Engineer
by rail engineers for rail engineers
JUNE 2017 - ISSUE 152
Future
proofed! Settle-Carlisle reopens 13 months after a major landslip at Eden Brows.
HACKING THE RAILWAY
CLEVER CANTILEVER
ROLVENDEN REVOLUTION
Britain’s railways weren’t affected by the recent worldwide cyber attack, although Germany wasn’t so lucky.
Alstom’s new catenary design for electrification projects is lightweight, simple to erect, and CLever.
An interesting new level crossing design is first installed where the Kent and East Sussex Railway crosses the A28.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Level crossing update Paul Darlington looks at the latest ideas in level crossing panels, improving safety.
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Creating competence
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Contents News IMechE, Railtex, Waterloo, DLR.
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Future proofed! Stuart Marsh on the repair and reopening of the Settle-Carlisle line.
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LED lighting for level crossings Strail can now build LED lights into level crossing panels, improving safety.
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Level crossing insight David Bickell considers lessons learned from past level crossing accidents.
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Managing risk at level crossings 32 RSK Business Solutions has developed risk tools that will make crossings safer. Rolvenden revolution 38 Chris Parker reviews a new crossing design on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. Obstacle detection for level crossings 40 Radar, LiDAR and fresh ideas from Italy as IDS Ingeneria dei Sistemi tackles OD.
36 Hacking the railway
The UK's railways escaped the recent global hack, Deutsche Bahn didn't.
Digital deliberations Clive Kessell attended the recent Rail Digital Summit.
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Alstom: The CLever innovator
A tale of success 50 Peter Stanton reports on three Carillion electrification projects that are going to plan. Electrification – an alternative approach James Goulding reveals Siemens’ latest advances in the UK and Denmark.
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SafeBond for safer track isolation Hawker Siddeley Switchgear’s latest DC circuit breakers and switchgear.
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Hima’s COTS controllers 64 The German manufacturer concentrates on commercial-off-the-shelf solutions. World MetroRail congress 2017 Malcolm Dobell joined the world’s metro operators and suppliers.
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See more at www.railengineer.uk
Cover photo: Flying Scotsman crossing the Eden Brows repair. ©Peter Ainesworth
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Rail Engineer • June 2017 Editor
On the level
David Shirres david.shirres@railengineer.uk
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Engineering writers bob.wright@railengineer.uk chris.parker@railengineer.uk clive.kessell@railengineer.uk collin.carr@railengineer.uk david.bickell@railengineer.uk graeme.bickerdike@railengineer.uk grahame.taylor@railengineer.uk lesley.brown@railengineer.uk malcolm.dobell@railengineer.uk mark.phillips@railengineer.uk paul.darlington@railengineer.uk peter.stanton@railengineer.uk stuart.marsh@railengineer.uk
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Level crossings present the greatest risk to UK train passengers and are also a controversial issue. A “Stop Network Rail” website claims the company’s crossing closure programme abuses the safety agenda yet, to its credit, Network Rail publishes detailed risk information for all its 6,000 crossings. This website indicates a lack of the public understanding about crossing risks. This was tragically illustrated when a Manchester to London train travelling at 75mph hit a 120-ton transformer on a low-loader trundling across Hixon level crossing under police escort, resulting in eleven deaths. Although this happened nearly fifty years ago, it is still relevant as many people cannot imagine that, in less than a minute, an empty railway can present an unstoppable few hundred-ton train moving at high speed. In his update on level crossing developments, Paul Darlington describes level crossing initiatives to improve crossing safety and encourage safe user behaviour. It is good to see that this work has reduced serious events at level crossings to their lowest level. Yet much remains to be done. User-worked crossing accidents, such as that at Hockham, highlight the problem of signallers overseeing large numbers of crossings for which they must determine where trains are and whether users can cross safely. This was not the first time that a mistake in this respect caused a train crash. Yet, for other aspects of train operation, signalling technology provides protection against a signaller’s error. An alternative to telephone-protected crossings is required, especially as their use is becoming unsustainable with the introduction of larger signalling control areas. Both the Hockham and Hixon accidents feature in David Bickell’s report on how level crossing accidents have led to operational and technical safety improvements. The recent development of increasingly reliable obstacle detectors is one such development, which David describes in another article. Although level crossing signalling equipment is a complex topic, there are also engineering challenges associated with the crossing surface. These are illustrated by Chris Parker’s report on the renewal of the crossing at Rolvenden, where the heavily trafficked A28 road crosses the preserved Kent and East Sussex Railway. We also feature a new development to improve the safety of footpath crossings at night by providing panels with integral solar-powered LED lights. The Rail Digital Summit is covered by Clive Kessel’s report, which shows how its dozen speakers offered good news, matters for concern, some amazing statistics and some unexpected twists. In addition to the obvious topic of train control and communications, this event covered the Internet of Things, fares and ticketing and cyber security which, as recent events have shown, is a key issue for the digital railway. We have a specific report on this last issue that provides some reassurance but explains why there’s no room for complacency. It also describes how much was learnt from almost three million hacks into a railway system recently.
DAVID SHIRRES
No harm was done as this was a honeypot, designed to find out if and how hackers could penetrate a virtual railway control and operating system. Electrification projects have been newsworthy of late, often for the wrong reasons. The latest news is that the Edinburgh to Glasgow scheme is further delayed by a safety-critical component identified as being susceptible to failure. In contrast, Peter Stanton’s feature on the Shotts, Corby and final North West electrification schemes is a good news story about schemes that are currently going to plan. We also feature articles from Siemens and Alstom on their innovations to reduce electrification costs. Electrification is not all bad news. MetroRail 2017 was a wide-ranging event, attracting people from metros throughout the world. Malcolm Dobell’s report includes an explanation of how faster acceleration can save energy, the Hong Kong mass transit railway’s flood prevention strategy, why New Zealand is buying 25kV/battery trains and how Uber’s data helps cities manage their road traffic. It took 13 months to re-open the iconic Settle to Carlisle line after the slippage of half a million tonnes of earth in an embankment whose foot had been washed away by storm Desmond. Stuart Marsh explains the challenges of this exceptionally difficult repair job for which, thirty years ago, the alternative would have been to close the line. With the General Election imminent, we thought a summary of the railway commitments in the manifestos of the three main parties would be useful. It is good to see that all parties pledge their commitment to railway investment, although the only project for which there is a common pledge is HS2. Both Labour and the Liberals commit to further electrification and Crossrail 2, neither of which is mentioned by the Conservatives - the only party to commit to the digital railway and northern powerhouse. For passengers, Labour proposes to cap fares and introduce free Wi-Fi, the Conservatives plan to remove ticketing complexity and introduce a rail ombudsman. This idea is also proposed by the Liberals, who also require new rail franchises to include a stronger customer focus. In respect of industrial action, the Conservatives are to ensure minimum rail service levels during disputes, backed by legislation if required, whereas the Labour party proposes to end the expansion of DOO.
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NEWS
Rail Engineer • June 2017
Prize-winning presentations IMechE's Railway Division's Future of Rail competition gets to the finals. Seven young engineers gave presentations at the final of Future of Rail competition, held by the IMechE’s Railway Division on 15 May to compete for a £1,000 first prize. As they had won the heats held in the Division’s seven Centres, their talks were particularly interesting especially as the competition encourages entrants to highlight their personal involvement. The finalists were Joseph Brown of Hitachi (Access Solutions for a Modern Train Production Line); Peter Watson of Network Rail (Optimising
Rail Head Maintenance); Cencen Gong of SNCLavalin (Validation of Rail Vehicle Dynamics Models); Calum Oates of Babcock International (Plant for Electrification); Micheil Gordon of Bombardier (Designing for Crash in Modern Rail Vehicles); Rowan Phillips of Arriva Trains Wales (20th Century Trains, 21st Century Maintenance) and Peter Sommers of Network Rail (12kA testing of Mark 3 Overhead Line Equipment). The winner was Peter Watson, who explained the difficulties of optimising rail grinding and
milling from railhead test data. Joint runners-up were Rowan Phillips, who had described the lean maintenance techniques he developed, and Peter Sommers whose presentation included firework displays from the 12kA short circuits of OLE he was testing. Presenting the prizes, Railway Division chairman-designate Richard McLean noted that all the entrants had dealt with complex issues that were well presented and that they had considered more than just the technical issues.
Dr Cencen Gong, Rowan Phillips (runner up), Peter Watson (winner), Richard East (IMechE Railway Division Chair 2016/17), Richard Maclean (IMechE Railway Division Chair 2017/18), Micheil Gordon, Joseph Brown, Calum Oates, Peter Sommers (runner up)
Railtex a success! A glimpse into the future of rail. Railtex 2017, the UK’s most important rail-industry exhibition, was hailed a success after its threeday run last month. A total of 475 exhibitors, slightly more than last year, showed off their latest products and services to around 10,000 attendees. Almost 100 of the exhibitors, representing 23 countries, were from outside the UK, as were a number of the visitors. Also, 152 companies were exhibiting at a Railtex show for the first time. Rail Engineer hosted the Technical Seminar Theatre, as in previous years. With politicians and Department for Transport staff absent because of the impending general election, it fell to Paul Plummer, chief executive of
the Rail Delivery Group, to open the show. His keynote address later in the morning was well attended and his review of the strengths and aspirations of the industry were uplifting. Dr Francis Paonessa, managing director of Network Rail Infrastructure Projects, and Professor Andrew McNaughton of HS2 delivered the keynote speeches on the other two days of the show. They were joined by 21 speakers from Railtex exhibitors who entertained and informed delegates on topics as wide-ranging as adhesives, geosynthetics, cable protection, signalling and, of course, trains. A full report on Railtex 2017 will appear in next month’s issue of Rail Engineer.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Long crossing
Construction of a new crossing for Waterloo, 1,800 metres long, has just been completed by Cemex Rail Solutions at its Somercotes site in Derbyshire. The finished crossing, which will consist of 10 sets of switches, is currently awaiting installation. Constructed for Progress Rail, every bearer was numbered and colourcoded before stacking and transporting to the assembly facility at Beeston, Nottinghamshire, and thence on to the rail yard at Hoo junction, near Rochester, for layout and addition of the track.
“There were many challenges in producing this size of multiple crossing,” commented Terence Clair, operations manager CEMEX Rail Solutions. “The main one was ensuring the data transfer of the 1:50 drawing into the data sets that we would use within our production process to the actual crossing and to ensure that each rail position was within 1mm of its set position. Add to this the complexity of each individual
bearer, the sheer volume of individual units and concrete, it was quite a challenge. “In the past, the crossings would have been made of timber with the rail and plates laid on top and screwed in place. This unique crossing, made of concrete has to have the securing fixings created during the production process. Being made of concrete makes it stronger and with a longer life span.”
New train fleet for DLR Transport for London (TfL) has launched the procurement process to find a supplier to build a new generation of trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The new air-conditioned trains are set to enter passenger service from 2022. TfL has said they will increase capacity by more than 30 per cent and featured charging points for mobile devices. The announcement, marked by TfL publishing a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking expressions of interest, comes at a time when there is a significant redevelopment of the Docklands area with up to 36,500 jobs and 7,000 homes being created in the Royal Docks area alone. In support of this growth, TfL plans to acquire 43 new 87-metre trains. 33 will replace two thirds of the existing fleet, some of which are 25 years old, while 10 will increase the overall capacity of the network.
A formal invitation to tender is expected to be issued later this year and a contract awarded in summer 2018. TfL’s director of DLR, Danny Price, said: “These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the DLR by 30 per cent, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our service for customers. “Ordering them now ensures that we get the best value for money in the long term and can support continuing growth in east London.”
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Future
proofed! STUART MARSH
PHOTO: MULHOLLAND MEDIA
I
t’s 31 March 2017. At 05:51, train 2H81 departs, one minute late, from Platform 6 at Carlisle. Nothing remarkable in that, you might think, and anyway, what’s a minute between friends? This, though, was a Northern service to Leeds, travelling via the Settle and Carlisle route. Anyone turning up at Platform 6 to catch this train on 10 February 2016 would have experienced a far longer wait - more than thirteen months in fact. It was either that, or take the bus. The departure of 2H81 marked a triumph for Network Rail and its engineering contractors. A visit by 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ later that day provided the crowning glory. Extensive works to repair a massive landslip that had closed the railway, as a through route, had been completed on time and on budget. Indeed, the line had been handed back on 22 March, nine days prior to the commencement of the new Northern timetable. It was business as usual on the Settle and Carlisle and everyone was celebrating yet, in February 2016, the naysayers had been predicting that the route was doomed.
Wind and water As has been extensively reported, services on the Settle and Carlisle line were disrupted during the winter of 2015-16 by flooding and a serious landslip near Armathwaite. Flooding due to Storm Desmond had caused the line to be closed for several days at the beginning of December.
From 29 January, the landslip at Eden Brows, north of Armathwaite, caused the southbound line to be closed between Howe & Co’s sidings and Culgaith. This was to allow the line to be inspected and emergency stabilisation works to be undertaken. Problems at this location had first been reported in mid December, but repairs were undertaken and services resumed on 22 December. Further movement of the embankment resulted in the complete closure of the line at that point from 9 February. The foot of the embankment had been washed away by the River Eden and the saturated fill supporting the formation was descending towards the river. It was estimated that upwards of 500,000 tonnes of earth was on the move - about 100 times the tonnage that had fallen into the sea at Dawlish two years previously.
So what could be done? The answer was - not a lot in the first instance. With the embankment still in an unstable condition, work on site was severely restricted. Aerial surveys using drones showed that, over a distance of 200 metres, the railway formation had dropped by 1.5 metres due to a rotational slump and was still moving. The line at this point passes along a built up ledge some 60 metres above the river Eden. Erosion to the toe of the embankment had destabilised the entire hillside.
Options Various design solutions were proposed, including single lining, diverting the railway, constructing a bridge, pinning the embankment in place, or even digging out the entire embankment and filling it with solid material. All of these were discounted.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Network Rail appointed Story Contracting to undertake an extensive assessment. Aerial surveying, movement measurement and ground investigation works were undertaken in order to build up an understanding of the slope slippage and its cause. Only then could an effective and permanent design solution to be established. Story Contracting employed AECOM to undertake design work, with Network Rail using Coffey to provide third part approval (category III checking), independently interpret the data and provide design verification. A contiguous piling solution was chosen as the preferred option, in which two rows of closely spaced piles to the bedrock would support a concrete slab upon which the railway would be laid. In effect, this would be a buried viaduct, capable of supporting the railway in safety even if the hillside were to subsequently move again. The construction contract was awarded to Story Contracting, along with a concurrent second phase to stabilise the embankment, install extensive new drainage and rock armour to prevent further erosion. The total SettleCarlisle project costs were £23 million and £4.5 million respectively, of which the Story Contracting contribution was valued at £15 million. Because of known fault lines passing through the site at right angles to the railway, several 30-metre-deep bore holes had been sunk in order to understand fully the geological situation. Throughout the project, ground movements were carefully monitored using a combination of aerial surveys and continuous laser positional measurement of fixed marker points.
Casting the concrete slab at Eden Brows.
Piling Finalised in July 2016, the chosen design solution required the installation of 226 piles on 750mm centres, forming two parallel contiguous rows. The front row (Up line) was in compression and the piles were installed to 20 metres depth whilst the piles in the rear row (Down line) were in tension and installed to 18 metres depth with between four and 18 metres being within the bedrock. Van Elle was appointed to undertake this work using the unique Elemex air drilling technique, an extended ring bit system which redirects the air flow across the bit face resulting in an efficient flushing with minimal air escaping to the surrounding ground. Initially three 610mm diameter preliminary test piles were installed
to a depth of 20 metres. Each test pile had two reaction piles of the same diameter and to the same depth to counter against when simulating the test conditions. The reaction beam was also designed specifically for this horizontal load application. In the final design, the pile diameter was increased from 610mm to 660mm and the piles were permanently cased and then filled with reinforced concrete. The reinforcement consisted of seven B40 bars with 16mm shear bracing. In all, 4,040 metres of pile was sunk using two rigs. A third piling rig was kept on site as a standby unit, but it was never needed. This was the first time that 660mm diameter Elemex piles have ever been installed anywhere in the world and the deepest that Elemex has
Piling work under way (Inset) completed.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
ever been installed in the UK. In total, there were six piling teams operating, four during the day and two at night as well as a team of eight welders working on the casings. Owing to the nature of the project and the various loadings that were to be applied to the piles, the required vertical tolerance was 1 in 800. The limited accuracy of conventional piling systems means that the ICE specification only goes as high as 1 in 200, demonstrating just how unique this scheme was. This meant that there was only an allowed 25mm vertical tolerance for the 20-metre piles and 22.5mm vertical tolerance for the 18-metre piles.
Slab The design solution called for a one-metrethick reinforced concrete slab, incorporating a three-metre-high ballast retention wall, to be cast on top of the piles. This meant that the piling work needed to be undertaken four metres below rail level, necessitating the removal of 9,000 tonnes of spoil. For environmental as well as practical reasons, all of the spoil was transported away from the work site by train. The work progressed well, helped in no small measure by an untypically dry Cumbrian winter - a complete reversal of the year before! By the beginning of February 2017, all the piling work was complete and a start could be made on constructing the reinforced concrete slab. Together with the integral retaining wall, the volume of concrete needed was 1,218 cubic metres. The slab is 12.5 metres wide and 75 metres long, but has been formed in five sections. Its three-metre-high retaining wall, longer at 95 metres, was cast in seven sections. New drainage to manage surface water was also installed. With the slab in place and with the waterproofing membrane laid, it was time to make up the new track formation. About 6,000 tonnes of aggregate backfill was required,
transported to site by train. Upon this the track was laid, requiring a further 3,000 tonnes of track ballast. The track itself has been slewed 400mm, requiring a realignment of 2.4km of track.
Hand back This phase of the project was completed two days ahead of schedule; with the first tamp occurring on 22 March. A Network Rail track recording train traversed the route the next day, followed by Northern Rail route familiarisation runs, leading up to the commencement of the new passenger timetable on 31 March. Slope and scour works forming Phase 2 of the project, again undertaken by Story Contracting, will continue until the end of 2017. Directional drilling is being undertaken to install a new drainage scheme that, together with a series of ditches, will remove water from the embankment and thereby improve its stability. The embankment is being graded and then faced with rock fill. Substantial rock armour will prevent the river eroding the embankment toe. Tree planting will follow in order to stabilise the land. By any standards, the repairs undertaken at Eden Brows were exceptional - Network Rail classified the project as the most difficult repair job they have ever undertaken. Throughout the history of the Settle and Carlisle line, the formation at Eden Brows has given trouble. This has been blamed on the built up nature of the ledge that supports the railway. During the excavation works prior to piling, the stratified manner in which imported material had been compacted could be clearly seen - a technique that would not find favour today.
Perhaps the slippage at Eden Brows was inevitable. It’s sobering to think that, if this has happened during the 1980s, in would almost certainly have been curtains for this classic railway. It is greatly to Network Rail’s credit that a permanent repair was always its objective.
Forward thinking Network Rail has also been praiseworthy in taking advantage of the temporary closure to bring forward planned works. In this way, future disruption on the route has been minimised. The work has included drainage schemes, viaduct waterproofing and embankment/cutting stabilisation. There are just two manned level crossings on the Settle and Carlisle railway, located at Culgaith and Low House Crossing. Both are MCB (Manually Controlled Barrier) crossings, controlled from adjacent signal boxes. The existing hydraulic lifting barriers had been installed in the mid-1970s. At both level crossings just two full-width barriers were provided and they were not trouble free. In projects undertaken by Babcock Rail, they have been replaced by four-barrier SPX systems. The barrier control systems were also entirely renewed and LED wig-wag signals have been provided, together with replacement fencing and anti-trespass guards. Concurrently with the Eden Brows repair project, Story Contracting also undertook an extensive drainage and watercourse containment scheme near Dent (issue 145, November 2016). It was novel in that the designers, AECOM, used building block modelling in the design phase, literally making use of model building blocks - Lego® to you and me!
The concrete slab and retaining wall.
Rail Engineer • June 2017 By making use of Legato™ interlocking concrete blocks (right), the design was easily scaled up. Although they weigh up to two tonnes each these blocks are dimensionally similar in proportion to the famous plastic toy building blocks. The resultant construction was a complex stepped weir and water channel, designed to divert and slow down the flow of Cowgill Beck, which had been causing erosion and instability within the toe of the adjacent railway embankment. Because of the remote site location and severe access difficulties, this novel use of pre-cast interlocking blocks created a structure that is self-supporting and which could be easily transported to site and assembled without the use of wet concrete. Story Contracting was also busy at Little Salkeld, where one of the 17 viaducts of the Settle and Carlisle line needed remedial works. This seven-span brick and masonry structure had defects resulting from a failed or nonexistent waterproofing system. In addition, the internal faces of the parapets were below a minimum safe height for maintenance staff and there was extensive vegetation growth throughout. The spandrel walls were showing some signs of movement from plumb, with longitudinal cracks on the edge of the barrel indicating that separation had occurred on all the spans, mainly on the outside of the curve.
The remit from Network Rail to strengthen and waterproof the viaduct required the use of L-shaped concrete slab units, together with waterproofing and new drainage. The precast concrete slab system, supplied by Moore Concrete of Ballymena, Co Antrim, is similar to that installed on Twemlow viaduct in Cheshire, as reported in the April 2016 edition of Rail Engineer (issue 138). A total of 136 concrete sections form a structural over-slab, tied into the spandrels and united along the centre line of the viaduct by means of an in situ concrete stitch. The result is a waterproof channel that also provides ballast retention. Lateral forces within the ballast are restrained by the reinforced concrete channel, rather than by the parapets and spandrel walls. Additional works at Little
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Salkeld included the pinning of the copings with stainless steel dowels as well as the installation of handrails and downpipes. This 12-week project was valued at £1.3 million. Further along the line towards Carlisle, Story Contracting was also engaged to undertake cutting stabilisation works at Folly Brow. Located near Dry Beck viaduct just north of Armathwaite, this quarter-mile-long cutting has a predominance of near vertical sandstone rock faces. Several large plane failures were present and areas of ravelling. The condition of the slope had deteriorating due to ingress of roots from the vegetation present. This three-month £600,000 scheme involved scaling of the cutting and the installation of 126 rock dowels and 2,150 square metres rock fall
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
netting. By utilising the existing blockade for the Eden Brows works the timescale and cost were significantly reduced compared to using normal rules of the route (ROR) possessions.
Murphy Emergency works weren’t restricted to the Eden Brows site. J Murphy & Sons was engaged to deal with two further embankment slip problems - one just south of Armathwaite station and the other at nearby Baron Wood. Problems had arisen at Armathwaite (above) in December 2015, even before the Eden Brows slip had truly manifested itself. A speed restriction was imposed on the Up line due to a slip at the embankment toe, caused by a failed culvert. Murphy was called upon to effect emergency repairs, involving the installation of H-piles into a temporary embankment repair. Approximately 1,200 tonnes of 6G stone was then brought in to create a haul road in anticipation of a permanent repair scheme. Murphy received the go-ahead for permanent repairs in December 2016. A king post wall was installed to support an embankment re-grade and about 370 cubic metres of concrete was used to infill the redundant culvert. Improved drainage through the embankment made use of 600mm HDPE piping. In all, about 5,800 tonnes of stone was used throughout the scheme on both sides of the structure. These works were completed in March 2017, two weeks ahead of schedule. Murphy was notified of similar problems at Baron Wood in January 2016. A team was mobilised immediately and a 24-hour monitoring watch was placed on the site. Once the design solution was approved, multiple machines were imported, including a 30-tonne excavator, road-rail vehicle and a spider
excavator. Re-grade works involved stone installation together with soil nails to assist in strengthening the embankment. Maccaferri netting provided further stability to the regraded embankment.
Open for business The Settle and Carlisle line was the last remaining serious casualty of the 2015-16 winter storms. Work to restore it has involved clever design and hard graft. No easy project, but the implemented solution is one built to last, not a short term fix. Of the line’s reopening as a though route, Martin Frobisher, managing director of Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “I am beyond thrilled that customers and goods are moving again on this vital economic artery through Britain’s most beautiful landscape. Our orange army has ensured that, even if the ground gives way again in future, the railway will not.” When train 2H81 left Carlisle on 31 March and Northern resumed a normal daily timetable, it didn’t come at all too soon. Although the line remained open, initially northwards as far as Appleby and later to Armathwaite, it was estimated that passenger numbers had fallen by 60-70 per cent. It
seems that rail users just don’t like using buses! The route is popular with tourists and commuters alike and passenger figures had been averaging 1.2 million per year. The important work now will be in rebuilding that figure. Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line chairman Douglas Hodgins summed things up very well. He said: “We have been working closely with Network Rail and Northern over the past months to get the best of outcomes to what could have been a catastrophic event for the line’s present and future. The enormity of the repair task cannot be overstated. We are very grateful that such effort has been put into getting us to this stage and we are all working hard to ensure that the line - built as a main line between London and Scotland - can resume its role as a vital part of the UK’s rail network as soon as possible. “This particular bit of the Eden gorge slipped in the 1870s when the line was being built. It took the then Midland Railway two years to stabilise the ground with Victorian resources and knowhow. We are immensely grateful to Network Rail for devising and commissioning this twenty-first century solution.” The people at the sharp end, Story Contracting in particular, didn’t do a bad job either!
Installation of matting at Baron Wood.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
18
Level crossing update PAUL DARLINGTON
MCB at Downham Market.
L
evel crossing safety in the UK compares favourably with that in other European countries. However, collisions at level crossings are still the largest single cause of train accident risk. Level crossings are an open interface between the road and the railway, so there is increased potential for pedestrian and road user behaviour to affect train operations and put themselves in danger. The risks, however, can be reduced by the safe design and engineering management of level crossings, thereby reducing the number of serious and fatal incidents. Risk control should, ideally, be achieved through the elimination of level crossings in favour of bridges, underpasses or diversions. However, with the majority of the rail network designed over 100 years ago, such elimination can be very difficult and expensive to achieve. Even if resources could be made available, there is often not the available space to construct a safer alternative to a level crossing. Level crossings connect communities, and people in those communities often want their crossings to remain open, even when a case for closure on safety grounds has been made. Where elimination is not possible, the risks to users and the operational railway should be reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.
A challenging role There are approximately 6,000 level crossings in use on the mainline rail network. Trains are now typically more frequent and travel at higher speeds than ever before while, at the same time, more road traffic crosses the railway and larger farm vehicles with better soundproofing are using occupational crossings. In addition, more pedestrians carry electronic equipment that can distract them when crossing the railway.
Ed Rollings is head of level crossings engineering at Network Rail, so the development and introduction of innovatory level crossing controls, and the technology that is being used to reduce level crossing risk, falls to him. Level crossings are unique in a number of ways. The layout, configuration and use of level crossings vary from location to location. Infrastructure managers have little direct control over the variety of users that are entitled to cross, and some of the features and functionality of level crossings have been specified in legislative requirements for many years, without the benefit of modern technology. Telephone-protected crossing at Attenborough.
The total cost of ownership of level crossings is significant in annual maintenance and delay minutes. There is also an operational cost in signaller and crossing keeper hours to manage and control level crossings; whether through CCTV monitoring and control, level crossing telephone requests to cross, or permanently staffed crossings manually operated. All this, with the requirement to provide systems more cost effectively, and quicker, makes Ed’s role very challenging, but very important. Network Rail’s vision is to achieve ‘zero harm’ at level crossings and the policy is to make them safe so far as is reasonably practicable. To achieve this, Network Rail is investing in research and innovation in collaboration with industry, to identify new and emerging technologies that will deliver cost effective protection. The aim is to introduce technology solutions that provide an active interface to users, providing safe crossing information and
Rail Engineer • June 2017
19
encouraging safe behaviours at level crossings. Another challenge is that the active interface, in whatever form, should ideally not rely on infrastructure-based train detection as the industry moves toward train-based position and location systems in support of European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 3.
Crossings as a system
LEVEL CROSSINGS
The head of level crossings engineering manages a small team of engineers who have extensive knowledge and experience of signalling engineering with respect to level crossings. Where necessary, they have access to other engineering disciplines, such as track, structures, telecommunications and electrical power, as well as operations, risk and human factors experts. This provides a holistic approach to level crossing engineering and operation, which is an important point. Ed’s team manages a programme of work to specify the policy and standards that will deliver improvements to level crossing protection. The programme covers short-term improvements to existing systems, response to accident and incident investigation recommendations, research into human factors and new technology and management systems. The scope also provides, where applicable, assurance regimes to confirm the policy and standards implementation.
MSL gates left open at Kirby Muxloe. In addition, the head of level crossings engineering is accountable for responding to formal and Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation recommendations relating to level crossing assets. This includes reviewing and responding to draft reports, representation at national recommendations review panels, analysis of problems and the development of solutions. Proposed solutions will normally be mandated through a special inspection notice, unless of a significant or strategic nature. Significant or strategic changes will be developed as a ‘project’ and managed accordingly.
A sample of level crossing sites is subject to engineering verification assurance by the team, normally as part of verification being undertaken by the parent discipline of the asset sub system concerned, such as track, signalling, telecoms or electrical power. This may also include accompanying the route-based level crossing managers on their routine inspections and to follow through with a review of the effectiveness of their inspections. The legal framework governing safety at level crossings is complex, sometimes out-dated (some legal requirements are Victorian in origin)
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
20
New OD crossing at Four Lane Ends. and overly prescriptive in places. When a railway route was authorised by an act of parliament, the legislation would have described the requirements for any level crossings, in terms of gates, operator and signage. When the method of protection of a crossing changes, then the act of parliament has to be modified by a Level Crossing Order. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is responsible for authorising Level Crossing Orders (on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport), and then in inspecting against them to ensure that the measures that are set out in the Order are actually in place and being complied with. Therefore, it is important that the ORR is involved at an early stage with any level crossing innovation.
Technical strategy development Level crossings are provided with many different forms of protection, ranging from full barriers and obstacle detectors linked with protecting signals to simple warning boards at footpath crossings. They can be categorised in a number of ways according to function, usage or method of operation. However, for the purposes of the technology strategy, level crossings can be categorised to be one of the three types passive, automatic or controlled.
Passive level crossings These are operated by the user and there is no interface to the signalling system. They comprise: »» Footpath and bridleway (FP + BW) - with or without telephone and/or Miniature Stop Light (MSL); »» User Worked Crossing (UWC) - with or without telephone and/or MSL; »» Open Crossing (OC) - with warning boards to make users aware of a level crossing and to instruct them to only use the crossing when they have determined no train is approaching by direct observation or telephone, along with ‘whistle’ boards for approaching trains.
This type of crossing presents a high risk and, over the last two years, seven of the ten accidental fatalities that have occurred at level crossings have been at FP level crossings, and one was at a UWC with telephone. Historically, the only technology safety enhancement has been a telephone provided at some crossings with poor sighting of approaching trains. These connect to the controlling signal box, but can be a weak method of protection in some locations. The signaller may have to deal with a large number of crossings and, in very long signal sections, may not know where a train is with respect to the crossing. Furthermore the user is unlikely to be conversant with railway voice protocol. With the introduction of larger signalling control areas, telephone protection of crossings is unsustainable. Recent product introductions include Overlay Miniature Stop Lights (which are no longer miniature!) branded VaMoS supplied by Schweizer, and the EBI Gate 200 from Bombardier. A number of these are planned for deployment across the network. The EBI Gate Wraysholme AOCL with barrier.
has been totally re-engineered by Bombardier to remove a design deficiency and a programme of work is underway to roll out the new version to all the original pilot deployments. Where a passive crossing is provided with manual gates, there is a risk that users who make regular use of the crossing may be tempted to leave the gates open. A poweroperated gate opener (POGO), which reduces the time and effort to open and close the gates, is available and uses a solar power supply. It avoids a user having to cross and re-cross in order to close all the gates and reduces the risk from gates being left open and of being unnecessarily on the railway. This supports a Network Rail theme of improving safety by making crossings easier and more convenient for users. The Supplementary Audible Warning Device (SAWD), supplied by Covtec, detects when a train is approaching by using a radar sensor and reports via a wireless link to provide an audible warning at the crossing, which sounds like a train horn. The system is solar-powered and is currently a safety overlay to existing protection arrangements. It provides an interim solution for locations where local ambient noise or the night time quiet period reduces the effectiveness of the train horn. Network Rail, however, is developing Project Meerkat, (dependable warning for footpath crossings). The requirement is for a system with safety integrity, such that it could (subject to gaining safety approval) replace whistle boards and the requirement for level crossing telephones at footpath and similar crossings. A functional specification has been prepared and Network Rail is to invite industry to submit proposals. Where the telephone remains as the sole means of protection, it should be able to report its condition and operation with a sufficient level of integrity appropriate to the safety function provided.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
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PHOTO: ATKINS
PCL-interlocked MCB CCTV crossing.
As the name suggests, there is no intervention between the level crossing and the user or operator. There are three (soon to be four) main types: »» Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (AHB); »» Automatic Open Crossing Locally monitored (AOCL) and AOCL with Barrier (AOCL +B); »» Automatic half Barrier Crossing Locally monitored (ABCL); »» A new concept level crossing (AHB+) that will, when available, be an automatic level crossing. AHB crossings, when used correctly, are a very efficient method of crossing with respect to minimal barrier down time and inconvenience to road users. However, AHBs are not linked to the signalling system and there is no monitoring to determine if the crossing is clear, nor signals close by to stop trains if the crossing is occupied. This is why full barriers are not provided in order that users of the crossing can’t be trapped between barriers and can exit the crossing before a train approaches. Unfortunately, this increases the risk of misuse with users weaving around the barriers. Network Rail is developing a new concept crossing, known as AHB+. This is a cost-effective solution to reduce pedestrian and vehicle weaving risk without the need for a full rebuild of the crossing system. To address the risk to sight-impaired users, provision is being considered to alter the audible warning devices so they to continue to sound once the barrier descends and until it raises. AHBs will not normally be renewed like for like in anything other than exceptional circumstances, although alternative designs may result in increased delays to road traffic. AOCL crossings are locally monitored by the train driver - a white light shown on the approach to the crossing confirms that the road lights are working. The approach speed is such
that trains should be able to stop if the crossing is occupied. However, users can still pass through the lights and onto the crossing just as the train arrives. A significant number of AOCL level crossings have had an entry barrier added (AOCL+B) to provide another layer of protection, and this will continue where there is a safety/economic justification and engineering feasibility. Some sites have been constrained by surrounding buildings and topography, rendering barriers of any kind impossible without land purchase, demolition and remodelling.
Controlled level crossings The level crossing operation is controlled / supervised by a signaller or level crossing operator. These include: »» Manually Controlled Barrier Crossing (MCB); »» Manned Gated Crossing (MGC); »» Train Staff Operated Crossing; »» MCB with Closed-Circuit Television (MCBCCTV); and »» MCB fitted with Obstacle Detection (MCB-OD) - with minimal supervision Crossing signs must not be obscured.
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Automatic level crossings
With MCB-OD, radar is used to determine that the crossing is clear before the barriers are lowered, then another sweep is carried out to check that the crossing is still clear and nothing has been trapped inside the barriers. Only once this has been confirmed are the protecting signals allowed to clear. Network Rail enhanced the design with a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system to confirm that a fallen person or small child would still be detected. Numerous installations of MCB-OD have been installed and the concept has been a success. The preferred option is to implement automatic obstacle detection at MCB, MGC and MCBCCTV crossings at the time of renewal or during major re-signalling works or re-control, where supported by a business case. Relay-based interlockings have been used to control MCB-OD crossings. However, this has resulted in some unreliability and timing issues due to the additional relays required. In future, Network Rail is keen to introduce PLC-based interlockings and approved products are already available from a number of suppliers. PLC (programmable logic controller) interlockings can be located in smaller lineside locations rather than large equipment rooms. This will result in both a capital and maintenance saving, as well as power savings for heat and lighting. Often, when a level crossing renewal is planned, the risk assessment prior to commencement of design may identify that an upgrade to the method of protection is required, for example the replacement of an AHB with an MCB-OD or similar. However, this should take into account that the barrier down time will be greater; which could increase complaints by road users and the risk of misuse - nothing is straightforward when designing level crossings! Network Rail is commencing the development of the next generation of MCB-OD detection systems. This will be based on the lessons learned from the first generation and the company is planning to invite industry to submit
22
Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Ufton Nervet AHB-now closed.
proposals for the detection technology that may, for example, include video-analytic capabilities. Ed Rollings was very clear that Network Rail is open to the type of technology proposed and will simply be specifying the performance, reliability and safety requirements. Some local residents can be concerned that removing the crossing operator increases risk. However, technology solutions are not prone to boredom, forgetfulness, overlooking trains or other deficiencies of the Mk1 human brain.
Equality Act The Equality Act 2010 replaced a range of legislative instruments with one piece of legislation covering a wide range of different characteristics. The Act codifies the need to consider the likely or actual effects of policies, programmes and developments on different sections of society. A key element in implementing the Equality Act is the Public-Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public bodies to consider all individuals in shaping policy, in delivering projects and services and in relation to their own employees. Network Rail is, therefore, exploring costeffective ways of making level crossings equally accessible to all potential users to meet the requirements of the Act where applicable. Whenever Network Rail considers the opportunity to close a level crossing (either by extinguishing the rights of way, providing a diversionary route across the railway, or replacing the level crossing with a bridge or underpass), it first completes a Diversity Impact Assessment. This considers the diverse range of needs that the local community has in relation to mobility, sight and hearing, and the impact that closing the level crossing will have on its users.
General requirements New level crossing products shall be designed for reliability and developed to support the Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) approach, with intrusive routine maintenance reduced to a minimum. In locations where the business case for a mains power supply is not viable, systems need to be sustainably self-powered. Home Office-approved fixed red light digital safety camera systems, and the issuing of fixed penalty notices, can be used to discourage users from ignoring warning lights, and low-cost video monitoring systems for non-safety critical applications are also being considered. Commercially available low-cost barrier systems and other means of protecting crossings, including the sourcing of additional suppliers for level crossing barrier operation machines are being investigated, together with technologies to reduce the risk of pedestrians or vehicles being struck by lowering barrier booms. Modern self-sustainable power supplies, low-power LED technology and wireless mobile data are key for solutions specifically for remote or rural sites. Level crossing signage requires Vamos MSL lights.
more intuitive pictogram style signs to reflect the needs of a diverse range of users, including people whose first language is not English, and to improve their understanding of level crossing signage. Investigating the interlocking of highway road traffic lights with the signalling system at areas where drivers running red lights is a known problem, or at high volume road junctions near to level crossings, is under way. The team is also engaging with the automotive industry to seek out opportunities to benefit level crossing management by providing warning information directly to car drivers, such as through the ‘connected car’ programme Technology solutions that automatically monitor any change in the usage at level crossings will allow the gathering of information useful in managing the increased and/or modified risk. These can be installed as required, or provided as standard if they can be provided cost effectively. Train arrival prediction systems to dependably predict the time of a train’s arrival at a level crossing have been available for some time, but performance is variable and not consistent enough to provide ‘safe to cross’ information. The Network Rail strategy is to continue to develop a means of accurately and consistently predicting the arrival of trains at crossings that overcomes the limitations of current systems. Network Rail is exploring the possibility of using GPS in conjunction with other methods to achieve this. Finally, to provide yet another initiative to improve level crossing systems, Network Rail is sponsoring a postgraduate doctoral research student at the University of Birmingham to research level crossing protection using advanced academic research techniques. The tools arising from this work will inform technology developments, selection and strategic investments in future developments. Note on terminology: ‘Deliberate misuse’ is reserved for those events where intentional behaviour has been confirmed. Otherwise, instances of not complying with warnings and signs are categorised as ‘human error’.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
24
PAUL DARLINGTON
LED lighting
for level crossings L
evel crossing surface systems need to provide a near seamless interface between the road and the railway, minimising any impact on susceptible users and vehicles such as disabled or infirm persons, bicycles, mobility scooters and children’s buggies. It is also important that anti-slip decking at footpath level crossings is provided. Another essential requirement is illumination, so that users can safely use the crossing. This can be a problem, given the sheer number of footpath crossings on the network and their remoteness from power supply sources. Even if power and lights could be provided, the running and maintenance costs could be unsustainable, and lights may distract train drivers or neighbours.
LED studs A typically problematical foot crossing was Tangley, at Chilworth, near Shalford Junction in Surrey. The two entrances to the crossing are some way from the railway line. Users are faced with a steep set of steps, at the top of which they are immediately met with the railway line. To make matters worse, the crossing is not at 90 degrees to the line; instead, there is a slight skew. In poor light conditions, this may result in a user straying from the crossing onto the anti-trespass guards, increasing the risk of a fall in front of a train. Network Rail, working with Strail, identified that the use of solar LED studs in the already-approved pedeSTRAIL crossing panels would provide a cost-effective risk reduction. Running along the edge of the crossing, these studs would guide users safely across in poor light conditions. With the LEDs powered by solar illumination, no power supply, cables or timers would be required - the panels would only need to be milled to suit the diameter and depth of the solar stud.
As Strail has supplied over 40,000 level crossings in 50 countries since the company was founded in Bavaria in 1976, it has the expertise and resources to develop such an innovative but practical solution. The fixation of the solar studs was a key topic during the design process for several reasons. Installation would need to be easily executed during production, making the solution cost effective, and removal/replacement on site would need to be simple but also vandal-resistant. It was decided that the illumination colour would be blue, to avoid any conflict with signalling, and the light was designed to be visible to a crossing user while minimising any distraction to the driver of an approaching train. The system, which was trialled, evaluated and received product acceptance certificate PA05/06076 in 2014, was given the name pedeSOLAR. High intensity LEDs provide up to 240 hours’ illumination and are visible at up to 900 metres. They only need a charge time of three hours at 100 klux (a typical sunny day), although any daylight will charge the battery.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
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The solar-harnessing free-energy technology and storage electronics are designed to maintain light outputs throughout a full annual cycle. The system is therefore sustainable and requires no maintenance, apart from possibly a clean now and again, and a battery change every eight years. The stud has a low profile, less than four millimetres above the footpath surface, and uses the same technology as ‘cats eye’ replacements for roads.
New moulded design
LEVEL CROSSINGS
The main disadvantage of the original panel design was the time and cost it took to mill the holes into them. In addition, if they were to be installed onto the ends of an existing crossing, then the crossing would have to be extended by 900mm at each end as the original pedeSOLAR panels were 900mm long. The product has now evolved and new moulds have been produced. The holes for the LED lights are now already moulded into the panels, removing the need to mill the holes at the factory and making the panels cheaper to produce. In addition, each 900mm panel can now be cut in half to produce two 450mm panels. Thus only one pedeSOLAR panel (2 x 450mm) needs to be purchased to fit on the ends of an existing crossing, reducing the material cost by 50 per cent. The manufacturing process and materials used are unchanged from the previously approved system, so the surface and skid resistance remains the same, as does the specification of the LED studs.
The trial installation was a great success with very positive feedback. The 450mm panels were easy to install by hand, without the use of specialist tools - another advantage and cost saving. The product has received full product approval and both full-depth and ‘universal’ panels are available. The latter can be re-used if there is a track renewal by adjusting the rubber packing underneath the crossing panels to suit the different sleeper profiles. PedeSOLAR panels are sleeper spacing independent so there is no need to move sleepers prior to the installation. Several systems have already been installed on footpath crossings and, given the level of risk reduction for the relatively small cost and installation resource involved, they should soon be a familiar sight all over the network.
Hempstead Cutting A trial site for the installation of the new design pedeSOLAR panels was found at Hempstead Cutting No. 2 foot crossing in Uckfield, East Sussex. The crossing itself was very poorly lit at night and its isolated location made it very difficult to run power to the crossing for lights. To make things worse, there were originally no crossing panels installed in the track so users had to cross over the rails and sleepers in almost pitch black conditions!
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
O LEVEL CROSSINGS
n 10 April 2016, 1K77, the 12:04 Norwich to Cambridge Class 170 passenger service, struck a tractor and animal feed trailer at Hockham Road user worked crossing near Thetford in Norfolk while travelling at 87mph. Although major level crossing accidents are very rare, this article provides an insight into how, in the quest for greater safety, lessons learned from accidents have shaped the configuration of those in use on the network today.
Level crossing
DAVID BICKELL
User worked crossings (UWCs)
Cambridge NX panel. Thetford workstation in right background (Inset) MCB-CCTV controls on panel.
This type of crossing is normally protected by gates or lifting barriers which are operated by the road user independently of the signalling system. Where the sighting distance is too short for users to see trains in sufficient time to cross safely, additional measures are required such as the requirement to call the signaller for permission to cross (UWC-T), safe use of which depends upon human activity. The signaller must carefully study the signal box indication panel or VDU screen, to judge the position of trains in the vicinity in order to ensure that there is sufficient time for vehicles to cross safely, and a clear understanding must be reached between signaller and crossing user.
In 2009, Bombardier produced a level crossing system which utilised a programmable logic controller (PLC) and operated at the stipulated Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL3). EBI Gate 200 is designed to alert people to oncoming trains when crossing the line via public footpaths, farm crossings, bridleways and UWCs, and operates independently of the signalling system.
The user presses the crossing request button that activates the system, displaying a red light with audible warning or green light as appropriate. It was installed at Hockham Road UWC, but a weakness in the documentation was subsequently discovered and the product acceptance certificate withdrawn. The installation was out of service at the time of the accident at Hockham Road in 2016.
Rail Engineer • June 2017 Dock Lane UWC-T
At Hockham Road, the tractor driver was seriously injured and the train driver and four passengers suffered minor injuries. The tractor was destroyed and the train badly damaged, the train driver miraculously escaping serious injury. Hockham Road is on the Norwich to Ely route, which was resignalled in 2012 with a DeltaRail (now Resonate) Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC) VDU signaller interface, known as the Thetford Workstation, located within the Cambridge Power Signal Box (PSB) EntranceExit (NX) panel operating floor. The RAIB carried out an investigation into the accident and reported that the signaller gave permission for the tractor to cross when there was insufficient time for it to do so safely. The signaller lost awareness of the position of the train. Had the EBI Gate 200 system been operational, it would have probably prevented the accident. The RAIB report also included much discussion on the ergonomics of the workstation and it emerged that there is a significant difference in the operation of the IECC workstation compared with the NX panel. In the latter case, the signaller is fully engaged with the task of setting and cancelling routes for each train, whereas the Thetford IECC work station operates mostly automatically with a greater potential for a signaller to lose concentration. It was also noted that the information displayed on the VDUs is not designed to help signallers judge when it is safe to allow a user to cross. Issues being addressed include signaller training, competency, fatigue, engagement with the signalling task, and techniques for dealing with requests from UWCs. A modification to the EBI Gate system has been implemented. Following the incident, six screens have now been installed at the Thetford workstation and the local signal box instructions now mandate the use of detailed screens when authorising users to cross at a UWC. Although a very serious accident, it should be appreciated that cases of signallers giving permission to cross when it is not safe to do so are extremely rare. User non-compliance is a predominant factor of accidents at UWCs, such as the collision between an articulated tanker and a Class 156 DMU near Sudbury in Suffolk on 17 August 2010 - the tanker driver did not use the telephone before driving onto the crossing.
Class 170 after collision at Hockham Road UWC.
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Hockham Road UWC-T
Just two months after the Hockham Road accident, on 14 June 2016, a near-miss occurred when 2D81, the 12:07 Lowestoft to Ipswich Class 156 passenger train, passed over Dock Lane UWC-T, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, while a car was about to cross the line. The RAIB investigation established that permission to cross was granted by the signaller who may have been diverted by the familiar and ‘light hearted’ nature of the call, a reference to the fact that the car driver was a frequent user of Dock Lane UWC, well known to the signallers, always asking for 72 seconds to cross with some form of wild animal! On the day of the incident she said: “Three rhinos to go across - 72 seconds”. The East Suffolk line between Ipswich and Lowestoft, previously deploying the 1980s Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) system, was resignalled in 2012 with a GETS Modular Control System (MCS) signaller interface. There is one signaller on duty, managing calls from 28 UWC-Ts. In 2016, the signallers dealt with over 80,000 telephone calls in conjunction with requests to use UWC-Ts, averaging about 14 telephone calls from crossing users per hour. It was reckoned that signallers refuse permission to cross approximately 12,000 times a year, and analysis indicates that it is possible that the signallers could wrongly give permission to cross in the order of 36 times per year. Signaller workload was discussed in the report in conjunction with the suitability of the types of crossing installed on the line. Another key factor is the long axle-counter block sections, stretching for several miles. The signaller must build up a mental picture of the exact whereabouts of trains within the control area, although there is an agreement that, if necessary, train drivers may be contacted via GSM-R to ascertain their location. Network Rail is considering a GPS-based Train Approach Warning System that provides the signaller with better information about train locations.
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Dock Lane UWC.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
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Hixon.
Ufton Nervet.
Automatic Half Barrier Crossings (AHBC) The programme to replace some gated level crossings with AHBCs commenced in 1961, with a crossing at Spath on a now closed line near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, and was intended to save staffing costs of gated crossings and, crucially, avoid delays to road traffic. Actuated by rail-mounted treadles, the crossing closure sequence provided a minimum warning time of 24 seconds from commencement of the illumination of the flashing red road lights to the arrival of the train. AHBCs are not usually interlocked with the signalling system because, to do so, the trigger point would need to be much further from the crossing to enable the barriers to be lowered and the ‘distant’ signal cleared to green in good time. However, as no means is provided to check for obstructions on the crossing, linking the AHBC to signals would be mostly pointless, and the road closure time would be extended from typically 30 seconds to between three and five minutes or longer, leading to significant road user frustration and the temptation to zigzag around the barriers and obstruct the crossing. Sadly, this is exactly what happened at Athelney AHBC on 21 March 2013 when a motorist was killed whilst zigzagging. The barriers were down for an extended period. By 1968, 205 crossings had been introduced when disaster struck. At Hixon AHBC in Staffordshire, on 6 January 1968, the 11:30 Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston locomotive-hauled express passenger train, travelling at 75mph, collided with a heavy road transporter carrying a 120-ton transformer over
the crossing at 2mph with a police escort. Eleven people were killed and many injured. Neither the crew of the transporter nor the police escort knew the time sequence of operation of AHBCs or was aware of the need to telephone the signaller before crossing with a large slowly moving vehicle. A public enquiry was held and the report discussed the risk of vehicles stalling on the crossing and the ‘another train coming’ situation, which could result in the barrier sequence being called by a second train just as vehicles were starting to move onto the crossing after the first train. Incidentally, the latter scenario resulted in a car being totally destroyed and the five occupants killed at Trent Road AHBC in 1968. Prophetically, the provision of obstacle detection was discussed at length but ruled out. It stated: “AHBCs are a valuable answer to the needs of modern transport, and can be made acceptably safe without the introduction of obstruction devices linked with signal protection. Such devices, even if technically feasible, would be costly and involve the loss of most of the benefits for road traffic achieved by AHBCs.” However, the report recommended ‘improvements’ which included extending the warning time from 24 to 32 seconds, provision of an outer strike-in point to cover the second train situation, provision of an illuminated ‘another train coming’ neon sign, the addition of a steady yellow preliminary warning light, plus various measures to improve road markings and profile and an update to the Highway Code.
The Hixon report also said that conversion of crossings should be “pressed forward at greater speed so that the public become familiar with the new equipment”. Alas, ‘Hixon Mods’ made AHBCs complex and costly, consuming significant S&T design, installation and testing resources and leading to a ten-year hiatus in new installations. A 1978 joint British Rail and Department of Transport committee report recommended the relaxation of some of the Hixon requirements with a reduction in warning time from 32 to 27 seconds and discontinuation of the neon ‘ATC’ sign, making them “cheaper to install and maintain without affecting their present excellent safety record”.
Ufton Nervet AHBC Fast forward to 6 November 2004 and Ufton Nervet AHBC. The 17:35 London Paddington to Plymouth High Speed Train (HST) collided with a Mazda 323 car which was parked on the crossing and obstructing the Down line. A catastrophic derailment followed in which seven people died and many more were injured. The driver of the car is believed to have taken his own life. Since that crash, there have been four more road-user deaths, and a near miss during engineering work with the barriers up and a train approaching. The crossing was replaced in December 2016 by a bridge costing £7 million. The issue of obstacle detection was raised in the report and a separate study determined that integrating OD with AHBC and the signalling system was not viable. However, provision of OD would lead to an improvement in safety and efficiency at manually controlled barrier crossings (MCBs).
Rail Engineer • June 2017
29
Automatic Open Crossing - Disaster at Lockington
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Simplified automatic crossings without barriers were progressively introduced from the 1970s. Automatic open crossings, locally monitored (AOCLs) have a maximum permitted speed of 56 mph such that the train driver could stop short of an obstruction, hence the ‘L’ for locally monitored. The 1978 report advocated a new type of crossing, designated AOCR. This was, essentially, an AHBC without barriers, with a maximum line speed of 75mph. ‘R’ stood for remote monitoring by a signal box, though this was limited to indicating the correct functioning of the equipment. There was no surveillance. On 26 July 1986, a van was driven onto the AOCR crossing against the red lights into the path of the 09:33 Bridlington to Hull DMU. The train was completely derailed with the loss of nine lives and many others injured. During the course of the investigation, railway inspector Major A G B King highlighted the issue that “some motorists, after seeing the red lights flashing, act in a most irresponsible manner at the crossings. This results from stupidity, impatience, or a lack of appreciation of the hazards.” The Lockington accident triggered a review of the safety of automatic open level crossings, conducted by Professor P F Stott, the outcome of which saw the end of AOCRs which were replaced by AHBCs or other appropriate types of crossing. More recently, AOCLs have been upgraded with the addition of a barrier and re-classified AOCL+B. New installations are designed from scratch with barriers and classed as ABCL.
The Lockington report did consider that sunlight may have been a factor affecting visibility of the red lights, and was a key recommendation with Stott recommending that “British Rail should investigate the optical system to see whether it is possible to improve visibility by improving main beam brightness and reducing sun phantom effects”. Visibility of the lights may have played a part in other incidents but only recently has suitable replacement technology come to the fore. LED lights are now used for the road red and yellow warning lights and barrier boom lights to achieve consistent and bright illumination, with the added advantages of lower current consumption and higher reliability in comparison with filament bulbs.
Lockington.
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SLEEPER SPACING INDEPENDENT
21 & 22 June 2017, Stand F1B, Quinton Rail Technology Centre - UK
Road Crossings
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Road Rail Access
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Pedestrian Crossings
Accommodates irregular sleeper spacings
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Anti-Trespass
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Rail Engineer • June 2017 PHOTO: PM HARDING
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Motts Lane MSL, Witham, Essex a complex case
Honeywell radar detector.
Obstacle Detection (OD) OD is a recent development which facilitates full automation of the MCB crossing, making it one of the safest types of crossing and suitable for high-speed main lines. Signaller input is eliminated since the ‘Crossing Clear’ function is achieved by the OD, and ‘Auto Lower’, previously an optional extra at MCBs, is provided as standard. Radar is the primary obstacle detector, using a SIL 3 device to detect vehicles, people, or large animals within the surveillance area. Associated with this is a complementary obstacle detector using infra-red LiDAR technology to scan an area below 500mm from the road surface. Approved for use on Network Rail are the Honeywell YD136 radar detector and Optex Redscan RLS3060 LiDAR.
Level-crossing predictor
Footbridge at Trinity Lane, Waltham Cross, under construction.
With automatic level crossings, the disadvantage of a fixed strike-in point is that the actual warning time given to the user may vary significantly according to the speed of the train. To overcome this issue, a level-crossing predictor was first introduced between Norwich and Cromer when the line was resignalled in 2000. The GETS Harmon HXP-3 uses audio frequency track circuits to detect an approaching train, and the rate of change of the inductance of the rails is used to determine its speed and hence calculate the trigger moment to provide a constant warning time for each train. Another similar product is the Siemens Automation Wayguard WESTex GCP4000.
Automatic level crossings (except MCB-OD) do not generally interface with the signalling system. However, if crossings are located close to junctions and stations where trains may start from rest, then crossings controls have to be integrated with the signal interlocking to ensure that warning times are not compromised or excessive. On 24 January 2013, a cyclist disregarded the red stop light at Motts Lane and was hit and fatally injured by the 17:00 London Liverpool Street to Norwich express passenger train. The RAIB obtained evidence that users of the crossing habitually disregarded the warnings given by the lights and audible alarm. During the investigation, it became apparent that the crossing warning time of 40 seconds is much longer than almost all users require to cross the line. Furthermore, the closure time was extended by at least three and a half minutes by the use of a ‘non stopping’ setting for Down trains due to stop at Witham. When the signaller correctly selected ‘stopping’, the interaction of the Automatic Route Setting (ARS) system and the signal interlocking extended the crossing closure time for stopping trains. Apparently the designer of the ARS system applied a rule in programming the ARS to delay operation of the level crossing, without realising that the controls within the Solid State Interlocking (SSI) already provided for such a delay. The layout of signals at Witham is complex, necessitating approachcontrolled aspects for Down stopping trains and thus causing delay to trains.
The signallers discovered that this could be bypassed by selecting ‘non stopping’ for Motts Lane, thereby giving train drivers clear signals on the Down Main even though doing a station stop. Unfortunately, the signallers had not been briefed on the resultant increase in warning time. The recommendations included a requirement for Network Rail to identify complex track and signalling layouts that may lead to excessive warning times at all automatic crossings, and a review of ARS data preparation processes where there is interaction with level crossing controls. Motts Lane MSL was replaced with a bridge in 2014, costing £3.2 million.
The future Improving safety at level crossings has exercised many minds over the years but it is apparent that technology is playing an increasingly important part in the ongoing challenge to provide cost effective and safe solutions. Network Rail currently manages around 6,000 crossings on its network. That is after closing more than 1,000 over the past six years. However, while the safest level crossing is no crossing at all, and a further 250 are already earmarked for closure, there are some that simply cannot be closed, for a variety of reasons, and these have to be managed safely. Despite the risks, some users and local authorities insist that ‘their’ crossings remain open. There is even a website - stopnetworkrail.org.uk - that claims to be “a resource for local groups fighting Network Rail’s aggressive policy of closing level crossings with little regard for their users”. There is much still to be done.
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LEVEL CROSSINGS
Rail Engineer • June 2017
k s i r
l s e g levcrossin
ging a n Ma at Hendre Road level crossing, Bridgend.
W
ith over 6,000 level crossings in the UK, minimising the associated risk is a priority. Although level crossings are rarely part of new railway design, the existing assets contribute a significant level of risk to passengers and the public.
Whilst the most effective method of reducing level crossing risk is to abolish them completely, this is not always practical or possible. If crossings cannot be completely eliminated, there have to be effective systems in place to reduce risk.
Continuous improvement In 2010, Network Rail commenced a level crossing risk reduction programme to improve safety by either closing or upgrading crossings, where appropriate, across the network. Since that programme started, over 1,000 crossings have been closed and many have been improved or upgraded. Although level crossing fatalities are at their lowest in twenty years, fatalities, injuries and near misses do still occur. Recently, an elderly pedestrian was struck and fatally injured by a train on a footpath level crossing in Suffolk. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report concluded he was either unaware of the train at the time, or had misjudged the time needed to cross. This particular crossing was a passive one with a skewed alignment, both of which were highlighted in RAIB’s recommendations - the investigation emphasised the potential dangers of a skewed crossing, and how risk management and investigation need to take into account the importance of demographic changes in society. For instance, the age and health of the
pedestrian who died in Suffolk meant he fell in to the category of people considered by Network Rail’s guidance to be a ‘vulnerable user’. With the proportion of elderly people in our population increasing every year, this is a demographic change that needs regular assessment. The frequency at which Network Rail assesses a level crossing is dependent on the level of risk the crossing poses. Generally, crossings are risk assessed at intervals of between one and three years, or if any significant changes are made. It is during this risk-assessment period that decisions are usually taken regarding closure and upgrading.
As well as closures at crossings, Network Rail has made many upgrades to safety including over 1,000 improvements of sighting, installed overlay barriers at 45 open crossings and repositioned over 250 crossing phones to safer places for users. In addition to these changes, there has been an increase in new technology being trialled and implemented across the UK to help reduce risk and increase safety of all users.
Technical solutions Technology is moving forward swiftly. At the busiest crossings, using mobile enforcement vans manned by British Transport Police and funded by Network Rail is an option. These state-of-the-art camera vans use number plate recognition technology to catch offenders taking Mobile enforcement van.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
Half-barrier crossing at Bunchrew, Scotland.
Investment in risk tools As well as technology, Network Rail is investing in the development of its risk tools. RSSB research project T936 - Enhancing the accuracy and functionality of the All Level Crossing Risk Model (ALCRM) - was published on SPARK (www.sparkrail.org), RSSB’s knowledge sharing hub, in May. The ALCRM, the industry’s foremost level crossing risk tool, was enhanced in light of suggestions for improvements from bodies such as the Office for Rail and Road. Each suggestion was subject to scrutiny and possible rejection. The predicted levels of risk now provide better
granularity than previous versions of ALCRM, differentiating between important site-specific features such as whistle boards and power operated gate openers (POGO). Successful application of the ALCRM update will lead to improved safety decision making to assist with the eventual reduction in the overall level of risk across Network Rail’s portfolio of level crossings. In addition, SORAT-LX, a relatively new tool, assesses the risk associated with a SPAD (signal passed at danger) into a level crossing scenario and was formulated in the RSSB research project T1007 - Assessing and reducing the risk at railway signals protecting level crossings.
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LEVEL CROSSINGS
risks on crossings. The aim is that the presence of vans, which are clearly marked, will hopefully discourage people from misusing level crossings in the first place. Similarly, British Transport Police and Network Rail are working together closely to implement a new system. The road flow signal system is a traffic enforcement device that improves public safety at crossings by identifying when vehicles fail to comply with stop signals and continue to cross after the red lights start flashing. This system has been installed in the White Hart Lane level crossing in Richmond, which is seen to be a particularly high risk crossing with Network Rail recording between 20 and 30 incidents of misuse each day. Additionally, obstacle detection technology has been replacing manually operated barriers in recent years. These radars scan the crossing once the train is approaching, to confirm the crossing is clear, before sending a confirmation message to the signal to allow the train to proceed. In some circumstances, a lower-height detection method called Lower LiDAR has been implemented where there is an increased risk of members of the public tripping and falling under the standard radar detection height. For example, the risk assessment may identify this is required where the crossing is used by many elderly or vulnerable users.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
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West Pyke Road, Redcar. Commenting on progress so far, RSSB director of system safety and risk George Bearfield said: “The industry has put a sustained focus on managing the risk from level crossings in recent years. This includes working together to do the right research and analysis to enable Network Rail and others to target action to where it will have the most impact.”
Suitable and sufficient risk assessment With level crossings accounting for nearly half the train accidents in the UK, effective risk assessment is crucial in assuring the reduction of the numbers of fatalities and serious incidents. RSSB’s latest publication of its Safety Risk Model (SRMv8.1) allocates 11.21FWI (fatalities and weighted injuries) each year to all level crossing risk. Network Rail’s current risk assessment process, the Suitable & Sufficient Level Crossing Risk Assessment (S&S LCRA), feeds into the GRIP 2 and 3 feasibility and option selection stages of the level crossing upgrade and renewal programme. It is also required when there are any changes to infrastructure, operations, demographics or local environment. The focus of the S&S LCRA process is not to make the decision for the project but to equip stakeholders with the supporting information they need to make decisions on available options, which fall broadly in three categories:
1.
Closure and re-routing - Provides a low cost option but is often negated by the practicability of re-routing traffic elsewhere. While the risk at the individual crossing will be eliminated, the impact on surrounding crossings must be reviewed. 2. Closure and bridge/underpass - This option represents the ‘ideal’, although it comes with a significant cost. 3. Crossing upgrade - A review of the current level crossing solution is carried out with an impact analysis taken out on possible upgrade options. For example, if the existing level crossing is an AHB (Automatic Half Barrier), how would implementing a full barrier crossing improve the risk? The S&S LCRA process comprises five stages. The key step is the Stakeholder Workshop at which the options identified above are reviewed and the decision taken on which solution fits each individual level crossing.
The option of a level crossing upgrade is complicated and needs to take into account many factors including the use of the crossing, the user groups which use the crossing, the signalling arrangements, costs, barrier down times, possible misuse of the crossing, possible future changes in use and significant local hazards. With so many complexities, the S&S LCRA is often completed by third-party risk experts who advise and guide stakeholders through the decision-making process. RSK Business Solutions is one such company and managing director Danny Bird provided a summary of the part the risk assessment plays in making sure the industry is taking the right decision on level crossing renewals: “Improvements with technology and level crossing design, together with a proactive risk assessment methodology, have resulted in huge improvements to the safety of passengers, staff and the public at level crossings.”
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
PAUL DARLINGTON
Creating competence
Rosehill Rail’s new training and development facility
T
he surface of any level crossing should be free from trip hazards, running rails proud of the surface, depressed areas or major undulations and the surface needs to be firmly fixed. Fortunately, the days of old wooden sleepers being installed unevenly between rails to make a level crossing surface are long gone. Nowadays, solid crossing panels provide a safe non-slip and unimpeded driving and walking surface wherever a road or footpath crosses a railway. The only manufacturer of rubber level crossing systems in the UK, Rosehill Rail provides an extensive range of crossing systems, designed to allow the easy crossing of rail tracks by vehicles and pedestrians and not hinder track maintenance. They also provide road-rail access points (RRAPs), which enable road / rail track maintenance vehicles to efficiently and safely move from road to rail. The systems are wholly developed and manufactured in the UK from sustainable, 100 per cent recycled, tyre rubber which is bonded using a cold-cure system. Rosehill Rail, part of the Rosehill Polymers Group that has extensive experience of polymer technology in a wide range of industries, supplies crossing and access point systems worldwide.
To make sure installers and maintainers are trained and confident in using its products, the company has established its own training and development facility. This ensures crossing panels can be installed and removed quickly and safely, allowing for effective installation and track maintenance while maximising track possession times. It’s important that surfaces are installed correctly, as the profile over any vehicular crossing should have no sudden changes of vertical curvature. The profile over an automatic halfbarrier or user-worked crossing is critical to safety and should not cause a vehicle, such as a lowloader or a tractor and trailer, to become grounded and obstruct the railway. At other types of crossing, the profile is less critical (but still important) because these crossings are either manually operated by railway staff, or locally monitored by radar or the drivers of trains travelling at restricted speeds such that they can stop short of the crossing.
Training and competence Competence is a combination of skills, experience and knowledge needed to undertake responsibilities and perform activities to a recognised standard on a regular basis. The
inadequate management of competence can lead to personal injuries and fatalities and good employers will not just train staff, but make sure staff are confident in carrying out tasks. Initial training of staff is important in establishing competency, but it is not sufficient on its own and consolidation of knowledge and skills through refresher training is a key part of developing competency. Employers have a legal requirement to establish and maintain competency for all those involved in safety-related work. Rosehill Rail offers free-of-charge training to customers at its dedicated training centre in Sowerby Bridge. This is in a very scenic, leafy location between Manchester and Leeds, within easy reach of the M62 and with Sowerby Bridge railway station just a few minutes away. The training takes place on a specially installed section of track, in complete safety and with ample space and access. While the majority of the training is hands on, there are conference rooms on site for custom classroom-based training and refreshments, which are all provided as part of the package. Attendees receive specially produced training documentation to take away, together with a certificate of attendance. All aspects of installation, commissioning and maintenance of level crossing and road rail access point systems are provided. The training includes the safe use of Rosehill Rail’s lifting pin system, which is specially designed for lifting all the crossing system panels and rubber edge beams. Half-day or full-day courses are available throughout the year.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
Crossings and RRAPs The training can cover any number of Rosehill Rail systems and ancillary products. The Baseplate system is ideal for shorter, lightly used crossings and for cutting into turnouts and tight bends. It has advantages over other more-rigid systems and it can be adapted to bespoke site-specific requirements. The baseplates fit tightly over bearer sleepers and the solid rubber panels can be cut to fit around fishplates and check rails. Panels can also be specially manufactured to fit around tight curves. The baseplate system can also be used for road rail access points.
Rosehill Rail also manufactures anti-trespass panels, designed to deter trespassers and metal thieves from accessing the track. They also help prevent road vehicles from driving along the railway from a crossing.
Innovative addition Rosehill Rail has developed a new rubber edge beam incorporating a service void to help overcome the challenges of running cables at level crossings. Building on the success of the company’s existing rubber edge beam, this new product is ideal for use on both new installations and maintenance projects to ensure cables are completely protected from accidental damage and vandalism, while allowing for ease of access to maintenance teams. Extremely tough and durable, engineered rubber edge beams are over 65 per cent lighter than traditional concrete edge beams, plus they won’t crack, spall or deteriorate from freeze-thaw actions. Commenting on the new product, general manager Andrew Knight said: “Since its launch last year, the rubber edge beam has been very popular and, as more have been installed, we’ve been asked if we could develop another version that could accommodate cables. This is a great example of how we’ve listened to our customers’ feedback and developed a new product that will help them overcome their challenges, and improve installation times.” Currently awaiting approval by Network Rail, the edge beam will be available in standard 1.8 metre lengths.
LEVEL CROSSINGS
Training sessions can be tailored to installation, specification or operational needs and can also answer specific queries on design, specification advice, or checking compatibility for an installation. Once trained, a team should be able to install a permanent, temporary or semi-permanent Rosehill Rail crossing surface or access point system in 90 minutes.
The Connect system is designed for heavy traffic and can be employed on any road crossing. The crossing panels can be manufactured for any gauge of track and the system is particularly useful for very long crossings or those at an acute angle to a road. The system is designed for 600mm sleeper spacing – each panel is connected to the next by two bolts that are then covered with rubber blocks. The Interlocking Road Rail Access Point system is designed specifically to accommodate irregular sleeper spacing. Each individual panel is manufactured to fit the specific rail, sleeper and fastener type to ensure the perfect fit. The panels are securely fixed using locking plates, linking the panels together and ensuring panels cannot become dislodged. The system reduces possession times and delivers significant cost savings compared to traditional concrete and other modular systems.
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Rolvenden revolution
Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
CHRIS PARKER
T
he Kent and East Sussex Railway (KESR) originally opened in 1900 and, after 1905, joined the Hastings line at Robertsbridge with the South Eastern main line at Headcorn. It was built under the provisions of the 1896 Light Railways Act, rather than the standards imposed on ‘heavy’ railways. This heritage railway has been running from Tenterden, first to Rolvenden since 1974 and then to Wittersham Road (1977), Northiam (1990), Bodiam (2000) and most recently to Junction Road (2011) - twelve and a half miles in all. Recently, a new type of level crossing was installed on the KESR, crossing the A28 next to Rolvenden station. This intersection with the A28 is a busy fast road crossing at the bottom of a dip. The road traffic, in particular the heavy trucks, has caused regular failures of the traditional set-in-Tarmac type crossing. The track is on a tight 270-metre radius and has been a big maintenance and cost liability to the railway. As a result, a different solution was sought. After some deliberation, KESR engineers selected a precast Edilon Sedra concrete unit crossing. This is the first of its type to be used in roads anywhere in the UK, although it has been extensively used in previous design configurations in mainland Europe for the last 30 years. This type of installation was chosen as it provides a low maintenance solution with a very positive whole-life-cost payback. The new type of crossing will remove the weak point in the system that has caused serious issues in the past, and will increase the time between maintenance interventions from 10 years to a proven, manageable, 40 years.
Installation The Edilon Sedra system has a low ground pressure due to the large bearing area of the units, which are 2.4 metres wide. This feature makes the formation preparation simple; all that is required being a type 1 base layer with a sharp sand blinding on top. The units are placed on this base to an accuracy of ±5 mm and the rails are installed on pads, in the troughs of the units. The rails are then aligned using permanent wedges and, when the track design has been achieved, they are bonded permanently into the preformed troughs using a proprietary Corkelast material. Fast setting concrete is then used to fill the lower section of the road voids at the sides of the units and this is topped with approved Tarmac. At Rolvenden, once the road was excavated, the operation to get the five 3-metre units down and the rail bonded prior to concreting took only five hours. It had been hoped to use a new type of corrosion resistant rail in the crossing. Unfortunately, timing issues made it impossible to do that on this occasion. Rails at level crossings can be particularly exposed to corrosion because of the wet saline conditions caused by salt applied in winter to the road. The difficulty in accessing them to check for corrosion makes this a serious issue. Fortunately, the type of embedment used in the Edilon system is likely to offer some protection.
Suppliers involved: Edilon Sedra: Crossing units and Corkelast embedment system. Delkor: Transition baseplates Cemex: Transition sleepers Tiflex: Plastic bridge beams and packers Bakerail: Road closure and safety work package plan TES 2000: Road breakout and reinstatement works.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
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LEVEL CROSSINGS
Crossing units in place with rails installed ready for the road to be made good. (Inset) Installing an Edilon-Sedra unit on the prepared base.
However, there are plans to include the Alphatek Hyperion 1034 rails in another level crossing on the KESR when it is reconstructed using the Edilon system. The rail is normal except for the special corrosion protection coating applied to it by Alphatek. As well as giving the KESR a better result, it will also give Alphatek a demonstration site and allow testing of the product under realistic conditions but in an easier, safer environment than a main line railway.
Educational design The track design was undertaken as a training exercise by London Underground, which also managed the design and detail of the transitions running on to and off the crossing. These transitions are required to create a smooth change in track stiffness from the ballasted track to the stiffer crossing structure. The transitions feature rubber bonded baseplates from Delkor, effectively a form of suspension in a track baseplate. These sit on large stable concrete sleepers, and are used throughout each transition area. The stiffness and deflection characteristics of the Corkelast rail assembly were calculated and the stiffness of the Delkor bonded resilient baseplates was chosen to manage a smooth transition between the different track stiffnesses. The use of the bonded baseplates ensures that the deflection occurs between baseplate and top of sleeper rather than between sleeper and ballast. This avoids the excessive ballast degradation that is a normal maintenance liability at locations where sudden variations of track stiffness occur, such as at level crossings. The project was conceived in discussion with a supplier wanting a UK showcase for its products. The provider of the crossing units, the Dutch company Edilon Sedra, supplied the concrete units at cost and provided, free of charge, the team to bond the rails into the concrete troughs. Delkor from Australia, with partners Tiflex, provided the bonded resilient plate and Cemex the big transition concrete sleepers. A major challenge when working on public road level crossings is always the management of road traffic. Obtaining the statutory road closure order and signing and managing the necessary closure and diversions is
a demanding exercise in its own right. Bakerail provided free support in setting up the road closure and the safe method of working. London Underground engineers, working as volunteers, undertook the design, site survey and setting out, and LU also provided additional skilled personnel on the day. The KESR now has a durable crossing that has removed an economic and maintenance liability. The new type of crossing may not be seen as ‘heritage’ in the eyes of some, but removing these financial liabilities is the only way for the railway to become sustainable into the future. Based on the success of this crossing, the railway is looking to roll the same configuration out to other crossings on the line. There are additional benefits for the rail industry in that the companies who provided support to the KESR on this site now have a place to demonstrate their products on an operating railway where safe access is attainable. In addition, the combination of the different track forms will also allow training to be undertaken in that same safe environment. Finally, there is a plan to undertake some tests in this area to validate some of the theoretical models, utilising the operational flexibility of a heritage railway.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
LEVEL CROSSINGS
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PAUL DARLINGTON
for level crossings Obstacle detection
L
evel crossings which are monitored and operated by obstacle detection (OD) technology are now well established and in use on rail networks throughout the world. Technology components and detection techniques are improving all the time, so what do the systems need to do and what are the detection methods available?
When OD crossings were first introduced on the British rail network, a report commissioned by RSSB identified a number of technology options, which included some of the following.
An ideal obstacle detection system needs to provide a safety integrity no worse, and ideally better, than a manually operated crossing, cause no or minimal delays to trains due to equipment failure or false detections, be affordable in terms of whole life costs, operate in all weather and temperatures, and be practical to use and maintain. The detection system is required to confirm that a crossing is not occupied by a person (including small children or someone who may have fallen over) or by any object that may cause damage to a moving train. Separate technology systems are required to confirm that the crossing is closed by barriers or gates and, only once the detection system has again confirmed the crossing is clear, is a train allowed to proceed across the crossing. This could be achieved by clearing the protecting signals or, on some rail networks, by using a direct communication connection to the train. The OD system needs to confirm that a person is not trapped just inside the protecting barrier and should not be confused by nonharmful items such as umbrellas (not held by a person), cardboard boxes, newspapers, fog, falling snow or heavy rain. The detection system will be exposed to electrical interference from traction and power systems, as well as dust and dirt from passing trains. It must not interfere
Video and thermal imaging
with any train signalling or communications system and needs to comply with all relevant electromagnetic compatibility regulations. These requirements are often in conflict with one another. For example, it might be possible for a particular system to offer good safety benefits, but only at the expense of causing significant operational delay. The obstacle detection system must also interface with the existing railway infrastructure, and not affect either the rolling stock or the operational procedures. An OD system may use one or several of the different types of detection, for example the first generation of Network Rail OD crossings uses both radar and laser image detection and ranging (LiDAR). IDS radar in use in Italy.
A manually operated crossing can be confirmed clear by either direct observation or by a competent operator using CCTV. So, could imaging technology automate the human checking of a crossing being clear? An obvious issue with using video technology is what happens at night or during fog when it is difficult to see, with an automated system unlikely to be as sensitive to difficult light conditions as a manual operator. The crossing may therefore need the same or a higher illumination level than a manual crossing, although even this would be of little use in foggy conditions. The cameras would be monitored via software algorithms with pixel-by-pixel analysis in order to identify objects or persons. Video
Rail Engineer • June 2017
Millimetre-wavelength beam interruption Beam interruption is a method of obstacle detection based on microwaves. The transmitting antenna emits a beam signal to a transceiver. If an object enters the path of the beam, the signal is weakened to the transceiver, indicating its presence. With the use of reflectors and amplifiers it is possible to produce a weave of beams across an area. So, a beam could be placed across each entrance and diagonally from corner to corner to cover the crossing. One of the world’s first Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 4 systems was installed in Italy and was based on millimetre wavelength beam interruption. While safe, the system was very sensitive to changes in temperature, rain and condensation on the transmitter and receiver sensors, which resulted in low availability. There was a need for periodic calibrations and maintenance and this was compounded by the need for a large number of sensors for the coverage of the whole area of the level crossing. The narrow beam width and limited field of view resulted in a requirement for even more sensors for high objects. LiDAR covers the crossing area with pulses of near-infrared light that are reflected off the surface of an object on the crossing. The reflected pulses can then be analysed to determine its location, direction and speed.
LIDAR
RADAR RADAR LIDAR
Light has shorter wavelengths than radio waves, which means that LiDAR has the potential for more accuracy than radar. Network Rail used LiDAR in its first generation of OD crossings to supplement the radar to improve the detection of low objects. However, its improved sensitivity also means that it has the potential to be susceptible to small-sized objects, such as water vapour droplets that make up fog, although this can be mitigated by software algorithms. Because LiDAR needs light to operate, the equipment must be located in a transparent housing and so is susceptible to water, dirt and dust on the glass. This requires maintenance and can result in low availability. LiDAR has a narrow beam width and a limited field of view, therefore additional sensors may be required for high and low obstacles. Some systems have mechanical moving parts which can result in a low mean time between failures (MTBF).
Induction loops An induction loop consists of a cable, containing a coil wire transceiver (transmitter and receiver), arranged in a loop in order to create an electromagnetic field. It is used to detect metal objects, so is not of any use for pedestrian detection which would require another technology. The loop emits an electromagnetic field and a metallic object entering the looped area disturbs the field and induces a current. The output of the loop is fed into a processor and analysis determines the speed and size of the object passed over the field. Unfortunately, there are an increasing number of road vehicles using composite and aluminium materials, which provide less of an induced current than steel, and problems have been reported in detecting lorries with high axles/ground clearance. Another difficulty is installing and maintaining induction loops in the surface of the crossing deck or road.
LEVEL CROSSINGS
imaging systems, however, cannot easily distinguish the mass or material properties of an object, so cannot determine the importance or relative threat of an object. Therefore, for example, a cardboard box or newspaper could be confused with a small child. Other difficulties are being able to identify stationary objects, and the boundaries of the crossing so that any movements just outside of the crossing are not confused with an object or person on the crossing. Thermal imaging cameras can overcome some of these limitations because they create a crisp image based on subtle temperature differences and are not affected by environmental challenges, such as total darkness, smoke or fog. They do not need any light whatsoever and can’t be blinded by direct sunlight. There may be an issue with objects with no heat source being left on a crossing, for example an un-braked trailer. However, thermal imaging can usually even pick this type of object out due to temperature differentials, so it may be a solution when combined with other detection technology.
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LEVEL CROSSINGS
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Radar and LiDar detectors on a British level crossing.
Strain gauges
Radar
A strain gauge can be used to measure the deformation (strain) of a material. A strain gauge could be installed in a crossing, which would detect deformation of the crossing decking when a vehicle travels over it. The strain gauge could also use fibre optic technology. A strain gauge should be able to be calibrated for both vehicles and pedestrians, but may not be able to detect small children. A similar detection technology is piezometers, which are made from rugged, weatherproof semi-conductor materials and could be laid in the crossing decking. Deformation of the piezometer caused by the weight of an object changes the conductivity and this can be analysed by a detector to identify the presence of objects. Piezometers and strain gauges have the potential of being more reliable than induction loops, but locating the detectors in the crossing decking makes them as difficult to maintain.
This uses radio waves to detect objects, which is why it’s called radar - radio detection and ranging. The radar detector transmits radio waves over an area and monitors for any echoes. If an echo is received, this indicates that a wave has hit a surface of an object and has been reflected back. By analysing the echo, the distance, position and speed of an object can be determined. The distance of the object can be identified by the time taken for the echo to return to the source or, if the radar uses frequency modulation, the distance can be determined by the difference between the emitted frequency and the echo. The distance and direction can then be used together to determine where an object lies within the level crossing. Reflectors can be installed on the boundaries of the crossing to obtain a reference echo signal and use it to monitor the status of the area and of the sensor itself. OD radar systems have been developed with SIL 4 integrity. These now include systems with a wide beam width, so there is no need for multiple sensors for high and low obstacles, and which are able to detect obstacles of any harmful material or persons (including children) of any orientation. Radar-based systems are able to reliably detect objects through rain, fog, snow, hail, and, with no mechanical moving parts, they are able to deliver high availability. One benefit of radar over other means of detection is that some safe low-density material objects, for example an empty paper box, will be ignored. Being radio-based, a radar OD system will normally require a radio license, but this does mean that the railway infrastructure manager will have exclusive use of the frequency and will be able to manage any interference. IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi is a world leader in providing radar systems for a variety of applications and has extensive research and development facilities. In September 2016, in partnership with Intecs SpA through the Stars
Ultrasonic sensors These are designed to detect the presence of objects by changes in the frequency of sound waves. The sensor emits ultrasonic sound pulses that can’t be heard by the human ear. When the pulse reaches an object, the sound is reflected by the surface. At a level crossing, ultrasonic sensors would have to be suspended above the crossing area and be able to emit the sound waves onto the crossing decking. Multiple sensors would be required to avoid black spots and, on electrified routes, the equipment would be in very close proximity to parts of the overhead wires. The equipment would be more susceptible to vandalism and damage from members of the public since it is much more prominent at a crossing than other forms of detection. However, it is reported that the USA has performed successful obstacle detection trials using an array of ultrasonic sensors suspended over a level crossing.
Railway Systems consortium, the company provided its first level crossing system in Northern Italy. In total, more than 100 systems are on order - 49 have been delivered to date with all of them scheduled to be installed and operational by the end of 2018. The system is able to monitor level crossings of any shape with, normally, only one sensor required per level crossing. However, up to four radar sensors can be used to cover all geometries. The sensor is able to operate in all weather conditions and has a predicted MTBF greater than 10 years. The system is capable of being configured to detect objects within 100mm to 200mm of a boundary, so there is a very low risk of objects or persons (vertical or horizontal) being missed. All current installations are performing as designed, with no false alarms reported. In the UK, IDS leads the provision of specialist electromagnetic modelling software and consultancy services to the Ministry of Defence and other customers in the defence industry, so it has access to all the skills and knowledge required to provide radar systems for all rail applications. Thanks to Paul Davies of IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi for his assistance with this article. Inside a radar detector.
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS
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Safety is an extremely important issue on railways. To help improve it, IDS has developed all weather radar based systems to detect obstacles on the tracks, especially in high risk zones such as at level crossings, tunnel entrances and near bridges. They provide advance warning to approaching trains via the trackside signal system. Knowledge of the condition of the tracks and infrastructure throughout a rail network is also vital for rail safety. Our unmanned aerial systems provide quick, safe and low cost track monitoring, rail inspections, mapping and photogrammetry. It is also important to know the condition and location of rolling stock on the rail network. We offer systems for rail fleet monitoring, analysis and operational control, enabling action to be taken to increase availability, as well as a multi sensor positioning system that fuses data from GNSS, IMU and track sensors to provide accurate location of high speed trains. Continuous on-board broadband internet connectivity can be assured by the use of our flat Ku or Ka band satellite antennas. Designed specifically for high speed rail use and capable of coping with the resultant high transversal accelerations, they have a low, 15cm profile and are structurally robust. Able to connect to any high throughput satellite (HTS) they provide very high bandwidth data throughout the whole of the rail network.
IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi S.p.A. Tel. +44 (0)1489 885807 railsystems@idscorporation.com www.idscorporation.com
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
PAUL DARLINGTON
Hacking the railway German rail passengers were confronted by a message from the hackers.
T
he recent attacks on computer networks at health locations in Britain, Russia’s interior ministry, the Spanish telecom giant Telefonica and the US delivery firm FedEx, as well as organisations in Sweden, Germany and around the world has once again raised the issue of cyber security. Railway control and information systems are becoming more connected, and are therefore exposed to cyber-attacks. In other industries, business attacks on critical infrastructures have emerged as serious and disruptive threats. Tailor-made trojans and malware have appeared that can sabotage, collect information, or hold organisations to ransom. The latest software attacks exploited a flaw in the Windows XP operating system exposed in documents leaked from the US National Security Agency. A technique known as ransomware locks users’ files unless they pay the attackers a designated sum in the virtual currency Bitcoin. But, on this occasion, did it affect rail, and what are the risks?
Modest effect Understandably rail operators do not want to divulge too much about their risks and defences, but it would appear that rail in the UK did not suffer any successful cyber-attacks; at least this time. A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority, which is why we work closely with government, the security services, our partners and suppliers in the rail industry and security specialists to combat cyber threats. Our security is constantly under review, but we can’t discuss the details for obvious reasons.”
It was reported that Manchester Metro had been compromised, but the system failure experienced was not due to a cyber-attack. Instead, it was down to a “major technical issue”. Danny Vaughan, head of Metrolink at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “There was a technical systems failure which affected communications between the control room and trams out on the network.” All services were halted and trams returned slowly to their depots. Metrolink runs a closed IT network with high levels of security and there was no indication of any form of hacking or cyber attack which would also result in shutting down the system. However, in Germany, Deutsche Bahn (DB) computers were impacted, with the company reporting that display panels in the stations were affected. Travellers tweeted pictures of hijacked departure boards showing the ransom demand instead of train times. Despite this, DB insisted that trains ran as normal. In many cases the UK railway control systems predate commercial computer systems and are not networked, or they are relatively new and have robust cyber security measures in place. Rail has also benefited from the relatively slow implementation of networked control systems and has learned from other control system industries on the requirements for security measures.
Rail must not be complacent though. More attacks on critical infrastructures are being detected around the world. The loss of service or the damage to customer and public confidence can have dramatic consequences. Critical infrastructures include health, emergency services, energy, financial services, food, government, water and transport.
Project Honeytrain To determine how attacks on such critical infrastructures could be performed and how widespread the hacking community is, Britishbased computer security firm Sophos, in cooperation with Koramis of Germany, created project Honeytrain. A model was set up as a honeypot to hackers of a mythical virtual rail transport control and operating system, in order to gain information about the quality, quantity and aggressiveness of possible attacks.
Rail Engineer • June 2017 The project was not specifically intended to assess the risks to rail, but was chosen as it was easier to model rail than other industrial control systems. A virtual rail infrastructure was reproduced with real hardware including computer systems and communication protocols. Software components of automation and control systems (such as existing railway systems), and CCTV videos of real stations and train operator workstations were simulated. A mythical customised website with general information, timetables, ticketing and information about train disruption was also created. Logins and passwords were left at their defaults and no security measures were enabled. To hackers around the world, though, it appeared to be a real railway. A compromised gateway to the internet was established with multiple analysis tools for logging and reporting, including a network sniffer and an intrusion detection system. The analysis tools were specially designed for the requirements of control systems. Based on up-to-date provider databases and a geolocator, countries were assigned to the IP addresses used for the attacks. For each control system, a public IP address was assigned. This reflected that many real industrial systems can be accessed through digital connections. The integration of video streams from stations and drivers’ cabs completed the holistic image of a realistic control system. Throughout the duration of the project, the network traffic as well as system events were all recorded.
Results The infrastructure of the Honeytrain project was in operation for only six weeks and, in total, 2,745,267 attacks were identified. Many of these would be generated by hacking software and the number doesn’t represent the number of individual hackers, although the number of hackers was significant. At least one attempted attack was detected from almost every country in the world. The ten ‘worst’ countries, in order of attempted attacks were:
»» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»
China 41% USA 9% France 7% Poland 4% Moldova 3% Taiwan 2% UK 2% Turkey 2% Russia 1% Germany 1% Rest of the world 28%. The majority (61 per cent) of attempted attacks occurred on the media server and firewall components. One possible reason could have been the open standard services of these systems and the availability of out-of-the-box attacks offered by hacking tools. In contrast, the industrial component vulnerabilities and attack routes are known, but they are not always implemented (yet) in hacking tools. Analysis of attempted attacks revealed that the majority were carried out as automated dictionary attacks. In a dictionary attack, the hacker is trying to identify an unknown password using a dictionary list. Often whole dictionaries as well as known or commonly successful combinations are used to create such a list. Four valid logins were detected, with two of them performed by dictionary attacks. The other two valid logins were (according to the IP address of the attacker) not based on dictionary attacks. It is assumed that one or both attackers repeatedly accessed the login to access the system. By geolocation of the last resolvable IP address, the first and second dictionary attack could be identified as carried out in either Japan or China.
Project Honeytrain-the model railway (top) used actual train control systems ((bottom) for authenticity.
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In one of the attacks the command line was started, two PINGs were executed, and the execution programme opened. It was found that the security configuration of industrial components was read out via a central tool, and the settings were exported. As a result, it was possible to activate the front lights of one mythical train. At the same time as the attack, it was observed that the same accessing IP address tried to control a mythical signal using another dictionary attack. However, this attack was not successful. The sequence of attacks shows that the attacker had a deep knowledge of the industrial control systems used for the Honeytrain project. The actions were not performed randomly, but deliberately. Another attack was on the media server. Using a dictionary attack, the valid login credentials were determined and the aim of this attack was to change the content on the website. Singapore was identified as the origin.
Cross-industry strategy The good news is that, as a result of the analysis of the results, it was concluded that relatively small measures (for example robust passwords and firewalls) are sufficient to prevent unauthorised access to railway systems, or to avoid their visibility within the internet. These measures, and many more, are included within the GB rail cross-industry cyber security strategy. The strategy was instigated by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and produced by RSSB. Complying with the strategy will ensure the rail industry is better prepared for cyber threats and will be ready for new legislation being introduced regarding cyber security for critical infrastructure. The strategy supports the vision and the Rail Technical Strategy objective that all information and control systems must be resilient to cyberattacks (RTS, 2012), while not limiting innovation in the railway. The strategy was handed to Rail Delivery Group in December 2016 for its onward development, including guidance, support and monitoring of its delivery. Thanks to Dave Robson, principal consultant at SNC-Lavalin, for his assistance with this article.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
CLIVE KESSELL
Digital Deliberations T
his year’s Rail Digital Summit, organised by Rail-Media, took place recently in the Bird & Bird law firm offices in London. Around 70 people were present from a variety of rail industries. A dozen speakers informed on the latest developments in the digital world, a mix of good news, matters for concern and some amazing statistics. Split into two sessions - the Invisible and the Visible Digital Railway - some of the more obscure aspects became apparent. An introduction by John Drake observed that the rail industry, like many others, is slow to adopt the advantages of modern digital technology and it struggles to obtain a unified view of what is needed. Whilst the legal profession is often castigated for interference in engineering matters, it can often bring new thinking on how challenging projects might be progressed.
Train control and communications For some, the digital railway is narrowly defined as the modernisation of signalling and telecommunications, and this element was duly touched on by Peter Rypma from Siemens and Christian Fry from Alstom. Progress to implement ERTMS on the main line is painfully slow but digital systems applied to Metro networks have made much better progress; London Underground’s Victoria line now operates 36 trains per hour with its radio based automation.
The Victorian infrastructure of the UK main lines is a constraint, but the contractual structure for modernisation is also a weakness. One of the reasons suggested for this situation is the inability of supply chain companies to fulfil their real potential by being constrained with over-prescriptive specifications and innovation restriction. If only the suppliers were to be allowed to design, build, implement and maintain a section of railway, it would happen in a quicker timeframe with much greater efficiency. This may be worthy of consideration, but factors relating to safety approval, industrial relations, operating rules and the way in which a multiple supply base could work cohesively together would need to be fully understood. It also needs to recognise that the railway is a network where interoperability between different suppliers of both infrastructure and
train borne equipment would need a guarantee that everything worked with everything else. The signalling industry does not have a good track record in this respect, having been successful over past decades by producing products that are different to the competition. An approach of this type has, however, been taken in Denmark with ERTMS provision on a nationwide scale being contracted out to two supply companies on a geographical basis for infrastructure and one supplier of train borne kit. Hanne Johansen and David Brewer from Atkins explained that there have been many difficulties but the project, which began in 2014, is now reaching customer integration testing with the first commissioning due in 2018. Agreeing new operational rules has been an uphill struggle and approval has been based upon the ‘Communications Safety Method for
Rail Engineer • June 2017
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Risk Evaluation’ (CSM-RA). Political support and stakeholder collaboration are vital and a joint test laboratory was needed. The lessons to be learned will be shared with all in due course. Some hard facts have emerged from all of this: there is no silver bullet; there is no overnight ‘big bang’; cyber security is an ever present threat; the laws of physics still prevail - a flat junction will always be a limitation.
The Internet of Things The IoT concept is not new but what is it exactly and how does it fit into rail? David Gate from EAMS gave a definition of a ‘thing’ - any object with embedded electronics and a network connection. Such ‘things’ can generate massive amounts of data and from this comes the term ‘Big Data’. 95 per cent of this collected information is reckoned not to be acted upon but, if it were to be, reliability, response to incidents, prediction of failures and asset intelligence in many industries would be much improved with the railways being a prime candidate to capitalise on the benefits. There are legal implications, brought out by Richard Bickerstaff from Bird & Bird. The IoT leads to a complex environment with multiple players, multiple contracts, situation interplay and different liability regimes. The challenge is to get the regulatory environment to make it work without getting bogged down in legal disputes. A big question is who owns the data? No ownership rights exist at the moment and the EU Database Directive is seriously out of date. In some cases data must be protected in terms of copyright, confidentiality and Database Rights. However, Rail Engineer understands that, where appropriate, the industry as a whole can benefit from open source data.
Cyber security The big threat to all of this is cyber security. Some alarming statistics were disclosed by David Robson from SNC-Lavalin. Just how safe can we be with security lapses, and would anyone really want to hack into the railway? To find out, the Honeytrain project was implemented with a real control system connected to a simulated piece of railway, all set up to a manufacturer’s specification. In a six-week period, 2.7 million hacking attempts were observed, a staggering figure. As far as can be ascertained, the hackers were not specifically targeting the railway but they do have a deep knowledge of industrial control systems. They have no morals, so derailing a train or running it into a dead end would be just unfortunate consequences. The ways of getting into a system are devious and often occur by a single piece of data information being obtained from which entry into the system can be progressively captured. The process can take place over many weeks.
It requires a high level of professionalism and is invariably business led. Following best practice to prevent malfunction will not always be good enough - the Ukraine power grid was shut down for a period of time, despite precautions being taken. A subsequent enquiry revealed that information on the network had been acquired over a six-month period. Taking advice from the national security authorities - the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) - must be continuous. It is an iterative process and will involve both capital and operational expenditure. Both old and new technologies are vulnerable but personal awareness is vital. Rogue memory sticks and computers left active on desks are as much a risk as any of the Internet or communication links. The hard message is that, if it is not secure, it is unlikely to be safe. The challenge will be how to get security patches implemented without affecting the safety case.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017 Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a growing opportunity, promoted by Steve Cassidy from ESP Group. Conceived as a means of purchase rather than ownership of a service, a typical example would be not having a car but acquiring access to one when needed. A social currency to match people to the services they want is the ultimate vision. In the rail sector, the sharing of journey experience, ticket provision across multiple modes and speeding up compensation claims are all features that could be developed. Paying for the service at competitive rates by smart card would need to be simple and is not currently developed.
The traveller experience
Legal requirements to ensure preventative measures are emerging. Simon Shooter from Bird & Bird explained the EU NISD (Network Information and Security Directive), which becomes obligatory into national law in May 2018 (issue 138, April 2016). It requires companies and organisations to have appropriate and proportionate measures in place, with sanctions being applied if found wanting. The goal is to balance preparation and prevention and will involve supply chain certification, penetration testing, and having a cyber incident plan covering all disciplines. The precise definition of appropriate measures are still something of an unknown as indeed are the sanctions that will be applied but be very clear, doing nothing is not an option.
Fares and ticketing The visible side of the digital railway relates to what rail customers see daily. Smart ticketing is one element with Oyster, Bank Card and others being introduced on a localised basis. Dennis Rocks from the Rail Delivery Group offered interesting statistics. 600,000 smart tickets are already in being, 90,000 of these in London. Fenchurch St station had 1.2 million tap ins/outs in 2016. Paper magnetic stripe tickets are on the decline but still account for a large percentage of tickets sold, 920 million in a typical year. They are likely to be phased out by 2023 but are the only option for some journeys at present. The railway recognises it must continue to cater for people without a bank account or a smart card - exactly how this will be achieved is under consideration. Smart ticketing, which includes barcode print outs (600 million a year) and eTickets (1.5 million in a six month period), gives much more journey information data, which is invaluable to operators for train planning. Getting all this established within the existing franchise rules is proving a challenge.
Also in the frame is the national thrust, backed by government, to ensure travellers are offered the best price for the required journey.
Train-borne connectivity and mobility On board Wi-Fi is a vital traveller service but getting the right technology configuration can be difficult, so says Barry Larcombe from Huber+Suhner. Three factors dominate performance. Obtaining the required data rate infrastructure on the train is being progressed by Cat 7 cabling giving a 10Gbit connection through the inter-carriage jumpers, while providing the right train aerial in the best roof location is not always as straightforward as one would think. The big problem is, however, the train-toground radio coverage where significant gaps remain in deep cuttings, tunnels and, all too often, in enclosed stations. All have their challenges but the biggest one is who will pay for improved performance - the train company, the cellular network operator or the Wi-Fi provider? There is no easy answer to this question. Refer to Rail Engineer issue 149 (March 2017) for a fuller analysis of the situation.
Has the onset of the digital railway improved traveller experience? Work done by Nexus Alpha, as described by Patrick McDougall, would suggest it has. Satisfaction levels measured in 2016 are better than those of 2006 (shown in brackets). Areas probed were: »» Information at stations 82% (77%); »» Station staff availability and knowledge 66% (57%); »» Train-borne information 70% (63%); »» Train staff helpfulness 44% (37%); »» Dealing with delay 35% (34%). The latter two items, whilst improved, still have a long way to go. More innovative hardware is needed to improve the ‘customer reach’ but perhaps railway technologists are not the best people to do this? Maybe allowing the likes of Google to be fed the raw information, so they can customise it before sending it out to social media, might be more in tune with public expectations. Certainly, when major disruption occurs, it is often the social media channels that are better informed as to what is happening than the railway enquiry offices or local station staff. The Rail-Media Digital Rail Summit is always a fascinating day. This year was no exception, with a number of unexpected twists in what was presented.
Rail Engineer • June 2017
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
Three electrification projects that are going to plan
PETER STANTON
E
lectrification schemes have been very much in the news over the last couple of years, at least so far as the railway industry press is concerned. And it’s not all been good. There is the much-publicised Great Western Electrification Programme (GWEP), since changed to the Great Western Route Modernisation, and now late and over budget. The National Audit Office has recognised that the Department for Transport did not plan and manage the project “in a sufficiently joined up way”, that “the electrification timetable was not based on a bottom-up understanding of what the works would involve” and that “Network Rail was too optimistic about the productivity of new technology”. Then comes the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), over budget and running late, allegedly due to problems with new electrical clearance regulations (issue 149, March 2017). So readers might be forgiven for thinking that Britain’s electrification master plan is in tatters. The truth is, it isn’t. There is more to electrification than the two programmes mentioned above, even though they form a large part of it. Some of the others are going well, and three of those are run by Carillion.
A familiar name The name Carillion has become very familiar within the rail industry over the last twenty years. Demerging from the original Tarmac company, it did much work after railway privatisation in the early 1990s including various West Coast Route Modernisation contracts and the successful Nuneaton remodelling which included new platforms and a new link avoiding a flat crossing of the main line by Birmingham - Leicester services. Martin Smith, managing director of Carillion Powerlines, is a civil engineer by profession. He originally joined the rail industry at around the time of infrastructure privatisation and then gained wide experience across non-rail sectors. He came back to rail after experiencing everything from highways to facilities management. Carillion Powerlines Limited (CPL) was formed on 10 February 2014, with its registered office in Wolverhampton, as a joint venture between SPL Powerlines and Carillion. Its aim was to do business, as a significant European electrification player, with resources directed at delivering Network Rail’s ‘National Electrification Programme’ framework While CPL is involved in several electrification schemes, Carillion is also engaged in electrification works in its own right. Martin Smith recently met with Rail Engineer to explain what his companies are doing and how they are progressing. He was particularly pleased to be working under the Early Contractor Involvement scenario, which allows much more open development of schemes. This initiative has changed the way in which contracts are approached and has a great track record for success.
These companies are currently working on three electrification projects: »» The line between Holytown and Midcalder between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Shotts; »» The Midland main line from Bedford to Corby - effectively, the London to Corby scheme (the commencement of the Midland main line electrification scheme previously authorised); »» The balance of the North West programme - from Euxton Junction via Bolton to Manchester and east from Manchester towards the transPennine route. The first two are CPL projects, the third is Carillion’s alone.
We deliver Carillion are upgrading and electrifying the link from Bedford to Corby ready for the introduction of the new train service. Contact us at www.carillionplc.com
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Kettering to Corby bridge deck renewal.
This is a £49 million contract to electrify 74km of double track railway on the Shotts line between Holytown Junction and Midcalder Junction (see map above) as part of a wider £160 million Scottish Government investment in the line between Scotland’s largest cities. The scope covers the physical delivery of all elements required to electrify the line, such as erecting structures and installing the overhead contact system. It will be carried out in tandem with structures electrification clearance work. The scheme involves station rebuilding and platform lengthening and the provision of the SCADA control system and distribution network as appropriate. When this work is complete in 2019, electric services will be operated by the new Hitachi Class 385 units, which will offer improved reliability and increased capacity for passengers. A site office has been set up at Cleland, just east of Motherwell, with Network Rail communicating from its Scottish office. Local presence has proved valuable to help reassure neighbours and other stakeholders in respect of their environmental concerns. This has been well managed by community liaison officers with a genuine understanding of the public’s worries. Line access is good and contributes to long possessions and efficient installation. Consideration has been given to the use of a wiring train but good productivity is being achieved with more traditional operations, using mobile equipment work platforms and SRS road-rail lorries. The overhead contact system is of the Network Rail Series 2 design.
One of the details that Martin was keen to point out was that completed foundations are easily recognisable. Instead of ad-hoc pile covers, completed piles have been sealed with high-visibility orange caps. Of a total of around 1,500 foundations, over 50 per cent have been installed to date. Martin emphasised that this contract award reflected the depth of experience that CPL can demonstrate in delivering infrastructure enhancements within a railway environment. It will, he believes, further enhance the relationship that has been developed with Network Rail. It was also a first for Carillion Powerlines on the National Electrification Programme.
London to Corby This scheme covers one of the last major main line routes remaining to be electrified, that of the old Midland Railway from London St Pancras to the East Midlands. The route was previously electrified as far north as Bedford as a suburban railway scheme, with intercity and freight services continuing to be run by diesel traction. Following reviews and what was known as a ‘pause’ in the national electrification programme, instigated by the government, the project was re-started in late 2015 with the initial scope being to electrify from the current electrification boundary to the town of Corby. Thus the section of the Midland main line works tends to be known as ‘London to Corby Electrification’ even though the current focus is mostly on Bedford to Corby. However, with Thameslink enhancements coming on stream, power supply and overhead contact system works will be required on the existing electrified infrastructure south of Bedford. Electrifying the line will significantly increase capacity, both to Corby and to Kettering. Corby is a branch off the Midland main line at Kettering North Junction and was previously served by a singletrack formation. As well as the wiring of the route, the opportunity is being taken to enhance capacity with doubling of the line between Corby and Kettering and adding a fourth track between Bedford and Kettering - work being carried out by Carillion under a separate contract. Whilst the route capacity works had been continuing, they had not included electrification and therefore a design exercise had to be undertaken to design-in the contact system and other electrification-related scope.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
prepared. Devegetation has taken place with trial holes excavated for structure installation. Maximum advantage has been taken of using Mission Room, a panoramic survey and display system which uses train-mounted cameras to capture video information. Mission Room captured and mapped the route from St Pancras to Corby and re-filming the infrastructure over the life of the project means planning and briefings have access to the latest site information. All this data, along with a specific induction package for the supply chain, may then be displayed on an Arena, Open or Portable system.
ELECTRIFICATION/POWER
The overhead contact system design is based on the Network Rail developed ‘Master Series’, suitable for 100 mph running on the branch and 125mph on the main line. The distribution system will be modified, including a significant investment in all aspects of the power equipment, to support the increase in electric train services using the route. In a bid to meet targets to start site construction works in the summer of 2017, significant advantage has been taken of existing planned access to the route with access points and construction compound sites being
As well as minimising the need for onsite presence, details of the actual infrastructure can be fed to the designer to make allowance before final design. With the client and contractor project teams co-located, communication is much simplified. The first foundations for the OLE structures were installed in May.
Proud to support Carillion enhancing safety and efficiency on For more information call 0115 951 6800
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Crossrail, MMLE and NWEP Our unique 360° route filming system saves time and keeps your workforce safe.
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This North West scheme is being undertaken by Carillion alone and follows electrification of the routes linking Liverpool and Manchester. Runcorn In July 2009,Mobberley Network Rail was requested by the Runcorn East Adlington Department for Transport Alderley (DfT) to undertake a study of (Cheshire) Frodsham Edge linePrestbury LiverpoolKnutsford to Manchester overhead electrification, as part of the development of the Network Route Utilisation Helsby Acton Chelford Lo Strategy (RUS). The DfT then requested aMacclesfield further study, of Bridge N s or to ck ‘Lancashire Triangle’, Deal Street to Euxton Junctions th w the H G ic ar ra h (Manchester tfo toGoostrey Preston) Huyton to Wigan and Preston to la rd m Blackpool. Holmes This led toChapel an announcement by the DfT in 2009 of support for electrification of the Lancashire Triangle. A Congleton further announcement in 2011 added the line between Sandbach Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge. Network Rail then developed a North West Electrification Programme (NWEP) split into a number of phases to deliver these CreweThis project is key Kidsgrove works. to the Northern Powerhouse Nantwich vision and involves £160 million of work. Carillion is delivering phase four (Euxton Junction to Manchester via Bolton) and phase five (Manchester Victoria to Widnes
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Stalybridge). This is being done via a framework contract with the Central Infrastructure Projects organisation within Network Rail (see map). Another contractor undertook much of the earlier construction and design before Carillion became involved, Be rr with foundationsBralready installed in some locations. ow y Existing design outputs were transferred to Carillion, with the original designer retained to undertake some of the design work. This has led to an effective design cooperation protocol that has worked well. The collaborative approach to working on NWEP has been taken one step further, with Network Rail and project partners now occupying shared office space resulting in a close-knit team that is working effectively to ensure that the programme is delivered to programme. Foundation installation is now underway and contact system steelwork erection is expected to begin shortly. For this scheme, the electrification equipment is of the Master Series design with the scope of an autotransformer system being included. Edale c Lo
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These three schemes fill a significant amount of both Chapel-En-Le-Frith
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the Carillion and CPL workbank, allowing the companies to optimise their approaches to future projects. They areBuxton all challenging in terms of timescale and budget, but having everyone work towards the same goal with no logistical barriers is the ideal way to complete the work successfully. Martin commented that the ‘pausing’ of the electrification scheme for the Midland main line presented a particular challenge, as people had to be reallocated across the business without any redundancies, loss of skills or key staff. Carillion’s capacity to move the available skills from the Midland main line to augment other projects across the business resulted in many of those people being relocated to work on NWEP. It also meant that the supply chain was gaining confidence as the electrification programme matured and was making its own investment in construction plant and staff. Following the ‘unpausing’ of the Midland work, the speed at which CPL re-mobilised everyone, so they were in a strong position to start work in the summer, was also a big achievement. Between 120 and 130 people were mobilised in a relatively short time, a very positive move which strengthened the relationship between the joint venture partners in terms of bringing people from across the UK and abroad. Carillion is well placed to deal with further opportunities in the electrification market and looks likely to remain a major player. As well as securing its reputation, these current projects will assist the company in deciding on future electrification construction equipment investment. Refreshing, also, is the fact that Carillion is now taking on electrification and track engineering apprentices and is also carrying out graduate recruitment. Notwithstanding that, the company is also looking to mainland Europe for expertise to support its British operations. Altogether, there’s a very positive future for a company that is an integral part of the United Kingdom railway infrastructure scene.
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
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STEVE COX
Alstom
the CLever Innovator C Lever by name and clever by nature is Alstom’s new CLever Cantilever, showcased at last month’s Railtex exhibition in Birmingham. This innovative development of the overhead electrification cantilever provides a lightweight and cost-effective solution.
The CLever Cantilever on test West Coast main line.
Named CLever (a play on the word CantiLever), the new cantilever was designed and manufactured by Alstom in Lecco, Northern Italy, for 3kV and 25kV railway electrification systems operating at speeds up to 300km/h. Developed specifically for use in the United Kingdom and included in Network Rail’s Series 2 and Master Series range of equipment, it comprises a full range of cantilevers for all electrification applications including mastmounted, from a drop tube for use on two-track cantilevers or portals, or mounted directly from civil infrastructure. The full range of CLever cantilevers has recently been granted full product acceptance by Network Rail following extensive testing at a trial location between Rugby and Long Buckby on the Northampton loop of the West Coast main line. It has been developed using safe-by-design principals, in line with Alstom’s commitment
to engineer a safer railway for the UK, and BIM techniques to ensure an optimal design outcome resulted in a safe product that provides economic advantage and is aesthetically pleasing. This rigorous design and testing development process focused on minimising the part count to enhance reliability, minimise maintenance and create a lightweight product that provides a safety advantage for manual handling and installation. The minimal part count, as well as the focus on the quality and reliability of components within the cantilever assembly, facilitates an advantageous life-cycle cost with minimal maintenance. One example of the attention to detail in the new design is that every nut and bolt on the new cantilever is the same size. Technicians, working at height to install the new equipment, therefore only need one size of spanner, making the job easier and quicker.
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In addition, the lightweight nature of the product means that an installation team can install a cantilever within around 15 minutes. This ability for the cantilever to be installed efficiently and quickly makes it an ideal partner for a high-output electrification installation system. This is particularly appreciated, not only on new lines, but also on renovation or electrification of lines in service, without disrupting operation. Alstom has the ability to integrate the cantilever installation with high-output wiring achieved via its other successful innovation - the wiring train.
Wiring train Introduced into the UK from service in Italy in October 2015, the wiring-train was modified specifically for use on the British network by March 2016 and then successfully deployed on the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme. The train consists of seven vehicles, each of which has a specific purpose - a traction crane and MEWP (mobile elevating work platform) unit, drum carrier, wire tensioner, manipulator and MEWP, two independent MEWPs and a traction unit with MEWP and pantograph. The wiring train has the advantage of being classed as an OTM (on-track machine) and, as such, can travel loco-hauled. Once the train gets to the work site and into the possession, it can run out catenary and contact wire together at full line tension. The individual units that comprise the train can split, allowing registration activities to be undertaken and the fitment of any in-line items such as section insulators and the like. The wiring train can also be used to run ancillary wires such as earth wires and feeder wires, providing a complete electrification delivery solution.
The advantage with the Alstom electrification installation system is that a wire run can be completed in one shift compared with three shifts conventionally. Also, a higher quality installed tension length is achieved due to the mechanisation and, as with all Alstom innovations, the focus is on safety as the number of workers trackside is reduced. This innovative and unique electrification delivery system has been developed by Alstom drawing on experience from many years of successful experience gained across Europe delivering high-speed, high-output electrification. In the UK, Alstom innovations in the field of electrification are focused on making the delivery of electrification projects more cost effective to allow more of the rail network to be electrified and provide value for money.
Developed in Italy Alstom’s in-house centre of excellence for electrification components, is based in the beautiful Italian city of Lecco, at the foot of the Italian Alps and close to Lake Lecco, a branch of Lake Como. The site was founded here in 1908 -
it now has a strong pedigree of mainline railway and tram equipment manufacture and two satellite factories in the local area. It is this centre of excellence that manufactures and supplies the Alstom highspeed electrification systems that are installed throughout Europe. The Lecco factory has also supplied much of the electrification equipment for the railway systems being installed by the ATC joint venture (Alstom/TSO/Costain) in the Crossrail tunnels. The electrification system for Crossrail is based on Alstom’s OCS3 range of equipment with rigid overhead conductor beams being used throughout the tunnels.
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Third rail Alstom’s electrification equipment innovations also extend to DC equipment with a highconductivity third-rail (or fourth-rail in the case of London Underground) composite conductor rail. This consists of a stainless-steel contact surface, with ‘state of the art’ welding resulting in a seamless contact surface for the conductor shoe, topping an underlying high-conductivity aluminium rail which is fully protected from wear by this stainless-steel layer, extending product life and reducing overall lifecycle costs. Manufacturing this high-integrity product requires advanced fabricating and manufacturing techniques that are specific to the Lecco facility. This new third-rail equipment, not just the composite conductor rail but the complete system, is currently being tested in the extreme temperatures experienced on the Riyadh metro project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the equipment must operate from -5oC at night to +50oC in the shade at midday.
Hesop Alstom’s innovative reversible power-supply substation (issue 140, June 2016) optimises the power required for light rail and metro traction systems and can capture more than 99 per cent of recoverable energy from regenerative braking. Hesop (Harmonic and Energy Saving Optimiser), of which there are 70 units on the Riyadh Metro, increases the energy efficiency of the electrical system resulting in a decrease in carbon emissions. This is achieved by converting the energy emitted by trains during braking into usable electrical power that can be used by station services such as lighting and elevators.
As the energy is reused, it removes a source of heat. This, when deployed in tunnels, will have the effect of reducing temperature important in hot summer months or for railway systems installed in hotter climates than that of the UK. The additional benefit gained from Hesop is that, by optimising the electrical power system, the distance between traction substations can be increased and, potentially, their number reduced by 20 per cent. This reduces the amount of infrastructure and hence construction required, providing a capital and lifecycle cost advantage as well as a safety benefit as less construction eliminates the associated health and safety risks. Hesop is installed on the London Underground’s Victoria line, as well as the aforementioned Riyadh Metro.
Joined-up company Alstom recently combined three separate groups to form the Systems, Signalling and Infrastructure business unit, allowing the company to offer clients an integrated system. Integrating the company into one joined-up entity has created an environment that facilitates innovation on a complete-system level, placing Alstom in a leading position in its rail industry sectors. Having in-house centres of excellence, such as the one at Lecco in Italy, supported by a highly competent design capability that allows for agile innovation and rapid prototyping, allows innovative new products to be introduced to the market, sparking much-needed technological progress in the rail industry. Steve Cox is engineering and technical director, Alstom SS&I UK and Ireland
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
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JAMES GOULDING
Electrification
an alternative approach
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ith rail electrification projects very much in the news recently, and a particular scrutiny on the cost and funding of major programmes, it’s worth looking at the approach taken by infrastructure owners in Europe to see how the introduction of electrification systems already operating on the continent could bring significant installation and operational benefits to the UK network. As an example, Siemens is currently installing around 1,300 kilometres of electrical overhead contact lines within Denmark’s rail network, with the company working as part of a consortium for the country’s rail operator, Banedanmark. Due for completion in 2026, this eleven year programme covers nine rail routes and includes the installation of overhead contact lines in a 2x25kV configuration, together with new substations, auto transformer stations and remote control equipment. This programme provides the perfect case study to demonstrate the advantages that could be realised by electrification programmes in the UK, with the potential to achieve significant cost-savings, efficiency improvements and environmental benefits.
New catenary design At the heart of the Siemens’ solution is the company’s Sicat SX system. This provides affordable electrification across the design and build processes, offering a minimum 20 per cent cost saving against existing technology. These dramatic savings are achievable as a result of a completely new approach to system design, resulting in fewer structures being required. The system has been dynamically modelled to achieve 100-metre intervals between structures and two-kilometre tension lengths, meaning that it has much less of an impact on the environment. Crucially, this also reduces track access times for both installation and maintenance, with a much lower requirement for construction resource and plant. Overall, this translates to not only
material savings, but also to faster, easier, cheaper and safer installation, with less manpower required on site and far fewer possessions required in the build phase. The assemblies are manufactured in a factory-controlled environment and are lighter than traditional UK structures. Siemens has developed a software tool to accurately design the layout for electrification projects, with the cantilevers then being preassembled with a quick-fixing device, enabling a more flexible, efficient and cost-effective build programme to be followed. In Denmark, this led to 40 per cent fewer structures (and foundations) being required and, as a result, the impact of the overhead line equipment on the railway landscape and environment has been considerably reduced. Electric trains also offer a number of sustainability benefits to the network, including the ability to store energy through regenerative braking systems typically 20 to 30 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to diesel
Rail Engineer • June 2017
Small footprint SVC Learning from another network, this time one within the UK itself, London Underground (LU) has awarded Siemens Rail Electrification a contract for the installation of a static VAR compensator (SVC) power quality solution at Greenwich Generating Station (above). As world-leaders in power quality solutions, and having supplied over 500 SVC systems globally (61 in the UK alone), Siemens’ latest insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology will be at the heart of the Greenwich system, with the practical, innovative design solution developed to meet the programme’s key requirements. Normally located externally, the Greenwich SVC is unusual in that it is to be installed inside the building, with Siemens’ modular IGBT technology providing a much smaller footprint than would traditionally be possible. The bespoke solution delivers a number of other significant advantages. The base IGBT platform
used in the SVC system delivers much faster electrical switching than alternative systems and is the same technology platform used in Siemens’ 50-to-50Hz Sitras Static Frequency Converter (SFC). As it is oil-free, with no need for a transformer, it presents a lower fire risk and is more environmentally sound. Sustainability is enhanced through the use of recycled or reused materials, with the system containing 29.5 per cent recycled/reused content, compared to a 15 per cent target set by LU. Once operational, the system is also considerably quieter, with sound power levels measured at the receptors as low as 30dB - and so totally inaudible.
This high-profile project will deliver a solution that will set new standards in power quality equipment on the network. The system will be 99 per cent efficient and will cost less to run and maintain over the life of the asset compared to conventional SVC technologies. The Siemens team is now working closely with London Underground to make sure the programme is efficient and successful. Work is due to start on site in July 2017, with final commissioning scheduled for the end of 2018. James Goulding is business development manager, Siemens Rail Electrification
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powered trains. With a major weight saving compared to diesel rolling stock, electric trains also provide life cycle benefits to the infrastructure, with reduced wear to the railway. Compliant with the Technical Standards for Interoperability (TSI) for speeds up to 250km/h, the Sicat system is already successfully operating, not only in Denmark, but also in a number of other European countries, delivering electrified rail networks which allow better acceleration and shorter travel times, as well as lower operating and maintenance costs for the operators. From a review of the work in Denmark, it is clear that, for the UK, a model could be developed to address some of the challenges that any national electrification programme would face, with the ultimate objective being to produce a safer, more cost-efficient and a less risky approach to delivery. Sicat SX needs fewer foundations per kilometre as it is designed for longer span lengths and, being able to deliver more overhead contact line equipment construction within the UK’s tight midweek possession regime, would bring significant cost savings.
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SafeBond for safer track isolation
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n order to isolate tracks for staff access on DC lines, the current practice is for staff to manually apply straps between the conductor system and running rails to make it safe for track maintenance. The manual application of bonding straps is hazardous and requires lengthy procedures to ensure that the line-side staff who apply the straps are safe, that all trains are stopped and power isolated whilst the straps are attached, and that the necessary permissions have been obtained from power, control and signalling centres.
In addition, emergencies requiring the evacuation of a train may require the driver to apply a shorting bar directly onto the conductor system, which may be energised, an action that can put the driver at risk of injury.
New development To help overcome these problems, Hawker Siddeley Switchgear, manufacturer of a range of DC circuit breakers and switchgear that is supplied to rail transport systems worldwide, has recently introduced SafeBond, which is designed to contribute to improving safety and reducing lead times for track maintenance periods. SafeBond allows for isolation of the track from the track feeder circuit-breaker panel, which means there is no longer a need for trackside staff to go out to track to isolate it. This improves the safety of trackside workers and the speed of track isolation, reducing outage time as well as maximising the available time during a maintenance possession. Drawing on standard practice used on medium voltage, fixed pattern AC switchgear, SafeBond provides enhanced safety for trackside workers. By including a two-position motorised disconnector on the busbar side of the circuit breaker, the SafeBond may be used to either feed the track for normal service or bond the conductor system to earth (or negative) for safety. SafeBond is fully interlocked to prevent unsafe operation and protection relays are automatically disabled when bonding the track, including the option of disabling the direct acting trip within the circuit breaker. “The greatest benefit of SafeBond is that all load and fault switching is performed by a high-speed circuit breaker, which enhances operator safety when compared to traditional earthing switches and manual bonding methods which can expose operators to danger if closed onto a live system,” explained Lyn Jones, Hawker Siddeley Switchgear’s senior DC applications engineer. “All operations may be carried out from the front of the SafeBond panel, with the circuit breaker behind a closed door, and optional remote operation allows
switching to be undertaken from a central location to allow absolute flexibility in the use of SafeBond on all systems.”
Combining bonding switch and breaker Where separate switchgear is used for providing the bond, there can be high capital costs because of the value of the additional equipment, the amount of civil works required to add the equipment into the operational railway environment and the addition of cabling and installation costs. Space needs to be found adjacent to the track or a substation to locate the additional equipment and, where this space is not available, the cost of obtaining land may be prohibitive. A separate bonding switch is no longer required as the SafeBond panel includes one, as well as a breaker, within the footprint of a standard Lightning panel, already one of the smallest on the market and for which a SafeBond panel is a direct replacement. This is a significant advantage for urban metro and underground systems where substations are often small and in locations with high land value, meaning that there is no space for additional switching equipment.
NDC circuit breaker SafeBond incorporates the NDC high-speed circuit breaker which, combining innovation with 50 years of DC circuit breaker design and manufacturing experience, offers optimal safety, reliability and highspeed performance. Incorporating Hawker Siddeley Switchgear’s ‘Fit & Forget’ technology, the NDC high-speed circuit breaker utilises the
patented and award-winning magnetic actuator technology and arc transfer coil. The magnetic actuator and silver tungsten carbide contacts minimise the amount of maintenance required on the circuit breaker that is designed to exceed a 30-year service life. Widely acclaimed as ground-breaking developments, the patented, single coil magnetic actuator and arc transfer coil innovations have given Hawker Siddeley Switchgear a worldleading edge in circuit breaker technology. The patented magnetic latch mechanism provides the primary means of ‘high-speed’ tripping of the circuit breaker and, working in conjunction with the magnetic actuator, directly holds the circuit breaker contacts closed. The cold cathode arc chute assembly dissipates all arcs whilst the transfer coil provides additional magnetic flux across the contact gap. This assists with the interruption of low currents, which would otherwise lead to long arcing times, whilst the patented arc transfer system prevents internal contamination of the circuit breaker compartment and cubicle. Independently recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the prestigious Queen’s Award for engineering excellence, the actuator coil is energised in one direction to ‘power close’ the circuit breaker and in the opposite direction to open it by de-latching the holding force. This unique feature of the actuator design is used in Hawker Siddeley Switchgear’s ‘Fit & Forget’ range of products and ensures reliable tripping operation. There are over 50,000 actuator breakers in service across Hawker Siddeley Switchgear’s DC and AC ranges and NDC high-speed circuit breakers can be found worldwide including on London Underground, Dubai Metro and New York Metro.
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SafeBond incorporates the NDC high speed, unidirectional circuit breaker to carry out the making and breaking of all load and fault currents, whilst an “off-load” motorised two position disconnector selects the circuit. www.hss-ltd.com
AF Electren_anuncio rail engineer UK_190x130.pdf
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SafeBond integrates the feeder circuit breaker function and the remote bonding function into one standard panel footprint, a big advantage in floor space saving, civil engineering, cabling and operational safety.
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controllers Hima’s COTS
PAUL DARLINGTON
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ypically, railway networks sustain a wide range of inherited legacy products. In Great Britain, these include regional variations according to their British Rail heritage. This can lead to problems and unnecessary costs in managing and maintaining bespoke obsolete assets. Asset managers therefore seek to deploy high quality, high performance systems, and reduce the number of bespoke products by moving towards commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. COTS does, however, need careful consideration as equipment designed for another industry or application may not deliver the required safety or performance requirements. This can be especially important for the rail industry, given the harsh vibration, extended operating temperatures and electrical interference characteristics often found lineside and in rolling stock. Signalling assets are interlocked with one another to prevent conflicting or unsafe train movements. These interlockings range from the earliest mechanical variants, through a variety of electromechanical and electrical relay-based interlockings, up to modern computerised softwarecontrolled systems. A significant number of mechanical and relay-based interlockings are still used in the UK, all requiring regular maintenance and servicing as well as large equipment rooms, which are also a maintenance overhead.
COTS-based programable logic controllers (PLCs) are widely deployed in other manufacturing and control system industries, and it is the policy of Network Rail and other rail operators to introduce a wider supply base of PLCs for signalling, level crossing and rolling stock purposes. It is important that such systems use an open and flexible, but secure, data communication protocol, so as to support any future additional features and configuration.
New route to market A new source of appropriate rail controllers is now available to system integrators following changes to the Hima Group. Hima will now provide rolling stock manufacturers, railway operators and system integrators direct access to its extensive product range and services. Prior to this, the company supported the UK and Ireland through Hima-Sella, which will continue to act as a system integrator under the name Sella Controls, but other integrators will have access to exactly the same products and services. Hima has doubled in size over the last 10 years and these changes will allow this expansion to continue. Customers in the UK and Ireland will be able to obtain direct access to safety expertise and knowledge, from engineering support and technical services to training, consultation and advice, from the group’s extensive global network. Operating from over 50 locations worldwide, and with a workforce of approximately 800, Hima systems are used extensively in the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, power generating, logistics and railway industries with over 35,000 installed safety systems in operation across 80 countries.
COTS controllers HIMax and HIMatrix controllers are proven for use in a variety of railway applications. These include electronic interlockings, level crossings, sensormonitored door opening systems, electronically controlled anti-slip systems, driver vigilance devices, and remote control safe train movement systems. Unlike proprietary safety technology, these ‘COTS’ controllers are standardised products but with SIL 4 approval (Safety Integrity Level 4 - the highest level in the International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 61508). This enables system integrators, rolling stock manufacturers and railway operators to develop their own SIL 4 applications much more easily. The controllers communicate through open interfaces and use Hima’s standard operating system, offering lower capital and life cycle costs than proprietary technology. Some suppliers provide both safety and non-safety controllers, with the risk that their smaller volume safety controllers may not receive the same resource and support as the larger parts of their businesses. Hima, however, only supports safety applications and is committed to supporting its products throughout all of their life. All products are developed in-house, including hardware, software and,
Rail Engineer • June 2017
where appropriate, even electronic components, giving the company total control of its products. The HIMatrix controller is intended for use in all types of application when maximum availability is required. It is one of the fastest safety systems available, with a basic cycle time of 5ms. The unit is compact and modular with network capability via Ethernet and serial input / output. It can be used as a standalone device or in distributed applications requiring a few inputs and outputs per location. On the other hand, the HIMax controller is intended for mid-sized to large-scale applications when full redundancy is required. It is a complete modular and flexible system, enabling card-changes, additions and maintenance to be carried out without ever stopping the controller. In control systems, not all applications are equally critical and these controllers enable integrators to determine how redundantly the system should be structured. At maximum deployment, each input, output, and processor are present four times. Thus, even if three systems should fail, control is still safeguarded. The system can also be structured with physical separation to protect against common-cause failures. If, for example, a fire breaks out in one control room, a second system in a different room can continue to provide service seamlessly.
Both the HIMax and HIMatrix safety controllers are vibration and shock resistant, fulfilling the requirements of EN 61373 Category 1 Class B, and are fully certified by TĂœV. The systems are programmed and configured using the Hima SILworX engineering tool. This uses an easy-touse drag and drop intuitive interface to manage and configure the controllers as well as remote input/output systems. Error diagnostics, using the same interface, result in fewer user errors and faster engineering, enabling integrators to commission safety systems more quickly and adapt to new requirements as required. More and more control systems are built to work over a distributed open communications network. To comply with the highest safety standards, both the control system and the data transmission protocol must both be secure. Hima has therefore developed safeethernet, a transmission protocol based on standard Ethernet infrastructure which fulfils all industry requirements, including SIL 4.
Cyber security Industrial safety control systems are more at risk than ever before. Just a few years ago, it was enough for systems just to be functionally safe. However, control systems now have to be protected against cyber attacks as hackers can exploit any weaknesses in security, potentially
putting safety systems at risk of serious damage by unauthorised remote manipulation. International standard IEC 62443 requires separate network levels with defined transitions (conduits). All Hima solutions comply with this requirement and so protect systems against cyber-attacks in all important areas, including hardware, operating systems, networks, and engineering. The defences are continually monitored, tested and updated against new threats as they are identified. With Hima now operating direct from the German factory into the UK and Ireland, other system integrators will have access to a proven range of cost-effective, easily programmable and flexible system controllers that are all produced in Germany to rigorous reliability, safety and security standards.
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WORLD
METRO RAIL
CONGRESS 2017
MALCOLM DOBELL
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his annual two-day event attracts people from the world’s metro and other urban transport organisations, including a significant proportion of CEOs. It includes an exhibition, an open presentation section and four tracks (terrible pun) of ‘paid-for’ conference papers under the MetroRail, LightRail, RailPower and RailTel & CBTC labels - about 90 presentations or discussions in all with, sometimes, five going on simultaneously. As your writer can only be in one place at a time, this report is necessarily selective. The organisers had organised activities that avoided a succession of prepared presentations (death by PowerPoint), and the plenary sessions avoided the usual keynote speeches. There were a number of very interesting presentations worthy of articles in their own right, but this article will be a whistle stop tour of the presentations that looked good on the agenda. The first day started with Nicholas Owen, the BBC News presenter, leading keynote interviews. His first ‘victim’ was Mark Wild, London Underground’s managing director, who talked about the challenges of success. He emphasised the critical importance of “Keeping London Moving” (TfL’s mission) as London delivers some 25 per cent of the UK’s GDP and some 30 million road and rail journeys are made in London every day.
In 2016, the Underground network carried over five million people in a single day (up from a four million peak day in 2006). Mark emphasised the continuing improvement in passenger and worker safety, and also the success of Night Tube, which is outperforming forecasts. He said that the only way the railway keeps running well is through the efforts of the front-line staff who use their personalities to encourage customers to board and alight rapidly.
Looking forward, by the time this is published, the Underground will have introduced 36 trains per hour operation on the Victoria line. This is the template for all other lines by about 2030. More capacity will still be needed, which is why it is vital, Mark said, that Crossrail 2 is authorised to provide the capacity boost in about 2033 that the Elizabeth line will bring in 2019. Nicholas also interviewed Lincoln Leung, CEO of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR). MTR builds and operates railways and exploits the space above them to deliver commercial developments that help fund further expansion. Approximately 5.6 million customers a day use the Hong Kong network, and a similar number are carried across all MTR’s
Rail Engineer • June 2017 The internet of things
operations in China, Australia, Sweden and UK. The Hong Kong model has been extensively copied, particularly in China as urbanisation gathers pace. MTR is often seen as an exemplar for reliable services with 99.9 per cent of its services on time. It is currently resignalling eight lines to deliver a 10 per cent capacity increase, and has ordered a fleet of 93 trains to replace the original Metro-Cammell units that were the first trains on MTR when it opened in 1979. Unusually amongst metro systems, it makes a profit and requires little or no subsidy. Having set the scene, the seminar moved on to a smorgasbord of metro related topics. Here is a selection.
Emergency preparedness “Putting safety first, how can metros be better prepared for emergency or disaster situations?” This was the subject of a round table discussion of about twelve people led by Wynton Haversham, head of the New York Subway. Wynton opened the session by describing the work still going on to repair the damage caused by hurricane Sandy in 2012. He said that the most serious damage was not caused by the extreme rainfall but by the storm surge, with tunnels inundated by salt water. Whilst the water was pumped out and repairs were made to allow services to resume, much salt remained and this, accompanied by damp, continued to damage the infrastructure. They are now gradually closing the affected areas, one at a time, for more extensive repairs. Wynton also talked about the flood hardening changes made - moving active equipment from low points, raising equipment above floor level and insisting that cables that run through areas liable to flooding have no joints.
A delegate from Hong Kong observed that an important feature of flood protection for MTR is that all station entrances are covered and are above street level - passengers step up from the street a few steps before going down into the station. Wynton also talked about the changes New York has made to its emergency plans. The philosophy is no longer to “carry on until it’s impossible to run anything”. Instead, Subway management now works closely with the meteorologists and, if a serious weather event is forecast, will develop a plan which might involve suspending operations. As an example, in a snowstorm in 2016, the Subway successfully implemented tunnel-only operation which was put in place some eight hours before the storm was forecast to hit the city. This strategy minimised damage to the systems and allowed services on external lines to start more quickly once the storm had passed. Key to the success of these emergency plans was timely communication to customers about what would happen and why, involving all media and led by the State Governor.
Next was Kuldeep Gharatya from London Underground, talking about how the Internet of Things can transform infrastructure maintenance, although he was refreshingly honest in saying that these buzzwords are often over-hyped. Kuldeep showed an entertaining video, created using LU’s front line maintainers’ vision for the future of a control room and connected front-line staff using the data from embedded sensors and real time analytics to keep the system operating, only taking assets out of use at times that keep inconvenience to a minimum. Kuldeep also illustrated the improvement in reliability that can be delivered by monitored systems. LU developed a system to monitor the track circuits (more than 300) on the Victoria line. Since the system has been in use, Lost Customer Hours have been reduced from 50,000 each year to zero. Also, quite unexpectedly, maintainers have been able to identify the development of track corrugation by analysis of voltage fluctuations in the track circuits. He concluded with a video of a collaboration between LU and Google to deliver a wayfinding app for visually impaired people using smart phones and Bluetooth sensors.
Collision avoidance Torsten Grunweld of Knorr-Bremse talked about the development of collision avoidance systems for tramways. This is taking advantage of similar developments in the automotive sector, particularly for the development of autonomous vehicles.
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Lincoln Leung, CEO of Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR).
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Rail Engineer • June 2017 Trams, of course, benefit (or suffer) from being on a fixed guideway. The tram needs to have a system that looks ahead and to the sides, and Knorr-Bremse’s system uses radar and cameras as sensors with analytics to turn the sensor data into information. It is also helpful to know the location and direction of travel to avoid false operation of collision-avoidancerelated emergency brake applications. For example, there might be an obstruction directly in front of the tram and the collision-avoidance system would kick in unless it knew that the tram was about to turn right! Torsten also outlined how GPS, together with route knowledge, could be used to impose speed restrictions.
Sustainability Rob Paris of Crossrail gave a very fast tour showing how Crossrail put sustainability at its heart. Sustainability and environmental issues were extensively covered in the Act of Parliament that authorised the project. Rob explained that Crossrail had organised delivery of the sustainability objectives by embedding them with the teams or contracts best able to deliver them (such as the HR department for apprentices).
He said that management had sought to set targets based on good practice, but found few established norms. Undaunted, they set targets they hoped to achieve and, where it was inappropriate to set targets, they still measured performance so as to set benchmarks for the future. A couple of good results; 98 per cent of excavated material has had beneficial re-use (for example, by creating the wetlands at Wallasea Island) and the new Class 345 trains weigh only 319 tonnes compared with the ambitious target set of 350 tonnes. Finally, Crossrail has been determined to leave behind lessons learned for others to learn from their work and has set up a web site: learninglegacy.crossrail.co.uk.
More frequent, faster services use more energy? The London Underground Victoria line upgrade has delivered a more frequent, and faster service. One might believe this would lead to an increase in energy consumption, right? One would be wrong, as Simon Chung from London Underground explained. As background, LU spends around £100 million each year on energy, 80-90 per cent of which is used for traction energy. In general, LU’s tunnels are rather warm and it is important not to cause them to become warmer. Simon explained that not much can be done about the increase in customer numbers (each person radiating about 140W),
Rail Engineer • June 2017 but electricity consumption can be managed. He added that each kWh of energy costs LU about 7.5p, but it costs about 20p to remove the heat caused by that unit of energy from the tunnel. For the Victoria line, where the requirement was a) to increase from 27 trains per hour to 36tph and b) reduce the time taken for a round trip, could this be done without increasing energy consumption. Simon outlined the various changes, which were modelled and optimised on a system basis: »» The train (higher acceleration rate, regenerative braking); »» The power supply system (uprated substations, low loss conductor rails, creating one electrical section, removing voltage/current caps in regenerative braking); »» The control system (coasting which, incidentally, can be switched out if necessary to allow marginally late trains to catch up). Simon explained that the substation upgrades were necessary to deliver higher peak current which, in turn, enabled the higher acceleration rate but didn’t necessarily lead to increased energy use. In fact, the 30 per cent improvement in capacity has been delivered with a 16 per cent reduction in energy. The biggest contributor was regenerative braking.
Uber Day 2 saw a presentation by Andy Bryne, head of public policy from Uber. Andy acknowledged that Uber is often seen as a disruptive presence but he said their mission is “to work with cities to help people live together”. He highlighted that far too much land is used for car parking - 16 per cent in London - and that the average car is idle for 95 per cent of the time. Uber regards its main competitors as private car owners, despite what London’s black cab drivers may think. Andy described Uber’s work in London. He said that 33 per cent of journeys were to or from a tube or mainline station outside of zone 2. There has been a significant change in use since Night Tube started. There has been a 20 per cent drop in central London pick ups on those nights, but some outer London locations (such as Woodford, Newbury Park and North Acton) have seen a 300 per cent increase in pick-ups as people use
the tube to get out of London and use Uber for the last mile. Total journey numbers have increased. Peak times for travel are 10pm to 3am when, perhaps, customers have had a drink or two and feel safer in a cab. Andy moved on to the vast amount of data that Uber collects about journeys. This is made available to others (anonymised of course) to help cities understand who travels where and even to validate or vary trafficlight phasing. He also mentioned innovative ways of reducing traffic on the roads. Uber has introduced cab sharing (Uber Pool), which benefits both passengers (lower fare) and cab driver (higher fee), and has entered into partnerships with some cities to reduce private car use - for example pegging the Uber fare at the same rate as car park rates.
Bi-mode trains 11,000 miles away in New Zealand, Auckland is, like many cities, seeing unprecedented growth - far in excess of forecasts. David Warburton, Auckland Transport’s chief executive, explained that the city is gradually electrifying its suburban rail system, which will be generally carbon-free as over 85 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity is from hydro or wind. The challenge is the pace of development in the city suburbs beyond the area covered by electrification. Since electrification was authorised, further service extensions have been identified, and options considered have included extension of electrification (not ruled out in the future), diesel haulage beyond electrification or some sort of bimode. In the event, Auckland has
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decided to buy 25kV/battery electric trains and they are in the final stages of negotiating a contract with CAF for the supply of the trains where the batteries will be fitted on trailer cars. The batteries are expected to have a life of almost eight years, will be charged from the 25kV supply and transitions from one mode to the other will be by trackside beacons.
Sydney Trains Moving a tiny bit closer to home, Sydney Trains experienced 12 per cent growth last year. Two presentations outlined how the city aims to respond to a massively growing market. Howard Collins, Sydney Trains Chief Executive, gave an overview of the challenges faced in dealing with backlogs of work together with upgrading the lines to cope with the growing demand. Sydney is largely operated by double-deck trains and, whilst they have impressive capacity, Howard said that dwell times in the Central Business District (CBD) stations, where there is a metro-style, largely underground loop, are a major constraint on throughput. The city suffers from extremes of weather - the hottest day on record was in January 2017 (45.8ºC),
whereas rainfall in March 2017 was over 1,000mm with nearly half of it falling in just three days, so assets have to be particularly resilient. Pasquale Labouze, Sydney Trains executive director operating systems, took up the theme of how the existing system will be modernised to cope with increasing demand. It is currently a mixed traffic railway with inner suburban, outer suburban, regional and freight all sharing the same tracks. The aim is to segregate freight from the passenger trains wherever possible, to simplify track layouts, and to simplify the service pattern to facilitate more reliable and robust timetables. As an example, Pasquale mentioned, in passing, that many of the terminal ends at Sydney Central station retain
the ability to run a locomotive round the train, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of trains have been multiple units for many years. This is just one of the categories of track simplifications that are planned. For increased capacity, Sydney is proposing to equip the network with ETCS Level 2 and ATO in the CBD (central business district) area. This will be preceded by ETCS Level 1 ‘limited supervision’, to bring ATP to the railway, a response to a serious accident at Waterfall in 2003. This will involve fitting 8,000 passive and a smaller number of active balises, and fitting on board ETCS equipment to all the trains. On-board fitment has already started and trackside deployment is due to start in late spring 2017.
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Once this has been completed, work will start on upgrading the on-board equipment for Level 2 and work on the track side equipment is due to start in 2021. Operation with cab signalling is due to start in 2022 and with ATO in 2024. Pasquale explained that there are various options being considered to interface ETCS to the national freight Advanced Train Management System that is being standardised for controlling freight trains in the middle of nowhere using 3G/4G telecoms and GPS.
The exhibition There were 24 stands covering a wide range of railway suppliers from Hyperloop to the Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicle being developed by a consortium of Prose, Transport Design International, Unipart Rail and Warwick Manufacturing Group, with some component suppliers, trade organisations and railway journals. Other exhibitors included Bombardier, Hitachi, Ansaldo STS, Thales, Siemens, TfL and Perpetuum. Here just two are highlighted: Hyperloop (hardly Metro) uses a near vacuum tube to allow trains propelled by Linear induction motors to reach speed in excess of 700km/h - a public trial is forecasted in 2017. The VLR vehicle uses a diesel - battery - electric power bogie. Based on the model shown, all elements of the power system apart from the fuel tank, are on the bogie. The bogies will be fitted to a very light body. The tare mass is forecast to be 18 tonnes, with a capacity of 100 persons. This means a gross mass of approximately 25.5 tonnes and an axle load of just under 6.5 tonnes.
And finally… Throughout the conference, there was a great deal of emphasis on the importance of delivering more capacity though effective use of staff, assets and systems - and one of the key ways of doing so is to minimise dwell time. One of the presentations highlighted the importance of encouraging passengers to co-operate. It included a photograph of a passenger-facing poster. Its text is quoted below: “PASSENGERS OFF THE CAR FIRST, PLEASE First, - when one gets out, another can get in. Second, - those that would
get in before block the way of those that would get out. So to secure room and save seconds there can be no other rule. PASS DOWN THE PLATFORM There are four, five or six cars to a train. There are two gates to a car and sometimes three. Two passengers cannot get though the same gate at the same time, but they can get though different gates at the same time. Even boarding means quicker boarding.” You might think that the language is a little odd but it’s the reference to gates that gives the game away that this poster is at least 100 years old. It shows clearly that some challenges never go away!
Next Year In 2018 MetroRail will be held in Bilbao, Spain and will take place on 18th-19th April 2018.
Waterfall accident
On 31 January 2003, a four-car Tangara interurban train operated by CityRail, that had started from Sydney Central, departed Sydney Waterfall station at 06:24 heading south towards Port Kembla station via Wollongong. At around 07:15, the driver suffered a heart attack. He lost control of the train, which was travelling at 117km/h (73mph) as it approached a curve in the tracks through a small cutting where the speed limit was 60km/h. The train derailed and collided with the rocky walls of the cutting. Two carriages ended up on their sides. Six passengers, and the driver, died while many more were injured.
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RECRUITMENT
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TRACK & BRIDGES MANAGER Nene Valley Railway, a heritage railway based at Wansford near Peterborough, wish to appoint a part-time Track and Bridges Manager with responsibility for maintenance and renewals of our infrastructure, this being 9 miles of (mostly) single track, two river crossings, a tunnel and a small number of under and over bridges.
Senior E&P Design Engineer
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Applicants are expected to demonstrate relevant experience and be capable of motivating and managing volunteers. Some weekend working will be required. Contact the General Manager for more details on generalmanager@nvr.org.uk | Tel: 01780 784 444 (with salary expectation enclosed)
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You will represent suppliers at industry meetings, provide technical support and guidance to members and play a major role in RIA’s successful programme of Technical Interest Groups. You will lead the delivery and development of the Unlocking Innovation Scheme and help plan and deliver the annual Innovation Conference, Technology Brokering and University engagement. With the Technical Director you will contribute to the RIA strategy and programme.
You will research and draft policy papers on key issues, represent RIA at external meetings and events and advocate on behalf of RIA members. You will have the organisational skills to coordinate the programme of RIA Strategic Interest Groups (SIGs) and support the RIA Value Improvement Programme (VIP). You will assist RIA to develop its regional presence and work with the Policy Director to develop a forward strategic vision and programme for RIA policy activity.
You are likely to be a Chartered Engineer with sufficient experience to command the support and respect of engineers in RIA’s member companies and other stakeholders. You will have or be able to develop an understanding of the existing and potential innovation landscape and mechanisms.
You will bring current experience in a fast-moving policy background and will be expected to have or quickly build a good working knowledge of the rail industry and a strong appreciation of the key issues facing the rail supply chain. You will be able to command the support and respect of senior commercial and strategic personnel in client organisations, RIA’s member companies and other rail stakeholders.
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The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the trade association which represents and lobbies for the UK’s railway suppliers, and which campaigns for a flourishing railway sector. It is the Trade Association for UK-based suppliers of equipment and services to the rail industry, both at home and abroad. Its 190+ membership companies cover virtually all aspects of railway supply including rolling stock, track and structures, electrification systems, signalling/communications systems and IT-based support systems.
For more information visit www.riagb.org.uk
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Rail Engineer • June 2017
RECRUITMENT
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Advance-TRS, Stamford House, 91 Woodbridge Road, Guildford, GU1 4QD • info@advance-trs.com • @AdvanceTRS Signalling • Telecommunications • Electrification & Power • Civils • Permanent Way • Mechanical & Electrical • Project Services
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THE CANDIDATE It is envisaged that the successful candidate will ideally be educated to HNC level and able to demonstrate true leadership skills and proven experience of working for a recognised Contractor on Civils Minor Works and Civil engineering schemes within the UK Rail sector. You will be able to work to tight deadlines within a pressurised and technically challenging rail environment, be able to manage and deliver customer expectations and possess a proven track record in delivering projects on time and within budget whilst also developing and progressing your team. You will have experience of Minor Works and have previously worked on civil engineering projects that should have included Station upgrades including, Access Walkways, together with Bridge and Structures repairs and refurbishment, Foundations and Support Structures and Earthworks.
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Fancy a change? At Unipart Rail, we pride ourselves in meeting and exceeding customer requirements by delivering a comprehensive portfolio of products, services and solutions for the rail industry. This isn’t done by magic. It is achieved through our highly trained, motivated, passionate employees all with their eyes on transforming our business through innovative services and propositions whilst staying ahead of the curve of technological advances. Do you want to join our team? Are you up for a challenge? We are currently going through significant growth, entering new markets with exciting new products and services both in the UK and overseas. Due to this expansion, we have a number of roles across our businesses covering multiple sites in the UK including Doncaster, Crewe, York, Southport, Stockport, Leeds, Weedon and Leicester. It’s a great time to be involved. We want to hear from you if you are currently working in:
Engineering Sales Procurement Business Development Joining Unipart Rail may take you overseas. We have opportunities for both long and short term secondments, so if working abroad appeals to you, then come and join us. We’ll make sure you are fully trained and capable before you catch the plane. In return, you can expect a competitive benefits package and the opportunity to continue to develop your skills and experience in an organisation which really values you. It’s not all easy though…we are looking for people with resilience and creativity – but more importantly a passion for exceeding on delivering what our customers want. Our culture drives continuous improvement so not being afraid to question and challenge what and how we do things should be firmly in your skillset! That’s the Unipart Way.
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Quality and safety...
...right down the line. Since the year 2000, SSE Enterprise Rail has been supplying specialist skills in M&E, electrification and power to the UK rail industry. But that’s just the start of the journey.
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