THE UK'S LONGEST VIADUCT
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Work begins on HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct the lengthiest railway bridge in the country.
Network Rail principal engineer (Southern region), Sana Wajid, talks to us about EDI best practice.
www.railengineer.co.uk
GEOTECHNICS, EARTHWORKS & CONCRETE
Conventional tram systems cost around £50 million/km - is further expansion of the network feasible?
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
AFFORDABLE TRAM TRACKS
FOCUS FEATURES
MAY-JUN 2022 – ISSUE 196
PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS
by rail engineers for rail engineers
Impaired health is estimated to cost the rail industry
£889 million a year*
RSSB is listening to industry and their concerns, and we have developed a suite of training courses to help improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in the railway. Courses include e-learning and trainer-led remote deliverables. Visit www.rssb.co.uk/training for more information, or email training@rssb.co.uk if you’d like RSSB to deliver any of our mental health courses as a bespoke training remotely or at a location of your choice.
www.rssb.co.uk/training *The Costs Benefits of Health and Wellbeing, RSSB (2019)
Scan Me
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Making electrification affordable
Electric trains are more efficient and cheaper to run but, despite the benefits, the cost of electrification is prohibitive.
Electrification – delivering the business case
PWI’s technical seminar in Glasgow gathered 140 delegates to discuss the expense of electrification and cost reduction measures.
Safety enhancement of power distribution switchgear
Network Rail brings Dollands Moor substation back online to improve the performance of the DC network.
Lowery: delivering E&P upgrades
Last year, Lowery secured two significant packages of electrification and plant (E&P) upgrade work from Network Rail.
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Delivering efficient electrification
A RIA-organised presentation on electrification delivery concentrated on the need to achieve realistic and acceptable costs. Peter Stanton reports.
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Cybercrime and security in rail
Paul Darlington spoke to the British Transport Police Cybercrime unit, to discuss how the rail industry can defend itself.
Work begins on the UK’s longest viaduct Stretching for over two miles, the Colne Valley Viaduct will be the longest railway bridge in the country.
Construction of HS2 ‘Green Tunnel’ begins
A pioneering off-site manufacturing approach will speed up the construction of this one-and-a-half mile tunnel in Chipping Warden.
Vienna railway station: a galvanized steel solution Getting value for money and satisfying all stakeholders can be a complex task, but this Austrian project got it right.
Innovation in level crossings
Clive Kessel covers a recent lecture to the IRSE which looked at technical innovation in the level crossings space.
RIA’s Innovation Conference
This two-day event was a mix of thought-provoking speakers, exhibitions, and breakout sessions, focussing on preparations for GBR.
What happened at Railtex and Infrarail 2022
This year’s event drew over 3,700 attendees and 130 exhibitors, and boasted a rich, stimulating seminar programme.
Affordable tram tracks - Very Light Rail
Conventional tram systems cost around £50 million per kilometre. Can the UK afford to expand its light rail systems?
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Professional engineering institutions: the PWI
For over 130 years, the PWI has worked with professionals, organisations, and government to improve and develop the rail industry.
Upgrading in May
Last month’s bank holiday weekends gave Network Rail the chance to crack on with some major works.
Testing the new Alstom: the Bombardier acquisition one year on
Alstom UK’s Mike Hulme used his George Ramshaw Memorial Lecture to discuss the impact of the acquisition.
Managing cracks and fractures safely: Class 80X Intercity Express Trains
This second article in a two-part series focusses on the Intercity Express Trains withdrawn from service in May 2021.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion in rail
Rail Engineer met Sana Wajid, a principal engineer at Network Rail, to talk about EDI best practice.
Devolution derby
This year’s IMechE Annual Technical Tour (ATT) travelled from Cardiff to Glasgow via Shrewsbury and Liverpool.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL
electrification O verpriced
At the recent PWI electrification seminar, one speaker made the tongue in cheek observation that Britain requires more paperwork per electrified kilometre than any other country. Whilst this claim can’t be substantiated, those present seemed to agree. The serious side to this flippant comment is that such paperwork costs serious money. Both this PWI seminar and a recent Railway Industry Association event, as reported by Peter Stanton, highlight various technical opportunities to reduce the cost of electrification. These are also being progressed by National Electrification Efficiency Panel (NEEP) which is led by respected engineers Prof Andrew McNaughton and Peter Dearman who consider that UK electrification costs are probably twice that of other countries. NEEP is now also starting to investigate the management of electrification including overhead costs. Its research has found that, in Europe, overheads are typically 50% of the cost of physical works compared with 150% in the UK. If true, this means that whatever the cost savings from worthwhile electrification innovations, they will only offer low percentage cost reductions unless overhead costs are significantly reduced. Reasons for these high overheads mentioned at the PWI event were that the authorisation regime needs to accept that electrification schemes have no new fundamental risks, and that electrification should be a continuous process rather than individual projects. Although such a
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
rolling programme offers significant savings, Government will not commit to this unless it has confidence in the industry’s ability to deliver at an affordable price. This vicious circle will only be broken by demonstrating cost effective delivery. It is also important that the industry delivers a clear message to Government that large-scale electrification is the only way of delivering its decarbonisation targets, as well as offering a higher capacity railway with electric trains that are cheaper to operate and buy. In this respect, RSSB’s Sustainable Rail Strategy (SRS) is particularly disappointing. This refers to the need for “a balanced combination of electrification, hydrogen and battery trains to decarbonise traction” and fails to mention that Network Rail’s TDNS study concluded electrification is 84% of the solution as it recommended an additional 13,000 single track kilometres of electrification and so undersells the need for large-scale electrification. It needs to be understood that nothing comes close to the amount of energy stored by petroleum and so, if diesels are to be replaced, electrification is the only practical option for freight and intensive passenger services. Obscuring this basic science, as the RSSB SRS does, is not credible and is also a grave disservice to the industry and sustainability. As we report this month, those on the IMechE railway technical tour saw how the devolved administrations of Wales, Liverpool, and Scotland are delivering integrated rolling stock and infrastructure
programmes to transform and decarbonise their rail services. For example, Scotland’s rolling electrification programme should decarbonise its railway by 2035. It was good to see the delivery of such whole system solutions in advance of, and in tune, with the new Great British Railways (GBR) organisation. It would seem that the devolved administrations are showing how this can be done. Getting ready for GBR was the theme of this year’s Railway Industry Association (RIA)’s Innovation Conference. As well as highlighting specific innovations, this event highlighted the importance of collaboration as well as the need to embrace diversity. As Peter Hendy pointed out, we all have a responsibility to make the industry more like its customers and cannot afford not to attract the best from diverse cultures. In another feature, we highlight inspirational YouTube videos on the importance of equality, diversity, and inclusivity in rail. An innovation that may offer many large towns affordable Very Light Rail (VLR) systems is a trackform that avoids the need for utility diversions. As we report this is soon to be tested at the VLR innovation centre in Dudley. HS2 is using a pioneering off-site manufacturing technique for its ‘green tunnels’ which have their segments installed on site before being covered by earth, trees, and shrubs. The company also has a 700-tonne launching girder which is the only one of its type in the UK. We also describe how this will be used to construct HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct.
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THE TEAM Editor David Shirres david.shirres@railengineer.co.uk
Production Editor Matt Atkins matt@rail-media.com
Production and design Adam O’Connor adam@rail-media.com
Engineering writers bob.wright@railengineer.co.uk clive.kessell@railengineer.co.uk collin.carr@railengineer.co.uk david.fenner@railengineer.co.uk graeme.bickerdike@railengineer.co.uk malcolm.dobell@railengineer.co.uk mark.phillips@railengineer.co.uk
As Matt Atkins reports, there was much to see at Railtex / Infrarail where many innovative products on display were complemented by two conference streams, The Future Focus Conference and Unlocking Innovation Zone, both of which were organised by RIA. Innovation in level crossings is the subject of Clive Kessell’s report which also considers risk management, competence, education, and enforcement. Although many innovations benefit from digital technology, this also increases the risk of cybercrime. Paul Darlington has been speaking to the British Transport Police’s Cybercrime unit to consider the risks and the good practice advice available from the National Cyber Security Centre. The cracking on the Class 80X Inter City Express trains is a particularly high-profile railway engineering problem which is likely to cost over £100 million. For anyone with an interest in this issue, Malcolm Dobell’s feature is essential reading. This also shows that the source of track data from which input loads were derived remains unclear. Another rolling stock feature examines Alstom’s acquisition of Bombardier last year and how the challenges of different cultures, and systems, terms, and conditions, for both suppliers and people were overcome. We are delighted to report on two quite different rail openings this month. The Elizabeth line carried a million passengers in
DAVID SHIRRES
RAIL ENGINEER EDITOR
its first week and will transform journeys across the capital. In contrast, the new countryside station at Reston had advance bookings for 1,000 passengers when it opened and also provides transformational journey opportunities for those living nearby. As we go to press, members of RMT are on strike having been offered a pay rise which is much less than inflation. Yet the industry faces huge financial pressures as pre-lockdown passenger numbers have yet to return and the RMT seem to be unwilling to consider more productive working methods to reduce costs. Unions, employers and Government have to find a compromise, otherwise further strikes will present a threat to the industry and those that work in it.
paul.darlington@railengineer.co.uk peter.stanton@railengineer.co.uk stuart.marsh@railengineer.co.uk
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Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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NOTICES
The Elizabeth line opening PHOTOS: TfL
At 06:30 on 24 May 2022 the Elizabeth line (nee Crossrail) finally opened. Authorised in 2008, construction started in 2009 and was originally due to be completed in 2018, it carried its first paying customers just five days after it was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex. It has cost just under £16 billion. Joining the Paddington to Abbey Wood section to the existing Paddington-Heathrow, the Paddington to Reading and Liverpool St to Shenfield services were rebranded from TfL Rail to Elizabeth Line. The through services will be introduced over the coming year. On a recent pre-opening visit to the line, your writer was amazed at the sheer scale of the stations; they make the stations on the Jubilee line extension, London Underground’s largest, seem small. At Liverpool St, it is also extremely deep requiring three escalators (one short, two
MALCOLM DOBELL
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
long) to move from street to platform level. And, although all but one of the underground platforms is straight (Tottenham Court Road Eastbound is the exception), the line between stations is anything but, threading its way between many existing underground structures. On opening day, apart from the first eastand westbound trains which were packed with enthusiasts and press, many ordinary travellers have been out and about on the line. Your writer caught an eastbound train from Tottenham Court Road to Abbey Wood and
NOTICES
visited each station on a journey back to Paddington, with an extended stay at Woolwich where the great and good from the Crossrail project, TfL, and the mayor’s office were besieged by representatives of the general and specialist media. The overwhelming impression is a cool, smooth, and quiet ride. A travelling companion said he could hear himself think. Compared with the screeching on the Bakerloo line and the heat and corrugation on the Victoria line, the Elizabeth line was serenity itself. In a 3.5 hour visit your writer observed a few first day teething troubles: one of the many escalators was out of action at Canary Wharf (not the Otis escalators used elsewhere), there was an empty train running around, and there was an evacuation at Paddington caused by dust in sensors, kicked up by the large crowds that arrived for the first services. That said, on the second day after opening, all trains ran and all were within five minutes of right time representing an amazing public performance measure (PPM) of 100%. The biggest impression of the morning was the number of people getting out their phones to photograph the enormous underground spaces, with the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, reporting that some 260,000 journeys had been made on the first day. The photographs accompanying this piece give an impression but do not do justice to the sheer sense of
scale. This is an important addition to London transport and, in a few years’ time, the delay and extra cost will have been forgotten. With TfL’s Commissioner battling with the Government for a long-term funding settlement, one hopes that he can compare and contrast the Elizabeth line with the Bakerloo line. If he can take representatives to Paddington Elizabeth line, it is but a short walk under the main line concourse to the Bakerloo line, or, if something is not done soon, the Bakerloo heritage line. Much has been written about Crossrail engineering in the general and specialist media, but one of the aspects that has had little publicity is the material the project team has made available as a learning legacy: https://learninglegacy.crossrail. co.uk offers a huge resource of documents explaining many of the challenges that the project teams have had to overcome.
CONTACT OTSA Ltd 9 Manchester Square W1U 3PL London T +44 (0)207 886 3107 otsa@otsa.net
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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Hélène Rossiter, head of National Highways’ Historical Railways Estate (HRE) programme, responds to Rail Engineer’s feature on its Historical Railway Estate (HRE) in our last issue. National Highways plays a vital role to maintain and manage thousands of structures on disused railway lines across Britain. Most of these structures – including bridges and tunnels – are over 100 years old and require extensive works to keep them, and the public, safe. Contrary to an article published in Rail Engineer, this isn’t a responsibility that we take lightly. Nor is it a role we fulfil without due consideration of the Historical Railways Estate’s existing or future role, including those sections with the potential to be repurposed as walking routes, cycle lanes or railways. To that end, we recently established our Stakeholder Advisory Forum, compromising experts from rail, heritage, environmental and active travel sectors. This new process, approved by Roads Minister Baroness Vere, explores opportunities for re-purposing and transferring ownership of structures - our preferred outcome where a credible plan exists. It ensures that infilling or demolition is only undertaken after passing a series of reviews focused on safety, ecological value, heritage value and potential future repurposing. If we recommend infill or demolition, the minister will review the proposal once it’s discussed by the forum. Infilling would then go through formal planning consents before works took place. Crucially, we always adhere to the required legislation, and refute in the strongest terms claims to the contrary. This is why we welcome the opportunity to set the record straight with regard to the article, which contained a number of inaccuracies. This includes claims that: » Class Q powers designed to control permitted development are “applicable only in the event of a serious threat of death or injury”. They’re not. They include further criteria including damage to property and disruption of transport, according to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. » National Highways overlooks structures’ historical and ecological significance. We don’t. All schemes are subject to ecological surveys and work well in advance. Heritage assessments are being undertaken for all structures. » It is somehow proof of underhand tactics that structures that previously appeared
on our major works programme no longer require infilling. The programme we shared in 2020 was a developing piece of work. Our assessments determined several structures with potential for infilling didn’t require it and were removed from the list. We very much hope that the establishment of the Stakeholder Advisory Forum signals our commitment to working collaboratively to safeguard the future of these structures for many years to come.
Editor’s comment Rail Engineer welcomes the recent formation of the HRE Stakeholder Advisory Forum as described by Hélène Rossiter. Yet the charge against National Highways remains. It has, and had proposed to, undertake expensive unnecessary work that blocks established wildlife corridors and thwarts future beneficial use of disused railways. Last month’s feature substantiates these claims which are further reinforced by a report produced by Bill Harvey Associates (BHA). This found that there was no justification for the Great Musgrave bridge infill based on evidence from National Highways’ own examiners. This report also explained why masonry bridges are particularly resilient structures and
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
questioned the effectiveness of infills. Some of National Highways’ infilling work has been done under “Class Q” permitted development powers which avoids stakeholder involvement through the normal planning process. Towards the end of 2020, National Highways sent 32 letters to Councils invoking these powers as the bridges concerned “represent an ongoing and increasing risk to public safety”. Yet, 20 months later, it is not clear what remedial work is being done on these supposedly unsafe bridges. It is to be hoped that the Stakeholder Advisory Forum signals a real change in policy. Yet, unless National Highways changes what the BHA report has shown to be a flawed engineering approach, it is likely to continue to insist on bridge infills and demolitions, whatever the views of its stakeholders. Rail Engineer hopes that National Highways will respond positively to this report. On 16th June Eden Valley Council’s Planning Committee unanimously rejected National Highways’ retrospective planning permission for the Great Musgrave bridge. In response, National Highways’ Hélène Rossiter advised that the company will not appeal against this decision and infilling will no longer be considered as part of its future plans unless there is absolutely no alternative.
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NOTICES
Reston gets its station back The new Reston station saw its first train when the 05:29 TransPennine Express service from Edinburgh to Newcastle arrived at 06:16 on 23 May. This was almost 60 years since the original station closed in 1964. Contractors BAM Nuttall started building the station in March 2021. It has two 270-metre-long, 4-metre-wide platforms on an embankment over an underpass and culvert. It required 251 precast slabs and 108 piles of which 60 were for the footbridge. This is a novel ribbon footbridge which was conceived by Arup, the station designer, and Knight Architects. It incorporates lift shafts on either side with the 17-metre-high north shaft serving three levels, the interchange (ground level), the north platform, and the bridge crossing. Project engineer Jonathan Long advised that the work had to be done within the constraints of short rules of route possessions which required the footbridge to be erected in 12 lifts. There was one 54-hour disruptive for overhead line work which involved replacing five sets of singletrack cantilever structures with portals and using this opportunity for overhead wires renewals. There was also a requirement to move one signal. Reston is a small village of about 200 houses in the Scottish Borders, 47 miles from Edinburgh and 10 miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, close to several settlements including the coastal town of Eyemouth. The 70-space car park has been built in the expectation that the station
will be a well-used railhead and so there is passive provision for a further 40 spaces. TransPennine Trains advised that they had advance bookings for 1,000 tickets from Reston. The station is served by eight trains a day operated by TransPennine Express, except for a LNER service that provides a 07:27 service to London and an evening arrival from London at 21:41. Scottish Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth advised Rail Engineer that the £20 million investment provided by the Scottish Government for the new station would open up the area and that there are plans to improve bus links to maximise the benefit that the station will provide to the local community.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
Various ceremonies marked the day, including Jenny Gilruth’s visit when she was met by a piper and 49 pupils from Reston Primary School who had been given train tickets by TransPennine Express for a day out in Edinburgh to mark the occasion.
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
DAVID SHIRRES
E
lectric trains take power as it is generated and feed it directly into their traction motors without the need to convert energy or store it. Therefore, they will always be more efficient, more powerful, and cheaper to run and buy than selfpowered traction. No amount of innovation can change this. For this reason, except for the USA, railways throughout the world have electrified their core routes. Britain is another exception. On busy routes it has probably the world’s most intensive diesel passenger service and diesel provides 96% of the energy for its freight trains. For this reason, compared with other railways, the UK has a poor carbon record. Pre-Covid, UK rail’s CO2 emissions were amongst world’s worst with, respectively, 2.5 and 2 times the world average rail passenger and freight emissions. For these reasons Network Rail’s Traction Network Decarbonisation Study (TDNS) recognised that electrification of at least 13,000 single track kilometres (stk) is needed to deliver a zero-carbon railway. Yet despite the benefits of electrification, the Westminster Government is unwilling to invest in the electrification rolling programme recommended by TDNS. This is because it is not confident that electrification can be delivered at an affordable price. This is understandable
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
given the cost overruns of the Great Western electrification programme which, despite a reduced scope, was delivered at three times the cost of the original estimate. Thus, if there is to be a net-zero carbon railway the cost of electrification has to be reduced.
NEEP Speaking at a PWI conference in October, Network Rail’s Andrew Haines stressed that “we must not underestimate the harm done by the horrendous costs and schedule over-runs on the GW electrification. The ball is firmly back in our court to show that we can deliver cost-effectively, and that we can be trusted.” He also noted that “we must remember that we are publicly financed and must account for our expenditure. International benchmarks are there and used to measure our success, so we must push further.” At the same conference, Prof Andrew McNaughton, previously Network Rail’s Chief Engineer and HS2’s Technical Director, advised that UK electrification was probably double what it costs elsewhere. He felt the job of engineers was to avoid unnecessary work and do unavoidable work efficiently using standardised elements and a factory approach. As an example of the former he mentioned the unnecessary proposal to demolish Steventon bridge as described in our feature on the PWI electrification seminar.
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER Against this background, the National Electrification Efficiency Panel (NEEP) was jointly convened last year between DfT and Network Rail. The ORR is also represented to identify issues that need regulator backing. NEEP is jointly chaired between Professor McNaughton and senior electrification engineer, Peter Dearman. Initially it informed the pricing of Midland Main Line electrification for its business case submission. The first phase of the NEEP study considered technical opportunities and innovations to reduce the cost of electrification. It identified nine such action items: » Bridge parapets – secure widespread adoption of deriving parapet heights from risk assessment rather than a blanket application of 1.8 metres. » Voltage controlled clearances – roll out standards for the use of surge arrestors and insulated coatings as applied at Cardiff Intersection bridge to allow lower clearances to be derived from a suitable risk assessment. » Track vertical allowances – derive economically affordable track lift allowance to protect locations with tight vertical electrical clearance. » Trial holing alternatives – avoiding hand digging trial holes at every OLE foundation with, for example, the use of ground penetrating radar. » Insulated pantograph horns – adopt this type of pantograph which are used throughout Europe and elsewhere.
» Wire gradients – update design principles to avoid infrastructure interventions in close proximity to level crossings and bridges. » OLE structure spacing – changes design rules to reduce the number of structures per mile by optimising spacing. » Rationalised traction distribution principles – reduce the number and scale of electrical substations with designs that use the best modern practice in electrical power switchgear and control design. » OLE structure design range – limiting the available range of structure types in the UKMS design range to reduce supply chain complexity and improving the visual appearance of OLE.
Surge arrester as used to reduce clearance at Cardiff Intersection bridge.
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Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER The proposed demolition of Steventon bridge was not necessary due to new wire gradient design principles.
These initiatives are all being progressed and some have resulted in E&P Technical Advice Notes which are early notifications of a standards change. NEEP continues to monitor progress with all these initiatives and to push for their mandatory adoption. Dearman feels that there is a need to educate the devolved Network Rail organisations on the approaches to risk management and whole life cost which need to be embraced if these initiatives are to be successful.
Next steps
Inside test train measuring wire contact force at Steventon.
The next stage of the NEEP study is consideration of nonengineering issues including procurement models, risk ownership, methods of project delivery, use of plant, and overhead costs. A particular issue is that, in the UK, instead of a continuous production model, electrification is delivered as a series of distinct projects which have set-up and close-down costs. In addition, end date targets increase costs as extra resources are procured to meet an arbitrary target date. Dearman advises that, of all the cost issues, the early NEEP phase 2 work has identified
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
that overheads are a particular issue in the UK. This reinforces his experience working outside the UK where, as McNaughton observed, electrification costs are probably half of those in the UK. Many of the delegates at the PWI electrification seminar also expressed similar concerns. Indeed, one speaker at this seminar considered that UK electrification required more paperwork per stk than any other country in the world. It seemed clear that no-one disagreed with him. Dearman felt that this was due to excessive man marking with unnecessarily large safety, assurance, commercial, and planning teams. His research had found that overhead costs in
Europe were typically 50% of the cost of physical works (materials, labour, and plant). In contrast, in the UK overhead costs of 150% are more normal. If these figures are correct, it means that, even if the technical opportunities that NEEP has identified can reduce the cost of physical works by 50%, this will only reduce total electrification costs by 20%. This shows the importance of this aspect of NEEP’s work although it is likely to produce some tough messages for the industry. However, the tougher message is that unless electrification costs are significantly reduced further electrification is unlikely to be authorised. At the October PWI conference, Andrew Haines referred to the great work being done in Scotland where electrification costs are as low as £2 million per single track kilometre and further reductions are credibly expected. Much of this is due to there being a continuous programme in Scotland where the supply chain is trusted to deliver. Yet south of the border the industry has still to gain such trust, which is needed if the Westminster Government is to commit to a rolling programme of electrification that itself would reduce costs. This explains why NEEP is an essential initiative. Rail Engineer looks forward to reporting further on its findings which could be the key to achieving a net zero carbon railway.
Book your place at this essential rail event Call 01530 816 456 or visit railsummits.com or email events@rail-media.com to book your space
Rail Safety Summit 2022
13th September Holywell Park Conference Centre Loughborough University We’re used to hearing phrases like ‘Safety First’. They’re a reminder that safety is never off the agenda. Britain’s railways have maintained an enviable safety record in recent years, but reports of incidents and near misses demonstrate that there is room for improvement. Register for the Rail Safety Summit to hear HSEQ leaders from RAIB and Network Rail discuss the issues that matter.
Speakers confirmed for 2022 so far: • Rupert Lown, Chief Health & Safety Officer, Network Rail • Nick Millington, Safety Task Force Director, Network Rail • Marian Kelly, Head of SHE, London Underground • John Jebson, OHSE Director, McGinley Support Services (Infrastructure) • Peter Dearman, Independent Consultant (Former Engineering Director, Atkins), Dearman Engineering • Prof Sarah Sharples, Professor of Human Factors, Nottingham University • Andrew Hall, Chief Inspector, RAIB • James Le Grice, Head of Rail Supply Chain Policy, Department for Transport
Safety Summit
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
DAVID SHIRRES
‘D
elivering the business case’ was the particularly apt title of the PWI’s electrification seminar in Glasgow in April. The 140 delegates who were present know that electrification is required but convincing the Westminster Government requires electrification to be demonstrably affordable. Although various speakers described actual and potential cost reduction measures, the cost of electrification remains high at a reported £2 million per single track kilometre (stk) in Scotland and £3 million per stk in England. This compares with £500,000 stk for German and Swiss electrification as shown in the Railway Industry Association’s Electrification Cost Challenge report. Some of these high costs are outside the control of delivery teams such as high overheads, project process issues, and the lack of a rolling electrification programme. The frustration of those who had built up experienced electrification delivery teams only to disband them at the end of each project was particularly notable. Bill Reeve, Transport Scotland’s director of rail and Alan Ross, director of engineer and asset management for Network Rail Scotland, explained why Scotland has a rolling programme and how it is being delivered.
Scotland’s rail decarbonisation plan
Scotland’s rail decarbonisation plan.
The Scottish Government considers rail electrification to be an essential part of its national transport strategy. Since 2010, it has funded 325 stk of electrification. Currently electric trains carry 76% of rail passenger traffic and haul 45% of rail freight in Scotland. Its
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
Scottish Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, launched in July 2020, will decarbonise rail passenger services by 2035.
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER Bill Reeve explained this plan is an instruction to the industry to electrify all Scottish main routes. He noted that battery and hydrogen trains will have a role but not for the core railway or for freight, as electric traction is essential to provide the longer, faster trains needed to meet rail freight growth targets for which gauge clearance is to the electrification programme. Regardless of the decarbonisation imperative, Reeve explained that electrification is needed to make rail competitive as electric trains are cheaper to operate, more reliable, offer faster trains and additional services. They are also cheaper to buy than diesel trains which will need to be replaced in the not-toodistant future. For all these reasons Scotland can’t afford not to electrify. Reeve also explained that a competitive railway is needed to attract the modal shift from cars if Scotland is to meet its decarbonisation targets which
include a 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030. Reeve noted that simply changing cars from petrol to battery powered “won’t cut it”. Hence, Scotland is committed to a rolling electrification programme derived from a whole-system approach that considers the optimum infrastructure and rolling stock solutions to deliver the required timetable. This also gives the supply chain confidence to develop its workforce and capabilities. Reeve concluded by stressing that all this depends on cost effective electrification delivery.
Delivery Alan Ross then explained how the decarbonisation programme is being delivered. He also stressed the need for a rolling programme to drive costs down but accepted that this requires trust and commitment. In this way, rather than individual projects, electrification is delivered as a programme which offers opportunities for optimising logistics, packaging feeder station delivery and procurement savings with early purchase of raw materials. He emphasised the need for a “sweet spot” to optimise
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Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER These piles were developed in consultation with the fabricators after confirmation that piling rigs and trailers could lift and transport these piles. A particular challenge of this project was the 600-metre Kippenness tunnel, that had a low uneven roof in which OLE structures could not be installed at the low points.
Production based electrification
delivery volumes which, for Scotland, is the annual delivery of around 90 stk of electrification and 30 structures clearance interventions. Although Scottish electrification had generally been delivered within its cost envelope at around £2 million per stk, costs still need to be further reduced. This requires transparency to ensure all cost drivers are understood, the need for a culture that embraces continuous improvements and a production focus. Ross recognised that Network Rail had to respond to the supply chain’s concerns, particularly in respect of access strategies. He also described how Scotland’s whole system approach helped to determine the best overall solution. For example, the need to withdraw diesel units in the next few years requires an interim strategy of discontinuous electrification with EMUs fitted with batteries that can be removed in future. Such an approach provides incremental benefits prior to full electrification. Scotland’s electrification has challenges, of which its most iconic structure is one. Ross considered that Forth Bridge electrification is “challenging
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
but doable.” There are also significant gauge clearance issues elsewhere, particularly on the Highland Main Line. He also noted that power supply in remote areas is also a challenge for both Network Rail and the National Grid. Delivering more electrification than ever before over a 13year period with ongoing cost savings is a significant challenge. With everyone playing their part, Ross feels this is achievable.
Stirling Alloa Dunblane (SDA) Warren Bain, PBH Rail’s technical director, explained how the recent SDA Scottish electrification programme started in January 2016 with its first OLE Form A. It had to be completed by December 2018 so that new Hitachi class 385 EMUs could replace the class 170 DMUs that had to be released south of the border. SDA provided 110 stk of new electrification which included 2,200 new structures with an expanded feeder station and two new Track Section Cabins. For SDA, PBH rail developed a single section pile up to eight metres in length to avoid splicing the high percentage of piles that were longer than the standard 5.5-metre length.
Rob Sherrin of Leeps Consulting has no doubt that electrification needs a production rather than a project philosophy. He quoted cost savings from repetitive programmes such as windfarms that are expected to generate electricity more cheaply than gas-fired power stations in 2023, and Network Rail’s Southern power supply upgrade which was around £800 against its £1 billion budget. The need for such a production approach was highlighted by a questioner who asked why the GRIP language of projects is used for electrification which should be a continuous process. There was no satisfactory answer to this powerful question. He advised that English electrification was currently costing about £3 million per stk and that this must be reduced with a relentless focus on costs and the efficiency of repetitive tasks. He considered that the overheads and prelims must be reduced as these were often many times the cost of the actual work. Also, innovation needs to focus on cost and eliminate complexity, the access regime needs to allow efficient production and multiple packages of work will provide competition. Sherrin also felt that the authorisation regime needed to be challenged as the Common Safety Method needed to be applied on the basis that there are no new fundamental risks from railway electrification schemes.
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER Amey’s engineering manager, Anne Watters, reinforced many of Sherrin’s points. She explained how a 50% increase in possession time (from four to six hours) could double working time (from two to four hours) and therefore cancellation of the first and last trains of the day needed to be considered. She also considered the practicalities of using different types of machinery. High Output trains had their advantages but needed to be able to store sufficient material for an eight-hour shift. Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs) are useful in complex areas but may not be efficient if their access points are miles apart. Watters also stressed the importance of developing the workforce and that this related to the access regime as excessive reliance on Saturday night working increased the need for “weekend warriors.” A continuous programme also facilitates apprentice schemes, avoids efficient teams being disbanded and is needed if there are to be sufficient OLE construction trainers. She considered that other benefits of a rolling programme were a long-term look ahead of route clearance work, enabling it to be done first, and consistency of standards. She noted that she had spent hours discussing standards for station foundation designs.
The respective M&EE professional heads of Swietelsky and Babcock, Calumn Oates and Nick Wilkinson, explained how Swietelsky Babcock Rail had developed specialist electrification plant. Its selfpropelled Kirow 250 Rail Crane can be fitted with a side mounted tube driving
to maximise efficient delivery. He considered digital twin to be a real step change as they reduced the requirement for on-site surveys as well as improving design and constructability reviews. Another promising development is ground penetrating radar (GPR) to
Use of digital twins.
system that can drive up to five piles per hour at a maximum 16-metre reach. They explained how their cranes can also be used to install masts and gantries. A continuous programme is needed to make the best use of this impressive, though expensive plant.
reduce the need for trial holes. This enables around 25 locations to be surveyed in a shift which would otherwise dig one or two trial holes, though GPR does not completely remove the need for trial holes. Instead, it allows them to be targeted as required. Kennedy explained how GPR is being trialled on the Haymarket to Dalmeny (H2D) scheme that should have its first piles driven at the end of June.
Kirow 250 crane with vibrating pile unit.
Preparing for electrification Alan Kennedy, lead OLE engineer for SPL Powerlines, considered pre-work measures
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER Heritage
He also described trials undertaken at a local quarry to determine the best method of rock piling and its effect on possessions. Methods tested included down-the-hole (DTH) hammers, micro-piling, and coring or auguring. Reducing ‘boots on ballast’ and maximising time on track are key principles of efficient electrification. This can be achieved by off-track OLE construction and pre-registered cantilevers attached at site. Kennedy advised that this reduces site visits from three to one prior to wiring. However, this approach requires mature design and space for fabrication. It also needs a gap between foundation and OLE work to make it efficient. He also explained how maximising span length at Almond viaduct on the H2D scheme might save £250,000 as the viaduct was not suitable for attachments. Although still to be confirmed, it was expected that the required 88-metre span would be feasible. Certainly, this approach has wider benefits in similar locations. Kennedy’s presentation reinforced many of the points made in earlier presentations including the need to optimise access strategy, keep things simple, the need for a more appropriate assurance regime, and the development of the workforce.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
Another issue that needs to be considered early in any electrification scheme is its heritage implications. Michael Ponting, overhead line solutions lead for Jacobs in York explained what this entails. There are potentially many stakeholders involved with any affected stations, overbridges, and heritage assets close to the railway. Early engagement with such stakeholders is essential. Although electrification normally requires a standardised approach to maximise efficiency, heritage impact mitigation may require a bespoke solution to be agreed with stakeholders, at an early stage of design. Ponting also emphasised the importance of challenging standards to, for example, minimise heritage impact. Kennedy referred to the useful guidance in Network Rail Standards NR/GN/CIV/100/02 “Station Design Guidance” and NR/GN/CIV/100/05 “Heritage: Care and Development”. These show that there are over 200 listed stations in the UK, all of which require conservation management plans to be prepared in consultation with the Railway Heritage Trust.
Design Garry Keenor, professional head for electrification at Atkins, gave a presentation focused on design cost reduction by digital design and challenging standards. He said that with typically 3,500 structures for 100 stk of electrification, design was a volume game that needed to be automated as far as possible using the latest digital design tools. He noted the importance of defining minimum viable product and emphasised that design development is the time to reduce costs, though this needs planning further ahead. He explained that some standards may be out of date and that the historic reasons for them may not be clear. Hence there was a requirement for intelligent rule breaking to
challenge standards using an evidenced based, first principles approach. He gave two examples where there had been a successful challenge: allowable uplift and wire gradients. Until recently, the design uplift for contact wire bridge arms was 70mm. Keenor explained how novel measurement techniques that required no track access of OLE mounted equipment had demonstrated this could be reduced to 45mm. A study of wire gradient was the result of it not being possible to demolish Steventon bridge during the GW electrification works. As this bridge was 400 metres from a level crossing, bi-mode trains had to operate on diesel power underneath it. This was because the then standards required a 60mph speed restriction of electric trains on the resultant 1 in 202 gradient and a maximum 1 in 625 gradient to operate at 125mph. After modelling and test train running undertaken by Atkins, it was demonstrated that electric trains could run at 110mph on a 1 in 175 wire gradient. Keenor said there needed to be a cultural change to encourage intelligent challenge and interpretation of standards. He encouraged Network Rail and its contractors to follow the E&P Technical Advice Note Ref 12-21-001-V1 “Bridge parapets electrical risk assessments” which introduced a risk assessment methodology to determine the required parapet works. He emphasised the need for simplicity, both of design and process, and made the tongue in cheek observation that Britain requires more paperwork per electrification stk than any other country in the world. Atkin’s Technical Director, Paul Hooper, considered what UK electrification might look like in 2050. Although Scotland is implementing its rail decarbonisation plan, the Westminster Government has yet to commit to an overall plan of rail decarbonisation. It has
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER also not responded to Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) which recommends 11,700 stk of electrification with battery and hydrogen trains respectively operating on 400 and 900 stk of track with currently no clear technical choice for 2,300 stk. He noted that there were various proposals for discontinuous electrification though this was not suitable for freight. This is to be a permanent solution for Transport for Wales as the South Wales Valley lines are electrified. Hooper considered that this will require an ultra-reliable system for pantograph raising and lowering. It will also need battery size to be optimised which may result in bespoke trains. In Scotland, the plan is for interim discontinuous electrification which needs to be planned around nine new feeder stations and take account of the need to provide power for both traction and battery charging. He noted that a rolling programme needs a five-year look ahead, especially in respect of power supplies. New technology such as intelligent infrastructure, digital twins, and static frequency converters can reduce costs. However, Hooper emphasised that the electrification programmes should not await future innovations but be planned on what we know now.
Hearts and minds
Peter Dearman sums up the conference.
Mott MacDonald’s head of rail systems, David Wilcox also considered the traction mix recommended by TDNS and explained this in terms of how far a train can travel per kilowatt hour. It might be obvious that electrification is the optimum traction and decarbonisation solution, but it is essential to win the hearts and minds of politicians. He considered that a whole system approach needed to be taken to maximise performance and minimise energy consumption. To illustrate this, he considered a bridge on a 1 in 200 gradient on the Borders Railway with a 60mph speed restriction on a 1 in 80 gradient. He wondered how long it would take to recoup the cost of eliminating this restriction from the resultant fuel and performance savings.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
He echoed the points made by previous speakers about challenging standards, data driven design and digital twins and wondered how long it might be before drawings were not needed.
Looking to the future Decarbonising the railway with a rolling electrification programme that provides cheaper, faster trains to attract traffic from less carbonfriendly transport is a vision for the future that is being delivered in Scotland. Hence Glasgow was a good venue for the PWI’s electrification seminar which highlighted examples of good practice in Scotland and elsewhere. With many speakers stressing the importance of developing the workforce, the presentation by Megan Schofield on attracting young engineers to the industry was particularly wellreceived. Meghan started her railway career with Arup just over two years ago as a graduate OLE engineer. In her first job she worked on platform extensions at London’s Liverpool Street station. This was a small job involving all disciplines which she felt provided a good learning experience. She is now working on the Transpennine upgrade. Schofield advised that, at university, her fellow students did not consider rail as a career and instead looked to the automotive, aerospace, and oil and gas sectors. Hence, she posed the question of what the industry can do to attract more engineers. She also felt that it was important to get more young people into engineering at an early stage. She also felt that mentoring was important and advised managers to inspire those less experienced than themselves by spending quality time with them. She recognised the importance of networking and felt it important to have strong female leaders in engineering teams. In the following Q&A session it was noted that Megan had clearly shown the importance of learning by doing and that mentorship was not a one-way process. One senior engineer acknowledged how much he had learnt from younger engineers. In summing up the conference, its chair, Peter Dearman, considered that it was uplifting to hear that in Scotland, Bill Reeve, representing Government, and Alan Ross of Network Rail were talking the same language. Yet he cautioned that the UK has the highest infrastructure cost base in Europe and that, even if material cost was zero, UK electrification would still be more expensive than in Europe with much of this due to high overheads. Regardless of the Scottish example, much still needs to be done to convince the Westminster Government of benefits of electrification and that the industry can deliver at an affordable cost.
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
Safetyof enhancement power distribution switchgear
F
olkestone was once an important harbour and shipping port. Nowadays, it is home to Dollands Moor freight yard which was built to serve the Channel Tunnel. The Dollands Moor DC Substation sits at the western end of this freight yard and was originally constructed as part of the Channel Tunnel Reinforcement Scheme in the mid1990s.
Network Rail decided to remove Dollands Moor DC Substation from service at the end of 2019 due to water ingress, reliability of DC protection relays, unavailability of spare parts and lessons learnt from the Godinton Substation incident where a Network Rail colleague was seriously injured. Since then, the substation was watching trains passing by without being able to contribute to the network. However, its fate was changed when Network Rail initiated the works to bring the substation back to operational service to improve the performance of the DC network. Network Rail deemed Dollands Moor as a high priority and required the project to be completed
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
as soon as possible. BAM Nuttall, as the principal framework contractor of Network Rail, immediately started the planning. The company was aware of the level of complexity, the tight deadlines and the significance of the project; hence it had to ensure that the designer has high expertise and resource to cope with those challenges. Rail Power Solutions, being one of BAM Nuttall’s preferred Electrification & Plant (E&P) designers, was approached to develop this highly challenging design.
Retrofit to increase safety According to the Godinton report, concerns were identified with the existing DC switchgear, combined with the formation of condensation which contributed to the incident. Dollands Moor DC switchgear was chosen as a trial site for undertaking design and implementation works to improve its reliability, electrical clearances, and maintainability. In addition, there was a requirement to extend the asset life for a minimum of 15 years. The DC switchgear, which was installed in the 1990s, has a protection system that does not comply with the current Network Rail standards. Network Rail’s preference was to replace the complete protection system including the DCTR-1B protection relay, Hall effect transducer for current measurement, Hall effect
“A collaborative team effort from all at RPS, BAM Nuttall, and Network Rail. Despite the short time frame, a challenging project was delivered” BAM Nuttall contracts manager, Duncan Hall.
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
“RPS, BAM Nuttall, and Network Rail worked collaboratively and innovatively together – the Dollands Moor Switchgear project was a great success” Network Rail project manager, Daniel Lea
check transducer, Hall effect sensor, Hall effect power supply unit/amplifier, and DC voltage transducer. This means redesigning the majority of the non-removable parts of the DC switchgear. An alternative solution was the complete renewal of the DC module which would come at a significant cost. However, given the vast number of this type of DC circuit breaker on the network, a retrofit option applicable to the majority of the breakers was considered a more cost-effective approach. Following multiple options proposed by Rail Power Solutions during the GRIP 3 stage (option selection), Network Rail agreed to a single option that provides a practical retrofitting solution without compromising on safety. The design included works in track cable termination, relay and transducer chambers.
Design challenges and innovations The configuration of the copper work of the DC Switchgear at Dollands Moor created concerns about the space available for the installation of new equipment within the cable chamber. The design became more challenging due to the absence of record drawings showing the exact dimensions of the existing copper arrangement in the cable chamber. Rail Power Solutions had to attend the site multiple times to confirm the suitability of the proposed shunt and copper arrangement.
Following discussions with BAM Nuttall, the parties suggested introducing innovative technology into the design process using 3D copies of the shunt and proposed copper work to check effectively the suitability of the new arrangement before finalising the design. Given the very short lead times for 3D prints, it provides more flexibility and is time-saving and costeffective compared to supplying the actual copper parts and shunt during the design stage. Rail Power Solutions produced the 3D model of the parts using the dimensions obtained on-site and got the parts 3D printed. On the next visit to Dollands Moor, the engineers were more confident in the design since the 3D model showed that the proposed copper work and shunt would precisely fit the cable chamber.
Safety first Rail Power Solutions’ primary design objective was to make minimal modifications to the existing copper work to reduce the retrofit’s risk and cost; while increasing the repeatability of this design to similar types of DC switchgear. The safety of the operators and maintainers was the main driver of the design. Additional measures were implemented in the design, to prevent contact of maintenance personnel with 750V circuit, this included: a new type of fuse holder that is operated with the use of a hook stick to allow operators to isolate parts without entering the breaker cell; additional shrouding; and warning labels. Another aspect of the design was the anti-condensation heating for the DC switchgear. The substation was
originally built at a time when the internal environment characteristics of steel buildings were not as well understood as they are today. The steel construction can be susceptible to the formation of condensation, and the condensation can contribute to the electrical flashover. Although the building had been provided with de-humidifiers, additional heating in each breaker was required. Space constraints inside the circuit breaker were once again an obstacle. Thus, Rail Power Solutions proposed compact dynamic heating elements with a significantly small footprint. In addition, the electrical clearances were improved to eliminate the occurrence of any electrical flashovers. Following the installation and entering the substation into service, all parties are happy with the result. Although the Godinton incident raised significantly the bar for safety, the design as a prototype was successful in terms of both safety and cost saving, and Network Rail is already considering rolling out a plan to renew the DC switchgear on the network.
Rail Power Solutions is a specialist design and consultancy service for DC electrified railways, undertaking complex multi-disciplinary designs. Established in 2013, Rail Power Solutions has grown rapidly as a leading design consultancy for railway electrification systems, with extensive knowledge and experience in Network Rail, London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, Merseyrail, and Glasgow Subway.
“Dimensions were obtained on-site to develop the design. However, the partial use of existing copper work with a different configuration, installation of an additional shunt, and the requirement for additional angled copper work introduced significant uncertainties. It is like playing a 3D puzzle, but you have to create the puzzle pieces. Although we were confident of the design, timescale and cost implications were the last thing we wanted during the construction phase. Assembling the real scale 3D parts on-site helped us to identify any details we missed and to confirm the accuracy of the dimensions.” William Fonseca, Director of Rail Power Solutions. Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
DELIVERING E&P UPGRADES
I
n mid-2021 Lowery secured two significant packages of electrification and plant (E&P) upgrade work from Network Rail. The project is part of the Wessex CP6 framework packages 5 and 6. Package 5 consists of three new high voltage (HV) switchgear renewals including the provision of new AC modules with other ancillary equipment. Package 6 consists of four HV feeder renewals including new pilot cabling and interface with the existing AC and DC protection systems. Both of the projects are design, procurement, and build contracts.
Wessex Package 5 Sub Stations Eastleigh
Woodfidley
Hinton Admiral
The HV substations to be undertaken are Hinton Admiral, Eastleigh, and Woodfidley, all fully controllable from Eastleigh Electrical Control Room. The old life-expired, oil-filled HV feeders which will be replaced are feeders F2068, F2070, F2071, and F2011, all between the Kingsworthy and Eastleigh Substations. As a principal designer and contractor for both packages, Lowery will ensure the changeover commissionings are carried out in such a way to reduce any abortive and temporary works as much as possible between both
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
with 1km of buried route through Winchester and Eastleigh station car parks, and other locations including routing through Shawford station platform, along with cable troughing and postroute cable containment. The package also contains 1600 metres of new walkway to be installed and integrated into the new cable route proposal. packages of work, to ensure The majority of the new route the safety and reliability of the Wessex Package 6 and walkway is to be installed operational railway. High Voltage on steep embankments, which Forty-five kilometres of cable Feeders is why the proposed designs will be installed as part of the Kingsworthy and project execution are key Package 6 HV feeder renewal, to the successful delivery and along with cable management achievement of key project systems of 7km, consisting of Winchester milestones. various Under Track Crossings
Stanmore Lane Shawford
Eastleigh
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER Lowery’s engineering team gained experience of housing free-issued HV and ancillary equipment as a part of the London South HV Power upgrade project, and Lowery leveraged this experience in the Package 5 procurement process for the new HV modules. Its innovative manufacturing and procurement process has saved considerable time and, most notably, cost. The company’s in-house design team is responsible for the production of the detailed design to ensure full integration of the new and existing equipment. Complete testing of the HV modules and all precommissioning activities are carried out with the in-house testing and commissioning team. Undertaking tests in the factory environment reduces the requirement of repeating these tests on-site, which significantly reduces testing and commissioning time. This innovative solution provides the client with cost savings on the main items of equipment and ensures that any problems and issues can be captured in the early days and rectified in the factory prior to site delivery. Earlier this year, the project received two of the HV modules ahead of the programme and is awaiting completion of the civil works following successful land
access arrangements. All of the HV modules will be fully tested at the integrator’s premises prior to delivery to the site. As noted, Lowery’s in-house design and engineering team is undertaking all of the electrical designs, ensuring a complete approach to prevention through the engineering and design process (formerly Safe by Wessex Package 5full selfDesign) including Sub Stations assurance of the produced designs byEastleigh the CEMs and CREs employed by the firm. As a principal designer, it is leading from the early stages of outline designs right up to the detailed design and issue for construction in line with the Woodfidley GRIP process, which was used before the PACE process was introduced by Network Rail. It is utilising its trusted civil design house to undertake the civil design element for this project. Lowery’s innovative approach Hinton Admiral to design solutions at the Hinton Admiral location, as part of the Package 5 works, has seen the scope of work increase from a new HV Switchboard renewal to a full substation upgrade including the installation of the new Rectifier Transformers with Rectifier modules and Powerbond DC module, which was added by Network Rail to the current trial for the implementation of the safer isolation process with an integrated DC switchboard and NSCD equipment.
Following the successful delivery of key projects such as the Reading 10 Car project, Euston Station High Speed 2 enabling works HV substation (Barnby Street Substation), and the London South Power Upgrade Project (Rotherhithe Switching Station) all safely and successfully delivered on time the company continues to enhance its reputation as the go-to supplier for all HV traction and non-traction project delivery. Gary Trearty, Lowery Engineering Manager, says: “This is another exciting project for Lowery to be delivering on behalf of Network Rail and shows the confidence that companies have in Lowery’s ability to continually deliver complex design and build projects on the Railway infrastructure, safely, on time and under budget.” As always Lowery looks forward to working with new and of course our existing clients to successfully deliver all types of complex projects, safely and collaboratively.
Wessex Package 6 High Voltage Feeders Kingsworthy
Winchester Stanmore Lane Shawford
Eastleigh
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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ELECTRIFICATION & POWER
Delivering efficient electrification
PETER STANTON
A
s part of the valuable debate on electrification,
Financial challenge
the Railway Industry Association (RIA) arranged a
Philip Doughty took over the lead and emphasised how Network Rail was reacting to the challenge of bringing the cost of electrification down to acceptable levels and was at pains to point out that all options were on the table. Standards could be challenged and how requirements could be applied would be analysed with a view to compliance at an optimum cost. The first area Philip mentioned was the height of bridge parapets on electrified lines. The audience were reminded that the impact of the extra weight loading imposed could be quite significant; even possibly leading to a need to reconstruct where the structure was at a margin. The need to reduce the risk was recognised but the application of robust risk assessment practices and some original thought could lead to major savings. Clearances from live equipment had always been a challenge within high-voltage railway electrification, particularly on UK systems with their tighter gauge, and major developments had taken place leading to significant economies. However, there were further opportunities to be examined and basic definitions to be reviewed. The current standards referenced the distance from a standing surface, but that definition of the surface required some refinement and common sense in application, recognising that any standing surface must be assessed on the basis of anyone credibly standing on it.
presentation on electrification delivery in late February, concentrating on the need to achieve a realistic and
acceptable cost of installation and commissioning.
The presenters were Philip Doughty, chief mechanical and electrical engineer at Network Rail and Peter Dearman in his panindustry role. The session took account of the Covid restrictions at the time with both physical and online attendance. The hybrid session was well-managed by RIA’s staff.
Stop and start In a striking and hard-hitting opening session Peter Dearman reminded those present that there had been a history of stop and start on electrification within the UK. Notwithstanding the Weir report recommendations before the second world war, there had been an important strategic aim delivered in 1955. This led to the delivery of the West Coast route electrification, albeit in phases. A major plan was put together by British Rail in the late 1970s which recommended virtually complete system electrification and it was noted that on that basis their recommended network would have been electrified by 2004. A further major push occurred in 2010 with the National Electrification Plan but, by the end of the decade, full system electrification was still not on the horizon. Now we have the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy which yet again delivers a chance to go forward with that goal of a majority electrified system. Peter delivered a warning that, after the history of the last few decades, this really was probably the last chance of gaining acceptance of major system wide application of electric traction and the industry must not fail to get it right. Other transport modes were reacting to the need to decarbonise and rail could be left behind in search for a robust, environmentally friendly transport system. In summary, there are around 13,000 single track kilometres of electrification which can be justifiably equipped.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
ELECTRIFICATION & POWER for smart motorway rollout and that this has had very positive financial effects. He noted that Germany has a consistent rolling programme of electrification on an annual basis and their costs are significantly better than those of this country.
A fresh approach
Rolling programmes Other targets for development included the adoption of insulated pantograph horns in the UK as accepted in the rest of the continent. Wire gradients and mast spacing were also in the sights. Additionally, the application of ground-proving radar could reduce the need for trial holes and, on a basic level, the whole range of masts could probably be rationalised. However, other upward impacts on cost could be driven by factors other than physical works and challenges of process, and non-design and non-construction resources, were to be given consideration. The headcount of ‘white collar’ staff against active staff on the ground was an area ripe for action to reduce the headcount. In the light of the UK’s economic position, all infrastructure developments are the subject of close scrutiny by the government, in particular the treasury. Comparison will be made with practice elsewhere and those comparisons are not always positive, however studies show that costs can be brought under control and limited with a rolling programme, in a highly effective fashion. Philip pointed out that the highways authority has a rolling programme, coupled to alliancing arrangements,
Discussion then moved over to other potential physical design and construction impacts. The subject of discontinuous electrification came up and Graeme Brindle demonstrated how this was being considered on the South Wales electrification scheme. Where there were severe infrastructure challenges or even overly complex locations, application of the philosophy was being considered. The discontinuities could always be removed later in the life of the infrastructure; for instance, when a bridge renewal came due in future years. Freight traffic was becoming an increasingly focussed area and it was noted that discontinuous electrification did not sit well with single locomotive haulage. The potential modal shift would require a fresh approach to not only electrification but operation and general railway construction and design issues. Although the emphasis was on electrification, it has been accepted that there are parts of the network which will possibly never justify full conventional electrification and pragmatic approaches to battery and hydrogen traction sources were accepted as part of the mix. Similarly bi-mode diesel electric could also find a place; particularly where installation of electrification contact and distribution systems could not be installed on an all-line basis initially.
The last chance Overall, the Group meeting produced a very positive and realistic vehicle for taking electrification forward although both Philip and Peter were at pains in their summing up to emphasise that this was really the last opportunity to get it right and that the industry must accept this and make system electrification a success. RIA is to be congratulated on facilitating these group discussions and enabling the railway community to be felt and heard both in society but also in government.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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FEATURE
Cybercrime AND SECURITY IN RAIL PAUL DARLINGTON
R
ecent events in Europe and the Government’s ‘Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022’ report have reinforced the importance of good cyber security measures for all companies and organisations. Rail Engineer recently met up with Paul Burbridge, detective sergeant at the British Transport Police (BTP) Cybercrime unit, to discuss how the rail industry can better defend itself from cybercrime. The Government’s report covered all UK industry and identified that 39% of businesses identified at least one cyber-attack on their operations in the last 12 months, with phishing attempts the most common threat, reported by 83%. Cyber phishing is when attackers attempt to trick users into doing ‘the wrong thing’, such as disclosing security information such as passwords or clicking on a harmful link that will download malicious software (malware).
Ransomware More sophisticated cybercrime types, such as a denial of service (DoS) or ransomware were reported by 21% of businesses. DoS is an attack designed to shut down a device or network by
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
flooding the victim with traffic, while ransomware is a type of malware that threatens to publish the victim’s data, or lock access, unless a ransom is paid. Despite its relative low prevalence, organisations considered ransomware as a major threat, with 56% cent having a policy not to pay ransoms.
One in five businesses and 19% of charities say they experienced a negative outcome as a direct consequence of a cyber-attack, while 38% experienced at least one negative impact. Thirty-one percent of businesses and 26% of charities estimate they were attacked at least once a week. The government guidance - ‘10 Steps to Cyber Security’ - has been designed to break down the task of protecting an organisation into 10 key components. The survey found that 49% of businesses and 40% of charities have acted in at least five of these areas.
FEATURE Access management came out as the most proactive, with supply chain security the least proactive in implementing defences to cybercrime. The survey also showed that 54% of businesses have acted in the past 12 months to identify cyber-security risks, with the risk often passed on to outsourced cyber providers, insurance companies, or internal cyber colleagues. It is a concern that the 2022 survey says that there remains a lack of both will and skill around organisational cyber security, resulting in gaps in “some more fundamental areas of cyber hygiene”. Fewer than one in five businesses have a formal incident management plan; there is a lack of technical knowhow expertise within smaller organisations and at senior level within larger organisations - despite cyber security being seen as a high priority area, and investment in cyber security is still largely viewed as a cost rather than an
investment. Therefore, many organisations rely on a reactive approach to cyber security instead of proactively driving improvements.
Rail underreporting While the number of reported attacks is a consistent figure in recent years, the survey also noted that enhanced cyber security can lead to higher identification of attacks, suggesting that some less cyber-mature organisations may be under-reporting threats. BTP suspects under reporting of cybercrime may
be the case in rail and Paul said “I urge anyone who may have had a cyber-attack to report it to us. We can then provide advice and help and build up an accurate picture of the cyber threats to rail.” “We also have excellent links to other UK government experts in cybercrime along with international law enforcement organisations. Not reporting a cyber security incident can lead to what may appear to be a ‘non-loss’ situation developing into a major problem if it is not properly and thoroughly investigated.”
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FEATURE
Rail at risk During the early stages of the Russo-Ukraine crisis, it is reported that railway workers, hackers, and dissident security forces disabled or disrupted the railway links connecting Russia to Ukraine through Belarus, disrupting supply lines. In January, a group calling themselves Belarusian Cyber-Partisans carried out a ransomware attack on the Belarusian state railway network, encrypting the data on a number of its servers. They posted screenshots online to illustrate the level of access they had obtained.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
The group claimed to have attacked many of the railway’s ‘automated systems’ and that they had the capability to alter the function of the railway's automatic route setting software. There was evidence reported that significant disruption was caused. Following the invasion, the group announced a further cyber attack and Belarusian railway websites were confirmed to be down for some time. Social media showed long queues of people for tickets several days after the incident. The Financial Times reported that US cyber security experts
had reduced the potential for attacks as part of their preemptive cyber defence work for Ukraine. One particular type of malware called Wiperware was found on the Ukrainian Railway’s servers. Unlike ransomware, and other common malware, Wiperware is not focused on theft or financial gain. It is purely destructive and is designed to significantly damage systems by erasing data and programs, with no way of restoring them. In March, Reuters reported that the Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) had temporarily halted some ticket sales as it believed it had been targeted by a cyber attack. "Since this morning, elements that could be linked to a crypto locker infection have been detected,” the company said. FS went on to say it had suspended the sale of tickets at its offices and self-service machines in train stations as a precautionary measure, while online sales were working as usual. The disruptions did not impact rail traffic, which was running smoothly, FS added.
FEATURE Good practice Attacks like the ones reported may lead to escalation, which increases the risk to other railways. Previous major cyberattacks, such as Stuxnet and NotPetya, led to the spread of cyber viruses and the copying of techniques by new attackers. The rail industry therefore needs to examine the recent incidents as examples of cyberattacks to rail that could be repeated by others. There is lots of advice and good practice of cyber security available from organisations such as the National Cyber Security Centre. Steps that should be considered include addressing cybersecurity at the earliest stage of any project as attempts to retrofit security solutions will almost certainly fail; carrying out a regular threat analysis considering both internal and external threats to security; and defence in depth - cyber security should be implemented in layers using a wide range of solutions to provide monitoring and defence across and throughout the organisation. This should include protection from physical attack by using proven secure locking systems to protect communications cables and ports, equipment rooms, and equipment cabinets in rooms and on rolling stock. Access to equipment must only be given to competent, trusted maintainers.
Organisations must also use recognised good security management practice, such as the ISO/IEC 27000 series of standards, and implement physical, personnel, procedural and technical measures. They should implement simple measures, such as instructing everyone not to use USB drives or click on any links from outside the business without checking they are safe. Cyber security should be implemented using a quality assurance system based on: requirements capture - specify - development - design implement - maintain - test. Every organisation should also be tested on a regular basis, ideally by an independent third party.
are available and cybercrime is another challenge that railways must rise to. All instances of rail cybercrime must be reported to BTP, who are ready to investigate, help and advise. Organisations or businesses who need to contact BTP can contact the Pursue team at cybercrimeunit@btp.police. uk. If you are a rail company or part of the railway supply chain and experiencing a live and ongoing cyber-attack, please contact the BTP control room on 0800 405 040.
Summary Many businesses and organisations lack the will and skill for good organisational cyber security, resulting in gaps in “some more fundamental areas of cyber hygiene,” according to the government’s report. Cyber attacks in other countries suggest that cybercrime is a risk to UK rail. However, solutions and tools
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GEOTECHNICS, EARTHWORKS & CONCRETE
UK’s l o n g e s t viaduct WORK BEGINS ON THE
H
S2 reached a major milestone on 31 May as construction on the railway’s first and longest viaduct began. Stretching for more than two miles across a series of lakes and waterways between Hillingdon and the M25, the Colne Valley Viaduct will also be the longest railway bridge in the UK.
The event was marked with the launch of an enormous 700 tonne bridge-building machine at an event attended by the HS2 Minister, Andrew Stephenson MP, just outside London.
“Today, HS2 began construction on what’s set to be Britain’s longest railway viaduct,” said Mr Stephenson, “a landmark moment for HS2 and a feat of British engineering, taking the HS2 line from London, and into Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. “Infrastructure is the backbone of HS2 and this viaduct will be integral to delivering faster journeys and an increased capacity rail network.”
One of a kind Known as a ‘launching girder’, the 160-metrelong bridge-building machine is the only one of its kind in the UK. Originally built in 2004, the launching girder was first used during the construction of the Hong Kong East Tsing Yi Viaduct. Specially designed to handle complex viaduct construction, the machine is named ‘Dominique’ in memory of Bouygues engineer Dominique Droniou who played a leading role in its design and development.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
GEOTECHNICS, EARTHWORKS & CONCRETE
The machine will lift the giant concrete deck segments that form the viaduct’s arches into position. Once each section is complete, it will inch itself forward into position to build the next stage. A total of one thousand deck segments will be needed, with each one weighing up to 140 tonnes. To allow for the gentle curves of the viaduct as it crosses the valley, all the segments are slightly different shapes and made on site at a purpose-built temporary factory close to the north abutment. “I’m absolutely delighted that we have started work to assemble the giant deck segments that will form the Colne Valley Viaduct,” said HS2 Ltd Chief Executive Mark Thurston. “It is yet another big milestone for HS2 Ltd, as we work to deliver the UK’s new high-speed railway. Once complete, this record-breaking structure will form a key part of the HS2 railway − helping to deliver better connections across the UK, free up rail capacity on the train network, and offer passengers a zero-carbon travel option.
“I’d like to thank all those involved in getting us to this exciting stage and look forward to seeing the whole viaduct come together over the coming years.”
Collaboration and teamwork The viaduct project is being led by HS2’s main works contractor Align JV – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick. Fifty-six piers, each weighing around 370 tonnes, are being constructed along the Colne Valley ahead of the girder, with the girder moving from one pier to the next, installing the deck segments as it goes. One segment is put in place each side of the central pier, using a cantilever approach to balance the structure, as two half-arches either side of each pier are constructed simultaneously. Steel tensioning cables will be threaded through the segments to strengthen the bridge.
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Every segment will be a slightly different shape depending on where it fits into the viaduct and the modular approach was chosen to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. The viaduct pre-cast factory where the segments are made at the peak of construction will cast around 12 segments every week using a ‘match-casting’ technique. This approach − where each segment is poured against the previous one - will ensure the whole deck fits perfectly when assembled on the piers. The mammoth 100m long viaduct precast factory, which is visible from the M25, has an internal volume of 105,000 cubic metres − making it larger than the Royal Albert Hall. Once construction is complete, the factory and surrounding buildings will be removed and the whole area between the viaduct and the Chiltern tunnel will be transformed into an area of chalk grassland and woodland as part of HS2’s ‘green corridor’ project. “The start of the erection of the deck segments marks the latest important milestone for Align, relating to the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct,” said Align Project Director, Daniel Altier.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
“There has been a lot of hard work involved to get us to this point, and the achievements so far are a great example of what collaboration and excellent teamwork can deliver. I would specifically like to acknowledge the contribution from our supply chain partners − VSL, Kilnbridge, KVJV, VolkerStevin, Tarmac, Sendin and Vaughan Plant Haulage.
Elegant design The design of the Colne Valley Viaduct was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans, some up to 80 metres long, carrying the railway around 10 metres above the surface of the lakes, River Colne and Grand Union Canal. Set low into the landscape, wider spans will carry the viaduct as it crosses the lakes, with narrower spans for the approaches. This design was chosen to enable views across the landscape, minimise the viaduct’s footprint on the lakes and help complement views across the natural surroundings. In another visible sign of progress on the project, the team has also completed the construction of three of four jetties across the lakes to get equipment into position to support the construction and help take construction vehicles off local roads. Where the viaduct crosses the lakes, the piles are being bored directly into the lakebed, using a cofferdam to hold back the water while the pier is constructed.
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GEOTECHNICS, EARTHWORKS & CONCRETE
Construction of HS2
‘Green Tunnel’begins C onstruction has started at the site of HS2’s first innovative ‘green tunnel’, designed to blend the high-speed railway into the landscape and reduce disruption for communities.
Unlike a normal underground tunnel, the one-and-a-half mile Chipping Warden green tunnel in Northamptonshire is being built on the surface using a pioneering off-site manufacturing approach to speed up construction and improve efficiency. This approach will see more than 5,000 giant concrete tunnel segments made in a
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
factory in Derbyshire before being assembled on site. The completed tunnel will then be covered by earth, with trees, shrubs and hedgerows planted to fit in with the surrounding countryside.
Off-site approach Chipping Warden is one of five ‘green tunnels’ that are being built on phase one of the HS2
project, which is designed to improve links between London, Birmingham, and the north, to help level-up the economy, and provide a low carbon alternative to car and air travel. Applying lessons from the construction of the latest French high-speed lines, the off-site approach was developed by HS2’s main works contractor, EKFB − a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall. The tunnel segments are being made by Stanton Precast in Ilkeston Derbyshire as part of a contract which is set to create up to 100 local jobs. “The Chipping Warden green tunnel is a great example of what we’re doing to reduce disruption for people living close to the railway,” said HS2 Ltd’s Project Client Rohan Perin, “and it’s fantastic to see the first arches in position. “Our trains will be powered by zero carbon electricity but it’s also important to reduce the amount of carbon embedded in construction. The off-site manufacturing techniques being used will help cutting the overall amount of carbonintensive concrete and steel in the tunnel and make the whole process faster, more efficient and therefore less disruptive for the community.”
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FEATURE Cutting carbon Designed as an m-shaped double arch, the tunnel will have separate halves for southbound and northbound trains − each one the height of two double-decker buses. Instead of casting the whole tunnel on site, five different concrete precast segments will be slotted together to achieve the double arch − one central pier, two side walls and two roof slabs. All 5,020 segments will be steel reinforced, with the largest weighing up to 43 tonnes. Concrete and steel are some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions within the construction industry and by reducing the amount of both materials needed for the tunnel, this lighter-weight modular approach is expected to more than halve the amount of carbon embedded in the structure. It also requires less people and equipment on site, improving safety and reducing disruption for residents. “Seeing the first set of precast units being installed is a milestone that the whole team is very proud of,” said EKFB’s Project Manager, Jeremie Martin. “This three-year construction programme will benefit from off-
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
site manufacturing making the green tunnel build more efficient than the traditional on-site building method. “The HS2 green tunnels are a first of its kind in the UK. We have designed them as a twin arch ‘M’ shape which is more efficient than the standard box structure, reducing the amount of concrete required, which is a great example of how innovative engineering design can reduce carbon impact.” The tunnel will be built in sections, with construction expected to be complete in 2024. A relief road has also recently been completed, which will take HS2 vehicles – and other local traffic – away from the centre of the village of Chipping Warden. This will later be extended, to take the A361 over the top of the green tunnel.
Porous portals Similar green tunnels will also be built at nearby Greatworth as well as Wendover in Buckinghamshire and Burton Green in Warwickshire, stretching for a combined total of more than four miles. The tunnels will all have specially designed ‘porous portals’ at either end to reduce the noise of trains entering and exiting the tunnel, along with small portal buildings to house safety and electrical equipment. Tailored landscaping design plans will be developed for each tunnel, with thousands of native trees and shrubs typical to the local area such as Silver Birch, Oak, Beech, and Willow planted to create new woodland areas around the portals and recreate the hedgerows and field boundaries on top of the tunnel. All 13,290 segments for Chipping Warden, Greatworth, and Wendover are being made by Derbyshire-based Stanton Precast Ltd, in a deal that is set to create up to 100 jobs at their Ilkeston factory − an increase in their workforce of around 50%. New production sheds, casting and storage areas are also being built at the factory to accommodate the new work.
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FEATURE
PHOTO: RENÉE DEL MISSIER
Vienna railway station A GALVANIZED STEEL SOLUTION
D
esign, build, use - it may sound straightforward, but getting infrastructure right is a complex task. Value for money, time of construction and satisfying all involved, from investors, government bodies and end users, is a herculean effort. One project from from 2015, shows how, with the help of galvanized steel, it is possible to tick all these boxes and lead the way in infrastructure design into the bargain.
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
Vibrant hub Designed by Theo Hotz, partner Achitekten, and Unger steel, the new railway station has provided Vienna with a central hub in the transEurope rail network, which is used by more than 1,000 trains and by 145,000 people every day. The station’s spectacular steel and glass lozenge roof, 200 metres long and 120 metres wide, has become a symbol of modern mobility and functionality,
PHOTO: SLAVKO SEREDA
The Intercity-Express Deutsche Bahn ICE train at Vienna main railway station, Wien Hauptbahnhof.
The construction of the new Vienna Central station helped centralise Vienna’s railway infrastructure. At a cost of €1 billion it was the biggest Austrian railway construction project of the day, bringing together the former South and East stations and Südtiroler Platz. The site covers nearly 50 hectares and extends to 6km. Since its completion, a new urban district has been created around it acting as a pivotal hub for the city’s transport network. The lozenge roof of the new Vienna Central station was a worthy winner of the Austrian Steel Construction Prize. The roof structure, about six times the size of a football pitch, can be seen for miles around. It is one of the most complicated and beautiful steel construction projects in Austria and incorporates approximately 7,000 tonnes of steel.
and distinguishes the building from everything around it. The roof structure, which is made up of 14 individual diamond shapes, arches over five platforms. Its height varies between six and 15 metres, so that it seems to hover over the platforms. Each individual rhombus consists of rods and nodes. The entire roof (including the forecourt canopy) is made up of more than 57,000 sections, 286,000 sheets of metal, and almost 340,000 screw fittings which are concealed beneath the cladding. The gigantic structure posed a superscale challenge for contractors and steel construction company Unger Steel, not only in terms of design and technology but also logistics.
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FEATURE Complex structure
PHOTO: RENÉE DEL MISSIER
A roof structure of this complexity meant that long term structural maintenance was not a option. Designers turned to galvanized steel to offer a reliable, zero maintenance solution that would stand the test of time. The ensuing design allowed for individual members to be galvanized and bolted together to form the complex rhombus for each subsection of the roof. This robust and effective approach means that ongoing maintenance is avoided alongside the costly delays and closures that this would encur. It also removes the additional health and safety complications that arise from working on structures of this scale. The 14 diamond trusses of the station canopy each measure 76 metres and all are supported by solid twin supports every 38 metres. In the centre of the lozenge, the structure opens up to provide a skylight in the form of a crystal shaped opening measuring 6 x 30 metres. Integrated glass elements make it translucent and help to flood the building’s interior with daylight. At night, special lighting gives the roof a distinctive 3D effect.
Structural synonym For the architect, the central station is more than an important traffic hub: “It’s a turntable in a Vienna which is open to Europe. The lozenge roof makes an important contribution to this as, with its dynamic design, its rhythm, and the way it seems to float in the air, it acts as a structural synonym for Vienna, the world-renowned city of music.” The station now boasts over 200,000 daily commuters and is Austria’s busiest long-distance railway station. It has been voted Austria’s most beautiful station five times and has also come second for consumer choice ratings for rail stations in Europe.
The complex galvanized steel roof structure under construction.
PHOTO: MICHAEL SOMMERAUER
Contact Galvanizers Association: +44 (0)121 355 8838 www.galvanizing.ork.uk/rail-corrosion-protection/ Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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FEATURE
INNOVATION
in level crossings CLIVE KESSELL
I
ssue 195 of Rail Engineer (March/April 2022) included an article written by Paul Darlington describing efforts to make level crossings safer. This described the situation with gated or barrier crossings, manually operated barrier crossings with obstacle detection, automatic half barriers (AHB), automatic barrier crossings locally monitored (ABCL), automatic open crossings (AOCL), and open road crossings. The article looked at the risk assessment procedures for all of these and the factors that must be taken into account. As a follow up to this, a talk given recently to the IRSE London & SE section, described some of the technical and communication innovations that are being trialled or introduced as part of the overall safety improvement initiative. Level crossings remain one of the 12 priority risk areas in the UK. They are where the operational railway comes into contact with the general public who are not train travellers. It is a salutary statement that the public can at times be capable of doing unwise and risky things that can result in injury or even death. However, the public have to be given accurate guidance, sometimes even training, to avoid the biggest risks and nowhere is this truer than when obeying the instructions relating to level crossings. There are many types of crossings covering main roads, minor roads, private roads (sometimes called occupation or accommodation crossings) and footpaths. All have their own risks and many varieties of crossing equipment plus associated signage are in existence. Some of this is very good, others are less than optimum and there is rarely a situation where one size fits all. Around 5,600 crossings still exist on Britain’s railways even after 1,250 having been closed since 2009. Seventy-
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
five percent of those remaining require the user to make the decision as to whether it is safe to cross. There has thankfully been a 37% reduction in accident rates since 2009. To put this all into perspective, Angela Adams, principal engineer for level crossing technology and Darren Witts, the principal engineer, principles & standards, both from Network Rail, explained the work being undertaken.
Risks and messaging A constant consideration of level crossing standards and operation is always active. Four main areas of study and improvement are ongoing: risk management; technology and innovations; competence management; and education and enforcement. In all of these, many external changing factors are happening, including increases in both road and rail traffic; more congestion pockets on both road and rail; changes in population density; and changes to public attitudes. All of these can affect level crossing types and the ever-present possibility that a particular crossing may need to be upgraded to another type if greater usage rates and possible congestion is occurring.
FEATURE
Signage comes in for a lot of criticism both for road and foot crossings. It is often unclear as to when and how the crossing controller (usually the signaller for that section of line) should be contacted. There exist multiple signs as to what the user is required to do, which often cannot be read until very close to. Network Rail has worked closely with the Department for Transport (DfT), ORR, RSSB and others on the development of a new more consistent suite of signs. More use is made of pictures/symbols and to help people who struggle with the English language. This was trialled by human factor experts around three years ago at a test site in Cannock, and deployment elsewhere is commencing with individual DfT authorisation for each site until the new signs are prescribed in legislation. The new signs are much larger than the previous
ones and, in time, Welsh language signs will need to be produced, necessitating two sets of signs in that province.
Before and after update to the level crossing signage and equipment.
Private road and foot crossings Recent accident reports have given prominence to the relatively high risk that user worked crossings represent. Often, there is only signage to advise the user as to when it is safe to cross but increasingly the use of Miniature Stop Lights (MSL) gives a greater confidence. Overlay MSL solutions which operate independently of the signalling system have been developed to provide a lower cost solution with minimal site-specific design. Approaching 200 of these have been commissioned and each can be deployed for a reasonable cost of between £120,000 and £150,000 per crossing.
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Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
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FEATURE
Mini Stop Lights (MSL) at level crossing.
Currently approved systems are Ebigate 200 using axle counters and VaMoS using axle counter based wheel detection. Systems under development include: Covtech, which is a Radar based audible warning device; Meerkat, which is radar based; and Wavetrain, based on acoustic sensing. There is also a need to make MSLs much more visible and the latest design has a 200mm lens as against the existing 70mm. The larger lights can replace the existing without too much difficulty and users can expect to see these gradually installed over the coming years.
Interfacing to the signalling system
(Right) Power operated gate opener (POGO) and yellow activation button (inset).
There are situations which the overlay MSL is not designed to cater for. One of these is where a signal exists within a strike-in area that could lead to a prolonged red light at the crossing if the train stops at a red signal. The Flex interfaced overlay MSL has been developed to provide a limited interface to the signalling system in such circumstances. Where a signal exists within a commensurate distance from where the crossing is located, then the MSL can be activated once the signal is showing a proceed aspect, delayed as necessary to ensure the train does not arrive too soon. A further constraint is where a station exists within the strike-in area. It would be no good displaying the red MSL if the train is scheduled to stop at the station as this would also lead to prolonged red warnings. Thus, there exists a need to differentiate between non-stopping and stopping trains. The traditional means of achieving this is by the signaller or a control
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
system (with knowledge of the timetable) selecting the required mode for each train. This is expensive to provide as it involves modifications to systems outside of the level crossing and the supporting infrastructure is rarely already in place. This is an area where solutions are being investigated. One possible answer is to adapt the overlay MSL so that it can be used to interface with a speed measuring system that determines whether an approaching train is on the braking curve for a station stop. Ways of achieving this could be based on measuring the time between two detection points but more likely is to use speed measuring axle counter heads.
Power operated gate opener A big problem with user worked crossings is getting people to follow the correct procedure in opening both gates before crossing and then closing them afterwards. To help users get it right, power operated gate openers (POGOs) have been developed and undergone a number of modifications as lessons have been learned.
FEATURE On approaching the crossing, the new signage will include instructions on how to operate the gate opener. This will be activated by a prominent yellow button. If the crossing is equipped with MSLs and a red light is showing, the gates will not open.
Level crossing power supplies Many crossings are in remote locations and, with the increasing use of protective measures, providing a power supply for these from the national grid can be a problem. Finding the optimum alternative is being investigated. The VaMoS crossing at Acle Marsh on the Norwich Yarmouth line uses photo voltaic cells in conjunction with fuel cells. With the large bird population in the area, droppings on to the solar panels can impact on the electrical efficiency and this has to be a consideration. A good downpour of rain usually helps. The use of fuel cells, whereby hydrogen is fed into plates on one side of the cell and oxygen into the other, can provide additional electrical energy to top up any solar or wind generators and thus maintain the battery charge.
Public road crossings While many measures have been taken over the years to improve the safety of crossings on public roads, investigations continue in how to overcome the persistence of public misuse. One such development is to improve the visibility of booms. The existing specification for boom lighting is 25 years old and was designed primarily for illuminating booms at night. Daytime lighting was not considered important but, in an age where new cars have their headlights on throughout the day, similar considerations are being given to other road infrastructure including level crossing booms. Network Rail has worked with optical experts to develop a new specification for boom lamps with a brightness of between 30 and 50 candela. A prototype has been trialled in non-operational environments under different lighting conditions. Further development is underway and operational trial sites will be selected shortly. Extending the length of booms to help deter motorists from weaving round a half barrier crossing is another initiative. A prototype extension has been developed as a lightweight plastic retrofit addition to existing booms. It is attached with a hinged and tethered arrangement to mitigate any potential increase to the trapping risk. This is ongoing work and operational trial sites will be selected shortly. Engineers will be familiar with the ABCL crossings (automatic barriers controlled locally), whereby a train driver receives a white light to indicate the crossing has activated correctly and he/she can proceed without stopping, unlike an open crossing. ABCLs remain subject to
pedestrian misuse and thus another initiative is to equip such crossings with full barriers and obstacle detection. These will remain locally monitored thus becoming AFBCL. This solution has been commissioned at three sites in Scotland which are being monitored for a trial period, but is already being written into standards to make it more widely available.
(Inset) Prototype of bigger and brighter boom lamps.
Other considerations The reliability of barrier machines is generally good but there is always room for improvement. Combating climate change and extreme weather is now a requirement for many engineering disciplines so a more environmentally robust machine, which can be remotely monitored and equipped with telemetry-led maintenance routines, is something the supply chain will be encouraged to develop. A reduction in ‘No Fault Found’ instances will be part of this exercise. Telephone communication between the crossing user and the signaller is required when the associated instruction informs the user to call and is often a vital element in enabling safe operation. A working party is looking at the next generation of technology to see if improvements can be made. The use of video analytics on CCTV monitored crossings whereby AI (artificial intelligence) can detect and highlight a person on the monitor screen is another investigation for the future. Rail Engineer will keep an eye on all of the developments described and will provide updates in due course.
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DAVID SHIRRES
RIA’s Innovation Conference
Part 1 Keynotes and Clients
T
he Railway Industry Association (RIA) held its 13th innovation conference in Nottingham at the end of April. This was the first in-person event for three years although an innovation virtual innovation conference was held last year as reported in issue 190 (May-June 2021). As usual, the twoday event was a mix of thought-provoking speakers, exhibitions, and breakout sessions. This year the theme was getting ready for Great British Railways (GBR). The conference was a good mix of keynote speakers, presentations on specific initiatives from clients and the supply chain, parallel workshops, and a large exhibition. Opening the conference, RIA’s chief executive Darren Caplan stressed the need to be positive about the state of the industry and not base longterm decisions on the recent past, especially as passenger numbers were quickly returning. In the last few weeks, passenger numbers were back to around 80% of prepandemic levels. He made his now familiar plea for visibility of the enhancements pipeline as it is now over 900 days since the DfT’s Rail National Enhancements Pipeline was last updated.
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RIA’s technical director David Clarke then described RIA's newly published Railway Innovation Strategy. This considers best-practice from other sectors and how to remove innovation blockers to realise benefits sooner. It makes six key asks to create an innovationfriendly environment within the new GBR structure. These are: 1. Increase government investment in rail innovation. 2. Strengthen support during innovation rollout. 3. Identify and overcome barriers to successful innovation. 4. Provide a pathway and funding for radical innovation. 5. Adopt a whole-system, longterm view to enable the right innovation. 6. Support skills development and the creation of an innovation culture.
David also drew attention to RIA’s recently launched ‘Innovation Navigator’ which is a free self-assessment tool for companies to assess and improve their rail innovation readiness. This can be accessed at www.riagb.org.uk/Unlocking_ Innovation.
GBR Keynotes Given the conference’s theme of getting ready for GBR, the first keynote speaker, Keith Williams, was well placed to set the scene as the independent chair of the Rail Review which, a year ago, proposed the creation of GBR. Williams stressed the significant financial challenges faced by the industry which made the need for rail reform ever more pressing, not least to attract a future generation of passengers to use the railways. He believes that that the formation of GBR will promote innovation. He feels that data is a key resource, and that open data is essential. Williams also feels that private sector support was needed more than ever, noting that it already had invested billions in trains and stations.
FEATURE His review had found that, although decision making must be devolved, everyone wants the railway to work as a network. He also stressed that GBR has to be culturally different from Network Rail. He acknowledged that implementation of GBR is a slow process but feels momentum is there and advised that the legislation to create GBR is expected in 2024.
William’s keynote presentation was complemented by that of Sir Peter Hendy, Chair of Network Rail. He said that the industry is not very good at saying what the railway is for which is to provide the connectivity that create jobs and encourages growth. He feels Government gets this as evidenced by the huge amount of money put into the railway during the Covid emergency, yet Government also considers that railways are too expensive and that costs must be reduced. Hence there is an essential requirement to embrace innovation and more modern methods. Hendy feels that if this is not done, it will become increasingly difficult to justify investment. Moreover, it is essential to avoid fiascos such as the introduction of the May 2018 timetable which was the industry’s fault. He noted the importance of a long-term business plan such as that developed by Transport for London (TfL) which defines TfL’s priorities. Currently the mainline railway has no equivalent (Editor’s note - except in Scotland and Wales). The Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP) that is being produced by the
GBR transition team (GBRTT) will address this omission. Hendy noted that whilst this will provide a focus, it cannot provide certainty as Government might change its mind or available funding. He said he was sure that GBRTT will provide better opportunities for private sector funding in non-traditional areas and will ensure that GBR
innovates quite differently. For example, open data is one of the founding principles of GBR as it must be accepted that people who run the railway are not necessarily the best people to use data. Hence, he said, “we should embrace the concept that other people can do a job better than you.” He also stressed the need to embrace diversity as we all have a responsibility to make the industry more like the customers it serves and that we cannot afford not to attract the best from diverse cultures.
Advising government In her keynote address Professor Sarah Sharples also made it clear that diversity is essential for innovation. Sharples is chief scientific adviser to the DfT and Professor of Human Factors at the University of Nottingham. She has spent 25 years studying rail operations, having jointly established the Rail Human Factors group in 1998. She noted that humans are both fallible and brilliant, and that the trick is to minimise the impact of the former and maximise the effect of the later.
She explained how her role as chief scientific advisor was to help the Government balance risk while ensuring good value for the taxpayer. She noted that the rail industry was not the easiest to access, highlighting an 'acronym buster' document she used at the start of her career. She said that to support her role industry should identify a handful of clear, succinct messages that can come to Government. "Find where the industry agrees and communicate that strongly.” She was glad to see the recommendation in the WilliamsShapps report that “Research, development and innovation funding must be simplified to make it more outcome focused and to improve collaboration.” She feels that GBR offers a real opportunity to do this.
Innovation collaboration
David Clarke (L) and Keith Williams (R).
Professor Sarah Sharples.
Collaboration was very much the message in Toufic Machnouk’s keynote address. As Network Rail’s Director, Industry Partnership for Digital Railway, he is also leading the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) which will fundamentally remove the legacy limitations of physical signals by the implementation of ETCS. Yet Rail Engineer’s readers will be aware ETCS has been promised for many years so it might be wondered what is different this time. The answer is that ECDP is focusing on organisation arrangements. Machnouk advised that the inherent challenge is organisational
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Organisations involved in the ECDP programme.
complexity. With over 30 organisations, the ECDP programme is both one of the industry’s most complex enterprises and also significantly changes the way that the railway is run. Its deep industry partnership is organised in a user centric change programme working to jointly defined principles, values, and critical success factors. He considered that this is the only way to ensure success. The programme has now developed a bottom-up plan with the required levels of clarity, resilience, and adaptability. In January RIA published its report “Signalling change – learning from the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) digital programme” which details the approach ECDP has taken and considers that this is the best chance of implementing the incredibly complex task of delivering ETCS. The first step is commissioning ETCS signalling on the Northern City Line within two years. Summarising Machnouk’s presentation, RIA’s David Clarke described the ECDP approach as a game changer, not just for digital signalling, but all complex projects.
Clients driven innovation The role of client organisations promoting innovations was highlighted by presentations from Network Rail, Transport for London, HS2, Avanti West Coast and LNER. David Rowe, Network Rail’s head of rail technology outlined Network Rail’s £245 million R&D programme which includes over 100 live projects which are mainly concerned with driving down costs and improving asset sustainability. He also said that collaboration was key and explained how, to deliver this portfolio, Network Rail was engaging with its regions, suppliers, the UK Rail Research, and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) and other stakeholders.
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As examples, he explained the success of the NR60 Mk2 switch design which was installed at Thirsk in 2017 and had required minimal maintenance compared with the NR56 switch installed there at the same time. Both types of switches were installed by the same teams and subject to the same traffic. He also described the “flat-pack” footbridge that had been developed to reduce costs by 25% and installation time by 50%. Transport for London’s innovation director Thomas Ableman stressed that TfL is "laserfocused" on the Mayor's Transport Strategy target of 80% of journeys being made by public transport or active travel, 'Vision Zero' for no deaths on London’s Road network, and improving air quality. He explained how TfL had adopted an open innovation model that encouraged suppliers to develop solutions in a collaborative framework. Part of this approach is the London freight lab to developed new ideas to move freight around the city in a safer, more efficient manner and the London Road lab to make the city’s roadworks safer and smarter. Howard Mitchell, HS2’s Head of Innovation, saw his team’s role as reducing the friction of the innovation process rather than doing innovation. He felt client leadership was essential to create momentum, ensure that the potential of an idea is understood and that ideas coming up through the supply chain don’t get lost. He felt that “blockers” are an important part of the innovation process and that it was important to engage and convert them to remove their power of veto. His examples of HS2 innovations included giving suppliers access to sentry camera data to enable them to improve productivity on site, factory level construction processes and the Euston living lab to aid construction works there by learning from pedestrian modelling and the TfL/bus interface.
FEATURE He advised that HS2 had over 100 innovation projects which had already produced savings of £182 million and identified potential savings of £800 million and 1.6 million tonnes of CO2.
Train operator innovation Anita Brown, head of innovation and engagement, Avanti West Coast, considered that innovation was not a department but a mindset. Her recipe for successful innovation is: feel it by creating the right culture; find it by looking outwards; and then do it. She said innovation was needed to make things easier for the workforce and for passengers and advised that the key challenges for which innovation was required were: managing disruption, saving the planet, sustainability, customer experience, and better processes. She advised that Avanti had made good use of virtual reality training during the pandemic. She also described how Carlisle station was being used as a testbed to initially try out ideas. Looking to the future, she advised Avanti was working with HS2 to model passengers flows during the reconstruction of Euston station using a digital twin of the station and that the company was learning from its Italian partner, Trenitalia, about high-speed train operation. London North Eastern Railway's (LNER) chief digital innovation officer, Danny Gonzalez advised how LNER had a digital innovation directorate that was focused on better use of data to personalise the customer experience throughout the whole journey. In this respect, LNER had been successful with its app that offered at seat ordering of refreshments which had generated revenue of £3.5 million and its virtual station assistant app. He described LNER’s future labs initiative which encourages companies to offer ideas on family friendly journeys, seamless journey experiences, new revenue experiences, the use of future technology, smarter working, sustainability,
managing disruption, security, and safety. The next future labs round will also involve Northern and South Eastern. He acknowledged that the complex railway ecosystem, legacy technology, and problems of scaling up production made innovation hard. Part of the solution was effective challenge ownership. He considered that gatelines were a big challenge and felt that core suppliers were not interested in providing an improved passenger experience.
Innovation leaders panel discussion.
To be continued As always RIA’s innovation conference was a stimulating event with a good mix of formal conference activities, workshops, and informal networking. As it is not possible to do justice to this in a single feature, other aspects of this event will be covered in our next issue. These will include a description of specific innovations, performance-based maintenance, the use of software to leverage innovation, and recent UKRRIN developments.
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Railtex and Infrarail 2022 WHAT HAPPENED
AT
MATT ATKINS
PHOTO: MACK-BROOKS EXHIBITIONS / RAILTEX
O
ver three days in mid-May, more than 3,700 industry professionals and 130 exhibiting companies came together under the ornate glass roof of Olympia London for Railtex / Infrarail 2022. The event showcased a wide variety of new products and innovative technologies, and gave attendees the opportunity to catch up with colleagues and make new industry connections.
Running from the 10-12 of the month, the event also boasted a rich supporting programme, including keynote speakers from leading industry names, technical seminars, project updates and Q&A sessions covering current topics for the railway industry. The programme included two conference streams: The Future Focus Conference and Unlocking Innovation, two recurring features organised by the exhibition’s main show partner the Railway Industry Association (RIA). The focus for this year was clear: greener and sustainable product solutions, decarbonisation, and digitalisation.
Uniting the industry Opening the event, Nicola Hamann (pictured left), managing director of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions part of RX, welcomed all attendees and expressed her gratitude to those joining Railtex / Infrarail 2022 and making the exhibition a success. “We are happy to unite the entire railway supply sector again to discuss, promote and support the rail industry to progress in the modern post pandemic world,” she said. “The event provides a showcase of the many fantastic products and services essential to the efficient, safe and greener operation of the railway and public transport systems.” Hamann went on to reiterate the importance of such events to the growth and development of the industry. “There's nothing like face-to-face events,” she said, “enabling people to forge lasting relationships, meet colleagues, and renew acquaintances to continue to support the industry in its recovery journey in a post pandemic world. “The UK rail industry is something you should be immensely proud of and events like this are an opportunity to gather everyone together under one roof to create knowledge and thinking from across the industry as we face new challenges, whether economic, environmental, or technological.”
A pivotal moment The opening ceremony continued with a message from Darren Caplan, chief executive at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), expressing his views on the future of the industry. He struck an encouraging tone.
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RAILTEX / INFRARAIL “Now is a particularly pivotal time for the industry,” he said. “The past two years have clearly been a difficult time for the sector, as the industry worked through various lockdowns and restrictions. However, Coronavirus also showed the UK rail industry at its best – helping support the national effort to get key workers and resources around the country. “The good news is that contrary to what some predicted, people are returning to rail, with passenger numbers consistently around 80% of pre-COVID levels. In April they even reached 84%. Freight has returned to 100% of prepandemic levels too.” Caplan went on to say that the industry was ready to test the establishment of GBR and laid out the five ‘tests’ that RIA had proposed in March this year, namely: no hiatus in current work; transparency with rail suppliers; partnership with the private sector; financial sustainability; and the ambition to leave a lasting legacy, particularly in safety, decarbonisation, exports and the economy. With the event formally opened, attendees were free to wander exhibition floor where companies large and small showcased their latest products and services, but beyond the main exhibition, was a rich supporting programme packed with keynote speakers, technical seminars, project updates and Q&A sessions. Once again, the programme included two conferences streams: The Future Focus Conference and Unlocking Innovation Zone, both organised by RIA.
Future focus RIA’s Future Focus conference covered some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the rail industry in the years to come. It offered insights and discussions around four main themes: Growth; Geography; Green; and Global. Simon Blanchflower (pictured right), former chief executive officer of East West Rail, kicked off proceedings with a keynote speech focused on customer care and how the customer experience has changed in the past 40 years, and how the days of British Rail weren’t as golden as people might remember. “When I joined British Rail back in 1982, passenger numbers were at a low point, having been dropping steadily for several years. They certainly weren’t the halcyon days that some people look back to.” “There wasn’t a particular focus on the customer,” he said. “There was a very much transactional relationship between the railways at that time and the passengers who were travelling. And to be honest, the safety performance of railways was particularly woeful at that stage, with regular workforce fatalities.” Interestingly, Blanchflower did not mention that after 1982, British Rail was reorganised to focus on the needs of customers in different business sectors. This, and the introduction of the Inter City 125 high-speed train saw passenger numbers increase by 23% between 1982 and privatisation in 1993.
Removing barriers
PHOTO: MACK-BROOKS EXHIBITIONS / RAILTEX
Emerging from the pandemic, he said, the industry is again in a period of recovery and must use this time as an opportunity to grow towards something better. “The frontier of customer experience is changing and progressing all the time,” he said, “and if we stand still, we go backwards in terms of our relationship with a customer. “We need to make sure the barriers to travel are removed. There are still too many physical and psychological barriers that put people off travelling by rail.” Blanchflower also called for the removal of barriers that may prevent some groups from entering the rail industry. “We need to harness the talent we need for today and the future. We need to make our rail industry open and accessible to people of all backgrounds, to make use of the diversity of skills that we will need to deliver in this next phase of the rail industry.” It's a time for optimism, he concluded, but it is important that today’s organisational change does not “deflect us from addressing the challenges of today.”
Tackling emissions James Wright, air quality lead at RSSB gave a presentation on the Sustainable Rail Strategy (SRS), which aims to provide the comprehensive environmental plan called for in Williams-Shapps plan for rail. The SRS is a whole industry strategic plan currently in its early stages and sees RSSB working closely with the Great British Railway (GBR) transition team to deliver it. “Williams-Shapps calls for a comprehensive environmental plan to establish rail as the backbone of a cleaner future transport system,” said Wright. “The document goes on to talk about the ambition to have clear commitments on carbon emissions, air pollution, biodiversity, wastes, water usage, noise, and vibration. The SRS is that environmental plan.
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PHOTO: MACK-BROOKS EXHIBITIONS / RAILTEX
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“This is a comprehensive sustainability strategy and is what we believe to be a first for the rail industry. Importantly, this has been co created by industry sustainability experts, so it isn't just something that RSSB has developed in isolation.” Focusing on the aspect of air quality, Wright discussed the initiatives coming out of the SRS which include projects focussed on reducing the idling emissions of diesel trains at stations, improving rolling stock standards for air quality, and measuring air pollution at stations. “We're not just about producing documents,” said Wright. “There is real activity within the industry... a lot of ongoing work and planned work in the future in the area of air quality.” Surprisingly, James’ presentation made little mention of electrification. The same can be said of the SRS which requires phasing out the purchase of diesel-only passenger trains by 2025 as a sign of industry leadership, yet does not mention the large-scale electrification programme that Network Rail’s Traction Network Decarbonisation Strategy concluded was required if diesel traction is to be eliminated. On the closing day of the exhibition, Shadow Business and Industry Minister, Bill Esterson, gave the keynote speech, highlighting the importance of continued investment in Britain’s UK rail network and used the opportunity to emphasise the importance of improved rail links to the Port of Liverpool. “Further investment in UK rail network infrastructure is essential and will play a leading role in our country’s economic success,” he said. “We have to invest in the network and increase capacity for passengers and freight. That includes a rail link from the Port of Liverpool and support for an ambitious programme from Liverpool to Hull as proposed by Rail for the North.”
Unlocking Innovation Unlocking Innovation is RIA’s awardwinning innovation accelerator programme, consisting of a series of events, seminars and exhibitions hosted around the country. As part of the programme, RIA once again hosted its seminar series at Railtex / Infrarail, inviting key rail innovators to present their solutions and products. The seminar series covered many subjects including the transition to low-carbon propulsion; safety standards for fire-resistive cables; unlocking innovation for SMEs; supply chain optimisation; and integrating innovation into the rail industry. Ken Kyle (pictured below), business development manager for rail at Telent, gave an overview of the company’s work and its importance to the rail industry. The UKs increasingly busy rail networks are becoming more reliant on innovative digital technologies to keep services running smoothly, he said, especially with technology developing at a rapid rate.
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Kyle looked at telecommunications systems in development to keep stations open, build efficiency into timetables, and improve the passenger experience. One such initiative involves installing ‘request to stop’ systems at remote stations, using the existing RETB radio signalling system. Using the new system, drivers will be notified on approaching the station if there are passengers waiting to board, and trains will be able to maintain line speed if no passengers are alighting or boarding at the station. Kyle also covered solutions to prevent line-trespass, particularly in tunnels. He cited the work Telent is doing at Birmingham New Street station, where it is trialling laser scanning technology to detect intruders and alert station managers.
Intelligent industry Andrew Hawthorn, chief solution architect - high-integrity systems at Capgemini, gave a presentation on ‘Intelligent industry’, discussing how cross sector fertilisation will deliver faster digitalisation for the railway industry. He pondered how artificial intelligence (AI) can be utilised on the railway, particularly by aiding signalling. “In a normal scenario, everything is automated and usually runs fine according to the timetable. But when that timetable can no longer be followed, because there's been a late departure for example, then humans need to take control again. And when the timetable does get out of kilter, then getting it back, is very, very difficult. So we see a role for AI there, where the AI systems give the signallers greater awareness of how to get back to the schedule.”
RAILTEX / INFRARAIL and complex projects. The firm works with some of the biggest consultancies and contractors in the UK and abroad, helping to keep the railway running. Ganymede Solutions was also in attendance. Specialising in recruiting technical and engineering talent, the firm provides complete workforce solutions for infrastructure and transportation projects. Track worker safety and level crossings specialist, Schweizer Electronics, was promoting its Flex MSL crossings and Lynx Automatic Track Warning Systems and discussing how these products can become the safety systems of the future. Sella Controls showcased a range of solutions that demonstrate its capabilities in the Control and Safety spaces, including its Traction Power Control, Depot Control ASDO and Level Crossing Control products. Zonegreen was also a presence, exhibiting its Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS), which is designed to provide the safest and most efficient method of controlling depot train movements, providing enhanced protection to depot workers. In the advanced technologies space, Thales provided demonstrations of a wide range of its solutions from across its mainline rail, urban rail, and digital services portfolio. Prior to the exhibition, the company has announced the launch of its enhanced Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) Mk4 Single Cab Control Unit. Complete Cyber, a specialist in cybersecurity, was also on hand to promote its services evaluating and integrating systems to harden them against cyber-attack. Industrial Cleaning Equipment Ltd (ICE) presented it’s Eco Bot 50 – an easy to operate robotic scrubber dryer which takes just 30 minutes to map a 2,000 m² area and can be operated remotely. The company’s stand featured one of these units, proudly cleaning as the day went on. China’s CRRC dominated the rolling stock space and promoted its extensive product lines, which include its ‘Fuxing’ High-Speed EMU, ‘Cetrovo’ Next Generation Metro, Intercity EMU, and Hydrogen powered trams.
Hawthorn also touched upon the issue of cybersecurity, which is becoming an increasingly critical concern. “Cybersecurity is something that the railway industry is starting to get to grips with now. At the moment, we're still following standard industrial cybersecurity standards, but we're writing our own railway standard which will help a lot, fundamentally the technologies to make sure our systems are secure. What complicates things is when we knit together lots of different types of systems in ways that perhaps weren’t foreseen when they were originally designed for single and original designs, but through strong systems engineering and cybersecurity, you can manage that.”
On the floor
Summing up The exhibition showcased many inventive solutions and products, and RIA’s seminar series presented much food for thought. The take home message was that the industry continues to embrace self-reflection, improvement, and innovation; critical qualities in an operating environment that is rapidly evolving. The next edition of Railtex will take place from 9-11 May 2023 at the NEC, in Birmingham. Rail Engineer looks forward to it.
PHOTO: MACK-BROOKS EXHIBITIONS / RAILTEX
The light streaming through Olympia London’s stunning barrelshaped roof made walking the exhibition floor an extremely pleasant experience, and one could find many major suppliers, as well as a whole host of SMEs and start-ups, eager to showcase their services. After appearing at Railtex/Infrarail 2021, British Steel returned with its ‘On Track’ installation – 18 metres of track which allowed exhibitors the chance to demonstrate their tools and equipment in an authentic rail setting. The company also demonstrated some of its own award-winning products and services, including Zinoco coated rail for extending life in corrosive environments; weathering steel for exposed structures; and HP335 for improved wear and rolling contact fatigue resistance. Aqua Fabrications Ltd, showed off its range of advanced drainage systems for permanent way, and its staff were keen to discuss its latest techniques in training and fabrication. Anderton Concrete showcased its latest advancements in lightweight and sustainable concrete technologies, including its extensive product range including its precast cable troughing and retaining wall systems. Also on display was its low-carbon, Eco-Troughing technology. Concrete Canvas was also flying the flag for construction materials, displaying its Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCMs), which offer a lower carbon, eco-sensitive solution for erosion control and weed suppression. GCCMs have been widely used by Network Rail for over 10 years. Traffic management, signs, and lighting manufacturer Mallatite Rail boasted a large, central stand and representatives were on hand to discuss its signalling products. The company also offered attendees the chance to win a foldable electric bike, perfect for commuting and taking on public transport. On the workforce supply front, the team from Advance Resource Managers (ARM) were present to remind the industry they could supply talented professionals for any number of diverse
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Affordable tram tracks
Very Light Rail part one DAVID SHIRRES
B
ritain’s nine light rail systems compare with around 30 in France and 60 in Germany as, historically, Britain has failed to invest in its transport infrastructure. With conventional tram systems typically costing around £50 million per kilometre, the UK will not be able to significantly increase the number of its light rail systems without a radically new approach.
VLR National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley.
The urban Very Light Rail (VLR) programme is such an approach. It is the result of Coventry City Council approaching WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) in 2016 to see if a lightweight tram could be produced using the technology of their Revolution VLR railcar (RVLR).
The city also specified that the total cost of its proposed VLR system must not exceed £10 million per kilometre. WMG then partnered with the Paris-based engineering group INGEROP and its British consultancy, Rendel, to develop the required novel trackform.
On 16 June, the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation held its first VLR conference in Dudley at the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. This is next to the almost complete VLR innovation centre as described in issue 191 (Jul-Aug 2021). The event described the latest VLR system developments including the RVLR, Coventry VLR, and the novel trackform. A full report of this conference and the VLR vehicles will appear in our next issue whilst this focus feature considers the novel trackform.
Utilities Achieving low-cost light rail track installation is only possible if the number of utility diversions can be significantly reduced. These are required when there is a physical clash between the new light rail line and the buried services. The minimum depth of utilities is 450 mm for telecoms cables, 600 mm for electrical cable, and 750mm for gas and water pipes. In addition, utility diversions will be required if the utility companies consider that the new line does not give them
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PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS acceptable access to their utilities. Installing VLR track over buried services will only be acceptable to utility companies if they can treat the track as a normal road. Utility diversions that cannot be avoided are those required for the programme to install plastic pipes to replace legacy iron and steel pipes that are less resistant ground movement. For this there needs to be collaboration to do the required diversions either before or during the track installation.
VLR trackform The key requirements of the novel VLR trackform are to minimise utility diversions with utility companies having acceptable access to their services. In addition, it must be capable of being installed at a reasonable rate, support high road vehicle loads on a low-stiffness subgrade, accommodate 15-metre radius curves and cost no more than £2 million per kilometre to install.
At the conference, WMG’s Lead Engineer, Dr Christopher Micallef explained that the trackform has a depth of 300mm and requires a maximum 350mm dig. 153mm of this depth is the 55kg/metre 55G2 profile grooved rail. Its panels can accommodate 600 x 600mm utility access chambers and, in an emergency, can be dug out and replaced 24 hours after utility work has been completed.
Its design supports high loads of 30 MPa (300 bar) on a lowstiffness subgrade of 2.3% CBR (California bearing ratio). The CBR is typically 5% to 50% for sandy soils and only 2% for clay. The trackform is expected to be installed at the rate of 16 metres per day at an anticipated cost of £2 million per kilometre including excavation of the road surface and embedding the track into the road surface.
15 metre radius turning loop at VLR innovation centre.
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(Above) VLR trackform accommodates utility access chambers.
(Below) Dr Christopher Micallef addresses the VLR conference.
(Right) Ultra-rapid VLR battery charging station.
Testing and installation However good the design the new track form and the VLR vehicle, extensive testing of both, as a system, is required before work can start on the Coventry VLR system. In addition to design optimisation, this is needed to obtain the required approvals. Physical testing is shortly to commence at two sites.
At Coventry City Council’s Whitely depot, a trackform is to be installed at an HGV loading bay to provide accelerated real life road vehicle loading of track system. The trackform will be monitored to provide structural monitoring and axle load measurement data. At the VLR National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley, the
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trackform is to be part of the centre’s 15-metre curve and will be monitored for vibration and loading as the VLR vehicle runs over it as part of an extended test programme.
Instant charge Another aspect of the VLR infrastructure that will be tested at the Dudley VLRNIC is an ultra-rapid battery charging station provided by Furrer+Frey. The company installed its first such charger for battery buses in 2010 in Granada and are now used in Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands. The charger at Dudley has software developed by Furrer+Frey UK specifically for VLR vehicles and is suitable for charging both VLR vehicles and electric buses. It has an inverted retractable pantograph. Once the VLR
vehicle is in place, the charge station automatically tops up its battery. To do so its charging arm with four contact strips, specially designed for highpower transfer, is lowered onto the vehicle’s charging points and energised. This takes less than five seconds. Once the vehicle is charged the arm retracts to a safe de-energised state. As previously mentioned, it is expected that it will charge VLR vehicles in 3.5 minutes. The unit has a maximum capacity of 475 kW.
The VLR system Coventry’s VLR network is planned to consist of four loops, the first of which will connect the city’s Washgrave Hospital to the city centre and open in 2026/27. Prior to that, a 1.6km demonstration line between the railway and bus stations is expected to be operational in 2024. At the conference, it was clear that a significant amount of work has been done to develop the VLR vehicles and their trackform as a complete system. It was also clear that other towns and cities are considering their own VLR systems and that VLR has the potential to significantly improve urban connectivity.
PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS
High Power Charge Stations Proud Winner for ‘TECHNICAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR’ at Global Light Rail Awards 2020
k
Furrer+Frey are delivering the charging infrastructure for Coventry Very Light Rail Project.
Vehicle design by Transport Design International
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Professional Engineering Institutions
PWI
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PETER STANTON
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ail Engineer 192 and 193 examined the benefits of being a member of a professional engineering institution and covered the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. In this issue we turn our attention the complementary Permanent Way Institution (PWI). Again, we can see the advantages of being a member of a professional engineering institution, which encourages and facilitates career development, gives support and guidance, offers seminars and conferences, monthly journals, and the award of post-nominals once registered as a professional engineer. The PWI has, for over 130 years, collaborated with professionals, organisations, and government bodies to improve and develop the rail industry. Originally a supervisory group, the institution quickly expanded to become a technical body for infrastructure engineers, supervisors, operatives, and managers.
At the forefront The original objectives of 1884 included promoting the general advancement of technical training in the art of maintaining the way and works of railways; adopting a standard competency in the art of inspection and work of maintaining, and providing a certificate or diploma of competence to any person
who acquires practical knowledge and experience of such work; and encouraging the acquisition of technical and scientific knowledge by means of lectures and papers descriptive of railway maintenance and construction. Throughout its history, the PWI has stood at the forefront of industry research, science, and innovation by bringing together and cultivating a solid community of experts and enthusiasts. In 2008-2009, the Committee of Members voted for organisational change. A strategic business review was conducted and the objective of becoming a 21st Century Professional Institution was established. In 2015, an increasing industry desire to recognise the professionalism that exists within railway infrastructure engineering meant the PWI received significant industry support to begin the application to become a licensed Professional Engineering Institution (PEI). With the support of the Board and in partnership with Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers, an affiliate licence was obtained in 2015 and in early 2019 the Institution became a full PEI in its own right.
Expanding focus While the title of the Institution describes what has traditionally been identified as the ‘Track’ or ‘Permanent Way’, the constitution of the PWI as set out in 1884 makes clear that the institution has
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS always had an interest in every aspect of the railway between the fence lines. In recent years, the PWI has become the focus for infrastructure electrification engineers and the institution’s president for the coming year is a very senior professional electrification engineer of many years’ standing. Rail Engineer asked the incoming president, Peter Dearman, why the PWI might attract electrification engineers. He explained that traction electrification is a system that requires the skills of electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers. OLE engineering is a mechanical discipline, the provision and distribution of electrical power are electrical disciplines, a the very prominent issue of OLE structures and foundations is a civil engineering discipline. The PWI offers a home not just for OLE engineers, and not just for electric traction distribution engineers. The institution will hopefully be seen as the home for electrification engineers as part of the whole community of Railway Infrastructure engineers. While the PWI is relatively small by comparison with the other institutions mentioned, like them it is registered with the engineering council and is increasingly focusing on all rail infrastructure.
Sustainability at heart The institution has set a sustainability goal as part of its core mission. Nationally, emissions from transport are now the UK’s largest contributor of CO2 and the sector’s rate of emissions reduction is low. Plans for the complete electrification of the UK rail network, using either fixed equipment or battery/fuel cell technology, will significantly help to improve the situation. However, the industry’s best bet to reduce emissions is through modal transfer: persuading passenger and freight road users to transfer all or part of their journey to rail. The PWI community possesses detailed understanding of high efficiency, electrically powered transport and railway infrastructure, making it very well placed to work with other PEIs, government, economists, social scientists, and industry to make sure that the right actions are taken with the urgency necessary. In light of this, Stephen Barber, CEO of the PWI has stated: “The PWI cannot create modal shift alone, but we can start the debate and help create a picture of how such shift might be facilitated.” Under the heading of ‘Making a difference’ and to make sure its voice is clearly heard, the PWI has established an
Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Decarbonisation chaired by membership director and past president, Joan Heery. The view is that engineering and engineers have a critical role to play in defining the policy and physical actions necessary to deliver decarbonisation and adapt our physical infrastructure to cope with changing weather patterns. Coordinated through the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professional Engineering Institutions and Learned Societies, the PWI is setting out to achieve the following: (i) capture current good practice and share learning and experience; (ii) agree a practical framework for interdisciplinary and cross-industry sector collaboration; and (iii) commit to working together and producing a practical framework, share learning and experience.
The PWI today Today, the PWI operates as a strong organisation with over three thousand members and counting, plus over 190 completed professional registrants, demonstrating ever-increasing importance to the industry. The institution exists to enhance the practice of railway engineering, the industry as a whole, as well as the careers of members, and achieves this through a comprehensive offering of training, learning and development opportunities, and resources.
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PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS Also provided are technical training courses designed by world-class experts. Thus, is delivered an impressive annual portfolio of technical conferences, seminars, meetings, and talks that unite rail experts from all over the country, and the world, to discuss the latest technologies and industry developments. Particularly valued is the provision of the quarterly technical journal that is recognised as one of the industry’s most valued publications. The institution also continues to grow its partnerships with corporate members, including the industry’s biggest names as well as its most historic heritage railways. Working increasingly closely with colleges and universities across the UK, through whom the PWI can directly influence and support rail engineering education, the institution’s demographic is broadening. Close working with partner institutions promotes a more diverse industry workforce with equal opportunities and fair standards. Supporting the core of the PWI is a highly enthusiastic volunteer network, including section committee members and ambassadors who contribute tirelessly to the
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
community. In support there is a strong online presence, encouraging active debate, discussion, and knowledgesharing through the many social groups. PWI Sections are the local link to the wider institution. They are effective for learning about rail projects, new technical developments, and networking with like-minded professionals. PWI Sections hold over 200 meetings a year on all aspects of rail infrastructure engineering throughout the UK and beyond. These meetings are open to all PWI Members, so they can dip into other regions when it suits them. Non-members are also welcome to attend as a taster and will be invited to join up to the Institution if the experience was found beneficial. Other activities for members, organised by local sections, include technical visits and online talks.
Future focus The PWI’s PEI status signifies its journey from being one of the oldest, most consistent professional bodies to a membership institution and professional community like no other. As well as striving to continuously enhance and develop membership services and resources, the forward mission is to fully define the profession of railway engineering in the future. The aim is to encompass all infrastructure and be the centre for technical knowledge. On its website, the PWI sets out the aims clearly and states: “We will set and maintain professional standards and development, as well as improving competence and opportunity for continuous improvement. We will keep providing networking opportunities, catering for and mobilising our community. And we will provide mentoring opportunities to those with less experience… leading to sustainable growth within the industry and within our Institution. We will work ever closer with the education sector to influence and support the lifelong career journey of tomorrow’s engineers, managers, and leaders, and we will strive to support the greater good of the industry and all of its stakeholders.” With many thanks to Chief Executive Officer Stephen Barber, Vice President Peter Dearman, and Technical Director Brian Counter.
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Upgrading in May
B
eginning and ending with a bank holiday weekend, the month of May provides a great opportunity for Network Rail to get to down to work on some potentially disruptive projects.
This year was no different, besides the Late May Bank Holiday being shifted to accommodate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. But even when much of the country was celebrating, many rail professionals were hard at work. Rail Engineer takes a glance at some of the work carried out.
Early May Bank Holiday Over the Early May bank holiday (2 May), Network Rail and the rail supply chain delivered more than £70.7 million worth of engineering work. More than 4,000 worksites were delivered within over 980 possessions, delivering major enhancements as well as core renewals and maintenance works across the rail network. Twelve projects delivered infrastructure upgrades through a total of 19 worksites identified as RED through the Delivering Work Within Possessions (DWWP) standard. Important
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
projects were delivered across most regions, with a mixture of asset renewal schemes and enhancement schemes to enable future network upgrades.
Bishop Stortford (London End) S&C renewal Work at Bishop Stortford was part of the wider Bishop Stortford London End S&C renewal. At completion the project will deliver the renewal of 11 point ends and associated CAT11 Plain Line.
This is an asset condition driven renewal that has been prioritised by the Track RAM as part of the CP6 strategic business plan. The asset is life expired and will be replaced with modern equivalent units to provide a safe and reliable infrastructure, reducing the number of disruptive possessions, on a crucial Greater Anglia commuter line and freight route, to maintain these assets. The project is being delivered to avoid safety and performance issues would likely result in speed reductions and short notice disruptions. Work completed over the early bank holiday included 553 yards CAT 11 on Down
PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS Cambridge; snagging of previous core works; and FUW Tamping, with no issues raised.
SAS13 bridge reconstruction The existing SAS 13 Bridge was a rail viaduct which carried the Stechford to Aston (SAS) Lines over the Derby to Birmingham (DBP3) Lines and was made up of multiple brick arches and a concrete/steelspan. This project is required to remove and demolish the existing structure and replace with a single steel 92.5-metre-long structure spanning over the existing conventional railway (DBP3lines) and provide space for the installation of HS2 Ltd infrastructure. The works undertaken during week 5 (29 April - 2 May) saw the removal of the existing structure in preparation for the new
(OLE, Track, S&T, E&P); demolition and removal of the existing SAS13 structure; installation of East and West abutment pre-cast bearing shelf units; and track/ demolition protection removal on the DBP3 Lines (handed back early and at line-speed). Track circuit failures were identified in the DBP3 Lines when lifting out/removing the track/demolition protection, these were a result of damaged cables. The Network Rail Fault Team was contacted, new cables were installed, and the faults were cleared.
Okehampton line enhancements Following the reintroduction of the 15-mile-long Branch Line in 2021, the Phase 2 works looked to remove two existing temporary speed restrictions (TSRs) at Coleford and Fatherford by undertaking a
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structure installation which subsequently took place during week 6 (6 May) and completed in week 8 (23 May). The extended Bank Holiday weekend allowed sufficient time for the demolition works to be completed and handed back in time in preparation for the new structure installation works. Works completed included track/demolition protection installed on the DBP3 Lines; strip-out/removal of the rail systems on the SAS Lines
formation/ballast replacement and enhanced drainage system at both locations. Benefits of the work include increased passenger services as of 15/05/2022; faster journey times (following removal of speeds); increased passenger numbers travelling to Okehampton; elimination of “washout” risks to the infrastructure by installing drainage systems and geo membrane; and installation of a new maintenance access point to allow more frequent maintenance regimes.
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PERMANENT WAY & LINESIDE ASSETS Works included 620 yards of CAT07 at Fatherford, with associated CESS and cross drainage, and 300 yards of CAT07 at Coleford with crest, UTX, and carrier drainage system. Both sites had Terram Hydrotex installed throughout. All works were completed on time.
Rutherglen West Curve The Rutherglen West Curve renewal was due to be delivered under the Polmadie to Rutherglen remodelling project in 2018 but due design issues the renewal was cancelled. Rutherglen curve is a line of route used for empty coaching stock movements and has a tight radius requiring check rail throughout. Access was sought through the West Coast strategy plan along with the blockade of the Argyle lines through Glasgow. Due to isolation requirements, close working with Polmadie depot was required to allow electric traction associated with the operation of the Caledonian sleeper to pass at key times of the block. The key benefit for Scotland’s Railway is the replacement of an asset which was becoming life expired and had required holding works since the deferral in 2018. The works saw 26 track panels (456 yards) installed on a single line using a Kirow 250 Rail Crane, and the rails were checked throughout. No issues were identified throughout the delivery of the works.
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Tonbridge S&C renewal (phase 2) Network Rail replaced track in the Tonbridge As part of its £1.25 billion investment on the Kent route. The work focused on replacing the switches and crossings. Work over the May bank holiday included the renewal of four point ends 1123A/B and 1126A/B, and associated plain line; 200W/m points heating strips and rectified PHT’s; HW2121 points operating equipment (POE) for all point ends; and mechanical back drives. One issue involved a POE equipment failure (resistor) for the new points machine, and a spare was sourced from maintenance. The item was damaged before arriving on site and an investigation is ongoing as to the cause of the damage. Spares are to be ordered for future renewals.
North Wembley track renewal The early bank holiday saw 762 yards of track removed and replaced with new rail and sleepers, plus a 328 yard renewal of formation and ballast on the busy North London down fast line under the famous Wembley Stadium arch. The ageing components were replaced with state of the art G44 reinforced concrete sleepers and CEN60 rail. This, combined with the fresh formation and new ballast, will see a far more reliable, maintainable track on this busy 125mph Category 1A track.
The planned work was completed in full and on time including welding and stressing ready to open up to passengers on the morning of Tuesday 3 May.
Late May Bank Holiday The vast majority of Britain’s rail network remained open as usual over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2-5 June), with no closures into any of the major London stations meaning passengers could rely on the railway to join the celebrations. While hundreds of projects were delivered over the bank holiday, the majority of those were maintenance works with no disruption to passenger or freight services. A total of £55 million was invested in the rail network – lower than the £80 million programme that was delivered in the Late May Bank Holiday last year. Works included switches and crossings renewals on the line from Hayes to Lewisham to improve passenger safety, as well as work delivered as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade which saw rail replacement bus services in operation between Manchester and various locations in the north west. In addition, more than 420 metres of track was renewed in South Elmsall in Yorkshire and over 340 metres replaced in Adwick. The work saw the replacement of the rail, sleepers, and ballast. Rail Engineer thanks everyone involved in these works for giving up their time to ensure the network runs smoothly.
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FEATURE
Testingthethe New Alstom Bombardier acquisition one year on MALCOLM DOBELL
Alstom locations in UK and Ireland.
T
he UK’s railway rolling stock workshops have a proud history. Antecedents of Alstom include Robert Stephenson & Co. (manufacturer of the Rocket) which was founded in 1823 and was taken over by English Electric in 1944. In 1969, English Electric merged with GEC which became GEC Alsthom in 1989, and Alstom in 1998. In 1843, Crewe Works was opened by the Grand Junction Railway and Derby Litchurch Lane was opened by the Midland Railway in 1876. Both became part of British Railways in 1948, before being sold to a consortium including staff in 1988, becoming Adtranz in 1996. Adtranz was acquired by Bombardier in 2001. Alstom acquired Bombardier in 2021. It was against this historical background that Mike Hulme, engineering director Alstom UK introduced his George Ramshaw Memorial Lecture (see panel) entitled Testing the New Alstom: the Bombardier Acquisition One Year On. His talk focussed on the UK, but the impact of this acquisition will have been felt by everyone employed in both businesses worldwide. Mike said that he was particularly struck by a sentence in George Curry’s brief biography, explaining that George: “…was known for always being conscious that, in a technology-based industry, it was people who made things happen.” Mike reiterated that Alstom may well be an organisation that produces technologically sophisticated products but it is the people
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employed by the company, its customers, and its suppliers that make it happen. Mike’s lecture covered the challenges Alstom faced with the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. These included the different cultures, and systems, terms and conditions (both suppliers and people), combining systems, tacking major challenging projects and rebuilding a struggling Bombardier supply chain whilst combining it
with Alstom’s. Mike said he was pleased to find a very positive can-do attitude from both organisations to work together to resolve the major problems.
Alstom UK and Ireland 2022 Alstom now employs some 6,000 people in 33 locations across UK and Ireland (UK&I), including four large sites and 24 depots. It is a major signalling and infrastructure business and its Derby, Litchurch Lane factory is the UK’s and Alstom’s largest, measured by output. Fifty percent of all UK and 100% of London Underground/ Overground journeys are made on Alstom trains and Alstom supports 66% of the UK fleet. Derby, with a team of 2,200 people, is manufacturing a total of 2,660 Aventra vehicles of which about half have now
FEATURE
been delivered on top of the 4,500 cars delivered in the last decade. The factory is also building 280 monorail vehicles for Cairo. The Alstom Services organisation employs approximately 3,000 people over 28 sites supporting high speed, regional, metro, LRV rolling stock and locomotives. The combined rail systems and infrastructure business has a team of more than 750 people in the UK and Ireland. It is Network Rail’s largest CP6 signalling supplier and the largest supplier of ETCS onboard systems within the UK&I and is also the centre of excellence for the popular EBItrack track circuit. Alstom is also an infrastructure supplier
and is part of the ATC joint venture that fitted the track, rigid overhead conductor, and rail systems for the new build Crossrail central section. Using the metaphor of “the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, Mike described progress over the last year or so since the takeover, and the seven months since he arrived at the Derby factory to lead the engineering and design team of 400.
The good Mike was positive about the Aventra platform. Alstom had been absent from the UK new build market since trains based on the Juniper and Coradia platforms were built in the early 2000s. He saw the benefits of the “complete knock down
(CKD)” assembly process, which sees equipment and wiring installed on underframe, sides, ends, and the roof, before assembly into a vehicle. This results in better quality and lower production cost with just a little more weight. And the platform is highly adaptable. He emphasised the platform concept, as the 2660 vehicles delivered or on order have a variety of different configurations including DC power and 25kV, three different cab designs, different vehicle lengths, different door layout. “That’s six different projects for six different customers but all drawing on a common set of Aventra building blocks” he said.
Cairo monorail vehicle.
The bad All the positivity of the basic design could not disguise the serious problems that Alstom had to deal with when it took over at the start of 2021. The supply chain was suffering serious cash flow issues, due mainly to Bombardier’s well publicised issues arising from its aircraft manufacturing business. There were shortages of critical materials, yet anyone walking around the factory would see a huge amount of material in stock. Moreover, hundreds of part-completed cars were stored at Derby and other sites, each of which required
London North Western Railway version of class 730 under construction.
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FEATURE Elizabeth Line Class 345.
an individual rectification plan to bring it up to the correct configuration. The first action was to inject finance into the supply chain to stabilise the position, whilst planning the rectification of part completed cars and deal with the remaining disruption caused by Covid.
The ugly
Ethnic, age and gender diversity at the Alstom Litchurch Lane design/ engineering centre.
“The headlines were awful before we took over”, said Mike. Delays, workers being laid off, and payments to suppliers were just some of the problems highlighted. Indeed, the situation was so bad that none of the trains for some fleets had been accepted by the time the original contract stipulated they should all be in service. Some of this was Covidrelated, but not all. Alstom took a “start as you mean to go on” approach, said Mike, “ensuring that the design is frozen before sub assembly and car production begins, minimising modifications and ensuring they happen on the line not after, and having one rather than repeated test stages before acceptance and what we call ‘on time delivery’ to the customer”. Any engineer would recognise the importance of settling the configuration before starting the build. If the configuration
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is agreed, and the vehicles are built well in accordance with that configuration, then there will be confidence that the vehicles can be sold. Mike reported that there are now signs of improvement, with all the Crossrail trains and more than 60 of Greater Anglia’s class 720 5-car trains delivered, and just a few of London Overground’s class 710 units to go. Reliability is also improving. When Rail Engineer asked Mike what he thought his biggest remaining challenge was, he replied: “Aventra is a good basis for improved quality, but there is still much to do. The mechanical side is sound; still some issues but nothing that is insoluble. The big issue is still the complex internet protocol train control and monitoring system (TCMS). This requires significant integration between many subsystems each of which has its own software. When it works well there are
enormous benefits in terms of performance monitoring and maintenance planning, but we have more work to do.”
People One of the highlights Mike found was the composition and age profile of the Derby engineering team. Bombardier had been active in recruiting a diverse workforce, Mike said, adding that his team had over twice the national average percentage of female engineers, and 25% of his workforce were from 28 different countries. Positively for the railway industry, it is a young team with about 60% of the team under 40, compared with the most rail companies where the majority is usually over 40. Mike said: “I have been very impressed with the demographics of the Derby engineering team on age, gender, and ethnicity. It makes Derby even more of an asset.”
FEATURE The Future Mike compared and contrasted the three available technologies for zero carbon operation; in each case powered by electricity either from the overhead catenary, from batteries, or from a hydrogen/battery system such as Alstom’s iLint (covered in issue 145, November 2016). The Aventra platform can be provided with any of these power sources. The immediate future is the order for HS2’s trains, placed in December 2021 with the Alstom/Hitachi joint venture. Hitachi will build the carbodies and fit the traction and TCMS at Newton Aycliffe, while Alstom will manufacture the Derby-designed bogies in Crewe and fit out the trains in Derby. The Derby team will design the interiors with support from Alstom’s highspeed team based in Hennigsdorf Berlin.
Fifty-four of these state-of-the-art trains have been ordered at a cost of some £2 billion, covering manufacture and the first 12 years of maintenance. They will be 360 km/h, 8-car, 200-metre-long trains - a total of 432 cars. Each 8-car unit will have four motor and four trailer cars. Carbodies will be welded aluminium and there will be a high level of regenerative braking. Separate pantographs will be fitted for the conventional and HS2 lines, and onboard ETCS will be installed from new. The trains will be maintained at a new depot at Washwood Heath (where the old Metro-Cammell factory was located) and north of Crewe. Testing is planned over the period 2026 to 2030, with maintenance obligations beginning when the customer starts taking over the trains. Mike concluded by saying: “We have a leading position in rolling stock, train maintenance, and a strong position in signalling, but with that leadership comes responsibility to the wider rail sector. The integration has gone well and we have learnt some valuable lessons too: investing in the supply chain, combining production, systems, and cultures, putting people first. Finally, we must all prepare for the future by using technology to tackle climate change, and by attracting the right people to our industry.”
George Ramshaw Curry. George Ramshaw Curry George Curry joined what was then the Locomotive Manufacturers’ Association as Assistant Director and was appointed Director in 1954. Over the next 31 years, he was responsible for the progressive expansion into the Locomotive and Allied Manufacturers Association and its transition, in 1971 to the Railway Industry Association (RIA). Retiring in October 1985, George had seen the gradual expansion of RIA’s membership, influence, and agenda. He was well-liked and was known for being conscious that, in a technology-based industry, it was people who made things happen. Many engineers and managers benefited from his personal interest in their careers. Recognising his immense contribution to the railway industry, George was made a Companion of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1985, a rare distinction awarded to those non-engineers who have rendered important services to mechanical engineering. He died in June 1986 after a brief illness but his legacy lives on, particularly through the IMechE organised annual George Ramshaw Curry Lectures.
London Overground Class 710.
Mike Hulme, engineering director, Alstom Mike Hulme joined Alstom in 2001, initially as Validation Manager, Preston Transit. Since then, he has held senior positions in UK Transport Service, including Supply Chain Director West Coast Main Line, Engineering and Tender Director, Services Vice President and most recently Projects Director. As engineering director, Mike heads Alstom’s UK capability in vehicle design and systems engineering including the 400 engineers based at Derby Litchurch Lane. Mike assumed the role soon after Alstom’s acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. Mike has co-chaired the Northern Rail Industry Leaders Group focused on promoting the north’s rail industry, is on the Liverpool City Region LEP, and is an honorary professor at Aston University Business School, providing support and guidance for the Advanced Services Group.
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MALCOLM DOBELL
I
n Issue 195 (March/April 2022) Rail Engineer reported on a February 2022 Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ seminar which examined the factors that might lead to rolling stock cracks and fractures. The article presented two case studies showing how these issues had affected two fleets. The second part of the article, presented here, focusses on the Intercity Express Trains which were suddenly withdrawn from service in May 2021. With the passage of time since the seminar there are updates to the story, particularly with the publication of ORR’s final report into its investigation. A case study of the Class 80X Cracked Yaw Damper/Anti-Roll Bar (ARB) Brackets and Vehicle Lifting Pads issue, was presented by Andrew Skinner, head of engineering, at Great Western Railway (GWR).
Background The Class 80X fleet currently numbers over 1200 vehicles, operated by First Group (GWR, Trans Pennine Express, Hull Trains & Lumo) and government owned London North-Eastern Railway (LNER). The trains were manufactured by Hitachi and are owned by Agility Trains, Angel Trains, Beacon Rail and Eversholt Rail. Similar trains are on order for East Midlands Railway and Avanti. This case study focused on the GWR sets (just over 600 vehicles) which are owned by Agility Trains & Eversholt Rail and maintained by Hitachi which is also the Entity in Charge of Maintenance (ECM). Andrew explained that the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (as amended) requires a transport operator to have a safety management
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system. Specifically, Regulation 5(1)(d) requires an operator ensures “…the control of all categories of risk including new or existing risks associated with the operation in question…”, and, as the operator, GWR must work with stakeholders and partners to assess, control, and manage new risk, but is always the responsible party. The trains are equipped with both inside frame and outside frame bogies. They have motor and trailer bogies and there are differences in mass between different vehicles in the formation. The photo overleaf shows an inside frame bogie on an intermediate vehicle with all the key components affected by this issue labelled. There were early signs of a problem when marks were discovered on a bolster above the yaw damper bracket mounting, initially thought to be score marks left after trimming some bodyside vinyls. The marks polished out and were repainted, but the marks returned; clearly a crack, confirmed after NDT (dye penetrant). A special check was initiated, and eight out
FEATURE
Blue areas: affected by fatigue cracks.
Red areas: affected by SCC.
of 93 units were found to be affected. 800013 exhibited a different crack. An investigation started and investigators observed the subtle differences in the arrangements. The heaviest vehicles had the yaw damper bracket bolted to the body bolster and then the ARB top link was bolted to the yaw damper bracket, whereas on driving trailer vehicles, which are lighter, the yaw damper bracket and the ARB top link was secured separately, with six fastenings compared with four on the intermediate vehicle. Andrew explained that the nature of the forces reacted by the vehicle bolster, horizontal for the yaw damper and vertical for the ARB, are both cyclic in nature and alternating in direction and intensity. This issue, which had been notified to all other operators, was believed to be fatigue in the weld between body and bolster. Structural analysis to support a risk assessment had shown the vehicles to be safe to operate while an inspection regime was put in place and interim/permanent repair schemes were developed. All in all, the issue was under control.
Discovery Then, on Saturday 8 May 2021, cracks were visually detected in parent metal at the other end of the bolster around the lifting pad. The ECM took the decision to withdraw the affected fleet, due to the risk that a large piece of metal could become detached and injure someone alongside the train or even derail it. This left only three units serviceable. Discussions started between the partners and stakeholders, with GWR the responsible transport undertaking. Andrew said that there was an extra challenge as it was a weekend, but everyone took a deep
breath and started to talk about what actions to take. The defects were puzzling as there is only very limited operational loading in the lifting pad, and a working hypothesis was formed that this was stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Part of the initial challenge was the partners’ limited knowledge of SCC (see panel). A number of cross industry peer groups were set up with technical reviews led by the ECM and supported by an independent third party. It was rapidly established that the lifting pad was manufactured from grade A7204 (7000 series) aluminium plate which is prone to SCC. As already stated, this area is not highly stressed in service but there were residual stresses as the area had not been stress relieved after welding during manufacture, and the area was exposed to corrosive atmospheres with the UK’s endemic moisture and rainfall, as well as along the sea wall at Dawlish (UK seawater has a salinity of just 3.5%). The SCC boxes were ticked. Once the issue had been understood, at least in part, a risk assessment was carried out and an inspection regime was put in place, which allowed the overwhelming majority of the fleet to be returned to service. Later a weld repair for the lifting pad was agreed.
Containment With the fleet back in service, there was breathing space to develop permanent solutions. A lifting pad was removed, and bolster welds were excavated and subject to metallographic inspection. To aid inspection, low and high frequency eddy current testing with bespoke probes and procedures were developed for this configuration. The next question was “where else might be affected by SCC?” Hitachi carried out a review and determined the risk areas to be where all the following factors were present: 7000 series aluminium used, plate thickness greater than 12mm, plate edges cut or machined close to a weld bead (i.e., where the distance from the edge of the weld bead is less than the plate thickness), and where the cut or machined surface had no stress relief process applied. The areas affected were identified and, on inspection, a crack was found in a coupler support bracket plate with a very low risk of catastrophic failure. Cracks were also found in yaw damper bracket stiffeners, and these required temporary weld repair before service. Finite element analyses of the lifting pad and yaw damper/ARB area were produced with appropriate welds omitted
Typical bolster fatigue crack.
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FEATURE Typical bolster fatigue crack.
to simulate cracks. This informed a HAZID/risk assessment and helped the development of control measures. For the lifting pad, a maximum of two cracked faces was allowed. For the yaw damper/ ARB bolster, visually identified cracks less than 200mm were allowed. These checks were carried out daily by maintainers. Non-destructive testing of known cracked yaw damper and ARB bolsters was carried out every 30 days with the same length limit. The inspection process generated a great deal of data about the locations and lengths of cracks. It was also necessary to address the labour and time intensive daily checks. With information coming in about over 2400 locations daily, and just for the GWR fleet, managing it all was unsustainable. Further FEA analysis demonstrated that with specific welds intact there was no risk of lifting pad detachment. This allowed the check to be moved to 36 days with any new cracks having to be repaired in the following 36 days. The yaw damper bracket/bolster crack propagation rate had been monitored over a period of months and had been calculated on both a mileage and calendar basis. From examination of the worst cases, it was shown that a modest shortening of the allowable limit from 200mm to 180mm would allow this inspection frequency also to be extended to 36 days.
achieve. Moreover, during testing with strain gauges over representative routes there were occasions where the loads on both the yaw damper bracket and the ARB drop link exceeded the design assumptions affecting the fatigue life. Both factors informed the development of new parts that would be welded onto the existing carbodies. Different solutions are required on different vehicles which have all been strain gauge tested. One of the designs is illustrated. Andrew closed with wise words for people leading or otherwise involved with such crises: always remain curious; if it’s a new problem, read up on it; don’t panic; work and communicate with peer groups across stakeholders; remember ROGS - the requirement to control new and existing risks; use experts and independent review to verify proposals; take things a step at a time; model and test where appropriate; keep talking, freely share with others & keep the commercial folk out of the room; and, finally, make arrangements to keep the day job going.
Permanent bolster repair With the issue being managed, Andrew reported that work is under way to develop permanent repairs. Through continued technical research and development as well as stakeholder dialogue it had been established that it is difficult to weld to the root of the body/bolster interface and consequently full weld fusion would be difficult to
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ORR review Since the seminar, the ORR has published its final report into its investigation of the cracks on the class 80X Intercity Express Trains. It also reviewed Hitachi’s investigation into cracks which occurred on the different designs of bolsters on classes 385 (ScotRail) and 395 (South Eastern Trains), and SCC on class 395 obstacle deflector brackets which is being managed using similar approaches to those being employed on the Intercity Express trains. The report aimed to: (i) Determine the root cause of the cracking at the lifting end of the bolster and around the yaw damper/ anti-roll bar connections to the body; (ii) Examine how the industry identified the problem, assessed the safety risk, withdrew the trains from service, and later reintroduced them; and (iii) identify areas for improvement. This short note covers just points one and three as the second point is outlined in the case study above.
Fatigue cracking ORR reported that Hitachi’s technical review of the fatigue cracking at the yaw damper body mount had concluded that: (i) fatigue cracking was caused by the area of the bolster subject to yaw damper and ARB loads being greater than allowed for in the original design; (ii) there was evidence of poor fusion in the weld between the bolster and the car body which was one of the causes of the cracking; and (iii) Hitachi has identified that the geometry of the components prior to welding contributed to the poor weld fusion identified above. ORR reported that: “the applicable standards define the accelerations to be taken into account when designing rolling stock but do not directly mandate the strength of components, which will
STRESS CORROSION CRACKING - FROM ORR REPORT: Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) is a mechanism whereby cracks develop in susceptible materials when they are exposed to a specific corrosive environment while subject to mechanical stress. The stresses involved in SCC are usually significantly lower than those involved in mechanisms where the stress alone is sufficient to cause cracking, thus making certain materials susceptible to cracking under conditions where the mechanical design would
otherwise be sufficient to prevent it. SCC has been likened to the fire triangle where fuel, heat, and oxygen must all be present for combustion to take place; if any of the three elements are missing then there is no fire. In the case of SCC, the three elements are: (a) the susceptibility of the material (b) the specific corrosive environment to which the material is susceptible (c) mechanical stress in the material
FEATURE depend on the individual vehicle design. Other rolling stock built in conformance to these standards has not presented similar problems. It is not yet known for certain the reason for the in-service fatigue loads on the rolling stock to exceed those Hitachi derived from the standard. Potential factors that have been suggested include wheel wear and track specification. “Hitachi’s testing has identified a difference in loads arising from new and worn wheel profiles. Further work needs to be undertaken to evaluate whether the characteristics of track on the routes over which Class 80X rolling stock operates differ from those assumed by the standards. There is no evidence that the condition of the track on the routes was anything other than compliant with the applicable standards and therefore conformed to its specification.” ORR Recommended that the “industry should conduct further work to identify the reasons for the higher levels of fatigue loading experienced by [this] rolling stock. Since the Hitachi design complied with the applicable industry standards, the industry as a whole should evaluate whether the applicable standards take into account the loads arising from operation on the rail network in Great Britain.”
Example new yaw damper/anti-roll bar bolster bracket welded to carbody. (photo from ORR report)
Stress corrosion cracking ORR’s report identified that the three factors, all of which have to be present to cause the cracks, was the choice of a 7000 series aluminium alloy, the presence of sodium chlorides in the typical UK atmosphere, and residual stress arising from the welding of the lifting plates which had not been stress relieved. ORR recommended that designers of rolling stock should understand the risk posed by SCC and evaluate it if proposing 7000 series aluminium components. Its recommendations include: » Avoiding its use on components that are likely to be exposed to mildly corrosive atmospheres when residual weld stresses are present. » Where used, aluminium plates less than 10mm thick are preferable. » Where used, the exposed grain structure ends of extrusions should be protected using a technique such as welding. » Avoiding residual weld stresses. » Employing surface protection such as weld buttering on all components that present a risk of SCC. » Avoiding the use of paint as a protective measure. » Exploring residual stress relieving methods. ORR’s review concluded: “We have not identified any potential breach of health and safety law as the train operators have demonstrated effective management of risks throughout the process through working closely with Hitachi and other organisations.” ORR plans to use the knowledge from this review to inform their continued engagement with all the parties.
Rail Engineer comment on the ORR report Both GWR and the ORR say that the loads experienced by the yaw damper/anti-roll bar mounting were higher than had been assumed in the design and verified during testing. ORR also reported an issue with weld quality but made no comment about how much each issue contributed to the cracking. The key standard, EN 12663 offers three ways to assess the loads: (i) dynamic modelling, (ii) measured track quality over the intended or similar route, or (iii) empirical data. It offers some basic values that can be used for the third option, suggesting strongly that these might be used if nothing better is available. Rail Engineer notes that the September 2021 ORR interim report stated: “The train design and joining methodology were subject to computer modelling and analysis, and fatigue load testing of a sacrificial car body. Input loads were calculated using track data received by Hitachi as a part of contractual documentation.” However, the source of this data is not clear. Possibly it could have been the specification for assessment of ride comfort or the more comprehensive data from Network Rail’s New Measurement Train (NMT). Was the more extensive NMT data asked for and if, so were they made available? This issue is likely to be central to the commercial settlement negotiations between Hitachi and its customers. It was also surprising to see the statement that “loads were somewhat higher than had been assumed for the design”. Given that the issue affects all the trains Hitachi has supplied to UK, perhaps there is something systemic about their understanding of the load environment, the use of that information in the design, the quality of construction, or a combination of all three. ORR recommended: “Since the Hitachi design complied with the applicable industry standards, the industry as a whole should evaluate whether the applicable standards take into account the loads arising from operation on the rail network in Great Britain.” It was not clear to Rail Engineer why the ORR should consider that the standard (presumably EN12663) needs to be reviewed, so we put this point to the ORR. ORR’s Giles Turner commented: “From the material we considered, we were satisfied that the requirements of the applicable legislation were met and the statutory process in turn confirmed that the appropriate standards were complied with. An independent accredited body reviewed the designers’ work and there has been no suggestion of shortcomings in this process. However, the design nonetheless resulted in fatigue cracking. Therefore, quite simply, we recommend that the industry review the standard.” Turning to stress corrosion cracking, this was not something that had been a significant issue in GB rail and led many engineers to resort to textbooks. What has become clear is that the choice of material, type and thickness; the prevailing environment; and how it is used (e.g., if the construction method led to residual stress in the structure), were all factors that caused the SCC and eliminating any one of these would have eliminated the risk. The atmospheric environment is a fact of life, any examination of the routes these trains operate would have identified the saline atmosphere even without considering the impact of damp, rain, and salt on roads. The other two issues were both in the hands of the supplier. Aside from the cost already incurred – service disruption, inspection and temporary repairs - there is no doubt that this will be an expensive rectification programme, likely to be in excess of £100 million.
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PAUL DARLINGTON
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here is an increased focus today on equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) for employers, employees, and prospective employees. Organisations that actively engage in EDI values are able to attract and retain individuals from diverse groups and, through greater inclusion, they can recruit the very best talent. However, we should not embrace diversity just because it delivers a better business outcome. EDI is fundamentally right and fair. If done properly, EDI should also be more than a token ‘box ticking’ exercise.
Best practice To talk about EDI best practice, Rail Engineer recently met Sana Wajid CEng MICE FPWI CMngr CMI who is a principal engineer (Southern region) at Network Rail. Throughout last year, Sana produced a series of YouTube interviews called ‘21 Inspirational Men leaders 2021 supporting Women in Science and Engineering’. The interviews featured senior male leaders in Network Rail who Sana identified had inspiring personalities and exemplary leadership skills, and a good understanding of the requirements of EDI and
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Equality, diversity, and inclusion in rail diversity (gender, racial, disability, and sexuality). She put questions to the leaders to explore the understanding of the barriers women face and how the company is looking at ways to understand the root causes, together with some great initiatives to improve gender diversity. For all good employers to achieve business success they need to recruit good people with diverse backgrounds, experience, and talents. They need to make every effort to ensure their people practices and company polices reflect the true value of every individual, and to continually foster an open, equal, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Not only is this good business practice and the right thing to do, but the Equality Act 2010, requires employers to: eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; promote equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ (such as age, disability or race) and those who do not; and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic. Building an organisation or business, where everyone’s contribution is valued and where they believe they belong and can feel comfortable and flourish, enables the establishment of a more innovative and creative workforce.
What is EDI? Equality means employees having the right not to be discriminated against because of who they are or what makes them different from other people, and every individual must have an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. Diversity means having a have a mix of people, with each person bringing their unique set of skills, talent and experiences to help the employer achieve greatness in all they do. Good diversity is including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders and sexual orientations. Inclusion means employees having a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute to everything, as well as being appreciated for the uniqueness of what they bring to enhance the performance of the organisation. An inclusive organisation is one where behaviours are encouraged to enable inclusion and one where any behaviours that undermine inclusion are reduced. A good organisation should create a climate where EDI is welcomed and valued, and where all employees’ knowledge and expertise is valued and used. Many companies focus their initial work on women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees as they are consistently under represented at senior levels. But it is also important to support EDI across all characteristics.
Highly motivated With a Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, Pakistan, Sana moved to the UK to obtain her Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Structural Engineering from the University of Warwick. She gained her CEng in May 2019, via the Institution of Civil Engineering, and has been awarded Diplomas in Management, and Business Administration and Management from the Chartered Management Institute. Sana is a Fellow of The Permanent Way Institution. She manages a team of track bed design engineers and, among many other
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FEATURE Amazing leadership After leaving Warwick as a qualified structural engineer, Sana initially joined an American company based in the UK. This was a challenge as she was the only female engineer leading the development of a structural portal system for the timber frame industry. This was successfully patented and Sana took the system from its early development through to being marketed as a commercial product. Not wanting to become a one subject expert, in 2012 Sana was attracted to Network Rail for its engineering diversity and she knew it was a good company to work for. She has not been disappointed and is very appreciative of the “amazing” senior leaders in rail who have been very helpful and pushed, challenged, and inspired her to do the very best in her career, and to make a difference. This is not just people within Network Rail, as for example she told me she has also met a number of great inspirational leaders in both the DfT and ORR. Since joining Network Rail Sana has gained engineering experience and promotion as: structures design engineer; senior engineer (buildings); senior engineer (track and lineside); and in her previous role was a design team manager for track bed investigation team involving both plain line, and switches and crossings. Sana has also been involved with track geometry and gauging disciplines, where she also led some of the incident investigations and represented Network Rail for witness statements in court trials.
EDI initiatives
responsibilities, is a continuous improvement champion leading a number of improvements for the Network Rail design delivery track bed team. The team provides improved and optimised track bed design, and bespoke track form design solutions for difficult sites via advanced track geometry analysis. The team also provides a unique service for routes using desktop study data to identify the required track bed treatments. It was soon clear from our conversation that Sana is highly motivated and technically proficient, with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate at all levels, and she is passionate to motivate everyone to improve EDI. She wants to be responsible for creating an environment where people can feel safe to contribute different ideas, or challenge the way things are done, and she wants to develop and enhance the necessary behaviours to help, in particular women and BAME engineers, to build a better railway and society for tomorrow.
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In wanting to continually look for new EDI initiatives, Sana tries to do something different each year. She initiated a ‘bring your child to work’ scheme which was very successful and oversubscribed, and which has been adopted nationally. Network Rail has a target of achieving 50% female employees by the end of 2024, but Sana has already exceeded this in her team with 70% female engineers. She has worked hard in finding new ways of working during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as adopting very flexible working hours. Change is never easy, she acknowledges, but she wants to introduce change and new ways of working to make a better railway for everyone. Network Rail has a scheme which provides managers with up to five ‘volunteer’ days a year, which Sana and many other engineers use to go into schools to assist young people with their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies. She participates in STEM for both primary and secondary schools up to A level standard. Her participation in STEM varies every year including a programme called Intro2Rail last year, which is a new competition
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FEATURE edited and produced by Sana and her husband, with no external help. They are inspirational and easy to watch.
A joint effort
designed to connect young students with opportunities in the rail sector through hands-on projects and engagement with industry volunteers.
Inspirational Sana explained that STEM activities are great way to inspire young people into engineering and to address any concerns they may have, and to explain to the next generation of engineers that Network Rail is not just men on the track in orange clothes. Sana has also instigated a programme of ‘listening’ exercises to identify how young BAME engineers feel regarding inclusivity and what needs to be done to overcome the barriers. Good progress is being made in
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
some parts of rail with diversity, but more needs to be done. Her advice to young BAME and women engineers is to always believe in yourself, and do not let anyone tell you what you can do and cannot not do as a career. If you are different then that is a positive, as you can contribute different ideas to an organisation like Network Rail. You must also take criticism positively. This can be difficult and not easy, but it is an important skill. To support Women in Engineering 2021, Sana instigated ‘21 Inspirational Men leaders supporting Women in Science and Engineering’, in which she questioned 20 rail leaders, plus her own father. The videos have been professionally
The leaders questioned by Sana include Andrew Haines, chief executive, and Martin Frobisher, group safety and engineering director, Network Rail, and Peter Wilkinson, managing director, Passenger Services, Department for Transport (DfT). The questions put to them include: What was your career journey? What were your challenges? What does EDI mean to you? What are your views of women in science and engineering? I asked her why she had only questioned men? She explained that EDI for women in rail needs to be a joint effort and not just left to the females in engineering. “We need to inspire men throughout the organisation to inspire the women to succeed and make world a better place”. Sana certainly inspired me, and I recommend you take a look at her YouTube work which can be found on her YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/ channel/UCt6mmmAVbSZp1ps QeoMwl8g
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Devolution Derby A RACE AROUND THE DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATIONS OF WALES, LIVERPOOL AND SCOTLAND
ATT at CAF’s Newport plant.
(Below left) Class 231 FLIRT units at Cardiff Canton depot. (Below right) Santa Teresa.
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hile “race around” may be a slight exaggeration, the IMechE’s Annual Technical Tour (ATT) always has a demanding schedule. This year’s tour, the first since 2019, travelled from Cardiff to Glasgow via Shrewsbury and Liverpool. Its 30 participants visited 14 sites of railway and historic interest by using 11 trains, 13 coach trips, and a canal boat. As always, there was much to learn. On this tour, it was impressive to see how three devolved administrations had developed optimum infrastructure/rolling stock solutions for their requirements.
DAVID SHIRRES
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Sunday AM – Cardiff Canton The tour started at Cardiff Canton depot to see trains old and new. Transport for Wales (TfW) has ordered 11 Class 231 Stadler-built FLIRT (Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train) diesel units of which six had been delivered at the time of the visit. These are wholly articulated units with four passenger cars and a sevenmetre-long diesel power car in the centre of the train. This has four independent engine bays each with a Deutz 480kw V8 engine that meets stage V emission limits.
The party also had the opportunity to examine a set of ex-LNER Mark 4 coaches. TfW currently has three such sets of which two are needed to operate its thrice-daily each way Holyhead to Cardiff service. Also to be seen were the Class 150, 153, and 769 DMUs based at the depot. The replacement of most of these units by TfW’s new train fleets will transform maintenance at Cardiff and present a significant transitional challenge.
Sunday PM – BMR The 4.5-mile-long Brecon Mountain Railway (BMR) operates between Pant, just north of Merthyr Tydfil, and Torpantau, 1313 feet above sea level. It was built on the trackbed of the standard gauge line Brecon and Methyr
FEATURE Railway which closed in 1964. Its first section opened in 1980 with the line to Torpantau completed in 2014. The tour group travelled on a train hauled by 2-62 Locomotive No 1, Santa Teresa, built in 1897 by Baldwin of Philadelphia. It was originally a 2-6-0 metregauge locomotive operating in Brazil, then was converted to 2ft 6-inch gauge to work at a Sugar Mill. It was brought to the UK in 1990 and, in 2002, was purchased by the BMR which substantially rebuilt it and converted it to its 1ft 11 ¾ inch gauge for use since 2019. On the way back to Cardiff the party walked along the Penydarren Tramroad. This was thought to have the first iron rails made for flanged wheels. These were laid on stone block sleepers that can still be seen. Trevithick's locomotive was the first engine to pull a load on a railway when it ran on it in 1804.
Monday AM – TfW The new £100 million Metro depot under construction close to Taffs Well station is a visible sign of the Welsh Government’s intent to transform its Core Valley Lines (CVL) rail services. At the adjacent Control Centre, site presentations and new train mock-ups showed how CVL services and elsewhere in Wales will be revamped over the next few years. TfW took ownership of the CVL lines from Cardiff to Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr
Tydfil, Rhymney, Treherbert, and Radyr in March 2020. Immediate actions to address the lack of capacity were increasing its single-car class 153 fleet from eight to 23, and using class 37 hauled coaches on the Rhymney line. These are the first steps in a £750 million programme to transform CVL services as part of the Welsh Government’s aspirations for modal shift to public transport, which also includes innovative bus solutions and active travel.
The CVL electrification totals 170 single-track-kilometres and includes widespread use of permanently earthed sections (PES) and catenary free sections (CFS). This saves around £200 million by avoiding 60 track/civil interventions and electrification at complex locations. However, it requires the use of Battery EMUs which are significantly more expensive to buy and run than EMUs. Complex power modelling has been undertaken to ensure battery state of charge is maintained and that power limits are not exceeded.
These routes will be operated by 36 x 3-car Class 398 Stadler Citylink tram trains as well as 7 x 3-car and 17 x 4-car Class 756 Stadler FLIRT Tri Mode units. The 100 km/h Class 398s are powered by 25kV and batteries. They will run to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil with the intention that these services will be extended onto 15-miles of new Cardiff area street tramways. The 120 km/h Class 756 units have one engine and three battery packs in their centre power cars. They will run from Rhymney/ Coryton to Penarth/Barry and Bridgend. The new CVL services will be fully operational by 2025. As well as offering new trains, these will double the frequency of the current timetable. TfW is also procuring: 51 x 3-car and 26 x 3 car CAF built class 197 DMUs for use on North Wales, Cambrian, and Marches services; 5 x 3-car class 230 Vivarail units for the Wrexham to Bidston route and has acquired an additional 5 x 5-car sets of Mark 4 coaches for Manchester to Cardiff services. The group was impressed to learn how train travel throughout Wales is about to be transformed. Rail Engineer will return to this topic soon.
Class 398 mock up.
Artists impression of new Taffs Well Metro depot.
Monday PM – Port Talbot The scale of a steel plant such as the Tata Steel Works at Port Talbot has to be seen to be fully appreciated. It employs 3,800 staff and has two blast furnaces with a maximum
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(Below) Original and hybrid locomotives at Port Talbot.
combined annual capacity of 5 million tonnes, and produces 3.8 million tonnes of rolled steel products per annum. The tour, however, had not come to see the steel works but the operation of the plant’s railway.
the few minutes to go up the plant’s maximum gradient, the hybrid locomotives only require an engine with a seventh of the power of original locomotives. The traction batteries are relatively cheap and heavier lead acid batteries which weigh 16 tonnes. This extra weight is an advantage as it helps ensure the locomotive has the required adhesion for its heavy load.
Tuesday AM - CAF
(Right) New Class 397 at CAF’s Newport plant.
(Above) Hybrid locomotive hauls two torpedoes.
This transports two hot metal torpedoes over the 1.5 miles between the blast furnaces and steel mills. Of this, 0.5 miles has a 1 in 60 gradient. The torpedoes have a combined weight of 1,200 tonnes, of which 800 tonnes is molten metal. They have no brakes so are pushed up the gradient. Each one is carried on four three axle bogies and so has a 50-tonne maximum axle load.
The plant has 16 locomotives, five of which are diesel hybrid locomotives. The original 1953-built diesel locomotives have a 384-kW diesel engine which compares with a 55-kW engine in the new 90-tonne hybrid Clayton CBD90 locomotive. With maximum power output only needed for
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The plant has five zones which progressively build up the bodyshells, which spend seven days in each zone where about 1,500 man-hours work is done. All work is controlled by a digital factory app which tracks all stages of work and issues work instructions. The CAF plant at Newport is another topic to which we will return.
Tuesday PM – ROC and Pullman
Having heard of its plans for new rolling stock, a trip to the new CAF factory at Newport to see TfW’s Class 197 DMUs being built was the next port of call. Construction of this new plant started in July 2017 and was completed in September 2018. The first train to be built there, a class 195 DMU for Northern Rail, entered service in August 2019. The plant is currently building Class 196 DMUs for West Midlands and Class 197 DMUs for TfW.
The tour was split into two for short visits to the Wales Railway Operations Centre (WROC) and the TfW Pullman Rail workshop at Cardiff Canton. The visit to the WROC included a presentation on the integrated control centre in which Network Rail and TfW staff provide operational control, fleet management, and passenger information from common data sources. There was also an opportunity to see signallers monitor
Bodyshells for these units are shipped from Bilbao to Bristol, and the plant receives 10 lorries worth of parts and components per day from Europe. On arrival, much of this is stored in three off site warehouses. Wire harnesses that used to be made in Spain are now produced at the Newport plant. These weigh 850 kg and 5- 10% of their wiring is spare. It takes five people about a week to produce a harness which equates to about 300 manhours work.
automatically controlled train movements on their workstations and to try to relate the schematic signalling diagrams to the reality of the world outside. The WROC replaced Cardiff Signalbox when the Cardiff Area Signalling Renewals project was completed over the 2016 Christmas festive period. It has workstations for the Cardiff Valley Lines, Cardiff main line, and Vale of Glamorgan. In addition, WROC also controls 33 miles of the
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North Wales line between Shotton and Colwyn Bay, and the line between Crewe and Shrewsbury. The last two sections were low-cost modular resignalling schemes that, on commissioning, were recontrolled to the WROC. Visiting Pullman Rail was quite a contrast to the WROC. Here the group observed bogie overhaul and repairs that included welding, shot blasting, non-destructive testing, wheelset reprofiling, overhaul of suspension tubes, axle boxes, and final drive gearboxes at Pullman’s well-equipped facilities. It could be seen that the company had a wide range of customers including ScotRail, East Midlands Railway, South Western Railway, and London Underground’s Piccadilly and Jubilee lines. Pullman Rail became part of the TfW group who acquired the company from COLAS Rail UK in August 2021 to support the introduction of its new rolling stock programme. It was clear that Pullman has a full order book as there are now
relatively few UK companies that provide its services. After these visits the group caught the 17:16 train to Shrewsbury. This is TfW’s flagship service between Cardiff and Holyhead and so provided an opportunity to travel on the Mark 4 coaches previously seen at Canton depot.
Wednesday – Ironbridge Ironbridge B Power Station, at Buildwas, by the River Severn, stopped generating electricity in 2015. Its demolition was completed last year and a thousand homes, shops and other buildings are now to be built on the site. A railway line, that was closed to passengers in 1963, supplied coal to the power station and is now disused though remains part of Network Rail’s infrastructure. From the group’s hotel in Shrewsbury, it was only a 12-mile coach trip to where this line is being used to demonstrate the Revolution Very Light Rail (RVLR) which Malcolm Dobell, who was also on the ATT, fully describes
in issue 193 (Nov-Dec 2021). RVLR is a very light selfpowered train with 56 seats. Its 25-tonne vehicle compares with the 41 tonne 59-seat, single-car Class 153 DMU. It was created by a consortium led by Transport Design International Ltd (TDI) with Eversholt Rail, WMG at the University of Warwick, Cummins diesel engines, Transcal, RDM Group, and Prose (Switzerland) with support from DfT and RSSB. To demonstrate and test RVLR, the consortium has built a workshop, visitor centre and a platform, and has undertaken track remedial work which was essentially spot resleepering. This was done between February and September 2021 at a cost of less than £400,000. While the platform and buildings are temporary structures, not much more work would be required to start a service. Although RVLR has a maximum speed of 100 km/h, it is limited to 40 km/h. It is soon to be taken to Long Marston for extended and higher speed running. A pre-series production programme that will produce up to a further three vehicles will commence soon. The aim
(Left) RVLR at its temporary platform. (Right) RVLR in its temporary workshop.
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(Below) Ironbridge, birthplace of the industrial revolution.
(Right top) Old and new, Class 508 and Class 777 units. (Right middle) As Class 777 is a fully articulated unit, the depot has a set of synchronised jacks to lift the whole unit. (Right bottom) Class 777 articulated bogie.
is to have RVLR vehicles built and approved for passenger operations by early 2024. Although mixed-traffic operation is problematic for RVLRs, the Restoring your Railway programme provides opportunities for their use which could reduce re-opening costs. The ‘pop-up Metro’ concept of trial use on disused or little used freight lines is another option. With a million cars each year using Ironbridge car parks and a thousand homes to be built nearby, the line presents such an opportunity. There have also been expressions of interest from the USA and Middle East.
After leaving, the group visited the Ironbridge Gorge attractions to see how this was the birthplace of the industrial revolution.
Thursday – Liverpool An early morning train to Chester, then a 42-year-old Merseyrail Class 508 EMU, took the group to Liverpool James Street and Merseyrail’s Mann Island HQ by Liverpool docks for a presentation on the impending transformation of Merseyrail’s services. These offer a Metro style operation on its virtually self-contained DC network and have the UK’s oldest trains. It has 68 stations on its 75-route-miles, 6.5 miles of which are underground. The management of these trains was devolved from the DfT to Merseytravel in 2003. In
Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
2015 the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority secured a Devolution Agreement with government that enabled it to fund a £460 million modernisation of the Merseyrail Network. As described in issue 184 (May/June 2020), most of this is being spent on a new fleet of Stadler 53 x 4-car Class 777 EMUs which offer level boarding. Significant sums were also spent on infrastructure enhancements for these new
trains. This includes power supply upgrades, raising platforms to provide level boarding, wireless connectivity, and upgrading the Kirkdale depot. The Class 777 now has ORR approval for passenger use. Rail Engineer looks forward to reporting on their entry to service later this year. From James Street, Merseyrail trains took the party to Kirkdale depot. Here one half of the group had the
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opportunity to examine the enhanced depot and its new Class 777 units while the other half of the group tried to drive the new trains on the depot’s simulator. After the depot visit, the group caught the 16:12 Trans Pennine Express class 397 train to Glasgow.
Friday – Glasgow and Bo’ness In Glasgow, the group heard how, since April, Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) has managed, on behalf of the Scottish Government, the delivery of ScotRail services by ScotRail Trains Ltd, a wholly owned
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subsidiary of SRH. This offers an opportunity for ‘nofranchise’ thinking and scope to rethink how SRH works with Network Rail and other industry partners. It was also explained how the Scottish National Transport Strategy prioritises sustainable transport and, like the Welsh Government, is targeting modal shift from road to rail. Supporting this strategy is a Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan which requires electrification of Scottish core routes. Our accompanying feature on the PWI electrification seminar explains why Scotland is committed
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to electrification and how it is delivering it in a cost-effective manner. With 45% of the Scottish train fleet being of a pre1994 vintage, the urgent need to replace them with electric trains has defined the electrification strategy. In Fife, this has resulted in a plan for interim electrification by around 2025 to enable services to be operated by Battery EMUs. By 2035 these routes will be electrified for longdistance passenger and freight services.
Class 777 units driver simulator.
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There was also a presentation on the project to provide a passenger service on the six-mile disused freight line to Levenmouth. It was explained how the project was being delivered in accordance with Project 13 principles which focus on outcomes (e.g., making Levenmouth a better place to live, work and play) rather than deliverables. The line is expected to open in March 2024. After these presentations, the party took a trip to heritage railway at Bo’ness where the Scottish hydrogen train is being produced. On display were the hydrogen electrolyser, storage, and refuelling facility. There was also the opportunity to visit the Museum of Scottish Railways at Bo’ness.
Saturday – Falkirk Wheel On its last day, the group took a train to Polmont where it joined a canal boat provided
(Top) ATT takes slow boat to the Falkirk Wheel. (Right) Falkirk Wheel gate, seal and plumbing at the end the canal. Rail Engineer | Issue 196 | May-Jun 2022
by the Linlithgow Union Canal Society with your writer as its skipper. From there the boat cruised along the Union Canal and descended onto the Forth and Clyde Canal by the Falkirk Wheel rotating boat lift. This opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium project to re-open and reconnect the two canals. The trip finished at the Union Inn in Camelon, which was convenient both for lunch and the nearby train station for those travelling south. So ended the IMechE’s Railway Division’s 2022 Annual Technical Tour. Its participants included those from a wide variety of companies with young and retired engineers. As well as providing an opportunity to learn from the sites visited, for young engineers, the opportunity to have informal chats with experienced engineers was particularly useful. Normally, the ATT is a useful opportunity to see how international practice compares with that of the UK. Yet, whilst this year’s tour was within the UK, it provided an opportunity to compare the way that the devolved administrations of Wales, Liverpool, and Scotland are implementing strategies to improve and decarbonise their rail networks with the Westminster Government’s approach. We look forward to finding out where the ATT will go next year.
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