by rail engineers for rail engineers
SEPTEMBER 2018 – ISSUE 167
INNOTR ANS 2018 EXHIBITS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
THE BENEFITS OF ADOPTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
How Bitcoins, the ancient Chinese game of Go and photos of cats will all benefit rail in the future. ETHICAL ENGINEERING
MANAGING A COMMS NETWORK
The introduction of artificial intelligence into railway control is creating new ethical issues that have to be addressed.
A dedicated and reliable telecommunications network is the key that will unlock the digital railway.
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INNOTRANS 2018
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RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
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06 56 62 66
Signalling & Telecoms
30 34 38 42 46 50
Feature News Scotland, Wales, Werrington dive-under, Windsor Link.
Steventon Bridge demolition Collin Carr investigates why planning permission, crucial for GW electrification, was refused.
Recent acquisition takes Kier forward The purchase of McNicholas brought with it a wealth of successful delivery experience.
The benefits of adopting new technologies David Shipman looks at bringing in the latest developments from other industries
Upgrading the Continental connection Clive Kessell reports as plans to re-signal the cross-channel link are approved.
Advanced solutions to obstacle detection IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi has developed new techniques to protect level crossings.
Managing a communications network Network Rail’s FTN and FTNx networks are key to unlocking the digital railway.
Signalling Procurement enters the digital age Atkins brought expertise rather than hardware to its Network Rail framework agreement.
Digital delusion – a lesson from not so long ago David Shirres recalls Railtrack’s attempt to introduce digital signalling in 1994.
Ethical Engineering Paul Darlington considers the ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence.
InnoTrans 2018
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Looking forward to InnoTrans Every two years, the global rail industry gathers in Berlin.
EMC in rail - risks, responsibilities and regulations Rob Armstrong explains the importance of electromagnetic compatibility.
High-speed milling extends rail life Maurice Verheijen recalls the development of the HSM high-speed mobile rail treatment train.
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Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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RAIL ENGINEER MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
A tale of two corridors Thameslink’s ETCS level 2 signalling and automatic train operation is an impressive achievement. However, it is misleading for the Digital Railway’s website to state that “digital deployment on the Thameslink will allow 24 trains per hour to run”. Increasing Thameslink’s capacity also required significant infrastructure works, which included increasing London Bridge’s through platforms from six to nine, a new viaduct to double the tracks west of the station, and grade separation at the Bermondsey dive-under. In Manchester, the recently completed Ordsall Chord removes conflicts at Piccadilly’s station throat by re-routing some trains through the congested Castlefield corridor. For this reason, the Ordsall Chord was to be just one part of the Northern Hub scheme whose benefits were assessed at £2.8 billion over a 60-year period with a benefit to cost ratio of four to one. The Northern Hub was also to increase trains through the Castlefield corridor from 12 to 16 trains per hour by providing two additional through platforms at Piccadilly and lengthening platforms at Oxford Road. A Transport and Works Order for this was submitted in 2015. However, a decision is still awaited and these projects have disappeared from Network Rail’s website. Further doubts about the future of these platforms were raised when, in July 2017, Chris Grayling advised he wished Network Rail to consider whether digital technology could remove the need for them. Yet Thameslink shows that significant capacity improvements require both digital signalling and infrastructure work. This is also one of the lessons from our feature on Railtrack’s 1994 proposal to introduce moving block signalling on the West Coast main line. We explain why this case study of corporate self-delusion was instrumental in bringing down the company. The 1999 report which proposed abandoning moving-block signalling concluded that, although the signalling
system is the dominant factor for capacity improvements for metro operations, the capacity constraint is mainly infrastructure on a mixed traffic railway. Even now, the benefits of the digital railway continue to be oversold. In 2016, the House of Commons Transport Committee considered that Network Rail was “overheroic” in claiming a 40 per cent capacity improvement and that it should not promise moving block signalling until ETCS level 3 is viable. Hence, although digital signalling offers undoubted benefits, it is difficult to see how it can remove the need for the Castlefield corridor’s extra platforms if the huge benefits of the Northern Hub scheme are to be realised. Digital in-cab signalling was essential for the first French high-speed lines, for which the TVM system was developed in the 1970s, well before the ERTMS/ETCS specification was finalised. TVM is also used on the London to Paris and Brussels high-speed routes. However, as Clive Kessell explains, if trains on these routes are to run throughout Europe they will need ERTMS. This is a significant long-term project, especially as, unlike TVM, ETCS requires a radio system. The importance of a dedicated railway telecommunications network is underscored by it being a fundamental element of ERTMS. In a feature about Network Rail Telecom, we explain its Fixed Telecoms Network and the work of its Network Management Centre, which monitors 200,000 devices connected to its 40,000km of cable and 2,500 radio masts. Our signalling and telecoms focus this month also includes articles on signalling procurement, electromagnetic compatibility and obstacle detectors at level crossings. It also looks to the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI). David Shipman’s feature considers how AI can automate simple and repetitive jobs. With a shortage of skilled talent, the
automation of everyday, time-consuming activities enables experts to focus on activities requiring their skills, leaving computational power for repetitive and straightforward tasks. Paul Darlington’s article considers the difficulties of ensuring that ethical decisions are taken. As Paul explains, AI is programmed to ‘learn’ what it can do and improve its own performance. Hence its behaviour can never be completely foreseen. His article illustrates this point with a nice anecdote about children’s behaviour. Moving away from signalling, Colin Carr gives us a feature on Brunel’s historic bridge at Steventon, which needs to be demolished and replaced for the GWML electrification. However, the Vale of White Horse district council recently denied planning permission for this despite Historic England accepting the case for the demolition of this listed structure. Yet it seems planning permission was refused due to the villagers’ understandable concerns about the impact of the resultant 10-month closure of the road through their village. Railway civil engineers routinely demonstrate great ingenuity to ensure that bridge replacements only close the railway for a day or two. It will be interesting to see if the road closure duration at Steventon could similarly be significantly reduced to resolve this impasse. It is nearly time for the big biennial Berlin rail trade fair that is InnoTrans. In his preview of the event, Nigel Wordsworth can only mention a small number of the 3,000 or so exhibitors from 60 countries that will be there. Rail Engineer will, of course be there and is interested in hearing from you if you are going too, see page 10 for details.
RAIL ENGINEER EDITOR
DAVID SHIRRES
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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THE TEAM
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Editor 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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Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Public-sector railway for Scotland? Scottish ministers have confirmed that public-sector bodies will be free to bid for the next rail franchise covering services in Scotland. Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, said it has been the department’s view “over many years” that there should be a level playing field between the private and public sector when it comes to bidding for rail franchises. The current ScotRail franchise has been operated by Abellio, the international arm of Dutch national operator NS, since 2015. The next franchise is set to begin in 2025. David MacBrayne, which is one of the largest logistics companies in Scotland and is owned by the Scottish Government, has confirmed it will explore
the possibility of bidding for the Scottish rail franchise contract, according to Transport Scotland. Nevertheless, Michael Matheson said it has not been easy identifying a public sector body that could make a bid, adding: “It is important for any public sector bidder to have the appetite to bid; the capability and capacity to see the bid through; and the ability and resources to make the franchise a success. “It is also our view that the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government should have full powers to consider all options for structuring our railways to meet Scotland’s needs.”
NEWS
coming soon... OCTOBER 2018 / APRIL 2019 ROLLING STOCK & DEPOTS
Total Rail Solutions opens in Wales Total Rail Solutions (TRS), specialists in on-track plant hire and Plant Operations Scheme (POS) services, has opened a new depot in Wales. The new depot is a direct result of the company’s continued presence in Wales. TRS has been working on the electrification programme between Bristol and Cardiff for the past 11 months, supporting a number of new and existing clients across South Wales. The investment in a permanent office and yard space in Cwmbran, near Newport, gives TRS an ideal base to grow its business in line with the expansion of the Wales and Borders railways. Paul Bateman, chief operating officer, said: “TRS is on a journey of growth and investment. We see our new depot in Cwmbran as the next step in expanding our business. It makes sense to locate our next depot in a region where there is a commitment to long-term investment in rail infrastructure. “With Transport for Wales
guaranteeing extensive infrastructure upgrades and the KeolisAmey contract already bringing plans to realisation, we felt the time was right to commit to a permanent presence in Wales. This depot makes us ideally located to support upcoming projects and work closely with clients - old and new. “Having worked on numerous electrification, civils and enhancement projects across England and Wales, we believe we have the skills and experience to rival the best”. The depot opening follows a busy couple of years for TRS as the business has invested £15 million in new plant, innovated new plant, introduced an in-house transport service and launched a new online customer ordering system. In addition TRS has expanded its services to include contracting civils work and labour provisions.
With trains and their systems becoming ever more complicated, Rail Engineer’s specialist writers cover everything that improves performance, increases efficiency, and keeps customers happy: Components, Condition Monitoring, Depots, Equipment, Fuel, Inspection, Interiors, Lifting, LightRail Vehicles, Lighting, Maintenance, New designs, Passenger Information & Entertainment, Refurbishment, Train Washing, Tram-Train, Underground Trains, Wheel / Rail Interface
NOVEMBER 2018 / MAY 2019 PERMANENT WAY Twice a year, Rail Engineer considers the elements that make up the permanent way – rails, sleepers, clips, pads, ballast and even the make-up of the embankment on which the track sits. Ballast, Excavation, Fastenings, Geotechnical, Grinding, Installation, Lifting, Lighting, Maintenance, Milling, On-track Machines, PPE, Piling, Plant Hire, Plant Maintenance, Rail, Rail Handling, Repairs, RoadRail Plant, S&C, Site Access, Sleepers, Soil Nailing, Structures, Tamping, Welding
DECEMBER 2018 / JUNE 2019 ELECTRIFICATION & POWER As the UK rail network is one of the biggest consumers of electricity in the UK, it is always investigating ways to innovate, reduce costs, introduce new power alternatives and reduce carbon. Cabinets, Components, Connectors, Control Equipment and Systems, Cables, Distribution Networks, Earthing, Fasteners, Generators, Housings, Insulation, Lamps, Lightning Protection, Monitoring, OLE, Pantographs, Power Supplies, Security, Substations, Transformers
Want to learn how to win more business? Join us at the Rail Procurement Roadshow to learn from leading procurement and tender teams and for rail-based workshops.
22 November 2018 – Bird & Bird, London
www.railroadshow.com Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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NEWS
Werrington dive-under approved One of the worst bottlenecks on the East Coast main line is the junction at Werrington, near Peterborough. Currently, slow moving freight trains using the Stamford lines and the Great Northern Great Eastern lines need to cross over three lines of the East Coast main line, causing high speed passenger trains to have to slow down. This multimillion pound investment will mean freight trains no longer need to do this but will instead dive under the East Coast main line. Network Rail submitted a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) in 2016 to begin work on the project, which is one of the crucial pieces of work to improve
travel on the line. Network Rail has worked closely with members of the public and key stakeholders on the project, and the dive under was selected as the preferred option for the scheme based on their feedback. This investment, combined with the introduction of new trains, other schemes on the route and revised timetables will not only create space for additional train services between London and the North, but will also help ease congestion and reduce journey times. Network Rail’s delivery partners are Morgan
Sindall, Mott MacDonald, and Siemens (signalling), with Arup having conducted some of the environmental and consents work. Construction will begin later this summer and the dive-under is expected to be completed by early 2021. Rob McIntosh, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “This is a significant investment into the railway in this area which, when coupled with other upgrades on this route, will have widespread benefits for those travelling between London and the North through an increased capacity of 33 per cent.”
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Private finance for Windsor Link A consortium including global investor Meridiam has submitted a market-led proposal to the UK government to build the Windsor Link Railway. Phase 1 of the project will cost £370 million and will see a new rail tunnel constructed in Windsor - as well as new houses - to connect the South Western and Great Western main lines. Phase 2 will connect Heathrow to the west. The consortium includes a not-for-profit company also called the Windsor Link Railway, which is led by managing director George Bathurst. Other partners have not
been revealed. George Bathurst said: “If accepted, this will be the first new railway not requiring net funding from government over its lifetime since the days of the original railway companies.” He added: “We now look forward to the government’s response after the summer and working with them to develop it further.” Transport secretary Chris Grayling invited
third parties to come forward with ideas to deliver a new southern rail link to Heathrow airport in March as part of a wider call for private investors in the country’s railways. Proposals for both phases were submitted to the government on 31 July. If the scheme receives the necessary government approval, Meridiam will finance its equity element of the scheme through to completion, according to the Windsor Link Railway.
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INNOTRANS 2018
NIGEL WORDSWORTH
LOOKING FORWARD to InnoTrans 2018
PHOTO: INNOTRANS
PHOTO: INNOTRANS
Visiting InnoTrans? Then we want to hear from you. We are asking Rail Engineer readers to give us their views of InnoTrans, what they hoped for before they went, their impressions of the show, how useful they found it and what lasting memories they have when they get back. So please email us at innotrans@railengineer.uk with your thoughts, views and assessments. Be as concise or long-winded as you wish. Praise and rants are equally welcome. We may even quote you in our Review article in November! (with your permission of course) innotrans@railengineer.uk
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
S
een from above during the InnoTrans exhibition, which this year runs from 18 to 21 September, Berlin’s exhibition complex is impressive. 200,000 square metres (that’s over two million square feet) of internal floor space spread across 41 halls, and 3,500 metres of railway tracks on which sit 140 vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from high-speed trains to construction machines. Inside, more than 3,000 exhibitors from 60 countries will show off their products and services to the 140,000 visitors who come to see them. Exhibitors from as far afield as Bahrain, Belarus, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates will be joined by New Zealand for the first time. 119 UK companies will be exhibiting at InnoTrans 2018, from Abtus (Hall 22 stand 102 rail measurement) to Zetica Rail (Hall 23 stand 209 - trackbed condition measurement services and systems). In fact, even more British exhibitors than that will actually be there - either those which have booked stands through their German subsidiaries or companies who are themselves subsidiaries of foreign groups that have booked space through head office. For example, WSP, although actually a Canadian group, is classified as German in the exhibitors list. However they are classified, there will be plenty to see this year, as at every InnoTrans. 1,680 exhibitors showing Railway Technology join 589 with Railway Infrastructure, 404 involved in Pubic Transport, 295 suppliers of Railway Interiors and so on. It would therefore be impossible to preview them all, so please forgive us as we cherry-pick a few that visitors to the show may find interesting.
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INNOTRANS 2018
PHOTO: INNOTRANS
The big boys (and girls)
External displays include a full-scale model of the Coradia Stream for Trenitalia - named Pop by the Italian operator, this train has been designed for operation in the different Italian regions. An H4 will also be at InnoTrans - the new Prima H3 and Prima H4 locomotives offer optimal shunting performance coupled with world-class energy efficiency, being available with a variety of motive power options including hybrid.
(Bottom) Alstom - H3 locomotives at the Port of Hamburg. (Below) A Bombardier Talent3 train operated by ÖBB.
PHOTO: BOMBARDIER
Alstom (3.2/306 and outdoors), as a mobility maker in the era of digitalisation, will showcase its latest developments aimed at improving the experience of passengers, as well as innovations that empower operators, allowing them to improve their transport offerings and serve cities more efficiently. On display will be Iconis, a security control centre, and Mastria, a multimodal supervision solution that demonstrates the way advanced data analytics will be central to the future of urban mobility. Infrastructure innovations will include SRS for trams and buses, as well as APS for road - both cutting-edge, ground-based solutions for vehicle charging and powersupply.
Bombardier (2.2/101 and outdoors) will have a highly digital display, featuring multi-touch screens allowing visitors to configure mobility solutions adapted to the needs of different types of cities, from stable urban environments to megacities, fast-growing cities or even greenfield settings. A virtual reality exhibit will take visitors on an immersive 360° experience in cities across the world, be it on the Innovia monorail in Bangkok, a Flexity tram in Zürich or a Movia metro in Stockholm. An interactive presenter explores all elements of the value chain and helps customers consider the advantages of a complete mobility solution, including options for signalling, operations and maintenance and components.
PHOTO: ALSTOM
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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INNOTRANS 2018
PHOTO: SIEMENS
Siemens Velaro Novo.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
systems. Siemens’ Digital Station solutions cover a broad spectrum of functions, ranging from infrastructure management and universal intermodal travel information to data analytics needed to continuously optimise operations. These are intended to help operators achieve 100-percent availability, increase passenger throughput and improve travel comfort - important prerequisites for providing attractive public transport. The Interlocking in the Cloud is intended to revolutionise long-distance rail transport. With this system, interlockings as well as operator control logic can, in the future, be centralised at one location, free of spatial limitations. This will give operators unprecedented flexibility and generate cost savings for their infrastructure and operations - naturally without any compromises in safety and security. Siemens is already working with partners on implementing this advanced technology.
Velaro Novo is a systematic further development of the three preceding generations of Velaros. Numerous innovations and improvements have resulted in a train that consumes 30 per cent less energy and substantially reduces investment and maintenance costs while, at the same time, providing a ten per cent increase in capacity. With its ‘empty tube’ concept and numerous configuration possibilities, the Velaro Novo is future-proof and can be flexibly adapted to meet new design concepts and operator needs, even after years in operation. Stadler (2.2/103 and outdoors), the train manufacturer with production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Belarus and the USA, will showcase no fewer than seven vehicle concepts this year: »» The first completed half-train for Berlin S-Bahn; »» One of ten Eurodual Co-Co freight locomotives being built for Havelländische Eisenbahn; PHOTO: INNOTRANS
Talent3, Bombardier’s battery train, developed for service on non- or partially electrified lines with innovation funds awarded during the last InnoTrans and equipped with a Mitrac traction battery, will be running on a test track near Berlin at the time of InnoTrans. It will enter service in 2019, the first electric battery train to do so in more than 60 years. With battery power, nonelectrified sections of the track are easily bridged with quiet, clean, fully electric trains, removing the need for highemission diesel engines and train interchanges, reducing travel times and improving service. Austrian State Railways (ÖBB) will exhibit a Bombardier Talent3 EMU from its Cityjet fleet in the outdoor display on track 8/400. Siemens (4.2/202 and outdoors) is taking “Shaping Connected Mobility” as its theme this year. Among the highlights of its displays, both inside and out, will be the Digital Station, Interlocking in the Cloud and new Velaro Novo high-speed train with 30 per cent lower energy consumption. Railway stations are vital hubs for intermodal urban transport. Only by ensuring that transfers between various transport modes are reliable, seamless, convenient and timesaving will growing numbers of people use the most efficient and eco-friendly transport mode - public transport
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»» An electric double-decker multiple-unit for the Lake Malar region west of Stockholm where it will run under the brand name Mälartåg; »» A Traverso electrical multiple-unit for the SOB Voralpen-Express line, Switzerland; »» One of 17 underground trains being built for the Glasgow Subway - the world's smallest underground network with a track gauge of 1,219mm and tunnel diameters of just 3.4 metres; »» Even smaller in terms of gauge, a ‘Worbia’ one-metre train for Swiss regional transport operator Bern-Solothurn (RBS) which is fitted with eight instead of six pairs of doors along its 60-metre length; »» An example of Greater Anglia’s new bi-mode FLIRT trains (Classes 745 and 755) which will replace the existing regional, Intercity, and Stansted Express trains.
PHOTO: INNOTRANS
INNOTRANS 2018
Digital technology ERTMS Solutions (23/301) creates innovative products that alter the railway signalling world. It not only operates as the only company of its kind to offer testing, maintenance, and software protocol services that are compatible with the European ERTMS/ETCS railway signal standards, it also maintains the agility to tailor its products to existing national standards. Alongside its partner DMA, ERTMS Solutions will be demonstrating how to do preventive maintenance with its LifeCheck measurement instruments, to use ontologies (knowledge as a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships that hold between them) for IT integration and how to test ERTMS requirements.
Frauscher Sensortechnik (25/232), as digitalisation opens up new possibilities in generating a wide range of highly valuable information, combines proven best-in-class technologies with new digital ideas to create intelligent wayside sensors that deliver accurate data. Consistent development, using the latest technology, has taken track vacancy detection and condition-based maintenance to the next level. Visitors are invited to meet Frauscher’s experts at its stand and have a look at the current developments, concerns and solutions in the railway industry, helping them to prepare for the upcoming challenges the railway industry has to offer. PHOTO: INNOTRANS
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
INNOTRANS 2018 PHOTO: R2P
R2P passenger information screen.
The new Calipri SML1-040 inspection module from Nextsense.
R2P (4.1/209), the rapidly growing group headquartered in Flensburg, Germany, operates internationally in 45 countries and has subsidiaries in Denmark, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Malaysia and Brazil. With a silent partnership in Taiwan, a sales office in the Czech Republic and local manufacturing in India, R2P takes pride in being a truly global company. At InnoTrans, R2P will be exhibiting its IP-based system solutions for public transport covering communication, security and monitoring applications. The fully integrated portfolio of hard- and software products for passenger and fleet flow management R2P offers include CCTV, Passenger Information Systems (PIS), Passenger Announcement (PA), passenger counting, infotainment and fleet management with realtime data transfer and analysis for rail and road vehicles. As of July 2018, HQ Equita acquired R2P and OpenAccess to build a leading player in the fast-growing market for intelligent digital public transport solutions. Televic Rail (2.1/401) has, since 1985, equipped more than 25,000 rail vehicles worldwide with communication and mechatronics systems. At InnoTrans 2018, Televic will showcase its innovations for passenger information, video surveillance and conditionbased monitoring. Those who visit the stand will have a glimpse of a variety of visual passenger information products, experience Televic Rail’s newest seat reservation system and gain insight into the realtime operational condition of tracks and trains with COSAMIRA. TrainFX (2.1/417), based in Derby, will be exhibiting its next-generation dynamic, end-toend, seat reservation system. The Closer system brings together seat reservation, wayfinding, passenger counting, customer loyalty and TrainFX’s seat sensor technology. It adds to the ecosystem TrainFX currently provides as a lead innovator in the supply and development of real-time passenger information and communication technology for rail.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
The Closer dynamic seat reservation system establishes operational efficiencies such as the ability to monitor passenger tidal flow trends and minimising revenue losses while giving customers the possibility of reserving seats on trains already in service. TrainFX’s seat sensor technology can distinguish between passengers and luggage and, coupled with at-seat displays and mobile train crew and customer apps, brings the possibility of better seat-allocation management and at-seat services to personalise the customer experience. Closer has been developed by TrainFX, together with academic and industrial partners, and has been the successful culmination of a two-year project that was funded by Innovate UK to the tune of £1.2 million. Infrastructure Engineering CableGuardian (9/202), a new technology developed by Viper Innovations, is being launched at InnoTrans 2018. It monitors electrical faults in real time on live low-voltage unearthed electrical systems used within rail networks, informing the operator about the health status of the system using an intuitive graphical interface, potentially saving rail networks millions in fault finding costs and potential fines for service disruption. The system can detect the location of both insulator and conductor faults helping operators meet the increasingly demanding regulations pertaining to maintenance regimes. CableGuardian was developed in close collaboration with Network Rail and meets the Intelligent Assets and Condition Monitoring challenge statement for electrical power. Cable Guardian is currently on trial with a major UK rail infrastructure company. Nextsense (23/515), the technology leader in the field of optical profile measurement in the railway industry, will present a new module for its multifunctional Calipri profile-measuring device at InnoTrans 2018. Besides track geometry cars, the Calipri ‘Rail Geometry’ module is a portable system which makes checking the geometric parameters of a track layout simple. A patented measuring method ensures that results are not affected by outside influences such as the operator and the rail surface. PHOTO: KRUG/NEXTSENSE
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INNOTRANS 2018 PHOTO: PLASSER & THEURER
Plasser & Theurer introduces digitalisation into track maintenance.
PHOTO: PANDROL
Pandrol Transit area concept.
Pandrol (23/210), the global leader in rail infrastructure solutions, is set to put on a show by exhibiting its four specialisms at the Innotrans 2018 exhibition: rail fastenings, aluminothermic welding, electrification and equipment and control. The company will also be hosting ‘ask the expert’ sessions, where its technical specialists will be running short
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
seminars on topical issues relating to rail infrastructure. Topics will include a look at Pandrol Connect, data processing with the company’s smart monitoring systems, the latest developments in delivering very soft floating slab solutions for urban environments, the development of sustainable rail track tool technology, driving preassembly efficiencies with
use of robotics and the latest innovation in plinth technology and how it improves quality, reduces labour and offers flexibility in fastening choice. There will also be an interactive screen on the stand, which will showcase the latest projects in which the company has been involved in providing global solutions. Plasser & Theurer (26/222 and outdoors) will have two machines on display on the outdoor tracks, with only one of them being a track maintenance machine. The other will be its EM100VT, a recording car that sends data on absolute track geometry, via the cloud, directly to the maintenance machine. It combines an inertial track geometry measurement system with a novel optical fixed-point procedure and GNSS/GPS geo-reference data. Previously, absolute track geometry could only be measured during special track possessions at walking speed. The new method is the first to capture absolute track geometry at speeds of over 100km/h.
When intelligent infrastructures don’t just react but anticipate. That’s ingenuity for life. With a growing need for mobility, advanced software solutions help to meet the demand for increased availability, optimised throughput and enhanced passenger experience. With over 160 years of experience in passenger and freight transportation and our IT know-how, we are constantly developing new and intelligent mobility solutions to provide greater efficiency and safety. These include prescriptive monitoring systems, dynamic control systems and electronic information and payment systems. With tomorrow’s innovative solutions driving us into the future, urban living becomes modern living.
siemens.com/mobility
INNOTRANS 2018
Rosehill Rail level crossing installation at Snaith, East Yorkshire.
Powerlines Group (26/226) is presenting itself as a system supplier for rail electrification. The Group’s entire portfolio - from consulting, engineering, product development and distribution, through to installation and maintenance - is to be showcased to international customers on its stand. In particular, Powerlines will be exhibiting its innovative GRP mast, overhead line components and the 3rd rail system for underground electrification. Robel Bahnbaumaschinen (26/234), the wellknown manufacturer of railway construction and maintenance machines, will be featuring two of its recent developments. The Rogrind HF Head is the first railheadgrinding machine that comes in two parts. A small, powerful DC motor replaces the combustion engine generally used for grinding machines. Some distance away, at the end of a spark-safe connection cable, stands the second module - a portable unit consisting of a petrol engine, generator and supercapacitor. While this arrangement protects the operator from exhaust fumes and noise and the combustion engine from grinding dust, the biggest advantage is the weight reduction and the convenience it brings - two times 50 kilograms are far easier to transport and position than 100 kilograms in one piece.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
PHOTO: ROBEL
PHOTO: POWERLINES
(Left) Powerlines GRP mast in Ostend, Belgium. (Right) Robel Rogrind HF.
PHOTO: ROSEHILL RAIL
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A logic-controlled grinding-head feed and Robel’s patented fine-grinding method give a perfect result, even if the operator lacks experience. This was borne out when the new Rogrind HF Head recently won the Network Rail Award for most innovative small plant. The other new Robel introduction is the Rorunner system of modular engineering trains. The basic combination of two on-track machines and one transport wagon can also be equipped with a drainage cleaning system, a wire drum or a scissor lift. This reduces the fleet, saves time and cuts cost. Two such systems were recently handed over to Transport for London for use on the Elizabeth line (Crossrail). Rosehill Rail (21/201), no strangers to InnoTrans, has an ongoing mission to set new standards for rail crossings. With approvals from rail authorities worldwide, the manufacturer’s innovation in rail crossing systems is clear. At this year’s international trade fair, Rosehill Rail will be showcasing its innovative, engineered rubber rail crossing systems the Connect Road Crossing System and the Baseplated System, along with the latest version of its Anti-Trespass panels. Utilised by rail authorities and operators worldwide, the Connect Road Crossing System offers a simple yet reliable level-crossing solution that is designed specifically for all types of roads.
Reduce Costs The rail industry is changing, fast. The need to improve efficiency and reliability, whilst minimising disruption and costs has never been greater. Innovative solutions are needed. Whether it’s a temporary, semi-permanent or permanent access point, whatever the sleeper spacing, our customers can install a 10.8m RRAP in less than 90 minutes, reducing possession times and costs. Rosehill Rail – Setting New Standards For more information, or to enquire about training, please call the Rosehill Rail sales team on +44 (0)1422 317 473, or email info@rosehillrail.com
6 September 2018 Pride Park - Derby
18 - 21 September 2018 Stand 201, Hall 21b Messe Berlin - Germany
Road Crossings
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Road Rail Access
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Pedestrian Crossings
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Anti-Trespass
SLEEPER SPACING INDEPENDENT
INNOTRANS 2018
PHOTO: WSP
WSP’s 1/87 scale model railway will be a great attraction.
WSP will demonstrate virtual reality at InnoTrans this year.
Visitors will be able to see for themselves how quickly and easily it can be installed and removed for maintenance. Rosehill Rail will also be displaying its Baseplated System, which has its own unique advantages compared to other, more rigid crossing systems that cannot be adapted for bespoke site requirements. This high-grade, wear-resistant system allows for fast installation and can accommodate track access, depots and both agricultural and pedestrian crossing applications. With over 13 years of trusted use across the globe, Rosehill Rail’s Anti-Trespass panels offer a highly effective solution to deterring trespassers and thieves from prohibited railway areas. Designed especially to minimise installation time, this product is proving increasingly popular in a number of international markets. WSP Infrastructure Engineering GmbH (5.2/531), the German affiliate of international professional services group WSP that was formerly known as IVV, will be hosting a stand at InnoTrans 2018. Drawing on over 130 years of technical excellence, WSP offers a holistic approach to transport and infrastructure planning, design and
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
management, bringing the latest technologies and a culture of innovation to meet community needs for mobility, connectivity, sustainability and resiliency. In 2017, more than 18,900 company employees worked in Transport and Infrastructure - that’s 45 per cent of WSP’s workforce across the world. WSP teams were involved in many signature commuter and regional rail projects such as the Eagle P3 Commuter Rail Project in Denver, which was the first public transportation project to use the P3 delivery method in the US. They also delivered KCRC West Rail in Hong Kong, the Nynäs Line in Stockholm and are currently working on Crossrail and High Speed Two (HS2) in the UK. With over 150 employees, WSP Infrastructure Engineering supplies professional rail infrastructure planning and PHOTO: WSP
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consulting services covering signalling, electrification, power supply and telecommunications systems, as well as civil engineering. It has been a major player in the planning and engineering of railway projects in Germany and Europe for the last 30 years, involved in key rail infrastructure projects such as the KarlsruheBasel high-speed railway, the German Unity Transport Project 8 (VDE 8) and Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel - the world’s longest (57.1km) and deepest (2,300 metres below the surface) railway tunnel. WSP InnoTrans highlights include: »» Virtual Reality with BIM using VR glasses, visitors will be able to watch a 3D visualisation of a modelled approach to P-Hausen Station, designed by WSP for German railway company Deutsche Bahn; »» A demonstration of the ProSig® planning system for railway signalling and safety; »» An eye-catching 1:87 scale model train designed and built by WSP engineers that reflects real standards of railway design - a sure-fire attraction for students and professionals alike.
Vehicle equipment Getzner Werkstoffe (1.1/511) and Herbert Kneitz (1.1/418) - both of which belong to the Getzner Group - share a commitment to continuous optimisation of the comfort and durability of train carriages and their interiors.
Shaping cities Transforming communities Connecting people Global engineering consultant WSP helps to shape our cities, improving interconnectivity and mobility for all. Operating in 40 countries, our rail experts deliver holistic, multi-disciplinary solutions across the rail project lifecycle. We plan, design and manage complex transformational schemes like HS2 and Crossrail in the UK and the Nyäs Line in Stockholm. Visit us at the InnoTrans Trade Fair (Hall 5.2 Stand 531). wsp.com
INNOTRANS 2018
Mechan’s stand at InnoTrans 2016.
Frequentis control system in operation on Deutsche Bahn.
The Knorr-Bremse EP2002 3.0 brake control system.
Besides punctuality, the comfort level of trains is an important factor for many people in switching from other means of transport to rail travel. Factors such as a quiet, low-vibration environment and comfortable seating enable passengers to make optimal use of their travel time. Getzner will show how the Sylomer® and Isotop® materials can be used to reduce vibration and noise in rail vehicles. On its stand, Kneitz, one of the leading manufacturers of premium interior textiles for the transport sector, will show how resistant textile solutions increase seating comfort in train carriages and can also protect against vandalism. Knorr-Bremse has adopted the slogan “Connecting People and Systems” for its four stands this year (1.2/106, 1.2/203, 6.2/212 and 17/208). The global market leader for braking systems, and a leading supplier of other safetycritical rail and commercial vehicle systems, is reinforcing the connectivity trend while focusing attention on customers, passengers and a consistent agenda of environmental and social responsibility. The company has aligned its subsystems and solutions with four major themes around the main market drivers: system connection, life-cycle efficiency, transportation capacity and ecodesign. Visitors will discover that system connection covers vehicle subsystem connectivity and the whole range of digital topics, including iCOM (the digital platform for rail transportation) and use of Ethernet technology to streamline and reduce wiring in vehicles. Life-cycle efficiency refers to the potential savings that operators can achieve by introducing modular products and enabling longer maintenance intervals. Under the heading of transportation capacity, Knorr-Bremse will show how larger and faster entrance systems and shorter braking distances can increase train frequency, and how to carry more passengers or freight instead of reducing weight. The fourth theme, Ecodesign, results in products and production processes that can cut CO2 emissions and noise while lowering energy consumption during both production and operation.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
PHOTO: FREQUENTIS
PHOTO: MECHAN
Mechan (2.2/206F), the renowned rail depot equipment specialist, is preparing to raise its global profile further by taking its largest stand to date at this year’s InnoTrans trade fair in Germany. Following its busiest exhibition ever in 2016, the Sheffield-based manufacturer has committed to a bigger and more prominent space in the UK Pavilion in September. A fully working version of Mechan’s flagship lifting jacks will form the centrepiece of its eye-catching display. These cost-effective lifting jacks retain all the features that make Mechan products so great, including its control system, which allows one user to operate synchronised sets and so eliminates decoupling. Mechan’s sales and engineering team will be on hand to update visitors on the progress the firm has made in the last two years and provide information on its wide range of lifting and handling products. Engineering manager, Martin Berry, who will be heading up the InnoTrans team, said: “It has been an eventful two years for us and we are looking forward to meeting colleagues old and new in Berlin to showcase our development. We have much to talk about, not only our buy-out by France’s CIM Group, but also the launch of our new light weight jacks, designed specifically for the tram and light rail markets.”
Electronic control Frequentis (4.1/315) will demonstrate how it bridges the gap between LTE/MCPTT and GSM-R, and how its Railway Emergency Management (REM) product boosts centralisation, cooperation and speed to support the operator during railway incident resolution. PHOTO: KNORR-BREMSE
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INNOTRANS 2018
RAIL DEPOT & WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT • • • • •
RAILCAR LIFTING JACKS BOGIE/EQUIPMENT DROPS TRAVERSERS TURNTABLES BOGIE WORKSHOP MACHINES • UNDER CAR EQUIPMENT HANDLING
• • • • •
LASER MEASURING SANDBOX FILLING SHUNTERS EXHAUST EXTRACTION UNDER FLOOR WHEEL LATHES
mechan.co.uk info@mechan.co.uk +44 (0)114 257 0563
Davy Industrial Park Prince of Wales Road Sheffield S9 4EX
voith.com
A superior power source Diesel-electric RailPack Benefits you can expect: • Complete customer support • Only one point of contact for the driveline • All RailPacks are type-tested • Routine tests completed after installation • Electrical supplies of auxiliary systems integrated on the vehicle side • Delivered ready for installation
• •
Low emissions Reduced fuel consumption
For more information: www.voith.com Come see us at InnoTrans 2018: hall 1.2, booth no. 215
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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INNOTRANS 2018 PHOTO: HARTING
Harting 3 x 350A connector for traction motors.
Stratasys Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer.
Control Center Apps GmbH (CCA), a Frequentis company, will show how its innovative mobile services enable a railway company to act more consistently, quickly and flexibly along with ensuring a more professional appearance. An innovative service guiding the signaller through the considerations involved in issuing written orders will also be on show. Harting (12/203) supplies appropriate interfaces for a multitude of applications in the railway sector. The company offers innovative designs for the connection of drives as well as for cross-carriage power, signal and data transmission, for example to power and supply passenger information and train monitoring systems. Robust solutions are required for the exterior areas of trains and carriages, since such connections must withstand harsh ambient conditions and extreme environmental demands such as rockfall, corrosion, moisture and changing temperatures. By way of example, RFID transponders on rails and vehicles, as well as antennas under trains, all collect data on the condition of the carriages and permit analysis to be performed, thus providing information early on potential maintenance requirements. Connectors are often used for electrical connections in communications and power transmission since they
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
are more flexible in their arrangement and handling than hardwired connections. They also accelerate the assembly of separately pre-assembled modules during installation or final assembly, thus enabling consistent modularisation in production. In general, connectors are ideal for the modular design of rail vehicles - they promote safety and help save time and thus costs. Pilz (6.2/214), a company that operates internationally as a technology leader, has many decades of experience in the field of safe automation. The highly sensitive and heavily safety-relevant railway sector can benefit from this experience and from the use of proven industrial automation products. This year, Pilz asks “Are you ready for the digital railway era?” The company’s PSS 4000R automation system offers a proven, safe and tested system for tailored and, in particular, economical solutions for the railway industry. Visitors will be able to see the variety of application options for themselves.
And that’s not all… European Union Agency for Railways (4.2/301) will become, in June 2019 and as part of the 4th Railway Package (4RP), an authority responsible for the granting of safety certificates and vehicle authorisations, and for the approvals of ERTMS trackside solutions. PHOTO: STRATASYS
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For its 2018 participation in InnoTrans, the Agency will carry out a demonstration of the One-Stop-Shop IT tool through which all applications for safety certificates, vehicle authorisations and ERTMS approvals shall be submitted as of June 2019. Visitors will be able to test the tool and find out how it will work. Stratasys (8.2/223) will showcase the value of 3D printing for the transport industry. The company will demonstrate how advances in its additive manufacturing technologies, software and materials are enabling customers to accelerate product development cycles and overcome the limitations of traditional manufacturing for low volume production. Through a series of highprofile customer examples, Stratasys will present how these companies are now able to 3D print realistic prototypes and customised replacement parts on-demand, quickly and costeffectively. This article has only scratched the surface of the displays that will be spread over InnoTrans 2018’s 41 halls and 3.5km of railway tracks. Rail Engineer will be there for all four days and still won’t cover everything. So plan your visit, see what you really want to see, and don’t try to get around the whole show, you won’t! Enjoy Berlin, and don’t forget to tell us of your experiences afterwards.
INNOTRANS 2018
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On-Board Energy Metering
EM4T II
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The right combination of Energy Meter & Transducers to meet EN 50463. Whatever the traction network, calculating precise billing data for both supplied and regenerated energy can be accomplished on-board, independently of the energy supplier, with the Energy Meter from LEM. To enable traction system designers to meet the requirements of EN 50463, the LEM EMF (Energy Measurement Function) matches enhanced accuracy Class 0.5R current and voltage transducers with the new EM4T II energy meter. • EM4T II energy meter rated & certified to Class 0.5R accuracy - Single-phase energy meter - Tracking & logging energy consumption - Four input channels for any AC or DC traction supply network - Calculates active & reactive energy - Compiles a load profile - Stores values - Train identification & location • DV series voltage transducers Class 0.5R accuracy 1000-4200 VRMS • ITC series current transducers Class 0.5R accuracy 2000-4000 ARMS
www.lem.com At the heart of power electronics.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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INNOTRANS 2018
EMC in Rail Risks, Responsibilities and Regulation ROB ARMSTRONG
E
MC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) is an important part of any rail project, be it recommissioning or refurbishing rolling stock, track and infrastructure renewals, electrification and stabling projects, or adding additional electronic items to existing systems.
The management of EMC, from a riskbased viewpoint, is something that needs to be carried through all of the stages of a project; ideally from conception to completion. EMC is a specialist subject that not everyone is comfortable with therefore knowing one’s responsibilities is key to a successful and stress-free project. There are three scenarios that are common in the rail sector and project managers and engineers need to be aware of the main EMC considerations. In all scenarios, the following points are key to ensuring a ‘no surprises’ EMC process: »» What is the EMC environment? »» What are the EMC requirements, and do they match the environment? »» Is there an EMC plan? »» Are there recognised quality/ competency systems in place? »» How will deviations from the plan, the specifications, or the declared environment be resolved? »» What documents will be produced and are they sufficient to demonstrate compatibility?
Scenario 1 In this scenario, a new fire alarm system is being installed as part of a station upgrade. Following the points above, the main
EMC activity for this kind of situation is to ensure that the fire alarm system is suitable for its environment. Note that this covers the whole system, not just the sensors, so routing of cabling is also important. Risks - Fire alarm fails to function as intended and there is a situation where a fire occurs, and the alarm does not go off, with the associated safety implications. There is also a risk that the fire alarm goes off when there is not a fire, causing loss of service in the station. These are both EMC risks, but have rather different severity levels. Responsibility - There is a responsibility on the fire alarm system manufacturer to supply equipment that is suitable for the environment in which it is used. This can be achieved by the application of harmonised standards and a CE mark - a legal requirement for any electronic product being placed on the market. There is also a responsibility for the person who is looking after the upgrade project as a whole as it is an offence to knowingly bring into service a non-compliant installation. Regulation - Apparatus and installations are both covered by EMC directive 2014/30/EU. Product-specific standards for fire alarms are available and, where applicable, should be compared to the expected rail environments given in the EN50121 series of standards.
ns Tra 2 o n In all 2. 6 H d 20 n Sta
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Documentation for fixed installations should reflect that this has been carried out appropriately using a risk-based approach.
Scenario 2 Consider an existing maintenance depot that is being repurposed to be able to repaint rolling stock. Again, the questions require answering to ensure that all will be well when the depot is recommissioned. Of particular importance in this kind of scenario is ensuring that both the project and the suppliers of large apparatus understand what is required of them in terms of EMC, so that overall project costs can be kept down. Risks - Apparatus or systems that are connected to the new parts of the maintenance depot interfere with existing systems. For example, variablespeed drives in fume extractors produce harmonics which, if uncontrolled, can couple into adjacent sensitive cabling such as that used for a depot protection system. This is just one example and, with many items of apparatus in a small area (there is never enough space), this situation can be replicated throughout a surprisingly large area. Responsibility - The supplier of the equipment (in this case, the fume extraction system) is responsible for supplying equipment that is suitable for the environment in which it is used. As with scenario 1, the responsibility lies with both the manufacturer and the person bringing the installation into service.
INNOTRANS 2018 Regulation - Apparatus and installations are both covered by EMC Directive 2014/30/EU. Generic standards for industrial environments are often used for equipment such as variable-speed drives, so, as with Scenario 1, the declared standards should be compared to the expected rail environments given in the EN50121 series of standards.
Scenario 3 If a track alignment change is planned for an electrified railway, the EMC environment is unlikely to change dramatically; there was an electrified line before the works, and there will be one after, just in a different physical location. The rail EMC environment is sometimes taken as extending 10 metres from the track centerline, therefore larger alignment changes may result in nearby areas coming within 10 metres of the track when previously they were not. Also, of consideration may be additional enabling works such as moving signalling cables, points heating systems and so on. Risks - With no new apparatus to be supplied in this scenario, the requirements focus on the changes made to the electromagnetic environment. This then encompasses a consideration of
EMC risk to third parties or neighbours, particularly if the zoning areas have changed due to the track moving. Responsibility - There is a responsibility on the person in control of the works to ensure that the changes comply with the essential requirements of the EMC Directive. Regulation - A form of EMC control or management is likely to be required to ensure that the finished project is compliant when it is brought into service. So, in summary, the key points when undertaking any railway project from an EMC point of view are to ensure that both any procured equipment and the whole project are compliant. Suppliers to the rail sector should ensure that their equipment is suitable for the environment into which it is being installed and be able to provide such evidence that is required
by projects. Evidence will most likely take the form of a Declaration of Conformity, which will state that the apparatus meets the requirements of appropriate and suitable standards and that the CE mark can be applied. For manufacturers - watch out for standards changing, they need to be correct at the point of placing on the market, not just when the product is launched. For project managers, project directors and others with EMC responsibility for projects, a proactive framework of control, review and assessment is the easiest and most appropriate way to get to completion without an EMC headache. Dr Rob Armstrong is expert services and training manager at Eurofins York (formerly York EMC Services).
Compliance services for the railway industry
Regulatory guidance, research and compliance management for railway EMC projects in the UK and worldwide. www.yorkemc.com | enquiryyork@eurofins.com
Hall 2.2 / 206
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ns Tra or o Inn tdo Ou splay di
MAURICE VERHEIJEN
High-speed milling EXTENDS RAIL LIFE
O
ver the years, railways throughout the world have been confronted with a growth in passenger numbers, increased train speeds, higher traction and braking forces and an overall rise in gross tonnage passing over their tracks.
Although, in many cases, rail maintenance regimes have been adapted to manage these increases via improvements in inspection, lubrication and rail grinding, rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage is still a serious problem encountered by a number of railways. Rail grinding has proved to be an excellent tool for controlling rail wear damage and preventing certain types of RCF development. However, some types of RCF, such as squats, studs and other surface-initiated rail defects, remain a serious problem. Factors such as rail steel quality, poor wheel-rail interaction, not enough (or in some cases
too much) lubrication, track geometry faults, vehicle characteristics and even climatic conditions can contribute to the occurrence of RCF, and rail defects up to 5mm deep are not uncommon these days. Since RCF can significantly reduce rail service life and is a serious safety hazard, new methods of dealing with the worst rail defects have been sought. Over the last decade, rail milling has been identified and introduced by railways throughout Europe as an essential treatment technique to increase rail service life, thereby significantly reducing rail replacement requirements and capital expenditure.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Innovative rail treatment For decades, Germany’s Schweerbau, operating from its base in Stadthagen near Hanover, has been one of the main service providers for mobile rail treatment throughout Europe. Providing rail profile planing and oscillating grinding services since the late eighties, during the midnineties the company introduced the world’s first mobile rail milling train. Over the following years, Schweerbau has developed and introduced further highly innovative technologies including rail milling machines for underground operations and rail rotational planing machines (DHOB technology) suitable for the productive, high accuracy and clean machining of rails in turnouts. Its most recent development has been the HSM high-speed mobile rail treatment train, again setting new standards in terms of output, quality and, last but not least, safety. Today, Schweerbau operates the world’s largest fleet of diverse mobile rail treatment trains for both main line and urban railway systems. Its portfolio of rail treatment trains includes planing, oscillating grinding, milling, rotational grinding, rotational planing and highspeed milling systems. In fact, when it comes to bringing rails back to shape or keeping rails in shape, Schweerbau has all the tools in the box.
INNOTRANS 2018 The HSM A three-car diesel-electric powered machine, the HSM high-speed rail milling train was built by Schweerbau in 2015. It was based on experiences with earlier rail milling trains, all of which had certain limitations, and also on the demands from the industry for more-productive machines with higher metal-removal rates as a result of reductions in track possession times combined with a need for improved safety and availability. The HSM is fitted with four high-output 1440mm milling wheels, fitted with up to 720 cutters each, rotating around horizontal shafts perpendicular to the rails. This socalled ‘climb’ milling process, where the milling wheels turn in the same direction as the machine’s working direction, combined with the large diameter milling wheels (and number of cutters), allows for faster machining speeds with higher metal removal capabilities when compared to previous milling trains which were fitted with 600mm diameter milling wheels. In addition, the HSM milling technology allows for the treatment of up to 5,000 metres of track before the milling cutters have to be replaced. This eliminates the need for technicians to go trackside, thereby improving both safety as well as total output per shift. Where longer track possession times are available, the innovative ‘segmented’ design of the large diameter milling wheels fitted on the HSM, in combination with an on-board automated segment change system, allows for renewing all milling cutters on the milling wheels rapidly without the need to get off the train and work trackside.
Schweerbau's innovative milling wheel segment changer.
From an environmental point of view, the HSM is capable of collecting 99 per cent of the recyclable metal residue (swarf) it produces and, due to the low noise emissions produced and the single pass operation capability, noise nuisance during operation is significantly reduced compared to other mobile rail treatment machinery. The HSM was fully approved and introduced on the German rail network by Deutsche Bahn in 2016, where it proved its capabilities in terms of output, quality and safety.
UK approvals In 2017, Schweerbau was awarded a service contract to provide rail milling services on Network Rail infrastructure. The company chose to work with Derbybased Aegis Engineering Systems to manage the approvals process for the HSM for operation in the UK. Aegis is an independent engineering consultancy with an in-depth knowledge of and experience in gaining approvals for a wide range of rolling stock and infrastructure projects. The HSM provided an interesting twist on the approvals process, being a train developed by Schweerbau for future UK operations but one that was approved by the German authorities for use on Deutsche Bahn infrastructure. Aegis developed an approvals procedure that worked from the existing German design and compliance documentation, to create a suite of work packs that demonstrated compliance with the mandated standards, chief amongst these being RIS-1702, GM/RT2400 and EN14033. In parallel with this, Aegis ran a safety assurance process on behalf of Schweerbau which was compliant with the Common Safety Method - although the project was deemed non-significant, the process applied ensured that best practice was followed. Aegis also managed the process for achieving Network Rail product acceptance, by demonstrating achievement of the requirements in terms of purpose and safety of operation.
Aegis Certification Services provided the independent assessment (NoBo/DeBo and PAB - Notified Body/Designated Body and Plant Assessment Body) services to ensure that ORR (Office of Rail and Road) authorisation was achieved in the most efficient manner, allowing Schweerbau to begin bringing the benefits of its rail treatment services to the UK railway. Although Network Rail owns and operates quite a large fleet of rail grinding trains, keeping the rails in tracks and switches throughout the network in shape, there are still certain parts of the network that require a more corrective approach. These are areas that suffer from particular RCF problems, areas that cannot regularly be addressed by grinding trains or simply areas where it’s more suitable and economical to use alternative methods of treatment due to issues such as access, environmental requirements or fire risk. This is where the HSM will have its primary role on the Network Rail infrastructure over the next few years.
Schweerbau International Although Schweerbau has been a track and rail maintenance ‘service provider’ from origin, the increasing worldwide demands to purchase specialist mobile rail treatment machines has recently led to the founding of an affiliate company, Schweerbau International, which is also based in Stadthagen, Germany. By taking full advantage of the experience and know-how gathered in railhead treatment over the past 30 years, Schweerbau International focusses on the design, manufacture and supply of specialised high-technology maintenance machines such as rail milling trains, rail grinding trains and specialist maintenance trains. The next generation in mobile rail milling trains - the highly innovative CM42 series is due for arrival in 2020. Maurice Verheijen is a director of Schweerbau International.
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
DAVID SHIPMAN
The benefits of adopting NEW TECHNOLOGIES
T
he latest developments in technology have proven capable of some remarkable achievements across all walks of life. For example, not so long ago, mastering the ancient Chinese game of Go was considered out of reach for machines - with the number of possible permutations exceeding the number of atoms in the universe. A ‘brute force’ approach, which may have worked for the relatively ‘simple’ challenge of chess, simply isn’t possible, forcing the machines to have to think like a human player. Once the stuff of science fiction, it recently became a reality with AlphaGo, the machine that taught itself how to play and then mastered the game. Other skills that come naturally to humans but have been challenging for a software solution are gradually being mastered - image recognition is a prime example. Nowadays, should you wish to, it is easy to set your favourite search engine the task of finding pictures of, say, cats, and in return you receive a vast array of images of precisely that. With sufficient training material, software algorithms can learn the key features that allow them to identify correctly the target subject matter in completely new images not exactly the apocalyptic vision of machines rising up to challenge their human overlords, but a significant development in applying a
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
level of interpretation that, until recently, has been the preserve of sentient beings. Similar techniques enable self-driving cars to be aware enough of their surroundings to recognise threats and interpret the roadside instructions that we humans take for granted.
Bitcoins and augmented reality Technology has given us the ability to achieve more in other fields too. New, secure cryptocurrencies, such as BitCoin, have arisen, underpinned by technology that is able to ensure the integrity of transactions without the need for a central banking authority. Instead, a distributed system allows parties with a mutual distrust of each other to cooperate to validate and secure transactions such that these can be trusted implicitly. Meanwhile, when we want to escape the real world and relax, or at least immerse ourselves in a different kind of stressful environment, it has
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
become perfectly normal to slip on a virtual reality headset and inhabit a different world altogether, which might be completely made up or an enhanced version of real life. Or, why not do away with the headset, and just augment reality on your mobile phone while running around chasing fictional creatures? So, what’s the link between BitCoin, AlphaGo, self-driving cars, pictures of cats, and virtual reality headsets? And, more to the point, what do they have to do with a feature supposedly all about the more familiar territory of railway signalling? Well, one thing all of these have in common is that they rely on advanced technologies that are being evaluated for potential railway applications, and, as we move into the next control period for investment, it is likely that some or all of these will start to make an impact on the way we design, build, operate and maintain signalling systems and other assets. Adoption of these technologies may not be immediately apparent to the traveller going about their journey, but they will, nevertheless, contribute to continuing improvements in safety, financial efficiency and reduced disruption, contributing to improvements that customers will notice.
Managing data using Blockchain Cryptocurrency relies on a highly secure means of ensuring the safety, integrity and balance of a financial ledger, using an underlying technology known as blockchain. At first glance, that doesn’t sound like anything that would improve railway signalling. But this technology can be used in all sorts of areas outside of finance. Fundamentally it is about managing blocks of data, and that’s something that we deal with a lot when we’re designing and maintaining our assets. As we move into an increasingly digital, data-driven world, there’s a growing need to rethink the ways we manage the information we need for
designing and maintaining the railway. Traditional paper records, and even electronic versions of these, have data management processes that do not lend themselves to controlling the elements of what is often referred to as a ‘digital twin’, a model that integrates information about the whole network, not just discrete parts of it. Blockchain, along with other similar technologies, offers potential in managing this data model with secure transactions being used to isolate and securely modify assets, much simplifying the overlapping areas that require careful manual controls with our current filebased approach. This means that we can maintain a single digital model that represents the state of the whole railway at any given time, while designers are preparing the modifications for renewals and enhancement works within the same model. This, in turn, provides a more reliable and well-maintained model which reduces the amount of work required to validate it before future changes - especially when coupled with the automated surveying capabilities described below. So, while the next regulatory period is unlikely to be funded by mining bitcoins, it’s certainly highly likely we’ll be harvesting some of the technology used!
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Intelligent machines One of the most exciting and challenging areas is where machine learning and artificial intelligence can be brought into use in automating simple and repetitive jobs - those activities that tend to involve a lot of time and effort and tie up skilled designers in performing relatively menial tasks. For the design and delivery of signalling renewals and enhancements to become as efficient as possible, with a limited pool of skilled talent, automation of the everyday, time-consuming activities is an obvious benefit - it doesn’t reduce the need for skilled staff but means that their skills can be focussed on the activities that those skills are most suited for, while computational power is targeted at the repetitive and straightforward elements. So what are those areas we need to focus on? To start with, every resignalling project involves a huge amount of manual correlation of the existing infrastructure, to make sure that the records we have are accurate and we are starting from a correct design viewpoint.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Over the past few years, much effort has gone into refining the methods by which we capture the data that we need to do that - replacing manual surveys with automated laser and video scanning that can, far more quickly and reliably, build a record of the infrastructure at the time. But the images obtained don’t tell us what is where, they just show us what it looks like. It still requires an engineer to view the footage and tag all the items of interest, identifying what and exactly where they are. Intelligent machine vision has been used for some time to tackle the challenge of inspecting thousands of miles of rail for defects. This is a problem area that the technology available excels at - the ‘normal’ view of a rail from above is fairly consistent, and so identifying where the captured image deviates from the normal is ever-improving, but fundamentally understood. Finding signalling (and other) assets automatically from miles of video footage is a rather different prospect. The problem here is that the background image, against which a range of different types of signal must be identified regardless of configuration, type or alignment, is ever changing. The problem moves from one of finding an abnormal element in an otherwise normal image, to finding an abnormal element in an otherwise random image!
Existing applications So, given that, what technologies are already achieving aspects of this? Firstly, consider the driverless car. One of the primary safety aspects of such an autonomous vehicle is that it needs to identify an obstacle, possibly a moving one, in its field of vision. This is very much in line with our own challenges because it is using advanced image processing to identify something in the way of the vehicle, an abnormal object against a background that is ever changing. However, what that object actually is doesn’t matter as much as knowing it is there in order to react to its presence. Take a more trivial example the cat photographs. Searching for “cat” results in countless feline matches based on recognition of the content, rather than stored metadata about each picture. However, as undeniably powerful as this is (at least, if you extend your search beyond the urgent need to find pictures of every single cat ever uploaded), if your search only returns 90 per cent of cat pictures from the unimaginable number of images on the whole of the web, it’s unlikely to be a major problem. On the other hand, if we can’t be sure we will recognise absolutely every signalling asset from an automated survey, we still need to have
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
someone checking through the entire footage to make sure, otherwise we could miss something that will be a costly error to rectify. Is finding pictures on the internet a folly that has no place in “serious” engineering? Of course not, it’s a relatively flippant example of the application of technology that has potential to change the way we approach everyday tasks, but we need to work on our own application needs to address the pertinent engineering challenges. Could AlphaGo have the answer? Well, that’s another strand of artificial intelligence that has definite potential. Building a software solution that, quite literally, taught itself how to play the game, was groundbreaking. Given the number of possible permutations, a brute force approach to solving potential outcomes beyond a few moves was simply impossible. What was achieved was a demonstration that machines could learn how to solve specific problems without understanding all the possible outcomes in the first place. This is very much like the problem we’re trying to solve - we need our ‘machine’ to learn how to find signals, and other assets, regardless of the many variations in the position, shape and alignment of these objects and the infinite variety of backgrounds that they might be found against.
Virtual Reality By comparison, virtual reality headsets feel tangibly close to regular use - in fact they have been trialled in a number of areas including our own signal sighting tools. (Pictured above and below) Of all the technologies discussed so far, this is the one that will probably be most apparent in the short term, at least to those designing and maintaining the railway. As an office-based technology for viewing the details of the railway in a safe environment, its use is assured, offering huge safety benefits, through reducing the need for staff to access the live railway, and generating savings of both cost and time. Applications beyond that need more consideration. There are potential parallels between the heads-up displays used in fighter jets and providing ‘hands-free’
access to extra information while undertaking maintenance activities on the railway. After all, both are in a live operational environment and a fighter pilot needs an immediate and accurate display of information to a greater extent than any likely railway application, save perhaps the driver of a train, so adopting similar technology doesn’t therefore seem unreasonable. But that pilot is strapped into a seat, whereas railway workers are usually trying to work, and move around, in a live railway environment where slips, trips and falls are an ever-present danger, not to mention keeping out of the way of passing trains. That introduces different risks that have to be managed appropriately. So, in summary, there are some impressive technologies out there that are providing great opportunities to do things differently, and it’s likely that all of them will be playing a role in the future of signalling design and across many other aspects of railway engineering. Technology, it seems, moves on faster than ever, and, while the railways have always been an outlet for innovation in engineering, it is just as important to stop and look at the world around us too, and make the most of all that the best innovative technology has to offer.
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Upgrading the CLIVE KESSELL
Connection CONTINENTAL
(Below) The cross-border cooperation on ERTMS agreement was signed by (l-r) SNCF-Réseau president Patrick Jeantet, HS1 CEO Dyan Crowther, Infrabel CEO Luc Lallemand and Getlink chief corporate officer Michel Boudoussier.
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nother ERTMS announcement has recently emerged, this time concerning the London to Paris and Brussels highspeed routes through the Channel Tunnel. At a meeting in Paris on 19 July, an agreement signed by four parties - UK HS1, Eurotunnel Getlink, SNCF Reseau and Infrabel - stated that they would work together to introduce ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) on the routes concerned.
This came as a bit of a surprise and there was very little detail as to what was actually being planned, so Rail Engineer went to meet HS1 and learn some more.
Motivation It is now some 24 years since the Channel Tunnel opened and Eurostar services began from London’s new international terminal at Waterloo station. The French, in their typical enthusiasm, had opened their high-speed line from Paris to Calais in readiness for this but the British and the Belgians were reliant on their existing rail networks to connect in to the cross-channel services. In time, both Belgium (in late 1997) and the UK (partly in 2001 and fully in 2007 to St Pancras) constructed high-speed lines using the TVM 430 train control system designed by the French. So far as railway technology is concerned, both the Belgian and British high-speed lines are essentially SNCF extensions. Not all the TVM 430 equipment is from the same vintage; the cab displays are identical but the interlockings in France and in the Tunnel are relay-based whereas those on HS1 are solid-state. The system uses track circuits for train detection and position information from which the ‘distance to go’ cab commands are derived. With the oldest equipment now well over halfway through its expected lifespan, planning for renewal makes sense.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
The main driver is, however, not renewal but the need to expand the routes that the London/Paris/Brussels configuration can offer. Already, the extension of Eurostar services to Amsterdam has begun, enabled by a treaty with the Dutch rail authorities, but a new vision exists to achieve greater utilisation of the infrastructure. Bordeaux is very much a target, using the SNCF and LISEA-owned TGV South West line via Tours, but there are also plans to expand into Germany and beyond. Introducing ERTMS/ETCS (European Train Control System) for train control will improve international interoperability further and make cross border crossings as seamless as possible.
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS The cab of a Siemens-built Eurostar e320 train. The control desk is fitted with displays for both TVM 430 and ETCS. PHOTO: EUROSTAR
Technical challenges ETCS has reached maturity, at least as far as Level 2 is concerned. With the software stabilised at version 3.0.0 and products from many suppliers all being capable of working with each other, it would be easy to presume that to convert the aforementioned high-speed lines is a simple project. In some respects, this is true, but changing from one train control system to another brings its own set of challenges. Nothing can be done overnight, so a plan to have both old and new systems in operation at the same time needs to be produced. This means either having to duplicate the infrastructure or dual-fit the trains. On a much smaller scale, London Underground faced this dilemma when upgrading the Victoria line and solved it by having the new ground based signalling overlaid onto the old. Doing this for the London-Paris/Brussels lines might result in something similar, but it is a much larger project and will mean making the change for the various sections of route at different times. Indeed, because of the different ages of the TVM 430 equipment, the oldest in France and the Channel Tunnel will be the first, with that in Belgium coming later and HS1 being the last to be replaced. This will ensure that the installed equipment base has a reasonably long working life. It must be remembered that ETCS is a radio-based system whereas TVM 430 uses track circuits, so the changeover will be a new method of working. For the Channel Tunnel, getting the radio signals in place should present no difficulties as many long tunnels in Europe and beyond are equipped with radiating cable - see the Rail Engineer article in issue 166 (August 2018) on ETCS operation in the Gotthard Base tunnel.
The Paris to Lille section has the most urgent need as this currently carries the most traffic - Eurostar, Thalys and other local services - with a need to increase the current capacity of 15 trains per hour. In contrast, the Channel Tunnel is presumed to be the most complex as the new system must be capable of bidirectional working in the two tunnels plus changing from one track to the other at the two crossover points. The provision of ETCS in-cab equipment will be a major consideration. The new Eurostar Class 374 trains from Siemens (the e320 class) already have it, since it is needed for the Brussels to Amsterdam high-speed line. The older Alstom-built Class 373 trains will need to be equipped, as will the Thalys trains that operate the Paris to Brussels service.
ETCS is already used in operation on the Brussels to Amsterdam high-speed line, as this shot from a regional train shows. In the UK, the Class 395 Javelin trains of Southeastern will similarly need to be fitted, as will the locomotives that work the growing number of freight trains operating over the route and, of course, the shuttle trains which carry cars, buses and lorries through the tunnel. Yellow plant and other engineering trains must also be considered. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Gare St Jean in Bordeaux has a roof by Gustave Eiffel. Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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(Above) The cross-channel shuttle trains will also need converting to ETCS control. The radio element of ERTMS is another factor as, whilst all the trains are presumed to have GSM-R, many of them will only have it in its basic form for speech communication and limited data. Fitting a data radio to the trains for the communication link to the ETCS commands will be necessary. GSM-R, as has been reported in previous articles, uses an obsolete technology based on the 2G mobile phone standard, and replacing it with either a 4G or 5G network is likely to take place anyway during the timescale of the high-speed lines upgrade. HS1 is well aware of this and will be watching developments closely. Another parallel development could well be the emergence of ERTMS Level 3, especially the Hybrid version which would retain existing train detection equipment (track circuits or axle counters) in the short term but allow Level 3-fitted trains to operate with the potential capacity advantages of moving block that this would yield. Again, HS1 is keeping a close eye on progress.
Traffic management The pinch point of these high-speed lines is the Channel Tunnel, where Eurostar trains have to arrive at the portals within three minutes of the timetable to ensure a smooth transition. To achieve this in all circumstances requires a traffic management capability of being able to ‘look back’ at how the train service is running on the other side of the channel, and this facility is currently very limited. For this reason, a fully fledged traffic management system is part of the upgrade plan so as to have the ability to look at the overall performance of all train services across a much wider area in order to prioritise Eurostar services should any out-of-course running occur.
Commercial considerations A project of this magnitude must have a robust business case. Much of this will be based on demand forecasting in the pursuance of a wider European high-speed network. Having different technologies currently makes cross-border operation complicated and expensive and thus fitting both infrastructure and trains with a common system will lead to economies.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Whilst HS1 and Eurotunnel are separate entities (and French high-speed operation is going that way - LISEA is a private company now operating the Tour - Bordeaux line extension). These lines have to interface with national networks - Network Rail, SNCF Réseau and Infrabel - to offer an end-to-end service. Interfaces, both technical and commercial, can lead to acrimony if not properly managed and thus it is seen as vital that commitment from the chief executives of these organisations is obtained to ensure complete co-operation.
What next? Clearly this project is long term. Six work streams have been identified as being needed to get the project off the ground: »» Interface Strategy - including co-operation on project management; »» Engineering Development - for a common design for the ETCS solution; »» Procurement Strategy - to ensure an agreed approach and tendering requirements; »» International Demand Forecast - including business opportunities; »» Funding Strategy - to have an opportunity for European joint financing; »» Communications Strategy - for the what, where and when questions in anticipation of stakeholder involvement. A provisional development programme is expected to be in place by the end of 2018. Service introduction in France and the Tunnel is anticipated by 2025, in Belgium by 2030 and on HS1 by 2032. A rough estimate for the HS1 section is £70 million, including the necessary research and development. This excludes the cost of any train fitting. The benefits are potentially great and could revolutionise pan-European train travel. The technical aspects will be the most interesting to follow as these have to go hand-in-hand with engineering developments in the general rail arena. Mutual cooperation with HS2 is anticipated, so perhaps we will see services from the north of London direct to the continent after all. Now there’s a thought. Thanks to Edmund Butcher and Richard Thorp from HS1 for their assistance with this article.
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
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Advanced solutions
TO OBSTACLE DETECTION
W
hen asked what the safest type of level crossing is, invariably the answer from any educated rail engineer will be “a closed one”. Of course, common sense tells us that this will always be true and rail organisations all over the world will always plan to remove their highly dangerous road/rail interfaces wherever possible. For example, VicTrack in Melbourne, Australia, is currently planning to spend millions of Australian Dollars in grade separating 50 of its 180 city metro crossings. Where crossings cannot be removed, due to cost or physical impracticalities, railroad companies strive to implement the safest processes to manage the passage of trains while protecting the public users of the crossing. Until recently,
the safest type of active level crossing was those monitored by signallers who physically watched the crossing, manually closing barriers and then confirming that the crossing was clear for trains to pass. These crossings are known as MCB
(manually controlled barrier) and, where CCTV cameras are employed, MCB-CCTV, in which case the signaller can monitor several crossings from a central control centre, reducing the manpower required. More recently, automatic obstacle detection solutions have been employed, to remove the human reliance completely. Network Rail has designated these crossings as MCB-OD. With OD solutions being designed to ever-higher safety integrity levels (SIL), these are now recognised as the safest type of active crossing and are being promoted across the world as a costeffective alternative to crossing closure or grade separation.
OD in UK After having already commissioned over 100 level crossing obstacle detection systems in the UK, using a combination of radar and LiDAR, Network Rail recently initiated a tender process in which suppliers were invited to propose new obstacle detection solutions to fulfil its remaining upgrade programme. One of the many responders was IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi SpA, a high-tech integrated engineering solutions and services company based in Pisa, Italy. Marina Marra, head of the company’s railways and safety division, explained: “We had successfully delivered 200 of our SIL4 certified Radar OD solutions to
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
THE FUTURE OF LEVEL THE FUTURE OF LEVEL CROSSING CROSSING SAFETY SAFETY
VEHICLE VEHICLE AND AND HUMAN HUMAN OBSTACLE OBSTACLE DETECTION DETECTION VEHICLE AND HUMAN OBSTACLE DETECTION MOVING MOVING AND AND STATIONARY STATIONARY OBJECT OBJECT CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFICATION MOVING AND STATIONARY OBJECT CLASSIFICATION STAND STAND ALONE ALONE INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT RADAR RADAR UNIT UNIT STAND ALONE INDEPENDENT RADAR UNIT SIL4 SIL4 CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATE FOR FOR SINGLE SINGLE BOX BOX SIL4 CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE BOX ALL ALL WEATHER WEATHER AND AND ALL ALL ENVIRONMENTS ENVIRONMENTS ALL WEATHER AND ALL ENVIRONMENTS NO NO MOVING MOVING PARTS PARTS NO MOVING PARTS ZERO ZERO PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE ZERO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE LOW LOW WHOLE WHOLE LIFE LIFE COST COST LOW WHOLE LIFE COST
info_rail@idscorporation.com info_rail@idscorporation.com info_rail@idscorporation.com www.idscorporation.com www.idscorporation.com www.idscorporation.com
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the Italian rail operator, RFI, so we believed we had the right experience and a good overall proposal to offer to Network Rail. The technical specification differed somewhat, so we initiated a suite of tests internally to give us the confidence we could meet the Network Rail requirements, such as detecting small children lying down on the ground. Following this, we completed our tender response and waited for news.” Network Rail announced that IDS was the preferred bidder in March and, following the statutory standstill period and successful quality and DFR (design for reliability) audit undertaken at the Pisa headquarters, IDS and Network Rail signed a five-year framework contract on 20 July. “We are so happy to have successfully completed this process with Network Rail after such a challenging and competitive tender,” said Massimo Garbini, chief executive officer of IDS. “Our engineers have done an exceptional job and we are all looking forward to working with our newest customer in the UK.”
Advanced solution The IDS Obstacle Detection solution consists of a single standalone radar product that is installed on a pole in one corner of the level crossing. Utilising 58 separate transmitters and receivers, the system can detect objects as small as 150mm, human beings and road vehicles up to 35 metres from the scanner. Dave Farman, level crossing safety consultant, said: “The solution which has been developed by IDS is very advanced, utilising solid state radar technology and designed to the highest standards. It requires no preventative maintenance once installed, no cleaning, calibration, etc. We are aware that Network Rail looked closely at the WLC (whole life cost) of the product, which includes any maintenance regimes required over its lifetime, and we are convinced this helped considerably in winning the tender. “The product has a 15-year MTBF (mean time between failure) and auto-diagnostic functionality, so you can effectively install it and leave it alone for 15 years before returning when it tells you it is about to fail.” Dave spent more than five years developing and implementing the Lidar Complementary Obstacle Detection solution currently in use on UK rail crossings, so he is well educated in the requirements and processes undertaken at Network Rail. “We are looking forward to delivering the first test system to York, which will be used to start the Network Rail Product Approval process,” he added.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Low whole-life cost The development of low-cost obstacle detection systems, such as the IDS Radar, means that a truly safe alternative to grade separation is now a reality. Where customers use ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) as their principle for safety mitigation, a very low whole-life cost solution, which brings with it extremely high levels of safety, creates a clear cost-effective opportunity for railroads to reduce risk at level crossings. “With the Network Rail contract now agreed, we can move forward with our international plan to deliver safer level crossings across the globe,” explained Dave. “We have visited railroads and rail safety organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the USA, where moves to implement digital railway signalling systems such as ATMS and PTC are well underway. This enables the integration of our product by simply adding another input to the digital interlocking process, creating a safe level crossing without the need for expensive legacy signalling upgrades. “Level crossing safety is a truly global problem as we hear every year at the ILCAD (International Level Crossing Awareness Day), this year hosted by Croatia Rail in Zagreb and supported by UIC (International Union of Railways). IDS sponsored this year’s event and announced the Network Rail contract award at the conference. With IDS’ global sales and support structure we hope to deliver increased safety at Level Crossings across the globe.”
“Excellence in Engineering”
Lundy Projects Limited 195 Chestergate Stockport SK3 0BQ Tel: 0161 476 2996 Email: mail@lundy-projects.co.uk Website: www.lundy-projects.co.uk
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
aging a com an m M
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CLIVE KESSELL
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lmost since railways began, they have enjoyed the privilege of being able to provide, operate and maintain their own telecommunications network. In the early days, these would have been telegraph systems communicating by single needle instruments akin to Morse code.
With the advent of telephones, most countries adopted a monopoly regime, often controlled by the postal authorities, to manage the spread of telephony services and to avoid the complicated interfaces that would have arisen if uncontrolled competition had been allowed to happen. However, the railways (and sometimes the military) were permitted to operate independent networks, but even these had restrictions placed upon them as to breakout connections into the public network. It is only in recent times, under privatisation, that this monopoly has been disbanded, but still with a government dictated set of rules (in the UK it’s the Office of Communications - Ofcom) to ensure competitive fair play and maintenance of standards. Railways continue to maintain an independent network, as communications for both operational and commercial purposes remain a vital part of running a train service. Even in the early days, telecom networks needed some form of overview management, if only to get faults fixed and to manage expansion.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Traditionally, the focal point would have been the switchboard operator, who would interface between the telephone user and the maintenance engineer. With the widespread use of automatic switching by the 1960s, and the consequent reduction in switchboard services, fault control centres emerged, often staffed on a 24-hour basis, with elementary facilities to assess the performance of the network and to manage the fault rectification process.
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
From voice to data The advent of data networks needed a muchenhanced form of network control and, inspired by systems existing on Southern Pacific in the USA, British Rail introduced a Communications Data Control (CDC) to oversee the data connections for its new TOPS (Total Operations Processing System) rolling stock control network, which it introduced in the 1970s. This was the interface between the mainframe computers of the time and the data terminals in freight yards, control offices and suchlike. Whilst the transmission network had significantly grown in capacity, the technology was still analogue, with modems used to achieve the data requirements. Originally in London, the CDC moved to Nottingham with a duplicate office established in Crewe, thus giving the diversity and resilience required for continued operation should any emergency occur. Many other data systems were introduced, covering a multitude of applications for which the CDC had responsibility for round-the-clock connectivity.
Exploiting the network With the existence of a nationwide network, it was perceived by many that the BR telecom assets could be used for the greater good, using the network to become another nationwide public operator with the railway requirements being bought-in at preferential rates. This led to the creation of British Rail Telecom (BRT) and the eventual sell-off of the core network structure, but the venture was flawed for two basic reasons. Firstly, many local telecom assets remained with the rail companies, leading to confusion as to who owned what and an uncomfortable interface between the two. Secondly, it brought home to senior rail management that telecoms was an essential part of rail operations and to entrust this to what was, effectively, a third party, introduced enormous risks.
Privatisation, Network Rail and telecommunications Much has been written on rail privatisation and the pros and cons can be debated at length. In the UK, following some serious accidents, the infrastructure has effectively been re-nationalised to become Network Rail. The lessons of BRT were learned but, equally, the national telecom assets would not fit comfortably into the route and geographic management structure produced for the track and signalling. Thus, in 2011, Network Rail Telecom (NRT) was created to operate the cable, transmission, voice and data networks as a nationwide entity. A significant investment had been made to create the Fixed Telecom Network (FTN) that provides a nationwide, resilient digital transmission bearer borne upon fibre cables and used to support the GSM-R radio network. Subsequently, an additional optical network - FTNx - has been constructed to support the increasing usage of IP enabled devices. Both FTN and FTNx are now used as a universal bearer for all railway telecom and data requirements, including links for signalling SSI (solid-state interlockings) and the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) power control network from their respective control centres.
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS Controllers), each of which can support up to 250 BTSs with each BSC connected to both MSCs via the FTN network. A total of 55,000 radio devices exist, mounted in train cabs (4,000 traction units are so equipped), on yellow plant, and used as personal mobile handsets. A recent addition has been to give the emergency services access to GSM-R for particular locations, the Severn Tunnel being an example. All this sounds a lot, but it is small by comparison with the public mobile providers. However, with GSM-R (and any future radio network) being a fundamental element of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it can be seen how vital all of this is to rail operations.
Transmission and cable hierarchy
The Network Management Centre
To obtain near-guaranteed resilience, the FTN is structured in a series of transmission rings based on SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) technology. The core rings, known as STM16 (Synchronous Transport Module, level 16) have a 2.5Gbit/sec capacity, each capable of carrying the equivalent of 30,248 telephone circuits, with nodes at the main rail centres. Below these in the hierarchy are the access rings, known as STM4 and STM1, which have capabilities of 622 Mbit/sec and 155Mbit/sec, with access points at all major stations, depots and office locations. Even further down come the local access links using PDH (Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy) at 2Mbit/sec and 64kbit/sec that incorporate analogue-to-digital conversion, where needed, for connection to data terminals, telephones, TV cameras and other devices. A similar hierarchy exists for the FTNx network, to enable full connectivity for IP based systems. The core level has a capacity of 80 x 100Gbit/ sec on a single pair of fibres using DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplex). Railway usage is small in terms of this capacity and efforts are being made to exploit spare bandwidth for other user groups, particularly in remoter areas. NRT will retain ownership of the network, to avoid the situations that developed with BRT. The NRT portfolio includes 18,000km of fibre cable, 22,000km of copper cable and 3,500 data connectivity nodes. The rings are routed via separate geographical paths and cover the entire rail network. Where a ring formation is not physically possible, such as in Cornwall, the alternative path is acquired from BT or another supplier on a rented basis.
As can be imagined, the day-to-day management of the entire NRT operation needs to be professional and all embracing. It is the nerve centre of the operation and Rail Engineer went to visit the site to see just what is involved. Arranged into two sections, one for FTN, the other for FTNx, the array of screens enables the controllers to view the performance of all the transmission rings and the GSM-R sites. A key objective is the continued operation of the signalling and SCADA systems that Network Rail has for train operation and forms part of the overall digital transformation that is taking place. Currently, around 200,000 devices of all kinds are monitored. However, as the Digital Railway is introduced in the coming years, more capacity will be needed, so the NMC is being expanded to cater for the passenger experience, safety and security, e-ticketing, multi- media information and suchlike. All sites are already monitored for environment, security access, air conditioning, power provision, door open/closed conditions as well as equipment
GSM-R logistics The GSM-R radio network consists of two MSCs (Mobile Switching Centres) and 2,500 radio masts, the latter all requiring a local REB (Relocatable Equipment Building) for the associated BTS (Base Transmitting Station) equipment. These BTSs are connected to a series of BSCs (Base Station
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS performance and alarms. SSI signalling links are automatically re-routed within 15ms should a problem occur. Manual re-routing of circuits is possible if the automatic routines are viewed as inappropriate. Should a cable strike occur, the typical repair time is between four and five hours. If a length of cable is stolen (fortunately, thieves are learning that fibre has no value), it may take up to three days to effect a replacement, depending on where it happens and ease of access. In such circumstances, there is a risk of the remaining path also developing a problem - it does sometimes happen - and there are escalation procedures in place to speed up the repair. The FTN network’s control centre equipment and screens show the performance of circuits on graphical displays and the level of detection is such that a fibre distortion can be immediately detected, which could mean a cut or theft about to happen. Use of the FTNx network is expanding all the time. On the new Borders Railway in Scotland, all signalling and telecommunications links are based on IP-networking and come under the control of the NMC. The GSM-R network has terminals at signalling centres to enable signallers to access the radio facilities. Similar terminals are available in the NMC to permit testing of the on-air radio performance from the BTS sites.
Things have come a long way since the early days of communication networks and having the means to monitor and control the systems is a vital element of network operation. It’s all part of the digital revolution. Is Big Brother watching you? Maybe, but it is for your own good!
Call: 01933 279909 email: pmcsharry@kilbornconsulting.co.uk We are an independent railway engineering consultancy and design business. We specialise in the design of railway signalling and telecommunication systems for the UK and Ireland railway infrastructure.
We are an independent railway engineering consultancy and design business. Our core services cover technical advice, consultancy, concept, outline and detailed design of both signalling and telecommunication
Wesystems. specialise in the design ofactivities railway and telecommunication systems for the UK and Ireland We can provide all Signal Sighting and signalling signalling risk assessments, including SORA and Suitable and Sufficient Risk railway infrastructure. Assessments for Level Crossings. We also provide EMC and E&B studies to complement our core services.
Our core services cover technical advice, KILBORN CONSULTING LIMITED, 3 Burystead Place, consultancy, concept, outline and detailed design of both Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1AH signalling and telecommunication systems. We can provide all Signal Sighting activities and signalling risk T: 01933 279909 E: pmcsharry@kilbornconsulting.co.uk assessments, including SORA and Suitable and Sufficient Risk Assessments for Level Crossings. We also www.kilbornconsulting.co.uk provide EMC and E&B studies to complement our core services. There are seven defined areas for which we supply our services: Signalling and Telecoms Consultancy, including Technical Advice and Support; Asset Condition Assessments, Correlation and Surveys; Signalling and Level Crossing Risk Assessments; Feasibility, Optioneering Studies, Concept and Outline Signalling Design; Telecoms Option Selection Reports (including AiP), Reference System Design and Detailed Design; Detailed Signalling Design; and Competency Management and Assessments.
KILBORN CONSULTING LIMITED
3 Burystead Place, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1AH
For more information, visit: www.kilbornconsulting.co.uk Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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SIGNALLING A PROCUREMENT enters the Digital Age
s the advent of the digital railway gathers pace, so the procurement of systems associated with it will need to adapt. It might prove difficult for both customers and suppliers to understand the full impact - as someone once remarked, “the wonderful thing about standards is there are so many to choose from!” and signalling could well be like that going forward.
CLIVE KESSELL
At the heart of every signalling scheme is an interlocking, as this is fundamental to the safe control of points and signals, and the associated avoidance of trains being routed incorrectly. Interlockings using solid state technology have been around since the early 1980s, but now these have to be interfaced with Radio Block Centres (RBC) to permit the safe issuing of movement authorities for ETCS operation as the entire configuration migrates towards the digital world. Rail Engineer talked with SNC-Lavalin's Atkins business to get a supplier’s view on how things are likely to progress.
Framework agreement In an attempt to simplify and accelerate the procurement process, Network Rail entered into a framework arrangement with three signalling suppliers in 2015. These were Invensys (now Siemens), Signalling Solutions Limited (SSL, now Alstom) and Atkins. Whilst Siemens and Alstom were largely self sufficient in the design, manufacture and provision of signalling equipment, Atkins’ expertise was in signalling design, system integration and testing. Not having its own products could be both an advantage and disadvantage. On the plus side, Atkins was not locked into any particular equipment type, whilst the downside was that equipment would have to be procured from one or other of its two competitors, which inevitably could mean paying more for the same kit.
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS The agreement was primarily concerned with the larger signalling projects and still allowed smaller companies (SMEs) to bid for minor schemes. Having a framework in place has achieved its objectives and several major projects have been delivered under its auspices. It runs until May 2020, but other factors will need to be considered for the future beyond that date. Firstly, the complexities of the declared, and as yet incomplete, merger between Siemens and Alstom may mean that these become a single entity in the signalling supply business, despite currently having two distinct types of product. Secondly, with the advent of the digital railway and the associated accelerated rollout of ERTMS/ETCS/TMS, there are other large companies with the same system capability who would wish to be part of any future framework.
Interlockings The British solid state interlocking was a joint development between BR Research, Westinghouse (which first became Invensys and is now Siemens) and GEC (now Alstom). It took years both to develop and to get product and safety approval computer technology, when used for safety critical purposes, being regarded with suspicion by the signal engineers of the day. Nonetheless, it was a significant step forward and paved the way for the later Siemens Westlock and Alstom Smartlock derivatives. However, the world has moved on and the use of commercial PLCs (programmable logic controllers) as the basis of an interlocking has long been predicted. Developing these to SIL4 (safety integrity level 4) requirements has been challenging but a number of such products are now available.
Several have been introduced as depot signalling solutions, with no significant technical problems having been experienced and generally a considerable reduction in costs. One such is the ElectroLogIXS interlocking, developed originally by GE of America - now also part of Alstom, from which Atkins has a sole-use licence agreement for the UK that extends to 2027. Keen to follow up recent successful commissionings, Atkins is eager to deploy this new-found asset to its maximum advantage.
Old Oak Common depot London’s Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) is due to open its central core, from Paddington eastwards, in December 2018, with the full cross-London service being introduced in December 2019. Its fleet of trains (the Class 345 Aventra from Bombardier) will be a total of 70 nine-car units, each 205 metres long and with a capacity of 1,500 passengers. Maintenance and servicing of these trains will be carried out at Old Oak Common, where a huge depot has been constructed which requires a comprehensive signalling system to control all the train movements.
The main contractor for construction of the depot has been Taylor Woodrow, with Atkins being given the contract to provide the signalling - the first application of the ElectroLogIXS interlocking under Atkins direction. The site is vast, having two stabling fans, carriage washer lines and tracks within the maintenance shed. From a signalling viewpoint, there is a higher route complexity than in the Paddington throat. All movements within the depot will be signalled under the supervision of the depot operations controller using a modular control system (MCS) supplied by Alstom and integrated by Atkins. There is also a technician’s terminal that can apply restrictions to the signals, as well as having diagnostic aids. An emergency workstation has been provided in case of the control room being unavailable for any reason, such as an emergency evacuation. Some statistics give an indication of the complexity of the site: »» 42 sidings »» 184 signalled routes »» 49 point ends »» 60 signals, both standard lineside and ground types. Three interlockings are needed for all the possible movements. Eight ‘lock out’ devices are included, which, when operated, prevent signalled movements from taking place in a particular area. These will be used when staff are working in, under or adjacent to a train to avoid any accidents taking place. Whilst the depot is owned by Rail for London, part of TfL, it has to interface with Network Rail for trains entering or exiting the complex. This section of line is controlled from the Paddington area of Thames Valley ROC at Didcot. The ElectroLogIXS interlocking has been approved for the interface, which will all help towards obtaining generic Network Rail product approval in due course.
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During the morning ‘start up’ and the evening ‘put away’, the signalling, which was commissioned on the 23 July 2018, will allow for 12 trains in or out per hour.
Other ElectroLogIXS projects A PLC can, of course, be programed to fulfil many applications, and the ElectroLogIXS product is being adapted by Atkins for uses other than as an interlocking. Its first alternative use will be as the level crossing controller at Chilworth on the North Downs line near Guildford. This will be conversion to an MCB CCTV level crossing using Newgate barrier machines, which use an AC motor-driven system rather than hydraulics for barrier arm operation. Statistics indicate that reliability will be significantly improved - the control equipment needed locally is much reduced and can be contained within three lineside cases rather than an REB. The new crossing will be commissioned this autumn. Feltham Powerbox was brought into service in 1975, so it is over 40 years old, and plans for its replacement are well advanced. As a first stage, the Shepperton branch signalling will be renewed in Spring 2019 with control transferring to Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre (ROC). Atkins was awarded the contract for this project, again using the ElectroLogIXS interlocking for the branch points and signals but having also to develop an interface to the existing Feltham relaybased interlocking. After several false starts, the resignalling of the Norwich - Yarmouth - Lowestoft routes is finally happening. Atkins is the chosen contractor, using the ElectroLogIXS interlocking with interfaces to existing signalling at Norwich and to the East Suffolk line at Oulton Broad. The project is due for commissioning in March 2019 and will be controlled from Romford ROC.
The much talked about phase two of East West Rail is at last making progress, beyond the completed Bicester to Oxford stage, and a contract has been awarded to Atkins for signalling the Bicester to Bletchley section using ElectroLogIXS units to provide both interlocking and level crossing controls, all of which will be controlled from Thames Valley ROC. Finally, the complete renewal of the Feltham signalling area is to be progressed with ElectroLogIXS being declared the interlocking of choice. If the scheme goes to plan, completion will be achieved by 2024, when the whole area will be under the control of Basingstoke ROC.
Product approval and ERTMS implications As has been hinted, obtaining product approval for safety-critical signalling equipment can be a lengthy process. Given the variation in the application requirements, each of the above projects will be individually assured for both the interlocking functionality and the system interfaces to adjacent signalling and trackside systems. Evidence and performance history will be collated to support a generic application safety case, making the ongoing approval for projects much simpler. The ElectroLogIXS product and associated deployment processes comply with the EN 50126/8/9 standards. Recent declarations by both the DfT and the digital railway team state that all future re-signalling schemes must be made ERTMS/ETCS ready. Understanding what this means is not necessarily easy and it is much more than just ensuring the interlocking can interface to an RBC. Fundamentals such as signal spacing and block sections have to be aligned to future movement authority limits, which will be designed to increase the capacity of the railway using an ETCS overlay/underlay or a direct transition to in-cab signalling.
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Atkins is well aware of these implications and is well placed to understand the principles that will apply to a railway that has to provide for both traditional and digital signalling. Whilst the company does now have an interlocking, it will need to develop its RBC capability with the wider signalling supply chain. This is not as critical as was the case of the three-way framework agreement in that there are many suppliers who have developed RBC hardware Thales, Ansaldo, Kapsch, Indra as well as Siemens, Alstom and others. One must not forget GSM-R as part of the ERTMS provision. Upgrading the present voice coverage to give guaranteed data exchanges will require radio expertise and this could well be part of future re-signalling packages. Atkins has recently strengthened this capability following its acquisition by SNC-Lavalin. So, a new world of railway signalling is slowly emerging, and companies will have to adjust to the new requirements. Those that have the widest portfolio of expertise and products are likely to be dominant players. With its 400-strong team of engineers positioned in premises around the world, Atkins is likely to be one of these, but perhaps the new era will bring in a spirit of mutual co-operation between suppliers rather than the somewhat aggressive competition that has so bedevilled the signalling profession in recent times. Thanks to Conor Linnell and Edward Mant of Atkins for the information provided.
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
Digital delusion a lesson from not-so-long ago DAVID SHIRRES
W
hen the nationalised railway was split up in 1994, former British Rail engineers now working for Railtrack faced an interesting time. While railway engineering talent had, up to then, been essentially home grown, Railtrack brought an influx of engineers from other safety-critical industries such as nuclear, oil and aerospace who did not necessarily understand the complexities of railway engineering and operations. This was not necessarily a bad thing, as it did bring some worthwhile new ideas that the newly privatised railway could adopt, helped by the removal of the Treasury-imposed constraint of BR’s external financing limit. For example, in BR days, painting the Forth Bridge was the never-ending job of painting on top of many old layers. Railtrack’s approach was to take the entire structure back to bare metal and apply a surface treatment that had been developed for use on North Sea oil rigs. Yet BR’s engineers were right to be concerned, as it became apparent that Railtrack, as a procurement organisation, did not have the required engineering focus - an approach that would eventually destroy the company.
A cunning plan One of the seeds of Railtrack’s demise was sown in a 1994 WCML (West Coast main line) feasibility study specifying its upgrade at a cost of £1.4 billion (all estimates in this article are current prices). In this report, American consultants Booz Allen & Hamilton proposed a way of replacing life-expired signalling equipment at low cost whilst offering substantial operational cost savings. Their solution was moving block transmission-based train control (TBTC), equivalent to today’s ERTMS
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Level 3 in that it did not require track circuits or axle counters. This was to be operational on the entire WCML by 2004. With the movement authority and permitted speed continuously displayed in cab, it offered automatic train protection without any lineside signals. A major advantage was that its “installation and commissioning can be carried out with minimal disruption to the existing signalling and train services” as this would not disturb the complex trackside signalling installations. Furthermore, the report advised that TBTC would avoid the need to replace life-expired track signalling equipment as it only required minimal train control infrastructure. These benefits would not apply at “signalling islands”, where conventional signalling would be provided for nonWCML services crossing the route. Elsewhere, all trains would need in-cab equipment, requiring 1,800 cabs to be so fitted. The report did not say much about the required digital radio system, other than that it was to make maximum use of commercial equipment and be developed in parallel with other
TERMINOLOGY ATO Automatic Train Operation C-DAS Connected Driver Advisory System Digital Railway The use of modern digital technologies for train control and traffic management. Until recently, Network Rail used this term to mean any digital technology that could improve the railway. ERTMS The European Railway Traffic Management System which has two basic components, ETCS and GSM-R ETCS The European Train Control System consisting of infrastructure and train-mounted equipment. GSM-R A railway radio system based on the GSM standard for voice and data communication TBTC Moving block Transmission Based Train Control as proposed by the WCML project in 1994, equivalent to ERTMS Level 3. Traffic Management A system that maximises network performance by regulating trains to minimise conflicts at stations and junctions.
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
(Above) TBTC as shown in 1994 WMCL feasibility study. (Right) ERTMS level 3 as shown in a recent RDG presentation. European railways. Placement of radio equipment was to be the responsibility of the successful contractor. With headways only constrained by train braking, TBTC offered capacity benefits. It also offered train speeds above 200km/h. The entire route was to have one control centre, which would eliminate the need for the 350 signallers who had anyway been on strike that year.
and very much in line with the proposed technical standards for the European train control system. Yet, at about the same time, the EU published a report showing that ERTMS Level 3 was still a long-term prospect. Although this report recommended full-scale ERTMS tests on the European high-speed train network, these did not include Level 3, in part because there was, and still is, no proven technical solution for monitoring train integrity.
Only one snag The only problem was that TBTC did not exist. Indeed, it has still yet to be implemented on a mixed traffic railway. The report acknowledged the risks of developing and implementing this new system but considered that these could be mitigated through good management. There was no reference to a functional specification or delivery plan for this new technology. Railtrack announced their WCML plan in March 1995. The then Transport Minister John Watts announced that its “most inspirational element is the proposed new signalling and control system.” One MP pointed out that it has not been proven anywhere. Watts responded that it was not new territory
Acceptance of the unknown How could a company have put such faith in implementing the untried TBTC system on a busy mixed traffic railway without heeding the European view or concerns expressed in the UK? For example, the House of Commons transport committee had warned: “Reliance on an as-yet unproven train control system to underpin the financial case for investment may lead to unacceptable delays in upgrading the nation’s principal intercity route.” Other people had reservations too. John Welsby, then chairman of British Rail, told the Guardian newspaper: “I did have grave concerns about the attempt to integrate a type of technology that
had no testing in real, active life in what, in fact, was the most complex railway in the country.” In addition, Chris Green, who was to head Virgin trains, considered: “It was a wish list. To put that wish list on Europe’s third busiest railway really was outrageous.” It seems surprising that Railtrack’s senior engineers accepted the TBTC proposal. However, there were relatively few of them (Railtrack had no engineering department on the floor plan at its head office) and those from outside industry had little signalling experience. Perhaps one reason for accepting TBTC was that it was about to become a reality on the Jubilee line extension then under construction. However, when it opened in 1999, it did so with conventional signalling due to “technical difficulties” with the TBTC system. The Jubilee line was eventually converted to ATO with moving block signalling in 2011. Within Railtrack, there was huge pressure to adopt TBTC because it slashed costs and was the key to delivering the WCML upgrade. As a private-sector newcomer, Railtrack wanted to show itself as an innovative,
Freightliner train at Deansgate station.
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Characteristic & Influence Metro
West Coast Main Line (WCML)
Train Performance
Homogeneous - all trains will typically have the same acceleration and braking characteristics
Varied - rolling stock has a wide performance variation. This reduces capacity
Infrastructure
Straightforward - routes are typically simple with relatively few junctions and crossovers
Complex - there are a number of areas where: »» fast and slow lines are transposed »» the number of tracks reduces from four to two/three »» other services cross the WCML, e.g. cross country services »» services cross WCML to access freight depots Capacity is affected by 'conflicting movements' Some scope for change
Difficult to change - due to siting in densely populated areas and/or underground
Control System
Signalling Headway is dominant - for capacity improvements, as other factors are less constraining. 'Moving block' therefore can lead to significant improvement
Signalling Headway is important - but is not the dominant factor. The constraint to capacity is mainly infrastructure. 'Moving block' optimises capacity, within the constraints set by infrastructure. Most benefit can be obtained in a localised situation
Timetable
Straightforward - there is typically little variation in stopping patterns and few infrastructure related constraints. The distances are shorter
Complex - due to: »» wide variety of stopping patterns »» wide variation in train performance and types »» constraints imposed by conflicting moves due to crossing moves, line ordering transposition, etc. This reduces capacity
Station Dwell Times - significant influence on capacity
Table 3: Comparison of contributions to metro and WCML outputs
Table from 1999 Nichols report compared Metro and WCML to show how different factors affect capacity, journey time and train delay. smart company with a bold solution. This was well received by the city. By 1998, just over two years after its stock exchange flotation, its shares had soared from £3.80 to £17.68. In 1996 Railtrack awarded two separate TBTC development contracts to GEC Alsthom Signalling (now Alstom) and Transig (a consortium of Adtranz and Westinghouse). Alstom began the design phase in 1999, under a second contract. Yet, by then, Railtrack had already commissioned the Nichols Group to report on the WCML programme, which was running into cost and time problems with track and structures work also well behind schedule. The 1999 Nichols report concluded that there was only a five per cent chance of TBTC being operational by the 2005 target date and that the cost and time to fit TBTC cab equipment had been underestimated. So, in December 1999, the decision was taken to abandon TBTC. Instead, an ERTMS Level
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2 signalling overlay would be provided between London and Crewe to allow 140mph operation. Using extensive modelling, the report had also concluded that, whilst moving block offered significant capacity improvements for metro operations, the choice of signalling system has only a minimal impact on capacity on a mixed traffic railway as infrastructure is the major constraint. Hence the Nichols report also recommended infrastructure enhancements such as four-tracking the line through the Trent valley.
PUG2 When the Virgin Rail Group won the WCML train franchise, it wanted more capacity and higher speeds. Virgin therefore agreed to contribute £600 million to an enhanced upgrade programme known as Passenger Upgrade 2 (PUG2) that would enable 140mph running by 2005. At the same time, it ordered a fleet of Pendolino tilting trains to run at this speed. This deal was flawed as it did not involve any other WCML train operators. The initial proposal, that Virgin should have exclusive use of the fast tracks on the WCML’s four-track sections, was rejected by the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR). The Nichols report concluded that ERTMS Level 2 could deliver PUG2. However, as Level 2 requires track detection, this would require a significantly higher trackside signalling infrastructure renewal than originally envisaged. Partly as a result, the estimated cost of WCML upgrade rose to £7 billion. Yet, even with this new approach, Nichols considered that there was only a 50 per cent confidence level that contractual commitments to Virgin could be met by May 2005. Over the following years, as it became increasingly clear that PUG2 would not be delivered on time, Railtrack tried to renegotiate its commitments. Rail regulator Tom Winsor was not impressed and asked Railtrack’s CEO Gerald Corbett whether it was reasonable to expect contracts to be honoured. His response, that it was reasonable in the real world but, in many senses, the railway is not the real world, revealed the weakness of Railtrack’s position. In 2001, Railtrack advised that it could not run Virgin’s Pendolinos at 140mph and so faced large penalty payments. At the same time, its finances were under severe pressure following the Hatfield crash.
Virgin’s Class 390 Pendolino trains. The 53 x 8-car units built between 2001 and 2004 were intended to run at 140 mph instead of their current 125 mph.
SIGNALLING & TELECOMS
Estimated costs of WCML programme from 2006 National Audit Office report. An application for Government emergency funding was refused in October 2001 and Railtrack was put into administration. Shortly afterwards, the cost of the WCML upgrade was estimated to be £14.8 billion, ten times the 1994 estimate.
After Railtrack In June 2002, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) convened an industrywide workshop which recommended that ERTMS Level 2 be removed from the West Coast programme and that its development work should be transferred to the SRA. As part of this work, it was announced in 2003 that, for trial purposes, the 217-kilometre single track from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli would be the first route equipped with ERTMS Level 2. It was to be eight years before this route was fully commissioned in 2011. Following the 1997 Southall and 1999 Ladbroke Grove crashes, it was recognised that some form of automatic train protection (ATP) was required. With the increasing realisation that using ERTMS to provide ATP was not achievable in the medium term, the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS)
was introduced as an interim solution. However, TPWS weakened the business case for ERTMS as it prevents about 80 per cent of the signals passed at danger (SPAD) incidents that ATP could avoid. With the abolition of the SRA in 2004, the ERTMS programme passed to Network Rail, which released a report in 2005 showing that the business case for ERTMS Level 2 could only be made if it completely replaced life-expired signalling equipment (i.e. no lineside signals) and gave significant capacity benefits. For this reason, significant deployment of ERTMS would take some time. Thus, it was considered that the WCML would not see the benefits of ERTMS until 2038. However, one advantage of this long-term programme is that it would largely avoid retrofitting cab equipment on existing trains.
The digital railway In 2012, Network Rail announced the next stage of the ERTMS programme as contracts were awarded to four suppliers to develop technical solutions and test them on a nine-kilometre single-line section of the Hertford loop. The intention was that it would first be deployed on the Great Western and East
Coast Main Lines starting respectively in 2014 and 2018 (issue 117, July 2014). By then, it was evident that railway investment was struggling to meet the unpredicted doubling of passenger traffic over the previous twenty years. This strengthened the case for ERTMS if it could deliver capacity improvement without the need to build new rail infrastructure. The Digital Railway initiative was launched in 2014. It envisaged an accelerated roll-out of ERTMS, with the entire network fitted by 2029. This was to include provision for the moving blocks provided by ERTMS Level 3 which Network Rail’s publicity claimed could unlock up to 40 per cent more capacity. This programme was also to benefit passengers in other ways, for example on-train broadband, e-ticketing, dynamic pricing and better travel information. It soon became evident that this programme was overambitious. Partly because of this, digital signalling was considered in a report by the House of Commons Transport Committee, published in October 2016, which concluded that: »» Solving existing Rail Operating Centre (ROC) issues must come before meeting the timetable of Digital Railway; »» Digital signalling is not just about ETCS Level 2 - Network Rail should pick the most effective intervention for each route and press ahead with Connected Driver Advisory Systems and Traffic Management solutions where these are cost-effective; »» Network Rail’s Digital Railway business case should include a full cost/benefit analysis of all potential systems for each route; »» Network Rail should be very cautious about how it uses the 40 per cent capacity improvement claim; »» Projections based on ETCS Level 3 should only be considered valid when the Level 3 specification is ready for deployment - until then, Network Rail should not promise “moving block” signalling system in its publicity; »» The Digital Railway programme cannot be delivered without a crossindustry approach; »» Rail freight must not be forgotten.
Digital delivery today The first passenger-carrying train using Automatic Train Operation over ETCS Level 2 train control operated on the
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SIGNALLING & TELECOMS government has agreed to substantial funding for the digital signalling programme, including the fitment of ETCS equipment to freight locomotives. In addition, all resignalling schemes now must have passive provision for ETCS (issue 164, June 2018). The programme is also aligned to conventional signalling renewals.
Digital Railway’s managing director, David Waboso.
Lessons from the past
Thameslink core route in March 2018 (issue 164, June 2018). Crossrail services will soon be operating under the control of ETCS Level 2 on its Heathrow spur and Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) in the central core section. Traffic Management systems are also being implemented. They are in partial or trial use in the Cardiff area and London to Bristol routes with systems at Romford and Three Bridges to go live soon. These schemes are part of a refocused Digital Railway programme in tune with the Transport Committee’s recommendations (issue 147, January 2017). It is now much more of a crossindustry initiative, though funded and facilitated by Network Rail, and has held several worthwhile early contractor involvement workshops. Its dedicated website emphasises both a cross-industry approach and the need to select the most appropriate mix of digital technologies for each route. The thousands of new trains currently on order will all be ETCS fitted or be delivered “ETCS ready” and the
After various false and slow starts, there now seems to be a credible strategy to provide Britain’s mainline railway network with digital signalling. Yet lessons from the WCML saga remain relevant today. One of these, highlighted by the 1994 report’s superficial treatment of radio, is the need for a robust radio system with sufficient data capacity. A further issue is the need to understand that capacity improvement needs more than just digital signalling. Capacity modelling for the 1999 Nichols report showed that, whilst signalling headway is important, the main constraint to capacity on mainline railways is infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Digital Railway programme’s website doesn’t seem to accept this message and makes the misleading claim that “digital deployment on the Thameslink will allow 24 trains per hour to run”. The reality is that this 24tph is the result of both digital signalling AND infrastructure work such as the Bermondsey Diveunder, which removed at-grade conflicts. It helps that Thameslink has only one type of train. Its 24tph throughput would
Manchester Piccadilly’s crowded Platforms 13 and 14.
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be dramatically reduced if it had to carry an hourly mixed-freight train. This is the situation faced by Manchester’s Castlefield corridor, which now carries extra trains following the construction of the Ordsall Chord (issue 159, January 2018). This project was intended to be part of the larger Northern Hub capacity improvement scheme which included the construction of two additional through platforms at Manchester Piccadilly to increase capacity through the corridor by easing the passage of its hourly freight train and the constraints of dwell times on its two through platforms due to serious overcrowding on the island platform. These extra platforms were actively progressed to the point of submitting a Transport and Works Act Order in 2015. Since then, the project has stalled and the Ordsall Chord only carries two trains an hour. Various government ministers have refused to commit to the extra platforms. Instead, Chris Grayling has asked Network Rail to consider whether digital technology can deliver capacity enhancements on the Castlefield corridor. Yet, as with Thameslink, the required capacity improvements through this corridor require both digital signalling and infrastructure works. The pragmatic, inclusive approach of the current digital railway programme addresses many of the issues from previous attempts to deliver digital railway signalling. Yet it seems that decision makers still need to understand that, although it offers many benefits, the digital railway is no silver bullet.
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FEATURE
COLLIN CARR
Y
Steventon Bridge Demolition LOCAL VOICE REJECTS PROPOSED TEN MONTHS OF DISTURBANCE
ou might have heard recently that Network Rail has been denied planning permission to demolish and construct a new
overbridge at Steventon in Oxfordshire. The village of Steventon is approximately 4.5 miles west of Didcot Station on the Great Western main line (GWML), which cuts right through the village. The Grade II listed Steventon Bridge, built by Brunel, is an elliptical three-arch brick overbridge which carries the B4017 over the GWML, linking the two halves of the village. Approximately 440 and 800
Concern about collective impact
Planning frustration
metres west of the bridge are two level
To ensure compliance with OLE standards, Network Rail calculated that a permanent speed restriction (PSR) of 60 mph on both lines would be necessary. This would introduce a delay of 90 seconds per train, which equates to 9.4km distance travelled. Network Rail expects 128 trains to run in each direction under the bridge, when the route is fully electrified. They also expect the collective impact of the PSR to be potentially significant. Following further preparatory work, Network Rail officially submitted proposals for the demolition of the Grade II bridge to Historic England and The Vale of White Horse District Council four years ago. What Network Rail hadn’t expected was the significant resistance from the local community in Steventon village to the proposed closure of the B4107 for 10 months.
By November 2017, Network Rail was expressing frustration with the continuing delay in obtaining approval to demolish the Brunel bridge - the original application had been submitted in April 2014. A letter to the Vale of White Horse Council from Network Rail’s route sponsorship director, Simon Maple, stated that they were concerned that the application had already been deferred six times, emphasising that Network Rail had employed significant resources into considering alternatives, none of which were viable. The letter also highlighted that, in response to heritage concerns, Network Rail had revised plans for the replacement bridge to include a brick finish rather than change the design. However, these efforts did not alter
crossings, named Stocks Lane and The Causeway.
Network Rail has identified 29 bridges in Oxfordshire, of which 19 need to be modified and 10 demolished, in order to comply with Overhead Line Electrification (OLE) standards as part of the £2.8 billion electrification of the GWML. Back in 2012, Steventon Bridge was one of the bridges Network Rail identified for demolition and rebuilding as the bridge itself does not have adequate clearance for OLE. Also, the two adjacent level crossings are positioned such that the 5.8-metre minimum OLE wire safety clearance required for level crossings could not be achieved given their close proximity to the bridge.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
FEATURE the fact that the work would cause a 10-month road closure, thus cutting off a main route into the village. In accordance with planning application rules, Network Rail was invited to the council’s planning committee meeting on 1 August but was not allowed to discuss the options and impact of the bridge reconstruction. The Network Rail team was frequently reminded that the committee was only being asked to consider, on balance, whether the bridge/ heritage loss is or is not outweighed by the public benefit at a national level for an infrastructure project, making a decision to accept or reject. Meanwhile, objectors were challenging the demolition on the grounds of its economic impacts on the village, which actually had no bearing on the planning committee discussion at this stage in the process. The 10-month road closure was considered unacceptable by the local community while Network Rail considered it to be the only way to introduce OLE to the route. In hindsight, perhaps Network Rail was being too cautious about the timescales for reconstruction but, equally, it does also appear to be a shortcoming in the planning process that this integral aspect of the project was not considered to be appropriate for discussion, even though it was uppermost in the local communities’ concerns.
Support from Council officials Initially, Historic England raised doubts about the application in light of the parish council’s concerns, saying it raised “serious questions” about the necessity of demolishing the Victorian bridge. However, a final report from Historic England’s buildings area inspector, Richard Peats, explained that, following
clarification from Network Rail, all other potential options were either impossible, would pose a risk to the running of the railway, or would involve even lengthier closures to the other routes into Steventon. As a consequence, both Historic England and the district council’s conservation officer supported Network Rail’s latest plans. Earlier this year, at a meeting of the Vale of White Horse Council’s planning committee, councillors recommended approval of the demolition of Steventon Bridge.
Strong local concern However, at the meeting on 1 August, the chairman of Steventon Parish Council stated that the parish council had produced its own report which outlined other ways of resolving the problem. The report stated that the Network Rail proposal would have a ‘devastating’ impact on local business and that Network Rail had ignored other viable options including lowering the track or jacking up the bridge. The chairman added that a lot of businesses would close as they relied on passing trade from that route into the village. The view was that the timescale should be significantly reduced and alternative methods to reconstruction should be sought. He added: “With regret we conclude that Network Rail have not made a clear enough case for the bridge to be demolished in order for electrification to be delivered on time.” After considering this information, the district council planning committee decided that the disruption would be unacceptable and denied Network Rail planning permission to reconstruct the bridge - a decision that has made headline news.
Excerpts from the minutes of the Vale of White Horse District Council Planning Committee meeting on 1 August 2018 In response to questions raised by the committee, the officers reported that Oxfordshire County Council have considered traffic diversions since Network Rail made this application if approval was given to demolish the bridge. There was an informal agreement with Highways England to use the A34 as an alternative route. If the application was approved, the County Council would work closely with Highways England to ensure sufficient signposting of the diversion route and National Rail would be requested to host a public event to inform local residents and businesses. Furthermore, the demolition would be in keeping with the Local Plan and Richard Peets, from Historic England, confirmed that the organisation did not object because it accepted the justification given by Network Rail to demolish the bridge. The officer advised the committee that if it were to refuse this application, it must be satisfied and provide material reasons that demolition of the bridge is not outweighed by the public benefit at a national level. The committee agreed that the bridge should be preserved and that its loss would not significantly improve infrastructure at a national level. Network Rail had not demonstrated that there are exceptional circumstances which justified the demolition, so paragraph 195 of the National Planning Policy Framework would be contradicted. Local residents and businesses would suffer due to road diversions and there was some concern that there had been a lack of public consultation. The committee did not believe that the inconvenience of lowering the track outweighed the listed building nature of the bridge. Further, train delays at present had not drastically affected the current timetable, despite some members of the committee arguing that the bridge constrains the railway network. A motion, moved and seconded, to refuse listed building consent for the demolition of the Grade II listed overbridge at Steventon, was declared carried on being put to the vote.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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FEATURE Lowering the track Network Rail standards state that, in order to create an acceptable gradient for trains, 100 metres of track either side of the bridge has to be re-laid for every 100mm of track lowering. At Steventon, this would require the works to extend to, and beyond, Stocks Lane level crossing located to the west of Steventon Bridge. Among other discounted options, both a full track lower, and a partial track lower were discussed further within Network Rail’s submission documents. These two options took into account other factors such as the level crossings in the area, the necessary OLE wire gradient, and, of course, the flood risk. To accommodate a full track lower and to achieve sufficient clearance at both crossings for OLE wires, the track lower at the bridge would need to be about 770mm. This would require approximately 800 metres of track and ballast to be renewed both sides of the bridge along with the lowering of both level crossings and would include lowering a four track section to the east of the bridge. In addition, an excavation of approximately 1,500 mm depth at the bridge would be needed to form the new track bed. A dig of this depth would be likely to destabilise the toe of the cutting and so significant earth retaining structures would need to be installed around the bridge. This would probably be a reinforced concrete wall with ground anchors tying back into the cutting. The structural strengthening of the bridge to allow for the excavation works would be significant and require a long closure of the railway to achieve this.
Potential flooding
Other options
A technical report written by CH2M Hill (now Jacobs) concluded that a significant lowering of the track level would introduce a very high risk to the railway of flood events. Considering this risk of flooding to the rail network, and to the local community, Network Rail could not consider this option as a viable solution. Partial track lowering, based on site survey information, was then considered and Network Rail determined that the minimum depth calculated should be 444mm in order to provide both the minimum overhead line clearances and pantograph-to-bridge clearances. A track lower of 444mm would still incur many of the issues associated with a full track lower as well as other matters. The extent of track needing to be rebuilt would be a minimum of 444 metres either side of the bridge, and require a total depth of excavation of around 1,100mm to form the track bed.
Network Rail did consider reducing the 5.8-metre OLE wire clearance at the two level crossings and imposing a restriction on vehicle height but this option was discounted by the parish council as it would further restrict trade. Issue 145 (November 2016) of Rail Engineer included a report on the successful jacking trial of a 220-tonne brick arch bridge using the ElevArchÂŽ process, developed by Freyssinet and Bill Harvey Associates. After preparatory work to strengthen the brick-built structure and consolidate it into one liftable mass, it is cut free from its abutments and raised to a new position using hydraulic jacks. Additional brick courses are then inserted to support the bridge in its new position. The advantage of this system is that the original listed brick structure is retained, albeit with a few additional courses, and the cost of demolishing and removing the entire bridge and manufacturing a new one is eliminated.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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Appeal Process Level crossings are considered to be a safety hazard anyway, so a more radical option would be the possibility of completely removing both level crossings, thereby releasing the project from the constraints that the level crossings impose. Closure of the level crossings to traffic and retaining pedestrian access was also considered and proposed by Network Rail. but this was rejected by the council due to the impact this would have on local residents and businesses. It has been suggested by the local council that the new Hitachi trains could still function when tracks are flooded as they are bimodal. Well, technically, yes this is an option but, as Paul Pryke, Hitachi’s deputy head of engineering in the UK, explained, and I quote: “Our Intercity Express Programme trains are designed to maintain full functionality during and after running through floodwater up to a depth of 100mm above rail level, although it’s important to note that these conditions may cause speed restrictions to be applied. We will work with route partners GWR and Network Rail if speed restrictions are necessary, and these speeds will be dependent on the specific circumstances at the time.” Acknowledging that speed restrictions would probably be necessary in heavy flooding conditions as an acceptable aspect of the design is surely not an element that one would want to consider for a new high-speed route.
When pressed for more information on the possible implications of a speed restriction, a Hitachi spokesman checked and responded: “Speed restrictions may be required, depending on how vast the flood water is…their precise words were ‘this is a train not a ship!’. Always reassuring to hear that clarification from our engineering team.” It doesn’t sound as though the train manufacturer views the prospect of its product routinely running through 100mm (four inches) of water as a serious proposition. Also, one has to consider all the other problems that would emerge from allowing track to flood. There could be signalling problems, wet spots could form and ballast washed away. The arguments against allowing a design to include flooding must be very persuasive.
Bridge condition It is interesting to note that the bridge has undergone several phases of alteration in its history, including underpinning the foundations, the replacement of its copings, insertion of tie plates and re-facing in engineering brick. However, the most unsympathetic alteration was the insertion of concrete tie bracing to the side arches, work carried out in 1963. It is clearly not a bridge that is in good condition. It appears that everyone is trying to do the right thing and it is a credit to our democratic process that all voices, including those of local people, are heard. It might
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Network Rail registered an appeal to the Planning Inspector in September 2018. There are three possibilities: »» A full enquiry, which would take 12 to 18 months; »» A hearing, which would take approximately nine months; »» A written representation, with a response in three to six months.
be frustrating for engineers who are trying hard to deliver a very demanding and complex project. Nevertheless, such an approach, frustrating though it might be, ensures that engineers stretch their skills to the limit to find an acceptable solution and, in the long run, that has got to add value to the process. In this particular case, it is hard to see an alternative to reconstruction, but perhaps there is scope to reduce the 10-month timeframe to accommodate some of the concerns that the local community has. This could well depend on the cooperation of the utilities, which would need to disconnect their buried services across the bridge and reinstate them afterwards - a process that can take a lot of time and might well have contributed to Network Rail’s unpopular ten month estimate. As a colleague pointed out to me recently, with the help of Bailey Bridges, we used to build bridges one half at a time. It’s an opportunity for engineers to be ingenious!
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Recent acquisition takes Kier forward
W
hen Kier, a leading infrastructure services, buildings and developments and housing group, bought McNicholas last July, the company’s chief executive Haydn Mursell said it was “a highly complementary addition to our utility services business and enhances our presence in the power, rail and telecoms markets.” A year on, senior operations manager Duncan Hall, who made the move with McNicholas, sees it as the final piece in the jigsaw for Kier’s rail offering. Kier already has a huge amount of experience in the sector, covering major construction works - it’s currently working on Crossrail, an 80km section of HS2 and the Luton Airport Direct Air to Rail Transit (DART) scheme tunnelling, signalling and asset management. It has a principal contractor’s licence and full RISQS accreditation with Network Rail, allowing it to undertake all types of operational rail works. With McNicholas’s expertise in the installation and enhancement of power systems added to the mix, the rail sector now has a much fuller service to tap into.
The McNicholas legacy McNicholas brought with it a wealth of successful delivery experience in major frameworks with Network Rail, Network Rail Telecoms, Crossrail and London Underground. Its expertise includes design, project management, telecommunications, heavy power, civil engineering, electrification and plant, lineside structures, route works and cabling. This includes a number of Network Rail frameworks.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
“As a part of Kier, we see ourselves playing a major part in the power market in CP6 for Network Rail replicating and growing our existing footprint,” says Duncan Hall, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the rail industry, working with Balfour Beatty before McNicholas and now leading Kier’s power engineering delivery capability. At the time of the acquisition, McNicholas was already on the Network Rail Infrastructure Projects (IP) South control period framework and tendering is currently taking place for the
CP6 control period, which starts in April next year. This will include the £40 million Sussex Power Supply Upgrade (PSU) and various other power upgrade works. “It’s now all about bringing McNicholas and Kier together under one banner and growing the business with a multidiscipline rail offering,” says Duncan. “Kier has always had more of a civils and signalling expertise, so combining it with McNicholas’s power expertise means we have a greater offering.”
Powerful offering Kier’s rail team operates from offices at key locations across the UK, including London for Crossrail, Birmingham for HS2, Cardiff, Bury St Edmunds and its head office at Tempsford in
FEATURE
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Bedfordshire. It offers all the services required to install and enhance power systems across the rail network. A 50-strong in-house design team focuses on delivering power solutions to meet Network Rail’s, and the railway’s, growing capacity needs. This includes electrification and plant (E&P), high voltage (HV) works and cabling, including switch gear renewals, feeder and pilot, installation, commissioning and recoveries; low voltage and signalling power supplies; lighting and distribution; electric track equipment; earth farms and points heating. It’s the power work on the track that enables the rail network to operate and it’s an area spearheading advances in the sector. As far as the future for Kier’s multi-discipline rail offering, Duncan refers to it as “powering up rail for the next generation”. Most pressing are issues caused by timetable changes that rail companies have had difficulty fulfilling. “More capacity is needed; eight-car trains should be 12, which requires platform extensions and extended power systems to cater for them.” This type of project is already underway. Electrification work by Kier has enabled eight-car
trains to be replaced by 10-car trains on the line from Reading to Waterloo, allowing additional capacity to London suburban stations from Reading. The project included installing Electrical Track Equipment (ETE) across the route totalling 10km of traction feeder cable, 376 cable management sleepers, 77 track isolating switches, 24 Mk8 hook switches, 12 underroad crossings and 13 undertrack crossings. As part of the project, the HV network was also reinforced with seven HV Feeders replaced, covering 47km. Co-locating with National Rail during the project delivery helped improve decision making, benefitted project delivery and helped reduce costs. Kier also put an emphasis on safety, using Vortok fencing to create a ‘Green Zone’ to enable significant productivity gains and reductions to safety risk and costly operational disruption to railway services. In this way, the team was able to install the new cable during the day without any disruption to services, saving on possession costs and eradicating issues such as tiredness associated with night-time working. In addition, lightweight troughing reduced the need for manual handling and therefore
potential injury. The risk of theft of the cable was also reduced, by shortening the time between when it was laid and when it was connected. Dedicated security teams patrolling the route reduced the risk further. As with all Kier projects being good neighbours was paramount. Letter drops kept residents updated and town hall briefings took place in a number of affected towns. The team also got involved with the community by raising money for a local children’s hospice through taking part in a Three Peaks Challenge.
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Signalling capability Kier’s power capabilities go hand in hand with its signalling offering, which covers everything from design to commissioning. Since 1997, its team of skilled signalling specialists has developed an excellent track record of carrying out complex and technically challenging projects, working with clients from early contractor involvement through to design and build. The company’s strength is in installing new technology in older existing railway environments on projects from feasibility studies to full design and build programmes, from £1,000 to £15 million. It is recognised in the industry for its expertise in relay route interlockings, solid-state interlockings including CBI (computer-based interlocking) data design, and all types of mechanical interlockings. Recent projects in this field include coming up with a solution to keep the unelectrified East Suffolk line running after the Band III Private Mobile Radio frequency used to control trains via a Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) system was allocated to the MoD. It was not possible to allocate new frequencies without undertaking a new safety case and obtaining new Network Rail product approval. The RETB system had to be replaced.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
The East Suffolk Line runs between Ipswich and Lowestoft for passenger services operated by Greater Anglia and nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations operated by Direct Rail Services. Train control on the line between Westerfield Junction and Oulton Broad North was achieved via the RETB system, which was installed in the 1980s as a cost-effective way of controlling trains with minimal lineside infrastructure. Kier, as principal contractor, was responsible for the design, installation and commissioning including permanent way, civil, electrical, telecoms, signalling and systems. A conventional SSI (Solid State Interlocking) solution was used, which required a new signaller’s control system and Mk III SSI interlockings at Saxmundham Signal Box. Axle counters were used in the ‘long section’ areas and track circuits within the station limits. A new passing loop was also installed at Beccles Station to allow an hourly train service. Work has also been completed on increasing line capacity on the Brighton main line, which is quadruple track through most of its length, but is only double track between Balcombe Junction and Haywards Heath allowing just one train in the reverse direction every ten minutes. The Kier team designed a new bi-directional signalling system to allow a minimum of six trains per hour to run in each direction. Additional wrong-direction signals were installed on both lines and a dual detection system was also provided for Balcombe tunnel.
Gearing-up for the future In addition to major projects, the Kier rail team also delivers a wide range of civils and building work at stations and depots and is on many frameworks including the National Level Crossing Risk Reduction Programme, Civils
Renewals, and British Railways Board as well as using its extensive in-house engineering capabilities to develop and implement detailed mechanical and electrical solutions for bridges and viaducts. It has particular expertise in mainlining existing structures through assessment, repair and strengthening. As with any responsible twenty-first century organisation, Kier’s approach goes way beyond turning up, doing a job and leaving. It works hard to enrich the communities affected by rail works by providing jobs, interacting with schools, supporting local wellbeing and contributing to charities and voluntary organisations. It also works hard to be a sustainable business, aiming to have a positive social and environmental value with every project, including using intelligent design to reduce the environmental impact of waste and emissions, aiming for a 10 per cent reduction in the carbon dioxide it produces by 2020. With increased passenger numbers and demand for more lines and trains, Kier sees rail as a major growth area for the company, particularly with digitisation offering even more opportunities. This could not be achieved without its people, which it believes are its biggest asset. For that reason, the company wants to continue to hire the best people and is working to encourage the next generation entering the workforce of the benefits of working in this sector. A campaign called Shaping Your World has been launched, to show the built environment in formats that Generation Z (11-15 year olds) can easily engage with, as well as challenging misconceptions about the industry. That way, it hopes to address the issue of skills shortage and continue to provide innovations well into the future.
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Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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PAUL DARLINGTON
ENGINEERING P
rofessional registration is an important milestone for any technician or engineer. Awarded by licensed bodies, professional registration is based on knowledge, competence and commitment. The assessment for registration will examine candidates in a number of areas, including exercising their responsibilities in an ethical manner. Candidates will have to demonstrate awareness and compliance with the engineering codes or value statements issued by the Engineering Council or their employer, including giving examples of where these have affected decisions or actions they have taken, such as stopping unsafe activities, preventing environmental damage or giving unwelcome messages to stakeholders such as clients or senior managers. This may also include actions taken which have had measurable economic implications.
Ethical decisions The Engineering Council has created a statement of ethical principles to guide engineering practice and behaviour. The principles require engineering professionals to have a duty in the following four areas: 1. Honesty and integrity - to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct including openness, fairness, honesty and integrity; 2. Respect for life, law, the environment and public good - to obey all
Sir Charles Haddon-Cave presenting his keynote address.
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
applicable laws and regulations and give due weight to facts, published standards and guidance and the wider public interest; 3. Accuracy and rigour - to acquire and use wisely the understanding, knowledge and skills needed to perform their role; 4. Leadership and communication - to abide by and promote high standards of leadership and communication. The principles are commendable in any role but, in an age when increasing automation means that ethical decisions are being incorporated into complex systems using algorithms and rules, engineers are having to consider how machines behave in scenarios that they have not had to before. This applies to many spheres of engineering, including transport. Autonomy in road vehicles is already challenging engineers, lawyers, insurers and others to rethink previously accepted principles and ideas. The introduction of artificial intelligence into railway control systems will create even more ethical issues that will have be addressed. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) recently held a seminar to explore the underpinning principles associated with ethical issues in transport engineering and to suggest ways to address them. Sir Charles Haddon-Cave is a judge serving in the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of England and Wales and has been involved in the fields of aviation, insurance, travel law and arbitration. He was responsible for the damning report
FEATURE
1
Fatality
29
Lost Work Days
300
First Aid
3,000
Near Misses
30,000 Unsafe B
ehaviour
Heinrich’s safety pyramid, which dates from 1931 and was verified and updated by Frank Bird in the 1970s, is based on insurance company claim records. into the crash of RAF Nimrod XV230 over Afghanistan in 2006 in which he was scathing about the money-saving edict that took priority over safety: “Unfortunately, the Nimrod Safety Case was a lamentable job from start to finish. It was riddled with errors. It missed the key dangers. Its production is a story of incompetence, complacency, and cynicism.” The report is available as a free download and is recommended reading for any engineer involved in safety engineering. His keynote address set the tone for the seminar. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave explained that engineers faced a challenge in designing driverless cars, driverless trains, drones, intelligent buildings and robots so that they operate in a way that reflect human values and principles. As Franklin D Roosevelt once said: “Rules are not necessarily sacred, but principles are.”
He commended the codes of conduct issued by professional institutions, but questioned if they go deep enough and help engineers when they may be faced with really difficult ethical and moral decisions. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said that there are other tools to help, with one being ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable), which is deeply embedded into common law and questions whether an action is reasonable, given all the facts that have to be taken into account. Making sure a risk has been reduced, ALARP is about weighing the risk against the resource (termed ‘sacrifice’ in law) required to reduce it further. The decision is weighted in favour of health and safety because the presumption is that risk reduction measures should be implemented. To avoid having to implement an action, the sacrifice must be grossly disproportionate to the benefits of risk reduction that would be achieved. Another ethical tool that Mr Justice Haddon-Cave demonstrated was the Heinrich Triangle Theory. Heinrich proposed that, for every major injury, loss or event, there are 29 minor and 300 no-injury accidents, losses or events. So, ethically, to reduce a major risk, it is necessary to investigate and eliminate the greater number of minor and no-injury accidents or losses. Or, to put it another way, just don’t look at the tip of the iceberg, think about what’s below the surface. He recommended the adoption of four key ethical principles: 1. Leadership - strong clear leadership from the very top; 2. Independence throughout the regulatory regime; 3. People (not just process and paper); 4. Simplicity - regulation, processes and rules must be as simple and straightforward as possible. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave finished his keynote speech by emphasising that any safety management system must be made simple, and the greatest risk to safety and ethical engineering is complexity. PHOTO: NETWORK RAIL
Strong clear leadership from the very top was Mr Justice Haddon-Cave’s first recommendation. Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
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FEATURE Hindsight bias
PHOTO: MARY MCCORMACK/TWITTER
Mary McCormack’s video of her husband’s burning Tesla trended on Twitter.
PHOTO: KEOLIS
Professor George Bearfield, director of system safety and health at RSSB, said that dealing with complex safety engineering in rail can already be an ethical minefield as investment decisions have to be made over very long timeframes over which the political, ethical and social concern and tolerance standards may change. Where safety or accident risk is involved, the tensions will be high and decisions are often governed by what is affordable and the balance of risk. When making ethical based decisions, one of the traps that can occur is ‘hindsight bias’. This is the inclination to see past events, such as accidents, as being more predictable than they really were. If such events are seen as being predictable - an accident waiting to happen - it places great importance on the ability of a transport operator to argue that they had appropriate safety measures in place. Hindsight bias can influence kneejerk reactions. How many times have we heard, after a major accident, a politician quickly say that “money is not a problem”? This is often an unethical statement as, in many cases, money will be a problem when ALARP is applied and it is determined that the money involved could be far better used to lower risk somewhere else. Professor Bearfield recommended the RSSB document “Taking Safe Decisions How Britain’s railways take decisions that affect safety” for anyone involved in safety management. This is available from the RSSB website and it discusses many of the topics relating to ethical engineering.
The use of autonomous vehicles, like this one recently launched by Keolis in Canada, raises many issues. Ethics from a technologist’s perspective Paul Campion, CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult, observed that society and transport engineering is about to face a huge challenge which will require ethical considerations. Publishing, music, finance, retail (home shopping) and some other industries have been fundamentally transformed by IT and communications, but significant changes to the transport sector have yet to take place. The silo boundaries of transport are likely to be broken down and transformed by new technology, which will raise ethical questions. This is initially likely to be related to the use of data and the recent Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal has highlighted some of the ethical issues that can arise. When actress Mary McCormack husband’s Tesla caught fire while he was driving in the Los Angeles area, her post on Twitter was shared 1.5 million times. However, conventional vehicles also catch fire and electric cars may be less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel vehicles - it’s just that society will require higher standards with new technology. It has been suggested that an autonomous vehicle will have to be many times safer than a manually driven vehicle for it to be accepted and allowed on the road. Consider the example of an autonomous car in a queue of cars joining a busy main road at a T-junction. Traffic starts to build up and slow down. Cars with drivers in front of the autonomous car, when at the front of the queue, ‘nudge forward’ and cars on the main road let them in. Should the autonomous car be programmed to do the same, or should it wait until the road is clear, which could take hours?
Rail Engineer | Issue 167 | September 2018
Should the autonomous car have a sliding scale of ‘caution or bold’ that could be selected by the client? If ‘caution’ is chosen, it could be there for hours, waiting. Select ‘bold’ and the risk of an accident increases. Does that sound safe and ethical? Engineers of the future will face many of these issues. For example, what happens if a perfect autonomous car could be developed such that it will always act to avoid accidents, but other road users know this and start to deliberately pull out in front of the perfect autonomous car? Do engineers then deliberately make the autonomous car less safe? If an autonomous car has to act to avoid an accident what rules apply if the choice of action is to hit a pedestrian or another vehicle? To be effective, the autonomous vehicle will have to be more human-like and make ethical-based decisions. It will have to be provided with artificial intelligence (AI) so that it will learn and adopt different behaviours, similar to a human. Let’s assume that a car can be taught to drive itself through AI. If it makes a mistake due to the way it has learned, who is to blame? The designer, programmer, tester, or the salesperson? Some of these ethical issues with autonomous vehicles may also apply to driverless trains.
Unethical AI chatbot An example of AI behaving unethically was Tay - a Microsoft ‘chatbot’ which used AI to respond to users’ queries and emulate casual, jokey speech patterns. However, when it began posting racist messages in response to questions, it quickly had to be shut down.
FEATURE PHOTO: MICROSOFT/TWITTER
Tay - Microsoft’s chatbot - had to be shut down for ‘unethical obscene language’ it had learned from racist humans.
It was identified that Tay was vulnerable to people who persuaded it to use racial slurs and defend white-supremacist propaganda - even outright calls for genocide. The racism was not a product of Microsoft or Tay itself, as it was simply a piece of software that was trying to learn how humans talk in a conversation. It didn’t even know what racism was but spouted ‘unethical obscene language’ because racist humans on Twitter quickly spotted a vulnerability and exploited it. The problem was that Tay didn’t understand what it was talking about. Microsoft’s developers didn’t include any filters on the words that Tay could or could not use and came under heavy criticism for the bot and its lack of filters, with some arguing (with great hindsight of course) that the company should have expected and pre-empted the abuse. Now imagine what unethical behaviours an AI safety-related system may be vulnerable to when interfacing with unethical humans.
AI in railway control systems Artificial Intelligence is an algorithm, mathematical model or software that can ‘learn’ what to do and improve its
own performance over time, based on information from its own past performance. While deterministic software does exactly what it was told (by the programmer), AI software is only programmed with a learning mechanism - some kind of trial and error routine. This means the behaviour of AI software can never be completely foreseen, but only taught. There are a few applications where a computer can’t have the opportunity to make mistakes. Safety is one of these, as a critical software mistake may result in loss of life. AI can therefore never be used to make the final decision, but that doesn’t mean that AI cannot be used in control systems as it can learn to be better than a human but, just like a human, it needs protecting. If a signaller attempts to put two trains onto a collision course, the interlocking system will not authorise such a manoeuvre. Humans can fail, and AI should be treated in the same way. For some applications, programming and teaching AI can be a lot cheaper and quicker than classical logical programming. AI should therefore not be ignored or avoided in railway control
systems. Just like any new technology, engineers must learn new skills to develop and adopt the new ways of working to create a better tomorrow.
IEEE P7000 - Model Process for Addressing Ethical Concerns During System Design. Professor Ali Hessami is an expert in systems assurance and safety. Technical editor of IEEE standard P7000 - Model Process for Addressing Ethical Concerns During System Design - he represents the UK on CENELEC and IEC safety systems committees. As the discussions during the seminar had identified, engineers need a methodology for identifying, analysing and reconciling ethical concerns of end users. Approximately 40 people are expected to be actively involved in the development of the P7000 standard, and the scope is to establish a process model by which engineers and technologists can address ethical consideration throughout the various stages of system initiation, analysis and design. The purpose of the standard being produced by Ali Hessami and the IEEE is to provide engineers and technologists with an implementable method of aligning innovation management processes, system design approaches and software engineering methods to minimise ethical risk for their organisations, stakeholders and end users. It is planned for publication early in 2019 and will be the first global standard to guide ethical principles in engineering design.
Apples or cookies There was an extensive group discussion following the presentations and follow up sessions are being considered. The event reinforced the message that engineering professions must produce engineers who have the will and the intellectual capacity to engage with bigger questions about the ethics and social ramifications of their work, as human behaviour can easily slip into unethical actions. Mr Justice Haddon-Cave told a story to illustrate this point. Children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted it on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written another note: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples!”
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