Rail Engineer - Issue 140 - June 2016

Engineer

by rail engineers for rail engineers

JUNE 2016 - ISSUE 140

Preparing for

Severn Tunnel electrification

THE REVERSIBLE SUBSTATION

LEVEL CROSSINGS WORLDWIDE

IT'S RAIL... AND IT'S LIVE!

Learn how Hesop can feed regenerated power back into the network, for use by other trains, stations or even the public!

Network Rail is closing crossings where it can, but how do UK practices compare with Australia, Japan and the USA?

Looking forward to Rail Live 2016 on 22/23 June, with details of the exhibits and events and a map of the site.

www.railengineer.uk

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

3

Contents

The connected journey Paul Darlington looks at how Wi-Fi will change the way we travel.

News Most Interesting Awards, Bombardier

6

Preparing for Severn Tunnel electrification Collin Carr looks at the work being done in advance of September’s closure.

18 Increasing clearances at Hanneys Bridge

12

Electrification progresses west of Bath 24 Collin Carr reports on TPOD2 - the next phase of Great Western electrification.

The reversible substation 28 Stewart Marshall and Xavier Billiard explain how Hesop recovers regenerated energy.

Digitally enabling electrification 32 Peter Stanton on DEE and the use of TADPOLE as electrification goes digital.

38 The impact of EU membership on Britain's Railway

Malcolm Dobell joined the IMechE's debate on this pressing issue.

48 Level crossing practices worldwide

The ‘power’ of maintenance Linbrooke’s ability to maintain low and high voltage distribution networks.

34

Improved safety for linesmen P&B Weir Electrical introduces its DEP Short Earth.

36

Don’t write off relays!

Far from being ‘old hat’, Siemens is even producing new designs for relays.

42

Applications for modular multilevel converters MMC provide a high degree of flexibility in converter design.

43

Reading the meter Keeping track of cross-border power consumption using EcoS.

44

New power for Liverpool Street 46 SSE Enterprise Rail is keeping the lights on at London’s third busiest station.

Asset monitoring: a new approach Clive Kessell investigates how Telent monitors lift and escalator assets.

52

Testing on the West Highland line Fenix and Telent have delivered TPWS signal testing on this remote railway.

55

Schweizer Electronic 56 Paul Darlington finds how Swiss technology improves British level crossings.

Level crossing problems solved 64 How waterlogged ground challenged Premier Rail during a crossing refurbishment.

60

It’s Rail - and it’s Live!

68 A look at what you will see at Rail Live on 22/23 June - rail’s big outdoor show.

We’re looking to highlight the latest projects and innovations in

Bridges & Tunnels

Track

in the August issue of Rail Engineer.

Got a fantastic innovation? Working on a great project? Call Nigel on 01530 816 445 NOW!

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

5

Live wires and Rail Live

Editor Grahame Taylor grahame.taylor@railengineer.uk

GRAHAME TAYLOR

Production Editor Nigel Wordsworth nigel.wordsworth@railengineer.uk

Production and design Adam O’Connor adam@rail-media.com Matthew Stokes matt@rail-media.com

Engineering writers bob.wright@railengineer.uk chris.parker@railengineer.uk clive.kessell@railengineer.uk collin.carr@railengineer.uk david.bickell@railengineer.uk david.shirres@railengineer.uk graeme.bickerdike@railengineer.uk malcolm.dobell@railengineer.uk melanie.oxley@railengineer.uk mark.phillips@railengineer.uk paul.darlington@railengineer.uk peter.stanton@railengineer.uk stuart.marsh@railengineer.uk

Advertising Asif Ahmed

asif@rail-media.com

Chris Davies

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This month, Rail Engineer looks at the very topical issues of electrification and power.

Self-effacing electrification engineers tend to suggest that OLE is just knitting. It’s simple. The reality is that OLE is not simple and, with a huge electrification programme underway in the UK, it’s a far from simple job coordinating all the procurement and installation aspects. Peter Stanton has investigated how electrification has been, like so many other disciplines, digitised to provide a common platform from which everyone can work.

Two of our electrification-related topics on the Great Western this month have been written by a civil engineer – Collin Carr. That’s not a paradox, as the civils side of the railway is well and truly involved in any scheme. It’s usually because it’s the civils structures that get in the way and have to be ‘modified’.

Fortunately, the Severn tunnel, although well and truly in the way, was engineered back in the nineteenth century to a very generous size. It’s not an overhead wire that’s going up in the tunnel, more an overhead rail. But first there was the issue of removing all the soot – 35 tonnes of it.

Of course, Bath doesn’t have soot – far too up market.

But there was plenty to do in the recent TPOD (Temporary Period of Disruption) – an acronym chosen to avoid giving the impression that Bath was inaccessible, which it wasn’t. Nine days of intense activity involved relaying, and the ‘modification’ of several structures.

There are plenty of issues involved when a bridge deck is raised. Diversion of services, increased approach gradients and, typically, how to minimise or eliminate extra landtake with raised approach roads. Victorian embankment grading is rarely generous enough to allow for an extra meter or so of roadway. At Hanney’s bridge, on the Great Western, a reinforced soil solution was adopted.

An impressive statistic: London Underground’s consumption of electricity amounts to almost 3% of the capital’s total use. Stewart Marshall and Xavier Billiard tell us about efforts being made to reduce the net consumption by returning energy arising from regenerative braking back to the grid. A recent trial of Alstom’s reversible substation solution, also known as Hesop (which originally stood for Harmonic and Energy Saving Optimiser) has proved the concept.

Spare a thought for the on-train meter reader. It’s not a simple job as there’s current being consumed and current being regenerated. There’s AC and DC and data corrupted by issues with the conductor rail or wiring. Fortunately, there are automated meters with 2G/3G/4G/Wi-Fi radio links for statistical, analytical and billing purposes.

Along with all the other corny jokes about what the Swiss are famous for, we can now add level crossings – though they are not a joking matter in the least. Deadly serious in fact, with the VaMoS level crossing system being very effective as Paul Darlington reports. It appears that there’s now a fully automatic solution which has been specifically designed to improve the safety of UWCs,

bridleways and footpaths.

Level crossing safety is not just a UK concern. Clive Kessell reports that in the USA, for example, there are 212,000 level crossings that cause 67 per cent of all trainrelated accidents. Even Japan has 34,000 – many in urban areas. But there is much to learn from all countries’ effort to reduce the risks. (As an aside, Hanoi closes its urban railway between 06:00 – 22:00!)

Clive has been off to see how monitoring, diagnostic and predictive software has been developed with help from the medical and aerospace industries. The railways are not the only show in town when it comes to multiple and varied assets. Focussing on a selected number of escalators on the London Underground network, Telent, Humaware, London Underground, Loughborough and Nottingham universities have come up with something that will work with any piece of moving equipment.

“Sit back and enjoy your journey.” Soothing sales patter over the train PA. Does anyone obey? Not a bit of it! Out with the laptops/tablets/smart phones and there follows hours of intense communications. Or perhaps there doesn’t. It all depends on the on-board technology. Paul Darlington takes us behind the scenes to see what is really involved and if the public’s high expectations can be satisfied. “Sit back and enjoy his article.”

If you haven’t noticed yet, there’s a referendum coming up soon. In or out of Europe - what does the industry think? Well, by all accounts and certainly the one reported

by Malcolm Dobell, there’s a pretty even split. The IMechE held a recent conference on the subject – not to push any particular agenda, but just to put forward the pros and cons in a measured way. See what you think.

Standby for Rail Live this month. As before it will be at Long Marston deep in the Warwickshire countryside. Nigel Wordsworth has put together in-depth coverage of this massive event that runs for two days on 22/23 of June.

There are some important details regarding parking and access, so your best bet is to visit www.raillive.com to check things out first. PPE is required but, mercifully this year, the minimum involves just an upper body HV vest and sensible footwear.

6

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Prepare to be interesting!

NEWS

The Rail Exec Gala Dinner & Most Interesting Awards 2016.

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

What makes a project interesting? Is it the cost of the job?

The number of people involved?

The volume of materials consumed or removed? The magnificence of the surrounding landscape?

Or is it the difficulties faced by the project team? The unexpected challenges to be overcome?

Engineers having to think on their feet to get the job done?

And what about Interesting new products? Are they big and shiny with lots of flashing lights? Or do they, almost unnoticed, do a job that has been a real pain in the backside for years?

Glitzy, or Interesting?

Over the course of the year, Rail Engineer tries to report on them all. The big flashy projects and the small, but really difficult, ones. Big new machines, and the outwardly dull kit that will save shed-loads of time and money. The ones that are truly Interesting.

The big and the flashy have, for years, been the subject of major industry award ceremonies.

Marketing teams spend days preparing entries, filling in forms, tracking down photographs, to have a chance of winning a piece of wood or a chunk of glass at a black tie dinner in a large London hotel.

But, at Rail Media, we all know what we found Interesting during the year. The project engineers, the innovators, the train companies and the contractors

have told us all about them.

Rail Engineer has reported on projects rescued from potential disaster, programmes planned to the ‘T’ so they go off perfectly, machines that do the work of four, and new gizmos and pieces of kit that save time, money and effort, as well as making the job safer.

Our sister magazine RailStaff talks of sophisticated new training programmes, developments in worker safety, how projects and operators engage with their workforce and the public, and how freight operators get lorries off the road and shift tonnes of materials in the dead of night.

Quite a lot of which is Interesting.

So, from time to time, the editors of Rail Engineer, RailStaff and the online Global Rail News sit down together to compile a list of interesting stuff. Whittling it down is a challenge, as so much we write

about is Interesting, but only some of it is Very Interesting.

But which is the Most Interesting?

What makes one product More Interesting than another?

Or an obscure bridge repair More Interesting than a major infrastructure project?

Picking the Most Interesting Our editors can get so far. After a lot of arguing and horse-trading, they can come up with a short list of six in every category.

But they can’t decide which is the pick of the bunch. For a start, they’d never agree, and also it would be unfair for Rail Media to both prepare the shortlist and make the final judgement.

So we need to approach some ‘Independent Industry Experts’.

A panel of twelve ladies and gentlemen who act on behalf of the industry and promote it. The head

of the Railway Industry Association, the Railway Engineers Forum, Her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate, the IMechE Railway Division, and Young Rail Professionals. A Professor of Railway Engineering and a senior engineer from the Department for Transport. Those sorts of experts.

Once the decision is made, then we need to give the awards out to the worthy winners. There’s no need to wear a black tie and a penguin suit, a lounge suit or a dress will do (depending on gender – this isn’t fancy dress).

And why go to a hotel in London?

Derby’s Roundhouse is the world’s first and oldest surviving railway roundhouse, originally developed in 1839 by four rival rail companies. So let’s meet up there. And while we’re at it, let’s have some dinner, and some entertainment to brighten the evening while we get ready to hand the trophies out.

The result? The Most Interesting Awards at Rail Exec Club Gala Dinner, coming to Derby Roundhouse on Thursday 1 December.

The cut-off for ‘entries’ – or for telling us about your wiz new product or fascinating project – is the September issue of Rail Engineer or RailStaff. So if we haven’t reported on it by then, it won’t be considered.

Do you have something you think could be Most Interesting? Then tell your friendly editor quickly, before time runs out.

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NEWS

Rail Engineer • June 2016

The story so far...

The Rail Exec Gala Dinner & Most Interesting Awards 2016.

Has it been an interesting year? What is already on the list? And will your idea/project/ product/service be more or less Interesting than any other?

It is too early to start talking about a shortlist for the various categories. However, as each month goes by, the editors compile a longlist - basically a list of everything they think is interesting as it goes across their desks. From that, the shortlist will be compiled and passed to the judges.

So what sort of thing have they picked up so far and classified ‘Interesting’?

In the Safety and Sustainability category, as it is a subject always in everybody’s thoughts, there are already several possibilities. One is a new concept in door seals for London Underground train sliding doors, designed by Tara Parandeh of Transport for London. Then we have a tea trolley for track workers stranded far from an access point, developed by the Track Safety Alliance in conjunction with AJC and Amey.

How about a bespoke fallprotection system for workers at Reading station, installing sections of station roof that were pre-constructed offsite? (Eurosafe/ Latchways) Or perhaps you prefer a new initiative to make plant and equipment more reliable so as to make project delivery more certain within a restricted timescale?

(Network Rail Plant Reliability Team/Torrent Trackside) This variety continues throughout the ‘entry’ list. The new rail link to Arcow Quarry features in the Most Interesting original design category (Tarmac/Network Rail/Story Contracting/Babcock). And there’s a new megachipper that QTS has developed and which comes under ‘support equipment’.

Railway infrastructure developments have already

attracted quite a few listings.

Using drones to survey the railway at Teignmouth (Topcon/Mott MacDonald/Resource Group) and enhancing cyber security (Bird & Bird) are just two of them.

Train operations are not forgotten either. Sheffield’s new tram-train (Stadler/University of Huddersfield/Stagecoach Supertram/Unipart Dorman/ Carillion) has attracted the editors’ interest, as have trains coasting through neutral sections alongside OLE works (CPMS).

Big projects in the limelight include the Victoria line upgrade (Siemens) and pushing a subway under the railway at Rochester (Atkins/Spencer Group/Freyssinet).

New products that caught the eye include a train (Hitachi), a level crossing system (Schweizer) and insulators for track heaters (Tracktherm), while using a BIM database to plan repairs to Chelsea bridge (Kier/Clearbox) and trams running without any obvious power source (Bombardier) have been classed as innovations.

And what if a project or product falls between all the classifications? How is it then judged? Why, as one of the “Most Interesting things that we saw”, of course. London Underground trains running automatically through Leicestershire (Thales/ Bombardier/London Underground), resignalling the Bluebell Railway (undertaken in-house) and using helicopters to deliver equipment to mountaintops (Fenix/Telent) clearly count as, potentially, Most Interesting.

The Most Interesting Awards take place at the Rail Exec Club Gala Dinner at Derby Roundhouse on Thursday 1 December. The judges will consider all articles published

by Rail Media from 1 October 2015 until 30 September 2016.

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NEWS

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Bombardier test facility complete Bombardier recently held the opening ceremony in Derby which marked the completion of its £12 million testing and commissioning facility.

The new building is 250 metres long and 40 metres wide, and is built on the site of a former car park within Bombardier’s Lichurch Lane site.

Up to now, static electrical and systems testing has been conducted elsewhere on the site on four-five and six-car sets. Now, with four 250-metre long roads in the new facility, nine-car Aventra trains for Crossrail, designated Class 345, can be tested complete.

Opening the new facility, Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “The government is making a record investment in our railways and it is fantastic to see firms such as Bombardier, which is delivering a £1 billion contract for Crossrail as well as London Overground, make the

most of the opportunities this brings.

“This new facility will help secure jobs in Derby, at the heart of the UK rail industry, and help to drive the Midlands engine for growth.”

Richard Hunter, managing director, Bombardier

Transportation UK, added: “This new £12 million facility is one of the biggest investments in the history of our Derby site and ‘V’ Shop (as the finished test facility will be known) will be a fundamental part of both our current projects and future train

builds, enhancing our ability to deliver all the stages of a new train product from a single UK site.

“It increases our capacity to deliver high volume orders within short timescales, ensuring we meet the future requirements of the UK market.”

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Preparing for

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Severn Tunnel electrification COLLIN CARR

Fitting auto transformer anchors into the tunnel roof.

13

Rail Engineer • June 2016

R

ecent articles in Rail Engineer have highlighted progress of the £2.8 billion electrification of the Great Western main line (GWML), now planned to be completed in 2019. The last two articles focussed on the east of the city of Bath, between Bathampton Junction and Box Tunnel, and then preparatory work carried out between Bath and Bristol.

Economic boost As well as improved journeys, economists expect that the electrification of the line to London will deliver a significant economic boost for South Wales, resulting from the improved connectivity. This was a critical factor for attracting investment for the electrification of the route.

But before considering the engineering challenges for a moment, let us just cast our minds back to the incredible legacy left by the Victorian railway engineers: the Severn Tunnel itself. It was built by the Great Western Railway to

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

The electrification project now moves on to probably one of its biggest challenges: the electrification of the 7.012km long Severn Tunnel. The tunnel will be closed to trains between 12 September and 21 October for the work. It is referred to as the “Severn Tunnel Autumn Disruption” or STAD for short and, just to make it a bit more interesting, included in the STAD are the Patchway Tunnels –1.139km Old (Down); 0.057Km Short (Down); 1.609Km New (Up).

The STAD is a critical milestone in the project to deliver electric trains for passengers in South Wales and forms part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers.

provide a direct link between London and South Wales, following GWR’s acquisition of the South Wales Railway in 1861. Although work started in 1873, Thomas Walker was in charge of the project from 1877 until its completion in September 1886 and the Engineer-in-Chief was Sir John Hawkshaw.

More than 76.4 million bricks were used in the construction. In October1879, the tunnel workings were flooded by an influx of water coming from an underground river, now known as the Great Spring. This necessitated the construction of a pumping station at Sudbrook on the Welsh bank which is still working today, albeit with more modern equipment. Throughout the tunnel’s life, between 10 and 20 million gallons of water have had to be extracted every day to prevent flooding.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Aquarius Land Rovers are used to transport workers into the tunnel.

Reading the exploits of the divers involved, especially one named Lambert, we gain an understanding of the bravery and commitment required to ensure the Tunnel was built. It also highlights the different value we now put on safety and the lives of those involved in the construction.

Fresh air

One of the special drilling rigs in action.

Two of the three pumping shafts contain a lift for access to the tunnel for maintenance gangs and emergency purposes. At Sudbrook, there is also a ventilation shaft through which 80,000 cubic feet of fresh air can be forced into the tunnel each minute by means of an eightmetre diameter fan at the top.

Many of these access facilities are being used during the six-week closure by Network Rail’s contractors, which will be working all day and night to install over eight miles of conductor rail, designed to provide power to the new electric trains.

As already stated, a significant amount of preparation work is being undertaken ahead of the upgrade and this was described by Daniel Tipper, Network Rail’s area director for Great Western Route Modernisation Wales. Right at the outset, Daniel emphasised the importance of the framework contracts that are in place, highlighting the enormous benefits that are emerging from the atmosphere of collaborative working that exists.

Teams come together dependent on the challenge posed, but a joint venture of Alstom, Babcock and Costain (ABC) is the principal contractor, working for Network Rail’s tunnel team. In turn, ABC uses Arup for design support alongside Furrer and Frey for conductor beam technology and Donaldsons as tunnel specialists. AMCO provides experienced specialist construction support to ABC and there is a whole host of experienced suppliers in support.

Preparatory work A significant amount of preparatory work is currently underway dating back to July 2014. Taking advantage of possessions of up to 50 hours, the bulk of 7,000 autotransformer feeder (ATF) anchors have been installed ready to receive the autotransfer feeder cable. These 565mm steel bars are installed every two metres throughout the tunnel over both tracks. However, the contractors first had to scarify 2,500 square metres of tunnel lining to remove more than 35 tonnes of soot, examine the brickwork and then carry out brickwork repairs where necessary.

The team designed six purposebuilt rigs, each one consisting of three telescopic arms with detachable drill heads. The individual rigs are rail mounted and propelled by a road/rail vehicle. Each rig is remotely controlled, ensuring individual safety.

It takes one minute to drill three holes and all dust and residue is captured in a vacuum pack. It is a relatively cheap, simple, safe and impressive solution. The team also designed scaffold frames which follow the drilling rigs, inserting the resin, bars and wedges in groups of six.

Whilst this work is underway, the tunnel lining is being checked and poor brick work is being replaced. A simple task, one might think, but one that requires a high degree of skill.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

be desired and is commanding a lot of attention from the design team at present.

Logistics are key As can be imagined, this is developing into a potential logistics nightmare and is taking up a significant amount of time for Daniel’s team. Sticking to the principle that they will work up one track and down the other, detailed studies of road-rail movements and engineering trains are being conducted.

Many questions have to be asked, and answered. What to do if there is a breakdown? Do temporary ramps need to be constructed for easier plant and road-rail movements? How to ensure that the right equipment and material is reaching the right place at the right time?

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Also, understandably, water is leaking into the tunnel at spots throughout its length so old deflector sheets have to be replaced or new ones installed.

Daniel pointed out that this period of preparatory work has been invaluable for the project. It has given them confidence that their ideas are working and, although the tunnel is posing many challenges, the structure is in better condition than they expected. Strong links have been developed with local suppliers, especially those associated with welfare requirements, a key element of the project as more than 200 people will be involved with the STAD. Once the anchors are in place, the fitting of the conductor beam and supporting equipment is challenging but logical and, if organised properly, repetitive. The plan is to start at the Wales end on the Up line and work through the Severn tunnel, proceeding onto Patchway Tunnels then returning on the Down line back to Wales.

A training school has been set up in Cardiff and, using local people wherever possible, a process is being developed that will enable materials, equipment and a skilled workforce to construct the Furrer and Frey Rigid Overhead Conductor Rail System (ROCS) as if they were on an assembly line. AMCO, as specialist suppliers to ABC, is delivering and carrying out this phase of the work.

Whilst this work is underway, 1km of track will be renewed and lowered in the Down Patchway Tunnel as well as a significant amount of drainage work. Good track quality and alignment throughout both Tunnels is essential with a ROCS system. Fortunately, the Severn Tunnel alignment is quite good but the curvature in Patchway leaves a lot to

It’s not a new challenge, all projects require careful logistics management, but it doesn’t take a leap of imagination to realise that the logistical problems in this case are complex, of paramount importance and deserve the time and effort that Daniel’s team is clearly putting into it.

Network Rail claims that, without the six-week closure, it would take five years to complete the electrification of the Severn Tunnel. This puts into context the work that is being undertaken during the STAD. It will give South Wales a high speed, electric rail link to London. It will also help to complete the task of bringing the GWML into the twenty-first century.

There is a lot to do, the many different companies involved have come together to form one single team to deal with the challenges that this work presents.

You never know, even Mr Lambert might be looking on. He was the nineteenth-century diver who risked life and limb, struggling underwater in the pitch dark in the tunnel to open a sluice gate in order to alleviate the flooding and thus enable the Severn Tunnel to be completed.

Certainly, the preparatory work currently underway implies that all is being done to ensure that the work is completed successfully. Then Daniel and his team can take a well-earned holiday.

17

Removing the soot using a special scouring head (top). Note the clean area which shows the machine's progress.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

18

PAUL DARLINGTON

The

Connected

Journey

Rail Engineer • June 2016

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T

he universal use of mobile Internet and the increased use of rail travel nicely complement one another. Although there are some that argue that a relaxed train journey is an opportunity to sit back and not be connected, there are others that value the opportunity to work and use social media while on a train. With the use of modern mobile computing technology, a train journey can be far more productive than driving a car.

The problem Why is there not already good mobile coverage on rail? The obligation from Ofcom in 2010 was for Mobile Network Operators (MNO) spectrum licence holders to roll out services to 90 per cent of the UK population by location. Many of the rail corridors do not run through areas of large population, so there has been no incentive for MNOs to provide infrastructure along these routes.

The rail network in Great Britain extends for some 15,750km, of which 1,270km is freight only track and 14,480km is passenger and freight track. Across the network there are approximately 6,300km of cuttings of various depths and 335km of tunnels - the key topographical factors that create difficulties for providing continuous coverage from radio base stations.

Mobile communications gateway and switch.

Taking payments onboard in the buffet.

By their construction, train vehicles create attenuation which degrades the usable signal into train vehicles. There are approximately 3,300 passenger train sets (around 12,000 vehicles), varying in design from 40-year old simple one or two-car diesel units to modern sealed and pressurised train sets. The degree of signal attenuation varies between -5 to -35dB, depending on the rail vehicle profile. As decibels (dB) work on a logarithmic scale, a reduction of 3dB represents a halving of the available power.

The on-train user experience varies as a result of the differing levels of signal attenuation due to a significant mix of different devices, with an increasing trend towards the use of multiband smartphones and tablets. Multiband devices incorporate wider band receivers which weaken the performance for any one single band. This, coupled with multiband antennas becoming integrated into the handsets themselves, makes reception on-board trains even more challenging.

So what’s to be done?

There is a significant cost involved in the design and implementation of additional MNO radio sites along rail routes and it’s not clear where the funding will come from. Careful consideration is required for any additional coverage to avoid radio signal interference with the railway’s operational radio systems. One of the current problems with GSM-R is interference from nearby 4G MNO sites and, while solutions are available, they are costly.

MNO coverage is getting better all the time with 4G roll out. Even higher data speeds and lower latency will be possible when 5G is introduced from 2020. However, there are ways of making the best use of the available coverage.

Digital on-board repeaters and Femtocells.

Internet connectivity can be improved by providing digital on-board repeaters (D-OBR). A D-OBR is an active multi-band, multi-operator repeater which is designed to provide coverage within train vehicles by amplifying and re-radiating (repeating) the external 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE mobile operator signals through dedicated ceiling-mounted antennas, overcoming the problem of train vehicle attenuation. A D-OBR will provide Internet access to mobile phones without a Wi-Fi facility; however, with the near universal provision and use of Wi-Fi, such mobile phones will soon be obsolete.

Another option is to provide an on board Femtocell. A Femtocell is a small low-power cellular base station providing localised mobile coverage, typically connected via Internet Protocol (IP) to the mobile network operator(s) infrastructure. Interference is one of the main problems in Femtocell provision. The interference includes those between neighbouring Femtocells and between macro cells and

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

The connected train also has many operational and retail uses and, with the wide-scale society use of the Internet, both for leisure and business purposes, there is an expectation that a connection to the internet will be available on trains. To keep up with this trend and maintain competition, railway operators need to enhance passengers’ experience with high-speed Internet access across the complete journey (from waiting rooms in stations to on-board the train), both for professionals to extend their mobile office to the train and also to other passengers for infotainment.

But on-board Internet access is not just for passengers.

Communications and preventative maintenance are key to enhancing operational efficiency. By permanently and remotely monitoring the status of key elements of the train and infrastructure, maintenance interventions can be planned upon the detection of warning information before a fault occurs.

Real-time energy-use monitoring is possible as well as track and ride condition, which can be reported back to the infrastructure maintainer in order for them to take prompt action. On-board real time ticketing sales via debit/credit card are possible, along with seat occupancy reporting and real time seat reservations.

The Internet of Things will make the connected train even more important. While GSM-R/TETRA will provide the wireless connection for ERTMS /CBTC movement authority, an Internet connection could be used for backup in times of radio failure, subject to security issues being addressed.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

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© Department for Transport Integrating trains into train operator business systems.

On-train Wi-Fi.

Femtocells due to the sharing of the same licensed frequency spectrum with existing macro cells. The issue is greater with a moving train.

A Femtocell will require a reliable IP connection to the internet and, in the event of a loss of connection, could take several minutes to reinitialise once a connection is restored.

Currently there are no multi-MNO Femtocells available, and coupling interaction between MNOs may create interference requiring careful antenna design.

A D-OBR or Femtocell will not provide tariff free wireless Internet access (WIA) to a customer; however either option will improve voice service connections from mobile phones within the train to the MNO network. D-OBR or Femtocell therefore should not be installed in quiet vehicles although passive provision should be provided if the quiet status of the vehicle changes.

The license to use a D-OBR or Femtocell will be owned by the MNO, which will be required to state the exact location of any installation and this may be problematic with a moving train. Any 999 voice call handled by a Femtocell will require a method of advising the emergency operator where the Femtocell is located.

The Internet connectivity is not via Wi-Fi and will incur a tariff bandwidth charge to each user. On-board content is unable to be provided and D-OBR will do little to provide an Internet connection for the operational assets on a train.

On-train Wi-Fi The most popular method of providing a train Internet connection service is via Wi-Fi throughout a train. One or more external mounted wideband antennas are provided and connected to a communications device known as a mobile communications gateway (MCG).

A wideband antenna capable of receiving a range of MNO services and 2.5GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi connections at stations is provided. Care is needed on the location of the antennas so that they do not interfere with the train’s GSM-R antenna.

Antennas are one of the most critical items to deliver good connectivity on and off the train.

Creating an efficient antenna solution will do much to improve system efficiency. Many of the radio frequency problems associated with train antennas also stem from poor fitment of feeder cables, which

should be installed within the train in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The MCG (or number of MCGs) provides ‘a cloud’ of connectivity to the train via a number of MNO services and external Wi-Fi connections aggregated together.

Fixed Wi-Fi at stations is a good way of enhancing the connectivity as this is in the control of the rail industry.

At terminal stations, it can provide a good link to a train and this where many people open their device and ‘log on’.

In the future, would it be possible for Network Rail to replace signal post telephones (SPTs) with Wireless Access Points? The SPT will be made redundant by GSM-R, it would require some clever data compression technology, ideally with power, but there is already a copper connection to the SPT. Wi-Fi Calling provides voice over Wi-Fi, so could this be used as a back-up for GSM-R voice?

The connectivity to the MCG may also include satellite connections, although these can be troublesome with a moving train and with high latency; unlike a more stable platform like an aircraft, which is how an Internet connection is provided in the air industry.

The Internet connection is provided throughout the train via a number of internal wireless access points.

If there is already a train Ethernet communication network with spare capacity, this may be used for the wireless connection, along with appropriate security and firewall protection. Some operators and integrators prefer to provide a separate train Ethernet network for the Internet

© Department for Transport

Rail Engineer • June 2016

21

wireless connection, but this will have a cost, size and weight implication.

Should a new Ethernet bus be required, then a number of Ethernet switches will be needed throughout the train and these should be connected with Cat7 cable standards using Power over Ethernet (POE).

Inter-vehicle connections can use Cat 5 or 6 standards where Cat 7-approved electrical interconnectors are unavailable. While limiting the overall train data throughput, these are more readily available and are easy to replace and upgrade when the data throughput requires enhancement. Connectors should be

the M12 industrial grade type, rather than the RG45 connectors that are found in homes and offices.

Point-to-point Wi-Fi may also be used for Inter-vehicle connectors using low power and directional antennas to minimise the risk of bleed-through to adjacent trains. For fixed formation units, different Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption passwords can be used to minimise the risk.

The Ethernet network will be used to connect the MCG to a number of wireless access points (WAPs) inside the train. The WAPs may connect to discreet antennas, or WAPs with integrated ‘Smart’ antennas may be

used. These are more efficient, with higher gain and better interference characteristics, and can provide better coverage/capacity. They require fewer and less expensive data cables rather than radio-frequency cable.

WAPs may throttle back to support the slowest device in the vehicle, however locking one WAP to 2.4GHz and one to 5GHz will improve the overall data throughput on the train.

On-train Wi-Fi.

Customer bandwidth An acceptable customer service in order to support email and social media browsing can be provided with a data bandwidth as low as a few

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© Department for Transport

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Buffering and infotainment

hundred kbit/s, but obviously the more bandwidth the better. Limiting each customer to a maximum of say 2Mbit/s will help to provide an acceptable service to all customers on the train. In order to provide a reliable non-discriminatory service, certain high-bandwidth applications, such as video and audio streaming services or peer-to-peer file sharing, may need filtering and restricting.

The on-train bandwidth requirement will vary, depending on the number of active Wi-Fi customers. As it is likely to increase in the future as customers become aware of Wi-Fi availability, additional bandwidth will be required.

Some predications are that bandwidth requirements may double every few years and smart device penetration within society is expected to reach 90 per cent by 2017, with many customers having more than one active device. By 2018, it is anticipated that each customer may wish to access 8Mbit/s in order to achieve the experience they desire.

The use of day-to-day technology used by customers may be very different in the future, with the introduction of wearable computing, the Internet of Things, IPv6 and heads-up display technology all increasing the use of the Internet, so 12Mbit/s to each customer may be required by 2022. Data compression technology is a method of reducing the bandwidth requirements and such techniques are used in F1 motor racing to provide high-bandwidth connections for data transfer between racing cars and the pit wall.

If more than one user requests the same popular information, data can be cached for a period of time to avoid it being sent again over the train-toshore communication link, thereby saving bandwidth. Unfortunately, this may not work with some Smartphone and phone apps which use client-toserver dynamically generated type methods of connectivity, rather than static web pages.

Local, on-train content services to customers via the Wi-Fi can be provided for when coverage to and from the train communications link is not available. The updated and cached content may include data such as information services, retail announcements and popular Internet sites (for example, news, weather, travel and entertainment channels).

TV shows or movies, as part of an infotainment solution in partnership with advertisers or production companies and acting as a form of in-vehicle media library, are other possibilities.

Web content from key media outlets (for example, BBC or commercial local radio/media sources) that has been already actively packaged for offline access may also be appropriate.

However locally stored content will have licensing or copyright implications that will need consideration.

Advertisements and train operator information can also be stored and distributed via the Wi-Fi system, but there needs to be balance between infotainment and advertising in order not to disengage customers so that they don’t use the local content.

Security and privacy The Wi-Fi system will be subject to a number of security threats to both equipment and personal data throughout its service life. These threats may compromise the service offered to customers and to the operational railway. Protection needs to be included from the earliest stages of a project as retrofit security solutions may leave vulnerabilities in the network. A thorough threat analysis needs to be carried out to identify both internal and external threats to security.

Defences should be implemented using a quality assurance system based on requirements, capture, specification, development, design, implementation,

test and maintenance. The defences should be tested on a regular basis, including penetration testing. The risks and control measures can include: »» Risks to unauthorised access to the MCG and switches, including system settings, configuration data, cryptographic keys and software, mean that password or pin code security should be implemented on each device; »» Access to inappropriate or offensive services restricted and actively managed with conditions attached to the use of the Wi-Fi by customers; »» Customers’ personal information managed and safeguarded; »» Separation of customer Wi-Fi and operational networks through the use of a Virtual Local Area Networking (VLAN) with security firewalls and demilitarised zones, or separate LANs; »» Application of recognised good security management practice, such as the ISO/IEC 27000 series of standards, and the implementation of physical, personnel, procedural and technical controls.

Rail Industry Standard 0700-CCS. RSSB has completed a 12-month consultation with operators and ontrain Wi-Fi suppliers and published a Rail Industry Standard for Internet Access on Trains for Customer and Operational Railway Purposes, RIS 0700-CCS. Due for publication in June 2016, this is intended to assist in the procurement of systems and services to enable the provision of Internet access on trains. It is a voluntary nonmandatory standard for operators to use if they choose and provides a number of requirements with comprehensive guidance to help to engineer the connected journey.

A connected future, full of possibility A future where everything works better together.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

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Electrification progresses west of Bath

COLLIN CARR

T

he last Rail Engineer article (issue 132, October 2015) on the progress of the £2.8 billion electrification of the Great Western main line (GWML), now planned to be completed in 2019, focussed on the east of the city of Bath, between Bathampton Junction and Box Tunnel. The work started on Saturday 18 July last year, and was completed on 1 September.

During this time, trains to London were diverted via Bristol for six weeks whilst the work was underway.

As you would expect, preparation for this work required detailed planning and consultation which started at least three years ago. Andy Haynes, Network Rail’s project director for the West of England, explained that this involved detailed discussions with primarily Great Western Railway (GWR) and many other groups including Historic England, Victorian Society, Georgian Society, Bath Heritage Trust and Bath & North East Somerset Council, to name just a few.

Normally, a six week line closure would be referred to as a “blockade” but during the consultation process the use of the word “blockade” became a very sensitive issue as it implied that Bath was not accessible, which wasn’t the case. Therefore, to ensure that tourists were not put off travelling to Bath, it was suggested that Network Rail should use a different description for the closure. As a result the acronym TPOD (Temporary Period of Disruption) was created, so the above happened in TPOD1!

Moving on to TPOD2 Moving on, at 01:30 2 April 2016, through to 05:00 11 April 2016, Network Rail embarked on their second phase of intense engineering work, valued at £7.5 million, spanning over nine days. This phase is known as TPOD2 and - guess what? - detailed plans are now in place for TPOD3, but more about that later.

TPOD2 involved the closure of the main line from Bath Spa station to Bristol Temple Meads which, as well as being the main corridor for GWR trains travelling from London to Bristol, is also used by thousands of commuters making local train journeys every day.

This phase of work started at Bath Goods loop, which is located east of Oldfield Park station. Network Rail has renewed the nearly “life expired” existing layout that consists of eight sets of switches and associated plain line. The work was carried out by the S&C Alliance - Network Rail and Colas Rail - which removed the

old S&C and plain line track panels and the supporting track ballast in three planned phases. A new ballast formation was reinstated then the new S&C was brought to site using the now familiar and very efficient tilting wagons. Rail mounted cranes off loaded and placed the S&C which was then aligned and consolidated using S&C tamping machines.

Skill and drama The final step was to carry out the testing and commissioning of the new layout and the associated signalling system. This process, coming as it does at the end of the work, always evokes a sense of drama even though it is normally fairly straightforward, albeit requiring a high degree of technical ability.

However, in this instance it included a little additional frisson since the testing involved signals in the Bath station area, which remained open throughout the works. The testing could only start at 00:30 on the final day when handback was due at 05:00. This gave a very narrow margin of error after a nine-day closure. Should anything have happened, Network Rail and GWR would have enacted their preplanned contingency and continued running buses to and from Bath and Bristol.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Cooperative working Whilst this work was in progress, Hochtief removed the old platform copings and replaced them with new ones.

These were positioned at a height and level which ensured that they complied with rigorous gauging tolerances and were ready for operational service. In addition, Hochtief also extended the waiting room on the Up side platform and built a new waiting facility on the Down platform. A pleasant addition for the patiently waiting commuter!

Andy Haynes was keen to point out the excellent cooperation as the contractors coordinated their activities, shared plant where appropriate and subsequently managed to complete the work in a very confined space ahead of programme and without incident.

Finally, moving yet further west to North Somerset Junction at Bristol Temple Meads, the Bristol Area Signalling Renewal and Enhancement (BASRE) programme of works, designed to replace the 1960s signalling systems in the area, is in progress. This project was able to benefit from the TPOD2 and the main contractor Alstom replaced two signalling structures that would have fouled electrification clearances. Also, an under track crossing (UTX) was installed for routing cabling and services.

Network Rail will have to drive 15,000 piles to complete electrification throughout the GWML route. Many will be routine and straightforward but some have been, and will continue to be, quite challenging. To make best use of the line closure, around 30 piles were driven by contractor Hochtief in locations with unpredictable ground conditions.

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Track lowering between Bath and Bristol.

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Fortunately, effective planning and skilled execution ensured that the testing and commissioning was completed without incident and in time for the station to accept its first train of the day.

Moving on west, there is a steel girder overbridge at Keynsham station which carries the busy A4175 as well as a number of key services over the railway.

The clearances for electrification would have required the bridge to be lifted by approximately 500mm or, alternatively, the track to be lowered.

The latter option was chosen to minimise the disruption that bridge work would have caused to the A4175, with Babcock as the principal contractor for this track lowering. This involved the removal of 1000 metres of plain line track and ballast through and beyond the station platforms. The formation was lowered to the required level and then a geotextile track blanket was installed throughout before laying the new ballast and track.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Bath Goods stage plan.

Digging out the ballast to lower the track.

Preparing for TPOD3!

So far, TPOD1 and 2 have proved to be very successful for Network Rail with more than 500 skilled operatives contributing to the nine day TPOD2.

As was hinted earlier, there is going to be a TPOD3, planned for Easter 2017.

Firstly, there are a number of locations where there is a requirement to lower the track to create adequate clearances for overbridges, work that requires a high degree of skill and planning. In addition to the track lowering, there is a need to increase the height of the parapet walls on overbridges to protect people from the 25kV catenary cables that provide power to the electric trains.

One of these locations is Pixash Bridge, a Grade 2 listed structure and one of a group of architecturally similar overbridges on the section between Bath and Bristol designed

by I K Brunel. The bridge includes a chamfered four-centred arch and stepped buttresses in a Tudor-Gothic style erected over a cutting in 1840.

It also has a distinctive parapet and other important architectural features.

Retaining Brunel’s design integrity Detailed designs are being carefully prepared for review with stakeholders such as the Bath Preservation Society and will be subject to final approval

by Historic England and Bath and North East Somerset Council. For the Pixash Bridge, an iron railing barrier is likely whilst plans for two Grade1 bridges in the Bath Sydney Gardens area are likely to include glass screens to minimise impact on these rare structures. Final approval is yet to be given.

Work is being planned at Oldfield Park station which will include track lowering and associated adjustments to platform levels and, of significant importance, a package of work is being planned in TPOD3 at Bath Spa station.

At this historic location, to ensure adequate electrification clearances are created, either the platform canopies have to be cut back or the platforms brought forward. Fortunately, there is redundant space between the tracks through the station so, to keep the canopies intact, the two platforms are going to be extended outward by around two metres, thus ensuring that the distance from the canopy to the 25kV wires is adequate.

In addition, the Down platform needs to be lengthened to accommodate the new Hitachi trains but, at each end of the station, there is a rail bridge that spans across the

River Avon which meanders around the station. At present, the options available are being considered but, inevitably, the eyes of the heritage world will be watching very closely.

So the work is progressing, the many engineering challenges are slowly but surely being addressed and agreement is being made with regard to ensuring that the railway’s engineering heritage is being protected without unduly hindering progress. The bi-mode electric/diesel Hitachi trains will be operational by late 2017, offering longer trains with more spacious carriages. The engineering work is planned to be completed in 2019, at which time there will be a railway service that will be worth all the effort.

Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the success of TPODs 1 and 2 and look forward to the fascinating challenges that will be posed during TPOD3.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

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STEWART MARSHALL & XAVIER BILLIARD

THE REVERSIBLE SUBSTATION THE REVERSIBLE SUBSTATION

A

ctively looking for new ways to improve its environmental footprint, Transport for London has recently performed a successful trial of Alstom’s reversible substation solution, also known as Hesop.

This new converter system can supply the train, providing voltage stability and regenerating the energy produced by braking trains and sending it back to the TFL electrical network to be used by other consumers or, potentially, sold back to the energy distributors. The results of this trial have highlighted the benefits of this new technology.

A challenging commitment Public transport operators are expected to tackle, simultaneously, a number of challenges: improve energy savings, limit capital expenses, reduce life cycle cost, reduce carbon footprint, reduce heat emissions and improve the passenger experience.

While the Tube provides energy-efficient form of transport, London Underground’s electricity consumption is not negligible. The ‘LU Carbon Footprint Report’, published in 2008, states that London Underground’s electricity consumption represents 2.8 per cent of London’s total usage, making LU the largest consumer of electricity in the capital with an annual energy spend of over £100 million. So it is critical to increase efficiency, both from an environmental and a financial point of view.

Several applications have been developed to avoid energy losses and to reduce overall energy consumption. As a result, these systems can strongly impact operational costs linked to energy prices and substantially reduce emissions of CO2 and other harmful pollutants resulting from the generation of electricity in power plants. But finding the best-adapted technology

and opting for the right implementation is not straightforward. It requires an analytical approach that takes many parameters into consideration.

For instance, on-board energy storage solutions, such as super capacitors or batteries, are great to store the excess energy temporarily and release it when needed. But, on the other hand, they are expensive to purchase and maintain, and they also make trains heavier, which increases the energy needed to move them and therefore the heat generated under braking.

So here’s the million pound question: how can an operator provide an environmentally friendly service without increasing costs?

Harnessing braking energy The best solution is actually quite simple: use the energy elsewhere. This is currently made possible thanks to regenerative braking equipment on trains which allows the traction motor to work as a generator when the train is braking. The kinetic energy of the train can therefore be converted back into electricity.

A small portion of this energy can be reused to power the vehicle’s auxiliary systems (heating, cooling and lighting), while the remaining energy is returned to the network via the fourth rail system, (or via the overhead catenary or the third rail where applicable on other rail networks), to be used by other trains nearby that have a need for energy at the same time.

Most modern rolling stock is now equipped with regenerative braking.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

The benefits of Hesop The Hesop product is the fruit of 10 years of development by a team drawn from various disciplines, from power electronics to traction components. It was developed jointly between two of Alstom’s Centres of Excellence, one in Paris, France, which covers railway infrastructure and turnkey engineering and the second one in Charleroi, Belgium, specialising, amongst other things, in traction and converter technology.

So what can this new technology help operators achieve? The simple answer is energy savings. Hesop is able to recover 99 per cent of the available regenerated energy.

The system senses the traction voltage and current to identify a braking profile and only then operates the inverter, prioritising the most efficient use of the regenerated energy.

To put a figure on the amount of energy that can be regenerated during a braking event, it generally represents around 40 per cent of the energy consumed by a train. Considering that, on average, 25 per cent of this energy can be used by other nearby trains (depending on parameters such as

traffic density, distances between stations and slopes), this leaves us with an additional 15 per cent of energy that needs to be redistributed.

The more energy recovered, the less needs to be dissipated in the braking resistors, helping to reduce heat production and improve the passenger experience. Taken to its extreme, if the entire line is equipped with Hesop, the feedback control system effectiveness is such that the brake resistors could be entirely removed from the trains meaning zero heat emissions.

Saving energy in this way also means a net reduction in overall CO2 emissions.

The good news is that it saves energy with limited capital expense and reduced lifecycle costs.

The regenerated energy is used elsewhere on the system, meaning that less energy is consumed overall, resulting in substantial reduction in operating expense (OPEX) and maintenance costs.

In the other hand, Hesop provides energy to the train with a constant voltage and therefore fewer power substations are required to run the system, resulting in substantial reduction in capital expense (CAPEX) costs.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

But, if there aren’t any other trains in the vicinity, this excess energy is generally wasted and has to be ‘disposed of’ in the braking resistors where it is simply dissipated as heat, thereby contributing to heating the Tube. And that’s the issue. There is not always a train nearby that needs energy (by accelerating) when the first train is giving-up energy (by braking).

Several further solutions have been developed to solve this problem, which can be classified in two families. On the one hand are the energy storage solutions. These can be either located onboard the train, where the energy can be used to power the vehicle and its auxiliaries, or they can be trackside, recovering the energy from any braking vehicle and powering any accelerating vehicle within the area of influence of the system.

On the other hand there are the reversible substation solutions, or ‘back to the grid’ solutions. The main difference with the previous applications is that ‘back to the grid’ applications do not store the recovered energy. Instead, they make it available to be used immediately by other consumers or potentially sold back to the energy distributors.

This is exactly what Hesop does. While most conventional substations only allow for unidirectional energy flow, Alstom’s reversible substation solution uses a purpose-designed converter, allowing the energy to flow in both directions.

The Hesop converter is a fixed piece of equipment that is installed within the power substation and allows for excess braking energy to flow back from the line to the distribution network. There, it can be used elsewhere in the substation, or in nearby stations for a variety of other purposes, such as lighting, cooling, lifts and escalators.

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Successful trial The London Underground trial was a successful collaboration between three major UK-based organisations: London Underground, UK Power Network Services, and the Alstom Engineering team which is based in Victoria, London. Each organisation brought its own field of expertise and was fully committed to the trial’s success.

However, as can be expected for a research and development trial such as this one, extensive testing was required to ensure compatibility with the London Underground system.

Following initial factory testing and commissioning of the installation, it was gradually connected to the network in stages until it could finally be trialled using test trains during night shifts, to avoid disrupting the passenger service. The aim was to prove that the Hesop unit would have no effect on any of the existing subsystems, such as rolling stock or signalling.

The trial itself lasted five weeks and collected a large quantity of data on the resulting energy savings. Each braking event, on its own, is rather modest but, added up over a day, they represent an average of approximately 800kWh, enough to power 60 UK households or equivalent to the fuel needed for two round trips from London to Paris. And this was with a single unit.

London Underground confirmed that the energy saved over a week could power Holborn station for more than two days and save five per cent of its energy bill. This was without taking into account potential savings on capital investment (cooling system, braking resistors, and life cycle costs).

The results of this trial are a clear demonstration of the savings which the Hesop product and technology can deliver. Alstom’s

Hesop solution has won awards for London Underground at the Railway Industry Association and London Transport Awards. Infrastructure owners in Milan, Sydney, Riyadh, and Panama City have all chosen Hesop for their latest urban transit infrastructure projects.

Stewart Marshall is electrical design leader and Xavier Billiard electrification project manager at Alstom Transport

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Digitally

PETER STANTON

Enabling Electrification

A

ny investigation into the work that Network Rail is doing to prepare the network for the demands of the future is bound to include two recurring themes.

Electrification. This includes electrifying a host of lines which are still using diesel-powered trains - the Great Western main line, the Midland main line, the Welsh Valley lines, lines in the North including Manchester Victoria to Preston and Preston to Blackpool, the transPennine route and the Edinburgh-Glasgow improvement programme.

Then there is the renewal of old catenary in East Anglia, some of which is 40 years old, and plans to add overhead electrification to DC lines in the south of the ‘electric spine’.

Digital Railway.

As control systems become more and more sophisticated, the railway needs a plan to digitise its operations. Cyber security, the Internet of Things, IP-protocol, remote condition monitoring - it is a vast amount of work and it gets more complex every day as technology continues to develop.

To many people, these two initiatives are mutually exclusive. True, Digital Railway includes SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) to control railway traction power, but most of what Digital Railway is all about is signalling. Isn’t it?

Electrification too Actually, it’s not. It is also about other aspects of railway engineering, including electrification. The Digitally Enabling Electrification (DEE) project has been running for two years, part of the Government innovation strategy for digitising the railway. Atkins has collaborated with industry partners Laing O’Rourke, software specialist dhp11 and Imperial College London to help bring the project lifecycle of an electrification scheme into the digital age.

Phil Bennett, commercial director of Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme, recently commented on the downsides to a conventional response to any project specification, whether signalling or electrification. He listed them as: »» Less affordable on a national scale; »» Supply chain constraints; »» Slow to plan and build; »» Highly disruptive.

What the country needs is more trains with better connections and greater reliability. With this in mind, DEE was selected as one of 11 funding winners under the ‘Enabling the Digital Railway’ initiative, co-funded by the Government’s innovation agency Innovate UK and the RSSB (formerly the Rail Safety and Standards Board).

The project team has been focusing on railway electrification, developing approaches that increase the validity of data passing through all stages of the lifecycle - from survey, design and manufacture through to construction and operations. In doing so, it has exploited digital technologies to show how the industry can achieve, and benefit, from an integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM)-compliant environment.

The aim is to make digital technology a viable and cost-saving solution for electrification; an objective achieved primarily through the adoption of open standards for the exchange of data.

At the heart of the project is understanding how electrification projects can help deliver the Government’s BIM Strategy and become a key component of Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme. An achievement would be a realworld demonstration and application analysis.

Complexity The UK’s current rail electrification programme is the biggest ever carried out in Britain. Over the next ten or so years, more than 2,000 miles of track will go under the wires, with efficient and environmentally friendly electric traction replacing traditional diesel power.

The scale of the project is huge and the routes being electrified are among the busiest in the country. Atkins is the lead design organisation for the electrification of the Great Western main line and is providing engineering design services in the Northwest, West Midlands and Scotland through a National Electrification Programme framework contract. The Midland main line between Bedford and Sheffield is also being delivered under the same framework.

Electrification on this scale presents a number of challenges. Thousands of masts, portals and cantilevers, at unique locations, are required to support the all-important network of overhead contact systems that deliver power to trains. All of this equipment must be designed, procured, built, commissioned and maintained - a process that requires workflow management, not only within but also between organisations.

This is another area where Atkins has been looking at innovative solutions and has developed a range of lightweight, simpler-to-install, structures as an alternative to the traditional OLEMI (Overhead Line Equipment Master Index) ones.

There is also the challenge of working across a worksite that is, in effect, hundreds of miles in length. Disruption to the operational railway must be kept to a minimum, so meticulous planning is needed to make the most of limited possessions.

Equally important is the ability to work efficiently in a safety critical environment.

There are wider systemic challenges too. In common with other branches of engineering, electrification projects are hampered by the

Rail Engineer • June 2016

33

limited supply of skilled and experienced engineers. Finding ways to improve productivity is a priority.

Talking TADPOLE

“The priority was to come up with an open standard on which any designer, manufacturer or constructor could share data,” added Ray. The solution - known as OLEDEF - is the first of its kind to provide an open format for the design of overhead line systems for rail electrification. It uses a standard XML (Extensible Markup Language) format that offers the widest compatibility, so anyone using BIM can benefit.

What’s more, it’s compatible with work undertaken by Network Rail on a signallingspecific scheme using the same markup language - paving the way for greater rail-specific design integration as the BIM industry matures.

A common data environment With the right data format in place, the next step was to optimise workflows. Building on Government leadership, the team focused on incorporating PAS 1192 - the code of practice for the collaborative production of engineering and construction information. Under this regime, all parties develop models with the level of detail relevant to their stage of the lifecycle, then models and data can be shared in the common data environment.

“We have had to answer questions around how our work fits into the typical workflow,” Ray continued. “We have considered how the common data environment can be applied in design and manufacturing management systems, then how this can be extended into product lifecycle management systems.”

While a research-based approach was an essential starting point, a demonstration was needed to show how digital techniques could solve real-world problems. In the case of electrification, challenges include reducing the time needed on-site during possessions and minimising the risk of overruns.

It was found that the precision-build DfMA techniques being championed would hit problems unless a solution was found to a particular issue: that it is not possible to guarantee the accurate positioning of the foundations on which the overhead line structures were constructed, a notunfamiliar challenge encountered by electrification engineers.

Although considerable effort has been put into improving this process in recent years, time is still

lost because of the need to adjust overhead line equipment to compensate for variations in the position of foundations. This leads to higher costs and the risk of over runs.

A trial was set up to demonstrate that digital technology could assist in reducing the time needed to implement a system, both when the foundation is accurately placed and also when the foundation is not positioned as designed.

Technologies evaluated included point cloud, photogrammetry and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) with traditional surveying acting as a baseline. The means of capturing the survey data were also considered, including drones (UAVs), road-rail vehicles, surveyors, trackside personnel and even satellite imagery.

A number of options were discounted before inviting the leading suppliers to a technology trial at the Network Rail test track at Tuxford in Nottinghamshire. Each supplier first surveyed the piles, then a variety of different types of structure were erected, which the suppliers surveyed. The survey results from all of the suppliers were then assessed.

Advantages gained include the ability to change a design to allow for the positioning of a foundation being out of tolerance before structure erection or allowing feedback to the designer if a greater out of tolerance installation has occurred, all resulting in better utilisation of possessions and mitigation of potential overruns.

By establishing schemas for open data transfers, mapping a path to greater collaborative working and combining new surveying technologies with advanced BIM techniques, the DEE project has already proven its worth. But it’s not just railway electrification schemes that will feel the benefit.

“The work we are doing will also be of interest to people in the wider BIM, engineering, information management and construction arenas,” stressed Ray Dudding.

Ali Najimi pointed out that these developments were being applied to the Midland main line electrification programme and have been adopted for the East-West Link design development.

So DEE is taking off, and bringing about better communication, higher efficiencies and lower project costs.

And electrification is firmly part of the Digital Railway concept.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Ali Najimi and Ray Dudding from Atkins are both deeply involved with the project. As project manager, Ali has been leading this project through its two years and Ray has been leading BIM and digital systems for Atkins in the rail sector. They spoke to Rail Engineer about their work on the initiative, conceived by Atkins and lead partner Laing O’Rourke, and their interface with the organisations and companies taking the new initiatives forward. To ensure access to a wider range of specialist skills and knowledge, the group teamed up with software specialist dhp11 and Imperial College London.

“We carried out a review of the existing landscape and concluded that, while major design and build suppliers have their own bespoke systems, these cannot easily share data with other systems,” Ray Dudding commented. “This makes it difficult for different organisations to work together on a large scale project.”

In common with some other design organisations, Atkins has developed its own digital electrification design system over the last 15 years. This has helped to drive internal efficiencies and has delivered benefits to customers, including multi-million pound savings in design. Ali commented that, on one project, the use of Atkins’ TADPOLE tool had allowed work that would traditionally have taken nine months to produce, to be completed in around three months.

In tandem with Atkins’ work, Laing O’Rourke has been leading the construction industry in digital engineering, championing the Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA) process. This allows the company to create structures in a factory environment, minimising time on site as well as reducing cost and risk. Laing O’Rourke has the process already in action for its modular house building protocols.

Digital design tools deliver huge internal efficiencies, but problems can arise at the points of contact between different organisations working on the same project. This is because data cannot always be shared easily between different design systems. Each contractor’s needs may be very different.

“The irony is that, even when using its internal automated design BIM system, Atkins would still be contracted to hand over a pile of traditional paper and PDF outputs to the constructor,” said Ray. “Imagine being at the trackside in the rain trying to make sense of the systems design from a stack of paper, or even scrolling through multiple dumb files on a tablet?”

In order to make use of an Atkins design, for example, Laing O’Rourke would need to manually re-input information from paper to ensure the data was in a usable format for its own systems.

34

Rail Engineer • June 2016

‘power’ ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

The

of maintenance

S

ince the implementation of the Electricity at Work Regulations (EAWR) in 1989, a greater responsibility has been placed on owners of electrical networks and distribution assets to ensure that equipment is in good condition and that every conceivable danger is minimised.

With a good percentage of the UK’s High Voltage (HV) network apparatus being made up of legacy equipment over 50 years old, private distribution network owners have the immediate need for expert providers to assess the conditions of equipment and provide the necessary maintenance and renewals.

For private distribution network owners with alternative business functions, bringing in third party experts with a concentrated knowledge of preventative maintenance is essential.

Multi-skilled One of the few companies which has experience in both rail and high-voltage distribution networks, Sheffield-based Linbrooke Services has the knowledge and the appropriate skills to undertake HV preventative maintenance, fault diagnosis and emergency repairs.

Linbrooke’s continually expanding rail power team provides full turnkey low and high voltage power solutions for on and off track applications as well as delivering power from the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for trackside supplies.

This is complemented by a thorough knowledge and application of distribution safety rules and operational practice manual regulations.

As a principal contractor and fully licenced Independent Connections Provider (ICP), Linbrooke works closely with Network Rail, its supply chain and all approved equipment manufacturers to deliver exceptional service.

With an award-winning safety record, backed up by exemplary engineering practice, the company complies with all present procedures and regulations, effectively providing customers with proof of both aptitude and proficiency.

Drawn from both the rail and power industries, Linbrooke’s workforce has a wealth of experience in planning outages, distributing and withdrawing safety documentation, testing electrical protection relays and commissioning new apparatus - including HV switchgear, DC systems and remote control devices. The company’s teams include a number of Senior Authorised Personnel (SAP) with experience in interfacing with private networks at both operational and management levels and so have the necessary knowledge, training and ability to safely and effectually manage an electrical network.

As a result, Linbrooke has the ability to sustain low and high voltage apparatus while simultaneously adopting all SAP duties and providing a variety of round-the-clock labour resources. In-house power specialists have the capability to deliver maintenance contracts for both rail and value-added services, including jointing teams and all associated civils works.

Further experience in the maintenance of high voltage oil filled feeder cables, pilot cables and associated routes gives Linbrooke the ability to offer a variety of maintenance packages that can be tailored to suit precise site or customer requirements.

Training for the future This capability is backed-up by the company’s City and Guilds-accredited training schemes - endorsed by Northern Power Grid (NPG) and the National Skills Academy for Power (NSAP) - which deliver effective in-house training. Primarily designed to satisfy the growing demand for skilled labour and to combat the aging profile of existing workforces, Linbrooke’s training programmes are increasing the company’s capacity for preventative maintenance, fault diagnosis and sporadic emergency repair.

With a right-first-time ethos and a strong belief in collaboration and safety, Linbrooke’s participation, both on and off rail, is assisting clients to deliver projects more efficiently and more cost-effectively in today’s competitive environment.

Driven by a ‘right first time’ ethos and collaborative approach, we are committed to an all-encompassing standard of professional competence and safety.

As a Principal Contractor for Network Rail and an Independent Connection Provider (ICP) with National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS) accreditation, we provide a world class, comprehensive service, from design, installation, test, commissioning, integration and maintenance through to training and resourcing delivering time and cost savings on all our projects.

Telecommunications • Power • Signalling • Civils • Training • Resources Design • Installation • Test • Commission

As a fully accredited Independent Connection Provider (ICP) with proven experience in the design, project management, construction and maintenance of high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) distribution and private infrastructure, our bespoke turnkey service provides solutions for trackside and off track applications.

From providing the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) connection to the distribution network through to supplying our clients with requisite track side infrastructure – such as Principal Supply Points (PSP’s), Functional Supply Points (FSP’s) and Relocatable Equipment Buildings (REB’s) – our in house expertise allows all the contestable activities to be undertaken.

Services Offered: • In house design, installation and maintenance of HV equipment and switchgear from GRIP1-8

• In house design, installation and maintenance of all low voltage systems to BS7671 from GRIP1-8

- 11, 25 & 33kV AC substations - 750v DC substations, TP Huts - AC/DC protection settings - SCADA modifications - HV cable installation, including jointing and terminations - Compounds including civil and route work - Negative bonding enhancement utilising internal SMTH resource - Substation earthing and bonding - Substation dismantling - Supplies to depot plant, shore supplies - DNO supply modifications and connections

- Principle Supply Points and associated ancillary equipment, Functional Supply Points (FSP), Auxiliary Supply Points (ASP) - Points Heating - Level crossing lighting - Uninterruptible power supplies - PSP and signalling centre power upgrades - Full testing and assessment of system performance - Installation of power supplies to support retail telecoms projects, PAVA, SISS, DOO • Full testing and commissioning • Provision of Level A, B and C staff

For more information on our telecoms, power and signalling capabilities, please call 0844 800 0983 or email info@linbrooke.co.uk.

www.linbrooke.co.uk

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

36

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Improved safety for linesmen T

o any linesman working on electrified lines, one of the most invaluable pieces of kit they will use is a Short Earth. This consists of two lightweight ‘snap-on’ clamps attached via 1.25 metres of orange Aluflex cable.

Now, P&B Weir Electrical, a name synonymous with the highest calibre portable earthing equipment available within the electricity supply industry, has recently been granted product approval for its DEP Short Earth.

This development is welcome news for linesmen who can

now have greater confidence in the consistency, quality and safety provided by their earthing equipment.

DEPs or Designated Earth Points, are points along the side of the track which will need to be earthed if maintenance works are undertaken on overhead electrified

lines. These points are usually found at intervals of no more than 400 metres, and each one of these points found on any stretch being maintained must be safely earthed.

Considering that, in 2015, 3,276 miles of track were electrified, with plenty more to come in the next few years, it is clear that the scale of demand for a specially designed Short Earth is vast. With so many of them being used on the railway infrastructure at any one time, and so many linesmen relying upon them for protection against life-threatening faults, consistency of quality is of paramount importance.

Optimised design The clamps for the new DEP Short Earth are P&B Weir Electricals’ tried and tested CE62.

This clamp has been developed and improved upon over a number of years during service within the electricity supply industry. Each element of the clamp, from the

sprung-loaded jaw to the stainless steel removal plates, has been optimised to create a durable, lightweight and easy-to-use safety-critical product.

As well as featuring these high-quality precision-engineered elements, the DEP Short Earth is fully electrically tested and boasts the highest level of electrical protection within the market.

Another area of particular importance is the ability to supply goods with short lead times, often only one or two days from receipt of order. Maintenance works can be unpredictable in nature with very little time to obtain the necessary tools. In order to meet the needs of the industry, P&B Weir Electrical has been able to adapt and offer improved lead times as well as premium quality.

The P&B DEP Earth can be found under PADS number 0091/020322, as well as a full list of spare components for spares and repairs.

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

38

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Increasing clearances at Hanneys Bridge Isometric 3D model view of the Hanneys Bridge construction.

T

he Great Western main line (GWML) is one of the oldest and busiest in the country, linking London with the Midlands, the South West and West and most of South Wales. Engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it was originally founded in 1833 and ran its first trains in 1838.

Now, with freight and passenger traffic continuing to grow rapidly, the line is undergoing a £2.8 billion process of upgrade and electrification to allow the introduction of faster cleaner and greener rolling stock which will provide a 20% increase in passenger capacity.

However, none of this expansion and improvement seems to come without its share of challenges to overcome. Not least of which is the re-engineering of many of the original overbridges, some dating back more than 150 years.

One such challenge is at Hanneys Bridge near Grove, Oxfordshire. Here, BAM Nuttall was faced with the challenge of raising the vertical clearance of a single span overbridge to accommodate overhead line equipment (OLE) as part of the electrification of the Wootton Bassett to Reading section.

Geotechnical solution Hanneys Bridge carries an unsealed public byway across the line, providing north-south access to a sewerage works from the village of Grove, immediately south of the line. Built in the 1870s, the bridge required partial demolition and reconstruction to create sufficient OLE clearance.

BAM Nuttall site engineer Cathal Nee described the works: “The increase in elevation of the bridge deck, from four metres to 5.25 metres from the top of the rail head to the soffit, meant that the approach ramps at each side of the structure also had to be raised to meet the new bridge deck level. To achieve Eurocode compliant design criteria and accommodate the required 40 tonne vehicular loadings, the old ramps had to be cut down and completely replaced with new structures.”

Ground surveys identified predominantly soft surrounding soils, highlighting the need for major reconstruction. In light of these findings, and because of close previous working relationships and extensive experience in such conditions, BAM brought in

geotechnical specialists Maccaferri to propose a value engineered solution based on the construction of new reinforced soil approach ramps.

On the plus side, the surveys revealed that the original Victorian brick abutments to the bridge were still in excellent condition and would only require stabilisation and relatively minor reinforcement to increase their height and bearing width to accommodate the new raised deck.

As the line had to remain operational throughout the reconstruction, the original bridge deck was removed and replaced over the Christmas period 2015. Two new cill beams were installed on the raised and deepened abutments and the new deck was craned into position.

Engineering a better solution The solution proposed by Tony Gee and Partners, with detailed design work undertaken by Maccaferri, required the complete removal of the original ramps and the construction of a pair of replacement ramp structures. As there was no land-take, the design was to be undertaken within the footprint of the existing embankments. A number of options were considered but a reinforced soil solution was adopted, using the Maccaferri Green Terramesh system over a geogrid-reinforced load transfer platform.

Maccaferri engineer Nico Brusa takes up the story: “The stability of an embankment constructed on soft soil such as at Hanneys Bridge is governed mostly by the shear resistance of the foundation and is an issue of bearing capacity.”

According to BS8006:2010, reinforcement may be placed at foundation level to prevent shear failure both in the embankment fill and in the foundation soil. BAM excavated the subgrade beneath the exiting ramps to a depth of up to 400mm and Paralink, a high strength and stiff reinforcement layer, was then introduced to improve embankment stability. This reinforcement provided the

39

Rail Engineer • June 2016 over soft soils, over piles and for those constructed over areas where voids are present.

According to Maccaferri, they are amongst the most tried and tested geogrids in the world offering 120year design life and high performance.

Factory-made system The new reinforced soil approach ramps were constructed using the Green Terramesh system and installed

by BAM Nuttall under the guidance of Maccaferri. Green Terramesh is a modular formwork system designed to produce a steeply sloping vegetated face which will quickly blend in with the surrounding rural landscape. It is specifically designed for use in reinforced soil construction, supporting steep sloping embankments in road, rail, housing and commercial developments.

This system is a one-piece, factory-made unit, which includes an erosion control mat and factory-fitted brackets to create a steep slope face.

The system is ready to install on site without any additional accessories.

After the foundation has been prepared, the system is placed in

position empty, and securely fastened to adjacent units using C-rings along all edges, to form a continuously connected, monolithic structural unit. The erosion mat, pre-installed immediately behind the sloping faces of the unit controls erosion and promotes rapid vegetation establishment. A wedge of topsoil is placed behind and in contact with the blanket to provide a moisture and nutrient reservoir, essential for successful vegetation.

No external support, shuttering or accessories are required when installing Green Terramesh, which considerably increases the speed of the installation.

Southern abutment.

Geotechnical Solutions Geotechnical design, supply and construction Engineering a better solution t: 01865 770555 w: www.maccaferri.co.uk

Half Page L/S Typo_NATM.indd 1

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ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

additional strength needed to achieve the equilibrium state, increasing the safety factor against catastrophic failure.

Nico continued: “With the stiff geosynthetics reinforcement at the base of the embankment, the resulting stress condition will be ‘vertical and inward’ rather than ‘vertical and outward’, as would be the case for an unreinforced embankment.”

Stability analysis carried out using Mac.St.A.R.S 4.0 (Maccaferri Stability Analysis of Reinforced Soil and walls) and MacBars (Maccaferri software for Basal Reinforcement) indicated that the use of bonded geogrids made of straps comprising a core of high tenacity polyester tendons encased in a durable sheath of lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE) would provide sufficient support for the embankment to ensure that stability is enhanced to an acceptable factor of safety.

The material used, Paralink, is manufactured by Linear Composites, a Yorkshire-based Maccaferri subsidiary, and is used worldwide for the construction of embankments

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

40

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Maccaferri 3D model of the whole structure.

Courses of Green Terramesh units were placed back-toback, between 10 and 14 metres apart at the base of the structure, to form the opposing faces of the 60 metre long approach ramps, with a maximum height of six metres. As installation progressed, Maccaferri Paragrid, biaxial-array geosynthetic straps, were introduced within the reinforced embankment to provide stability to the structure.

The backfill used to construct the ramps was a wellgraded granular material in compliance with specification for highway works. The material, however, exhibited a sulphate content five times higher than normally allowed for 6I/6J material.

Kesternich testing to ISO 6998, undertaken on the durability of the polymeric-coated woven wire mesh on the Green Terramesh units, adequately demonstrated the high level of resistance to sulphate attack of the products.

Also, the Paralink and Paragrid will remain stable in high pH environments, as declared on the BBA Certification, with a durability up to 120 years.

Adapted design

(Below) Paralink placed on the northern ramp (initial phase in April).

(Inset) Green Terramesh structure on the northern embankment, almost complete at the beginning of May 2016.

The geometry at the interface with the bridge abutments and the new ramp structure was highly complex, requiring significant use of 3D CAD modelling to determine the configuration of the various reinforced soil elements used. This geometrical complexity arose from the re-use of the existing abutments and installation of a narrower bridge deck.

Sam Doe, design engineer for Tony Gee and Partners, explained: “To overcome this complex interface geometry, the Green Terramesh system was adapted so it could be used to form an 85 degree slope rather than the more usual 70 degree. To allow for this, and to avoid compaction works taking place over the railway, the Green Terramesh units at the interface were backfilled with lean-mix concrete. This allowed for the tops of the abutments, which were exposed due to the installation of a narrower bridge deck, to be utilised in the design and allowed for an aesthetically pleasing brickwork cladding to be specified.”

With an increase in elevation of road level at the bridge of some two metres, it was necessary to similarly increase the level of the approach embankments while maintaining an adequate factor of safety of the abutments. This issue was addressed by constructing reinforced soil walls of Maccaferri Terrawall immediately behind the abutments, so that the forces exerted by the new structure onto the abutments were sufficiently low.

With consideration of long-term strain development within the geogrids, a detailed construction methodology was developed to minimise post-construction strains in the reinforced soil structures and minimise stresses transferred to the abutments.

Commenting on the successful implementation of the reconstruction work, Sam Doe said: “By combining reinforced soil walls, slopes and basal reinforcement, a highly adaptable and elegant design solution can be developed. The reinforced soil elements can be combined seamlessly to overcome the many challenges faced on a project such as Hanneys Crossing.”

Reconstruction of the Hanneys Bridge approach ramps began in late March 2016 and was due for completion during mid-May. Throughout the works, the GWML remained open to traffic, testament to the close working relationship between the design, supply and construction partners.

41

Rail Engineer • June 2016

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

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42

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Don’t write off

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

TONY GREEN

relays!

The new QXR1.

I

n the digital age, it’s perhaps surprising to learn that considerable investment is still being made in the development, manufacture and testing of relays - which remain a vital piece of infrastructure at the very heart of the majority of the world’s railways.

With track relays first introduced to the rail network as a safety feature in the 1900s, it wasn’t long before the first relay was developed, with the product evolving over the years from the freestanding units of 1910 through to the Q-style relays that are so familiar today. The use of relays peaked in the 1980s and 90s, before the development of solid state and computerbased interlockings, and they continue to play a key part in railway infrastructure.

Mass production With more than a hundred years’ experience in the manufacture of relays in the UK, Siemens has supplied units to over 95 countries, the company having manufactured more than two million units for both mainline and metro applications.

Projects range significantly in scale, scope and complexity, from single unit replacements to the 13,000 relays supplied in the 1970s to London Bridge - at the time, the world’s largest geographical interlocking.

The company’s manufacturing unit in Chippenham is home to an 11,000m² state of the art production facility. Spanning over 5,000 individual line items, the company produces a broad range of products and systems. From bespoke items to high volume manufacture, the range includes electronic interlockings, train detection systems, mechanical point machines and colour light signals - but the manufacture, servicing and refurbishment of relays remains at the heart of the operation.

With a UK market share in excess of 50 per cent, Siemens remains the world’s largest supplier of Q-style relays and offers a range of over 430 relay variants, ensuring that, in the vast majority of cases, it has a product to meet designers’ precise functional requirements.

In the last two years alone, the company has supplied nearly 90,000 relays to projects worldwide, all this work carried out by the company’s highly-skilled and experienced workforce in Chippenham.

Continued investment Despite the maturity of the market, Siemens has continued to invest both in product development and in manufacturing and testing technology.

Most recently, the company’s technical team used a relay previously developed for use in Australia on the Thameslink programme, with the relay being used as a point contactor. One of the key drivers was the requirement for the relay to be capable of being driven direct from the Signal Operating Module (SOM) at 110 volts AC (at the time, contactor relays could only be driven from 50 volts DC or 24 volts DC, which would have required the installation of additional interface circuitry).

Following in-house development work, the latest evolution of the Q-style relay has also recently been launched, with the QXR1 convertor unit incorporating the latest technology in the form of silicon rectifiers. This not only provides improved overall reliability, but also the ability to modify the transformer to improve the efficiency of the unit and reduce heat generated during operation. © R.Smith

With all research and development, as well as manufacture and testing, carried out entirely in-house at Chippenham, the company has recently invested heavily in the latest, fullyautomated technical equipment, enabling all the required acceptance tests to be carried out from a software-controlled test platform. This means that all test data is stored electronically for easy access and subsequent retrieval and analysis if required. The company’s rigorous testing regime provides great reliability.

Expertise and technology Building on a century of experience, Siemens is able to provide considerable technical support and expertise, offering advice on the most appropriate relay for individual project needs and having the capability to design and manufacture new units for individual projects. With a fast turnaround on enquiries, quotes and manufacture, the lean manufacturing unit provides a modern, efficient and effective support service to customers around the globe.

Relays often operate in challenging yet safety critical environments, so quality and reliability are paramount. Significant investment continues to be made across the manufacturing facility in plant, processes and personnel to guarantee the quality of all equipment. This ensures it can operate just as effectively and reliably in the heat and humidity of Saudi Arabia as the extreme cold of Scandinavia.

Tony Green is direct sales manager, Siemens Rail Automation. © R.Smith

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Applications for modular multilevel converters

43

JAMES GOULDING

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

N

ew and more efficient power transmission systems are being developed to support the UK’s rail infrastructure that will bring a range of installation, operational and environmental benefits.

Sustainability, security and continuity of the power supply remain crucial requirements for any rail solution, and the Siemens development team has produced a number of reactive power compensation systems to address these issues.

The most recent is an innovative static variable compensation system (called SVC Plus®), which is a universal solution for grid enhancement. Using modular multilevel converter (MMC) technology, the SVC Plus system provides a number of benefits compared to conventional reactive power compensation solutions.

Importantly, the system significantly reduces the risk of voltage collapse or blackout, improved dynamic stability of the transmission system and increased power quality - all of which are critical requirements for the rail sector.

It also provides environmental benefits, with low harmonic generation and low noise emissions.

And, by incorporating voltage-sourced converter technology, the SVC system delivers a nearlyperfect sinusoidal-shaped AC waveform, meaning that there is only little (if any) need for high frequency filtering, and no need at all for low-order harmonic filtering.

Flexible and relocatable Because it uses a relatively low number of proven and robust standard components, MMC technology provides a high degree of flexibility in converter design and station layout, simplifying the design, planning, installation and commissioning processes, as well as any subsequent engineering tasks. For rail infrastructure owners and operators, this means it is fast and efficient to install, with simpler and more cost-effective maintenance and reduced service requirements.

The system’s flexibility extends to its housing, with both conventional building and containerised solutions available. This smaller physical footprint reduces the turnkey costs and makes this an ideal option where trackside space is limited and/or costly.

Modularity also means that the system is both expandable and relocatable as requirements change over time. Its open-rack configuration

enables grid connection up to 36 kilovolts (kV) and +/-100 megavolt-ampere reactive (MVAr) units to be made without transformers. This modular approach makes SVC Plus uniquely adaptive without compromising on performance, construction time or cost-effectiveness. Hybrid solutions with mechanically switched capacitors (MSCs) or reactors (MSRs) are also available, and for higher system voltages, standard AC transformers are used.

MMC technology also means that harmonic generation emission levels are quite low, with high frequency noise being absorbed by small high frequency blocking filters. This results in an SVC design which is practically independent from individual network impedances.

Operationally, the MMC-based SVC system provides very high levels of system availability, thanks to the use of standard control and protection hardware and software. Providing a stable network, the system also delivers very fast response times and excellent under-voltage performance, with highly efficient voltage support.

The system also provides rail infrastructure owners with significant ongoing economic benefits, with low switching frequencies (and therefore fewer losses), fewer components (resulting in less time and reduced cost demands for planning, engineering, construction and commissioning) and lower space requirements (reducing land and property costs).

Three phases into one In addition to the SVC solutions, MMC technology is also at the heart of Siemens’ static frequency convertor (SFC) systems, which supply single-phase traction power networks from threephase networks. These solutions are supplied under the proven Sitras® name.

In essence, SFC systems consist of only one converter that directly couples two networks - the three-phase AC voltage is directly converted into a single-phase AC voltage with different frequency.

Due to the multilevel technology, no traction transformer is needed to feed the overhead contact line.

These innovative multilevel traction converters are quiet, space-efficient and require minimal maintenance. Covering both central and decentralised traction power supply systems, SFC systems provide a high degree of efficiency over the entire operating range, optimising the use of the primary energy and delivering high availability.

Again, a modular converter provides the flexibility for each system to be adapted to meet the rail operator’s specific requirements, with block capacities of 12 to 120 megawatts (MW) and the ability to connect multiple blocks in parallel. As a result, a total power rating of up to 600MW is attainable.

With overload capability, the short-circuit current is significantly higher than nominal current and the system delivers positive supply system reactions. This is due to a number of factors: the generation of an output voltage with small voltage steps (comparable to that of a generator); no extra filters being needed on the three-phase side and railway side and the power recovery function being provided without additional equipment. And with no complementary energy storage units, the stored energy is distributed to a large number of power modules, so any fault remains limited to the easy-to-replace power module.

Already used in rail applications across Europe and Australia, as well as on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, SVC and SFC systems are increasingly being considered for both mainline and metro applications - in the UK and elsewhere. Given their flexibility, cost effectiveness and the range of performance benefits they deliver, these systems look set to become a more common solution for infrastructure operators.

James Goulding is business development manager, Siemens Rail Electrification

44

ELECTRIFICATION/POWER

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Reading the meter

W

DB City Night Line train to Prague at Basel SSB station.

hen railways were integrated, and largely Government-owned, nobody worried about apportioning the electricity bill. The trains used as much electricity as they needed, and the company paid for the total consumption.

Now, however, with infrastructure companies divorced from train operators by law, and with multiple operators running on the same piece of track, it has suddenly become important, and a bit of a nightmare. Trains have to be fitted with their own electricity meters, read by the infrastructure owner, so the operators can be billed for the electricity they have used.

These meters are sophisticated pieces of kit.

They have to work on different voltages, AC and DC, and also record when a train crosses an international border, or from one charging area to another. And then there is the thorny question of regenerated power from vehicle braking to recharge back to the network. These aren’t simple meters.

The system comprises two measurement channels for voltage and current and supports DC, AC 16.7Hz and AC 50Hz with an accuracy of 0.5R and is suitable for all EMU vehicle types. EcoS offers a fully integrated platform which records energy measurement values alongside vehicle position via real time GPS, which is stored in internal persistent memory.

The recorded information is then transferred to on-ground data collection services (DCS) with the integrated 2G/3G/4G/Wi-Fi radio links for statistical, analytical and billing purposes.

EcoS differentiates between active/reactive and consumed/regenerated energy and is able to communicate with all recognised billing bureau or settlement providers.

Introducing EcoS

Built-in diagnostics

One of the specialists in this field, Ciesse SpA, with its electronics division Railware based in Verona, Italy, has just unveiled its latest generation of energy metering system (EcoS), specifically designed to meet the latest iteration of EN50463:2015 which is in its final phase prior to release.

The Railware EcoS system has been developed after consultation with key industry stakeholders, including train operating companies and infrastructure managers. It aims to address current and future user demands that focus, not only on the core energy measurement and billing aspect, but also on the infrastructure and train environment by means of detecting and diagnosing issues within the operating environment which may impact users.

The unit’s unique diagnostic function is able to detect overhead line or conductor rail interference, which enables users to mitigate penalties associated with loss of consumption or corrupted energy data. This same system picks up defects in the catenary, which are then fed back to maintenance teams for rapid rectification.

Additional areas of diagnosis include pantograph vibration, identification of neutral sections and AC/DC changeover, overhead line voltage and current monitoring, GPS and communication coverage as well as a host of additional user-specific parameters. EcoS’s embedded Wi-Fi access point provides direct access to wireless systems without the requirement for an intermediate platform.

The EcoS system, with its integrated antenna and compact transducers, has been specifically designed with plug-and-play in mind to enable ease of installation. This minimises integration time and cost, offering users a quicker implementation and return on investment than would be possible on conventional systems.

Additionally EcoS offers a wide range of communication interfaces to other train-board systems via its multiple Ethernet interfaces and the RS485 port, both of which are suitable for train control systems and traction unit connections. The integrated Wi-Fi interface is also useful for maintenance and data management purposes.

EcoS has been designed with future proofing in mind and is fully expandable via additional slots for expansion boards such as I/O , MVB, CAN Bus, an additional Ethernet and USB. EcoS includes a full web management facility that can also be integrated with other train board systems, such as the passenger information system. EcoS has an open interface allowing for access and communication with most train control systems via TRDP and other common protocols.

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46

Rail Engineer • June 2016

New power for Liverpool Street

L

ondon’s Liverpool Street station is the third busiest in the capital, after Waterloo and Victoria.

Opened in 1874 as the terminus for the Great Eastern Railway, it absorbed all of the services that ran into the adjacent Broad Street station when that closed in 1986.

Today, it is the terminus for the West Anglia main line to Cambridge, the Great Eastern to Norwich and the Stansted Express service, as well as local and commuter trains to the East of England. The station’s 18 platforms are used by more than 1.2 million people every day (over 63 million per annum), traveling on services operated by Abellio Greater Anglia and London Overground, as well as Transport for London which took over operation of the route to Shenfield last year as a precursor to Crossrail.

There are also a handful of c2c services.

The station’s underground interchange serves the Central, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan and Circle lines.

Life expired All of this, with lighting, heating, retail, offices and services, uses a lot of electrical power. There are over 50 high street food and retail outlets alone, and they all rely on electrical switchgear (Durham switchgear and distribution boards), which feeds the power supply. This equipment, which is 25 years old, is coming to the end of its operational life. In addition, because of its age, the apparatus does not meet the current safety standards for maintenance access provision and requires renewal.

As a result, SSE Enterprise Rail has been commissioned to design and deliver a solution to replace all life-expired mechanical and electrical assets between years two to four of Network Rail’s Control Period 5 (CP5) delivery plan. The SSE Enterprise Rail team will also improve electrical safety to help prevent major equipment failure, provide a dedicated back-up electricity supply for the station and train shed lighting to further improve reliability, and expand current electrical distribution capacity at the

station by 25 per cent. All of this will be delivered whilst maintaining functionality of all station facilities and operations, keeping disruption to an absolute minimum and travellers on the move.

SSE Enterprise Rail is developing a ‘one team’ approach and will carry out detailed consultation with all interested parties, which include the client, Network Rail, operators Abellio Greater Anglia and Transport for London, as well as station staff, tenants in the station outlets and the general public. This collaborative way of working assures project values and objectives will be agreed from the outset, with less likelihood of anything unexpected occurring during the design and delivery phases with a far greater chance of success for all parties. Safety, SSE Enterprise’s number one core value, will be the primary consideration at every stage.

The completion of GRIP 3-4 (construction and engineering services contract) is scheduled for the end of November 2016, while the completion of GRIP 5-8 (design and construction contract) is expected at the end of November 2017.

Contract win SSE Enterprise Rail won a competitive tender to design and deliver this ‘Liverpool Street Switch Panels and Distribution Board Project’ on behalf of Network Rail. The tender scoring system awarded the company maximum marks in the ‘commercial’ category, illustrating the organisation’s drive to deliver the optimum balance of quality, safety and value.

Raj Sinha, managing director of SSE Enterprise Rail, said: “This project will be very challenging but we have the right people with the right skills at every level to deliver this type of specialist work. We look forward to supporting Network Rail and other stakeholders at Liverpool Street Station, building on the great reputation that our team of 15 years has already developed there.”

This successful tender award follows other recent contract wins for SSE Enterprise Rail, including the Tier 1 electrical works call-off contract for LNW route electrical framework (for both South and North areas) and the property minor works frameworks contract to March 2017.

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48

Rail Engineer • June 2016

The Impact of EU Membership

on Britain’s Railways MALCOLM DOBELL

Y

ou’ve probably heard the expression “I want something that’s bog standard”. I had too, but it was years before I discovered that it referred to engineers and clients demanding items to British or German Standards as their use could be expected to deliver quality results.

Even before the UK joined the European Community, all those years ago, engineers were used to buying products to British (BS) or German (DIN) standards. Given that engineering is an applied science and the laws of physics apply throughout the world, it made sense for the EU, through CEN, CENELEC and ETSI (see lexicon for definitions), to harmonise standards gradually throughout Europe. Increasingly, there is also cooperation with the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

Railways have not been immune to this trend and the EU has been promoting and, increasingly, introducing legislation to deliver a level playing field for the rail industry. This led to new words and acronyms coming into daily use. Interoperability, ERA, TSIs, NNTRs, NOBOs, DEBOs and ASBOs come to mind. We all had to get used to new rules, procedures and processes.

One often hears of apparent ‘nonsenses’ inflicted on our railways in the name of the EU, although generally, when probed, the issue being addressed almost never proves to be a nonsense.

The explanation is usually more mundane, such as something that is inconvenient because it wasn’t thought about properly or early enough. For some, it is the path to a lower cost future, for others it is the last straw!

With all this in mind and with the referendum coming up, The IMechE Railway Division recently held a debate on the subject. In planning the event, it was decided that the issue was far too sensitive (and too political for an apolitical charity) to have an IN or OUT debate. Instead, four topics were proposed and speakers invited to address some or all of them. The questions were: »» Examples of consequences of EU membership

that have had a negative or sub-optimal impact on Britain’s railways (whether inspired directly

by EU regulations or by the UK Government’s ’over-rigid interpretation’ of these regulations); »» Examples of consequences that might have been worse but for the UK’s generally pragmatic and common sense approach; »» Examples of positive outcomes that membership of the EU has had for the UK railways - and the railway industry supply chain; »» EU/EC Railway-related myths that need to be exposed as such.

With six speakers from the DfT, London Underground, RSSB and Birmingham University, as well as a former railway CEO and an outspoken contributor to a railway publication, we were in for an exciting evening of debate which took place in front of an audience of 75 people. Coincidentally, it was Europe Day, a day for celebrating peace and unity.

What’s it all about?

It’s always good to set the scene, and this was done by Robin Groth. Robin is deputy director international and safety at the Department for Transport and also a member of the administration board of the European Rail Agency.

Robin’s presentation reminded us of the aims of the EU. These are to open up markets for goods and services with clear and transparent rules which recognise, as far as possible, the different characteristics of the rail networks in member States, to formulate legislative packages that realise the potential of rail and to create opportunities for EU-based companies (including those in the UK).

For rail, this means that the EU has introduced a number of rules and requirements, such as interoperability (technical rules, authorisation, registers of vehicles), safety (safety management systems, safety authorisation), train driver licensing, a requirement that member states open their railways to competition and make fair charges for access. Moreover, it has created the European Railway Agency, which acts on the EU’s behalf to make these processes work openly and fairly.

The EU is also very active in promoting research, and this has resulted in large sums being made available for railway research.

Robin highlighted the UK’s contribution to the EU’s railway work. The UK is one of the ‘Big Three’, along with France and Germany. This leads to a general view that getting UK agreement is very important on rail matters and, as a result, the UK is often in the driving seat.

Possibly because of the way Britain’s railways do business, with no one body in overall charge and decisions taken by consensus, the UK often takes the role of ’trusted broker’ in negotiations, when it is necessary to reconcile the differences between the Nordic, Latin and Germanic cultures.

After all, British culture is a mix of all three. We are sometimes able to reconcile issues that arise due to the politics or history between France, Germany and Eastern Europe, and we also have special links with parts of the former Empire (USA, Middle East, India, Australia, parts of Africa).

A further benefit is that English is often the Lingua Franca - and Brits often draft the documents and minutes. However, being part of a ‘club’ means that ‘club rules’ must be developed and observed and this means that there will be compromise and constraints.

As a result of this intense participation, a high proportion of European senior positions are now held by UK Nationals including:

Rail Engineer • June 2016 »» The head of the Railway Unit in the European Commission; »» The head of the Transport Research Unit in the European Commission; »» 2 out of 6 heads of units in the European Railway Agency; »» The deputy chair of the European Railway Agency Board; »» The chair of the European Rail Research Advisory Council.

Moreover, many of Britain’s railway staff are involved in the drafting of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs), Euro Norms (ENs) and other standards. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and RSSB co-ordinate the UK inputs to drafting committees and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and Network Rail also input through the Community of European Railways (CER) and the European Infrastructure Managers (EIM). As an example of the UK’s influence, the TSI for Persons of Reduced Mobility (PRM) largely reflects UK domestic standards.

Concluding, Robin mentioned current and future activities of the EU: »» Implementation of the fourth railway package - including a new role for ERA in authorising vehicles for use; »» Shift2Rail - a research programme pushing the technology to make rail more competitive; »» Rules, processes and standards: »» ERA is working with partners (Japan, USA, Gulf states, OTIF) to share and evolve best practice and develop future ‘global standards’, such as those for nextgeneration signalling; »» ISO/IEC standards taking over from ENs. »» International Strategy: »» Market opening agreements with partners around the world; »» Mutual recognition (cross acceptance) of existing rules; »» Mutual recognition of conformity certification and authorisation processes; »» Migration to common rules and standards for the next generation technology.

Rules and standards Tom Lee, who is RSSB’s deputy director of research and standards and also professional head of command, control and signalling, spoke next about the practical implications for people embarking on change, in particular the burden that standards are perceived to place on those delivering projects. Tom made it clear that the key issue is to make the right decisions from the beginning. Of course some requirements are not optional; the Railway Inter­opera­bility Regulations 2011 (RIR 2011), which mandate the TSIs and the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems Regulations (ROGS 2006) are the law and must be complied with. Although deviations from TSIs can be sought, it is a far from trivial process.

However, there are other standards that projects will identify following decisions about why a change is being made. These standards are, in general, written with the knowledge that they are a ‘best fit’ solution, and that there will sometimes be circumstances where they are not appropriate. It is possible to seek to deviate from the standards. In later questioning, in response to concerns that obtaining deviations is an uncertain process, Tom said that over 300 deviations were submitted last year and all of them were approved. Deviations are evaluated by RSSB, but decisions are made by committees of industry representatives.

Tom expanded on Robin’s remarks about the impact and influence of the UK on standards setting in Europe. He illustrated an apparently very complex structure for decision-making, but where the UK’s record of participation has led to some excellent results for the UK. In terms of legislation, the EU issues Directives and Regulations. Directives have to be transposed into legislation by the member state, but Regulations apply immediately. The Interoperability Directive and the Regulations mandating the Common Safety Method for Risk Assessment and Evaluation are examples. Tom identified that, in developing ROGS from the previous legislation, the opportunity was taken to simplify the process of safety certification for the bodies forming the railway industry, including the TOCs, and Network Rail. No longer was a safety case required but instead a Safety Certificate and a Safety Management System, a process that is more flexible and scalable for different sized companies and levels of risk.

Tom concluded by talking about positives and challenges (with some observations):

49

Positives: »» A move towards a single EU rail system allows products and services to be traded across borders without re-testing and reassessment (we are not there yet!); »» A reduction in the amount of state imposed rules which means a single set of require­ments and greater choice in certain areas (but a cleanup is needed and this is not easy); »» A chance to influence the EU so good UK practice can be adopted and embedded in EU standards.

Challenges: »» EU standards often require interpretation and so are not easy to just use (it’s English, Jim, but not as we know it!); »» A significant engagement is required to ensure EU standards work for the UK and we don’t always get our way as it is as much a political process as a technical one; »» Deviation from EU standards is harder and more time consuming; »» Harmonisation to a common EU target system might have long term benefits but with potentially short term cost and effort. Can we manage transition well?

Metro perspective John Downes, head of engineering governance and services, London Underground, presented the position for metros which also generally includes light rail and trams. He said that the framework for liberating the ‘main line’ railways in the EU was inappropriate for local networks not possessing the same characteristics and not needing to interoperate. There is, after all, no prospect of the Bakerloo line being extended to its nearest neighbour any time soon, and there is little in

50

Rail Engineer • June 2016

common between, say Glasgow Underground and rubber-tyred Paris Metro trains (in terms of vehicle/tunnel size and bogie technology at least).

Thanks to excellent work carried out by the UITP’s urban rail working group and by lobbying of the Commission, there has been general acceptance of this view, although sometimes EU officials inadvertently propose to draw them into the net. However, the metro, tramway and light rail sector has recognized the benefits of standardisation, including sub-systems, equipment and components, and is cooperating with a Commission mandate to the European standards bodies to include requirements of metros in European Standards, where there is economic benefit.

Equally, some of the processes adopted can be translated to the metro/light rail sector whilst others are inappropriate. Thus, the metros’ safety regulators are the National Safety Authorities and any derogations from standards are handled at metro or national level. TSIs do not apply.

Interfaces with national networks are handled on a case-by-case basis.

All this was achieved because the Commission listened to industry representation and, as a result, avoided regulation. Instead, it recognised the power of standardisation but allowed the industry to set the standardisation agenda for things that were needed, with no action where the view was that they were not needed.

In conclusion, John said that the Commission aren’t faceless bureaucrats; you can meet with them, explore positions, understand motivations and find something that is mutually beneficial.

But it requires engagement and effort. You cannot ‘snipe’ from the sidelines after the event and expect to have any influence on a deal that has already been done.

Academia Next, the conference heard from Professor Felix Schmid, professor of railway systems engineering at the University of Birmingham, speaking in his private capacity. Felix, a Swiss-born engineer, presented a very positive picture of the benefits of working with other European countries on research and highlighted the truly multi-national team of academics, administrators and students at Birmingham.

He expressed a particular fondness for the EU freedom of movement that allows EU students to attend UK universities (which rely on foreign students) without any visa restrictions AND allows UK students to benefit from exchanges funded by the Erasmus programme. UK students can spend 6 to 12 months studying in other EU countries, including Norway and Liechtenstein.

They can NOT go to Switzerland, which adopts EU standards for railways but has ‘no seat at any of the tables’, because it no longer fully subscribes to free movement of labour.

Felix highlighted the benefit of free movement through the case of the Malaysian academic who was not allowed to work for Birmingham University for two days to act as an external examiner for a doctoral student. He also said that organising conferences including participants from emerging economies outside the EU is a nightmare.

Turning to research, Felix highlighted the Dynotrain programme, which ran from 2010 to 2013, cost over €5.5 million, including €3.3 million EU funding, and involved: »» University partners: Birmingham (UK), Chalmers (Sweden), KTH (Sweden), MMU (UK), PoliMi (Italy), La Sapienza (Italy), TIFSA Madrid (Spain), TU Berlin (Germany), TU Lisbon (Portugal);

»» Industry partners: Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Siemens; »» Infrastructure: DB (Germany), Network Rail (Britain), SNCF (France), Trenitalia (Italy).

Although the programme concluded in 2013, analysis of the four terabytes of data collected is continuing. The programme included running a 14-vehicle train through Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, covering some 7,500 km in four weeks. The train included six test vehicles with 10 instrumented wheelsets, from which 300 physical parameters were measured and 600 parameters evaluated including: »» Track geometry; »» Rail profiles; »» Wheel profiles; »» Wheel-rail forces; »» Vehicle accelerations and displacements; »» Video recordings; »» Vehicle stationary tests.

It was Felix’ view that this research would not have taken place had the EU not contributed the majority of funds and provided the research framework that enabled the collaboration.

The view from ‘across the water’ Dick Fearne, a respected former BR manager, who has been chief operating officer and then chief executive officer of Irish Railways - Iarnród Éireann (IE), outlined how the EU had supported IE with considerable financial aid over the period 2000 to 2013 to help them move from a railway on the verge of collapse to a thoroughly modern railway. IE operates a small network of just under 1,900 km of route, today carrying just 40 million passenger journeys a year with about 4,000 employees. It wasn’t like that in 2000!

The EU provided: »» Funding for network modernisation; »» Funding for rolling stock replacement, without insisting on using EU rolling stock manufacturers; »» Support from EU member railways (large and small) sharing operational experience; »» A derogation until 2013 from the requirement to separate operations from infrastructure.

As a result, IE was able to improve the safety of the network, its capacity and the quality and reliability of the services. For the rolling stock, some carriages were purchased from CAF, but the more flexible diesel multiple units were purchased from Hyundai Rotem in South Korea - albeit with many European sub-systems.

Dick was extremely positive about the support provided by the EU and in his final slide showed how, since 2000, costs have fallen to about a quarter of their former level.

And finally…

Ian Walmsley, an experienced rolling stock engineer and writer, gave the final talk in his usual forthright manner. He started by reminding us

Rail Engineer • June 2016 that Harold Wilson once used almost the same words in connection with his EU negotiations that David Cameron used on the conclusion of his negotiations earlier in 2016. He then took us though his personal view of a number of issues: »» If we left, we might be free from some of the regulations (tunnels, fire, ETCS); »» The TSI for Persons of Reduced Mobility is based on UK best practice, but only the UK has imposed an implementation deadline (2020); »» UK has a talent for regulation and might demand more than the EU; »» Specifiers and suppliers are often unwilling to seek deviations to standards - to do so is seen as a sign of failure. This is a UK cultural issue; »» Regardless of our membership of the EU, market forces will lead to us using the common standards so as to access a bigger market; »» If we left the EU, we would still have to provide EU-compatibility to sell goods, so would sell the same goods to the UK; »» EU-led railway research has as many daft activities as UK-led research. »» All of this led to his conclusion: In or Out, there would be no impact on the UK rail industry. »» There was a lively debate at the end, covering issues such as: »» Should Crossrail (the Elizabeth Line) and Crossrail 2 be classed as interoperable? »» Reinforcement that gaining deviations from TSIs is hard; »» Concern that changes to TSIs (for example, the second version of the Freight Wagon TSI was fundamentally different to the first) can and does make it difficult to exploit products without constant design changes; »» There was a view that TSIs are ‘random requirements’ that ‘authorities’ chose to write; »» Small railways benefit from well-established standards as they can have confidence that things made to those standards will work, compared with the challenge for a small railway of having, for each project, to reinvent the requirements for itself. Others observed that this might be true for big railways too!

51

Conclusion The presentations and discussion covered all the questions that were posed in developing the event. In particular, they exposed a number of myths which are worth repeating here. (For the avoidance of doubt, these are the myths.

The opposite is the truth!): »» “Britain has but a weak influence on EU/EC standards and regulations for railways”; »» “The EU/EC wants to regulate everything”; »» “The EU/EC does not listen”; »» The ending of the EU/EC derogation for Irish Railways (IE) in 2013 in terms of separation of infrastructure and train operations has been a major problem for IE”; »» “The EU/ EC inflicted the PRM-TSI requirement and deadline on us”; »» “Life would be much simpler/better/lower cost for Britain’s railway industry if we left the EU”.

The last words in the presentations were Ian Walmsley’s: “It won’t actually make much difference to Britain’s railway industry if we leave the EU”.

Is this true? In truth, no one really knows.

Most of what we currently do is mandated

by UK law, even though it was prompted

by EU directives, so we could just carry on.

However, we would no longer have a right to representation on the various standardisation and regulation bodies and, over time, our processes would diverge from those of the EU unless the UK took the conscious decision to adopt EU rules despite our lack of involvement in the development process.

It could be easier and simpler, and it could be very much worse.

Here is a personal plea for consistency.

Britain’s railway has a massive programme of works to expand and renew its infrastructure and rolling stock. It has taken a long time to train and familiarise people with the current regulatory, standards and approval framework.

The one key thing the industry needs is stability so that it can get on and deliver.

LEXICON »» ASBO - an authorised certification body independent of the project seeking certification which can certify that the CSM has been properly applied to manage risk to acceptably low levels. »» CEN - European Committee for Standardisation. »» CENELEC - European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation. »» CER - Community of European Railways. »» CSM - The Common Safety Method for risk assessment and evaluation mandated by an EU Directive. »» DEBO - an authorised certification body independent of the project seeking certification which can certify that NNTRs have been followed. »» DfT - UK Department for Transport. »» EIM - European Infrastructure Managers’ group. »» ERA - European Rail Agency. »» ETCS - European Train Control System. »» ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute. »» Interoperability - a term in general use that encompasses EU legislation intended to create a level playing field for railways. »» NNTR - Notified National Technical Rules, as advised to ERA by Member States. The local rules to which new assets and systems must comply until such time that everything complies with the TSIs. »» NOBO - an authorised certification body independent of a project seeking certification which can certify that TSIs have been followed. »» ORR - Office of Rail and Road which authorises bringing interoperable assets and systems into beneficial use in UK. »» OTIF - Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail. »» RDG - Rail Delivery Group. »» RSSB - formerly the Rail Safety and Standards Board. »» TSI - Technical Specification for Interoperability to which all significant new works carried out on Europe’s railways must comply. »» UITP - Worldwide Union of International Public Transport Operators.

52

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Asset Monitoring

CLIVE KESSELL

a new approach M

ention the phrase ‘asset data collection’, or even the more modern activity of ‘remote condition monitoring’, and you tend to see a blank look and eyes glaze over. Somehow the whole business of monitoring and recording assets is a ‘turn off’ when compared to other elements of railway engineering.

It’s so much more exciting to be designing things at the forefront of technology, or project engineering the installation and commissioning of a new system. Being given the job of asset recording is seen as a mundane task where keeping records up to date is a ‘no win’ exercise and the multiplicity of information gathered is rarely considered by senior management and tends to be hidden away in some form of electronic record, only to be used if an incident occurs so that historic evidence can be trundled out for an enquiry.

Yet knowing what assets your company owns and the condition of these is a vitally important task that, if carried out properly, can make huge differences to the economics of the company and the performance of all that it does. So can the profile of this activity be raised and just what kind of deliverables can be expected?

A recent visit to Telent, the communications system integrator with its headquarters in Warwick, yielded some interesting opportunities.

Starting the initiative With its many contracts for telecom projects and network provisioning, Telent became aware of condition monitoring applications in various transport systems involving ‘things that move’. Could it enter this arena and build-in better communications links for the movement of asset data?

It could then improve the way the data is analysed and used to provide really meaningful information presented in such a way that senior management would take notice.

Telent itself has maintenance contracts that look after 250,000 assets across a multiplicity of industries, so just keeping track of all that was sufficient to stir management

motivation. Described as “driving intelligence into old unintelligent assets”, maybe the life of equipment could be usefully extended without suffering embarrassing failure rates at the same time.

Preliminary work began in 2010, but the real advances came in 2012 with the London Olympics. London Underground was acutely aware that the transport service to and from the Games and around London generally was a key part of making the Olympics a success. A particular concern would be the performance of lifts and escalators and especially anything involving the movement of physically impaired people.

For years, London Underground has been developing and using asset condition systems, but getting the right information from the masses of data obtained and interpreting this in a way that could be easily understood was something of a challenge.

Telent devised a solution that pulled together data from lifts and escalators and delivered it in an actionable way to the maintenance staff. As it turned out, the Olympic transport

Rail Engineer • June 2016

53

arrangements worked well, but the seed had been sown as to whether a more comprehensive package for asset monitoring could be devised that would be applicable to a multiplicity of assets owned and operated by many industries.

Innovate UK In 2013, Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board) was promoting innovation in the railway and the idea of digitising railway systems.

Telent responded to this and offered to put together a consortium that would combine existing expertise and some new thinking. The company approached London Underground to see if a predictive and preventative maintenance package could be devised for its many assets, all based around digital technology.

Those involved were Telent as leader and system integrator, Humaware (a company with contracts for health and usage monitoring in the aerospace industry) and both Loughborough and Nottingham universities utilising their PhD students and faculties. The overall objective was to use existing remote condition monitoring (RCM) data to

manage asset degradation and give predictions on future performance and asset life. The project was co-funded by Innovate UK, RSSB and the consortium in a two-year timeframe for a budget of £750,000. Work began in January 2014 and was completed early in 2016.

Developing the idea With a set timescale and limited budget, clear boundaries needed to be set as to what was realistically achievable. With its Olympic experience, London Underground proposed using escalator performance and maintenance as the test bed. It would have been impractical to incorporate

the complete suite of escalators (over 400), so a chosen few from a handful of central London stations were selected.

London Underground provided a complete set of historical data from these escalators, many of which had experienced maintenance events. `An early task was to drill down into this data to see if the events were identifiable; many reported failures are investigated by sending people to site, only to find that no actual failure occurred - itself an expensive exercise.

The measurement criteria would concentrate on vibration within the main components of motor, gearboxes and running gear. The existing data was

Escalator motor and gearbox.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Underneath an escalator showing one of the sensors in place.

analysed in a completely different way with the intent of using the information to deliver predictions on when failures are likely to occur and to predict the remaining useful life of the particular component.

Telent, Humaware and the London Underground asset engineers worked jointly to develop the predictive analytics software using an open architecture. One immediate analysis revealed that a problematic escalator fault could have been detected five months before a major failure actually happened. It became obvious that a major benefit would be a re-scheduling and management of the task to maintain assets that are in use for 20 hours a day.

Asset information by its very nature can amass a huge amount of data, and portraying these results in a format that can be easily interpreted by engineers and managers is itself a challenge.

Enter Nottingham University, which has expertise in this field. Many people are aware of using traffic light colours to give a basic indication on whether a piece of equipment or system is in good health or otherwise.

Nottingham has taken this process

further and developed a series of line sequence images that show the major components of a system each as a coloured dot. If the dots are all in line, it indicates that the complete system is fine. If any dot is out of line, with either an amber (warning) or red (imminent failure likely) colour, it becomes obvious that a potential problem exists and a deeper analysis is required.

Drilling down into the data will reveal the likelihood of that component failing within a time period and, by implication, the remaining useful life of that particular asset.

If several dots in the chain are out of line, the subsequent analysis will help decide which component needs to be changed first, an important factor for such as a London Underground escalator when only a limited time for maintenance is available each day. It must be stressed that this is a predictive tool that relies on real data from an existing asset monitoring system rather than a modelling exercise derived from statistical data.

It will give a percentage chance of the risk of a failure occurring but nothing can be absolutely certain.

However, of the 20 escalators trialled, two alerts were found at King’s Cross and Piccadilly immediately, which were further monitored for failures before they actually occurred. It is, of course, up to asset managers as to whether or when action is taken to act on the predictions given.

Escalator replacement is a costly and time-consuming task, typically taking several months with considerable inconvenience to travellers in this period. If more

effective monitoring can extend the machine’s life before a complete renewal becomes necessary, then it will be a valuable tool.

Further monitoring work Whilst the first application of the technique was on escalators, the process should be capable of deployment on any piece of moving equipment. A subsequent exercise, cofunded by RSSB and the consortium, is underway to examine the performance of bogies on the Southern Railway fleet of Class 377/8 EMUs. This will select two bogies - one having just been maintained, the other coming close to its routine maintenance cycle - to see how the two compare in day-to-day performance.

The fitting of sensors will be done at Selhurst depot and the same consortium has been engaged for the trial with Birmingham University providing the sensing instrumentation.

Again the results could well lead to a different maintenance regime and maintenance cost savings for the train operator.

Telent has given this initiative a brand name, ACUMEN - Asset Condition Usage, Maintenance and Engineering and has high hopes that this will have a big future. The ultimate test is whether this can tie in with other initiatives under the banner of customer performance improvement.

Thanks to Alastair Norman, project manager, Keith Wilson, business development manager and Peter Felton, account director for rail, for their help in preparing this article.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

55

Testing on the

West Highland line

T

ourists flock to Scotland every year, drawn by the rugged scenery.

Many travel by rail, on the West Highland lines to Oban, Fort William and Mallaig and the Far North lines to Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick/Thurso.

However, the spectacular countryside, the mountains and moorlands of the landscape, while they may attract visitors and sightseers, they also present a major challenge to those who have to design and construct the railway’s communications network.

The system in place is known as the Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB).

It comprises the radio system, the signalling Solid State Interlocking (SSI) and equipment located on-board trains. It is a ‘Class B’ system under the Control Command and Signalling sub-system technical specification for interoperability (TSI).

The RETB Next Generation Project, described in issue 125 (March 2015), is more than a renewal of the current system, as it also mitigated the risk of radio interference when European frequencies for digital television changed in December 2015. This meant that the existing ‘Band III sub-band 2’ radio equipment had to be replaced with new radio equipment operating on ‘Band III sub-band 1’. The project’s remit also involved the development of replacement on-train, depot, engineering and trackside equipment.

Hilltop delivery Fenix Signalling, in collaboration with Telent, has successfully delivered the Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) signalling testing works on the West Highland Line, the first part of the RETB Next Generation project.

RETB is an electronic development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines, with the driver receiving movement authority via a cab display radio (CDR). Fenix Signalling is responsible for the signalling design and the signalling testing and commissioning works for the project under the management of Eddie Murphy, Fenix head of projects.

The project, commissioned by Network Rail and led by Telent as principal contractor, has seen remote hilltop base-stations upgraded to support

the new frequency. Access has been problematic, and has even involved the use of helicopters to deliver equipment where there were no suitable roads or tracks. Using this method, Telent’s on-site operations team, led by senior operations manager Lee Clinton, has installed radio equipment at the highest site on Network Rail infrastructure – White Corries in the GlenCoe ski resort.

In addition, new on-train, depot and transportable maintenance equipment has been developed by Comms Design Limited and installed by Telent field engineers.

Phase One complete Prior to commissioning all sites, two TPWS trial sites were selected at Crianlarich and Spean Bridge, with two-week trial periods being conducted at each site. The success of the trial sites has resulted in the Fenix and Telent teams completing the works at 19 sites on the West Highland Line, covering more than 150 miles of track. This included modifications to the TPWS power supplies and commissioning of the TPWS frequency converters to support the frequency change. All this was accomplished despite some extreme weather courtesy of Storm Douglas.

The commissioning of the West Highland Line TPWS marks the completion of the first phase of TPWS testing and commissioning as part of this major project. Phase two will see the TPWS on the Far North Line commissioned. This includes a total of 19 sites from Inverness out to the Kyle of Lochalsh in the West, and up to Thurso and Wick in the North, covering in excess of 200 miles of track.

This year will also see the next phase – the split of the Far North interlocking at Inverness SCC, with Fenix Signalling responsible for principal testing and the commissioning of the new SSI at Inverness.

56

Rail Engineer • June 2016

LEVEL CROSSINGS

PAUL DARLINGTON

SCHWEIZER ELECTRONIC L

ocated on the Isle of Purbeck in south-east Dorset, the Swanage Railway was controversially closed and demolished by British Rail in 1972, but it has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976.

It took just seven weeks to lift the six-and-a-half miles of track and almost 30 years to relay them.

The ten-mile branch line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage was opened in 1885 and today is not just a tourist attraction, but reduces traffic congestion on the narrow and winding A351 road from Corfe Castle to Swanage by taking some 40,000 cars off the road every year. Today carrying more than 200,000 passengers a year, the Swanage Railway operates one of the most intensive train services of any preserved heritage railway in the country.

A full-barrier level crossing with lights, on the public access road to the Swanage Railway’s Norden Park & Ride station, was required before regular trains could run between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage. The high cost of a traditional relay bespoke design was too expensive for the charity, so the railway turned to international specialist Schweizer Electronic for assistance.

Schweizer Electronic has over 30 years’ experience in developing and manufacturing level crossing systems. With the group headquarters in Switzerland, Schweizer has been supplying the UK since 2002. They provide a range of products including: automatic warning systems, lookout warning systems for temporary worksites, permanent track warning systems and level crossing systems.

The company’s recommendation was to use the Flex system. Flex is a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) system that uses standard industrial automation components but with the addition of Schweizer’s failsafe components to create a SIL4 (safety integrity level) crossing. The system has received approval from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

The Flex system is a modular platform which has a generic safety case and can be provided in a number of configurations and sizes. Flex level crossings can control up to 12 barriers and 32

lights (across multi sites if necessary). It features industrial design ‘plug and play’ components with cost and maintenance benefits, together with Schweizer developed technology to ensure safety. Flex is one of the most widely used level crossing systems in Switzerland with numerous installations and is now installed for use in other countries including Germany and UK.

Competence Schweizer Electronics’ core competence is with high-security remote control and radio data transmission systems, along with interactive diagnostic systems for use wherever safety and efficiency are important. Within the company, all operating processes are governed and certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and CENELEC

VaMoS cabinet.

Rail Engineer • June 2016 EN 50 126. Schweizer prides itself with increasing safety using the latest technology while also improving efficiency, user friendliness and worker productivity.

The company holds Link-up accreditation for staff protection systems, level crossings and track worker protection and is a member of the Rail Alliance and the Contractors Plant Association. It has made something of a speciality of improving level crossings, particularly those small, out-of-theway ones used by pedestrians, horses, and farmers for access.

57

VaMoS lights.

When the railway was first built, former railway companies were required to provide access across the railway for those affected. Where this resulted in the construction of a level crossing which was operated by the user, and unless the landowner has agreed to give up their rights to use it, it is still Network Rail’s responsibility as owner of the crossing to provide and to maintain it for the safe benefit of the user.

Such private, user-worked level crossings are commonly known as either ‘occupation’ or ‘accommodation’ crossings. Where a private road or track existed before the railway was constructed, a user worked level crossing of ‘occupation’ status was provided. The owners of the land and those who also have a legitimate right to use the road will all have a legal right to use the crossing. User worked crossings of ‘accommodation’ status were provided to maintain access between lands severed by the railway where a roadway or track did not previously exist. The most common accommodation crossing is the standard field-to-field crossing.

These types of crossing present one of the greatest risks to today’s railway, along with footpath and bridleway crossings. The user is responsible for opening or shutting any barrier or gates provided and for making sure it is safe to use the crossing. This is normally by checking that there are no approaching trains by sight or, where visibility is not adequate, phoning the signaller. This, however, presents another risk in that, in absolute block areas, the signaller may not know where the train is in relation to the crossing. In some areas the signaller may have several such crossings to manage. The risk of miscommunication will only get greater with the introduction of larger control areas with traffic management, and methods are required to reduce the signaller workload.

LEVEL CROSSINGS

Occupation and accommodation crossings

Miniature stop lights (MSL) MSLs, also known as miniature warning lights, are a way of assisting the user. They consist of red and green lights to advise of approaching trains.

The green light normally shows, but an approaching train automatically changes the lights to red. MSL crossings can be operated by track circuits, treadles or axle counters.

MSLs are located so that they face towards an approaching user and need to be clearly visible to the crossing users when operating the gates or barriers. The red and green lights have to be sufficiently bright to be clearly seen by users at the decision point. Light emitting diodes (LED) lamps are now available which are brighter and more reliable than traditional filament lamps.

All types of trains use the crossings at Corfe Castle.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

LEVEL CROSSINGS

58

VaMoS This is the Schweizer version of an MSL crossing and is a welcome addition to the approved product portfolio designed to improve the safety of user worked crossings. It is a fully automatic solution which has been specifically designed to improve the safety of UWCs, bridleways and footpaths. Using the same parent technology as Flex, VaMoS is suitable for both single and multiple track crossings. It is the simplest and most cost effective crossing developed by Schweizer as it doesn’t use a PLC, but simple hard wired logic to save cost and not to over-engineer the solution.

The system is fully compliant with SIL3 and only requires an extremely low power supply, making the system suitable for alternative and renewable power supplies. The system requires very low lifetime maintenance and has been designed to maximise reliability and availability.

It is of an autonomous overlay design, which can be installed independent from existing signalling systems using axle counters for train detection.

In Switzerland, the VaMoS system could be designed, installed and tested in a matter of days. This should be the objective for the UK and Schweizer is working with a number of installers and integrators to provide a lower cost, off-theshelf package that can be provided in a similar timescale. This may also include installation and testing by Network Rail’s internal works delivery organisation.

A key feature is its very low power requirements of only 60 watt from either a 110/240 VAC (0.25A) or 24V DC supply (2.5A).

Solar power operation is therefore possible.

The red/green LED lights are very prominent and larger than on a conventional MSL crossing.

The on-demand option reduces power consumption even further and reduces glare to nearby residents. The system is of modular conception with plug-and-play functionality for installation. The onsite data logger provides remote condition monitoring information to the maintainer via text SMS or into an email using a text-to-email conversion application, if a suitable

IP connection can be made available. So this is another candidate for Network Rail Telecom’s lineside FTNx ethernet roll out.

Train detection is provided by using rail induction, axle-counting devices. As well as the road user interface of red/green stop/go lights, an audible system (and voice) is also provided.

Dry contacts are also available for driving other outputs, which could include gate or barrier locking. These are not SIL3 but could be provided as a safety enhancement with the main protection provided by the SIL3 lights.

Environmental conditions are compliant to EN 50125-3 railway environment, with safety in accordance with: »» EN 50126 Railway Applications - Specification and demonstration of Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS); »» EN 50129 Railway Applications Communications, signalling and processing systems: safety related electronic systems for signalling. (describes what action and documentation has to be provided for preparing a safety case) »» EN 50128 Railway Applications Communication, signalling and processing systems: software for railway control and protection systems.

The system was successfully trialled at crossings with parallel working and has now received full Network Rail approval and is available via a call off contract, which was established after a competitive tender. Network Rail reported that Schweizer’s Vamos was one of the best safety submissions they have received for such systems and there is already interest from most routes.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

worldwide

LEVEL CROSSINGS

Level crossing practices

CLIVE KESSELL

W

ith all the improvements made to control and communications systems, the railway has never been safer. However, despite many initiatives to improve technology and operation, level crossings remain a significant safety risk. The reason is obvious: it involves people who are not part of the rail industry and thus not subject to rail safety regulations the general public, well known for acting irrationally and well capable of doing stupid things.

It is a problem not confined to just the UK, so how is this risk viewed around the world?

A recent seminar organised by the IRSE membership in Japan chose, as one of its topics, a comparative study of current level crossing practices from four different continents. The results had some common themes despite the different types of railways where level crossings exist.

Japan Takashi Kawano from JR East informed me that this heavily populated country (17 million people in Tokyo alone) abounds with level crossings on its original rail network. The 3’6” gauge has British origins and still serves all parts of the country. The more famous Shinkansen network, built up from the mid 1960s, is standard gauge and has no such crossings, nor would these be a practical proposition given the speeds of up to 300kph and very frequent services.

The legacy element is significant - 34,000 crossings nationwide with 6,987 of these on the JR East network that includes Tokyo. Many of these are in city areas where closure times to road traffic can be a significant percentage in every hour. 6,279 crossings have alarms and barriers, 208 just an alarm and 500 have no warning/protection except static signage.

Since 1988, over 2,000 high risk crossings have been closed with consequent accidents

reducing from 247 in 1987 to 44 in 2014.

Motorist-related accidents are declining but pedestrian incidents are on the up.

The basic principles of crossing operation are: four seconds of warning, six seconds for boom lowering, 20 seconds for all four barriers to be proved down, 36 second arrival time for train at maximum line speed. Despite the narrow gauge, speeds equating to European standards are quite common, so closure times for slower trains can be significant - especially if a station stop is included in the sequence.

Safety and operational enhancements are part of the ongoing process. The main thrust is a rationalisation of warning times as the public is demanding that these be shortened. Where

stopping trains at stations are involved, the addition of an extra track balise will delay the lowering sequence. More generally, the use of obstacle detection is being deployed, three types being used: »» Loop coil underground that detects a vehicle but not a pedestrian; »» Laser beam at low level; »» 3D laser/radar at both high and low level with a scan rate of every 0.5 seconds - these are easy to install and are resistant to fog and snow.

None of these solutions are linked to the clearance of a signal and thus the detection remains operational until the train has passed.

A ‘hand plunger’, operated by the signaller, can be used if an obstacle appears after the closure procedure is complete. This initiates an alarm to the train driver. One must remember that Japanese society is more disciplined than in Europe or elsewhere and incidents of misuse are rare.

A city crossing in Japan.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

61

The middle of nowhere - USA.

1,139 crossings have been equipped with the 3D system, achieving an average reduction in closure time of 22 per cent and 48 per cent as a maximum. A national campaign for level crossing safety, targets different age groups, with children and elderly people being known to be most at risk.

USA

An awareness campaign has been in existence since 1972 which has succeeded, over time, in reducing the accident rate by 43 per cent. $300 million has been spent at 330 crossings to interconnect warning lights with adjacent road traffic lights. In some states it is compulsory for buses to stop before a crossing if the road ahead is not clear. Still, accidents occur. As recent as March 2016, an accident involving a propanecarrying lorry caused a huge fire to occur.

The FRA (Federal Rail Administration) has now linked level crossing legislation with line speeds: less than 110mph, level crossings are permitted; between 110 and 125mph, limitations exist as to the type of crossing and associated protection system that can be used; greater than 125mph,

no level crossings are permitted. New designs of crossing protection system are emerging with five basic types, each based on modular ‘easy assembly’ principles with full factory testing taking place before shipment to site. A typical price of $160,000 for such an installation is much cheaper than comparable prices in the UK. Various technologies for obstacle detection are being tried, none of which have been wholly successful. Effort is being put into developing wireless activation of crossing protection systems to cater for different train speeds and the monitoring of speed differentials.

For passenger trains that stop at an adjacent station, the inhibiting of the crossing sequence is also proposed.

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LEVEL CROSSINGS

Rod Muttram from Fourth Insight Ltd, with information provided by Wabtec Xorail, described the position in the USA, which has 212,000 level crossings that cause 67 per cent of all trainrelated accidents.

With the emphasis being on long-haul freight rather than high-density passenger, the crossings are often in remote areas with a long time between trains. 36 per cent of crossings (76,000) have no active warning system other than fixed signs. Most other crossings have only lights and bells but with no barriers.

Double-stacked container freight trains up to two miles long take typically three minutes to pass over a crossing, and 1.6km to stop from line speed. Couple this with long and large road vehicles, and one can see the temptation to take risks to get through before the train arrives.

Often, the railroad was built first, with subsequent roads being constructed alongside with many side turns to cross the railway, thus creating opportunities for careless drivers to be unaware of the risks.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

LEVEL CROSSINGS

62

Brisbane - Australia.

Australia

Europe and ETCS

Peter Symons (Triton Pty Ltd) detailed the many standards that impact on level crossing safety - the National Rail Safety Act, the State Rail Safety Act and Workplace Standards. These lead to different practices between States that causes confusion and a joining-up process is underway to promote common standards.

Any serious accident is already nationally investigated.

Across the country, there are 23,000 crossings and accidents have caused 200 deaths in the last six years but, by 2014, only one fatality occurred. As in America, much of the network is long-haul freight but the major conurbations have intensive commuter networks. In the remoter parts, only passive protection (only signs) is provided, but more crossings are being converted to a form of active detection. These come in three main forms: flashing lights with bells and signs, active lights and half barrier booms, and pedestrian crossings with locked gates. There are some four-barrier crossings but they are few in number.

Risk assessment matrices are employed to determine the type of equipment to be used.

Warning times are typically 25 seconds for just lights, 30 seconds for lights and booms, 19 seconds for pedestrian crossings. If the crossing is on a diagonal with the roadway, then longer warning times prevail.

Human factor problems abound as elsewhere; driving around booms, getting trapped on the crossing hence the need for an escape route,

The situation with level crossings in Europe may be better known than elsewhere. Wim Coenraad from Movares in the Netherlands explained the many practices that abound in the different countries: fully automatic but linked to the signalling system, CCTV supervision, automatic half barriers, no barriers with warning and also just signage. Improvement and modernisation is focussing on minimising closure times, replacement with bridges, use of obstacle detection, LED warning lights for road traffic, aluminium barriers and using electronic acoustic devices in place of bells. Of these, minimising the time that crossings are closed to road traffic has the most urgency and several new innovations are to be expected in the near future.

seasonal wheat lines that only operate during harvest time. Road-rail vehicles are a particular problem as they do not reliably operate track circuits and can cause axle counter miscounts if the start of the journey is on a crossing.

Level crossing predictor technology is in limited use but has to take account of accelerating trains and is not approved for electrified lines. CCTV monitoring is used on occasions but obstacle detection is not yet approved. Unsafe failures are mainly caused by SPADs and the failure of the crossing sequence to initiate.

A low cost warning system was developed but failed to get approval because lawyers considered low-cost equals low-safety, an unrealistic conclusion. The favoured way forward is to build bridges but this has huge cost implications.

Hilversum - Netherlands.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Chenonceau - France.

LEVEL CROSSINGS

One of these will be linked with the deployment of ETCS. In Denmark, where nationwide roll out of ERTMS is underway, the resulting capacity improvements must not be undermined by restrictive level crossing operation. A new method of crossing activation is being devised using TMS (Traffic Management System), ETCS train position info and the signalling interlocking. No activation will be triggered by track circuits or axle counters.

Upon a train making a movement authority (MA) request, TMS will check whether the train timing involves a level crossing in the route. If yes, the TMS issues a crossing activation instruction optimised for the crossing characteristics. The MA will only initially be valid up to a marker board situated before the crossing. Once the activation is complete and the barriers are proved down, the MA will be extended to beyond the crossing. Speed profiles are shown on the driver’s MMI (man-machine interface- or display screen) plus a symbol that shows the level crossing status.

The system has to take account of a second train coming and situations where traffic queues across the crossing might occur because of road traffic lights. Consideration has also to be given to the risks of radio black spots, how to link several level crossings in short succession, late route setting and what happens if a train increases speed before the crossing. An

63

A German crossing.

activation time of 47 seconds is likely. The system is still under development and is not yet in service, but it is an indication as to how level crossings may be controlled in the ERTMS era.

The IRSE presentations showed that, while operation and technologies differ widely across the world, the safety risks and the demand for minimised closure times for crossing users are

a common theme. With an ever-growing world population, the associated rise in road traffic and the pressure to increase capacity on the railway, level crossings are seen as an encumbrance for all parties.

Many will be replaced by bridges in the years to come but, at some locations, this solution will never be economically feasible or the physical onsite constraints will make it impossible. It is up to engineers of all disciplines to come up with ideas that optimise safety whilst keeping closure to road traffic down to an absolute minimum.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

LEVEL CROSSINGS

64

T

Level crossing problems solved

here’s nothing particularly special about the level crossing at Ashwell, just north of Oakham in the county of Rutland. Adjacent to Ashwell signal box, this MCB (Manually Controlled Barriers) crossing takes the Whissendine road across the twin-track railway that forms the diversionary route off the Midland main line at Syston through Melton Mowbray and Oakham to Corby. A picturesque line, it can add an hour to a journey to London when the MML is closed for work on a Sunday.

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

The Final result.

The lake in the six-foot.

But back to the crossing itself. It has two full-length barriers with the usual flashing lights, and a mixed road surface of Polysafe concrete and rubber Strail panels that span the tracks..

The Polysafe system consists of a row of steel-framed concrete panels that fit into the four-foot, along with similar, yet narrower, panels which cover the cess. The panels are held in place in the direction of road travel by concrete cill beams which are set into the road surface.

In the case of a twin-track railway, as at Ashwell, two sets of cess panels are retained in the six-foot by two cill beams, with the space in between filled with asphalt. This allows the system to cope with variations in actual width of the six-foot – the basic construction is the same but the width of the asphalt strip varies.

Once the crossing is complete, the panels are retained by rubber wedges and end brackets which prevent lateral movement along the railway.

Collapsing cills Having been in place for many years, the Ashwell crossing had developed two problems. The concrete cill beams were deteriorating and needed replacing, and, at some time in the past, the cess and six-foot panels of the crossing had been replaced by a row of Strail panels

within the existing cill beams with a tarmac overlay.

Strail panels are alternatives to Polysafe, but are made from vulcanised rubber rather than steel-framed concrete. Both types of crossing construction are approved but, to comply, the entire crossing must be made from one system – hybrids are not allowed.

So Network Rail approached level crossing specialist Premier Rail to both renew the cill beams and replace the Strail panels with new Polysafe ones.

Premier Rail, based in Doncaster, is an approved and recommended installer of all types of crossing systems. It also has a large hire stock, claimed to be the broadest in the UK, which it uses to provide temporary crossings and road-rail access points (RRAPs) to projects and work sites around the country.

Having surveyed the site, the work seemed fairly routine. New Polysafe panels for the cess and six-foots were ordered - all of the ones in the fourfoots could be reused.

Water water everywhere Work commenced at the time for a weekend possession of the line. The installation team from Premier Rail removed the existing panels, broke out the damaged cill beams and started to excavate the mortar substrates so they could be replaced, giving a firm, fresh base for the new cills.

However, in the middle of the sixfoot, the excavators struck water. Not just dampness, but a mini-lake that filled the space where the new cills would rest. There was no way that the semi-dry mortar bed could go down in the middle of all that water.

All of Premier Rail’s staff are employed by the company full-time.

They are multi skilled – they have to be, as they need both Network Rail and Highways Agency approvals due to the ‘crossover’ nature of their job. They are also trained in fencing, vegetation control and the other skills needed around a level crossing installation.

So, faced with this problem, the team had the skill set to come up with a solution. There was no easy

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

LEVEL CROSSINGS

The interim solution at the end of the first weekend.

way to drain off the water, so the ballast was excavated deeper to give a firm base. A bed of concrete was poured with its top surface proud of the water level. Despite being underwater, the concrete would set – given time.

Meanwhile, a lorry was despatched back to Doncaster to go and raid the RRAP hire stock. It returned three hours later with a load of rubber Strail cess panels.

A temporary arrangement was put together for the six-foot whereby the fresh concrete was protected by a sheet of Visqueen waterproof membrane. This was then covered with a type 1 aggregate infill, compacted in layers, and then the rubber panels were placed over that with a temporary infill of Instarmac Ultracrete cold lay asphalt behind the temporary Strail panels.

The rest of the crossing was replaced and made good, and then left for four weeks.

Ashwell crossing - part two When the team returned for a second weekend, and stripped the rubber panels and temporary asphalt out of the six-foot, the concrete was “rock solid”, to quote Premier Rail director David Claridge.

A fresh semi-dry mortar bed was laid and a total of twelve new cill beams were bedded into position.

Once they were in place, the void between them was filled with concrete and topped up with 6070mm of new Instarmac Ultracrete coldlay tarmac. This was a temporary measure until the carriageway was planed and resurfaced along with white lining.

By now, all of the other work had been completed. The crossing was now a Polysafe crossing system throughout. New wooden anti-ingress panels had also been installed to stop pedestrians and animals from accessing the running lines from the crossing.

Although an extra shift had to be worked because of the water-in-thecess problem, it had all been carried out within the allotted possession time so no trains or passengers were delayed by the extra work.

David Claridge explained: “At Ashwell, our difficulties were caused by the fact that the ground conditions had changed. Fortunately, because we have such a large hire stock of panels and accessories, we could come up with a temporary fix on the night, which got both the road and the railway back in service, and then we came back with a permanent solution a few weeks later.

“Other installations have other problems, such as a recent one at Moat Hills. There, we had to change all of the panels.”

Various track combinations The job which David referred to was one which Premier Rail had worked on with Carillion, just north of Doncaster station. The existing crossing was lifted to allow for track remodelling but then, with the track combinations changing, the existing level crossing would no longer suit and the original panels wouldn’t fit any more.

The solution was for Carillion to renew one track, with the crossing reinstated using a temporary crossing made up from Premier Rail’s hire stock of various panels. On a second occasion the other track was reworked, with another temporary crossing going down.

Once everything was complete, a survey was made and an order placed for a new set of permanent panels which would replace the temporary arrangement.

“Our large stock of panels for temporary crossings and RRAPs gives us a great advantage,” David explained. “We stock panels from all three major manufacturers, so we can usually come up with a suitable solution should the need arise. And we are used to making temporary installations, so they are always perfectly safe and properly put together. Then we can take it all back up again and put in the permanent crossing when it is ready.”

So it seems that, even though level crossings are all modular these days, the railway still needs a specialist installer with the flexibility to get the job done.

The crossing before work commenced. Note the mis-matched panels.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

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TRAC Rail – Electrification Telephone: 01698 831111

E-mail: stuart.kelly@trac.com

Website: www.tracengineering.com

25KV AC isolation and possession planning

OLE construction and maintenance

OLE engineering and project management

TRAC Rail has the capability to undertake 25kV AC isolations on Network Rail infrastructure. All works are undertaken in accordance with NR/L3/ELP/29987 – ‘Working on or about 25kV AC electrified lines’. It also has the capability to fully plan any OLE isolation requirements, liaising with Network Rail and a client’s own project team. A unique benefit to clients is reduced costs through utilising TRAC personnel to undertake additional duties - such as POS, ES, COSS, MC - once isolations are affected, where practical to the client.

The company has a skilled and efficient workforce who are OLEC trained and competent to carry out all types of work on both new and existing OLE systems. All of TRAC’s overhead line staff are competent in the assembly and installation of various types of configurations of overhead line systems. It also has staff available to fully undertake all HV installations associated with 25kV AC systems used on Network Rail infrastructure.

TRAC Rail has the capability to offer and support clients in OLE engineering and project management services in full compliance with Network Rail and light rail system standards and under CDM regulations. The company can fully advise on project, feasibility and constructability scopes. It is able to fully manage the design process through to being approved for construction and, indeed, prepare as built documentation. Through design partners, it can undertake design requirements to fully meet all client aspirations.

For further information, or to discuss your specific requirements, contact: Stuart Kelly, TRAC Rail, Dovecote Road, Eurocentral, North Lanarkshire, ML1 4GP.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

it’s Rail - and it’s Live!

R

ail Live is the UK’s largest outdoor railway industry show. Held at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre, which is at Long Marston just south of Stratford-upon-Avon, the 2016 show will take place on 22/23 June.

There are several advantages to holding a railway equipment exhibition outdoors. Space is not so critical, so large items of kit can be accommodated. Use can be made of the site’s permanent railway installation and main line connection, so on-track machines can be brought in and road-rail plant can be put through its paces.

And then as well, visitors can see the machinery actually working. Holes can be dug, piles can be driven, vacuum excavators can vacuum, rails can be cut and welded back together again (hopefully not the one’s in the site’s track though!), cranes can lift and aerial

NIGEL WORDSWORTH

survey vehicles can fly. Last year, Bridgeway even had a diver in a container full of water, showing how underwater surveys are carried out.

All in all, exhibitors can do things that they wouldn’t dream of doing indoors. As always, there are compromises. Safety is crucial, so everyone wears high-viz tops and stout boots, and visitors are held back from some of the demonstrations for their own good. But Rail Live 2016 gives everyone a chance to see the capabilities of machinery that often only comes out at night and is rarely seen in public.

Big kit So what can visitors to Rail Live 2016 expect to see? Superficially, rows of marquees, flags, and bright-yellow plant. But what about the detail?

On the main tracks, Robel will be showing off one of its new Mobile Maintenance Trains. One of seven that are now in the country, out of a total order of eight, these three-vehicle trains are used to repair track around the country. With extendable sides to protect workers, built in lights and ventilation, power for tools, hoists and even a stock of spare rail, these self-powered trains can move quickly from site to site.

Alongside, Robel will also be displaying an upgraded model 62.05 hand-operated tamper and the new 62.06 lightweight four-stroke which weighs less than 20kg and lower HAV (hand-arm vibration).

Rail Engineer • June 2016

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Robel's Mobile Maintenance Train.

Balfour Beatty will have its concrete batching unit (CBU) on show that is used for high-output installation of concrete bases. Staff will explain to visitors how the CBU dispenses concrete by volume not weight using a simple system with a door above a conveyor to regulate the amount of sand and aggregate - the higher the door, the greater the volume.

To increase productivity further, Balfour Beatty has developed a second General Purpose TRAMM fitted with an increased capacity crane and 60’ centre wagon to carry masts and other large steelwork sections. Working with the CBU, the new TRAMM has set 20 masts in one night and it will also be on display during Rail Live 2016.

A number of Balfour Beatty’s RRVs will be at the show. However, the main attraction will be the new Takeuchi TB250 - a 5 tonne miniexcavator recently converted for road-rail use by Rosenqvist Rail.

Network Rail’s brand-new Kirow 1200 crane, so new it’s not even in commission yet, will make an appearance. Purchased to swell the national pool of these machines to four, it will mainly be used to lift S&C panels and bridge components during renewals work. The first such crane to be owned directly by Network Rail, it will be coming to Long Marston from its current base at Scunthorpe.

Conference and networking

Plant manufacturers

There will be more to Rail Live 2016 than the exhibits. Rail Engineer is organising a conference with directors from Network Rail, TfL and HS2 who will be both speaking about their current projects and also taking questions from the floor.

There will be many networking opportunities as exhibitors meet with each other as well as show visitors. Then there is always the unexpected encounter as old colleagues bump into each other in unlikely places.

But it is the stands, and the multitude of suppliers of all types of equipment and services, that the bulk of the 6,000 visitors will come to see. There isn’t space to fully preview all of them, so here is a selection.

The most noticeable exhibits, because they will be the largest, will be the roadrail machines. Mostly yellow (with a few exceptions), some will be parked up so that they can be inspected closely, others will be showing their paces.

GOS Tool and Engineering Services manufactures specialist road-rail conversions and modified and upgraded plant. At Rail Live 2016, GOS will be displaying two of its range of Doosan DX270s. The standard DX270 will be fitted with a 5.5 metre dipper and the DX270 HS will be fitted with a Movac piling unit. All the new Doosan’s have Tier 4 (final) approved engines and will be displayed alongside a range of smaller attachments.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Predator Equipment’s multi-purpose rail trailers and ballast boxes break new ground with patented technology. Fully approved by Network Rail, their designs are being continually improved in search for even better quality, safety and price.

SRS International will be launching the second of its Icon MEWP RRV range (mobile elevated work platform range of road rail vehicles), the Icon 10. In addition, senior managers and engineers from SRS’s partner, CRRC Sifang, will be on hand during the first day to carry out a formal handover.

Geismar, a well-established supplier of railway plant and equipment will be at Rail Live 2016 with a variety of equipment to interest all visitors.

Chieftain is a leading rail trailer manufacturer whose customer focus, commercial know-how, and manufacturing efficiency have propelled it to the forefront of the professional rail equipment market. Its proven track record is underscored by the company’s supply of countless rail trailers, road-rail trailers and rail conversions to customers worldwide.

Allan J Hargreaves is the largest provider of upgrades and modifications to the road-rail industry. Some of its latest developments will be at Rail Live, and customers will be welcome to come see for themselves, and learn of the company’s latest news, developments and ideas for supporting the UK Rail industry.

TXM Plant.

McCulloch Rail offers a unique service for developing and operating rail and component handling equipment. All of its equipment has been designed for the railway, as opposed to being adapted from conventional plant, and therefore has built-in advantages which overcome some of the most common issues.

Everything is certified to work under live OLE and eliminates most manual handling requirements, enhancing safety aspects across the board.

From moving and positioning rail of any length with a TRT, sleeper spacing and alignment with the FLASS, full 60-foot panel lifting and moving with the Panel Lifter to rail transportation and/ or scrap recovery using the Unimog Rail recovery system, McCulloch’s equipment has it covered.

SRS International.

Machinery hire Much of the plant used on railway projects is hired in from specialist suppliers, many of whom will be at Rail Live 2016.

Keltbray Aspire will be bringing a number of large lorries which are used on electrification projects. Built onto SRS Sjölanders road-rail conversions of Volvo trucks, these are used to hang overhead wires for both new-build and renewals projects.

Readypower will be exhibiting a Manitou ART17H MEWP with 400kg basket, pantograph and trailer. The pantograph records heights and stagger of the overhead line whilst on the move.

Also on display will be the first of several Doosan 270 Ultimate RRVs ordered for piling, craneage and general maintenance works.

TXM Plant plans to showcase several of its brand new road-rail machines including a Colmar T10000 and Caterpillar 250, along with some innovatively designed attachments from Movax - a side-grip hammer and a 10 metre depth soil drill. TXM’s Monster Cranes and Neotec Skyrailers will also be featured, and there will be live demonstrations of the Maximo Asset Management system and state-of-theart Control Room Function. TXM will also be providing a couple of telehandlers for the Rail Live organisers to use while setting up the show site.

Visitors won’t want to miss the QTS stand. Its innovative approaches to plant development have allowed QTS to build one of the UK’s most impressive rail plant fleets, which will be on display over both days.

TRAC Engineering and TRAC Training Ltd are dedicated to supplying a fleet of specialised rail plant, rope access associated labour and can provide all relevant training. TRAC holds a POS (On-Track Plant Operations Scheme) licence, in addition to its link up accreditation, and offers a range of vegetation management, maintenance and enhancement services, including specialised projects.

In a live OLE demonstration on Wednesday 22 June, TRAC will be renewing contact and catenary conductors using its new wiring unit and support MEWPs, which renew contact wires at full tension.

The team at Aquarius Rail will be continuing its mission to make railway maintenance tasks simpler and safer, from road to rail to site. On

display will be the innovative highway-based Road2Rail vehicles and trailers, the ultralight trailers that are now compatible with Network Rail’s Canter RRVs, the Aspin and Aquarius ground investigation vehicle, and a surveying solution in collaboration with Severn Partnership.

Plantforce Rentals is the leading regional supplier of plant hire machinery tailored to the construction, rail and energy industries. Based in Somerset, it has depots in Bristol, Bridgwater and Exeter and covers an extensive area from South Wales and across the Southwest, Southeast, Midlands and UK for attachments.

Over the years, Plantforce has identified niche markets and innovations in plant hire and as a result has one of the most diverse excavator fleets in the country. A recent addition to the fleet is the dedicated attachment division which can provide anything from a breaker to suit a three-tonne excavator up to a multi-processor to suit a demo-spec 45-tonne excavator.

Quattro Plant, after a successful show last year, has decided to give visitors to Rail Live 2016 a bit of a treat. Quattro is a proud sponsor of the Quattro Plant Kawasaki British Superbike, TT International Road Racing and Sidecar racing team. This year, the company’s display will include the amazing Quattro Plant Kawasaki bike of TT International Road Racer James Hillier, along with two of his ‘grid girls’, so stop by the Quattro stand and bring your camera!

Road Rail Cranes will be bringing a selection of new plant including AC55 and AC40 Cranes, a new Faymonville five-axle semi low-loader trailer and a new Cormach lorry crane. There will be a range of ancillaries including a new Chieftain trailer and a new Matt carrying trailer. The display will also include the latest Man-Riding Cage, which should give a great view of Rail Live from on high.

Accessories Even the most sophisticated piece of rail plant will not operate at peak efficiency without the correct attachments, many of which are made specially for particular jobs.

Sandhurst, the excavator attachment specialist, expects the radically new design of its high-capacity Thomson steel section manipulator to attract great interest amongst contractors. The revolutionary new SM15-01

Rail Engineer • June 2016 manipulator, featuring powered rotation in all directions, has been proven during testing to improve productivity. The manipulator features a ±30º roto-tilt head with worm drive rotator, enabling steelwork to be safely handled and accurately positioned.

EP Industries will be exhibiting Daedong pile drivers and vibro-rippers, which have proven to be very successful in the rail infrastructure renewal programmes. The pile drivers are being used to install H beams, sheet piles and round tube piles up to 1100mm in diameter.

Prolec specialises in control and safety products for the rail industry. Its PME platform, around which its products are built, leverages information for multiple uses on one device from simple height and slew to extremely complex control schemes required for ALO and OLE works. In addition, Prolec can use the PME platform to run guidance systems allowing operators to be more productive with their excavators. Variants are available for road-rail excavators working in highly regulated environments of on track maintenance as well as for working trackside or in general civil works.

Cembre.

Rail Safety Solutions Limited will be demonstrating its latest safety solution. The Collision Avoidance System (CAS) has multiple features and keeps the operator’s attention when approaching other vehicles, whilst providing warning as vehicles approach worksite limits. The latest vehiclemounted unit is equipped with a high-resolution daylight display and generates an audible and visual alert when thresholds have been violated, both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-workers, which is especially useful in curves, tunnels and adverse environments.

Smaller plant While the big excavators catch the eye, Rail Live 2016 will provide a showcase for many suppliers of smaller equipment, powered hand tools and the like. Both for sale and for hire, this sector is a hotbed of innovation as manufacturers strive to make their products lighter, stronger, more efficient, and even cheaper!

Klingspor’s comprehensive new range of diamond tools makes it easy to work faster and with greater precision and endurance. All are made from carefully tested premium-grade materials, offer a wide range of possible applications and meet the highest safety standards. Users can choose from three product lines - the Extra range for users who expect their tools to meet professional standards but do not need to use them continuously, the Supra range for those who require diamond tools that deliver a reliable and powerful performance every day, and the Special range for the most punishing applications.

Arbil Rail, the only UK approved service and calibration centre for all Dillon products, will be bringing Quick-Check to Rail Live 2016. This meter quickly measures tension in overhead catenary, cable guardrails and guide wires.

Quick-Check by name and by function, it can be placed on a cable, measure its tension and be removed in under 5 seconds!

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Speedy Rail has a comprehensive range of rail equipment from rail cutters and sleepers to rail skates, lighting, saws, scooters, gauges and OLE, maintained to the highest level ensuring the ultimate in trackside safety.

Its recent acquisition of Rail Hire (UK) Limited, specialists in over- head line equipment, has further strengthened Speedy’s specialist rail team which operates from nine locations, supporting customers projects across the UK. At Rail Live 2016, Speedy will be demonstrating the new Clip Driver CD400SP - a walk-behind, high-performance diesel engined machine for installing and removing rail fastenings. It is equipped with inductive sensors that trigger the clipping operation when it reaches the next sleeper, making the machine quick and reliable.

Worlifts, the one stop shop for the supply of small plant, tools, lifting and jacking equipment specifically for the rail industry, will be displaying and demonstrating a number of new and innovative products. These will include the Norbar Evotorque 2, the latest and most advanced electronic torque wrench available within the UK market. It utilises a unique intelligent jointsensing technology to accurately apply the correct torque to fish plate bolts, overhead line steelwork, rolling stock bogie joints and any other threaded fastener. Fitted with a USB port and Bluetooth 4.0, data from each jointing operation can be transferred to a PC using EvoLog software which is provided with the tool.

Husqvarna Construction will be exhibiting a range of equipment including the K1260, the most powerful rail saw on the market. In addition, the Husqvarna Battery series of tools for forest and garden will be displayed. These machines, including brush cutters, hedge trimmers, pole saws, chainsaws and leaf blowers, are as powerful as their petrol-fuelled equivalents but have all the benefits of battery engines. Live demonstrations on the stand will include using the combination of a K 970 disc cutter and K 970 ring saw for cutting concrete bearers, as well as the DXR 140 demolition robot.

Maxim Power Tools is well-known for supplying high quality, reliable, low maintenance Master 35 petrol impact wrenches and accessories which will be on display, along with a new tool carrier. Other products on display will include a Rusty Clip Remover mounted on the Master Tool Carrier for removing E and P Clips in tunnels, the Maxim Lase Align Kit for checking switch tip and crossing nose alignment, the correct positioning of rail holes, rail dip measurement and now track slewing, an electric needle gun and a magnetic drill used on overhead gantries.

Bance plans to exhibit a selection of infrastructure measurement equipment, portable plant, and a range of lightweight motorised track trolleys including its electric battery-powered Motorised ‘Push’ Trolley.

Cembre’s new generation Pandrol clip machines have a completely re-engineered petrol-powered pump unit which features automatic acceleration to increase power output only when required, thereby reducing Husqvarna Construction.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

HAV, noise and fuel consumption. Improved power units also feature in the latest 36V version of the Cembre rail drill, the lightest in the world. Advances in the capability of both electric motors and battery technology give the new LD16B unit, when used with the latest Cembre designed broach cutters and its renowned lubrication system, a commanding low noise, zero-emissions performance which is effectively available ‘anywhere, anyhow, anytime’.

Vp village Six companies from the Vp plc stable will be sharing a stand. Torrent Trackside, Hire Station, ESS Safeforce, UK Forks, TPA Portable Roadways and GroundForce will be pooling their resources to show visitors to Rail 2016 what they can do and how their abilities and offerings complement each other.

Amongst the varied items on show will be HIREpod, a new PONTOON system, trenching and shoring equipment, lightweight GRP scaffold, the latest communications equipment, roto-telehandlers, spider cranes, foam RRAPs, portable plant and measuring and surveying equipment.

There will also be a Caribbean-style buffet and networking area. At Rail Live 2016, Vp aims to showcase that it is a unique business that can offer the rail market a specialist service that is both reliable and delivers quality. This diversity is reflected in the equipment that has also been supplied to the Rail Live show organisers, from portable roadways to the gates at the show entrance, radio communications and CCTV.

French foray MECATEAMCLUSTER is a group of 100 French companies whose expertise, products and knowledge are dedicated to the renewal and construction of railways, including tunnel works. Recognised by the French government as the national private centre of excellence for the design and the manufacture

Vp plc. of tailor-made machines for track and catenary maintenance/construction works, MECATEAMCLUSTER now intends to find partnerships abroad to share innovation and best practice in the rail industry.

Seven MECATEAMCLUSTER member companies will exhibit at Rail Live 2016, and they very much see the event as an opportunity to network and to collaborate with UK-based companies in both the UK and French markets.

Companies attending Rail Live this year and looking for partners include: »» Actia Telecom - New wireless railway warning systems for various types of fixed or mobile work sites; »» Ateliers de Joigny - part of VTG Group, specialists in wagon design, maintenance, manufacture and conversion; »» Lumila - LED lighting products for industrial use in extreme work conditions; »» Novium - machines for railway track renewal and construction; »» Patry - crane track, track equipment, wheels, lorries; »» EVL - specialist vegetation and environmental management services for the rail industry; »» France Elevateur - manufacture and assembly of aerial platform work.

Rosehill Rail.

As a result of contacts made at Rail Live, MECATEAMCLUSTER will be looking to invite some British companies to MECATEAMEETINGS 2017, a BtoB meetings’ day offering 500 meetings within eight hours with all French decision makers.

Bridges and crossings Mabey will be showcasing one of its range of modular bridging systems at this year's Rail Live. These bridges can be hired or purchased, with three-metre incremental spans, up to 60 metres long. Mabey conducts full temporary and permanent works designs of its modular bridges and undertakes both project management and installation.

In addition, Mabey will be demonstrating its EnviroGuard complete environmental monitoring system which features a modular range of instruments and detectors that work together to provide unprecedented monitoring capabilities.

Also on display will be the lightweight aluminium ‘Hogs Back’ trench shield, designed specifically for the safe installation of track drainage and UTX equipment, and the TuffTrak ground access panel systems manufactured from 100 per cent recycled polyethylene.

STRAIL (UK) Ltd will be displaying tapSTRAIL05 installed in the track. Approved for RRAPS, accommodation and farm crossings, it has a Sleeper Spacing Independent system, saving installation time and cost. TapSTRAIL05 is easily adapted to fit different flat bottom rail/sleeper types by adjusting timber or rubber packing, so there is no need to renew the panels if the sleepers and rail are changed. All panels have tongue and groove interlocking and a ‘lock tight’ tie rod system, eliminating panel gaps and preventing vertical panel movement.

Rosehill Rail, a leading level crossing systems provider, will be demonstrating its range of modular rail crossing solutions on the track area in Zone F. Visitors will be able to see how quickly and easily Rosehill Rail crossing systems can be installed and removed for maintenance.

Approved by rail authorities across the world, a 10.8 metre road rail access point (RRAP) can

Rail Engineer • June 2016

73

be installed in less than 90 minutes, minimising disruption and significantly reducing costs compared to traditional concrete and other modular systems.

SPX Rail Systems will be showing a selection of equipment including a MK3 BR843 level crossing barrier with protective guard, a BR843 level crossing barrier power pack manual handing device, a rail-mounted trolley, a MK3 IBCL with electro-drive, a MK3 SPX Clamplock, service exchange power packs, rail stressing equipment and bolting systems.

SRK Scaffolding is one of the largest scaffolding companies in the South West of England and operates on a national basis with major accounts such as Hochtief, Amco, Balfour Beatty Rail and Murphy Rail. The company is accredited with membership of The National Association of Scaffolding Contractors, Achilles, Link Up and Construction Line.

Railcare.

Track The A Proctor Group will be showing, through images obtained from a thermal imaging camera, the effect of heating through a rail and the thermal performance of its Tracktherm system in retaining the heat in the rail. This system has been proven to reduce energy consumption at the points by 25-30%.There will also be a display of rails painted with Solacoat heat reflecting paint, a two-part system which effectively reduces the temperature of the rail by 5ºC. Thermit Welding (GB) will be mounting several demonstrations including aluminothermic rail and head repair welding along with the TW welding app. Other displays will include the enhanced cooling of welds, the new GP4000D rail weld grinder which has just been approved for use on London Underground, Bonded Ballast, sleeper anchors and items from our rail measurement range. Staff will be on hand to discuss all of these and any other aspects of Thermit’s product and services ranges.

The Pandrol Group will be represented at Rail Live 2016 by four operating companies: Pandrol UK, Railtech UK, Rosenqvist, and Vortok International.

Pandrol is displaying four different track panels, two for ballasted track and two representing concrete slab track, with a range of appropriate fastenings which have been tested for both high speed and mainline operations, with an emphasis towards HS2 conditions and performance requirements. Other members of the Group are displaying clipping machines, welding equipment, site protection barriers, and stressing rollers, together with a range of ancillary equipment and hand tools.

Force One.

DWG has been running training sessions as part of Network Rails S&C reliability briefings since January, and the program is due to finish in June.

So far, DWG has presented and demonstrated Spikefast to about 1,000 Network Rail S&T and P-Way staff. Spikefast is now fully approved for all UK rail infrastructure and DWG is now working with Network Rail to introduce it at their training schools around the country as part of their S&C reliability briefings. Fastpatch is also approved for rail and transport infrastructure, and major breakthroughs have been made on street running remedial works for Nottingham Tram Phase 2 and repairs on slab track for both Network Rail and London Underground.

Suck and blow Railcare will shortly have six RailVacs in the UK. The RailVac is an air/ vacuum extractor and Railcare will be doing several demonstrations at Rail Live. Services that the RailVacs can provide include wetbed removal, re-ballasting of S&C, plain line and level crossings, drainage refurbishment, lineside cable management and UTX excavation - all with the track insitu and without any disconnections.

Factair specialises in ventilation and air movement. Its products are often seen at the tunnel portals during engineering works, ensuring there is a flow of air through the work site. At Rail Live 2016, Factair will have its large and small rapid-deployment diesel driven fan units running on its stand, to demonstrate the effect of air movement, and two electric fan units just for show to make people aware of the size of the equipment. The company will also be showing 3M air-fed helmets and an array of environmental monitoring instruments that would be used during a tunnel ventilation project.

Force One will have one of its 32-tonne suction excavators as its main exhibit and will demonstrate this by removing rail ballast from between and under rail sleepers. Rotating ballast removal attachments, that can be fitted to the intake arm of this machine, will also be on show and demonstrated.

In addition, Force One will have extensive images and footage of projects that it has carried out within the rail sector and its team will be at hand to explain the company’s services in detail.

Industry support ISS Labour will be supporting Rail Live once again this year. Before the show, ISS Labour staff will be providing manpower, traffic management and control and logistical advice during the set up and will also be on hand during the show to help exhibitors and visitors with any queries or problems that may arise. They will be very noticeable in their bespoke Hi Vis vests and will be more than willing to assist. ISS Labour will also have its eye-catching inflatable marquee close to the show’s entrance which will be manned throughout by senior management. ISS Labour’s range of services has expanded considerably since last year’s show so they will be keen to explain in more detail what these are. Why not have a chat with them over a coffee and a sandwich?

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Spectrum Freight.

Ever wondered what Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) measurements look like in a real-life environment? At Rail Live 2016, York EMC Services will be replicating some of the tests which are performed during an EMC site survey. Visitors will be able to meet and chat with Steve Seller, a seasoned on-site test engineer, to find out what equipment is used, view live EMC emissions measurements and find out what the results actually mean.

Rail Media, as media partner and co-organiser of Rail Live, will have an eye-catching stand where visitors will be able to discuss the full range of offerings, from printed magazines to iPad editions, websites, rail summits and the RailStaff Awards. Have you got your nominations in yet?

Rail Media.

iSEEU Global will be showing a range of mobile solutions for the workforce. These give companies the ability to create mobile forms, backed by an intelligent workflow which can send the data in real time to collate reports, send alerts, order parts or update current software. The company’s award-winning platform can deliver incident reporting, lone working, fatigue management, mobile inspections, audits and compliance, asset management, time sheets, near miss reporting and mobile reports on the move.

To move plant, equipment and supplies, Spectrum Freight has over 25 years experience in providing crane lorries, site specific surveys, lift plans, contract lifts and haulage nationwide.

The company operates a fleet of Hiab lorries from three locations and all drivers are PTS and are RISQS approved. To get to those awkward places, one of the vehicles on display is fitted with a crane which has a 33 metre reach.

Impreglon UK will be showing its anti-graffiti coating and carrying out demonstrations to show its effectiveness. On the same stand, sister-company Optical Coating Technologies will be showing its abrasion resistant coatings for polycarbonate and will have a demonstrator unit on display.

Rail Alliance will not only be organising Rail Live 2016 but will also be hosting a marquee of Rail Alliance members. Over 40 of them will be showing off their products and services, in both the fields of rolling stock and railway infrastructure, using a variety of table-top and small display stands. Of course, many more Rail Alliance members will be found out in the main show areas.

Claytex is an engineering consultancy that specialises in systems engineering, modelling/ simulation and automation. At Rail Live, Claytex will introduce solutions for model-based systems engineering which have been proven in the other core industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy and motorsport. These technologies can potentially deliver savings in development time, testing overhead and improve quality. The exhibit will focus on three aspects for rail: requirements traceability throughout the development process using REQTIFY, modelling the physics of how the systems behave and interact using DYMOLA, and the development and generation of safety critical control software using CONTROLBUILD. All these tools can be used together to provide a single authoritative model of the system, tracing information through the various tools and stages of development, providing full accountability, easy impact assessment and automated certification/reporting.

Hima-Sella is a proven supplier of safety critical and control solutions to the rail industry. Using its in-house developed suite of TRACKLINK products, and specialist technologies from key product partners, Hima-Sella is able to offer innovative cost effective solutions for traction power SCADA, telecommunications, level crossings and rolling stock components.

Link2, in association with Cisco, will be providing a free Wi-Fi service covering the show grounds.

There will also be a small display of the company’s capabilities in the Rail Alliance marquee.

Shannon Rail will be providing invaluable assistance to the Rail Live 2016 organisers, and will also be sponsoring a dinner to be held at

Stratford racecourse on the Wednesday night, when various awards will be presented for both company performance and for displays at the show.

McGinley Support Services is a specialist infrastructure recruitment business with nearly 40 years’ experience. Exhibiting at Rail Live for the third year in a row, the exhibition team will consist of safety experts to discuss any health and safety issues and also delivery and operational staff that can assist visitors with any labour or staffing needs. McGinley’s training manager will also be on hand to discuss up-skilling and re-training the workforce.

Added value and support services is this year’s message from McGinley.

ZEP UK, formerly Forward Chemicals, is a manufacturer and supplier of cleaning and maintenance chemicals with a long history of supplying the rail industry and which is a major supplier to Network Rail and many of the ATOC companies. Zep is Link-up and Achilles approved and has some innovative products to offer.

These include Bioxycan biological parts washer which is a safer replacement for solvent parts washers, Natura Box eco-friendly absorbent solution, spill kits, rail lubricants, excellent hand washing products and systems, train cleaning and graffiti removal products, degreasers for track and maintenance issues, electrical degreasers and water displacement, floor paints, winter products and many more.

I M Kelly Rail designs and manufactures driver and passenger seats for the rail industry as well as other components and will be exhibiting just I M Kelly Rail.

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Geotechnical Engineering. a few examples of products such as driver seats and cab sun-blinds. I M Kelly Rail also offers a seating overhaul and repair service which is second to none in the industry.

Jobson James Rail provides specialist contractual and insurance solutions for railway companies of all types. It now has more rail clients than any broker in the country so clients are in safe hands. The company’s risk analysis-based approach usually produces lower premiums for railway companies due to Jobson James’ specialist railway knowledge.

UK Construction Plant Training (UK-CPT), will be showing alongside and in conjunction with Road Rail Cranes and will be available to answer questions relating to training needs, lifting operations, excavations, any other plant and machinery training.

Earthworks and the environment Geotechnical Engineering is planning to demonstrate its unique, in-house designed, P60 slope-climbing drilling rig on a railway embankment at Rail Live, in line-of-site from the company’s display stand. Two more rigs will be on display, giving show visitors a chance to get close to these specialist and rarely seen pieces of kit.

Bridgeway is looking forward to showcasing some of the services it offers as part of its diverse portfolio. An IBEX drilling rig will be on display, capable of drilling on previously inaccessible slopes of up to 55 degrees.

Live demonstrations will include roped access abseiling, underwater diving inspecting, geomatics laser scanning and BIM modelling. There will also be members of each Bridgeway department on hand to answer any questions visitors may have.

Pipe and Piling Supplies Ltd (PPS) manufactures steel foundation piles and Overhead structures for a wide variety of infrastructure contractors and subcontractors. PPS operates from centrally located sites in Fife, Scotland, and East Yorkshire in England, so customers can rely on deliveries timed to meet the requirements of their projects as well as for regular stock. PPS will be showcasing three new innovative solutions developed for the rail and construction industries, bringing benefits in health and safety as well as environmental and cost savings.

Van Elle Rail is bringing one of its 14 state-of-the-art Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs), a Colmar T10,000FS. These rigs are used to meet a range of foundation requirements with solutions tailored to each project’s unique combination of loads and soil conditions. These RRVs can be fitted with a number of different attachments depending on which technique is most suitable for a job. It is likely that the Telescopic Auger Drill attachment (TAD 30S) will be displayed at Rail Live.

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Smartbase®, Van Elle’s unique, precast, bespoke foundation solution, is also being promoted at Rail Live. Designed to significantly reduce programme and onsite costs whilst vastly improving safety, sustainability and quality, Smartbase has been developed to revolutionise the installation of signal, gantry and OLE bases across the UK’s rail network. It boasts numerous advantages including a sustainable design engineered to minimise the use of concrete and steel, it negates the need for wet material trackside and reduces cost and programme. The system can be deconstructed at the end of the design life and recycled.

Cubis is Europe’s leading manufacturer of access chamber and ducting systems, used in the construction of infrastructure networks. The main focus for Rail Live 2016 will be emphasising the health and safety benefits of their PADS approved products while considering how each system can work to overcome any limitations on-site and where site access and conditions limit productivity. Visitors will have the chance to discover the benefits of the expansive product range including Cubis’ UTX chamber system, MULTIduct™, and the newest innovation, the FLEXI Pit catch pit which features a unique sliding backfill barrier, easily adjusted on-site for adapting pipe invert levels.

Ground Control will be showcasing the Liebherr Big Feller. With up to 16 metres reach and a felling capacity of 800mm diameter, together with timber handling and flailing capacity, the machine is one of the most productive in the UK. In addition, Ground Control will be demonstrating Visitrack, its bespoke reporting application, and providing information on our injurious and invasive species management services and training.

Safety Schweizer Electronic manufactures track warning systems and level crossings, serving rail infrastructure companies across the world. This year, the company exhibits two products recently approved by Network Rail; VaMoS, an overlay miniature stop light designed for footpath and farm crossings, and Minimel Lynx, a mobile track warning system ideal for patrolling and short worksites in LOWS, SATWS or ATWS configurations.

Innovative Railway Safety will be demonstrating its magnetically attached safety barrier and the latest versions of magnetically attached TSR boards, points run-through signs and lookout kits. In addition, the barrier is also being used on the Thermit welding stand which is being demonstrated every 30 minutes throughout the show. Being magnetic, the barrier simply ‘sticks’ to the side of the rails, keeping installers a safe distance from any trains while being quick to install. This also means that the ballast doesn’t have to be disturbed, so no harmful ballast dust will be displaced or breathed in by the workforce.

Schweizer Electronic.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016 system with remote control function. CRTM 3000 - Simply attached to the track magnetically, the system is designed to measure rail track temperature and utilises remote monitoring systems to alert a nominated person when a critical temperature is reached. MTInfo 3000 is a web-based management information system which synchronizes data from the installed CRTM 3000 sensors and ZKL 3000 RC through a web interface, allowing instant and real-time monitoring via PDA, smartphone, tablet or computer.

PPE

Zöllner UK. Zöllner UK will be showing its fail-safe Autoprowa® track warning systems, and there will also be a demonstration and presentation of the second-generation radio-based LOWS (Lookout Operated Warning System) and SATWS (Semi-Automatic Track Warning System). In addition, Zöllner will feature its Personal Warning System, permanently installed warning systems, signal-controlled warning systems SCWS, and infrastructure products such as temporary level crossings and speed check facilities.

The Track Safety Alliance (TSA) was formed in 2011 by a number of concerned stakeholders across the rail industry to help develop and share best practice, largely focused on improving the health, safety and wellbeing of track workers. Membership has gone from strength to strength, growing to around 30 companies across the rail industry including Network Rail, principal contractors, contractors, plant and machine providers, labour providers, trade unions and most importantly the ‘boots on ballast’ front line operatives.

Stobart Rail is proud of the safety, health and environment culture it has created. To improve its already-impressive health, safety and environmental record, this coming year Stobart Rail aims to reinforce and support this record by introducing a new safety vision. Visit Stobart Rail’s stand at Rail Live to learn more about this powerful campaign and meet the team who developed it.

Dual Inventive is passionate about the development of innovative technologies that not only help improve the reliability of the network, but also make the railway a safer and more efficient place to work. All of the products being displayed at Rail Live have been developed to deliver a range of efficiencies including cost-saving and reliability, as well as focussing on track-worker safety. ZKL 3000 RC is an approved, flexible line blockage

With all of the exhibition-goers at Rail Live dressed in high-viz PPE of one form or another, it is hardly surprising that a number of suppliers will be showing what they can offer.

Bodyguard will be focusing on protective clothing for women. Its range now include long and short-sleeved polo shirts, cargo trousers, Subzero soft-shell jackets and trousers, and storm coats and overtrousers. For men, Eco-Work garments are made from recycled materials, reducing their carbon footprint, while the Activwear range is designed to allow freedom of movement, aided by the Fishbone-style reflective tape that is used in its manufacture. Finally, the new Goretex Foulweather product range is designed for people who need to be active in the worst weather.

Ballyclare is now the official supplier to Network Rail of hi-viz waterproof, flame retardant and arc-protection clothing and is responsible for kitting out 13,000 wearers across 700 nationwide locations who work trackside on the country’s railways. The Rail Live display will present the new garments that Network Rail employees will be wearing later this year and visitors will be able to enter a competition for a prize by taking the rain-tower test in the new garments.

Selectequip, as well as showing its complete range of railway-related innovative products, this year will be launching the new VIZ360 dual-technology work wear - offering three levels of protection: reflectivity, fluorescence and phosphorescence. Without the need for batteries or charging, workers can ensure they will always be seen, even in zero light conditions.

Ballyclare.

Arco is the UK’s leading safety company, distributing quality products, training and giving expert advice. Founded in 1884 with a heritage spanning four generations, Arco offers a world-class range of over 170,000 quality-assured, branded and own-brand products, including personal protective equipment, clothing, footwear and gloves.

At Rail Live, Arco will be showcasing the rail industry’s first full range of specifically designed women’s hi-viz hazardwear garments. Arco has worked closely with women working within the industry to develop this brand new collection, which has been purposely designed to fit a woman’s body shape whilst delivering a high level of protection to keep them safe at work. Hi-viz clothing from Pulsarail will also be showcased.

Total Access (UK), now part of the Arco family, supplies harnesses and restraint equipment to prevent accidents and will be on hand to explain the benefits of its safety training and rescue services within the rail industry. The main areas of focus will be confined space supervision and rescue, rope access maintenance and CCTV examination services for underground asset inspections. Total Access is RISQS accredited and has a range of products to support their extensive offer. The company is also RISQS/ Sentinel-approved to put staff onto the Network Rail-managed infrastructure.

The Safeaid stand will be a platform to showcase the most innovative PPE and Workwear clothing brand in the rail industry - Signal Workwear. This high-quality range includes footwear, hi-viz clothing, workwear and eyewear. Every product within the range has been developed with the wearer in mind ensuring workers are not only protected but in maximum comfort all day long.

Having a brand that is specific to the rail industry provides that reassurance that products fully meet all the required industry standards.

There will be a number of new Safeaid products on display at Infrarail, including the latest technology in safety eyewear with anti mist, anti scratch properties on both sides of the lens, touch sensitive workwear gloves and the very latest in flame retardant garments. Safeaid will also be providing obligatory PPE to show visitors who have forgotten theirs!

Rail Engineer • June 2016

Peli UK.

Lighting Peli UK will display portable, rechargeable LED lighting on its stand at Rail Live 2016. The latest addition to the Trackside Area lighting range is the 9490 model, which offers rechargeable, silent running LED light with no trailing cables. It features a 10-LED head that extends above 1.8 metres to allow a wide area light. The mast can be rotated and the head angled to position the light where required. The unit has 3 pre-set light levels; high, medium and low or the user can select their preferred run time, up to 24 hours, with the intelligent control mode. Peli’s model 9480 is similar, but with a shorter mast. Both are self-contained systems, are easy and quick to set up, and use a rechargeable and interchangeable battery.

Ritelite (Systems) will be exhibiting its popular K9 LED work light along with the smaller K8 with vehicle mount charger, Quad Pod portable lighting tower for larger work sites, head torches and cobra rodding systems.

Cables and components FP McCann’s stand will display precast concrete platform and trackside products including cable protection troughs and platform copings. The dual platform coping is a one-piece unit comprising a standard Network Rail sized coper combined with a contrasting coloured tactile section. The single slab system is quick to install and overcomes the problems associated with the jointing of copings and tactile units thus significantly reducing trip hazards.

TroughLite is FP McCann’s new lightweight cable protection trough and lid which is up to 30 per cent lighter than standard concrete, reducing concerns associated with manual handling on site. Benefits include reduced carbon footprint with greater use of recycled aggregates and increased site productivity with the lighter units speeding up installation and reducing labour costs.

Anderton Concrete’s name is synonymous with quality in terms of product, high levels of customer service and deliverability. The addition of several innovative railway products further enhances the company’s reputation within the industry as a market leader. The new Easi-Lift lids for the concrete troughing range remove the issue of trapped fingers during installation and the Anderton Lifters help on-site installation teams move troughing units around on site with an increased level of safety. Anderlite, Ander-Clip and Ander-Fin will all be on display at this year’s show as well as a selection of retaining wall products.

Surveys and asset management City Surveys, the UK’s rail measurement specialists, will be demonstrating a beta version of its revolutionary, fully immersive, 3D site visualisation system - RailVR. Based upon new or existing laser scanning data, this novel system will allow engineers and project managers to interpret, interrogate and manage their sites from the safety of their own offices, anywhere in the world.

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Omnicom will be revealing a prototype of a new version of OmniSurveyor3D, currently being called OmniSurveyor6, which utilises linescan imagery and a laser point cloud for asset management purposes.

RAMP (Rail Asset Monitoring Platform) is a joint partnership with IRR, Cybula and the University of York. It is a cloud-based platform with applications within it that are able to support the loading and validation of the data from the measurement fleet, provide the capability to undertake run on run comparisons, map future deterioration in infrastructure condition and prepare compliance-based reporting, all using unique user-based dashboards. Two further products, still under development, may also make an appearance.

DATUM Monitoring Services Ltd is attending Rail Live 2016 to exhibit its track monitoring range, known as the MATE range. This includes the RailtempMATE, VoidMATE and TrackWATCHER series of monitoring devices. RailtempMATE was launched at Rail Live in 2014 and is now used across the network. VoidMATE is DATUM’s new innovative void detection system and TrackWATCHER is used to monitor post UTX construction. Rory O’Rourke (CEO) and his team will be demonstrating the whole range of this equipment to Rail Live visitors.

AECOM’s Rail Asset Management (RAM) business unit specialises in track asset management (which includes trackbed investigation), ground investigation, geomatics, rail surveying and geophysics. Demonstrations at Rail Live will include AECOM’s Rail Trackform Stiffness Tester (RTST), the only bespoke rail mounted equipment in the UK for testing trackbed stiffness, the Mast Operated Automatic Ballast Sampler, which recovers core samples from the trackbed to provide cross-sectional data on trackbed condition, window sampling rigs which provide a deeper investigation into the subgrade, and a variety of non-intrusive equipment including ground probing radars and dynamic impedance.

Fugro offers a safer, faster and more affordable way of delivering accurate, up-to-date rail infrastructure data and analysis. Its 3D virtual model of the railway corridor helps clients worldwide to design, build, upgrade and maintain rail infrastructure. At Rail Live, Fugro will showcase its unique, patented RILA Track and RILA 360 systems. The RILA system is mounted on scheduled service trains and surveys the rail tracks at line speed to acquire actual, accurate positional information and geo-referenced video of railway assets to sub-millimetre accuracy. RILA 360 system provides survey information pertaining to surrounding infrastructure and assets delivering ultra-high density LiDAR point cloud data and imagery, which can be combined with RILA Track data to achieve higher levels of accuracy than possible with conventional mobile laser scanning platforms.

In addition, Fugro will show the outcome of a unique application in Bentley OPTRAM’s software LADS: absolute track position directly related to relative track geometry. This unique ‘marriage’ of different survey worlds will offer railway engineers an even better understanding of their tracks.

AECOM.

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

Signal House Group.

Severn Partnership will be exhibiting its 3D mobile mapping solution, the Leica Pegasus:Two. Mobile mapping technology allows the collection of 3D geospatial data from a moving platform.

Severn will be demonstrating and discussing recent case studies on how it can provide mapping solutions for land, rail and water. With over 30 years experience in surveying, Severn Partnership understands what it takes to deliver high-quality projects professionally and on time.

Signalling and telecommunications The Signalling Innovation Group will be organising a ‘village’ for signalling companies, so visitors will be able to find the companies they want to see in close proximity to each other. This should simplify comparisons of their various offerings and also make group discussions on collaborative solutions easier.

ATL will be showcasing its approved and pending-approved stable of Class I and II products featuring Eco-rail ultra-low inrush, ultra-high efficiency, lightweight aluminiumwound transformers, distribution interface transformers, distribution feeder soft start systems, auxiliary circuit transformers, points heating transformers, FSP, ASP and PSP transformers as well as soft-start systems.

The Signal House Group will be showing off a selection of products and services from its three organisations. Collis Engineering will be demonstrating its highly successful hinged lightweight signal post, the newly approved lookout platform and the new hinging antenna mast to be utilised on the Four Lines Modernisation project on London Underground.

Signal House Ltd, will be demonstrating a small selection of its LED lineside signalling range, including the maintenance-free LED colour light

signal. Collis Civil Engineering will be showing a small display of its on-site services and capabilities.

HARTING will be showcasing connectivity and RFID solutions in the Rail Alliance tent at Rail Live 2016. Key products on show include the Han® range of heavy-duty connectors, including the Han-Eco® family of rugged lightweight devices, and Han HPR for optimal protection. Specialising in connectivity solutions for harsh environments, the products on show are all designed to withstand extreme railway conditions. HARTING will also be demonstrating future-proofing inter-car jumper cables, Ethernet switches for signalling applications, and RFID for asset management.

Kroy provides identification systems and signage products to the rail industry. The company supplies a wide range of printers producing temperature resistant and high performance labels, shrink tubing, selflaminating cable markers, heavy duty raised panel labels, and halogen free tie on tags.

Products are available on Network Rail’s ISTORE, all of which will be on show at Stand G8.

GAI-Tronics will be at Rail Live again this year, collaborating with ALC to show a GSM-R solar powered phone mounted onto a hinged post which allows maintenance teams to bring the solar panel and cameras down to safe working height during routine maintenance. The GSM-R phone itself will call into Telent’s MICA system, which will be within the marquee, showing how the phones can be remotely monitored and controlled. GAI-Tronics will also be showing IP phones connected via a BOP (box on a post) back to the control room using Cisco routers.

Telent will have its long-established MICA operations management system in a prototype configuration to demonstrate it working in a mode that assists control room staff in suicide prevention, linking CCTV and voice announcements to a GAI-Tronics ‘Samaritans’ phone. It will also be demonstrating integration and management of GSM and IP trackside phone calls and alarms.

Electrification and electrical systems P&B Weir Electrical will be promoting its extensive range of portable earthing equipment for OHL maintenance, including innovative Interlocked Traction Earth and DEP Short Earth.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, fully approved and electrically tested, the Portable Earthing range from P&B Weir Electrical represents the highest quality earthing equipment on the market.

Flexicon will be demonstrating its new onepiece fitting solution which offers ‘fit and forget’ assurance when it comes to cable protection performance and integrity. Flexicon Ultra™ features integrated sealing technology which provides superior Ingress Protection levels of IP68 (2Bar) and IP69 with both fine pitch and coarse pitch Flexicon conduits. The fitting has been tested for IP68 for up to 72 hours at a depth of one metre. With multiple teeth, positioned around 360°, these fittings offer up to 70kg tensile strength, higher than any other competitive fittings. The teeth design provide anti-vibration and shock protection whilst offering enhanced tamper protection.

PD Devices Ltd (PDD) designs and manufactures an extensive range of transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS) protectors, surge protective devices (SPDs) and electrical surge protection components and modules. PDD has a long history of providing surge protection devices and arrestors for the rail industry worldwide, both trackside protection reducing risk to life, electrical supply, communication and data networks - and onboard trains - protection providing increased reliability for power, communication, data and services.

PD Devices is unique in that it has its own MOV manufacturing capability and a test facility to verify all products are compliant with national and international surge protection standards.

ABB understands the importance and complexity of running railway network, and rail sector managers Nigel Babb and Mark Fletcher will be on hand at Rail Live to discuss the ABB low voltage product capabilities and solutions for the UK rail infrastructure.

P&B Weir Electrical.

R VISITO

REE

ION F T A R T IS

REG

2016

The largest UK outdoor rail show as endorsed by Network Rail

‘

22-23 JUNE 2016

The railway is always evolving and, as an organisation measured by performance, we need to embrace innovation and best practice in the rail sector.

LONG MARSTON

We are looking forward to Rail Live 2016, a well-established event that really does sset et out to address and meet industry challenges now and for the future.

infrastructure & civils | traction & rolling stock engineering | electrification | rail maintenance materials & product development/testing safety | digital | innovation | signalling

> Hundreds of suppliers in one location

> Live demonstrations and innovative working methods

Steve Featherstone

Track Programme Director, Network Rail

> Meet customers and suppliers face-to-face

business growth/development

> Latest in best practice solutions and equipment

To book as an exhibitor* or visitor, please visit

> Information and expertise on rail > High profile conference with keynote industry speakers

www.raillive.com With Support From ®

A Rail Alliance Event

@rail_live * Exhibitor booking deadline 20 May 2016

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

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Rail Engineer • June 2016

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82

Rail Engineer • June 2016

RECRUITMENT

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Birmingham base | £ Attractive package

‘An outstanding opportunity to lead a developing rolling stock engineering business’ Vossloh Kiepe UK is a subsidiary of the German based Vossloh Kiepe GmbH.

The key elements of the role are to: •

The business is a leader in railway rolling stock engineering, enhancement and systems integration and provides high quality turnkey project and consultancy services to maximise vehicle utilisation and performance. Current annual sales turnover is circa £20m.

• •

•

With excellent rail engineering, production and project management skills; Vossloh Kiepe UK operates from offices in Birmingham and from a range of project facilities to suit vehicle and fleet locations around the UK.

• •

Develop and manage the company’s strategic plan Promote revenue, profitability and growth as foundations for business success Provide expert leadership and guidance to the senior management team; managing, motivating and developing performance Lead top level business development, customer relations, financial performance and personnel development initiatives and strategies Take responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of up to 150 people at work Ensure proper governance and uphold the ethics of the business

Candidates should have strong management team / board level experience gained in railway engineering and project management businesses and ideally in rolling stock.

Preferred candidates are also likely to be proven in leading significant teams of people, strategic business leaders, experienced in project oriented activities and able to exert influence at all levels including customers, suppliers and key stakeholders.

Qualifications will ideally be at graduate level in an engineering discipline and possibly with Chartered status.

Along with an attractive salary the overall remuneration package will include a fully expensed company car, bonus arrangements and other benefits.

Please forward your application to sarah@rgsexecutive.co.uk or call Rod Shaw, Managing Director, RGS Executive with any particular queries on 0115 959 9687.

> Isolation Staff Required Due to our continued success and business growth, TES 2000 are recruiting!

TES are at the forefront of safety, developing best practice and setting the standards for safer working in the industry. Specialising in Isolations, Electrification, Possession Management, Technical, Track Services and Safety Critical Training, there is no better time to join our team.

Working predominantly in the Anglia, Greater London, LNW South and LNE South areas, we are looking for skilled, enthusiastic and motivated people to join our operational teams with the following grades;

• • • • • • • • •

Salary and Benefits Competitive rates of pay apply and excellent training and development opportunities will be available to successful candidates.

Applications To apply, please contact the HR team on: Tel: 01206 799111 Email: human.resources@tes2000.co.uk

Nominated Person Authorised Person Possession Support Staff Crane Controllers Qualified Trackman COSS/IWA Engineering Supervisor Linesman OLEC 3

Creating safe railway working environments

www.TES2000.co.uk

83

Rail Engineer • June 2016

RECRUITMENT

Rail Accident Investigation Branch Worth investigating The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is the UK’s independent railway accident investigation organisation. Our focus when we investigate is on preventing a similar occurrence rather than on apportioning blame. We are currently seeking to recruit some new investigators to strengthen our team.

Rail Accident Investigator 3 posts – in Derby or Farnborough Grade: DfT Pay Band 6A&N Salary: £72,944 - £80,238 As a Rail Accident Investigator, whenever there is a significant accident or incident on the UK’s railways, you may be among the first to respond. You will then carry out a detailed and professional investigation, report upon the factors that led to the accident and make recommendations or improvements in the safety of railways.

We have a particular need to recruit investigators with backgrounds in track design and/or maintenance; also railway operations and safety

management. However, we are open to candidates from all railway disciplines, or to those with investigation experience gained from another field. It would be preferable if you had a degree in a relevant discipline, but this is not essential if you can demonstrate to us the necessary depth and breadth of experience and knowledge.

To be eligible to act as a front-line investigator you must be prepared to undergo security and health checks.

Investigations can involve work in demanding conditions; so we require that you are physically fit.

We will provide comprehensive expert training in the skills and knowledge required.

For further information and details of how to apply for this role, please email dftrecruitment@dftssc.gsi.gov.uk Closing date: 24th June 2016.

The Department for Transport is an equal opportunities employer.

We value diversity and want our workforce to reflect the communities that we serve.

Let’s get to work.

The experts in technology & engineering recruitment.

For more information please contact Adam Razzell or Jack Gandy on

02392 458004

rail@arm.co.uk

Civil Design Engineer

Watford

CAD Technician

Watford

Signalling Design Engineer

UK Wide

Salary: Negotiable Job Type: Contract

Salary: Negotiable Job Type: Long term contract

Salary: £32,000 - £40,000 Job Type: Permanent

We are looking for a Civil Design Engineer to work in their busy design department. The role is a varied and challenging one with early responsibility on a variety of civil and rail infrastructure projects. My Client is part of a large Group which are Design and Build Contractors offering the opportunity to work on a variety of projects mainly centred around infrastructure and utilities.

My client is looking for a CAD Technician to join the team based out of Elstree. As part of the CAD Team you will provide CAD support within the infrastructure Design team, assisting the Senior CAD technician carrying out functions primarily related to the production of Civil and Electrical Drawings for use by the Design team, updating our client’s As-built records and other associated projects.

My client is currently seeking a Design Engineer to lead small Design teams through the production of Signalling Design to meet project Safety, Quality, Cost and Delivery requirements.

Design Verifier

Lead Commercial Manager

UK Wide

Salary: £500 - £550 per day Job Type: Contract My Client is currently seeking a Design Verifier to lead a Signalling Application Engineering team to deliver Application Engineering details to time, safely, profitably and to customer satisfaction. As the Design Verifier you will be responsible for the verification and validation of Design detailed drawings, ensuring tasks are carried out to time and cost in line with guidelines given, liaising with the Design Manager to set up programmes and objectives and Interfacing with client, testing, installation and other departments as necessary. In addition you will also provide guidance and training for the team as required, including assisting with their development.

London

Salary: Highly Competitive plus excellent benefits Job Type: Post Contract Lead Commercial Manager (Post Contract) London Highly Competitive Salary plus excellent benefits package.

Due to a recent project win my client is seeking a Lead Commercial Manager with a focus on post contract activities to join their highly successful rail transportation business. As the Lead Commercial Manager you will be working on a project valued close to £1bn with the objective to upgrade rail systems allowing for an increase in rolling stock and passenger numbers.

As the Design Engineer you will be responsible for ensuring that all Signalling Design is produced and issued in accordance with industry and Company defined principles and processes, ensuring all design works are produced by competent design staff providing mentorship to junior designers as necessary and liaising with Design Delivery Managers to agree design delivery programmes, Interfacing with clients, testing, installation and engineering departments as necessary. In addition you will be required to support the IRSE Licensing scheme.

Signalling Contractors Responsible Engineer (CRE)

Derby

Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 Job Type: Permanent My client is currently seeking a Signalling CRE to join their flagship Railway Signalling project, working out of their office in Derby. As CRE, you’ll play a key role in the delivery of a large scale Signalling project. You will have a wealth of experience in both Signalling Construction and Signalling Design, gained from multiple UK Projects.

FINANCE SOLUTIONS THAT KEEP YOUR PROJECTS MOVING

SECURITY OF ELECTRICITY OVER YOUR PROJECT’S LIFETIME UK Power Networks Services specialises in design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of electrical infrastructure, offering industry-leading asset management services, including funding. Our stewardship of your electrical network allows you to focus on your core business, rely on certainty of cost, ensure asset performance, and plan for the future. UK Power Networks Services - keeping your operations on track.

www.ukpowernetworksservices.co.uk