August, ‘The Absent Shunter’, was a one-way trip from Newcastle to Basingstoke via York, Crewe and London. The masterminds behind the charity trains are GBRf managers, Paul Taylor and Dale Williams. The tours were designed to make use of the coaches used on staff day-trip trains the previous day – rather than run them directly back empty to Eastleigh Depot in Hampshire, they ran as passenger services with all advertising being done through social media. GBRf stressed both events could not have been done without the willing help of the staff across GBRf, including volunteer drivers and guards who worked the train and an army of stewards and helpers who helped out onboard and with planning. GBRf thanked the Harry Needle Railroad Company and Electric Traction Ltd who allowed use of their locomotives and Riviera Ltd for the coaches. For over 50 years, BHF-funded research has revolutionised understanding and the treatment of heart disease. Woking Homes is a residential care home with a railway heritage, providing a secure, relaxed environment primarily for former rail employees. The Ripple Project seeks to improve the quality of life for residents of all ages in the Restalrig, Lochend and Craigentinny and Edinburgh area, designed to help local people help themselves.

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Catch of the day The 28th annual RailSport angling competition was held in August. For some, the event served as a warm up for the international rail sport angling competition being held in Ireland at the end of September. Makins Fishery in Wolvey, Warwickshire, hosted the tournament once again. The site, which is split into three zones, has 18 lakes and is one of the UK’s most popular commercial fisheries. David Dawber came top of the individual competition, with a catch of 147 lbs. David was also part of the winning team, which included Darren Smethhurst, Rob Dawber and last year’s winner Kevin Melville. The team competition requires each of the four members to fish in a different section. They are then scored based on their performance in that section, with

the winner awarded one point, second two points, third three points and fourth four. The scores are then added together and the lowest combined total wins. ‘A lot of the people come year in year out and what we see is some of the people have definitely improved their angling skills,’ said organiser David Franks, who also thanked all the competitors for continuing to support the competition. Some of those taking part in the UK RailSport angling competition will also be competing at the international USIC angling tournament in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, between 18 and 22 September. Nine teams from across Europe are due to take part.

Terry takes victory train Grand Central Rail welcomed an unusual passenger to its West Riding route recently. Terry the Terrier, Huddersfield Town’s mascot, headed a phalanx of fans travelling to London for the club’s first match of the season against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Terry and his fellow rail passengers seem to have made all the difference - Huddersfield won the match 3-0.

Barking glad The DfT has agreed plans for a new extension of the London Overground to Barking Riverside. The three mile extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line will support one of east London’s largest new housing developments. London mayor, Sadiq Khan, is right behind the scheme. New station, Barking Riverside, will be built on a 180-hectare brownfield site on the northern banks of the River Thames. Construction starts next year. The extension is fully funded, with £172m of the £263m cost of the scheme being met by the developers, Barking Riverside Limited. The remainder will partially come from TfL’s Growth Fund. Says Sadiq Khan, ‘This is wonderful news for east London. Barking Riverside has huge potential to deliver thousands of much-needed affordable

EMT gets GBBO East Midlands Trains passengers were met by Andrew Smyth of Great British Bake Off fame at Derby recently. Andrew dispensed some of his freshly baked cupcakes. Derby-based Andrew, who was runner-up in last year’s hit BBC show, arrived in time for the evening rush hour and set up his stall on the station overbridge. ‘We gave away 200 cupcakes and it was totally worth it to sweeten customers' onward journeys, and I even managed to take a couple of selfies with them too! The people of Derby really got behind me during Bake Off so it was really rewarding to

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homes, and the extension of the Overground will ensure residents have the high-quality transport links they need, both to the surrounding area and commuting into central London. Barking Riverside will deliver new homes, schools, healthcare facilities and much more, and the Overground extension is a vital part of making these exciting plans a reality.’ The current Gospel Oak to Barking route is being electrified by Network Rail.

give a little something back,’ says Andrew. Andrew’s giveaways at Derby are part of East Midlands Trains’ Little Things campaign that seeks to improve customers’ experience of their whole journey with extra touches like giving away gifts at stations, scrapping booking fees and offering faster Sunday services to London.

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Finham Brook Ely rescue heralds green High Speed 2

As part of the preparations for the Birmingham-London high-speed railway, HS2 Ltd is starting to create its first new wildlife habitats along the line of route. Work at the Finham Brook site in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, will include the creation of six new ponds as well as woods featuring over 6,200 trees and shrubs. It’s expected to be complete by the end of the year. The new habitats will support local wildlife species, ranging from birds to great crested newts. The move is part of a vast conservation project, which will see a green corridor of wildlife habitats created alongside the railway,

of forests, ponds, heathland and meadow. Says Anthony Coumbe, HS2 Ltd’s head of environment, ‘The new habitats at Finham Brook will be the first of many to come between London and the West Midlands. They will help us to care for the local environment and serve as a new home to wildlife affected by the future development of the railway.’ He went on, ‘At Finham Brook, we’re creating a bigger and better habitat than local species such as great crested newts currently have. ‘We’ll relocate newts to the habitat next year, once it has become properly established, while other wildlife will start to use the area naturally over time. ‘Ultimately, we’re aiming to create a railway that works for nature as well as passengers, with a green corridor of connected habitats running through the spine of the country.’

Railway staff who worked round the clock to reopen the blocked line between Ely and Peterborough have been praised. The railway was blocked on Monday 14 August, when 11 wagons of a 33-wagon freight train travelling north of Ely derailed. No one was injured. Says Simon Ancona, Network Rail’s chief operating officer for Anglia, ‘Our engineers and specialist teams have worked tirelessly over the last week to recover the derailed wagons and carry out major repair work so that services can resume…. as planned.’ Rail engineers began a major recovery operation to lift the derailed wagons off the track with a rail crane. Broken rails were then cleared from the site and engineers replaced nearly ¼ mile of track, which was completed over the weekend ready for the line to reopen for start of service on Monday morning, 21 August 2017.

Cat'cart circle Long-suffering staff at ScotRail have released a list of the top ten items most likely to be left on a train. The list comes with a gentle reminder to make sure you have all your belongings with you on leaving the train. Even kittens have been found abandoned on trains. The list also includes season tickets, phones, glasses, car keys, skateboards, bikes, items of fancy dress, wheelchairs and, more alarmingly, false teeth. Hundreds of items each month are handed into the central lost property office in Glasgow’s Queen Street station and many are never claimed. Says ScotRail Alliance communications director, Rob Shorthouse, ‘While it’s always great when we can reunite lost property with its rightful owner, it’s much better for the customer not to lose it in the first place. As much as we’ve enjoyed compiling this list, we’re asking customers to spare a couple of seconds, and look before they leave.’

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Virgin’s Azuma crossed the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick upon Tweed this August on its first test run into Scotland. The Azuma travelled to Dunbar station, where it was met by a piper as it pulled into the platform. The new train then worked south to Doncaster. Says David Horne, Virgin Trains managing director, east coast, ‘The Virgin Azuma will deliver a step-change in services between Scotland and England, taking regular journeys down to just four hours. Having the train visit Scotland for the first time as part of testing is a really important moment and reminds us of the excitement it will bring to UK train travel when it is introduced into service.’ Hitachi is building the Azuma

Border foray for Azuma

fleet at its purpose-built £82 million facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which employs 900 people. The Azuma, pictured, is a nine-car, bi-mode train capable of travelling on both electric and diesel power.

Czech tests for sleepers The first rake of the 75 new carriages for the Caledonian Sleeper service are now under test at the Velim Test Centre in the Czech Republic. Five carriages, two seated, one Club and two sleeper, were despatched in August from the factory in Beasain, northern Spain where the new fleet is being built by CAF. The sleeper cars travelled by road to Hendaye on the French border. From there, on matching French gauge, the sleepers travelled on by rail to Velim. Once tests are completed the carriages will be moved to Polmadie in Glasgow via the Channel Tunnel

for further testing. Says Peter Strachan, Serco’s chairman, UK Rail, ‘It’s great to see the first of the new carriages on the move. To design, build and introduce a new fleet of rail sleeper coaches is extremely challenging and complex. ‘Achieving this milestone is entirely due to the professionalism of the Serco team and everyone involved across the rail industry. We still have a lot of work to do to successfully bring the new sleeper fleet into service next year, but I am really excited about the quality of experience we will be able to offer our guests when it arrives.’

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Lorry platoons get marching orders Philippa Edmunds, freight on rail manager at the Campaign for Better Transport, has urged the Government to refocus on transferring road freight to rail. A recent idea for driverless lorries on Britain’s roads cut little ice with the public. ‘Lorry platooning, with driverless rear trucks, might cut costs for road hauliers but putting more freight on the railways would bring bigger and quicker reductions in congestion and pollution,’ says Philippa. ‘Recent polling showed that almost two thirds of the public wanted to see more freight on the railways with only 2 per cent wanting to see more freight on the roads, while other polls have shown deep

public suspicion of autonomous vehicles,’ she added. Even the road industry is suspicious of the scheme. ‘Motoring groups have pointed out there are many unresolved issues with lorry platooning on our congested road network. ‘By contrast, our recent research shows that increased rail freight could make a real difference to congestion and pollution on some of the country's most overcrowded roads. We'd like the Government to give priority to increasing the use of sustainable freight modes and making more efficient use of existing trucks rather than new technology which, while technically interesting, is likely to have very limited real-world benefits.’

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Bridging the gap

Legends of the Great Western Over 7,000 people attended the Old Oak Common open day, OOC:111 called ‘Legends of the Great Western.’ The open day on Saturday 2 September saw a unique collection of trains and locomotives. Traction on display spanned all 111 years of the depot and included: • King Edward II – King Class locomotive 6023 • Formarke Hall – Hall Class locomotive 7903 • Greyhound – Warship Class locomotive D821 • Western Champion – Western Class locomotive D1015 • Ark Royal – Class 50 locomotive 50 035 • Sir Kenneth Grange – Class 43 locomotive 43 002

• Class 180 train 180 XXX • Queen Elizabeth II/Queen Victoria – Class 800 Intercity Express Train 800 003 It is 111 years since Old Oak Common opened on 17 March 1906. During its 111-year history, the depot and its dedicated, highly skilled staff have maintained everything from the Kings and Castles of the steam era, to the diesel-powered Westerns and Warships. All profits from the day will go to the depot’s chosen charity Place2Be, which provides mental health support for children in schools and whose patron is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. In May 2016 GWR’s St Philips Marsh depot raised over £20,000 for charity with a celebration of 40 years of the High Speed Train.

With a crowd looking on in the early hours of Sunday 3rd September 2017, the Great Central Railway’s long held ambition to reunite two halves of the line took a huge step forward. Two beams for the new bridge across the Midland Main Line were successfully lowered into place. Once complete the new bridge will carry Great Central Railway heritage trains over the tracks of the Midland Main Line below. As one of the most ambitious civil engineering projects undertaken by a heritage railway, ‘Bridging the Gap’ will reinstate approximately 500 metres of missing embankment, track and bridges – all of which were removed after the Great Central Railway was closed as part of a major rationalisation of the railway network.

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Book mark

John Yellowlees, pioneer and ambassador for the community rail movement in Scotland, has had a station bookshop named after him. John headed up to Pitlochry station to cut the ribbon opening the new store. The Highland Mainline CRP-backed Station

Bookshop has now taken over £40,000 in its few months since the refurbishment over Christmas. Rail supporters and community rail volunteers paid tribute to John’s enormous contribution to station adopters, station liaison groups and the formation of the Highland Mainline Community Rail Partnership. Pitlochry’s Platform One Waiting Room has been redecorated by Serco. A floral arrangement has been put together by the local Floral Art Club, in the Pitlochry Tartan colours. Posters at the Perthshire station have been redesigned by two local school pupils for the line’s 150th anniversary.

Paint business for Widnes Alstom has started work to repaint Virgin’s 56-strong Class 390 Pendolino fleet at its new rail modernisation centre in Widnes, which was opened in July. The re-painting of all west coast Pendolinos will be delivered by December 2019. ‘This time last year our site at Widnes was just an empty field,’ says Mike Hulme, managing director of trains and modernisation at Alstom UK. ‘To see the re-painting work on the first Pendolino is an incredible achievement, and I’m very proud of everything our team has achieved to get here. I’m also pleased to welcome our new

staff to Widnes, the majority of whom were recruited locally to work on this project.’ Alstom has installed largescale, specialist painting booths in the modernisation centre at Widnes, which ensures the repainting work is completed to the highest quality. Alstom has also installed Industry 4.0 virtual reality painting simulators to train the team and validate the work. Over 80 employees have been hired by Alstom to deliver this project, including five apprentices. A further 15 apprentices will join Alstom in September, when Alstom opens the Alstom Academy for Rail on the same site.

Auditions for buskers For the first time in two years, Transport for London has been holding auditions for buskers. The idea is to find new musicians to perform on the London Underground as part of its licensed busking scheme. The new buskers will supplement the 250 musicians already serenading passengers and staff on the busy railway. Successful applicants will be awarded a London Underground busking license, allowing them to perform at designated locations at Tube stations. They will join a long busking tradition which has been part of the careers of international stars such as Ed Sheeran, Bob Geldof and Jessie J. Sir Rod Stewart puts his career breakthrough down to singing on Twickenham station late one

Local control for West Midlands franchise West Midlands Trains Ltd, a joint venture between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd, has been announced as preferred bidder to run the expanded West Midlands franchise - taking over from London Midland. Passengers can expect new longer trains, more seats and more capacity as nearly £1 billion is invested in services on the West Midlands network. There will be 400 new carriages rolled out by 2021 and space for an extra 85,000 passengers on rush hour services in Birmingham and London, with the longer trains providing extra seats. The

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night. Singer Long John Baldry heard him and recruited him to his band. The Underground’s licensed busking scheme is linked to the Mayor’s Busk in London programme, which encourages and supports street performances throughout the city. Says Mark Wild, managing director of London Underground, ‘Over the years busking has become an essential part of London Underground’s identity and has provided a springboard for many of today’s artists that we have come to know and love. This new wave of auditions will bring in a new range of musicians who will continue the strong tradition of entertaining our customers with a high standard of music.’

franchise covers services across the West Midlands, as well as trains from London Euston to Crewe and from Liverpool to Birmingham. Says Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, ‘This is great news for passengers using West Midlands services – with new trains, more space, more regular services and easier access for disabled people. We are improving the whole travelling experience with live train crowding information, compensation for people delayed by 15 minutes or more, smart ticketing and better value tickets for part-time workers.’ The new contract will start in December and last until March 2026.

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Rail success for Go-Learn Bank Holiday business Whilst the rest of the country took a long weekend off, the Orange Army was hard at work on the Thameslink Programme. From Saturday 26 August to Saturday 2 September over 4,500 engineers worked a total of over 92,000 hours to deliver a £12 million programme of investment by Network Rail. This was one of the most challenging and complicated phases of major engineering work the Thameslink Programme team has delivered to date. New track and signalling equipment was installed on the lines serving Cannon Street.

At the same time the Charing Cross lines through London Bridge were moved to their final alignment through platforms 6 to 9 and connected to the newly constructed Bermondsey Dive Under. This means more reliable journeys for Southeastern passengers from 2018 by the provision of dedicated tracks for trains serving south east London and Kent. At London Bridge station there was a hive of activity including installation of lighting, ticket gatelines and flooring in the final section of the new concourse, which will open in January 2018.

Volunteers from Great Northern and Thameslink have delivered talks about safe and independent rail travel to almost 10,000 primary school children over the past six months. The Go-Learn programme has proved popular with teachers and pupils alike. The volunteers have been going into schools from Moorgate to Peterborough and Hendon to Bedford. Youngsters are told of the dangers of the railway, as well as the different roles of the team involved. Says Stuart Cheshire, Passenger Services Director, ‘At the start of the year we set what we thought was an ambitious target of seeing 1,000 students and I’ve been truly astounded by the take-up from schools across our network. This is a testament to the hard work of my teams and their commitment to encouraging youngsters to think about rail travel as a sustainable mode of transport, whilst also ensuring they understand how to keep themselves and others safe.’

RATs leave no leaf unturned Trees are only just turning but already top performing London Underground rail staff are readying two specialist engineering trains to lead the charge against leaf fall on the Piccadilly line. The two Rail Adhesion Trains (RATs) are part of a package of measures being introduced this autumn to tackle wheel flats and prevent disruption. The adhesive material the specially converted 1973-stock dispenses helps the train wheels grip the tracks during braking. When trains brake on slippery tracks it can cause the wheels to lock and subsequently wear down.

Other measures include completing the most intensive trackside vegetation clearance programme to date. More detailed weather data will allow a quicker response to changing leaf fall conditions. Additional train maintenance staff have also been taken on. Says Nigel Holness, London Underground’s director of network operations, ‘Following disruption for Piccadilly line customers in previous years due to leaf fall, we are determined to learn from past experiences and employ every measure possible to tackle the issue effectively this year.’

Minden the gap Scotland’s new Hitachi-built electric trains are now out on test at Minden, near Hanover in Germany. The Class 385s are being put through their paces on a range of different routes reaching speeds of 100mph. German deployment of the British built trains will speed up commissioning. Before the trains went to Germany, Hitachi successfully tested the Class 385 in the Czech Republic. These European tests are in addition to the two trains that are carrying out tests in Scotland. Hitachi is delivering 70 new Class 385 trains for ScotRail boosting capacity and reliability. The new trains are being built at Hitachi’s £82m purpose-built factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Says Chris Knape, New Trains Technical Manager at the ScotRail Alliance, ‘With testing taking place in Germany, the new trains coming to Scotland are one step closer to delivering faster journeys, more seats and better services.’ FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF | @RAILSTAFFUK | RAILSTAFF.UK

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Doncaster teaching role for Eurostar Eurostar and Alstom have donated a refurbished power car to the National College for High Speed Rail at Doncaster. The 25-tonne power car, a classic original e300/ Class 373, or Trans Manche Super Train, will be used for training students at the college. The power car has undergone extensive refurbishment including original livery, incorporating the branding of the new National College for High Speed Rail – the largest of five new national colleges created to boost industry skills. The college will play a central role in generating the workforce of the future. Doncaster trained staff will design and build Britain’s new high-speed rail network and a raft of future infrastructure projects. The college has already created the first Certificate of Higher Education (CHE) in High Speed Rail and Infrastructure. Says Clair Mowbray, chief executive for the National College for High Speed

Rail, ‘At the college we are passionate that our students and apprentices will learn world-class skills from the most experienced employers in the business, using industryleading equipment. The best way to educate Britain’s future engineers and help reduce the national skills shortage, is to grant learners access to the kind of apparatus they will become familiar with when they go out to work for businesses in the field. The new power car will be used as a classroom and is also going to incorporate a virtual reality set-up, so that we can respond to industry needs and project different engineering configurations within the cabin. This train was world famous for creating the first rail link from London to Paris on the UK’s first high speed rail line. Now as we look to create more high speed rail in the UK, it is a real coup for the college to bring this working engine, with adaptable VR, into Doncaster.’

Canadian coup for William Cook A family-owned business in the north of England has won export orders that could be worth millions of pounds supplying wheel parts to a new fleet of Canadian trams. William Cook Rail will manufacture structural parts for bogies on Alstom’s range of Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles for service in Ottawa, Canada. The company has factories in Sheffield, Leeds and Stanhope in County Durham. The bogie-parts will be precision engineered at the company’s new £15m rail plant in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Alstom has won the contract to supply light rail vehicles and maintenance services to the the Rideau Transit Group consortium, which is responsible for Ottawa’s light rapid transit system. The system is expected to enter full service in spring 2018. William Cook Rail is supplying an initial order of five train sets and a follow-up order could cover many more trains. Says Sir Andrew Cook, chairman of William Cook Rail, ‘These export orders demonstrate the world-class engineering capabilities that exist here in the North of England and send a message to the Government that ‘buying British’ must be at the top of the political agenda if it wants to have a successful and thriving economy post Brexit.’ RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

Carlisle backs Borders Carlisle city leaders are backing the campaign to re-open the Borders Railway all the way through to the Cumbrian capital. Says Carlisle City Council leader, Colin Glover, ‘There are clear benefits for Carlisle. Building a new line supports plans for growth all over the city and region. This would add significantly to economic growth in Longtown, the new air services from Carlisle, and our aims to encourage modal shift from road to rail for freight. This helps make Carlisle an even more vital part of the Northern Powerhouse.’ Mr Glover met with the Campaign for Borders Rail, the group that successfully lobbied for the opening of the Borders Railway between Edinburgh and Tweedbank to discuss extending

the line through Hawick to Carlisle. The Campaign is taking the case for completion of the line to governments in both Westminster and Holyrood. Campaign Chairman, Allan McLean argues there are clear imperatives for both sides of the border. ‘As part of an integrated plan for the Carlisle region, a rail link with the markets of the Borders makes perfect economic sense,’ says Allan. ‘Both governments, five local authorities, and a broad support from industry and communities make taking the Borders Railway through Hawick to Carlisle an unequivocal case.’ The Borders Railway is the northern part of the Waverley Route that closed in 1969 between Edinburgh and Carlisle through Galashiels and Hawick. It was formally opened by Her Majesty the Queen on 9 September 2015.

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FUTURE OF RAIL WHAT THE HANSFORD REVIEW TELLS US AUTHOR OF THE HANSFORD REVIEW, PROFESSOR PETER HANSFORD, SAT DOWN WITH MARC JOHNSON TO TALK ABOUT WHY NETWORK RAIL NEEDS PRIVATE-SECTOR INVESTMENT AND COMPETITION TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE BRITAIN’S RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE

n December last year, Network Rail’s chief executive Mark Carne approached the civil engineer and veteran infrastructure consultant Peter Hansford with a job. Network Rail had lost the borrowing mechanisms it once had and needed to find a way for the private sector to invest more in Britain’s rail infrastructure. ‘Mark phoned me just before Christmas and asked me if I would take it on,’ said Peter, leafing through a copy of his 60-page report. Peter agreed to take on the challenge and, with the help of the Nichols Group and Rail PR, put out a call for evidence to the industry in January this year. A review panel was set up which included Alistair Gordon, the chief executive of Keolis UK; Andy Milner, chief executive of Amey; John Smith, managing director of GB Railfreight; Matthew Symes, a partner at Concerto; Mike Gerrard, independent expert; Zara Lamont, performance improvement director at Carillion; and Daniel Hanson, director of policy and economics at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Next in the series The Hansford Review was published at the end of July. It listed the various barriers - some physical, some behavioural - that currently restrict private-sector investment and made 12 recommendations for Network Rail to consider. More than 150 parties were consulted and material submitted has all remained confidential, allowing the industry to speak frankly about its biggest customer. ‘I think there were probably some surprises,’ said Peter. ‘We didn’t go into the review with all the answers, or even all the questions actually. We knew what the basic exam question was: how to get more private-sector funding into Network Rail.’ Peter has spent more than 40 years working on major infrastructure projects in various sectors. He spent three years as the Government’s chief

construction advisor and is currently a professor of construction and infrastructure policy at University College London (UCL). Peter sees his independent report as the latest instalment in what has become a series of selfreflection for the industry that started with McNulty in 2011. The debate has since been moved on by Network Rail chairman Peter Hendy, Dame Colette Bowe and the former chief executive of HS1, Nicola Shaw. The review sets out the various different models for project delivery that could be explored, the challenges the private sector faces and, importantly, what Network Rail could do to make rail infrastructure investment a more attractive proposition.

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IL INVESTMENT Private funding and commercial pressure The review makes several points. Network Rail needs to get better at publicising the pipeline of projects to potential investors, it should give routes the autonomy to look at private-sector opportunities in their regions and it should put in place repeatable processes to make private investment the norm. Over the next 12 months, Network Rail has been tasked with identifying ‘pathfinder projects’ to test different delivery models. More private sector involvement would lead to other benefits besides additional funding, said Peter. ‘Mark Carne was very clear that for him this wasn’t just about getting other people to fund, but it was about actually creating the pressure on Network Rail to deliver more efficiently. It is about reducing cost.’ Peter also felt strongly that any organisation that stood to benefit from new infrastructure should contribute to its construction costs. ‘That needs to change,’ said Peter. ‘If you’re going to make massive benefit from a new station, you pay the appropriate amount for it. Why should the rest of the railway subsidise that?’

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Risk and reward

However, Peter said he wasn’t advocating a ‘free for all’ - it wasn’t an open invitation for anyone to pursue any rail project. ‘This isn’t an open book to allow any old project to be built. There are bad projects out there that people are thinking about… It’s only projects that really can be seen to meet the right strategy.’ He went on, ‘This is not about a less safe, less integrated railway. This is about opportunities to bring in funding.’

Hub and spoke Currently, the majority of investment in Britain’s railways is funnelled through Network Rail and delivered through Network Rail Infrastructure Projects (IP) - the organisation’s in-house projects business. Peter believes some incorrect conclusions are already being drawn about his review. One of those is that its recommendations, by their nature, suggest no future for a centralised organisation like Network Rail IP.

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‘We’re not saying that by any means,’ said Peter, keen to stress that the report instead questions whether IP needs to always take the lead role in delivery. IP will still have to play a major role in the largest enhancement schemes, said Peter. The report focuses on route devolution. Specifically, it recommends giving the routes the commercial nouse to pursue different kinds of design and delivery models with private sector partners on their patches. ‘They know their route, they know their local investment, they’ve got the ongoing relationships,’ said Peter. Peter hadn’t initially appreciated quite how big a role the routes were now playing and was conscious that the recommendations needed to work for a route structure. It points to a move away from Network Rail’s traditional hub and spoke delivery model and even talks about Network Rail routes competing for projects against the private sector.

Much of the review focusses on how Network Rail deals with third parties. ‘I think the biggest take-away probably is about Network Rail changing its approach to provide a welcoming, predictable and trusting environment,’ said Peter. The report itself talks about the difficult and ‘fragmented’ experience companies said they had encountered when dealing with Network Rail. The report calls for a new service level agreement to be drawn up that establishes the terms of business between Network Rail and third parties. It also states that partners should have a single point of contact within Network Rail to help them through the process. The review found that one of the biggest barriers blocking private-sector investment is the level of financial risk that railway projects can represent. Uncertainty at the early stages of projects can even make the cost of bidding unviable for many companies. The review also said there was a pressure on companies to accept ‘emerging cost’ contracts which put any additional project cost on them even if it has been caused by a Network Rail error. Several recommendations were made in the review to try and address the issue of risk. The review recommends creating an

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RECOMMENDATIONS ‘early development fund’ to help cover some of the initial bid costs and produce more ‘high quality proposals’. Hansford raises the issue of standards and the pressure that can be put on third parties who are required to make changes to the cost and scope of projects to meet standards dictated by Network Rail. ‘They’ve had standards imposed on them and they can’t understand why,’ said Peter, who believes that some kind of an appeals process is needed. Having described the challenges facing Network Rail, Peter pointed to a section on page 10 of the report headed ‘Dependence on others’. It states, ‘Network Rail cannot deliver the recommendations of this review alone. It will need the support of the regulator, government and the wider industry.’ The industry is lacking a particular body to consider the issue of private sector involvement overall. ‘Is it the Secretary of State or is it the regulator, is it Network Rail board?’ said Peter, who believes it is a role that would have fallen under the remit of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) - a body of which he was an executive director. However, he isn’t advocating that the SRA be resurrected.

Network Rail response Peter first met to discuss the review with Network Rail at a board meeting in Cardiff in April. Another meeting followed in May and Network Rail received its copy of the report in June. The response has been supportive, said Peter. ‘I’m delighted that they have responded so positively. I’m delighted that they accepted all the recommendations.’ Network Rail has committed to publishing regular updates on upcoming opportunities for third parties, agreed to provide flexibility around standards and will create a service level agreement for dealing with partners. The Anglia route will become the test bed for these reforms. Mark Carne also announced that a number of new positions will be created within the organisation. For example, a head of asset protection will be appointed in each route to work alongside project sponsors and ensure

the new service level agreement is met. A national director of asset protection will also be appointed. In some cases, Network Rail appears to have taken Peter’s recommendations a step further. In a statement, Network Rail said it planned to launch a reward scheme which would share money saved through innovation with its partners. Mark Carne said, ‘I am determined to create an environment where innovative third-party companies can compete for and directly deliver railway projects. These reforms mark the next stage of Network Rail’s transformation, having already decentralised into nine devolved individual businesses.’ He added, ‘I am also determined to find ways for the private sector to directly invest in railway projects. As a government-owned business, this has some challenges, but by unlocking private finance we can potentially deliver railway improvements that would otherwise not be possible.’ A deal with the Derby-based engineering company Resonate will be the first to test this model. Resonate, which is working on future traffic management systems through the Digital Railway programme, has agreed to finance the introduction of the new technology and will in turn benefit from the savings it's expected to yield.

Two choices… The widely accepted outlook is that there will be less government funding available for Network Rail enhancements in CP6 - a point touched on in the review. Without privatesector funding, Network Rail is unlikely to be able to deliver the scale of improvements it would like to. ‘There’s two options,’ said Peter. ‘One you have a smaller CP6 or two you open it up for others to fund part of it… At the same time you have the benefit of pressure to reduce your own cost.’ Peter continued, ‘I’m confident that they will grasp the opportunity to make significant change here, which is great because it means the whole thing’s been worthwhile.’ A downloadable copy of the Hansford Review can be found on the Network Rail website or at www.thehansfordreview.co.uk

• Network Rail to develop and embed processes and specialist commercial capability consistently within the routes to establish and execute a range of alternative design and delivery options for infrastructure projects. • Network Rail to demonstrate its commitment to creating a more contestable market and evaluate resulting gains. • Network Rail in conjunction with government to develop clear, transparent principles and processes for considering contestability at each investment decision stage. • Government to ensure that it gives due consideration to contestability in its business case methodology, and to publish appraisal guidelines to assist third parties to realise financial benefits associated with rail infrastructure projects. • Government to establish an early development fund with clear criteria to assist in the creation of high quality investment proposals. • Network Rail in conjunction with government to create and maintain a forward view of the scale of third party investment opportunities, giving visibility and confidence to the market. • Network Rail in conjunction with government to identify a range of pathfinder projects to demonstrate the removal of barriers and the benefits from alternative funding and delivery models. • Network Rail to define roles and accountabilities, build capability and provide support to the routes for engaging with third party investors (funders and deliverers); and to define the respective accountabilities of the routes and Network Rail Infrastructure Projects directorate. • Embed within Network Rail’s transformation programme the behavioural changes required to create a welcoming, predictable and trusting environment, providing more cost and risk certainty. • Network Rail to convert its Code of Practice into a Service Level Agreement, refreshing its template agreements, asset protection agreements and guidelines reflecting a more balanced risk transfer, in consultation with industry. • Create a transparent process to enable and facilitate third party challenge of scope and standards application during project development, fixing them before funding commitments are made. • Establish effective oversight arrangements to provide strategic direction for a more contestable rail infrastructure market, building on existing Network Rail governance structures and involving government as appropriate.

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DOWN BY THE RIVER REPORT BY STEWART THORPE

ad plans to extend London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock gone ahead in 2008, the 6.5km addition would have been operational this year. The estimated £750 million extension was to serve Beckton Riverside, Creekmouth, Barking Riverside, Goresbrook and Dagenham Dock but concerns over funding stalled the scheme before former London mayor Boris Johnson shelved plans altogether. But the need for improved transport links to support a huge 10,800 housing development at Barking Riverside saw the DLR extension replaced with an alternative scheme. The Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside Overground extension (BRE) will cost £263 million, assuming construction starts as planned in 2017/18, and is the key ingredient to unlocking the development’s full potential. To the delight of many Londoners, the project was given the green light by the Government in August.

AN AREA FOR CHANGE AND GROWTH Barking Riverside is a designated London Riverside Opportunity Area, a 179-hectare brownfield site on the northern banks of the River Thames that has been identified for its potential to support thousands

more homes and jobs. It is the largest housing development site in East London and one of the largest brownfield developments in Europe. Should its masterplan be achieved, a new transport interchange, shops, leisure and healthcare facilities, restaurants and schools - along with thousands of one, two and threebedroom homes - will be built to create a thriving new community in the capital. Crucially, however, for the full provision of housing to go ahead, new and sustainable transport infrastructure is required to shuttle the thousands of Londoners that are expected to settle there into the city. The density of the housing means there won’t be enough car parking and there is

a lack of public transport currently serving the area. Before BRE was approved, developer Barking Riverside Ltd (BRL) - which is made up of the Greater London Authority (GLA) (49 per cent) and L&Q New Homes (51 per cent) - was limited to building 1,500 homes - a drop in the ocean of the 800,000 new homes that are needed in the capital, according to an analysis from the local government association London Councils in 2013.

THE RAILWAY PATH Departing south-east out of Barking station, BRE will follow the existing Essex Thameside Tilbury line for around 2.4km. After passing underneath Renwick Road Bridge - but before the DB Cargo freight terminal - a twin-track spur for London will separate from the lines carrying c2c services to Southend and Shoeburyness. The extension will then rise on an embankment and then a viaduct through DB Cargo’s terminal, over Choats Road and above the

underground HS1 tunnels. The new tracks will continue for roughly 1.5km before terminating at a new elevated station near to the waterfront. This new station, which will be situated just south of the planned commercial area, will include shops and will be accessible from a new road off Renwick Road. While the station will remain in Transport for London’s (TfL) ownership, the railway infrastructure will be handed over to Network Rail upon completion. When you’re building a 4km railway extension in an area as densely populated as London, impacting the local area is unavoidable and the chosen alignment was not the only one considered by TfL. In total there were seven options: • Two DLR extensions to Barking Riverside, which were deemed to be poor value for money • Two options for an increased number of bus services, which could not provide enough capacity for the new development without causing

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road congestion and lengthy transit times • An extension of either the Hammersmith & City line or the District line to Grays, which was snubbed because of physical constraints between Underground and Network Rail lines • A new station near Renwick Road on the c2c line, which was deemed to provide only minor improvements to connectivity, but for which provision has been made for future plans • The chosen BRE connection. Underground options were considered but tunnelling to the planned Barking Riverside station site would have cost at least £160 million extra, according to TfL, which it did not favour because additional funding was unavailable. Eventually, TfL committed to BRE because its construction would have less impact on existing residents and because it will safeguard freight development opportunities at DB Cargo’s sidings.

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Planning inspector Peter Robottom was appointed by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in October to independently assess the project. In his report, Robottom said, ‘There is clear evidence that the substantial public benefit from providing a sustainable fixed public transport link to enable the Barking Riverside development to be brought to fruition with its very substantial housing and employment benefits would outweigh the very limited harm to private interests, almost all of which would only be temporary during construction.’

JOBS AND CONNECTIVITY During construction, it is anticipated that 800 jobs will be created, with around 4,600 provided from the future Barking Riverside. Three parties have expressed an interest in constructing the line: Balfour Beatty, Carillion and a joint venture between VolkerFitzpatrick and Morgan

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Sindall. A formal invitation to tender is expected in early 2018, construction is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2018 and the first services are to run in late 2021. Once operational, four trains an hour will run on the Overground extension. It will link Barking Riverside to London’s public transport network through District, Hammersmith & City and c2c connections at Barking station. Gospel Oak to Barking (GOBLIN) services will therefore no longer terminate at platform 1, instead they will be diverted to platforms 7 and 8. Despite the change, no work will be required at Barking. By the time it is operational - and as a result of the planned completion of the electrification of GOBLIN in January 2018 - four-car Class 710 Aventra’s will run on the Overground extension. BRE might be viewed as the best option to unlock Barking Riverside’s full potential but it hasn’t always been possible. Back when the DLR to Dagenham Dock extension was first mooted in 2007, the option

to extend GOBLIN was a new one. It was only in late 2007 that TfL took over the North London railway routes from the train operating company Silverlink. Also, under GLA’s previous BRL partner, Bellway Homes, it had not been possible to secure the additional funding for transport infrastructure, according to Robottom’s report, to take the development beyond 1,500 homes. That changed in March 2016 when L&Q Homes bought out Bellway’s full stake. © Barking Riverside Ltd

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Of the total expenditure for BRE’s construction, £172 million will come from BRL and the remaining £91 million from TfL’s growth fund. Operating costs are estimated to be £3.1 million a year, which has already been accounted for in TfL’s operating budget.

BARCELONA ON THE THAMES Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn and TfL’s director for city planning, Alex Williams, welcomed Chris Grayling’s

approval of the Transport and Works Act Order for the extension, which granted TfL the powers to acquire the land, construct and operate BRE. Local councillor Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said the area is now on track to become ‘Barcelona on Thames’ and that the news was a sign that Barking and Dagenham are ‘at the epicentre of London’s eastward shift’. The ground has not yet been broken but already early plans are in place for further extensions. Passive provision was made for a future station of ‘little to no additional cost’ west of Renwick Road, when warranted by future development nearby, and there’s also talk of extending BRE to Abbey Wood and the Elizabeth line, which could be operational by the 2030s if all goes well. Either way, it is an exciting time for London, for Barking Riverside, and for the new Barcelona.

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HOME WITH A HIS WOKING HOMES BEGAN LIFE AS A HOME FOR RAILWAY ORPHANS. IT NOW CARES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO THE INDUSTRY

he railway has a proud history of supporting its staff. A number of charitable associations exist to care for rail and transport employees in their time of need. Woking Homes, a residential care home within a stone's throw of Woking station, opened specifically to help the families of local railwaymen. It continues to do so today, using voluntary donations from those who still work within the rail industry to subsidise the fees of elderly residents with a railway background. The current care home in Woking started its life in Jeffreys Road Clapham, South London, in 1885 as the London and South Western Railway Servants’ Orphanage. The Rev Canon Allen Edwards, who was vicar of All Saints Church Lambeth and the railway chaplain of Nine Elms, recognised a need and opened a home for fatherless girls, the first child being admitted in 1886. A few years later, he acquired the building next door and started admitting fatherless boys; all these children had lost fathers who had been employed by the London and South Western Railway.

HOME IN THE COUNTRY As the home expanded, a site in the country was sought and a brand new home was built in Woking. This home was opened in 1909 and an extension was built in the 1930s which, at that time, could house 200 children all of whom were children of railway families. The home was financed by the rank and file railwaymen who contributed one old penny per week out of their wages. The board of management was made up of senior railwaymen and the members from district committees who raised money through various fundraising activities. The name of the home was changed in 1923 to the Southern Railway Servants’ Orphanage. In 1947, the board of management opened a home for retired railwaymen across the road from the main Woking Grange site. It was then called the Southern Railwaymen’s Home for Children in association with the Southern Railway Home for Old People. Children were cared for in Woking Grange and older people in Wynberg - which changed its name to Evershed House after the Secretary-Superintendent, Mr. Evershed - until 1989. In the early 1970s, the Children’s Hospital (Grace Groom House) was

refurbished to house the older people and in 1981 an extension was built to accommodate 14 retired railway workers. In 1982, the name changed to Woking Homes. By now the organisation was accommodating not just residents and children from the Southern Region, but from all over the country. During the 1980s, due to the decline in numbers of the children and the increasing need to improve facilities for the older people, a Re-development Committee was formed, culminating in a rebuilding and refurbishment programme which commenced in 1987. Woking Grange was demolished in October 1988 and a new home for older people, Allen Edwards House, was built to house 20 individuals. Grace Groom House was totally refurbished and by 1990 Evershed House was closed. The remaining seven children were moved into a new building, The Foxes, in August 1988. By August 1989, all the children had left. This building has since been run as short stay for residents’ families and rail staff who are working in the area. Since then, trustees and management have continued to maintain and improve the standards for its older residents. En suite facilities in all the residents’ rooms were provided by 1998, and a swimming pool was added in 2000. In 2010, Woking Homes completed the redevelopment of Grace Groom House which has given residents larger rooms, with more natural light, a modernised and extended barlounge and conservatory and a community area.

TODAY Woking Homes continues to be a charity which looks after those employed in any capacity within the rail industry who are in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other charitable need. Priority will be given to those with a rail industry connection and or their relatives.

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COMPANY FOCUS

STORY John Haddon, a retired British Rail accountant, moved into the home in 2016. He joined Southern Railway in 1937 as a booking office boy at Raynes Park and eventually took early retirement from his job in the audit accountants office for the Southern Region of British Rail at the end of 1979. His son Andy, who himself retired from the rail industry in 2014, said the railway continued to be a big part of family life. ‘We are very much a railway family, with both my grandfather and great-grandfather having worked for the London & South Western Railway and Southern Railway over the years.’ John met his wife while working in the audit accountants office in Dorking. ‘Even my mother’s family had a strong connection with the railway as her grandfather worked on the Caledonian Railway and her great uncle for the North British Railway, both based in Glasgow,’ said Andy. John made the decision to move into Woking Homes in 2016. His wife had passed away a few years earlier and he was becoming less confident around

the house. Woking Homes provided an opportunity to retain his link with the railway. Andy had the following to say about his dad’s time at the home so far, ‘My father has been in the home for nearly a year now and I have also become involved with volunteering, running the residents bar on a Thursday night.

‘It is a spirited community with a special bond between the residents, those who work for the home, families, friends, volunteers and the trustees. It is also a living history lesson with the life tales that residents impart to the interested ear of anyone who may be around at the time. The home has a proud place in railway history – long may it continue!’ Find out more on the Woking Homes website: www.wokinghomes.co.uk

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SEPTEMBER 2017 | ISSUE 238

e w g n i h t e Som ee on r g a ll a n a c

It is difficult to comprehend at times how we can see the world so differently. Not only have our politics become more polarised but we seem less capable of hearing a contradictory opinion without loudly correcting it. The spirit of bipartisanship has never felt so far away. Throughout this tumultuous time, a consensus has remained among the railway community give credit where credit’s due. The RailStaff Awards has shared this viewpoint for the past 10 years.

This year’s nominations are now all in and the votes are being counted. We look forward to welcoming all of this year’s nominees on 7 October and sharing in their success. The fantastic response each year is pleasing but not surprising. Collaboration has become the king of rail business jargon, but the spirit of collaboration has had a positive effect. It makes a welcome change from the isolating, protectionist policies that are gaining greater momentum by the day.

What is wrong about being polite and kind to each other? The masses of nominations we’ve received this year have been heartfelt and sincere. This will continue into the evening itself, where competitors will sit side by side applauding success indiscriminately. The world of politics could learn a lot from the railway industry. Railway staff understand that everything they do can directly impact on the lives of the travelling public. Those who make that extra effort should be rewarded. This must be something we can all agree on.

TICKET SALES CLOSING SOON RailStaff Awards, Saturday 7th October, at the Ricoh Arena www.railstaffawards.com

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Shot in the ARM

he story of rail recruiter Advanced Resource Managers (ARM) is one of enduring success. The Portsmouthbased agency has spawned new businesses and helped thousands of people find work in the rail industry. As much as it has contributed to the industry, it owes a lot to the railway for its longevity. ARM is doing its part to give back, sponsoring the Rail Manager of the Year category at this year’s RailStaff Awards, which will be held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 7 October. IT entrepreneur Paul Huntingdon founded ARM in

1996 and now oversees its parent company, Serocor. In just over 20 years, ARM has worked with more than 1,600 companies and has won 40 industry awards for its efforts.

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Growing team

All about relationships

ARM’s early focus was providing recruitment services to the IT industry. The company, which employs around 100 recruitment consultants, has come to specialise in the wider engineering sector, with rail now representing the largest part of its engineering income. ‘We’ve grown our team. We’re now looking to grow even further,’ said Adam Razzell, head of rail at ARM. Adam joined the business in 2012, leaving his previous life as a publican, and has grown the rail business to a point where it now has an annual turnover of around £15 million. A team of seven currently works within the railway business but it has plans to expand significantly over the next couple of years. The company, which is a major supplier of white collar staff to Crossrail and other infrastructure delivery clients, sees opportunities with Crossrail 2 and HS2. Steps are also being taken to give the business a global presence.

Charitable exploits have become a part of everyday life at ARM, with staff taking on both the London to Paris bike ride and Three Peaks Challenge in previous years. The company’s current chosen charity is children’s hospice Naomi House & Jacksplace which supports children and young adults with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. The next challenge will see a team from ARM scale the Gran Paradiso peak in Italy. It is reflective of the culture that exists within the company. ‘I think one thing I’ve learned about the rail industry is it’s all about the relationships,’ said Adam. ‘An award like this, if you can build more relationships by rewarding people that’s great.’ Businesses rely on managers who are able to forge relationships and manage egos within their departments. Last year, the Rail Manager of the Year category was won by Merseyrail’s Ian Taylor. The award was recognition for his significant contribution in bringing the technical office and production teams closer together. Judging by the popularity of the category this year, there are many more like him still waiting to be rewarded. You need to act quickly if you’d like to attend this year’s event. Visit www.railstaffawards.com to find out more.

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Award of a lifetime

ost companies have their problem solvers; someone who seems to have been around forever and has accumulated an encyclopaedic knowledge to match. The RailStaff Awards’ Lifetime Achievement category gives these men and women a stage to be celebrated - sometimes for the first time in their careers. This year, the category is being sponsored by the multidisciplinary rail contractor Costain - a company that understands the value of its experienced engineering team. Costain is currently delivering the redevelopment of London Bridge station for Thameslink - a project which comes to fruition next year - and is a member of the SCS joint venture that was awarded two of the construction lots for Phase One of HS2 this summer. The company is also part of the ABC Electrification joint venture and is delivering several contracts for Crossrail, including providing the track and power systems through the central section and delivering new stations at Paddington and Bond Street.

Employee assistance The RailStaff Awards is just one way in which Costain is demonstrating its commitment to the wider industry workforce this year. The company recently announced it would be extending its Employee Assistance Programme to its supply chain, as well as those working within the business. The programme provides a 24/7 helpline and face-to-face counselling to support those suffering from stress or anxiety either at work or at home.

Real privilege Last year, the Lifetime Achievement award was won by Keltbray’s Les Blake. Les was presented with the trophy at the age of 73, having spent the previous 54 years working within the industry. The award wasn’t just recognition for past achievements. Over the previous 12 months or so, Les had been instrumental in the design and development of a new road/rail full tensioning wiring unit. Says Paul O’Connor, Rail Media director, ‘Being able to recognise someone for their contribution to the industry over several decades is a real privilege. There are probably few problems that the combined experience of our nominees wouldn’t be able to solve. ‘It’s good that more emphasis is being put on celebrating the

achievements of graduates and apprentices, but let’s not forget to mention those that mentor them, those that have been delivering for businesses consistently over a number of years. ‘Thank you to Costain for supporting this category and

helping us to honour some of the railway industry’s most respected and most knowledgeable individuals.’ Read about this year’s nominees on the RailStaff Awards website: www.railstaffawards. com/event/2017/categories

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Recruitment, rolodexes and rotary dial phones

he year 1980 was marked by the launch of the iconic Ford Escort Mark III, independence for Zimbabwe and the founding date of the popular theme park Alton Towers. It was also the year specialist railway recruiter Primat opened for business. Instead of huge computerised databases and smart phones, the Darlington-headquartered firm used a rolodex and a rotary dial telephone. Over the course of its near 40year history, the railway industry has remained at the core of the business by offering dedicated

rail recruitment as well as payroll and contractor assurance services. From PTS-qualified workers, civil engineers, site managers and signalling technicians, Primat’s experienced team has used its wealth of knowledge to supply blue and white collar candidates to clients on a permanent and temporary basis across England, Scotland and Wales.

Top recruiter In 2015, the company placed more than 2,000 candidates across various sectors in the UK and, looking ahead, it believes it’s well placed for continued growth. Going from strength to strength, Primat was recently recognised as one of the top 50 recruiters in the UK and in the top 20 recruiters for the rail sector by trade publication Recruitment International. Primat was pleased to be recognised among the recruitment industry’s largest companies and is now looking to give something back at the RailStaff Awards. For 2017, Primat is the official sponsor of the Rail Engineer of the Year category, which has been inundated with nominations for some of the country’s very best. This year’s theme is the 1980s so it’s not only an opportunity for Primat to congratulate the unsung heroes of the railway industry, but also a chance to go right back to its roots. Head of Primat Recruitment Jenny Godden says, ‘Primat has a proud history of working with the rail industry’s leading engineering talent. Our daily interactions with candidates has cemented our belief that the rail sector possesses a depth of worldclass engineering and technical expertise, and the industry itself continues to offer an attractive prospect for young engineers, and other professionals, looking to embark on a challenging and rewarding career path.

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‘As a people-focused business, we are passionate about recognising and celebrating talent, and as such, we are thrilled to be associated with the Engineer of the Year award.’

Female first Last year, ISS Labour’s Natalie Dickinson took home the Rail Engineer of the Year gong - the first time a woman has won the award in its 10-year history. Paul O’Connor, managing director of Rail Media, said, ‘It was fantastic last year to see a woman awarded the Rail Engineer of the Year trophy for the first time. Hopefully it will help to encourage others to follow Natalie’s successful path in the industry. ‘Railway engineering is a multifaceted discipline and that has been reflected in the breadth and depth of nominations and the projects engineers have worked on. ‘From innovative workers, high achievers and outstanding individuals, it’s going to be difficult to pick a winner this year.’ All the information about this year’s RailStaff Awards can be found at www.railstaffawards.com.

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Improving safety and standards

he Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) was established in April 2003 in the aftermath of the Ladbroke Grove railway crash. Hundreds were injured and 31 people killed when two trains collided at a combined speed of around 130mph. Previously Railtrack - and before that British Rail adopted Safety and Standards Directorates that dealt with industry-wide safety issues, but in the wake of Ladbroke Grove, judge Lord Cullen recommended the formation of RSSB. The not-for-profit organisation is owned by major industry stakeholders - including train operators, Network Rail, rolling stock companies and major infrastructure contractors - and is governed by its members and a board. It provides support and facilitates a wide range of activities usually achieved through cross-industry working groups and committees, to drive out unnecessary cost, improve business and safety performance and develop long-term strategy. It does this by providing knowledge and better understanding from which industry decisions are taken by recognised bodies such as standards committees.

Seat belts For example, action taken by the Noise Abatement Society to control the sound of train horns causing disturbance to residents had the potential to cost the industry £20 million, but research and analysis carried out by RSSB showed that alternative action could be taken without the need to spend such sums.  There was also a campaign to force operators to fit trains with seat belts. RSSB proved that trains were actually safer without them, provided that carriages were fitted with laminated glass rather than toughened to contain passengers within the train in the event of an accident. All new trains now have laminated glass.

The pair worked together to write Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railways: A strategy for working together, a publication that introduced new ideas for rail safety management. Paul O’Connor, of event organisers Rail Media, said, ‘Safety is paramount on the railway and

thanks to the tireless efforts of health and safety workers the UK boasts some of the highest standards in the world. ‘These standards are ever improving and it is great to recognise the efforts of many hard-working safety staff at the Ricoh Arena next month.’

Safest railway in Europe RSSB and its divisions CIRAS, a confidential reporting system for the industry, and RISQS, the industry supplier qualification scheme, are the sponsors of this year’s Rail Safety Person or Team of the Year award. The UK has the safest railways in Europe, with fewer workforce and passenger fatalities despite record numbers of journeys. This is in no small part due to the efforts of professional rail staff across the network, as well as the industry's leaders and experts on health and safety, such as last year’s winners: RSSB’s John Abbott and Network Rail’s Roan Wilmore, to improve and set increasingly higher standards.

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EVENTS

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EXPO FERROVIARIA

3rd-5th OCTOBER, Milan, Italy press conference www.expoferroviaria.com.eng

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN? REPORT BY COLIN WHEELER

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE LYRICS OF "WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?"

he number of reported near misses, close calls and injuries that could have been so much worse continues. How much longer will it be before we suffer a catastrophe? I remain convinced that the time has come to start the process of upgrading the protection afforded to those working on main line railways whilst trains are running. The very first trains were preceded by a man with a red flag. Today at up to 125 mph we are still relying on men waving chequered flags and sounding horns and whistles to provide just ten seconds warning!

No warning from the lookout! A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) Safety Digest was published on 9th August. At Great Chesterford at 1113 am on 21st April a group of track-workers narrowly avoided being struck by a train travelling at 73 mph. They responded to the train driver’s continuous use of the horn with less than two seconds to spare having received no warning from their site lookout. The Controller of Site Safety (COSS) and four others gained access some 200 metres north of Littlebury Tunnel. Their work, (measuring overhead line heights and staggers using optical surveying equipment) was to be carried out using a single lookout, but the

COSS added a distant lookout to the site whilst they worked in the Down Line four-foot. The train driver told the RAIB that as he emerged from the tunnel the distant lookout, around 30 metres beyond the bridge pier, appeared to be looking the other way. The Safe System of Work (SSOW) pack (written for patrolling) specified a single lookout based on reaching a place of safety ten seconds before a train passed. The distant lookout was positioned “three of four overhead stanchions away” on the far side of the opposite line. The site lookout was looking for trains on the Up line and consequently was not facing the distant one who was instructed to use his horn rather than his chequered flag. RAIB’s Digest reports that they found no evidence of any auditing of SSOW packs during the previous 12 months!

Advanced lookout injured Network Rail’s Safety Central website describes an accident that happened on August 22nd at 1205 pm. An advanced lookout was ahead of the work and positioned on the raised ballast shoulder of the Down cess at Raynes Park on their Wessex Route. He was part of a three man team protecting the patroller

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Colin Wheeler.

who was working on both Up Fast and Slow lines. One train passed him on the Down Fast followed by a South Western passenger train travelling at just 45 mph on the Slow line. He was looking the other way when the second train approached and struck him on the right elbow. He sustained merely cuts and bruises but needed stitches; a very lucky man!

Another two second near miss Their safety website also draws attention to yet another near miss that occurred on 24th July this year. Again they had just two seconds to get clear. The vegetation clearance team consisted of a COSS with a team of eight workers. The COSS took a line blockage of the Up Line but they were working unprotected on the Down Line when the near miss happened. So far this year on the Western Route alone there have been two reported near misses and three close calls.

Steel pile left on track On August 8th the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) published a Safety Digest about an incident that occurred on May 15th this year at Kirkham in Lancashire. A tamping machine was leaving an engineering possession when, near Kirkham North Junction, north-west of Preston it stopped short of a 610 mm diameter by 5 metres long tubular steel pile left on the track. A track possession had been taken at 2310 hours and was due for hand back at 0610. The tamper entered the possession and at 0025 piling was authorised to go ahead by the Engineering Supervisor (ES) until 0440 hours thus allowing time for the tamper to move off site. The piling was being done using a road/rail vehicle (RRV) equipped with a piling attachment. Piles were distributed in the cess and trial holes had been dug to confirm the position of services. The first pile was installed successfully, not so the second as the survey had found unexpected electrical

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

TRACK SAFETY

cables, another site was missed out since the supervisor did not have the “necessary information about the trial hole”.

Who was responsible? Arriving at a further site the RRV was still carrying the pile from an earlier one so the Crane Controller directed the operator to put it down and pick up the correct one for that site. The operator did so leaving the unused pile in the four-foot at 11 miles and 15 chains. Installation of the correct pile began at 0400 hours but although incomplete it was stopped 20 minutes later and left safe. The Supervisor and a colleague walked back to the access point and at 0432 hours advised the ES that the group were clear of the track. Sunrise came at 0511 that morning and just a minute before then the ES handed back the worksite to the PICOP (Person In Charge Of Possession) as “line clear and safe for trains to travel”. Consequently the tamper driver was then authorised to travel to the Preston end and leave the possession!

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TRACK SAFETY

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

RAIB’s Digest points out that “the Rule Book does not specify clearly who is responsible for physically checking that the line is clear of obstructions”. Network Rail’s Work Package Plan stated that “any plant and redundant materials should be removed from site” but failed to specify who would be responsible for so doing!

Ian Prosser’s answers On August 11th I met with the (ORR) Office of Rail and Road’s Director of Railway Safety Ian Prosser who will be speaking at this year’s Rail Safety Summit. He advised that we should expect to see the findings of their investigation together with RAIB’s final report into the Sandilands Croydon Tram accident later this year. He reminded me that the BTP have also been investigating. I raised my concern that despite a growing number of tram and light weight rail systems, there remains a lack of nationwide standards. Ian told me that the ORR are concerned that railway asset knowledge is not as good as it needs to be and referred specifically to structures, earthworks and drainage as well as track. Following lessons learnt from the Gloucester derailment he stressed the importance of the engineering competence of maintenance engineers. He added that their concerns about track will be addressed in Control Period 6. He confirmed that the investigations into the Liverpool Lime Street wall collapse were also close to conclusion.

Route delegation and RIDDOR reporting Safety by design remains high on the ORR’s agenda and they are looking to Network Rail’s new Route organisation to “look after the whole house, not just the conservatory”. Delegation to the routes is progressing and in future Route Directors will prioritise renewals and become responsible for ensuring technical standards are met.

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Their Asset Managers (who surely should be chartered engineers) will hold the accountable key posts. There has been a review of RIDDOR reporting following advice from the Health and Safety Executive. This has led to the uncovering of 112 unreported cases of carpal tunnel and hand/arm vibration syndrome which led to the reappraisal.

Following a number of level crossing accidents and incidents ORR is now seeking an overall reduction and simplification in level crossing signage. In many cases Ian commented current signage is both confusing and excessive. (I believe that the same comment may be applied to many rail site safety signage displays!)

ORR’s concerns

“Possession speed changes Rule Book December 2017”

I questioned the continuing use of lookout “protection” on our higher speed railways. Ian agreed that the current standard identifies “red zone working” with lookout protection as being the method of last resort although it is still widely used. The ORR is looking to the revamp of standard 019 due to be issued this December to address this. Ian also advised that the new 019 will specify the appointment of a single individual issued with a permit to work, involved in the planning process and accountable for site safety. The importance of their detailed involvement in planning I was assured is now fully acknowledged. It will be down to the delivery units within Network Rail to determine when it will be implemented. Other concerns include the variable competency of driver managers together with current management skills and culture.

Under this heading on Network Rail’s Safety Central website revised standard 019 is announced. It relates of course to the safety of people working on or near the line. It says a “comprehensive briefing has been produced to assist your onward briefings to your relevant…”and it comes “with audio”. I believe it is essential that everyone briefing it does so face to face, answering questions and inviting comment as they do so. The old fashioned rule reading during inclement weather had its advantages. The worst thing that could be done would be for responsible managers and supervisors not to brief it face to face but merely arrange for it to be shown in their absence!

A single person in charge and accountable The new 019 introduces the “Safe Work Leader” accountable for “delivering the work in Infrastructure Projects”. It specifies the involvement of the person in charge in planning and the identification and control of risks. The website also adds that whilst the original standard was aimed at controlling risks from train movements, there are other risks due to the sites and work to be done that can cause injury. I am sure the intentions are of the highest order. I also believe, based upon my own experiences during a long railway career that listening to and taking on board the ideas, concerns and reservations of front line workers is crucial. Recently the Chairman and Chief Executive of Unipart summed this up by explaining his philosophy “the Unipart Way”. He said “the best ideas come from the workers; organisations must have procedures in place to make sure those ideas are heard and acted upon”. I agree completely!

COMPANY FOCUS

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

Iain Court, James Howles (centre) and Steve Limbert

akerHicks is a company with a habit for reinvention. The business, which employs around 390 people in the UK, can trace its roots back to the 1950s but the name - which combines the surnames of two of the men that helped found the original company - has only existed since February this year. Established in 1957, BakerHicks’ founding business was called the IDC Group - a name it kept for 30 years before being acquired by the Matthew Hall Group in the 1980s. IDC later merged with the engineering arm of the Matthew Hall Group, which in 1988 was bought by AMEC. The company changed hands again in 2007, becoming part of the Morgan Sindall Group. The new name comes from Howard Hicks, the IDC Group’s chairman and chief executive, and Sir John F Baker, who had been the business’ research and development director. The change of name reflects a change in identity for the Morgan Sindall Group company, says director James Howles, who joined the business in January tasked with developing its capability in rail.

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FROM STATIONS TO SYSTEMS James was formerly the rail infrastructure director for SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit UK (formerly Interfleet) where he had a particular interest in electrification. He joined the rail industry in 2003, working for AMEC-Spie, and has gone on to work on projects such as the Great Western main line electrification and the Midland main line electrification programmes as well as leading two successful professional services framework bids for HS2.

James is one of three major appointments in rail for the business so far this year. Iain Court, who was rail director at WYG, AECOM and also SNC-Lavalin, and Steve Limbert, a technical consultant with more than 40 years’ experience working with overhead line systems around the world, have also joined the organisation in 2017. It is electrification and overhead line engineering in particular where the business is looking to grow. ‘A lot of what we’ve done in rail has been in a station environment,’ said James,

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

COMPANY FOCUS

OPPORTUNITY OVERHEAD

BAKERHICKS RAIL DIRECTOR JAMES HOWLES EXPLAINS WHY HE BELIEVES NOW IS THE IDEAL TIME FOR THE COMPANY TO LAUNCH ITS NEW ELECTRIFICATION VENTURE describing the company’s core design and engineering business. Recent projects include the design and delivery of Whitechapel station (as recently featured in Rail Engineer), which involved combining three complex rail systems in a challenging live environment, and a new DLR station at Pudding Mill Lane. The company, which is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, has a portfolio of mid-sized station works for Transport for London, Network Rail and various train operators. In addition, it recently secured a major new-build depot project in West London.

TIMING James is currently putting together a new team in Derby to build up a base of rail systems expertise; he hopes to have a team of 10 in the city by this time next year. The first step was to find new premises and the company has recently acquired an office within Derby’s rail industry hub - one the country’s most substantial clusters of rail industry suppliers and skills. With several major electrification schemes dropped over the summer, it could seem a strange time to launch a new electrificationfocussed division, but James feels now is as good a time as any. ‘Even if you strip out all of the large-scale electrification schemes, there’s still thousands of route miles of overhead line to maintain and renew.’ The team will be sufficiently specialist and flexible enough to deliver renewals but capable of also supporting larger enhancement projects in the future, said

James. The new overhead line team will also be able to call upon the existing civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, high voltage engineering and architectural competence of the wider company to provide a holistic service. James said he wants to achieve the best of both worlds, building up a new client portfolio for BakerHicks while strengthening existing relationships with colleagues in Morgan Sindall Group to meet market demand. As well as overhead line renewals and maintenance, James sees other emerging opportunities. For example, various orders for new rolling stock around the country are creating a demand for gauging and clearance works. There is also the potential for overhead line design capability to be deployed in tandem with Morgan Sindall’s electrification team, bringing a new design and build capability to the market in time for CP6.

OPENING IN THE MARKET Over the past few months, there have been a couple of examples of tier one engineering companies acquiring their competitors. ‘It’s something I’ve been watching for a while,’ said James, who believes the smaller pool of companies left as a result has opened up the market. ‘It feels as though it creates space for organisations like BakerHicks to grow into the market a bit more,’ said James, who is excited by the prospect of establishing a new name in the industry - even if that new name has been around as long - if not longer - than many of its competitors. ‘It feels like the market is ready and open for some new brands, some new faces.’ © Shutterstock.com

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GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

T H G I L T O SP

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLISTERS AND BLISS

he average person walks five times around the earth in a lifetime and each step can exert a force equivalent to two times their body weight through their lower limbs. This would mean someone who weighs 10 stone will have between 15 and 20 stone of impact going through their heel on heel-strike. Together with the hazards everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet are exposed to in their working lives, it is no wonder that our feet need care and attention. The good news is that it is never too late to start looking after your feet and a new range of footwear from Finnish manufacturer Sievi is now available in the UK to help keep the British workforce comfortable on their feet all day.

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SIEVISCANNER Fit and comfort are regarded as the most important factors when purchasing any footwear, so why should it be any different at work? There is a misconception that safety footwear, especially if they have a toecap, will be uncomfortable, but if they have the correct design and construction, and are fitted correctly, this should not be the case. All feet are unique so how do we go about finding the correct fit and comfort? The SieviScanner uses state-of-the-art, laserassisted scanning technology to measure the length, width and, importantly, the arch shape of the foot. The resulting measurements are then used to accurately specify the most suitable shoe or boot from the Sievi range for optimum fit and comfort.

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

FOOTWEAR FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN The rail industry is still predominantly a male environment but this is changing. Using all of its 60+ years’ experience designing footwear, Sievi has produced a number of different lasts (the mould used to shape the inside of the footwear) to fit a variety of foot shapes. With more and more women being attracted into the rail industry, this includes a number of styles designed to fit the female foot. With sizes as small as UK 2/EUR 34 up to as large as UK 16/EUR 50 there is every chance you will find footwear that fits. In fact, it is extremely unusual if you don’t.

OTHER THAN THE FIT AND COMFORT, WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING FOOTWEAR FOR WORK? WEAR FOOTWEAR THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR JOB AND SUITABLE FOR YOUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT

With the arch measurement, we can recommend a suitable anatomically designed Sievi Dual Comfort insole with neutral, high or extra high arch for correct support and exceptional cushioning. All this makes the process of choosing footwear quick, easy and effortless and avoids the delays and hassle of returning footwear that doesn’t fit and re-ordering.

You may need to consider different linings such as Gore-Tex® if it’s wet or wool if it’s cold. Not all safety footwear is ugly – the Sievi range of footwear has dozens of different styles that are suitable for all sorts of occupations and working conditions.

WEAR FOOTWEAR THAT FITS PROPERLY... With enough room for your toes to wiggle, especially if you are wearing toecaps. Sievi offers different width fittings to ensure you get the correct fit and support.

GEAR+TECH

THE INSOLE IS AN IMPORTANT AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED PART OF ANY WORKING FOOTWEAR... Particularly if you cover a lot of miles as part of your working day. With the help of the SieviScanner, you can not only find the correct size and shape of footwear matched to your foot shape, but also if you need specific arch support. If your work involves a lot of walking, look for insoles with additional cushioning in the heel and ball of the foot and make sure you have the correct arch support – you’ll notice the difference.

WHERE POSSIBLE, WEAR FOOTWEAR WITH A STRAP, LACE OR OTHER FASTENING... Instead of slip-ons as this will increase support and stop your foot sliding forward.

HAVE TWO PAIRS OF SHOES FOR WORK SO YOU CAN ALTERNATE DAILY Do this if you can, so any sweat can dry out properly to reduce the possibility of athlete’s foot and bacteria that causes smelly feet.

SELECT THE MOST APPROPRIATE SOLE MATERIAL, TREAD PATTERN, FLEXIBILITY AND CUSHIONING FOR YOUR WORK Sievi’s unique Flexstep® sole material eliminates strain to the feet and spine and offers excellent shock-absorbing properties and flexibility even in the most extreme weather conditions.

WEAR SLIP RESISTANT SOLES The Flexstep® sole material is blended at the Sievi factory and creates a biting friction on slippery surfaces for exceptional grip. This gives excellent slip resistance all year round – even in freezing temperatures – for additional safety. Whatever work you do, be sure that your footwear meets the relevant safety standards and specification for your job function. Then it’s all about the fit and comfort – the difference between blisters and bliss. For all the information you will need on footwear, visit www.sievi.com/uk

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GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

New standards met

JSP and Centurion have both announced that they have become two of the first UK manufacturers to have products which meet the new PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Both companies have received BSI Certification for products to carry the new PPE Regulation. The new PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 will replace the previous PPE Directive 89/686EEC. JSP said it expects for its entire range to be certified to the PPE Regulation by 21 April 2018. Matthew Judson, technical director at JSP, said, ‘Gaining this important certification means that all JSP products will legally be

able to be sold in both the EU and the UK, and demonstrates our total readiness for the coming regulation, well before we need to be by law. It is a huge achievement for the company, and one for which we have worked extremely hard.’ Centurion has received certification for its Nexus head protection range. Mandy Humphreys, technical and operations director at Centurion Safety Products Ltd, added, ‘Centurion has been a global expert in total head safety at work for over a century; as such we are very excited to be part of the pioneering group being certified to the new PPE Regulation.’ The new regulation is designed to improve safety. One of the main changes is that the typeexamination certificates which confirm that products meet the required standards will only be valid for a set time and manufacturers will be required to submit a new application for them every five years.

Boots made for walking V12 Footwear has become one of the latest workwear suppliers to produce a range designed specially for women. V12 has partnered with the Women’s Engineering Society to create its new range of boots, incorporating feedback from organisations such as Transport for London, Skanska, Rolls Royce and Petronius. Announcing the launch of its new women’s range, V12 said the industry had been slow to acknowledge that there was a specific need for women’s boots. One of the people who took part in an industry engagement event organised by V12 was Eleshia Turnbull, resource manager for London Underground, who said she regularly received reports from female staff suffering from pain and fatigue caused by ill-fitting footwear. Says Eleshia, ‘We were stuck

in a vicious cycle where we were desperately trying to attract women into the industry, but we couldn’t provide them with the right PPE. So they leave because they don’t feel comfortable being out on site. And this wasn’t just a fit issue. This was a safety issue too.’ Ben Turner, director at V12 Footwear, added, ‘We’re proud to have developed this new range alongside TfL, SATRA and the only remaining commercial British lastmaker. Comments from women in the industry just sum it up: It’s about time, after all – it isn’t just a man’s world out on site.’

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E-gloves to eradicate vibration risk Researchers at Nottingham Trent University believe they have developed a work glove that could help reduce exposure to vibration. The e-gloves, as they have been described, have sensors embedded within the material that alert the wearer when they are at risk of conditions like white finger and carpal tunnel syndrome. Professor Tilak Dias, who leads the university’s Advanced Textiles Research Group, believes the gloves could prevent many of these conditions occurring at all. Says Tilak, ‘Prolonged use of power tools can result in a variety of musculoskeletal, neurological and vascular disorders.’ He added, ‘But by using smart textiles, it could be possible to detect with accuracy when a worker is exposed to damaging levels of vibrations

and help prevent such conditions occurring in the first place.’ The gloves are designed to look like a normal pair of work gloves and can be washed without damaging the in-built sensors. The research team is now working to refine the vibration sensing yarn design and the associated hardware. The glove is only a prototype but industry partners are being sought to potentially develop the technology further. Dr Theodore HughesRiley, a research fellow at the university who is developing the technology, said, ‘By lowering the risk of exposure to dangerous levels of vibrations, we can help improve the lives of thousands of construction workers around the world by helping prevent them develop what can become permanent industrial diseases.’

HexArmor in the UK UVEX Safety is to begin stocking products from US manufacturer HexArmor in the UK. The move follows an announcement from UVEX in October last year that it had acquired a ‘substantial interest’ in HexArmor. It marked a return to the US market for UVEX following an absence of more than 20 years. John Gill, managing director of UVEX Safety, said, ‘We’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to offer industry-leading technology in cut, puncture and needlestick protection to our customers. ‘HexArmor has an excellent reputation in the North American PPE industry for leadership in innovative technology so being able to integrate and combine their expertise within the diverse UVEX PPE portfolio increases our capability to provide measurably different solutions which keep people safe at work.’

GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

BREATH OF FRESH AIR RPB Safety believes its brand new modular respirators will highlight an invisible threat facing the railway and demonstrate why protection is vital. Originally from New Zealand, RPB Safety began supplying respirators to the abrasive blasting industry around 40 years ago. In 2011, the company moved its headquarters to the USA, setting up an office in Detroit, Michigan. From there, the business supplies more than 50 different countries around the world. The family-owned company, which opened its first UK office earlier this year, launched the new range of Z-Link respirators in June at the Safety and Health Expo in London.

Silica dust and silicosis Awareness has gradually been growing about the severe risk posed by silica dust and silicosis, said Tim Jones, global market development manager for RPB Safety. Silicosis is a lung disease that is caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica - or silica dust as it is commonly called. Within the rail industry, silica dust can be prevalent in activities like tunnelling and while working with ballast. Z-Link is designed to be adaptable, said Tim. Developed over a two-year period, the Z-Link is a powered air visor respirator system. It is designed to be multi-purpose and can be augmented. Accessories include a clip-on welding mask, ear protection, comms and a jaw-mounted LED light. Much of the focus has also been on comfort, recognising that ill-fitting respirators provide little protection.

The respirator uses RPB’s battery-powered PX4 Air purifying unit. The PX4 Air uses a fan to draw air through a filter so it is safe for the wearer to breathe. The battery can operate for up to 13 hours between charges and the main P3 filter only needs replacing around once a month. The cartridge also comes with an air flow tester, allowing it to be inspected before use.

Assigned Protection Factor (APF) Tim believes the big challenge is one of culture. The risk posed by silica dust is not seen as an immediate one and is therefore not always treated as seriously as other risks; working at a height or alongside a live railway, for example. Protection on site is also often limited to disposable dust masks. To give some context, respiratory protection is based on an Assigned Protection Factor (APF) level. Dust masks have an APF of around 10-20. The Z-Link has an APF rating of 40*.

Modular design with detachable ear protectors, welding mask and LED light and in-helmet comms Replaceable impact lens and removable ADF lens Choice of two cape options and three cape materials Adjustable head band

RPB says its respirator technology is inspired by military innovation. ‘Choose your armour’ it reads on the website. The main aim is to make sure people can leave work healthy at the end of the day ‘We’re giving them the equipment to make sure they get home safe at night,’ said Tim. ‘We are protecting you for life’s best moments.’ Find out more about Z-Link at www.rpbsafety.com/product/zlink/ * In the USA, Z-Link’s OSHA APF rating is 1,000+. However, the UK’s official upper allowable claimed limit is 40 RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

GEAR+TECH

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

IN AT THE

SHARP END T H G I L T O P S

few months have now passed since Network Rail changed the rules around the level of hand protection required on its work sites. Since 1 April, Network Rail has mandated that everyone working on its sites wear gloves that meet the Cut 5 standard: the highest level of cut resistance outlined by the European standard (EN 388) that measures hand protection. For manufacturers this has represented a sizeable challenge. Prior to this, Cut 5 had been limited to a small number of specialist hand protection products that were not designed to possess the same level of dexterity and comfort that is required by an average wearer. PPE and workwear specialist Bodyguard Workwear has been one of the first to respond, designing a new range of Cut 5 standard gloves.

SAMURAI CUT 5 ‘It was always very difficult to understand how the industry and certainly the boots on the ground, the workforce, would respond to Cut 5 gloves,’ said Bodyguard Workwear director Kamal Basra, describing the challenge Network Rail’s supply chain faced. Bodyguard Workwear has now unveiled its Samurai Cut 5 range, which the company believes will offer vital flexibility given the variety of activities and environments that can be encountered on railway sites. There are 10 gloves in the new line, each designed to suit different applications and conditions. The variety is essential, said Kamal, in an industry that has an established market for a wide array of different gloves. The range has been developed by Bodyguard Workwear’s technical team. Over the course of a four-month development phase, Bodyguard Workwear produced a series of prototype gloves and sent them out to the industry to gather feedback from the front line. ‘One of the big issues that came back straight away was people said their hands felt cold,’ said Kamal, discussing what had been one of the challenges of producing an everyday Cut 5 glove.

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He explained how Cut 5 gloves would generally have steel and glass fibres woven into the material to give them more protection against cuts. However, the fibres don’t have particularly good thermal properties. Two of the Samurai Cut 5 products have been manufactured with thicker linings to give them the thermal property that was lacking in previous Cut 5 products. Others have been engineered to feel more comfortable against the wearer’s skin.

INDUSTRY FEEDBACK ‘That feedback for us was absolutely essential,’ said Kamal, who explained how the responses were used to refine the designs and produce the gloves that are now on sale. The finished products are rigorously tested by Bodyguard Workwear before being sent to an independent assessor to be given an official EN 388 rating. Network Rail will hope the increased requirements will result in fewer reported hand injuries. ‘Our supply chain is doing its part to achieve that aim,’ said Kamal.

CUT

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GEAR+TECH

WHAT IS CUT 5?

Network Rail has mandated that everyone working on its sites wear gloves that meet the Cut 5 standard.

Cut 5 is the highest level of cut resistance as defined by the EN 388 standard. The standard requires gloves are tested for abrasion, cut, tear and puncture resistance. They are then graded on a scale between one and five - five being the most resistant. The EN specification is displayed as a four digit number. With the Samurai Cut 5 range, the number is displayed on the back of the hand.

FEATURES CUT 5 DEXTEROUS TOUCHSCREEN SYNC DRY USE APPLICATION WET USE APPLICATION OILY USE APPLICATION THERMAL IMPACT PROTECTION 3 DIGIT GLOVE

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TRAINING

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SCHOOLING LOCAL S

taff are probably more aware now than ever before about the risk posed by excessive travel, yet it continues to be an issue. Where engineering skills are in short supply, staff will often need drafting in from far afield. Any major future infrastructure projects with work sites that span large geographical areas have the potential to compound the problem. MPI - an agency which specialises in rail recruitment - is working to address this challenge and is seeing positive results from its partnership with industry.

GLASGOW WELCOME MPI has been supplying trained personnel to the railway industry since 1989. The agency is a leader in signalling skills - although it also has expertise across rolling stock, civils and maintenance disciplines. MPI has been working with Siemens Rail Automation for the past five years to fill a void in the industry for signalling installation technicians. Last month, the first intake of rail signalling installation trainees to support signalling schemes in Scotland were welcomed at Siemens’ new Cambuslang depot just outside of Glasgow, where they will be based. Eighteen MPI trainees have been selected to take part. ‘A lot of them are asking what’s the catch?’ said Simon Henser, a director at MPI. ‘The catch is they’ve got to be committed and got to show a great attitude towards safety.’ Trainees will complete Basic Signalling 1 (BS1) and BS2 courses, which will give them the underpinning knowledge and experience in railway signalling they need to become IRSE-licensed installers.

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TRAINING

SIGNALLING SKILLS 12 years doing protection and civils work. ‘I think it’s a cracking opportunity and I am loving the trainee job and I am really keen to progress and make Siemens and MPI proud of me,’ said Bryan. Following the launch of the trainee presentation, Bryan received an award from Siemens for the best close call of the month on the PARR project.

LARGEST BUT NOT THE FIRST

Trainees initially undertake a 12-week work experience placement before completing a 10-day signalling engineering BS1/BS2/SPWEE course. They then work as a trainee installer for six to nine months before working through a six-day electrical installation course. Says Simon, ‘There has been a recent shortage of IRSE licensed installation personnel and it is fantastic that Siemens Rail Automation in Glasgow have worked with MPI to start this scheme for Scotland. This is a clear demonstration that the Siemens team in Glasgow are keen to invest in local people for current and future projects in Scotland.’ One of the new starters is 29-year-old Bryan McCarron (above inset) from Motherwell. The father of two said he was relishing the opportunity to further his career with MPI and Siemens, having spent the last

Siemens, which employs around 1,650 in its Rail Automation business in the UK, has already delivered several signalling schemes in Scotland: these include the Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central renewal schemes and the Airdrie to Bathgate and Borders Railway enhancement programmes. Future works include the Highlands and Edinburgh to Glasgow enhancement projects and the Motherwell North and Polmadie and Rutherglen renewals programmes. The programme being run in Glasgow is the largest but it is not the first, said Simon. Smaller trainee installation schemes are already being run with Siemens in York and Birmingham, as well as on the Crossrail project in London. Around 50 trainees have come through the programme to date. Says Richard Cooper, Siemens operations director, East, ‘We are delighted to support this initiative. Trainees are vital to securing future generations of skilled workers on the railway, across all disciplines and trades, and this scheme supported by Siemens Rail Automation in Glasgow is a great step towards achieving this.’

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TRAINING

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AMTRAIN

TRAINING

PTS AC RECERT 18/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK PLANNER RE-CERT 21/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

CONTROLLER OF SITE SAFETY INITIAL WITH PTS RE-CERT

CRANE/MACHINE CONTROLLER

18/09/2017 - 6 days Fradley

25/09/2017 - 5 days Fradley

28/09/2017 - 1 day Hoo Junction

LOOKOUT RE-CERT COSS TO SWL 1 CONVERSION

19/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

25/09/2017 - 3 days Hoo Junction

29/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

LEVEL B RE-CERT

PTS AC PRACTICAL DAY

PTS AC RECERT

19/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

25/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

20/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

27/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

LEVEL B RE-CERT

DCCR RECERT

INDUSTRY COMMON INDUCTION

CC GROUP 2 - CIVILS

29/09/2017 - 1 day Hoo Junction

EDUCATION AND TRAINING PTS AC PRACTICAL DAY

02/10/2017 - 5 days Hoo Junction

26/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

COSS TO SWL 1 CONVERSION

ENGINEER SUPERVISOR

INDUSTRY COMMON INDUCTION

21/09/2017 - 2 days Fradley

26/09/2017 - 1 day Fradley

02/10/2017 - 3 days Fradley

CONTROLLER OF SITE SAFETY RE-CERT WITH PTS RE-CERT 02/10/2017 - 4 days Fradley

MACHINE MEWP 06/10/2017 - 1 day Fradley

PTS AC RECERT 09/10/2017 - 1 day Fradley

SAFE SYSTEM OF WORK PLANNER INITIAL 09/10/2017 - 4 days Fradley

PTS AC PRACTICAL DAY 09/10/2017 - 1 day Hoo Junction

DCCR (DIRECT CURRENT CONDUCTOR RAIL) 10/10/2017 - 1 day Hoo Junction

CONTROLLER OF SITE SAFETY RE-CERT WITH PTS RE-CERT 11/12/2017 - 4 days Hoo Junction RAILSTAFF.UK | @RAILSTAFFUK | FACEBOOK.COM/RAILSTAFF

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

S L A N IO S S E F O R P L I YOUNG RA ! U O Y D E E WE N

oung Rail Professionals (YRP) is continuing to grow rapidly as young people from across the UK and further afield get involved in shaping the future of rail. YRP brings together people from all aspects of the industry, from engineering to train operations to human relations, to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent. Founded in 2009 with the aim of creating an all-encompassing network of young people across the rail industry, YRP continues to be run today by volunteers keen to promote the industry internally to peers and externally to attract aspiring rail professionals into the sector. We are always keen to get more people involved and whether you want a formal committee role or to help out occasionally, we need you!

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Members and volunteers YRP membership is open to any young rail professional and is completely free. Membership gives you access to regular events as well as upcoming workshops and seminars delivered by a number of professional institutions. To enhance and inspire our members, YRP offers a variety of networking and professional development opportunities including technical seminars, presentations and site visits which provide a fantastic opportunity to learn about the latest developments across the rail industry. To register, please visit www. youngrailpro.com/register. YRP also organises regular social events which are a great way to meet other likeminded rail professionals. Remember to keep a look out on the YRP website’s Events Page for details. When asked about his experience as a YRP volunteer, our national chair, Paul Case, said that ‘volunteering with Young Rail Professionals has really defined my first four years in the railway industry and greatly enhanced my own career. From my early days organising events, to now running an organisation with over 5,000 members and 70 volunteers, the breadth of experience and the network of contacts I’ve built along the way has been invaluable. I can’t recommend enough volunteering with YRP. Whether you want to build on your skills or gain new ones, make new connections and friends for life or simply give something back to the industry you love, there is definitely something for you in YRP.’

If you are interested in getting involved, there are lots of different volunteering opportunities available to you throughout the organisation.

Committees We have a national committee and seven regional committees. The senior roles of the YRP committee are elected annually to form our ‘chair’s office’, which is supported by our appointed executive committee members. Our regional branch committees have a similar structure to that of the executive and are led by our regional chairs who also sit on the executive committee. Our monthly regional committees are open to anyone who wants to find out more about YRP. Committee vacancies will shortly be advertised on our website so keep an eye out for upcoming opportunities in your region.

Ambassadors Programme The YRP Ambassadors Programme is one of YRP’s valuable deliverables for the rail industry. YRP Ambassadors provide a positive and insightful outreach presence in schools, colleges, and universities on behalf of the rail industry. We are the face of our industry, promoting

RAILSTAFF SEPTEMBER 2017

and inspiring the next generation into rail. This programme is here to support the development, expansion and maintenance of a first-class, cost effective, 21st century railway. If you want to help inspire the next generation of rail professionals, our Ambassador Programme is for you. If you would like to get involved in performing outreach activities to promote the railway industry as a career choice, and developing opportunities for young people to be recognised in the wider rail industry, then please feel free to contact us at: get-involved@youngrailpro.com

Organisational support As a not-for-profit organisation, our corporate membership allows us to implement our ambitious initiatives and further grow our organisation in support of our vision: developing leaders to drive the future of rail. When we asked our corporate supporter, CPC Project Services, why they were dedicated to supporting YRP, Steve Mole, managing partner, said, ‘We are inspired by the young volunteers at YRP who give their time and energy to promote the industry we work in. ‘We share a common set of values to elevate rail as a career of choice and to influence,

encourage and nurture the leaders of the future. As a rail supplier for over 25 years, CPC are committed to driving the rail industry forward and we are proud to be a long-term supporter of the YRP.’ Young Rail Professionals also work closely with a number of organisations to help bring our members the most relevant opportunities and to deliver initiatives to promote the rail industry. For more information on becoming a corporate member or collaborator, please visit our website at www.youngrailpro. com/corporate-members/. There are also lots of ways that your organisation can get involved in our upcoming Rail Week event. Some suggestions are listed below: • Offer tours and experiences at your facilities from depots to stations, control centres to construction sites • Deliver lectures and seminars about your latest exciting rail projects • Volunteer as Rail Week Ambassadors to deliver interactive activities in the classroom • Host a rail career fair • Create high-profile publicity for Rail Week such as train wraps, poster campaigns and competitions.

YOUNG RAIL PROFESSIONALS

Rail Week is another great opportunity for you to generate a buzz around working in rail so whatever you can imagine is possible during the week itself. For more information visit the Rail Week website - www.railweek.com or email hello@railweek.com.

Get involved in Rail Week

Rail Week aims to inspire young people to choose rail car of events, visits and talks. By working together we can bri Rail Week aims to inspire young people to choose rail careers, through and attract talented and ambitious young people into the a week of events, visits and talks. By working together we can bridge the love. skills gap and attract talented and ambitious young people into the sector that we all love. The week is a great way we can showcase the diverse ran

roles in the passengers moving and a The week is a great way we can showcase theindustry diversewhich range keep of people and some of themoving most ambitious roles in the industry which keep passengers and allowsinfrastructure us to deliver projects aroun some of the most ambitious infrastructure projects around. Now is the time to commit to getting involved! Now is the time to commit to getting involved! We need you to: We need you to: • Host tours of your depots, factories, control centres, sta • Givecontrol publiccentres, lecturesstations, and seminars • Host tours of your depots, factories, etc… about your incredible • Volunteer your staff to promote • Give public lectures and seminars about your incredible projects rail in schools as Rail W

• Volunteer your staff to promoteRail rail Week in schools as Rail Weekyou Ambassadors can be whatever want it to be. If you have a Rail Week can be whatever you about want itit!to be. If you have a great idea shout about it!

www.railweek.com

@railweek @railweek

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CAREERS

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