April 2012
i s s u e
90 “Arm-in-Arm” Delivery COLLIN CARR SPEAKS TO NETWORK RAIL’S BILL HENRY, PROJECT DIRECTOR FOR READING STATION
Kings Cross New Concourse
Jubilee Line Transformed
Catch 22 at Liverpool Street Station
The new concourse has opened and the train shed roof repairs complete in May.
The big test will come with the Olympics when daily ridership could rise to 2 million per day.
UK Power Networks Services are to carry out specialist high voltage power installation work.
written by rail engineers for rail engineers
available online at www.therailengineer.com
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 3
welcome Grahame Taylor’s
Operating notice “City of Reading, how broad and far.....” Well not quite. Reading recently missed out on its bid for City status and very disappointed they were too. But at least the rail engineer is giving full coverage of the Reading Station project. And ‘broad and far’ certainly describes the extent of the works. As Collin Carr notes this month, plant, equipment, mounds and ditches stretch five miles east to west and one mile north to south of the station. All being delivered ‘arm-in-arm’ apparently “one steadfast, high intent; one working band etc...” If you go down to the woods today to do a little project work, you’d better find out whether it’s a “Site of Special Scientific Interest” or SSSI. With about 230 on Network Rail land alone, there’s a real chance that you’ll have an encounter on the Green side. It’s not just plants and newts; SSSIs cover geological sites as well. Nigel Wordsworth has been uncovering glacial deposits in Essex that were hacked through by our Victorian forbears. We haven’t covered bogie design very often so this month Nigel went over to Austria to see the new Siemens SF7000 bogie, in both its trailer and motor bogie format. Every traditional design assumption has been questioned and the result is a bogie that is over 30% lighter than their current model. This work is all part of the speculative development of their next generation of trains that are undergoing trials on their test track in Wildenrath. It always seemed to be the prerogative of the Signalling engineer to write in acronyms. But this month David Shirres has provided a useful glossary of terms to help us out with the new world of smart ticketing. From AMS and CM to NFC and POST via HOPS, it could all get a tad confusing. But stick with it, the ITSO (there’s another one) smartcard could be at a station near you before you realise. At the other end of the technology scale, David has been finding out all about ballast recycling. It’s
been done for years, of course, to some extent, but we’re in a new league with the advent of high output ballast cleaners and dedicated recycling depots such as the one at Whitemoor. But look out, too, for creatures that thrive on contaminated ballast, munching their way through the oil and other unmentionables. When the Jubilee Line opened with its shiny new stock and its platform screen doors, I suspect many of us assumed that everything, including the doors, was automatic. Oh no it wasn’t! In the hurry to achieve an opening by the Millennium, the matching of the trains to those screen doors was achieved by skilful, manual train driving. Clive Kessell explains what went on in those early days and briefs us on how automation is being introduced not only on the Jubilee Line but in the vital depots as well. OK, the old concourse at King’s Cross was pretty chaotic, but as Clive reminds us, when it was built in the 70s it was a great improvement on what went before. Time and passenger traffic have moved on and, with the completion of this £550M project, the new concourse area - the ‘Flying Saucer’ - is a world away from the old. And no longer do the suburban passengers get a raw deal with their platforms hidden away round the back. For the first time they have facilities that are an integral part of the station. Infrarail starts on 1st May. As usual, the rail engineer will be running technical seminars. Details are included in this issue. Please also come along to our stand D20 and meet some of the team. By the time you read this, the gleaming and spotless Crossrail tunnelling machines should have made a tilt at the Paddington headwalls and started their journey Eastwards under London. They will not stay gleaming and spotless for long. Away from the press photo opportunities the real engineering will have begun.
Editor Grahame Taylor grahame.taylor@therailengineer.com
the rail engineer Ashby House, Bath Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire, LE65 2FH
Production and design Adam O'Connor adam@rail-media.com
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in this issue
Arm-in-Arm Delivery for Reading Station Collin Carr speaks to Network Rail’s Bill Henry, Project Director for Reading Station Project. King’s Cross New Concourse The new concourse is now fully opened.
8
14
Jubilee Line Transformed 18 The big test will come with the Olympics, when daily ridership could rise to 2 million per day. It’s Vital 22 Nigel Wordsworth speaks with Vital Services Group Founder and CEO, John Smith. Smartcards are coming 24 David Shirres reports on the current status of ITSO Smartcards - coming to a station near you soon.
Catch -22 at Liverpool Street UK Power Networks Services are to carry out specialist high voltage power installation work.
32
Bogies for Thameslink 34 Nigel Wordsworth visits Graz in Austria to check out the new SF7000 Siemens bogie for Thameslink. Infrarail 2012 42 With more than 180 exhibitors, free technical seminars from leading companies and keynotes by Minister Theresa Villiers, Howard Smith and Simon Kirby, this is one event you must not miss.
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Safety Systems; Plant & Equipment
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4 | the rail engineer | april 2012
IN BRIEF
news
SIGNALLING
Arup / Grimshaw / Costain for Euston HS2 Ltd has appointed engineering firm Arup to produce preliminary designs for the high speed terminus at Euston and a new Underground ticket hall. Alison Munro, Chief Executive of HS2, announced that Arup, supported by architectural firm Grimshaw and logistics specialists Costain, were awarded the £10 million contract “for their innovative approaches towards engineering, architectural design and construction logistics.” Working closely with Network Rail and London Underground, Arup will produce preliminary designs for the whole Euston Station complex, including the architectural design of the station. This work will form part of the hybrid bill documentation, to be deposited by the end of 2013.
FOSD is on Hubs The 2012 FOSD Conference will take place at London’s ExCeL on Friday 25 May. Rail stations are still at the heart of this year’s conference, but the emphasis will be on how integrated they are within their geographical location and how the other transport modes connect with them. It will explore how all hubs can work closer together with better shared information systems.
Collaboration keeps project on track Who says everything on the railways takes a long time? Thanks to a strong partnership between Atkins and Network Rail, the £9 million re-control project along the Northampton Loop Line will be delivered in June 2012, just 13 months after contract award. The Northampton Silver Re-Control Project, which covers the area from Hunsbury Hill Tunnel to Hillmorton Junction will include: • Transfer of Northampton, Mill Lane and Daventry solid state interlockings from Rugby Power Signal Box to the Rugby Signalling Control Centre, • Conversion from an Invensys WestCAD control system to a GE Transportation Systems Modular Control System, and
• A complete replacement of life expired signalling equipment along a 10 mile stretch at the north end of the loop. The tight timeframe on this project has meant that both organisations have had to take a different approach to complete the work on time. A ‘Collaboration Workshop’ was held at the start of the project and is a key theme throughout with the team now co-located on site. The strength of this Atkins/Network Rail partnership has led to a quick resolution of many issues so far. With the 2 June commissioning just two months away, plenty more collaboration will be needed.
STATIONS
Where’s Boris? At King’s Cross! With the guidance and direction of steering committee members Atos, SDG, FirstGroup, Crossrail, SSP, Rail Media and Atkins, FOSD will be looking at a wide range of services and procedures that enhance journey satisfaction. Find out more at www.fosd.eu
GARL rides again The Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), which was killed off by the Scottish government as being too expensive, has been revived. Airport operators BAA are proposing a tram-train link from the airport to the main Paisley-Glasgow railway line one mile south of the airport. One of the benefits of using a tramtrain is that they can negotiate tighter curves, allowing the new route to skirt the airport’s fuel depot. This will reduce the cost of the project from the projected £210 million that caused the original GARL to be cancelled. Transport Scotland are working on the proposal with BAA.
The new Western Concourse of King’s Cross Station, described in more detail by Clive Kessell later in this issue, is now open to passengers. Network Rail’s David Higgins, Secretary of State Justine Greening MP, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson visited the new facilities on Wednesday 14 March, and the first passengers used it on the morning of Sunday 18 March after all the safety systems were thoroughly checked. Said Boris: “Londoners are now seeing the benefits of a NeoVictorian flow of investment into transport infrastructure helping to improve travel across the city and create thousands of jobs. “The stunning revitalisation of King’s Cross station is set to play a vital role in the wider regeneration of this quarter of the capital. Together with the architectural marvel of St Pancras and an improved Tube station, we have created a truly stunning world class travel hub ensuring a splendid gateway for the millions of people using these stations every year.”
David Partridge from King’s Cross Central agreed: “This is the last piece of a jigsaw which has seen some £2.5bn invested into transport infrastructure at King’s Cross and St Pancras. The result is an area which
has unrivalled accessibility – locally, within London; nationally and internationally – providing a perfect platform for our successful multiphased development of 67 acres of land adjacent to the station.”
A vision realised North London Railway Infrastructure Project Atkins is proud to be part of the team which successfully upgraded the North London Line. A technically complex project requiring: • 3.5 million man hours • A demanding programme of delivery interfacing to 14 railway networks • A new Integrated Electronic Control Centre • Six solid state interlockings • Axle counter train detection system.
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6 | the rail engineer | april 2012
news HERITAGE
STATIONS
Cartouches come home
New life for old archives
Another part of the project to rebuild Blackfriars Station was completed this month. The station is being rebuilt by Network Rail to span the River Thames in London – a new south entrance was opened in December 2011 followed by the remodelled north entrance in January 2012. Now the two 16 tonne cartouches, which previously stood at the ends of the original Blackfriars Bridge, have returned from restoration. The large cast-iron emblems carry the insignia of the London, Dover and Chatham Railway which served Blackfriars until 1 January 1923 when it became part of Southern Railway. They stood at the southern end of the bridge that was designed by Joseph Cubitt (he who also designed King’s Cross) which was dismantled in 1985. The piers for this old bridge have been incorporated into the new Blackfriars Station, although that is primarily built over the adjacent St Pauls Bridge which dates from 1886. Laurence Whitbourn, Network Rail project director for Blackfriars, said: “At Blackfriars we’re building a contemporary station designed to
The original architectural drawings of the Forth Bridge, Paddington Station and even Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s signature have been captured and published for the first time on a new Network Rail virtual archive, bringing together 19th century engineering and 21st century technology. The website www.networkrail.co.uk/virtualarchive provides public access to view a special selection of the Network Rail archive, which holds over five million records. Visitors to the site can chart the history of the railway’s most significant structures and stations including the Forth Bridge, the Tay Bridge, Box Tunnel, and many main line stations. The archive holds records by the most famous railway engineers including Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Robert Stephenson, Joseph Locke and William Henry Barlow. While the drawings date from the earliest days of the railway they are still useful operational records today, as many show information such as foundations and original construction details. The drawings of Box Tunnel, signed by Brunel (below), show exactly how that tunnel was constructed and this is still important to the running of the railway today. The oldest records Network Rail holds are from the deeds collection. This collection charts the history of all the land the railway is built on. A set of deeds from 1684 relating to the land at Charing Cross, bears the signature of Sir Christopher Wren (land he once owned was in the 19th century sold to the railway). provide a better train service for growing numbers of passengers. But we’re not forgetting the station’s heritage. It’s great to see the historic cartouches restored to their former glory and back in place. They’re a testament to the Victorian engineering that has stood Blackfriars in good stead for the past 120 years.”
DEPOTS
Wednesbury Midland Metro depot to be extended CROSSRAIL
Crossrail Shortlist Centro, the Midlands’ transport authority, has awarded a £13.8 million contract to Morgan Sindall to extend the Midland Metro depot at Wednesbury. The existing Metro Centre at Potters Lane is being updated to receive 20 new trams as part of the £128 million expansion of the line. Jag Paddam, managing director of infrastructure at Morgan Sindall, said: “This is our first project for Centro and we look forward to working with them and delivering a project of which they can be proud. We offered a range of value engineering approaches which were enthusiastically received by the customer and which will help to ensure both expectations and budgets are met.” The work consists of a 42 metre extension to the east of the existing maintenance shed along with additional maintenance births, four new stabling sidings and a separate testing and commissioning shed. There will also be upgrades to the existing overhead line, infrastructure and communications, and a new substation will be constructed at Colliery Road, West Bromwich. It will create 15 new jobs once opened and work is scheduled for completion in summer 2013. The government gave the final go-ahead in February for work to start on a 0.8 mile extension from Snow Hill to New Street station in the heart of Birmingham.
Crossrail has announced the shortlist of companies for the major fit-out of its new rail tunnels as follows: • Alstom Transport / TSO / Costain JV • Balfour Beatty Rail • BAM Nuttal / Ferrovial Agroman / Kier Construction JV • Laing O’Rourke / VolkerRail JV • Rhomberg Bahntechnik / Alpine Bau / FCC Construccion JV. Construction of Crossrail’s tunnels will get underway in April when the first tunnel boring machine is launched from Royal Oak. By late 2014, the construction of over 21km of twin-bore tunnel, stretching across the capital via central London and Docklands, will have been completed.
The fit-out contract will be let early in 2013. As construction concludes, work will get underway to fit-out the tunnels with the necessary track and overhead power equipment to enable Crossrail trains to operate from 2018. This will include the installation of over 40km of track and overhead electric conductor beams. The ventilation and drainage systems will require over 50 ventilation fans, 40 kilometres of walkways, 60 drainage pumps, 30 kilometres of fire mains as well as lighting throughout the entire length. Fit-out works will be carried out within the entire tunnelled section of the Crossrail route, with the selected contractor starting fit-out simultaneously from both Royal Oak and Plumstead portals.
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8 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature Internal challenge writer
Collin Carr to improve the railway at Reading P lans were first launched in September 2008. Since then, contracts have been let and work has been progressing on this £850m project under the guidance of Network Rail’s Project Director Bill Henry and his team. the rail engineer has featured a number of articles about specific aspects of the early phases of the project. Passing through Reading station allows you a glimpse of the different aspects of work underway. The site is extensive, with an array of contractors, plant, equipment, mounds and ditches stretching five miles east to west and one mile north to south of the station. Bill Henry explained that, to ensure that this complex project was successful, collaborative working was absolutely essential, not only between the different contractors on site but also with the Train and Freight Operating Companies as well as Reading Borough council and their community. Bill described it as “arm in arm delivery”.
There is a myriad of activities underway, bridge reconstructions, demolition of a signal box and station buildings, temporary station canopies, new embankments, a rediscovered underpass, signalling work and new station platforms just to name a few. Work was originally planned to be completed by 2016, but Bill has set his team a challenge to reduce this programme by 18 months and, by stimulating innovation and challenging their plans they have shaved a year off the delivery schedule. Every day, over 50,000 people use Reading station and more than 700 trains pass through it. Passenger numbers will double by 2030. In addition, freight business has increased by 60% with rail freight traffic from Southampton and other ports passing through Reading. One freight train that passes through the station is reputed to be one kilometre in length. As a consequence, Reading is becoming one of the busiest and most important locations in the country.
Brunel’s legacy Problems at Reading Station stem back to its original Brunel design. Brunel built a simple one-sided station where all the buildings and both the platforms were on the same side of the tracks. This meant that trains had to cross each other to manoeuvre in and out of the station. The basic layout has influenced all future track developments
as new routes were opened and it is totally inadequate for the twenty-first century. The aim of the project is to untangle the railway lines, improve train speeds as they pass through the station area and reduce delays incurred whilst trains wait for vacant platforms and/or other conflicting train movements to be completed. This will be achieved by: • Installing new signalling throughout and relocating control to the new Thames Valley signal box at Didcot; • Lengthening and reconstructing 6 bridges; • Building a flyover for high speed trains; • Demolishing a train depot and building a new one on a new site thus freeing up space for a new eastern chord to improve freight train movements; • Adding five new platforms in all, four on the northern side of the station and one on the south, plus other platform extensions • Building a new station footbridge and a northern entrance to the station; • Re-opening a southern tunnel to allow trains from the north side of the station to travel to the south east without crossing main lines; • Introducing a walk through tunnel for the public to pass from north to south of the station. That is the plan in very simple terms, so what progress has been made to date?
“arm-in-arm”
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 9
feature Signalling To start with, the signalling work which is critical to the success of the project is progressing well. Network Rail has recently awarded a £28 million signalling contract for the Reading Western Mainlines programme to Invensys Rail. The scope of the programme covers the remodelling of the Reading Station Area from Sonning to Pangbourne, the new train depot and the four new platforms. Throughout the life of the contract, Invensys Rail will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the signalling works, including new LED signals, new axle counters as the form of train detection and new four-foot and lineside signalling equipment. The award of this contract follows the success of the Reading Enabling Project, an intensive 27 month programme which saw control of Reading Station transferred to three Westlock computer-based
interlockings at the new Thames Valley Signalling Control Centre at Didcot. One of these was remodelled as part of the Reading Southern Lines signalling project which was commissioned over Christmas 2011. The first major commissioning of the Reading Western Mainlines project will deliver increased capacity at Reading Station and will take place over Easter 2013; the final commissioning is scheduled for August 2015.
Underbridge reconstructions To the southeast side of the station, the underbridge at Vastern Road has been extended by Bam Nuttall in order to accommodate the construction of the new Platform 4 and extension of Platforms 5 & 6 plus an additional track to service Platform 4. Only two tracks will remain between the current Platform 4 and 8. This will mean that the width of the current Platform 4 will be increased significantly, improving passenger
flow throughout this current bottleneck as it reaches the exit to the station. The work is now well advanced. Network Rail appointed Bam Nuttall as the Principal Contractor responsible for the design and construction of the new Caversham Road Underbridge. In turn, Bam Nuttall appointed Gifford Consultants to design the new, orthotropic steel deck which was fabricated in 3m sections before transportation to site. The reconstruction of this bridge is a key part of the plan and the new 40m long, 17m wide, 0.65m deep orthotropic bridge deck significantly widens the throat at the west end of the station providing room for seven tracks to serve the new platforms. The bridge deck, ballast walls and cill beams were transferred from their construction site adjacent to the railway as one, using ALE transporters. The total weight of the bridge deck, ballast and kentledge required to help balance the deck evenly, was more than 1000
Delivery for Reading Station Project
10 | the rail engineer | april 2012
Lowering the roof of the new subway into place, with Pandrol VIPA plates already installed.
tonnes. The short route of 50m was not quite straight and there were some delicate manoeuvres required before the work was completed successfully over the Christmas period 2010/11. Once this structure was in place, buildings on the north side of the station were demolished to create a path through to the east and south side of the station via the disused southern tunnel. A £500,000 contract was let to Buckingham Demolition to demolish the signal box, telephone exchange, Royal Mail buildings as well as other ancillary structures, work which is now complete. Old track and sidings have been removed and two new island platforms are being built. Costain/HOCHTIEF JV have been appointed as the Principal Contractor for all the station work.
Station Subway
The new platform finished for Christmas 2011.
To complete the path under the main lines from the north side to the south side of the station, the Southern Tunnel was reopened. However, some repair and renewal work was necessary. In January 2012 the Costain / HOCHTIEF JV, working within a 52 hour possession in collaboration with Carillion and Invensys, removed 45m of track and signalling equipment to expose the existing subway deck. The Costain/HOCHTIEF JV awarded a subcontract to Cleshar for the next stage of work which was to renew the subway deck. This aspect of the work had to be completed within a 35 hour period, within the original 52 hour possession. After clearing the top ballast from the existing deck, Cleshar positioned a 1,000 tonne Liebherr LTM 1800 mobile crane, supplied by Ainscough, to remove the exposed steel troughing. The top section of
feature
the brick abutments were then removed to enable the installation of two new precast concrete cill units fitted with elastometric bearings on which a new precast concrete deck was then installed. The new subway deck, weighing 41 tonnes, had Pandrol fastenings directly attached to assist the speedy replacement of the track by Carillion and to ensure that work was successfully completed on time.
Cow Lane South & North Underbridges Cow Lane is one of the many examples of how close collaboration with Reading Borough Council can benefit all concerned. Cow Lane South Bridge was an old, barrelarched structure carrying two freight lines over a narrow highway which was a nightmare for cyclists and pedestrians and totally inadequate for current road traffic requirements. The highway was closed early December 2011, and Bam Nuttall started work to remove and replace the old bridge and construct a new two-lane highway plus cycle path and pavement under a new structure. A new concrete bridge deck and abutments were constructed close to the old structure and a 66-axle transporter was used to lift and carry the new 1560 tonne bridge and its abutments into place. The work went according to plan and freight trains were able to run again as planned on the 27 December 2011. By 2015 work to the Cow Lane North structure will be completed. This work has to follow the construction of the new viaduct
when the main lines will be diverted off the existing structure. It is at this point that the real benefit of the project will be appreciated by the motorists, cyclists and pedestrians who will be able to enjoy the benefits of a new two lane highway, cycle path and pavement through both Cow Lane structures. An added bonus is that the improved clearances will allow the council to introduce a new, much needed, doubledecker bus route.
New Train Care Depot The existing First Great Western train care depot has to be demolished to make way for the new eastern chord, designed to accommodate freight traffic, which will pass under the main lines to continue through the station area without inconveniencing other trains. A new train care depot is starting to emerge on the north side of the site and the work is extensive. To accelerate the programme, Bam Nuttall was asked to carry out extensive drainage and ground works whilst Jacobs Engineering completed the design of the new depot. VolkerFitzpatrick installed 269 piles and is now completing the construction of the depot. Invensys will carry out all the associated signalling work while Carillion will install the new track layout. The progress is visible and it is all starting to take shape. The plan is to have the new depot operational by 2013.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 11
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12 | the rail engineer | april 2012
Platforms and new footbridge The demolition of buildings and other ancillary structures to the north of the station has created space for the building of a retaining wall to support the construction of two new bays, forming four new platforms. This work is now well advanced. Also, a very impressive 30m wide footbridge has been designed by Tata Consultancy. The bridge, referred to as the “Transfer Deck”, will span across all the platforms linking the north and south side of the station. It will be constructed in three parts in the newly created space outside the station on the north side and then each section will be launched into position. Once the complete deck is in place, escalators, lifts and stairs will be constructed on both sides of the deck at each platform. This work will be completed by May 2013. However, there will be an 8 week interlude in 2012 to accommodate the Olympic Games. The planned development to the north side of the station will completely
feature
transform the station and will help to open up development land between the station and the Thames River, something that the Reading Borough Council has wanted to do for some time. It also negates the need for through traffic to the south side of the station which would certainly reduce congestion and enhance the area. Work on the flyover and then the eastern chord is planned to start in 2013. Bill Henry’s determination to save at least “a year’s worth” of work, and preferably 18 months, continues. By working collaboratively with all parties he believes that it is achievable. He has already identified an opportunity during Easter 2013 when, by reviewing work planned for this period and by involving the train and freight businesses in the discussions, the programme is being amended. 19 weeks of work will now take place during a 10 day blockade over the Easter period.
Key Milestones Key current emerging milestones are: • 2012 - Platforms 5 and 6 extended • 2013 - Depot operational and new platform and station entrances in place • 2015 - Cow Lane widening complete providing much safer road use • 2015 - Viaduct and eastern chord complete Bill explained to me how they were determined to use latest technology to best effect. CAD has enabled the project team to maintain up-to-date records of all buried services in the area. Four Dimensional (4D) technology is being used for flood risk modelling and planning
applications. Driver signalling sighting simulators are on the agenda. Bill is determined to develop the technology available so that his team, equipped with an ipad, may go anywhere on site to review what that site will look like when the work is complete. He expects this technology to be widespread across his project within the next eight months.
Awards Safety, health and environmental issues are continuously monitored in detail as you would expect. To increase the focus, Bill has introduced a STAR award system for meeting and surpassing expectations in a number of areas, including housekeeping, standards, supervision and management as well as public and site specific issues. One senses that Bill sets high standards and expects his team to achieve them. There is an element of fun there too when he explains that there is a special award to rival the “Golden Rabbit” - the “Platinum Badger Award”, based on performance relating to quality, safety and productivity. This is presented periodically to the managing director of a successful supplier company. Reading is an intriguing project with many potential benefits that are clearly evident to the TOCs, FOCs and travelling public. Twelve months has been shaved off the programme so far and Bill is determined to find an additional six months. All parties are working together and there is a very healthy feel about this enormously important project to the south west of the rail network. Successful completion of this venture will set the scene for future electrification of the route and hopefully for other major projects that are currently in the planning stage. Hopefully, by that time the Platinum Badger award will be well worn through good use.
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14 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature
writer
Clive Kessell
King’s Cross New Concourse
A Magnificent Blend of Old and New Inside the new Western Concourse - but don’t expect the coloured lights every day!
in August 2011 (issue 82), the rail B ack engineer reported on the work being done at King’s Cross to create a new Western Concourse and generally improve the structure and amenities of the station. Since then, work has progressed rapidly and the new concourse opened on 19 March 2012 while the train-shed roof repairs will be finished in May.
The Western Concourse Now colloquially christened the ‘Flying Saucer’ because of its semi-circular shape when viewed from above, this new construction joins the old western range buildings to the Great Northern Hotel, the latter also being extensively refurbished. The concourse will be the heart of the station so the architects set about designing something spectacular. Despite being modern in concept, it blends remarkably well with the adjoining older buildings. Fitting out is almost complete and the two main indicator boards mirror what is displayed in the existing concourse area at the front of the station. The new granite flooring is laid but is still protected in places to stop it being ruined by any remaining construction work. The new ticket office is equipped with lots of counters and an organised queuing system. A separate area is assigned to self service ticket machines of which there will be many. Clearly there is unwritten encouragement for self service to be the norm. Ticket barriers at the southern end of the concourse give entry to the main station platform areas. The ticket gates are capable of reading three types of tickets - oyster, bar code (as printed when buying on line) and magnetic stripe.
At the northern end is a separate line of barriers to the suburban platforms 9-11. For most of King’s Cross history, these have been like a carbuncle on the side of the station, rather drab in appearance and accessed by a dingy walkway through the western range offices which, to the unknowing, was difficult to find. It was as if they were ashamed to be part of such a fine terminus. All this is now changed and for the first time, they have become an integral part of the station. A mezzanine gallery hosts a number of retail and food units. They provide a good view of the main concourse area and it is likely that some of the forthcoming food outlets will capitalise on this to enable people to just watch the world go by, whilst
enjoying a quick bite to eat. The northern end of the mezzanine will give access to the First Class lounge incorporated into the western range building, as well as an alternative entrance to platforms via yet more ticket barriers and the new station overbridge. The grandeur of the concourse can only be realised by visiting the station and seeing the spectacular construction of the roof. This has necessitated some imaginative column and bracket supports, all having to be specially made. The roof is reminiscent of geodetic construction, similar to that pioneered by Barnes Wallis in the wartime Wellington bomber. It gives the impression of lightness but immense strength, which is exactly how it is. From the outside, it will be
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 15
feature barely visible from the Euston Road, as the Great Northern Hotel will be the main focal vision. Travellers emerging from the midway undercroft at St Pancras will get a much better view, but even here the visual impact gives little hint of the magnificence inside. A seamless interchange between the two stations is part of the plan. The passenger flow design will mean entry to all platforms is through the new concourse, with the ticket barriers at the end of the main platforms 0 to 8 being for exit only. The intention is to segregate arriving and departing passengers as far as possible, so as to avoid the present situation where people queuing for trains in the concourse prevent arriving travellers from easily accessing the underground or bus stops. Some conflict will remain at the platform ends but the buffer stops have been moved back to increase the size of the circulating area. It is anticipated that between 10-15% of passengers will access the platforms via the mezzanine floor and station overbridge, also passengers for the suburban platforms will have their separate access point from the new concourse. The opportunity for passenger paths to clash is thus much reduced. Step free access will be provided throughout including that to taxis on Pancras Road, cycle parking and the hire of ‘Boris’ bikes. Escalators and lifts give easy access to the London Underground lines including one ‘tidal’ escalator (down in the morning, up at night) direct from inside the concourse. • • • •
The Main Station and its Roof Since the August article, work has continued apace to renovate the two roof barrels as well as implementing improvements to other parts of the station. Work on the roof has necessitated a new access bridge adjacent to the north end screen. It was not possible to provide an access deck supported at platform level, so access facilities have been constructed in a semi-circular shape underneath the roof barrels, supported by special triangular ‘Toblerone’ beams attached to the station sidewalls. This deck allows renovation work to be safely carried out without risk of material falling on to the tracks and ••platforms below. •• •• •
The renewed roof of the train shed lets in much more light. (Inset) The photovoltaic cells can be seen in the ridge of the roof.
The concept was new and, to make sure it would work, a trial was conducted at Chester, which proved successful. Once the renovation work is complete the ‘Toblerone’ beams will be removed. Future access to facilitate cleaning and maintenance will be from the original but refurbished walkways. Reglazing and iron work restoration
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16 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature The Train Operators’ Perspective With all the work that has been going on, it has been a challenging time for the TOCs using the station - principally East Coast and First Capital Connect. A full train service has had to be maintained and also expanded to cater for growing passenger numbers. FCC has added 61 more coaches in the period with 22% more peak time travellers. East Coast calculates that 66% of its passengers use King’s Cross with 76 services departing and arriving at the station every day. It is thus very important to all the TOCs that King’s Cross portrays a good image and trouble free experience for rail customers.
The new escalator on Platform 8 provides access from the new footbridge.
continues as planned and the new, lighter, appearance of the old station can begin to be appreciated. The installation of photovoltaic cells is proceeding along the middle of the train shed barrels to contribute to the station’s power requirements. The replacement footbridge, midway along the main station, takes people down to platform level either by escalators or lift. The old footbridge was carefully removed and will eventually see further service on the Mid Hants
Heritage line at Ropley. Platform refurbishment is well underway by taking out an island platform at a time. Platform 0, built on the old cab road underneath the eastern range offices in 2010, was primarily provided to give sufficient platform capacity while this work is being done but is a useful addition for the years to come. The ugly 1970s electrification stanchions on the platforms are being removed and replaced by suspension wires strung between the station walls. These are much less visibly intrusive.
The Southern Façade and Shared Service Yard The 1970s southern concourse at the front of the station will eventually be removed once the new facilities are fully operational, but not until after the Olympics. Whilst this building has received its fair share of criticism over the years, at the time it was a distinct improvement on what was there before. At least the main part of Cubitt’s design could be seen but, with increasing passenger flows, no doubt increased by the Eurostar service next door, it had become overcrowded and congested. All will be swept away and replaced by a piazza type area with trees in keeping with the upgraded vision for the entire area. To the north, and underneath the western concourse, the new underground plant room and service area is nearing completion, needing to be carefully constructed to take account of the old ‘hotel’ curve that brought trains up from Moorgate until the 1970s by way of the ‘Widened Lines’. This will be a common user area with lorry access to store goods and material for TOCs, Network Rail, LUL, retail companies and general station requirements. Direct service lift access to the main platforms will limit the passage of tractors and barrows through busy passenger areas. With East Coast serving 100,000 meals per month, the logistics of getting the food to the trains can be appreciated.
Finance and the Future The cost of the King’s Cross improvement project will be around £550 million. The new concourse has been paid for by direct funding from the Department for Transport whilst the roof renewal and general upgrade work comes under the Network Rail financial umbrella. King’s Cross sees upwards of 47 million people passing through its space in the course of a year and the facilities have to be capable of handling that number. The project has attracted a large number of stakeholders including the relevant TOCs and the local boroughs but more surprisingly organisations such as the RNIB and Deutsche Bahn. The story does not end there, however, as the King’s Cross Station work is only part of a massive regeneration project for the whole area. Plans reveal the restoration of the iconic gas holders which were listed structures but had to be removed when St Pancras was extended outwards. The Regents Canal will be made a feature and new developments will be constructed on the land formerly occupied by the King’s Cross goods depot and the locomotive ‘top shed’. All of this will happen over the next few years. The two famous termini of King’s Cross and St Pancras have existed alongside each other for nigh on 150 years, competing for custom from travellers to Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and elsewhere. In more recent times, the emphasis has been on St Pancras with its renaissance for the new Eurostar service but the present project will bring glory back to King’s Cross. The two great tower clocks will continue to eye one another and hopefully, with modern technology, they will even tell the same time. Thanks are expressed to Tom Hyland, Jon Crampton and Ian Fry from Network Rail, Paul Emberley from East Coast and Roger Perkins from FCC who gave their time to explain the project and facilitate the visits.
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To find out how connectivity can work for you please visit our website www.amey.co.uk or email connectivity@amey.co.uk
18 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature
Jubilee Line
Transformed writer
Clive Kessell Underground’s Jubilee Line has L ondon had an interesting history. The Stanmore section was originally part of the Metropolitan Line but became a branch of the Bakerloo Line in 1939 when the deep level tube was opened from Baker Street to Finchley Road to relieve congestion on the Met. Subsequent overcrowding on the Bakerloo central section led to a new SE - NW tube being built in 1979 across central London from Baker Street to Charing Cross and this was joined to the Stanmore branch to create the Jubilee Line. The original plan was to extend this along the route of the Strand into London’s east end but the route was changed to include Waterloo and London Bridge, thus giving these places a direct link to Stratford and the growing Docklands conurbation. This meant abandoning the Charing Cross terminus with the extension diverging to Westminster after Green Park station. The Jubilee Line Extension (JLE) opened in time for the Millennium. The line is 36.2km long, has 63 trains, 2 depots and carries between 700-800,000 passengers per day.
Controlling the Trains It had been intended to open the JLE with Automatic Train Operation (ATO), but delays and technical difficulties meant a somewhat rushed conventional signalling system with train stops had to be installed so that the line could be operational for the Millennium celebrations. The underground parts of JLE were equipped with platform screen doors and the drivers became very skilled at stopping the trains accurately so that both train and platform doors coincided. Manual driving was only seen as a temporary situation since the desired number of trains per hour could not be achieved by this
method. Accordingly, a new contract was let with Thales to provide their Seltrac system, as pioneered on Vancouver Skytrain and now used by other metro systems including Docklands Light Railway. Andrew Hunter, the Chief Engineer for the Seltrac system in the UK, gave a detailed explanation on how it works. Termed as Transmission Based Train Control (TBTC), the basis of the Seltrac system is continuous communication to the trains by means of inductive track loops laid between the rails. A loop has a maximum length of one kilometre and is transposed (crossover) every 25m to give position reference points. Each 25m section is subdivided into four 6.25m segments, thus giving 160 positions in the one kilometre section. The train transmit antenna has a frequency of 56KHz and the receive is 36KHz. Seltrac is a moving block system controlling the safe separation of trains and the safe movement of points. The target point for a train movement authority is the distance from the rear of the preceding train. A distance of 50 metres between trains can be achieved.
Seltrac Components Seltrac is designed around six main component parts: • The System Management Centre (SMC). This is the operations room located at Neasden and housed in a modern, high security building. From here, the line is controlled by eight work stations arranged in a circular architecture. Additional work stations are provided for timetable compilation and maintenance, this latter sited in the equipment room. The operator interface system is regarded as non-vital in safety terminology. A separate training room is equipped with simulated line conditions where staff can be confronted with typical problems and failures. • The Vehicle Control Centres (VCC). In old speak, these are the interlockings but, in addition, they provide all the commands to the trains plus point setting. Five are required for the Jubilee line to cover the full extent of the line and are the vital safety equipment rated at SIL4. Inside each VCC are three types of rack: data transmission, input/output rack and the processor rack that uses the traditional ‘2
out of 3’ principle for assured safety. • The Inductive Loops, described above, which are connected directly to the VCC. • Station Controller Subsystems (SCS). These communicate with the VCC and adjacent SCSs to control the status of emergency stop devices, point position, axle counters and other peripheral equipment within their area of operation. • Platform Door Interface Units. These communicate to both the VOBC (see below) and VCC via a docking loop to open and close the platform screen doors when a train is at a station. • Axle counters, provided for when the ATO system has a problem and the trains have to be driven manually. These allow separation of the line into discrete blocks such that reversion to fixed block working will occur when operating in degraded mode. In ATO conditions, more than one train can be in these block sections. In addition to these six main components, there are also rail gap indicators consisting of 3 red lights that indicate a ‘dead’ section of track ahead; train ready to start indicators consisting of 3 white lights operated by platform staff at terminating stations; route secure indicators at points for use in degraded mode to show the path the train must follow; direction indicators giving a text display used for when traversing non passenger moves into and out of depots. All infrastructure facilities are linked to the SMC by an independent fibre-optic cable network giving a main and standby path to each device. On board the trains, two main components are provided: • Vehicle On Board Controller (VOBC). This vital system gives the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and ATO interface to the traction motors and brakes, and is responsible for train movement in line with the distance and speed commands communicated from the VCC. • Train Operator Display. Fitted in the cab, it shows the movement authority that has been given together with target and actual speed. In ATO mode, the driver merely observes events but in degraded mode, he/she must drive the train as closely as possible to the permitted movement.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 19
feature Seltrac in Operation The TBTC system has four modes: • Automatic - driver responsibility is only for door opening and closing plus pushing the start button; • Protected Manual - driver drives to the speed profile displayed as communicated from the VCC; • Restricted Manual - driver drives on ‘line of sight’ to a maximum permitted speed of 17 km/h; • Off - no train movements permitted with emergency brake applied and propulsion system disabled. Normal operation is ATO with the others being increasing fall back (or degraded) situations. As a train enters a loop for which a movement authority is granted, the VOBC counts its position in that loop from an onboard tachometer and reports back to the VCC. As the train progresses so its position is monitored against the allowed movement. On approaching the end of the authority, the train will be slowed to stop at the correct position in a platform or at a safe distance from the preceding train. An accelerometer detects whether wheel slip or slide is occurring and adjusts the speed profile accordingly. Engineering trains cannot operate in automatic mode.
Jubilee Line Depots To house and service the trains, the line has two depots; the main one at Stratford Market plus a stabling one at Neasden. Operating these depots efficiently and safely is itself a major logistics exercise and each requires its own signalling system. Stratford Market movements are controlled from the
depot control tower, which commands a good view of the entrance tracks, the maintenance shed and the stabling sidings. Conventional shunt signals and points, controlled from VDU screens by mouse, give drivers authority to progress to the exit point. Here the changeover to ATO is effected, this being co-ordinated with the SMC at Neasden. Normally, trains exit to Stratford station for the start of the in-service journey but an alternative exit towards West Ham is available involving a reversing move inside the depot. So important is the depot signalling system that a standby hard-wired control panel is provided should the main
Ian Bridges from the IRSE at the controls in the driver simulator at Neasden. (Left) Stratford Market Maintenance Depot.
20 | the rail engineer | april 2012
(Top) The swinging bulkhead on the rear cab wall of a train. (Below) The control screens in the Neasden Depot control room for both Metropolitan and Jubilee Line sidings.
screen based system fail. A further VDU screen enables control of the traction current to the conductor rails. Train maintenance and routine servicing is undertaken in the multi-track shed where power for the trains is provided from an overhead gantry so as to avoid the safety hazard of conductor rails inside the depot. Also at Stratford is an indoor training facility for the Seltrac signalling system complete with test track, inductive loops, VCC and other peripheral equipment. At Neasden, the Jubilee Line sidings are adjacent to the main Metropolitan Line depot and the combined line usage has demanded a more sophisticated control system. Thales have provided the equipment using their Locktrac PMI architecture. The 4 MEI interlockings are based on industrial PCs configured as
feature
programmable logic controllers (PLC). Safety is assured by two ‘2 out of 2’ computer systems and is SIL4 rated. Auto changeover happens on a regular timing to ensure that all PLCs are functioning correctly. Three layers of software are used - generic product; generic application; specific application. The interface to the main line signalling of both the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines is via the control rooms at Baker Street and Neasden respectively. Duplicated banks of four screens provide the operator interface while axle counters in the depot sidings provide the train detection. Distribution of commands to the signals and points is via a TCP/IP Ethernet fibre network. Phase 1 of this system, covering most of the depot, was commissioned in October 2011, with Phase 2 being planned for November 2012. A question as to whether this technology could be used in a main line application, was answered by; well, why not?
The Jubilee Line in Service and the Future Londoners who travel regularly will know from press reports that many problems were encountered during the service introduction of the Seltrac system. Andy Bourne, the Upgrades Manager for Tube Lines, explained the contractual structure: London Underground is the system operator, Tube Lines were responsible for the delivery and integration of the system including all enabling works and ongoing maintenance, Thales were the supplier of the signalling system.
Since Seltrac was a mature system with many years of reliable service on other networks worldwide, it could have been expected that its introduction to the Jubilee Line would be trouble free. However, the complications of having to retrofit the trains and superimpose the new infrastructure on to a working railway would always have been a challenge, but adding in the various mix of technologies including platform doors and the line interfaces to Metropolitan and Bakerloo lines made it all a difficult task. Developing the remote secure routing for trains in Restricted Manual mode of operation was a new requirement and this took time to get right. After trials on a dedicated test track at Highgate, ATO was introduced on a gradual basis, the final section being the Stanmore branch in mid 2011. Reliability was initially very variable with non-communicating trains being the main problem in early days. Even now, hardware failures still occur too frequently but it is getting much better. A further series of hardware and software improvements will be implemented before the Olympics. From July 2011, a service of 27 trains per hour was introduced, rising to 29 from March 2012. The use of diagnostic tools has proved invaluable since TBTC generates huge volumes of data and interpreting this is, in itself, a difficult exercise. Distinguishing between infrastructure and train borne faults is not necessarily easy. The big test will come with the Olympics, when it is expected that daily ridership will rise to approximately two million per day, necessitating 31 trains per hour. An identical Seltrac system is currently being installed on the Northern Line and with all the lessons learned, it is anticipated that this will have a smoother introduction. The Seltrac technology will probably be updated to a radio based solution, thus not requiring track loops, but whether it would ever be worthwhile converting the Jubilee line is dependent on the business case and is as yet an unanswered question. For now, the transformation is complete and passengers are benefitting from the upgraded service.
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22 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature
writer
Nigel
Wordsworth
It’s Vital! Vital Consulting specialises in design consultancy, surveying and geotechnical investigations.
year’s Infrarail show is approaching T hisrapidly, and a look through the list of exhibitors reveals that Vital Rail will be one of them. Vital Rail is well known to the rail engineer, particularly as one of the main sponsors of the RailStaff Awards. Part of the Vital Services Group there is obviously much more to them than meets the eye, so it was off to Manchester to find out the details. Vital Rail’s head office is based in a beautifully converted mill building (coincidently a former train engine brake manufacturer) on a cobbled street in Salford. Inside, the various areas have been divided up using glass walls so that the original iron columns and wooden floors of the mill are emphasised rather than concealed.
Rapid reactions John Smith, founder and CEO of the Vital Services Group established the company back in 1983. Through three decades of expansion and consolidation, the Vital Services Group of companies now includes; Consulting, Power, Rail, Resources, Skills Training, Solutions and Technology.
Each move into new business territory has been carefully selected to strengthen the company’s position within the Transport, Power and Communication sectors. With John’s entrepreneurial skills he seeks out areas for expansion and development and this has been the case over the last year, with the company becoming increasingly involved in high-end technology projects. “Vital can be illustrated pictorially as a pyramid,” commented John, drawing a large isosceles triangle on the paper in front of him. “At the base we have the high volume / low margin business, and at the top is the low volume / high margin work. “Vital Resources is a major recruitment services supplier to not only the rail industry
but to other utilities as well. We provide a complete range of blue-collar workers for a variety of engineering roles. That’s the bottom of the triangle.”
Rail solutions Above that he drew another line and wrote RAIL. Vital Rail is the contractor, using much the same labour as is supplied by Vital Resources to fulfill contracts in its own right. “The line between these two can be grey at times,” John added. “In here are fixed-price contracts, agency and contingency labour supply, and some work on signalling and OLE contracts. Vital RAIL SECURITY also falls in here, and they are doing an excellent job around the country
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 23
feature protecting rail sites of all types.” Vital Rail has a Network Rail Contractor’s License, so it is quite capable of managing its own contracts as well as supplying staff for other companies. Next John drew a thick line nearly half way up his triangle and wrote SOLUTIONS below it. Vital Solutions is the white-collar arm of the business. OLE, telecommunications and signalling engineers, amongst others, are placed on contracts. Many are graduates, and in addition to rail Vital Solutions also supplies its services to the oil and gas industry, power and civil engineering sectors.
Technology
Consulting
Above the thick black line John wrote VT for Vital TECHNOLOGY. He pointed at the narrowing section of his triangle. “Here the costs are higher, and the risks are higher. There is much more complexity in this work, but the rewards are higher too.” Vital Technology was formed in 2006, and in 2007 acquired the company Ematics. That brand name is still used for SCADA installations, while VT also undertakes contracts such as the installation of communications networks, CCTV and control centres. Much of VT’s work in the rail industry takes place in stations, controlling everything from passenger flows to car parks, including passenger information systems, WiFi, WiMax and Tetra networks, integrated surveillance and monitoring systems, help points, fire and train monitoring systems.
John was now getting towards the top of his triangle. Another line, and the word CONSULTING. This is the high-end of Vital’s rail work, and includes specialist surveying, geotechnical investigations, and design consultancy. Complete projects are undertaken, such as running a pipeline under the running railway. This involves surveying, obtaining permissions, doing the work, and having everything signed off Vital provides a complete one-stop-shop for such a service. Structural and earthworks monitoring is an important safeguard while other work is carried out, and Vital Consulting does this too. “It’s a niche market”, John comments, “but an important one. Vital Consulting is an area we want to promote hard, and it is one reason why we will be at Infrarail.”
The Vital Rail stand at Infrarail will have all these companies present. John hopes that visitors to the show who know the Vital Rail name will glance at the stand, and then look again as they notice things they never saw before. The logo will be the same, but the various divisions may be new to some people. However, experts from each operation will be on hand to give them details of what Vital has to offer, both at the bottom of the triangle and at the top.
Vital Rail Security does an excellent job around the country protecting all types of rail sites.
24 | the rail engineer | april 2012
feature
writer
David Shirres
Smartcards are coming “the key” Southern’s new ITSO Smartcard.
Edmondson, a station master on T homas the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, invented the paste card ticket in 1837 which saw 150 years of use on Britain’s railways. With today’s rapidly changing technology, its successors will be lucky to last a fraction of this time. The latest development is the ITSO smartcard, currently being piloted by five train operators. These relatively small schemes are seven years behind Transport for London’s (TfL) introduction of Oyster, which now has issued millions of cards. So are they anything to get excited about? The answer is “Yes”, as these schemes’ ITSO smartcards can potentially hold all types of tickets on all modes of transport for seamless door-to-door ticketing. Oyster does not offer this as, unlike the ITSO card, it only holds pre-paid “value” and products specific to TfL services. With its millions of cards the Oyster scheme does have the advantage of size. So just as Microsoft Windows succeeded because it was first, rather than best, is widespread use of ITSO smartcards likely? Again the answer is “Yes”. For some years the Department for Transport (DfT) has promoted initiatives to ensure the success of ITSO cards. These include the formation of ITSO (originally Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation) itself, a non-profit
company incorporated in 2001 and whose members comprise bus and rail operators, equipment and system suppliers as well as local and national government. Its purpose is to facilitate the implementation of contactless smart customer media public transport ticketing in the UK. To do this, it maintains a technical interoperability specification and accredits scheme participants and equipment. ITSO has no involvement in commercial decisions nor particular ticketing schemes. The DfT has also required ITSO to be used for English, Scottish and Welsh concessionary fares schemes with the consequent widespread provision of ITSO readers on buses. In addition, all train franchises let since 2007 are
required to introduce ITSO smartcards. It is also funding a project for TfL’s Oyster card readers to read ITSO cards by the end of 2013.
The Key to success Southern’s ITSO smartcard “the key” was launched at Lewes station on 11th November 2011 by Norman Baker, Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in a further demonstration of the DfT’s support for ITSO. Southern is part of the Go-Ahead group which has already piloted the key on London Midland between Worcester and Kidderminster and is progressively rolling it out in its nine bus companies which includes Brighton and Hove buses.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 25
feature Southern’s launch is a small scale pilot between Brighton and Seaford with season tickets being purchased either online or from ticket vending machines. Southern plans to introduce more products as the scheme expands, including multi-modal schemes with “the key” being used for both bus and rail journeys. Retail Systems Manager, Jason Hurd, explained the importance of fully testing the human interface before a wide scale roll out. Therefore the pilot scheme was limited to 100 invited stakeholders who could be relied upon to give their views. Southern undertakes a daily customer survey from which good feedback is obtained. Small though this pilot scheme might be, it will not remain so for long as Southern have a nine stage roll out plan that will provide Smartcards for their entire franchise by the end of 2013, including their London stations.
Other Rail Smartcards Credit for introducing the first ITSO rail smartcard goes to South West Trains (SWT), part of Stagecoach, who introduced their “Stagecoach Smart” card in November 2008 between Staines and Windsor. In 2011 stations between Woking and Weymouth (and branches) were added to make SWT’s card available at around 100 stations. Other recent and planned ITSO smartcard rail schemes are: • East Midland Trains introduced the “Stagecoach Smart” card at selected stations between St Pancras and Sheffield in 2011;
• First ScotRail launched a pilot scheme in 2011 between Edinburgh and Glasgow with 400 customers reported to be using the cards; • Go-Ahead’s London Midland will be introducing “the key” between Worcester and Stratford via Birmingham Snow Hill early in 2012; • Merseytravel introduced their Walrus card for buses in September 2011 and will be making it available for use on all Merseyrail services and Mersey ferries by late 2012; • Newcastle Metro is introducing its Pop Card for full implementation in 2012 as part of a £385 million upgrade programme which includes replacing 225 ticket machines;
• In 2013 Smartcard ticketing will be part of the £290 Glasgow Subway modernisation. This is part of a Strathclyde scheme for multimodal smart media ticketing; • Smartcards are part of the extension of Manchester’s Metrolink from 38 to nearly 100 stops.
The increasing use of Smartcards is obvious in this graph of monthly ITSO security messages.
Suppliers providing ITSO-compliant equipment have to be ITSO Registered and many bring experience from overseas. Those involved in rail smartcard ticketing are: • ACT (Applied Card Technologies) manage hardware integration and provide Central Customer and Card Management (CMS)
Memory Allocation
The ITSO Smartcard
Customer Media
Example card
Shell
Shell
ITSO Logo
IPE
IPE
IPE
IPE
IPE
Serial Number, this and the Helpline number on reverse is a legal requirement
Data outside Shell includes
Shell Data includes
• MCRN • Directory • Non ITSO applications
• Unique Sequence Number • Shell Owner • IPE Directory • Manner of data structure • Security Algorithms
Inside the card
ITSO Product Entity data includes Processing Chip
Antenna
• • • • • • •
Owning Operator Manner of data structure Data group security seal Any customer entitlement to reduced rate travel Customer Identity Area, Time and Date restrictions Log of use
26 | the rail engineer | april 2012
•
•
•
•
• •
back-office systems and software. This includes their Retail POST® software that enables tickets purchases online to be loaded onto the key smartcard. ACT also supports smartcard schemes for Merseyrail. Cubic, a US company, has upgraded hardware and software for the Southern pilot and on Merseyrail, having previously installed TfL’s Oyster Card System. Ecebs established a joint venture company with SPT to develop a cashless payment system and a revenue allocation system for Glasgow Subway and other SPT services. Fujitsu Services provided First ScotRail with support services including HOPS set up and Management (CMS) back-office systems and Merseyrail’s ticketing system. Scheidt & Bachmann, a German company, have provided ticket machines for SWT, First ScotRail, East Midlands, Manchester’s Metrolink, Glasgow Subway and Newcastle’s Metro. Atos provide Southern’s Ticket Issuing Systems. VIX, an Australian company, provides system support for the Stagecoach Smart smartcard used on SWT and East Midlands Trains and provide them, and Southern, with validator POSTs. In addition VIX deployed ticket machines for the interoperable Oxford bus scheme.
Common Bus - Rail Ticketing It is perhaps no surprise that it is GoAhead, Stagecoach and FirstGroup who are actively introducing rail smartcards. Between them, they will have 16,000 buses with ITSO card readers by the end of 2012, so use of this technology by their rail companies offers economies of scale and multi-mode seamless ticketing between rail and bus. There is, as yet, no seamless ticketing between different Train Operating Companies (TOCs). When ITSO rail schemes include common routes, the Association of Train Operating Company’s revenue
Cubic Transportation Systems Cubic Transportation Systems is the leading provider of integrated revenue management systems and services for the mass transit industry. These include not only the fare payment infrastructure including gates, ticket machines and smart card readers, but also the back end or central system for processing and reporting revenue and other data. Cubic’s wide range of services includes customer support, software support and operations services. Every year, nearly 10 billion journeys are taken worldwide using Cubic systems. In the past 35 years, the company has delivered over 400 projects in 40 major markets on five continents - from UK to India, and USA to Australia. In November 2011, Cubic was awarded a 12-year contract by the Chicago Transit Authority to deliver, operate and maintain a full-scale open payment system. With an estimated value of $454 million, it is the largest automated fare collection contract ever placed in North America. It’s a fast-evolving business, thanks to technologies such as NFC (Near Field Communications), smartphones, web and mobile ticketing, open payments and virtual wallets. The passenger behaviour data generated by these devices has the potential to improve planning for passenger and provider alike, and Cubic is at the forefront of making these technologies a reality in transport.
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allocation protocol and ITSO specifications can apportion revenue between the TOCs concerned. Oxford buses provide one good example with both Stagecoach and the Go-Ahead Group operating buses in the city. This is the first UK implementation of commercial tickets on a city wide basis using the ITSO interoperable system. As a result, Go Ahead’s “the key” card can be used on Stagecoach’s buses and vice versa.
IT’s SO Smart ITSO brings with it more initials to add to the many rail acronyms, with some shown in the table. Those relating to key components of the ITSO smartcard system are described below. • Customer Media can be anything which can receive and transmit data. It includes smartcards, key fobs and mobile phones (which would need Near Field Communications). Unlike credit cards, ITSO Smartcards are contactless with an embedded antenna and processing chip which are not visible. As the card is passed over a reader, the integral antenna receives its signal to power up the chip, confirming the customer’s travel rights and updating them if required. ITSO specifications require this to be done within 0.3 seconds and allow for 8 different types of Smartcard from small-memory “throw-away” cards to powerful microprocessor cards. • ETMs and POSTs. ETMs usually incorporate a POST to enable customers to purchase tickets and load them onto their card. If an ETM does not have a POST, the ticket is loaded onto the card as soon as the customer presents it to a POST. POSTs also recognise the card, confirm its validity, store transaction data and pass data to HOPS. POSTs often control station entrance and exit gates. • HOPS is the “back office” data processing system including the management of system security and communication and storage of all required data. This includes
the cancellation of “hot listed” cards, issue of security keys, communication with other companies HOPS for reporting, product updates and fraud protection and revenue allocation. The ITSO specification ensures interoperability and covers the Shell, POST, HOPS, IPE, message data elements, security sub system, ISAMs, communications and interfaces, Customer Media definitions and Remote POSTs. The specification is primarily concerned with the security, structure and nature of data and runs to over a thousand pages. Within the constraints of European and International standards, it is an open specification intended to maximise competition and be as flexible as possible. One example could be allowing cards to be used for other purposes including parking, leisure or libraries.
Cubic Transportation Systems Specialist systems integrators for the transit industry At Cubic, we know how critical it is for public transport operators to provide their customers with a world-class service. Cubic delivers and services fully-integrated fare collection and management systems - built to last for maximum performance. Backed with some of the most comprehensive business support services in the industry, Cubic’s systems are adaptable to all open architectures. Leading innovation in transport payments, Cubic offers optimum value through reliability, quality and customer focus‌ Choose the specialists. Choose Cubic.
www.cts.cubic.com
28 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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The future is ITSO Michael Leach, ITSO’s former chief executive, considers that in many ways ITSO is a world first in enabling one card to be used for different de-regulated services. However, he acknowledges that the initial take up of ITSO was slower than anyone thought. Now ITSO use is beginning to take off with over 60 new ticketing schemes registered with ITSO in the 18 months leading to September 2011 and the five main bus operators committed to installing ITSO ticketing systems on their entire bus fleets. This rapid increase in the growth of ITSO schemes is reflected in a graph of monthly ITSO security messages which is indicative of the number of ITSO transactions. Although there is still some way to go, as so far only 30-35% of authorities across the UK have adopted ITSO, Leach feels that ITSO use is approaching critical mass. ITSO’s aim is for smart media that can be used throughout the country on any transport mode. This will only be achieved
if operators believe there is a business benefit. Transport Scotland certainly believes there is as the use of concessionary smartcards in Scotland has reduced fraud by £24 million a year. Also, when Oyster was first introduced in 2003, 19% of tube journeys required a ticket office visit, now the figure is 3.5%. Fraud and ticket issuing costs are a significant part of the annual national rail ticket revenue of around £6 billion, so ITSO smartcards offer potential savings of hundreds of millions of pounds. More intangible benefits include attracting more customers by offering an improved end-to-end journey experience, and better passenger data enabling operators to improve their understanding of their customers. These strong business cases will become increasingly apparent as the use of smartcards increases. So it would seem that the future is ITSO. With rapid technological developments, today’s smart media and associated
hardware may have a short life. However it is likely that the ITSO specification’s data structure will be around for some time to come, maybe even as long as the Edmondson card!
ITSO Acronym Table
Acronym
Terminology
Description
AMS
Asset Management System
The part of HOPS that is responsible for the data modules within ISAMs
CM
Customer Media
A smart device that interacts with POSTs to pay for travel. Usually a smartcard but could be smart enabled phone or key fob
HSAM
HOPS Secure Application Module
An electronic module that is part of the HOPS which processes secure information
HOPS
Host Operator or Processing System
The overarching data processing system used by ITSO scheme operators
IoP
ITSO on Prestige
System enabling Oyster POSTs to read ITSO-compliant media
IPE
ITSO Product Entity
CM Data that is a ticket
ISAM
ITSO Secure Application Module
An electronic module that checks holder’s card and authenticates ticket. ISAM communicates with HOPS via the HASM
ISMS
ITSO Security Management Service
Part of the ITSO Security Sub system that provides data access keys to ISAMs
ITSO Shell
Notional electronic wallet that contains electronic tickets for ITSO compliant CM
MCRN
Multi-application CM Reference Number
A unique reference number allocated by the card issuer for cards that have non ITSO applications
RFID
Radio Frequency Identification
A “standard” technology employed within the ITSO specification that uses radio waves to transfer data to and from devices such as POSTs and smartcards
NFC
Near Field Communications
A set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few centimetres
POST
Point of Service Terminal
A device incorporating an ISAM that interacts with an ITSO card
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30 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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Immediate Success for
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Highway - I was doing interview after interview! “What we have installed at Stromeferry really does underline how extended rubber platforms can provide affordable multi purpose traffic routes for emergencies and occasional diversions. This project also shows how, when all parties involved work closely together (in this case TRAC, Network Rail, LCI, URS, HMRI and The Highland Council and Rosehill Polymers), we can solve problems beyond difficult level crossing situations for the better of all.”
A family of products HoldFast has a long history of innovation in crossing platforms stretching back to the 1980s. The HoldFast Full Depth Rubber Modular System paved the way for the popularity of rubber installations in the UK and across the world, and a growing trend away from asphalt and concrete platforms. Since then, HoldFast has supplied systems for every type of location and application, including heavy duty, pedestrian, agricultural and temporary crossings. There is even a tailor-made solution which is ideal for depots and complex switches.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 31
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a 140 mile diversion.
32 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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Catch-22
at Liverpool Street Artist’s impression of Liverpool Street Station entrance showing the underground escalators. (Right) Diverted DC track cables.
largest addition to the south east A srailthenetwork in 50 years, the engineering challenges presented by Crossrail are well known. But while the major projects are what make the news, there is a host of detailed, day-to-day work taking place behind the scenes which is every bit as vital to its successes. UK Power Networks Services (UKPN Services) is already designing and installing the power infrastructure that will allow London’s Liverpool Street Station to be remodelled. Eventually Liverpool Street Crossrail will serve the City of London and provide interchanges with London Underground’s Northern, Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines. However, all the time that work is in progress, the existing station has to continue to provide a near-seamless service to London’s travellers.
At Liverpool Street station, Vinci Construction UK has been awarded a contract to clear the way for the new Broadgate ticket hall, which includes moving an entire underground traction substation - one that currently provides traction power to tracks that serve thousands of passengers daily. UKPN Services has been brought in by VINCI Construction UK to carry out specialist high voltage power installation works.
Preparing the way Crossrail’s new station will be built beneath London Underground Limited’s (LUL) Liverpool Street and Moorgate stations, with a new ticket hall to be constructed at each end providing step-free access to the platforms. Unfortunately, the existing traction substation in Liverpool Street currently occupies part of the space needed for that ticket hall. This meant a suitable site for a replacement substation was needed, and a disused platform within the station footprint was identified as the best location.
A quandary Moving an entire substation located on the surface is a complex process, but in this case, because both the old and new sites are below ground level with limited access, the task is more complex still. To complicate matters even further, the new substation requires a new 55-metre cable access tunnel to be constructed - and that tunnel will slice neatly through a disused escalator shaft that currently carries sixteen 750V DC cables and several low voltage (LV) cables from the existing substation.
At first sight it’s almost Catch-22. The new power cable tunnel can’t be excavated as that would disrupt traction power causing the unthinkable - closure of underground lines. Yet the new substation can’t function without the new cable tunnel. It has to be completed to allow Crossrail to be built.
A two-step process The answer, when it came, sounded straightforward. Temporarily re-route the existing cables away from the route of the new cable tunnel without decommissioning the old substation. Construct the new cable tunnel, build the new substation, commission it and the new cables, then finally decommission the old substation and the temporary cable route. Trouble is, this all has to take place underground, in Central London and most of the work has to be carried out during night-time engineering slots rarely lasting more than two and a half hours. It was going to take a great deal of planning.
Building a temporary cable route Sometimes, the fact that the London Underground has been remodelled so many times has hidden advantages. In this case it meant that a disused escalator shaft parallel to the original could be employed as a route for the temporary DC traction power cables. Even so, 935mm copper track cables are
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 33
feature heavy and inflexible, and access was so limited that everything had to be done by hand. It would take a team of up to 14 workers 10 days just to manoeuvre and fix the cables into place before any jointing work could start. The cables first had to be manhandled down a vent shaft, then installed on a cable management system fixed to the shaft walls and ceiling. Unlike a conventional stairwell, escalator shafts are surprisingly vertical, so much of the work also had to be carried out in a tight, hot and dusty environment while wearing cumbersome harnesses. Yet it’s unlikely that the thousands of city workers who passed overhead were even aware of the changes taking place beneath their feet.
Planning the new substation With the cable diversion work nearing completion, detailed planning could begin on the new substation. Due for completion and commissioning in early 2013, it is sited in a now redundant platform, located within a cutting, with access via a nondescript set of doors in a quiet London cul-de-sac. As it is in a cutting, the substation has been arranged over three floors, with the highest at street level and lowest at the original platform. It also means that construction will have to take place next to live rail lines on an extremely busy commuter route. The street level floor will contain three 2.5MW, 11kV AC/630 and 750V DC transformer rectifiers and two 1.5MVA, 11kV/433v auxiliary transformers. Beneath this will be a switch room containing a 10 circuit high voltage (HV) switchboard, a 400V three-phase and neutral low voltage AC switchboard and a mezzanine level containing positive and negative DC switchboards. The final platform level will be used as a cable basement. Finally a SCADA system will be installed with a human machine interface (HMI) terminal in a nearby mess-room so the entire installation can be constantly monitored.
Working with multiple partners On any undertaking of this complexity, it is inevitable that many interested parties will be involved, and that an ability to work effectively with them all will be key to the project’s ultimate success. In this instance not only are LUL, Crossrail, VINCI Construction UK, local authorities and local
commercial residents involved but, while the final substation and cabling will be owned by LUL, its maintenance and operation will be the responsibility of another division of UKPN, UKPN Powerlink. The continuity of service this offers is one example of how UKPN is able to effectively manage rail power infrastructure, from initial design, all the way through to operation and maintenance. Indeed, in this case UKPN Services were also able to provide specialist design assurance services as required by LUL, Powerlink and Crossrail.
Final Switchover It will be 2013 before the new substation is finally commissioned, little more than a year since the original contract was awarded. By that time the new substation will have been built and installed, temporary cabling will have been run and removed and everything will be ready for the final switchover. Aside from hoardings visible in London streets the travelling public should notice nothing. Yet without this work, and the close cooperation of all the parties involved, the Crossrail project simply cannot progress as planned.
Tight spaces and tighter deadlines Working in tight spaces and to tight deadlines has to be expected when designing and building traction substations underground in congested city centre locations. It’s a demonstration of how much
expertise UKPN Services have built up that they can take on and deliver such projects with confidence. Gary Kelly, Senior Project Manager explains; “UKPN Services is well known for its rail ability - we’ve worked on power transmission projects such as SubSurface Railway Package 2, Victoria Line Upgrade, Thameslink, High Speed 1 and Network Rail Traction Substation Renewals. Where it really comes into its own, though, is when we’re faced with projects such as Crossrail at Liverpool Street and where the challenges are a little out of the ordinary. It’s not simply that we might have come across a similar project before; it’s the fact that we can draw on expertise from so many areas within the organisation, and know precisely what our clients and their customers expect of us.”
The old substation at Liverpool Street which supplied the Central Line between Bethnal Green and Holborn. (Inset) Existing substation and utility corridor.
34 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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Bogies for
(Right) SF7000 trailer bogie showing the inside frame and inboard disc brakes.
order for new trains for T heThameslink has been controversial since it was first announced back on 16 June 2011. Siemens became the preferred bidder, and since then the national and local press has been awash with politicians, interest groups, trade unions and others urging the government to think again and hand the order to Siemens’ great rival, Bombardier. As well as pointing out the obvious, that Bombardier has a UK-based train assembly plant whereas Siemens doesn’t, one of the arguments put forward was that Bombardier has an established bogie for the new train, the German-built FLEXX Eco, whereas Siemens does not. So it was with great interest that the rail engineer set off for Graz in Austria for a first look at the SF7000 - the new Siemens bogie for Thameslink. But, hang on! The Thameslink contract STILL hasn’t been awarded (as of 12 March a DfT spokesman says the announcement is now expected “in the spring”!). So how have Siemens already built a new bogie for it? That was something else to ask about in Austria.
Styrian splendour
(from left) Three views of the SF7000 motor bogie: Tread brake and actuator; 235kW motor and gearbox and the bolster-less design is apparent.
Graz is two hours south of Vienna, and is south of the Alps so has a milder climate than much of the rest of Austria. The capital of Styria, Graz is Austria’s second city, although it has a population of only 250,000. The city encompasses six universities, whose 44,000 students add to the resident population. The Old Town is one of the best preserved medieval centres in Europe, and in 1999 it was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. Bogies, and railway vehicles, have been built in Graz since the middle of the nineteenth century. J Weitzer Wagon Construction was founded in 1854, and by 1934 had combined with H D Schmid of Vienna to form Machinen and Waggonbau Schmid. The company went through several name
changes and owners until Siemens acquired 26% in 1992 and 100% by 2001. Production of vehicles ceased and today the Graz factory is Siemens’ centre of excellence for bogie production - for everything from trams to Velaro high speed trains.
Replacing the SF5000 The factory’s latest creation is the new SF7000. It is the bogie that will be used on the new Thameslink fleet, but as no firm order has been signed, why was it developed? Steve White, Siemens’ Service Director for the UK explained. “At the end of January 2007, it was decided that we needed a replacement for the Desiro UK trains that we had been supplying to the British market for the last few years. So a conceptual study was undertaken to define the specification for such a train. It would have to be lighter, and more energy efficient, than the trains which had gone before.” Siemens committed €50 million to develop the new train. When the Thameslink contract came along in 2009, it gave an added impetus to the programme as this was an obvious opportunity for the new design. The tender was submitted, but development continued as the new train, now named Desiro City, was going to be needed regardless of whether the company won the Thameslink contract or not. From a bogie point of view, the existing SF5000 bogie was still doing sterling service. Siemens trains, with SF5000 bogies, are the most reliable in service in the UK today. However, to get the maximum performance from
the new train, a new bogie would be needed. Helmut Ritter is Head of Engineering, Bogies, and to him fell the task of developing the new bogie. “We needed the new bogie to be lighter than the old SF5000 - much lighter,” he commented. “The reduced weight would consume less energy, and also be kinder to the track resulting in lower track access charges for our customers.”
Losing weight How to reduce the weight while keeping the same reliability? That was the question that Mr Ritter put to his design team. And the answer turned out to be a very different looking bogie indeed. For a start, the frame is inboard rather than outboard. This saves a considerable amount of weight in itself as far less steel plate is involved in its construction. However, having the frames between the wheels cuts down on the space for packaging the rest of the components, giving the designers more headaches. Next to go was the bolster. This normally rests on top of the bogie, and contains air reservoirs for the suspension and adds stiffness to the construction. It is also very heavy. The air reservoirs have been moved up into the car body, and the stiffness now results entirely from clever frame design. The steel axle is normally also very heavy. The new one isn’t - it’s hollow!
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 35
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Technical details - SF7000 bogie
Better brakes The SF7000 bogies use three different forms of braking, but to save weight not all of them are fitted to each bogie. The power bogie has regenerative braking. This reverses the function of the motor, turning it into a generator and also acting as a brake as it consumes kinetic energy. It is the primary braking system as it saves money by reducing the power consumption of the train. The power bogies are also fitted with tread brakes. Traditionally, these are inefficient, noisy brakes which work by rubbing a pad on the tyre of the flanged wheel. Crude freight wagons use these brakes - and have done for decades. Now, however, they use organic brake pads similar to those used on disc brakes, they are quiet and don’t damage the wheel, and they have the benefit of keeping the wheel clean and free from oil, leaf debris and other contaminants. The trailing (unpowered) bogie has two large ventilated disc brakes mounted on each axle. These give good retardation and are used to balance the braking effect of the trailing and motor bogies. In any situation, the train control system uses a combination of all three methods of braking to give the
most energy efficient performance. The rest of the bogie has been designed around these weight-saving measures. To give good performance and low track wear there is a short wheelbase (only 2200mm on the motor bogie) and 820mm diameter wheels. Primary suspension is by rubber layer spring, with air springs for the secondary. The two electric motors on every motor bogie each deliver 235kW.
Trailer Bogie Motor Bogie 1435 1435 Track gauge (mm) 160 160 Max operating speed (km/h) 2100 2200 Axle distance (mm) 820/760 820/760 Wheel diameter new/worn (mm) rubber layer spring rubber layer spring Primary suspension radial arm radial arm Wheel set guidance air springs air springs Secondary suspension centre pin centre pin Traction link N/A partially sprung Drive N/A air-cooled Motor N/A Continuous power per wheel set approx 235 kW axle mounted disc brake tread brake Mechanical brake
Lighter and leaner Even small components have been examined, and trimmed where possible. The yaw damper brackets, which hang off the outside of the train and are thus peppered by ballast and other debris sucked off the train by the speed of its passing, were redesigned using hardened materials in thinner sections. To check that the resulting lighter bracket was strong enough, a sample was bombarded by stones shot from a catapult in the laboratory - and found to be stronger than the original. The result of all this hard work is a massive weight saving over the current SF5000. The motor bogie is down from 9.3 tonnes to 6.3 (-32%) and the trailing bogie from 6.8 to 4.4 tonnes (-35%). And while the design is new, the technology is not - most of the major concepts in the new bogies have been used in earlier Siemens bogies, for example tread brakes were originally used on the SF2100 bogie for Shanghai.
So the first four bogies have been built two motor bogies and two trailing bogies. They will now be subjected to a series of static tests at Graz, before being sent off to the train factory at Krefeld in Germany. There they will be fitted to the first two Desiro City body shells (which have also been built as part of the development programme without a signed Thameslink contract). By the middle of 2012 they will have started racking up thousands of kilometres of testing at Siemens’ own test track at Wildenrath. Providing the contract is signed as anticipated, in March 2013 the first series production bogies will start to emerge from the Graz factory at a rate of up to 90 each month. The anticipated total of approx 2,400 bogies (1,200 each motor and trailer) represent less than 20% of the factory’s current capacity so, while a significant order, it will not cause manufacturing bottlenecks. After all, Graz is the Centre of Excellence.
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36 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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David Shirres engineering is an inspiring R ailway business. Few with an engineering
(Right) The Vermeer Ballast Undercutter in operation.
interest can fail to be impressed by fast heavy trains, running on perfectly aligned rails winding through the landscape on imposing structures and earthworks. However it is probably true that, other than permanent way engineers, few enthuse about the stones making up the railway trackbed which are generally taken for granted. The reality is that rail ballast is a complex engineering material which has to satisfy the two competing requirements of high permeability for rapid drainage and high stiffness for efficiently spreading train loads to the sub base. This requires hard durable stone which is angular in shape with all dimensions nearly equal. As ballast is also the largest component of a railway trackbed by weight and volume, its renewal and disposal has significant implications for the environment and other aspects of sustainability. For example, the 3 drill rigs, 2 diggers and 10 dumpers that it takes to produce 2 tons of ballast, consume 1,250 litres of diesel fuel every hour. Transport of the ballast from quarry to worksite by train also consumes one litre of diesel for every 54 ton-miles. Even disposal of waste ballast involves high landfill charges, particularly if the ballast is contaminated. Network Rail has contracts with Aggregate Industries, Midland Quarry Products, Cemex and Lafarge Aggregates to provide ballast from their quarries. The potential value of these contracts is £90 million over five years to supply around 800,000 tonnes of
ballast per year. In recent years, Network Rail has typically renewed around 400 track kilometres of ballast each year at a total cost of £16 million or £40 per metre. Significant cost and environmental savings are possible if ballast renewal can be minimised and spent ballast re-used - a fact not lost on Network Rail, who last year opened their National Track Materials Recycling Centre at Whitemoor. In addition, High Output Ballast Cleaners, and a Ballast Waste Optimisation project for conventional renewals, both maximise the amount of excavated ballast that is re-used.
Minimising ballast waste Speaking at a meeting of the Institution of Occupational Health & Safety’s Glasgow and SW branch, Brian Beck, an HSQE Manager for Network Rail Scotland Asset Management, explained how track engineers and site production managers have been investigating the potential to re-use as much excavated ballast as possible during conventional track renewals. Brian explained that this was good practice in line with the waste hierarchy: Prevention; Re-use; Recycle; Other recovery;
disposal. Once ballast requires renewal, reusing a high proportion on site satisfies an EU waste framework directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) which is now transposed into UK law. Although far preferable to disposal, re-cycling ballast, for example for use as road aggregates, requires energy for transport and conversion and is therefore lower in the hierarchy than re-use. Ballast deterioration is due to stones eroding over prolonged periods and high stress, particularly under sleepers, and contamination by fine particles from both the sub base and from trains (oil, brake dust, toilet waste, and spillage of bulk materials carried). As this deterioration is not uniform, a high percentage of ballast within the trackbed need not be renewed. Shoulder and crib
Sustainability’s Rocky Road
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 37
environment ballast (that between the sleepers) does not suffer high stress, and recent developments such as retention toilets, reduction in cast iron tread brakes and enclosed wagons, have reduced ballast contamination. In addition, upward migration of fines from the subgrade has been reduced with the use of improved geotextiles. The challenge is for engineers to identify old ballast that meets Network Rail’s track standards and for site managers to separate out and re-use this ballast within demanding possession timescales. Brian estimates that experience to date shows that at least 25% of ballast could be retained. As well as the environmental benefits, he estimated that this offers annual material cost savings of around £4 million. Additionally, emissions data indicates that savings of up to 12,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent could be possible from the transport aspects alone. Brian also mentioned that one supplier considered that, should ballast waste optimisation techniques be applied effectively, the estimated 30 year life of his quarry could be extended by a further 7 years.
The High Output prize Although, for conventional track renewals, the ballast optimisation project potentially offers significant environmental benefits, the real prize comes from the use of High Output Ballast Cleaners (HOBC). Under favourable conditions a HOBC will reuse over 50% of the existing ballast. Network Rail acquired its first HOBCs in 2005, and one is based at Whitemoor adjacent to the new rail recycling centre. This HOBC is an RM 900 RT supplied by Plasser and Theurer. It weighs 3,200 tonnes, is 780 metres long, requires a crew of 26, and is worth £25 million.
The HOBC excavates ballast from beneath the track whilst holding it in position and passes the excavated material through vibrating sieves to remove “fines” to wagons in the train. It then returns much of the excavated ballast to the track, topped up as necessary with new ballast from other wagons within the train. This is done at a speed of 0.25 mph, enabling up to 600 metres of ballast to be treated within a typical midweek possession. Since 2010, all Network Rail’s high output track plant, including track renewal machines as well as HOBCs, have been operated and maintained by Amey Colas under a 5 year contract.
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38 | the rail engineer | april 2012
environment
Marshalling yard re-cycled At its busiest, Whitemoor marshalling yard in Cambridgeshire (above) was one of the largest in Europe. Such was its importance that, in World War 2, a dummy marshalling yard was created four miles away to fool German bombers. With the demise of wagonload freight, the large Whitemoor yard closed in the early 1990s and became derelict. A £20 million investment by Network Rail reversed this decline in 2004 by transforming the yard into a track supply depot which recycled 200,000 tonnes of ballast per year. In July 2011 Network Rail’s National Track Materials Recycling Centre (NTMRC) was opened at Whitemoor adjacent to the “phase 1” facility (the rail engineer issue 79, May 2011). This new centre covers 40 hectares (100 acres) of formerly derelict land and is processing 500 miles of used rail, 800 switches and crossings and 50,000 tonnes of contaminated ballast which the phase 1 facility had previously sent to landfill. With a new hazardous waste washing facility, only 4% of the contaminated ballast is now disposed of, resulting in landfill savings of £5 million per year. C Spencer was the Principal Contractor for construction of the NTMRC which was built using 125,000 tonnes of recycled ballast from the adjacent “phase 1” facility. The project also included a rainwater capture system for ballast washing and dust suppression. Other environmental mitigation measures during construction included the promotion of environmental diversity with a new drainage pond for great crested newts, and archaeological surveys taking some months, of a roman road, preWW1 artefacts and WWII air raid shelters.
Underground overground
Digesting depot oil
Like Network Rail, London Underground is striving to increase the amount of ballast that it recycles. To do this a Used Ballast Risk Assessment Protocol is applied to waste from track works. This maximises recycling of the ballast and minimises waste management costs. This risk assessment was developed by Wardell Armstrong and takes account of London Underground’s trackbed being significantly less contaminated than the national rail network. Paul Taylor of Wardell Armstrong explains, “Tube ballast is subjected to fewer chemicals. The Underground uses electric power and is not affected by coal and other materials carried on the national network.” Surprisingly, most of London Underground is overground. 58%, or 146 miles, of the 253 mile network is overground with ballasted track. Each year Transport for London replaces around 100,000 tonnes of ballast. In 2005 around 45% of this ballast was sent to landfill and 2% disposed of as contaminated hazardous waste. Today, Transport for London re-uses or re-cycles 97% of its ballast resulting in savings of about £300,000 per annum. Much of the credit for this reduction in waste goes to Balfour Beatty Rail, who developed an innovative technique to treat inert ballast that previously could not be reused as it contained excessive clay or geotextile sheeting. Prior to its demise in 2008, Metronet developed a ballast bioremediation process to treat oily ballast. Certain micro-organisms treat grease as a food source, breaking down the contaminants into carbon dioxide and water. When accelerated with natural catalysts, this process cleans up contaminated ballast allowing it to be reused as aggregates for road construction.
Recently the bioremediation technique was successfully used to treat contaminated ballast at St Phillip’s Marsh Depot in Bristol. It had not previously been used to clean ballast in situ, until depot operators First Great Western (FGW), bioremediation specialists Waste Management Total Solutions (WTMS) and Soil Mechanics, a part of Environmental Scientifics Group, who performed the laboratory testing, decided to conduct a trial. This involved spraying a mix of biocatalysts and nutrients onto the oily ballast and resulted in a quantifiable decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations after treatment and a reduction in the depth of contamination. “Bioremediation is an established method of treatment, but it has never been used in this context before. We were delighted with the results”, explained WMTS Operations Director Peter Nicholas.
A weighty contribution to sustainability Network Rail, London Underground and others clearly recognise that the huge tonnages of rail ballast renewed each year present a great opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of engineering work. Ballast re-use and re-cycling follows the waste hierarchy and is delivering commitments in Network Rail’s sustainability policy which covers three distinct areas: Social, Economic and Environmental. Whilst the environmental benefits are perhaps obvious, a reduction in ballast transported off site and in use as new ballast offers great economic savings and gives a social benefit by minimising both employee risk exposure and impact on the local community. Most of us may not give railway ballast a second thought, but those who do, and are involved in its treatment, are making a weighty contribution to the sustainability of the rail network.
Ballast replacement through switches and crossings The recently overhauled GO4 ballast renewal machine and team carried out trials for Network Rail in February replacing over 25 metres of ballast per hour. This and a second machine are now available for hire for ballast renewals and track lowering projects nationwide. Old ballast is removed from the site and replaced with new without the need to remove the track and sleepers.
Whilst the machine is removing the ballast a team of road rail excavators and a permanent way team are working alongside to replace the ballast and to check the track geometry and tamp the ballast. If you would like to discuss hiring the GO4 for your next project contact us for further details.
David Richardson Plant Hire t. 01228 518 150 e. david.richardson@stobartrail.com Andy Richardson Operations Director t. 01228 882 300 e. andy.richardson@stobartrail.com Liam Martin Rail Freight Director t. 0151 424 6724 e. liam.martin@stobartrail.com
stobartrail.com
40 | the rail engineer | april 2012
environment
Specially
Interesting writer
Nigel
Wordsworth Recovering the train at Cruachan.
the world becomes a greener place, A swith green initiatives, a green agenda
Amphibian fencing in the North Cotswolds.
and even green trains(!), landowners and businesses are being encouraged to protect our natural resources in all their forms. Those areas of the country thought to be most in need of protection have been designated “Sites of Special Scientific Interest”, or SSSIs. SSSIs are not new. Many came into existence under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. However, the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act introduced the current legal framework and this was amended by later legislation and now covers the whole of the UK. Today, there are over 4,000 SSSIs in England alone, covering some 7% of the country’s total land area. Their ownership is no different from the rest of the countryside - some are nationally owned, some by local authorities and some by private landowners. SSSIs are split into two basic types; Biological and Geological. Around 80% of SSSIs are also classified as European Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites of International Wetland Importance (named after the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971).
All sites are classified by condition and are designated as being in one of four categories - Favourable, Unfavourable/Recovering, Unfavourable and Declining. Recent legislation requires landowners not only to protect these sites but to actively improve those that are in the bottom two categories.
SSSIs on the railway As a major landowner, it is not surprising that Network Rail owns a number of SSSIs. In fact, it possesses about 230 in total, 146 of them in England. These have to be protected when any adjacent railway work needs to be carried out, and those which are deemed to be ‘Unfavourable’ or ‘Declining’ need to be actively improved. To do this, a team of four experts are deployed around the country in a team headed up by the Environment Manager for Infrastructure Maintenance, Katy Littler. Protecting SSSIs from accidental damage is a major part of the team’s work. All sites are listed in Network Rail’s planning directory, and are also on the GI portal (formerly called MARLIN) of Geographical Information. Every delivery team around the country includes a Workforce Health Safety and Environment Advisor and it is their responsibility to ensure that SSSIs are identified and protected. Work can still be done directly on SSSIs, but this has to be approved by Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) or the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).
Accidents and Improvement However accidents do happen. The derailment at Cruachan in Scotland, covered by the rail engineer last year in issue 69 (July 2010), took place close to an SSSI. In such cases the enforcement authority is notified, a plan of action agreed, and any necessary work carried out by cleanup specialists. At Cruachan, there was the possibility of diesel and other fluids leaking into the loch and contaminating the water. A series of protective booms was employed to mitigate this danger. In addition to this day-to-day supervision of Network Rail’s portfolio of SSSIs, a major part of Katy’s work is in improving the Declining sites to meet government targets. Natural England, responding to a European Directive, announced a Public Service Agreement target to bring 95% of SSSI land in England into at least “Recovering” status by the end of 2010 and 100% by 2012. SNH and CCW have broadly similar targets. In all, 21 Network Rail sites were identified as needing work and a budget of £6.1 million allocated to the work.
Assessment When assessing sites, Natural England works on a system of “units” of area. Some small sites are a single unit while larger ones can be many units in size. Each unit is assessed separately. For example, at Great Stukeley near Peterborough there is an 8unit site. Six of these were classified as
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 41
environment Recovering while only two were Declining, meaning that Network Rail only had to improve those two units, not the whole site. Work was done to improve those units, and the whole site is now managed by the simple process of grazing sheep on it. They are all safely fenced in, so no PTS cards are needed! Today, the site has a third party agreement with Huntingdon District Council. The land is partly managed by the council and part of the management is to allow sheep to graze on most of the land. Other work involves volunteers doing light maintenance including scrub clearance and fencing work. The actual approach needed varies from site to site. Folkestone Warren is a massive site, 200 units in all, partly on Network Rail land and partly not. A third party agreement was negotiated with the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership (WCCP) which allows its two patrons to manage the land on Network Rail’s behalf. Management and funding is managed externally and, while Network Rail’s local teams are still involved, this ten year funded management plan (with a break clause after 3 years) passes their legal obligations over to the WCCP.
Improving the environment The type of damage which can cause a site to be classified as Declining is not necessarily down to railway activities. At Honley Station Cutting near Leeds, tree roots were threatening to destabilise the side banks affecting important geological features, so the trees had to be removed. At another geological site, Dawlish Cliffs, the cliff faces had been invaded by Hottentot fig which had found a foothold
out of reach of conventional weed sprayers. Network Rail’s Plymouth-based team removed vegetation at the base of the cliffs to allow access to specialised sprayers that could kill the fig and reveal more of the cliffs. In the rush to build railways in the middle of the nineteenth century, the planning process was rudimentary at best, and as a result railway lines pass right through some of the country’s most interesting countryside. A good example of this is in the New Forest, which has a range of habitat types including large tracts of unenclosed pasture, heathland and forest and is home to numerous species of birds, reptiles and mammals. Working closely with the Forestry Commission, Natural England and the New Forest Verderers, the Eastleigh team carried out £400,000 of improvements to the site which has now been reclassified as Recovering.
Glacial Deposits In a way, the railway is a good place for an SSSI. Apart from necessary work, the site remains largely undisturbed by both people and agricultural activities. Some access, however, can be required by scientists and others, as is the case at Hornchurch Cutting, a geological site that was recently visited by a Channel 4 film crew and is one of the most important ice-age sites in Britain. It is a glacial deposit containing Jurassic-age rocks and fossils that were
carried there from the Midlands and which mark the most southerly edge of the ice sheet which covered most of Britain 450,000 years ago. This cutting is the only site which reveals river gravels from the modern Thames lying on top of the glacial deposits, and scientists believe that this indicates that the River Thames was diverted southwards from its original course through East Anglia into its current valley through London. Although discovered during the construction of the Romford to Upminster branch line in 1892, the site had become badly overgrown and work by the local Network Rail team from Romford has only recently uncovered this important feature which is much valued by geologists studying the impact of former climatic changes on Britain’s landscape. Katy Littler is very pleased with the progress being made in improving those Network Rail SSSIs that need it. All of the 21 sites are on target and currently 82.1% are Recovering or Favourable, up from 52.2% in 2008/9. There is still much to do, but her team are working hard to safeguard and improve Britain’s green railways.
Tony Robinson of the Time Team television programme at Hornchurch Cutting. (Below) Dawlish Cliffs, home of the Hottentot fig.
42 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Looking good for Infrarail Transport Minister Theresa Villiers will formally open Infrarail 2012 at the NEC in Birmingham on 1st May. Later that morning, the minister will deliver a keynote address as part of a seminar programme devised by the rail engineer in partnership with show organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions. Ms Villiers’ speech is expected to set the tone for an event that brings together leading suppliers of rail infrastructure products and services. By mid-March the number of companies participating in the exhibition had risen to nearly 180, covering signalling and communications, track
products, plant and tools, civils products, cable supplies and much more. As well as catching up with the latest products on offer by suppliers, visitors will be able to discover more about industry developments and trends by sitting in on the free seminars which run throughout the exhibition. A range of industry-leading companies will be presenting papers on everything from bridge design to major incident response. Further keynote speeches will be made by Howard Smith, Chief Operating Officer, London Rail at Transport for London, and
Simon Kirby, Managing Director, Investment Projects at Network Rail. In addition, the programme also includes a Network Rail paper on electrification plans by Peter Dearman, Head of Electrification. As always, Infrarail will give visitors a great opportunity to meet up with friends and colleagues who they may not have seen since Railtex 2011 last year. Infrarail opens at 10.00 on 1st May and runs for three days. Entry is free for pre-registered visitors, who also avoid a £15 entry fee on the door. To register, visit www.infrarail.com and follow the on-screen links.
m e w ce & R ail l ar Eve ruit C ine on ws s e m d nt o c i & & e & & Ev ruit nfe Pr s & On Ce s & N Aw re ew ar en me ren in li N R d ts ce t & ail ne mo e s nt s C & n & & & C s R & Ra On ere N Aw & E ec on Pri ies m e & l i Re l C ine on ws ve ruit fere nt ar & m d n on cr i n es & & ts en ce Re C u & On ere & ve itm fere Pri t& s c N Ra lin & nt m en nc nt e A E e & s o i w w e l t v n & re & N & A s & Rec Con P ies s & ard en r m e O & C on ws war Eve ruit fere int Ra nlin er & m d n i e n & e & t Pr s & On Ce s & ent ces Rec il C e & r o in e ru P & li N R & n ce t & ail ne mo ew Aw Ev itm fer rin en s Re Co & P nie s en e a & cr nf rin s & & O rd C ts nt & ces w E e u v ar t& Ra nlin er & N Aw d ent itm ren ew a R il e em c e C s s rd nl ere & N nt & es & ecr Co & P on & i n u in m e r fe e it A in s E e O nl & oni ws wa ve me ren t & & C in e R n nt on Pr rd & ce s R t a s in O i & fe e & C s l t& nl er & N A R & cru Co m ren i E i n ew wa en ce Re ail C ne em rd ven tme & o t& s s cr o n n P rin ies & O Cer ts & t & ew Aw & E uitm nfe r em v t & n e s N e & ard nts ent nce & R Ra line on ew O i & e & C s l s i Ra nlin er & N Aw & cru Co & P es e & rin Ev itm nf ew a il m e s rd C en en ere t & Ra cr Co & P on t & i n ui nc R tm fer rint es & O ere s & t & es ec n e A N m e r & l n nt nt on ew wa & E u ce Re Rai ine s & r s lC & s ie ve d & c A em Ne wa & E ruit on Pri s & & O Ce nt on ws rd ven me fere nt & Ra nlin rem nt C & on i nc R il C e e ts in es t & & Onl rem & N & A es ecr on & P i on ew wa & E uitm fere rin Re Rai ine r s l s ie v nc t & & & cru Co s & d C en en P t & es rin & Ev ts O er itm nf n R & e e t & e d l m E N Aw C nts ent ren & R ail C ine o e a n er ce & & w e r & ie o d e C lin mo Ne Aw s & cru nfe Pri s & s & i n r t w a e & nies s & rd Eve me enc t & Ra On lin il nt C Pr R e & O er nts nf & s & ec Co e Ra n l e er int & nf m in E ru en & N Aw i ew ar ven itm ere ce Re l Co e & oni & en d s Aw s & cru nf Pr es C ts t & i
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44 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Chris Marshman Development Director, York EMC Services
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is concerned with minimising electrical interference; something which potentially is a major safety issue within the railway. Many examples exist of potential electromagnetic (EM) interactions between different systems, both old and new, on the railway infrastructure. Examples include those between modern high power traction packages on rolling stock and signalling systems as part of the infrastructure. The EMC of such interfaces
Keynote Address
RT Hon Theresa Villiers MP
EMC in railways applying best practice must be managed to ensure that the performance of the signalling system is not degraded by interference. The successful delivery of large infrastructure projects within the complex railway electromagnetic environment has enabled the development of EMC best practice over recent years. This has been made possible by managing EMC from the project outset, resulting in both minimised risks and minimised costs. This presentation provides an overview of EMC best practice on the railway by
reference to European railway EMC standards and interoperability directives, and to Network Rail and London Underground requirements. It will look at the individual elements that make up the best practice approach to EMC on the railway, including the role EMC management plans and HAZID. The presentation conclusion is that by addressing EMC from the start of a project, the safety, regulatory and compliance issues can all be addressed and met in a timely and cost effective manner.
The Government’s priorities for rail going forward
Secretary of State for Transport
Theresa Villiers, Minister of State for Transport, will be reviewing the government’s plans for rail reform over the next few years. Cost savings are needed to make the British rail industry more efficient, to reduce fares (or at least contain fare increases) for passengers, and to reduce the need for government subsidy. Last year’s McNulty report, and the recently published
Simon Gardiner Managing Director, Gioconda Limited
Simon Gardiner will bring delegates up to date with some of the latest projects to use Gioconda’s tools and services along with a presentation of the new Complete Gioconda Service which provides a very efficient and cost effective solution.
command paper “Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First”, will give the Minister plenty of background material to draw from as she presents the government’s thinking on the state of today’s railways and the best course of action for the future. Following the Minister’s presentation, there will be a short session of questions and answers which will allow delegates to clarify any further points.
Desktop Signal Sighting Is Seeing Believing? The presentation will cover Signal Sighting with automatic form creation, Signal Immunisation, Constructability, Driver Briefing and transfer of models to Training Simulators. Project references will include Thameslink KO2, North West
Electrification and EGIP signal sighting projects along with various Driver Briefing projects. As part of the presentation Simon will demonstrate how the user can manipulate HD video models in real-time to look at options and design changes pre or during a SSC meeting. Simon will also demonstrate the pitfalls and problems with this technology when operated by inexperienced users and in particular explain how we have eliminated from our tools inaccuracy due to signal drift and obscuration. During the presentation Simon will be offering delegates the chance to enter his “judge the distance” signal sighting competition where the winner will receive a Kindle Fire.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 45
infrarail
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46 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Graham Souter Managing Director, Nord-Lock
Bolted Joints when safety really matters Graham Souter, the Managing Director of Nord-Lock Western Europe, invites you to join him for a seminar about safety critical bolted joints. The Nord-Lock Group is the world leader in bolt securing systems. It has a unique combination of expertise in bolted joints and a market leading product range including wedge-locking products and SUPERBOLT. During this presentation, Graham will be looking at why bolted joints come loose, how and why the Nord-Lock product range can prevent this loosening from occurring, and some of the applications within the rail sector in which the Nord-Lock product
Patrick Coffey Managing Director, Coffey Group Ltd
Innovation in railway civil engineering solutions sits deep in the heart of Coffey Construction, which has been working successfully as a contractor to Irish Rail since 1985. In this seminar, Managing Director, Paddy Coffey, will describe some of the techniques which his company has used to deliver effective construction solutions to overcome particular site constraints. Examples will include the Clongriffen loop line embankment, where a contractor-led design enabled the construction of a piled retaining wall to take place at the foot of the
range has helped customers achieve the security that they need. After the presentation there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Graham will be joined by Nord-Lock Regional Field Application Engineer, John Richardson, who for many years has specialised in solving bolting issues within the rail industry. Nord-Lock shares its experience, knowledge and creativity to help customers achieve outstanding results. Anyone with problems of bolted joints coming loose will find this presentation fascinating, and NordLock believes it has the solution to most problems.
Effective Civils Solutions by Adapting Existing Technologies existing embankment while trains were running, rather than in 4 hour nightly possessions. Another example was where a retaining wall had moved significantly above the Dublin to Bray railway line and factory made twin-panelled concrete wall forms were used as permanent shuttering for the replacement retaining wall, which was restrained by soil nails. This reduced construction time and the disruption caused by the associated road closure, and reduced the weight of wall components to suit the access available for lifting equipment.
Preparation for, and management of, Willie Baker Emergency Incidents Specialist, The Emergency Planning College
Emergency Planning College is the UK’s leading centre for emergency and crisis management, business continuity, public safety, crowd and spectator management, risk and contingency planning. Now is not the time to relax, safe in the knowledge that emergency incidents on Britain’s railways are at are their lowest level, but it is the time to build on this success and ensure this achievement does not languish. Willie Baker is a recently retired British Transport Police superintendent with an
emergency incidents unrivalled background in planning for, and dealing with rail emergency incidents. His planning, training and front line operational command experience began in the early 1980’s and includes the opening of the Midland Metro and the accidents at Paddington in 1995 through to and including Ufton Nervet in 2010. At the Police Leadership College, Bramshill he delivered the critical incident training that was used by commanders involved in Grayrigg. As well as leading on all emergency preparedness for the two most recently opened passenger
railways in the world, Dubai and Makkah, he has advised the Chinese authorities following the high speed crash at Wenzhou in 2011. Willie will draw on the resources, facilities and reputation of the Emergency Planning College, coupled with the operational and training experience of a senior police practitioner, to provide a unique introduction to the first class training that is focussed, fit for purpose, and conducted by some of the most credible people in the world.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 47
infrarail
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Emergency Planning College The Hawkhills, Easingwold, York, North Yorkshire, YO61 3EG. Managed for and on behalf of the Cabinet Office by:
48 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Electrifying The Network Peter Dearman Head of Network Electrification, Network Rail
Electrification Plans for the Future Network Rail’s electrification programmes will provide work for a large part of the industry over the next few years. Electrification of the Great Western to Bristol and Cardiff, routes around Manchester, and the recently announced extensions to Sheffield, represent a major investment. There will be many aspects to the work. Trackside structures need to be surveyed, modified and replaced. Then there is the installation of the overhead wires, power supplies and substations. Traction return can play havoc with signalling installations so they need to be protected and checked.
There is much to do. Peter Dearman is in a unique position to comment on all these challenges. As head of network electrification, he oversees projects all over the country and he will be using this opportunity at Infrararil to present an overview of all the challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. Once again, the interactive session immediately after his talk will give delegates the opportunity to bring up any points that need clarifying. This is a unique opportunity to interface directly with the person responsible for this major investment programme.
Making London’s railways fit for the challenge of major growth
Keynote Address
Howard Smith Chief Operating Officer, London Rail
In this keynote speech, London Rail’s chief operating officer Howard Smith will talk about the £2.8bn upgrading of the Light Rail and Overground rail networks ready for London 2012. There is also a major challenge beyond the summer as London continues to grow, depending
ever more on a complex and reliable rail infrastructure. The next decade will see upgrading of radial routes and the creation of major new crossLondon capacity in the form of Crossrail and Thameslink as well as the continued development of orbital routes and interchanges.
Optimising the Rail Lifecycle Matthew Lock Rail Consultant, Korec
Over the years, technology has become more user-friendly, flexible and productive. There have been tremendous advances in mobile communications, data capture and computing. In the world of surveying and mapping, construction and 3D machine control and scanning and imaging, these advances have been just as significant. It is important that as this technology becomes more commonplace and tries to be all things to all people, there is still focus on the requirements and demands of key market sectors such as rail. With that in mind, Trimble’s Railway Industry Business Area was formed to bring instrumentation, software, sensors and services from its various divisions together and bring tangible benefits to the global
How positioning solutions can help
railway family. KOREC has been supplying Trimble high-end surveying and 3D machine control systems to the railway industry for many years and is now in a position to be able to serve it better than ever before. In this presentation, Mathew Lock will
discuss how key demands within the railway lifecycle can be met and how a joined up approach to construction has led to significant time savings and cost benefits. He will also give some examples of how Trimble rail solutions can significantly benefit tamping projects.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 49
infrarail
From Vision to Construction to Maintenance ...KOREC’s got Rail covered When you bring the KOREC Rail team on-board, you have the very latest rail technology solutions at your disposal. From 3D machine control to real-time monitoring, our cutting edge systems increase cost effectiveness and deliver greater efficiency. KOREC are specialists in the provision of construction, machine control and survey solutions for the Rail Industry. We provide a wide range of Total Stations, GNSS, Grade Lasers, Machine Control systems, Track Measuring Devices, levelling and alignment instruments, as well as Asset Management Systems which are suitable for use across a wide range of rail infrastructure projects. If you would like to find out how KOREC’s Rail Solutions will help you, visit our website or join the conversation online. www.korecgroup.com/markets/rail/
www.korecgroup.com info@korecgroup.com tel UK: 0845 603 1214 Ire: 01 456 4702
50 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Phil Hickey Senior Project Manager, Unipart Rail
This presentation will focus on some of the technical solutions to Network Rail’s modular railway challenges, specifically at how interconnects will unify different technologies into a single system, and how cable management is central to meeting the CP4/CP5 challenges by reducing timeon-site. This new system can be quickly and easily installed and commissioned at the trackside, reducing possession time. The changing of many testing procedures from trackside to the factory on all associated equipment means that the commissioning time is much
Ray Lock Technical Director, Westermo Ltd
Worldwide, there is a drive towards faster, longer and more frequent trains to run over existing infrastructure. To facilitate the increased capacity in the rail system it is not just the trains and the rails that need to be considered. The signalling, SCADA, points monitoring and asset management systems all need to be able to communicate faster and more reliably without the need for the existing
Signalling Plug & Play Project Solutions reduced at the installation stage. Automatic Testing Equipment has also been developed to standardise testing regimes and ensure rigorous record keeping, labelling/identification and traceability. New equipment makes the testing process very fast and accurate, eliminating the possibility of human error. Unipart Rail, as a leading developer of new modular technologies, is well placed to comment on these advances and Phil Hickey’s presentation will highlight how this new technology will influence all aspects of signalling in the next few years.
Ethernet Evolution or Revolution? trackside cabling to be totally replaced. Westermo will aim to show how the existing trackside copper cabling can be reused to carry multiple services with the use of the Wolverine SHDSL series of devices. Existing legacy serial communications and IP communications can all be carried simultaneously without the risk of interference or cross talk. The rate and reach
of this technique can deliver data rates from 192kbit/s to 15.3Mbit/s at distances in excess of 10km whilst still providing lower latency and improved reliability. The Wolverine devices have already attained Network Rail PADS approval, and are actively carrying live data within Network Rail, London Underground and many other rail networks across the world.
Dry Stack Retaining Walls Tim Fields Civil Engineering Technical Manager, Anderton Concrete Products Ltd
The increase in the modernisation, redevelopment and new investment in the UK infrastructure has put the spotlight firmly on groundworks. This, in turn, has created a whole raft of new challenges associated with the selection of cost effective,
Applications in the Rail Industry aesthetically pleasing and sustainable retaining wall and slope reinforcement solutions that are often required on projects within this sector. This seminar will showcase these proven products which have been recently
incorporated into the Anderton Concrete Product Range, their possible applications, from embankments and modest retaining walls to substantial highly loaded structures that can support bridges and railway tracks. The seminar will also include a review of recently completed projects relevant to the rail industry. Anderton Concrete’s name is synonymous within the Rail industry, having supplied products across the UK for 15 years. Tim has 20 years experience in the construction industry, with the last 10 years spent in a technical advisory role for concrete products manufacturers. He has sat on numerous regulatory committees and industry advisory groups, and has an indepth knowledge of production methods, 2D and 3D CAD design and product development.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 51
infrarail
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SLOPELOC
KEYSTONE
FIRST CLASS - MODULAR RETAINING SYSTEMS SLOPELOCâ&#x201E;˘
KEYSTONEâ&#x201E;˘
A STRAIGHT-FORWARD DRY LAY BLOCK THAT PROVIDES A DURABLE HARD FACING TO REINFORCED SOIL SLOPES
THE No.1 MODULAR REINFORCED EARTH RETAINING WALL SYSTEM ON THE MARKET TODAY.
Offers a characteristic sloped face finish which in certain situations is more preferable to the traditional vertical face. (designed to BS 8006 and HA 68/94). s !VAILABLE IN A RANGE OF COLOURS
MODULAR SYSTEMS REDEFINED For further information on Slopeloc, Keystone and other associated products contact the Anderton Concrete, sales information centre on 01606 535300 or email civils@andertonconcrete.co.uk
www.andertonconcrete.co.uk
Truly Functional and elegant. Replacing gabion, crib and cast-in-situ walls. Radiused or straight build, ideal for rail, roadside and bridge locations. (Meets HA requirements for durability.) s !VAILABLE IN A RANGE OF COLOURS
SALES ENQUIRIES Anderton Concrete Products, Units 1 & 2, Cosgrove Business Park Soot Hill, Anderton Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6AA. T: 01606 535300 F: 01606 75905
52 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
LED - New lamps for old Chris Walsh Corporate Sales Manager, M J Quinn
Retro-fit LED lighting “could return your organisation a 60% saving in energy costs and Carbon” in addition to “reducing your lighting maintenance to almost zero for the next five to ten years”. Reliable, long life LED retro-fit technology has now reached a price point that in most instances will yield an ROI of three years or less. Some 24/7 operations will return its investment in just nine months, after installation and purchase. Virtually all conventional lighting types and technologies, both internal and external can be replaced with LED retro-fit products the retro-fit range even extends to fire
David Thomasson Business Development Manager, Axis Communications
Traditionally, video from analogue security cameras is used forensically by viewing recordings of incidents after they have occurred. Now, with a network video solution, realtime video from vehicles, stations and infrastructure can be viewed from any authorised location connected to the network, including via the internet and wirelessly. Response resources can access
Keynote Address
Simon Kirby Managing Director - Investment Projects, Network Rail
There has been much talk about how Network Rail will approach the delivery of Infrastructure Projects in the future.
Low carbon, low cost, low maintenance, longer life resistant tubes and lamps designed for extreme conditions. Chris Walsh will look at how old lamps and power hungry lighting estate is badly damaging” bottom line” performance 365 days per year. Over five years, two hundred and seventy 1000w MH flood lights lit for 12 hours per day will cost around £300,000 more for energy and maintenance, and generate an additional 2,500 tonnes of CO2, than the equivalent LED product. Oh yes, 4,500 broad leaf trees will also be saved from carbon absorption. So to save money - attend this seminar!
From Forensic to Real-time Surveillance live images via hand-held devices so they know exactly what to expect upon arrival and can prepare the appropriate response as the scene develops. At the same time, the higher resolution available with network video cameras offers the option of greatly reducing the number of cameras required, resulting in tremendous saving on installation, maintenance and
ongoing power supply costs. David Thomasson of Axis Communications will go through this developing technology, look at the pros and cons, and give some examples of recent successful installations. Delegates will hear first-hand how a modern installation can give enhanced results, and provide more information, without costing the earth.
Supplier Engagement and Project Delivery Discussion has taken place about Network Rail forming its own infrastructure contracting organisation, either to fulfil its
own contracts or even to compete against its existing suppliers. Simon Kirby will take the opportunity at Infrarail 2012 to clarify all those points as he details Network Rail’s new approach to project delivery. He will also cover how the company will engage with its major suppliers in the future. Devolution has brought a new way of working to the railways, and these new Network Rail initiatives will continue that process. If Simon doesn’t address a particular point of interest, there is always the question and answer session after his talk in which outstanding points can be addressed. This is a rare chance to hear directly from one of Network Rail’s main board directors on how future policy will affect the entire industry.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 53
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One day. 192 incidents.
192 right decisions.
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54 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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Sustainability for a Steve Holmes Safety Director, Balfour Beatty Rail
Sustainability isn’t just about the environment, so how does a successful railway infrastructure contractor integrate profitable markets and healthy communities into its sustainability efforts?
modern railway contractor Moreover, how does it get the sustainability agenda in to the hearts and minds of every member of staff, supplier, sub-contractor and client? Well, one has to start at the very beginning and ...everyone’s been doing it
for a long time - they just didn’t realise it. This presentation will introduce Infrarail visitors to Balfour Beatty’s plans to meet the challenges of sustainability, how it intends to get there and some examples of what has already been done.
The application of Steve Armstrong Head of Sales UK Division, Mabey Bridge
With the implementation of Eurocodes in bridge design, designers and fabricators have had to get used to a new set of rules. Network Rail structures are no exception to this, and this presentation will highlight the impact of the changes from a fabricator’s point of view. Whether it is the role of the Welding Engineer, Execution Class or the Specification Requirements, this presentation will explain the requirements of the Eurocodes for steel fabrication and will identify some of the potential pitfalls in
Jas Birk Segment Manager - Transport, Schneider
Eurocodes their use. Mabey Bridge has a history datuing back to 1849, and specialises in the fabrication, erection and protective treatment of high quality plated steelwork for bridges, wind turbine towers, monopiles and other heavy steel structures in the UK and Ireland. The company is currently fabricating one of the first large viaducts built in accordance with Eurocodes and can therefore offer a unique insight into the application of these new standards in the rail industry.
Supply Monitoring and Restoration As the UK’s railway continues to grow there is increasing pressure to ensure that the network is reliable and efficient. A substantial number of train delays and cancellations can be attributed to the loss of signalling power, either by a genuine cable fault or theft. These occurrences cause tremendous disruption to the network, can result in long delays and, in some cases, heavy fines for the network operator. With 970,000 minutes of delays in 2010-11 attributed to cable theft and loss of power, Schneider Electric’s Rail Segment Manager will address the issues facing the industry and the introduction of supply monitoring and restoration technologies which can reduce signal power supply down-time, allowing operators to reduce delays, reduce costs and increase safety. This presentation will conclude with a 10minute question and answer session.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 55
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Flexible and reliable power solutions for the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s railways Schneider Electric has been powering the railways since 1850, with experience in numerous international rail projects. With a wide range of solutions for signalling power supply, cable containment, !"!#$%&#%'(" !()*!)(+&"%,&!("*!#$%&-$.+(/&.+&+% )(+&!0"!&1$)&*"%&"2."1 &3+%+4!& from secure and reliable power. Visit us on stand M31 to find out what our rail solutions can do for you. For more information call 0870 608 8 608 or visit www.schneider-electric.com/uk
56 | the rail engineer | april 2012
infrarail
Desktop signal sighting
Gioconda will once again be displaying its latest developments in G-RAST desktop tools along with its full range of services to the Rail Industry, from Signal Sighting Committee Chair consultancy to Signal Sighting Form production, Desktop Signal Sighting, Driver Briefing and beyond. Staff will be on hand to explain the best process for efficient desktop signal sighting and the cost benefits of this approach when moving into the construction and commissioning stages. Visitors will be shown how to
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produce models and can be given a brief tutorial on how to use these methods for specific projects including Train Lengthening, Resignalling, Remodelling, New Layout, Electrification in both Enhancements and Infrastructure sectors. The Gioconda stand will be packed with 3D & High Definition visual material, which will include a “Judge the Distance” signal sighting competition giving visitors the chance to win a fantastic Kindle Fire.
Tracking Up at Infrarail ArcGen Hilta will be exhibiting, and providing information on a range of products ideal for the rail industry, including its Network Rail approved SMC TL-90 lighting tower and ArcGen Hilta Weldmaker 165SP2. It will also be showcasing the very best of its lighting portfolio, with the Lumaphore and LED ranges. As one of the UK’s premier providers of onsite power equipment, ArcGen Hilta’s products are ideal for use on rail projects, and many have already established themselves as industry favourites. The Network Rail approved SMC TL90 lighting tower is one of ArcGen Hilta’s most popular products. Crucial safety features include an emergency stop that disconnects all electrical circuits and a mast deployment alarm and a safety system which ensures the mast descends automatically when the handbrake is released, preventing collisions with electrified overhead rail cables. ArcGen Hilta has also recently developed the SMC TL-90 to create the SMC TL-90 LED, with 4 x 180W LED light assemblies providing 720W of lighting power and up to seven
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times the operating life of a metal halide bulb. ArcGen Hilta will also be exhibiting its Weldmaker 165SP2, a super-silent welder generator designed for use in a wide variety of applications. The Weldmaker 165SP2 was Network Rail approved in 2009 after demonstrating cost savings in the repair of damaged rails when working in conjunction with ESAB’s automated repair welding unit. ArcGen Hilta’s most innovating portable temporary lighting solution, Lumaphore, will also be making an appearance at the show. The Lumaphore lighting range is made up of lightweight portable lighting products, weighing from only 8.5kg, making them the ideal lighting solution for rail projects, where space is often limited.
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 57
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58 | the rail engineer | april 2012
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Plug into Technology Stan d J25 Unipart Rail is well known for its wide range of services from innovation to warehouse management, and at Infrarail in May the company will be focusing on two areas: Plug & Play signalling systems and Supply Chain Management. Network Rail’s challenge to the industry to create ‘modular’ infrastructure systems has led to a whole new approach to signalling projects. Unipart Rail and Dorman have designed a whole new approach to the signal head, mounting system and control equipment - the Integrated Lightweight Signal (iLS). The original signal won the Infrarail Innovation Award in 2010, and for 2012 sees the unveiling of the latest design, complete with an incorporated control equipment
enclosure, eliminating the need for accompanying location cases in some instances. Also being displayed is a new approach to trackside equipment housing. Currently, if a location case is not big enough for local control equipment, either multiple cases are required or the step up to an REB (Relocatable Equipment Building) is needed. With the new Unipart Rail equipment housing, much more equipment can be located in a small footprint. Both these items are the result of Unipart Rail applying its significant capability in developing new, lower cost products which need less installation time trackside, significantly improving the speed of project delivery.
• Prevents loosening caused by vibration and dynamic load • Locking function is not affected by lubrication • No special tools required • Reusable
Safeguards through security The Nord-Lock Group is a world leader in bolt securing systems. It offers a unique combination of bolting expertise and a wide product range, including wedge-locking solutions and Superbolt tensioners. Nord-Lock’s mission is to safeguard human lives and customer investments by securing the world’s most demanding applications. Nord-Lock products have documented success in every major industry and hold several certificates from independent institutes including AbP, DIBt, DNV and TÜV. The group shares its experience, knowledge and creativity to help clients achieve outstanding results. The Nord-Lock Group looks forward to being your partner in bolt optimisation.
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The cam angle ‘ ’ is larger than the thread pitch ‘ß’, making the pair of washers expand more than the corresponding pitch of the thread.
NORD-LOCK Ltd. Tel +44 (0) 1980 847129 • Fax +44 (0) 1980 847674 Email: enquiries@nord-lock.co.uk • Website: www.nord-lock.com
The creation and care of tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s railways
Dig it...
Lay it...
Tamp it
For further information please contact Chris Baddeley on 07967 669 555
60 | the rail engineer | april 2012
Company Name
infrarail
Stand
Company Name
Stand
Company Name
Stand
Company Name
1stinrail Ltd
L25
FLI Structures
K02
Moxa Europe GmbH
K05
Snap-on Industrial
D40
A. Jansen B.V. - Legioblock®
J50
FP McCann Ltd
C15
Nencki Ltd
H11
Socomec UPS
H41
AATi Ltd
B40
Frauscher Sensortechnik GmbH
L30
Newey & Eyre
H60
Specialist Engineering Service Ltd
A41
Abacus Lighting
E54
Fuchs Lubricants (UK) Plc
G31
NightSearcher Ltd
H30
Abloy UK
B25
Furse - Thomas & Betts
K25
Nord Lock Ltd
D14
Speedy Services
C11
Achilles Information Ltd
G03
GAI-Tronics, a division of Hubbell
B54
Osvaldo Cariboni Lecco SpA
L28
SRT Schörling Rail Tech GmbH
J15
Adaptaflex - Thomas & Betts
K25
GGR Rail
D10
Panasonic Computer Products
Strainstall Group Ltd
D21
Advanced Tactile Systems
A12
Stand
+ Y44
Gioconda Ltd
D05
Europe
L60
Strainstall UK Ltd
D21
AGRO AG - Precision Cable Glands B02
Glasdon Manufacturing Ltd
C05
Permanent Way Institution
H02
Tata Steel
B61
Anderton Concrete Products
J14
Glasdon UK Ltd
C05
Pfisterer Ltd
G13
Anochrome Group
G45
Goldwing Cable Ltd
C41
PHS Besafe
L50
TE Connectivity (Tyco Electronics UK) A05
Apex Cables Ltd
L19
Griflex
H35
Pipex Px®
B20
TESI Srl
H40
Aqua S+TS Ltd
K41
H20X - Oxford Hydrotechnics
B03
Platipus Anchors Ltd
G41
Testo Ltd
D35
+Track
Arbil Ltd
L12
Handheld UK Ltd
D61
PMA UK Ltd - Thomas & Betts
K25
The Aluminium Lighting Company B12
ArcGen Hilta
H20
Healthcare Connections Ltd
K35
Pointman
C21
The Chartered Institute of Logistics
Arctic Aircon Ltd
J02
HellermannTyton
B24
Polydeck Ltd
D51
and Transport (UK)
Arrow Solutions
E02
Henkel Ltd
J30
Product Assessment & Reliability
AT Source QX Ltd
G11
Henry Williams Ltd
C10
Centre
A20
and Technology
J60
Avdel UK Ltd
J40
Highspeed Group Ltd
J63
Prolec Ltd
D21
the rail engineer
D20
Axis Communications (UK) Ltd
J61
HILTI (GB) Ltd
L40
Provertha
C35
The Railway Engineering Company D21
Bakerail Services Ltd
A25
Holdfast Level Crossings Ltd
D31
Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd
D15
Thomas & Betts
K25
BCM GRC Ltd
C43
Holophane Europe Ltd
D11
QHi Rail Ltd
J31
Topcon Europe Positioning
L05
+ Track
Husqvarna Construction
C55
Rail Alliance
RA
Total Lubricants
J51
+ Track
Rail Images & Rail Images Video
A13
Tracksure
A76
J20
Rail Media
D20
Train'd Up
D42
Rail Technology Magazine
M15
Trescal
J48
Rail Waiting Structures
E34
TTI UK Ltd (Milwaukee)
D60
D03
The Institution of Engineering
Bernstein Ltd
H10
Bodyguard Workwear Ltd
A24
ICEE Managed Services Ltd
Bosch Rexroth Ltd
C60
Institution of Railway
Burdens Rail
A18
Signal Engineers
Cembre Ltd
K21
Intelligent Portable
Railnews Ltd
L65
Unipart Rail Dorman
J25
Charcon Specialist Products
G51
Lighting Solutions
A03
RailStaff
D20
University of Derby Corporate
E30
CIRAS
B14
Invensys Rail Ltd
K11
RailStaff Awards
D20
Variable Message Signs Ltd
M11
Coffey Construction Ltd
H05
Kaba Ltd
J21
Railway Gazette International
L02
Visul Systems
D55
Columbus McKinnon Corporation
H11
KEC Ltd
C35
Railway Industry Association
M01
Vital Rail
K31
Concast
H50
Kelly Integrated Transport Services J41
RailwayPeople.com
D20
Vital Rail Security
K31
Contacta Systems Ltd
B30
KeTech Systems
E10
Renown Rail Weld Services
K51
Vital Skills Training
K31
Cosalt
J11
Kilfrost
D24
Renown Railway Services
K51
Vital Solutions
K31
Covtec Ltd
M60
KOREC Group
A72
Renown Training
K51
Vital Technology
K31
CRC Industries UK Ltd
J10
KROY (Europe) Ltd
A10
Rittal Ltd
D45
VVB Engineering Services Ltd
A21
CUBIS Industries
B34
Kwik-Step Ltd
J35
Rosehill Rail
C20
Weidmuller Ltd
B21
Demco
G21
Lewden : Palazzoli
C51
+ Track
Westermo Data Communications J05
Diamond Point Int. (Europe) Ltd
G61
LH Access Technology Ltd
A70
Ruggedcom Inc.
B10
Windhoff Bahn - und
Digital Barriers / COE
H51
+ Y40
Safetykleen UK
L10
Anlagentechnik GmbH
D34
DILAX Systems UK Ltd
J45
LPA Channel Electric
D30
Sapa Profiles UK Ltd
H31
Wireless CCTV Ltd
H25
Dual Inventive
L25
LPA Excil Electronics
D30
Schenck Process UK
A55
Worlifts Rail
H11
Eltek Valere UK Ltd
B31
LPA Group Plc
D30
Schneider Electric
M31
York EMC Services Ltd
H14
Eltherm UK Ltd
D50
LPA Niphan Systems
D30
Schwihag AG
M23
ZOELLNER UK Ltd
G35
Emergency Planning College
D02
M.J QUINN Integrated Services
L11
Selectequip Ltd
L23
Zuken
C03
Enerpac
H11
Mabey Bridge Ltd
C25
SES-Sterling Ltd
B02
Zweiweg International GmbH & Co A70
Express Medicals Ltd
J34
Mechan Ltd
H21
Shay Murtagh Precast Ltd
K50
Fiberweb Geosynthetics Ltd
H61
Mobile Centre Ltd
C31
SiG UK
A43
Findlay Irvine Ltd
J55
Modern Railways
D63
Signature Aromas Ltd
A14
Flexicon Ltd
H35
Moore Concrete Products
B60
SMP Electronics "Samalite Products" K63
K60
+ Y40
april 2012 | the rail engineer | 61
infrarail A36
A30
A44
Y44 A12
A14
A18
A20
A03 B02 B03
A05
A11
B10
B12
A13
A21
B14
B20
A31
A25
B34
A70
THE YARD
A24 A10
A66
A28
MUST SEE STANDS A02
Y40
A72
A41
A43
B40
B24
A51
A55
B50
B54
A76
B60 C02
TRACK A
C03
C21
C31
C25
D14
D10
D20
D30
D24
D34
C41
C43
C51
D40
D42
D50
C55
D60 D61 D63
E02 D15
D11
D21
E10
D31
D35
E30
E34
D45
D51
D55 E54 G61
G03 G13
G11 H02
C60
C35
D03 D05
T6
C15
C11
B61
TRACK B T5
D02
C20
C10
SEMINAR THEATRE
B31
T4
C05
B30
B25
T3
B21
G21
G31
G35
G41
G45
G51 H50
H60 H10
H12
H14
H20
H24
H30
H34
H40
H11
H21
H25
H31
H35
H41
H51
H55
J20
J30
J34
J40
J48
J50
H03 H05 J02
J10
J14
H61
J60 J05 J15
J11
J31
J21
J35
J41
J45
J51
J55
K02 J25
K50
J61 J63 K60
K05 K15
K11
K21
K25
K31
K35
K41
K51
L40
L50
L30
L02
L10
K63 L60 L65
L05
L11
L25
L23
L12
L28
THE PLATFORM
VISITORS ENTRANCE
L19
M01 M11
M15
M23
M31
M60 NETWORKING ZONE
62 | the rail engineer | april 2012
senior appointments
Quality Assurance Engineer An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Quality Assurance Engineer to help drive Merseyrail's engineering organisation towards excellence in train maintenance. Your excellent analytical, organisational, time management and communication skills will enable you to interact professionally with all levels of management and staff in the engineering team, other internal departments, external suppliers and industry associates. As a passionate and enthusiastic engineer with a keen eye for detail your responsibilities will include but not be limited to: Ensuring the compliance of engineering practices, processes and
documentation, with Regulatory Legislation, Rail Industry Standards, ISO 9001-2008 & ISO 14000 standards. Auditing to ensure that processes and standards to deliver safe, reliable trains are developed, implemented and maintained. Delivery of product, contractor/supplier approval and surveillance audits when required. Support and assistance with component failure investigations and inspections. Assistance in the development and maintenance of product, QMS and safety auditing schedules and programmes. Assistance in the appraisal, revision and update (as necessary) of maintenance and overhaul specifications and instructions to ensure compliance and improved quality. Development and maintenance of a comprehensive and documented Q&A process for workshop activity including quality control of maintenance output for planned /unplanned inspection, repair and overhaul. Driving improvements in quality culture through communication and coaching.
Assistance in the operation, control and development of engineering
data systems.
We are therefore looking for a person with the following skills and attributes: A solid grounding in engineering within a high performing maintenance
environment.
Minimum of 3 years as a QA engineer or related experience in an
engineering maintenance or overhaul environment. Strong problem solving and resolution skills. Excellent verbal, written, presentation and communication skills Persuasive and resourceful. Energetic, with a strong desire to succeed. Have a proactive approach to risk identification and avoidance. Ability to function and thrive in a team environment with an appreciation of company objectives. Qualified lead auditor to IRCA standard.
To apply, please send a copy of your CV in addition to a covering letter explaining why you feel you would be suitable for the role, to Merseyrail, HR Support Centre, 9th Floor, Rail House, Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool, L1 1JF. Those shortlisted to go forward to the next stage will be invited to attend an interview. For further information please contact the HR Support Centre Team on 0151 702 2416.
> Health and Safety Manager TES have an excellent opportunity for a dynamic and results focused Health and Safety Manager to join the growing team at our Colchester Head Office. Reporting to the Managing Director this role will be partly operational in nature and will ideally suit those with health and safety experience gained within a railway environment. Key responsibilities will include: · Promoting safe working practices by proactively addressing safety issues within the workplace and developing the safety culture · Providing line managers with support and guidance to effectively carry out risk assessments as required · Chairing safety meetings, team briefings and safety briefings · Production of regular safety bulletins promoting excellent safety practices · Compiling and completing a schedule of regular site safety tours and internal site audits · Carrying out internal quality audits · Contributing H&S expertise to the tendering process · Leading thorough accident and incident investigations to determine the root causes and implement /advise on corrective actions and further preventative measures · Compiling reports and attending client and manager meetings as required · Accident and incident prevention · Statistical reporting · Undertaking competency assessments in line with NR standards (Desirable)
Qualifications and experience · Operational railway experience preferred including knowledge of railway standards · Recognised safety qualification e.g. NEBOSH/IOSH · A1 assessor · Good standard of IT skills inc Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook · Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Salary and Benefits Salary is negotiable and dependant on skills and experience. Benefits include access to fully expensed company vehicle, mobile phone, life assurance cover and membership of the company cash plan medical scheme. Applications To apply, please contact the HR team on: Tel: 01206 799111 E-mail: human.resources@tes2000.co.uk
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