Rail Professional Asia Pacific December Issue

ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE www.railprofessional.com

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL

DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE NUMBER 24

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE A unique interior concept for the next generation of trains

NEWS

China’s first fully automated elevated monorail enters service

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Improving station safety for Sydney Trains

CONSULTING

Aurecon Aims for Growth in Malaysia

Discover potential.

Drive performance.

WELCOME

ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE www.railprofessional.com

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL

DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE NUMBER 24

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE A unique interior concept for the next generation of trains

NEWS

China’s first fully automated elevated monorail enters service

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Improving station safety for Sydney Trains

Editors’s Note CONSULTING

Aurecon Aims for Growth in Malaysia

PUBLISHER Rail Professional Limited Hallmark House, Downham Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex CM11 1PU Tel: +44 (0) 1268 711811 EDITOR Sam Sherwood-Hale editor@railprofessional.com Twitter: @SamSherwoodHale SALES Adam Overall Dean Salisbury Jamie Tregarthen sales@railpro.co.uk ADMINISTRATION Lisa Etherington Cherie Nugent Alisha Gent info@railpro.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Lukasz Saczek production@railpro.co.uk

Twitter: @RailProSEAsia Linkedin: railprofessional Rail Professional welcomes contributions in the form of articles, photographs or letters, preferably by email. original photographs may be submitted, but, while every care will be exercised, neither the editor nor the publisher take responsibility for loss of, or damage to, material sent.

Submission of material to Rail Professional will be taken as permission for it to be published in the magazine.

When we launched this magazine five years ago, the biggest stories in the region at that time were the two high-speed railways under construction at either end of continental Southeast Asia. Those two projects were fated to end very differently however as whilst the link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has been shelved, apparently indefinitely, the much less likely but stubbornly persistent railway which cuts a route through Laos all the way to the banks of the Mekong will close out 2021 as a fully operational high-speed railway.

When it was first conceived, the project was sheltered by the One Belt One Road umbrella which covers a variety of major infrastructure projects backed by China, including, however tangentially, the KLSG route which would eventually extend all the way north through Thailand to the border with Laos, where the current train terminates.

The talking point that cropped up in every story at the time was the phrase ‘turning a land-locked country to a land-linked country’ which refers to Laos lack of coastline and direct access to the sea. Now the focus shifts to justifying the huge, near $6 billion price tag and the construction of facilities alongside the railway to help develop the Laos-China Economic Corridor.

I wrote at the time that the Government expected the country to see 32 per cent growth in GDP thanks to improved efficiency as a result of the rail network. It may be more than another five years before I bring you coverage of that particular story however.

The first news story this month is regarding a new monorail system in Wuhu, China. I would probably need multiple pairs of hands to count all the new railways that have opened in China over the last five years.

SAM SHERWOOD-HALE Editor

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December 2021

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DCA delivers EMR mock up and HF reviews safely under Covid restrictions Prototyping | Testing and evaluation | Usability and HF

www.dcatransport.com

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transport@dca-design.com

CONTENTS

ISSUE 24 | DECEMBER 2021 NEWS 06 | China’s first fully automated elevated

monorail enters service in Wuhu 06 | ST Engineering and MSI Global team

up to bring Singapore’s rail expertise to

global markets 07 | Technology on display at the

International Metro Transit Exhibition

in Beijing 07 | Bentley Systems and SMRT Trains to collaborate

11

INTERVIEW Sam Sherwood-Hale spoke to Dr Stephen Fletcher, Director and Occupational Psychologist at the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) and OPC Assessment about safety culture in the industry, safety critical roles and psychometric testing

08 | JR Kyushu and Hitachi Rail celebrate

five year anniversary of DENCHA 09 | Thales to boost Greater Jakarta’s

commuter traffic with new ticketing platform 09 | Iskandar Regional Development

Authority signs MoU with West Midlands

Combined Authority 10 | TÜV SÜD Korea to participate in

hydrogen-electric tram project

14 CONSULTING International engineering, design and advisory company, Aurecon has appointed Feisal Noor as the Director of Project Management, Planning and Growth for Malaysia 15 SAFETY AND SECURITY Ipsotek, an Atos company and a pioneer in artificial intelligence powered video analytics, has increased security capabilities at 13 stations across Sydney for Sydney Trains

16

Business Profile

Within the next 10 to 20 years, Deutsche Bahn expects that there will be more than one billion additional customers per year using railway transport to commute and travel 18 FREIGHT FirstClass Safety & Control delivers first order in Australia with new partner Freightquip

December 2021

5

NEWS

China’s first fully automated elevated monorail enters service in Wuhu Wuhu, China – A fleet of 28 six-car Innovia monorail trains has entered commercial service on Wuhu Rail Transit’s Line 1 in Anhui Province, China. The first of its kind in China, Wuhu’s new monorail will be elevated and equipped with automatic train operation (ATO) grade of operation 4 (GoA4). The highest level of automation available, GoA4 enables the Innovia monorail to operate fully automated, without driver or attendants.

To ensure the safe, reliable and efficient operation, the train has also been deeply integrated with key technologies such as track beams, switches and power supply rails. The train’s passenger compartment offers a clear and open view as the entire train passes through the city emitting low noise and vibration. With strong dynamic performance, exceptional climbing ability and a tight turning radius, the train is well adapted to the needs of an urban landscape. In

The Innovia monorail platform, along with a total of 168 cars, was provided by Alstom’s Chinese joint venture CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems Limited (PBTS). The related Cityflo 650 signalling system that enables the automatic train operation was provided by Bombardier NUG Signalling Solutions Company Limited (BNS), Alstom’s Signalling joint venture in China.

Alstom’s joint venture for propulsion in China, Bombardier NUG Propulsion System Co. Ltd. (BNP), provided the Mitrac propulsion equipment for the monorail trains.

Wuhu Line 1’s new elevated monorail operates at a speed of 80 kilometres per hour and has been equipped with ATO GoA4, the most-advanced and highest level of automatic train operation that enables the train to operate both driverless and fully unattended.

addition to providing citizens with a safe, convenient, and green transportation experience, Wuhu’s Innovia monorail has also become a recognized part of the Wuhu’s modern and picturesque cityscape.

Designed to integrate seamlessly into the urban environment, Alstom’s fully automated and driverless Innovia monorail systems provide an energy-efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective mobility solution, particularly for growing or dense cities. The modern looking and quiet vehicles run on elevated guideways that are built off-site to permit fast assembly with minimal disruption on-site.

Alstom offers 30 years of expertise in successful monorail design, build, operations and maintenance, with industry leading availability and safety standards.

ST Engineering and MSI Global team up to bring Singapore’s rail expertise to global markets Singapore – ST Engineering and MSI Global, a wholly owned including Smart Metro Control Centres, Command, Control and subsidiary of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore, have Communication Systems, Enterprise Asset Management Systems, announced that they have inked a Memorandum of Understanding Platform Screen Door, Automatic Fare Collection Systems and (MOU) to foster joint Passenger Information participation and Systems, while MSI ST Engineering has implemented over 100 rail electronics collaboration in rail Global will provide its projects around the projects in more than 48 cities worldwide, expertise in ticketing and world. Both companies systems software while MSI Global has implemented in the region of 154 payment will jointly provide rail solutions, systems electronics solutions and overseas projects in more than 20 countries. integration for rolling services for rail projects stock, signalling, power overseas. supply systems, depot planning, and project management. The MOU ST Engineering will contribute its established technical will also include developing joint go-to-market activities to grow and domain expertise in advanced Smart Metro solutions Singapore’s rail global footprint.

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December 2021

NEWS

Technology on display at the International Metro Transit Exhibition in Beijing Beijing, China – Alstom attended the International Metro Transit Exhibition (MetroTrans) 2021, held from 9 to 11 October in Beijing, China. At the event, together with its Chinese joint ventures, Alstom presented its proven technology, leading expertise, strong urban mass transit capabilities, as well as its long-term commitment to the development of China’s urban rail transit market.

Alstom attracted more than 10,000 visitors to its booth where Jianwei Zhang, President of Alstom China, explained Alstom’s Chinese local roots strategy while presenting Alstom’s products and solutions to VIP delegations and the media saying: ‘Alstom is very happy to participate in this important industry event, where we look forward to meeting our stakeholders and discussing the latest trends in the field of rail transit. Alstom will continue to provide green and efficient mobility solutions to China’s operators and passengers.’

During the exhibition, Alstom also presented its proven Innovia automated people mover (APM) technology. Already supplied to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Hong Kong, this driverless transportation system was specially designed to offer quick, comfortable, and convenient service for commuters within cities, to and from airports, or between airport terminals. Innovia APM cars operate on a dedicated guideway (underground, on ground level, or elevated) to ensure consistent service that does not interfere with the surrounding road or runway traffic.

The International Metro Transit Exhibition is a three-day event that attracts local operators, car builders and system suppliers to explore the latest technologies and products in the metro transit sector. This year’s theme Intelligent Urban Rail, Forward Looking, echoes the messages found in the Chinese Association of Metros’

Outline for Smart Urban Rail Development, Research on Urban Rail Transit Development Strategy, and the Development Thought of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

Alstom also showcased an Innovia monorail model at the booth.

Designed to integrate seamlessly into urban environments, Alstom’s fully automated and driverless Innovia monorail systems provide an energy-efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective mobility solution, particularly suited for rapidly growing or dense cities. These modern and quiet vehicles run on elevated guideways that are built off-site to permit fast assembly with minimal on-site disruption. Alstom’s first monorail line in China, Wuhu Line 1, is currently participating in a one-month free trial ride in October. Each week, as many as 10,000 people will experience the new unmanned straddling monorail train first-hand.

Visitors to Alston’s booth at MetroTrans also learned more about Alstom’s Citadis low-floor tramway system. This green and innovative transport solution offers exceptional passenger comfort thanks to its double doors, large gangways and windows, spacious interior with new ergonomic seats, air conditioning, video-surveillance, and passenger information systems. The Citadis tramway produces less CO2 emissions than other transport systems and is already in use on Shanghai Songjiang lines 1 and 3, on Chengdu Rong’s Line 2 and the Dujiangyan Line.

Alstom also showcased their in-house designed and manufactured components. This included the Dispen damper that improves passenger experience by optimising track friendliness and Alstomdesigned circuit breakers that enhance train safety and reliability.

Part of the Group’s core propulsion expertise, both product ranges are available for nearly all types of rolling stock.

Bentley Systems and SMRT Trains to collaborate Singapore – Bentley Systems and SMRT Trains have successfully completed the implementation of a Predictive Decision Support System (PDSS) for Singapore’s North-South and East-West lines, the oldest MRT lines in the country. SMRT Trains’ PDSS, which is based on Bentley’s AssetWise Linear Analytics, contributes to improving the reliability of the two lines across 282 kilometres of track and has helped SMRT Trains achieve more than one million kilometres between failure (MKBF). MKBF is a measure of reliability used by train operators around the world, where a failure is defined as a service delay of more than five minutes.

Based on the success of the PDSS implementation on the North-South and East-West lines, SMRT Trains has started the implementation of the PDSS solution on the Circle Line (CCL) in Singapore.

With many owner-operators of large metro networks in Asia Pacific cities focusing on improving reliability to provide uninterrupted services to riders, Bentley Systems and Strides Engineering, previously SMRT Services, a business arm of SMRT Corporation that provides a range of station-based engineering services, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly market a rail predictive maintenance solution in the Asia Pacific region. The MOU establishes a partnership between the two companies that combines strong technology expertise and rail operational capabilities to help urban rail and metro operators. Under the terms of the MOU, both organizations will market a rail predictive maintenance solution that visualizes all rail asset information and manages, monitors, and analyses rail conditions. Bentley Systems will continue to sell, implement, and support its AssetWise solution while Strides December 2021

Engineering will market and deliver its domain experience and addon applications for track maintenance.

SMRT Trains will be featured in an Infrastructure Spotlight Series webinar in November as a part of Bentley Systems’ Year in Infrastructure 2021 presentations highlighting advancements in going digital. Registration details will be available soon for this session on yii.bentley.com to learn more about how SMRT Trains is an innovator to watch.

Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said: ‘Leveraging technology and taking pre-emptive actions are two very important components in the plan to help us improve and maintain rail reliability for the train lines SMRT Trains operates. PDSS represents both components, and its successful implementation for the NorthSouth and East-West lines has given us much confidence to scale it for the rest of our lines.’

Commenting on the new partnership, Gan Boon Jin, President of Strides Engineering, said: ‘Strides Engineering’s collaboration with Bentley Systems on the PDSS demonstrates a firm partnership in combining strong domain and rail operational capabilities with proven technological expertise. The PDSS will enhance and optimize decision-making in rail maintenance. We look forward to bringing the best practices and results of PDSS to other train operators in the region.’

Kaushik Chakraborty, Vice President, Bentley Asia South, said: ‘We are extremely happy and honored to partner with Strides Engineering to forward our common objective of advancing infrastructure. With our combined strengths and industry experience, we will empower rail and metro operators in the region to improve reliability of the infrastructure that serves citizens and residents.’

7

NEWS

JR Kyushu and Hitachi Rail celebrate five year anniversary of DENCHA Fukuoka, Japan – Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) and Hitachi Rail are celebrating five years since the first run of the DENCHA, the world’s first battery-powered passenger train charged

by AC overhead lines. Having seen the fleet cut carbon emissions, the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, reaffirmed its commitment to alternative fuel transport offer for passengers and operators across the world.

The DENCHA fleet was introduced to the Kyushu region of Japan to replace ageing diesel trains. Due to the relatively low traffic volume, electrification was not seen as an ideal solution for the line, instead battery technology offered reduced fuel costs and fulfilled the mission to be ‘friendly to the future of people and the planet’.

The success of the DENCHA fleet, operated by JR Kyushu, has been the starting point for Hitachi’s development of alternative fuel

The BEC819 series trains – branded DENCHA – completed its first journey between Wakamatsu and Orio in October 2016 and have since completed over five million kilometres in passenger service in the northern Kyushu region. With a top speed of 120 kph, nearly 80 per cent of the distance covered – four million kilometres – by the 18-train fleet has been on non-electrified sections of the route.

Thanks to the innovative battery technology, the DENCHA train is capable in running in two modes: on electrified sections it runs from the overhead AC power, on non-electrified sections it runs in battery mode. Additionally, the trains feature a low energy loss main circuit system that reuses regenerative energy from braking and benefits from fast charging while stopped at stations.

The trains, which won the Japan Railfan Club’s Blue Ribbon Award, significantly reduced the railway’s impact on the environment, saving over 2.7 million kg of CO2from being emitted into the atmosphere over the five year period. Furthermore, the trains are far quieter than the diesel trains they replaced and release no NOx emissions.

transport solutions worldwide. The company, which is the principal sponsor for mobility at the COP26 UN climate change conference, has created Masaccio regional battery trains in Italy, battery trams in Florence and plans to trial an intercity battery hybrid train in UK. It also is part of a partnership with JR East and Toyota to develop hybrid (fuel cell) test vehicles, known as the HYBARI, scheduled to start running next year in Japan.

Developing innovative new low carbon technology is an important part of Hitachi Rail’s decarbonisation strategy. It is a core part of the company’s mission to enable more seamless and digitally connected journeys.

DENCHA trains consist of two carriages in standard formation.

The carriage length is 19,500mm, width is 2,950mm, and maximum height is 4,096mm.

Hitachi Rail’s decarbonisation strategy is to drive a modal shift to lower carbon forms of transportation through mobility as a service; accelerate the decarbonisation of rail with electrification and batteries and to decarbonise its own activities in accordance with Science-Based Targets.

8

December 2021

NEWS

Thales to boost Greater Jakarta’s commuter traffic with new ticketing platform Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia’s transport agency PT Jakarta seamless with an enhanced passenger experience.

Lingko Indonesia has awarded a consortium led by PT Jatelindo Using ABT, public transportation users can benefit from the Perkasa Abadi and comprising Thales, Lyko and PT Aino Indonesia smart technology in the JakLingko application that can read a an eight-year contract to deploy, operate and maintain a ticketing passenger’s profile and propose different fares accordingly. For platform and a Mobility-as-aexample, a total of 14 fare Service (MaaS) solution for categorisations will be available, Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.

Jakarta’s transportation master plan includes including students and elderly This new ticketing platform rates, making travel the government’s target to increase the share of passenger developed by Thales is expected more equitable for all. to allow two million trips per public transportation use to 60 per cent of all Thales is a member of the day. The integrated technology Jatelindo Consortium and movements and expand its coverage area to 80 will drive ridership and boost has successfully implemented comfortable journeys in the per cent of all roads in Greater Jakarta by 2029. Account Based Ticketing world’s third largest metropolis (ABT) technology in several of over 31 million people. countries in Europe and Asia.

The Greater Jakarta metropolitan area commonly known as It is hoped that this success can also be replicated in Jabodetabek Jabodetabek includes the capital Jakarta and the satellite cities as a pilot project for payment, fare and route integration systems in of Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, Tangerang and South Tangerang. The Indonesia. metropolis spreads over an area of 6,343 km2 with a population of The Thales TRANSCITY™ platform forms the backbone of the over 31 million residents, making it the most populous region in system with Thales working closely within the consortium to deliver Indonesia. the project in several phases, including an eight-year Operation In support of this ambitious plan, the Jatelindo consortium and Maintenance contract. In the first phase of the project, Thales through PT JakLingko Indonesia will implement an electronic will provide a new QR code ticketing system for fare collection, integrated payment and tariff system for the public transportation interfacing the MaaS solution and a mobile application. This system operators operating in Jabodetabek. Under the consortium, will include enhanced mobility features leading to an ‘end-to-end Thales will design and develop an integrated payment system that ticketing solution’ in the final phase enable to handle five million uses an Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) solution for intermodal transactions daily, where the consortium will migrate the existing transportation. Travellers using different transportation networks card-centric architecture to a full Account Based Ticketing (ABT) will be able to either swipe their smartphones or use contactless one. Commuters can expect to start using the integrated solution travel cards to enter public transport, making their journeys from August 2022.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority signs MoU with West Midlands Combined Authority Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The West Midlands Combined joining either in person or virtually.

Authority (WMCA) in the UK has signed a Memorandum of TfWM, which is part of the WMCA, launched the RTCC in Understanding (MoU) with a Malaysian government body to January 2020 to bring together real-time information across all cooperate in the area of modes of transport in one place transport innovation and working with existing control smart cities development centres around the West ‘Sustainable transport is an essential part of reaching for the next three years.

Midlands to provide up-to-theThe MoU with Iskandar net zero targets, and local authorities play a key role in minute journey information Regional Development for residents, businesses and the transition.

These were among the main themes of the Authority (IRDA) will visitors. be an opportunity for United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 which Over time the initiative, the West Midlands to which was facilitated by the UK has just hosted. Partnerships like this will help share knowledge, ideas, the Global Future Cities and lessons learned drive climate action forward.’

Programme in Malaysia, will from within the urban look to assist the RTCC in His Excellency Charles Hay, and transport planning improving its coordination realms, as well as promote British High Commissioner to Malaysia across public transport and mutual recognition of road networks, as well as international design manage real-time congestion standards for inclusive transport. for the region’s residents, businesses, and visitors.

The ‘virtual signing of the MoU took place at the Transport After visiting the RTCC and signing the MoU, Malaysian delegates for West Midlands (TfWM) Regional Transport Coordination were given a tour of the transport modes and popular public spaces Centre (RTCC). in Birmingham.

The signing saw TfWM interim managing director Anne Shaw The travelling public can receive live updates on the region’s putting pen to paper for the WMCA and representatives from IRDA transport networks through social media and the Transport for West and H.E. Charles Hay, British High Commissioner to Malaysia Midlands website.

December 2021

9

NEWS

TÜV SÜD Korea to participate in hydrogen-electric tram project

Image Credit: Hyundai Rotem

Seoul, South Korea – TÜV SÜD Korea will participate in the ‘hydrogen-electric tram demonstration project’ implemented by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of South Korea, which aims to expand automotive-centred hydrogen mobility to railways and carve out a position on the global environmentallyfriendly tram market.

Proactively pioneering on domestic and overseas markets, this project is seeking to build hydrogen fuelling stations for hydrogen trams by 2022 and start mass production of hydrogen trams in 2024.

On 23 September, MOTIE announced the launch of its hydrogenelectric tram demonstration project including investments of KRW 42.4 billion ($36 million) with KRW 28.2 billion ($24 million) coming from the Government and running to 2023 with the goal of producing commercially viable hydrogen trams. MOTIE plans to first discuss the application of hydrogen trams with local governments that have new urban railroad projects such as Ulsan and Dongtan, and then to develop overseas markets mainly in regions that have demand for trams such as Europe and Southeast Asia.

The goal of this project, which started in September and will run to the end of 2023, is to establish core technologies in four major fields in order to commercialise the hydrogen tram. The rail vehicle has a power output of 380 kW, which is equivalent to four hydrogen fuel cells for the Hyundai NEXO (95kW).

Hyundai Rotem, a company specialising in rail technology, will supervise the integration of the hydrogen tram system and its verification. Five small and medium-sized railway component manufacturers, including Maxis (motors), Core Chips (sensors), Fullohm KD (brakes), SJ Steel (bodies), and A&M Mecatech (cooling), will also participate in the project to engage in organic cooperation and challenge the hydrogen train field. They plan to manufacture components, such as motors and brakes, to be installed in hydrogen trams by 2022. In 2023 it intends to integrate these components to build full hydrogen trams and verify their performance.

Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), which has accumulated experience and know-how in hydrogen car parts 10

remodelling, will supervise the field of hydrogen fuel cell and element component technology for hydrogen trams. Hydrogen car component specialized businesses and seven institutions, including GMB Korea (fuel cell thermal management), ETIS (fuel cell control), Donghee Industrial (hydrogen storage tanks), Hwaseung R&A (flexible tubes), CS Enertech (battery), Hanyang University and Sogang University (design), will participate in the project.

Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) will supervise the fields of hydrogen tram technology standards and driving performance evaluation technology. Since this is an export-oriented project, TÜV SÜD Korea – a member company of TÜV SÜD Group, world’s leading testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company – is also participating in the project. The provider of TIC services will closely verify whether the hydrogen-electric tram meets domestic and European railroad safety standards.

Unlike hydrogen cars, hydrogen trams require hydrogen fuel cells and storage tanks to be mounted on the roof to save on passenger space. Hence, hydrogen fuel cells originally designed for the Hyundai NEXO will be purchased, reduced in height and converted into hydrogen fuel cells to be used in trams by 2022. In addition, the project partners will work on developing components such as flexible high-pressure tubes to connect multiple hydrogen storage tanks installed on the coach roofs.

Ulsan Technopark will supervise the fields of hydrogen tram infrastructure and operation technology. Four infrastructure, safety and analysis institutions, including Cobiz small business centre (discovery of business models), Bumhan Fuel Cell (construction of hydrogen fuelling stations), Institute of Gas Safety R&D (safety verification of hydrogen fuelling stations), and the University of Ulsan (optimal operation pattern of hydrogen trams), will participate in the project.

A representative from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) stated: ‘While we are a world leader in automotive hydrogen technology, our transition to hydrogen in other fields of transport has been proving relatively slow. Given this, we anticipate that this project will accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen throughout all areas of transport.’

December 2021

INTERVIEW

Dr Stephen Fletcher

Director of the Occupational Psychology Centre Sam Sherwood-Hale spoke to Dr Stephen Fletcher, Director and Occupational Psychologist at the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) and OPC Assessment about safety culture in the industry, safety critical roles and psychometric testing SSH: You have over thirty years of experience as a psychologist, what inspired the decision to move to occupational and business psychology?

SF: Well, I’ve always been interested in what makes people tick and I had a particular interest in business and commerce.

Following a good education at a respectable school in Portsmouth, I went on to do my first psychology degree at Manchester Polytechnic followed by a PhD at University College London (UCL). Being an academic didn’t really appeal to me, I much prefer being a practitioner and working directly with challenges and people. Therefore, it seemed a natural choice to work as an Occupational Psychologist.

December 2021

SSH: How did the OPC start life?

SF: Back in the days of British Rail, Jo Lawrence, my Co-Director at the OPC and OPC Assessment, and I were working for the British Railways Board. We delivered specialist HR work to support the operation of the railways at that time. When the infrastructure was privatised and individual franchisees started to run the passenger rail services, mid 1990s we had the opportunity to set up as a private company and so The Occupational Psychology Centre was formed.

We carried over the specialist recruitment, Human Factors and safety critical work that we’d started with the Board and continued to support the

individual rail companies as they came into being. From then on the business flourished and we now support UK and international rail companies as well as work with other transport sectors and industries that operate with safety critical employees.

OPC Assessment came into being later, in 2000. We were regularly asked by clients to do Non-Technical Skills (NTS) role profiling i.e., to identify the NTS required for safe and effective performance. Some clients would then ask us to design bespoke assessment tools to assess these NTS at recruitment.

Over time, we found different clients were asking for similar bespoke tools, so rather than develop them uniquely for each, we set up a new business that researched, designed 11

INTERVIEW

and provided off-the-shelf assessment tools for use by the rail industry.

OPC Assessment is now a leading provider of psychometric tests and exercises in rail. These tools are designed to identify the capabilities of current employees or the potential in job applicants. We also provide trained assessors and a Bureau Service to oversee assessment testing as part of any sized recruitment process for those organisations that don’t have inhouse expertise.

SSH: What does an occupational psychologist actually do?

SF: I get asked that question all the time!

When I first joined the railways, people used to think my job was to counsel customers when the trains didn’t run on time and they were angry or frustrated! They thought I would say to customers ‘I know your train has been delayed for two hours, I’m really sorry about that – but how are you feeling right now?!!’

I don’t think even my dad knew what I really did. The technical definition is that an occupational psychologist applies psychological knowledge, theories and practice to the world of work. The nontechnical answer is that psychology is all about people – how they behave, what their attitudes are and how they feel. As an occupational and business psychologist I’m passionate about helping safety-critical, and more specifically, rail organisations to understand those attitudes, behaviours and emotions; to harness them, and then to help them maximise their employees’ performance – to be the very best and safest they can be. As part of my role, I support a team of great psychologist at the OPC. I also love to develop new psychometric tools – whether those are for OPC Assessment or whether they are bespoke for a client.

SSH: What are the different services offered by OPC Consultancy and OPC Assessment?

SF: The two business’ run very symbiotically, side by side. At OPC Consultancy we work closely, alongside our UK and International clients to identify challenges; to help them find and implement appropriate and cost effective people strategies and solutions. We offer specialist psychology and HR solutions for gaps in (safety) performance, support with talent acquisition and assist with employee development. We have a special interest in human factors and safety critical role performance, and in why people make mistakes and have safety incidents.

OPC Assessment is the sister company of the Occupational Psychology Centre.

We have over 60 different assessment tools organised under different series.

For example, we have a Safety series of tools, specifically designed to assess for one or more competencies linked to safe performance.

Our Station series might be used to support the recruitment or development of ticket office, conductor and/or train despatcher roles. We offer a Customer Service series to help assess and recruit the best customer service skilled staff. There’s also a Core Series that can help to recruit more technical or engineering roles that need abilities such as spatial, abstract or diagrammatic reasoning. The majority of the tools are available for use online.

SSH: OPC psychologists spend time with organisations and job holders, how do you develop relationships with these companies?

SF: At OPC Assessment, quite often we will work with key recruitment managers in either specific Talent Acquisition or Human Resources (HR) teams. At OPC Consultancy, we also work with the HR teams, but we also work with operational specialists, such as operational directors and managers e.g., driver managers, trainers, driving instructors or the HQSE teams.

We have a wide network of clients and a healthy balance between those who we’ve

worked alongside of for over twenty years and those who are relatively new clients who may come from other sectors with new ideas and approaches. Often, our clients are passionate about the same key safety issues with a long history in the rail industry.

However, as with any growing business we like to look at new opportunities and areas of work wherever possible.

SSH: How do companies reach out to you, what does the process look like?

SF: We are always open to hearing from new contacts about any specialist recruitment, safety critical or psychologist expertise they need support with. As a smaller organisation we are a friendly bunch! We try to be nimble on our feet and accommodate client needs’ as quickly as possible, but still match, or exceed where possible, the technology and expertise of others in our sector.

Clients may contact us on any number of different issues. They might need us to manage and oversee large scale assessment pre-screening processes for them. They may approach us about an employee who is having safety performance issues or repeat safety incidents. We may do job profile work and NTS requirements to find the best candidates for a role. Or we may be discussing high profile director level talent acquisition needs. There isn’t really one single process that we offer. We try to find the best ‘bespoke’ solution from a wide portfolio of options. We spend a lot of time listening to clients’ needs to find the right approach with a mix of different levels of support and fees for them to choose from.

During Covid we delivered a lot of our services digitally, but more recently, faceto-face work is returning. We do however feel that a digital offering within the mix is really key from a fees, speed, location and efficiency perspective.

For some of our services we have established ‘best practice’ over many years, such as our Post Incident Assessments.

Therefore, we like to recommend they

RANKED NTS PRIORITY ORDER ACROSS SOME RAIL SAFETY CRITICAL ROLES Train Driver

Train Conductor

Station Dispatcher

Depot Driver

1. Maintain concenteration

1. Maintain concenteration

1. Prioritise and multi-task

1. Maintain concenteration

2. Anticipate risks

2. Maintain and develop knowledge

2. Retain information

2. Attention to detail

3. Attention to detail

3. Multi-task

2. Maintain concenteration

3. Anticipate risks

3. Anticipate risks

2. Anticipate risks

3. Possitve attitude to rules and procedures 3. Clarity in communications *some NTS are ranked equal and therefore have a joint placing 12

December 2021

INTERVIEW

happen as proposed, because we know it’s a ‘winning formula’ – helping to provide the best safety performance outcomes for the employee, the manager and the organisation.

SSH: What do your clients look for when determining what NTS are required in specific roles?

SF: That really depends on the role! Some safety-critical roles will have very similar NTS, but they may not always be in the same priority order. Following on from the RSSB’s categorisation of NTS, the OPC worked with a group of rail specialists from a number of different train operators e.g., driver managers, drivers, trainers and mentors to help prioritise the most important NTS for some key job functions. These NTS are more easily compared via the table oveleaf.

Our panel of experts concluded/ recommended that the top three most important NTS for safer train driving were: 1) Maintaining concentration, 2) Anticipating risks, and 3) Attention to detail.

However, there is a slight difference in the ranked order of these NTS for a depot driver, possibly due to the nature of the role and the shorter distances driving.

A train conductor’s role carries a similar need for maintaining concentration, which because of the safety critical nature of the job is probably right. However, a station train dispatcher’s role requires a high degree of prioritising, knowing and using information to make decisions safely alongside maintaining concentration and anticipation of risks.

You can see how these NTS, although in different orders may work best according to the role purpose and safety-critical nature of the varying jobs.

From these slight nuances when recruiting for these types of roles we might advise clients to use particular assessment tools, or a particular type e.g., ability tests, situational judgement tests or personality questionnaires. So, for example, for a driver role, we might recommend a test that specifically assesses for concentration or risk awareness. For a station dispatcher’s role, it may be important to assess an individuals’ ability to multi-task. A train conductor’s role requires a mix of key skills.

Safety of the train, and its passengers will be a priority. However, a train conductor may also need good customer service skills.

Therefore, we may suggest using a range of tests that assess for safety, customer service and possibly situational judgement competencies as well.

principles of reliability, fairness, validity and discriminability are applied from the start.

Each tool developed by us will go through meticulous testing processes with key validation groups to ensure they assess for the competencies they are designed for.

SSH: How do you develop transport specific assessment tools?

SF: We are continually developing and evolving our range of assessment tools.

One such tool is the Visual Search Exercise (VSE) https://www.theopc.co.uk/assessment/ test/vse. This was developed in collaboration with a leading UK train company. It came about through a review of Post Incident Assessments (PIA) with train drivers who were having multiple incidents including SPaDs (signals passed at danger). After extensive analysis of data from the safety incidents it was identified that a NTS shortfall around concentration, and an overreliance on past experience, (sometimes referred to as a habituated or a conditioned response) may have been some underlying causes. The VSE was specifically designed to test for these competencies and behaviours.

As a digital test, a driver candidate must maintain concentration and focus on key visual cues, respond to them whilst

research of our tests and tools has shown they can work and add value. As mentioned, validation studies help demonstrate the soundness of a test i.e., to ensure that what we are assessing for is actually being measured and demonstrated. We firmly believe that psychometrics used as part of the recruitment and/or development process can add value and help to improve safety of our people in the rail industry. With each new task, we aspire to be evidence based – to accumulate empirical evidence to show what we are doing and using is helping and working, and without hesitation to abandon those that don’t add value.

I love quotes, I find them thought provoking and inspiring. Socrates, (a very wise man!) is quoted as saying: ‘To believe without evidence and demonstration is an act of ignorance and folly’. A great by-word for me as a psychologist!

SSH: What are some of the ‘headlines’ you’ve picked up from your safety culture surveys?

SF: I like to use the phrase ‘the shields of safety’ a lot when I am talking about safety to clients. I describe it as a layered shield around an employee – protecting them and helping possible safety incidents ‘bounce’ off them.

The first layer of the shield is the individual employee themselves – their knowledge, experience and in particular their NTS. The second layer is the employees’ job – how it’s been designed, including its makeup, shift patterns, complexity and/or interest. The next layer is the Competency Management System or the framework that they undertake their job in. e.g., how they are trained and certified, measured and managed as well as how they are supported in succeeding. The safety culture of the organisation is the final ‘layer of the shield’ and could be described as ‘The way we do safety around here.’ It can have a powerful impact on how we behave at work.

Generally, human beings are creatures of conformity and we (mostly!) like to fit in. So, the organisation’s safety culture can affect whether an individual thinks and acts more safely e.g., do they plan for risks, are they aware of their personal ‘state’ do they complete adequate checks prior to departure etc. Also key, is whether they are encouraged to value safety as a key priority in all aspects of their day-to-day work. When there is a strong organisational safety culture in place, there is evidence to suggest that overall safety performance is better. From an employee’s perspective, if all the four layers of the shield are in place, then the likelihood is that the potential for safety incidents is greatly lessened. R

‘To believe without evidence and demonstration is an act of ignorance and folly’

SSH: How do you develop psychometric tests?

SF: OPC Assessments’ psychometric tools are rigorously researched and trialled.

The fundamentals of a comprehensive job analysis form the foundations of each test we develop. Key psychometric December 2021

multitasking and remaining situationally aware. We believed that we’d developed the right test – but did it work? Validation research with UK rail companies was able to show that drivers who had more safetyof-the-line incidents also had lower VSE performance scores.

This helped to provide evidence that the VSE was assessing for the correct competencies. This was a key achievement for OPC Assessment – developing a test that could specifically help to improve train driver safety performance. Since the test was introduced, thousands of applicants around the world have sat the VSE to help assess their suitability for a driver or other safety critical roles.

SSH: What are some typical responses you get from clients about using Assessment tools?

SF: Something that is dear to my heart and is perhaps distinctive for psychologists is our desire and drive to be evidence based.

Some clients don’t believe that assessment tools are of value; that they are flawed and can’t help to improve safety on the railway.

No assessment tool is perfect and error free. However, validation exercises and

Tel: +44 (0)1923 234646 Email: admin@theopc.co.uk Visit: www.theopc.co.uk 13

FEATURE

CONSULTING

Aurecon Aims for Growth in Malaysia International engineering, design and advisory company, Aurecon has appointed Feisal Noor as the Director of Project Management, Planning and Growth for Malaysia

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ased in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, new and ongoing infrastructure projects Feisal will spearhead the in the country. establishment and growth of Factors contributing to growth include Aurecon’s Project Management the Government’s budgetary support of and Planning Consulting services RM69 billion ($16.3 billion) which will for leading infrastructure, building, energy, accelerate new and ongoing infrastructure logistics and manufacturing clients in projects such as the Mass Rapid Transit Malaysia and the region. He will play a Lines 2 and 3, East Coast Rail Link projects pivotal role in supporting and expanding and other rail sector investment in the the business into existing and new market country. The Penang Transport Master Plan sectors, harnessing synergies from Aurecon’s is another flagship infrastructure program recent investments in specialist geotechnical that will present significant infrastructure consultancy, GCU Consultants Sdn Bhd development opportunities for the and multi-disciplinary environmental engineering and construction sector. consultancy, ERE Consulting Group in Malaysia.

I believe Aurecon’s diverse expertise in project With over 20 years’ experience management, planning, design and integrated in strategic delivery places us in a strong position to deliver development, design, advisory greater value to our clients and contribute to and project Malaysia’s ambitious development goals. management, Feisal brings a wealth of knowledge in scaling business operations, Prior to joining Aurecon, Feisal was planning integrated delivery management a consultant and project advisor to key strategies and providing end-to-end project developers, investors, and government management, as well as business and agencies in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. infrastructure advisory services to clients in ‘As organisations and governments Malaysia and in Asia. His appointment is in look towards making informed decisions line with Aurecon’s key strategic objectives in their future investments and ensuring to grow its Asia business footprint and that their infrastructure assets are built strengthen its presence in Malaysia. to last, this is an exciting time to see how ‘Having recently expanded our presence Aurecon’s integrated offering can play a in Malaysia in April this year, Feisal’s part in building a future-resilient Malaysia. appointment is another strategic milestone I was drawn to Aurecon as the company has for our team. He will play an important role a long-standing reputation in bringing ideas in enhancing our project management and to life and delivering innovative solutions planning consulting expertise to our clients through design-led thinking and digital in Malaysia’ said Mohit Kumar, Managing engineering solutions. This ensures that Director, Malaysia and Corporate Strategy clients will always be ready for the future and Sales Operations, Asia. and their developments, engineered for life’ ‘Economists and analysts have forecast said Feisal. that Malaysia is set to achieve a 5.8 per cent Feisal is a member of the Architectural GDP growth in 2022. Factors contributing Association and Board of Architects to the country’s growth include the in Malaysia as well as with the Royal Malaysian government’s budgetary support Institute of British Architects in London, of RM69 billion, which will accelerate United Kingdom. R 14

Aurecon-WSP JV to lead design consultancy on new MTR Station in Hong Kong The MTR Corporation has awarded a design consultancy to Aurecon-WSP Joint Venture after the tender process to carry out the planning and design for Hung Shui Kiu Station of the Tuen Ma Line.

The scope of the consultancy includes development of the scheme into an engineering design, preparation of the construction programme, gazette plans and project cost estimate, as well as liaison with government departments and other stakeholders. The Aurecon-WSP Joint Venture will work closely with the Corporation’s Capital Works team to deliver the consultancy.

According to MTR Corporation, the award of this contract marks a major milestone for the Hung Shui Kiu Station project. The new station on the Tuen Ma Line will be situated at the future town centre of the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area and will provide residents with railway connection to other areas in Hong Kong.

Other works relating to the Hung Shui Kiu Station project, including ground investigation and survey of existing utilities, will also commence soon.

In May this year, the Government invited the Corporation to proceed with the detailed planning and design of the Hung Shui Kiu Station project.

The project includes a new Hung Shui Kiu Station, located on the Tuen Ma Line between the existing Tin Shui Wai and Siu Hong stations.

The main construction works are expected to commence in 2024 for completion in 2030.

December 2021

VIEWPOINT

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Improving Station Safety for Sydney Trains Ipsotek, an Atos company and a pioneer in artificial intelligence powered video analytics, has increased security capabilities at 13 stations across Sydney for Sydney Trains

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ollowing a competitive tendering process, Ipsotek was selected by Sydney Trains to deliver an AI-based video analytics solution. This has seen the train operator integrate a range of Ipsotek’s AI-powered video analytics solutions with its security cameras to identify incidences of tunnel and track intrusion at 13 stations across the metropolitan Sydney area. Today, Ipsotek’s AI solutions are at the core of Atos Computer Vision Platform, a unique end-to-end computer vision platform providing pre-trained and customizable AI models powered by the BullSequana server range enabled by NVIDIA GPUs and enriched by worldwide expert labs.

Mark Edmonds, Manager of Security Capability for Transport at Sydney Trains, commented: ‘Sydney Trains chose Ipsotek after an extensive comparison of a number of products. Ipsotek’s proven track record in December 2021

the AI Video Analytics space, its partnership with Genetec and its work with Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for railway focused AI applications, made it a well-deserved choice.’

Chris Bishop, Sales Director APAC & Marketing Director at Ipsotek, said: ‘As a British SME competing against some of the industry’s big-named companies, we are delighted to have been chosen by Sydney Trains to deliver this project. It represents a welcome validation of our expertise within transportation, and more specifically the rail sector, and we are proud to have supported Sydney Trains with its commitment to delivering enhanced security practices across its network.’

The project with Sydney Trains is the second transportation project in the region for Ipsotek, which is working with accelerated computing leader NVIDIA on

implementation. Ipsotek is a member of the NVIDIA Metropolis partner program, which brings together a computing platform and extensive ecosystem of specialists to help create smarter spaces and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems involving operational efficiency and public safety.

Sudarshan Ramachandran, Country Manager, Enterprise, ANZ at NVIDIA, added: ‘As an NVIDIA Metropolis partner, Ipsotek delivers incredibly valuable capabilities, solving deeply challenging video-analytics problems using AI and the NVIDIA GPU accelerated computing stack.’

Ipsotek’s project with Sydney Trains follows the company’s previous success in delivering an initial programme of work via the Innovate UK SBRI initiative for the development of Artificial Intelligence Video Analytics to enhance the rail experience for passengers and staff in the UK. R 15

BUSINESS PROFILE

A Unique Interior Concept for the Trains of the Future Within the next 10 to 20 years, Deutsche Bahn expects that there will be more than one billion additional customers per year using railway transport to commute and travel

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December 2021

BUSINESS PROFILE

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n order to create more capacity in their trains, DB, in collaboration with Neomind, have developed the IdeasTrainCity. Within this concept train, additional capacities are realised through the flexibilisation of standing and seating areas. There is a new intuitive passenger information and passenger guidance system to ensure good orientation on and in the train. Plus high-quality product design and innovative ambient lighting creates a feel-good atmosphere.

The new interior design allows more passengers to travel in the same space whilst raising travel comfort to a new level of quality. In IdeasTrainCity there is, among other things, comfortable standing and sitting options, which can be flexibly changed depending on the time of day, the travel reasons of the passengers and the number of passengers. Whether at rush hour with commuters, on weekends with day trippers or at major events with many concert or sports fans, IdeasTrainCity always offers the right services and the right December 2021

interior design for pleasant travel.

Thanks to its CO2 neutral (cradle to gate) characteristics, durable performance, great design possibilities and being lightweight, Marmoleum FR2 floor coverings in two different grey shades were chosen for most areas of the IdeasTrainCity full size mock-up.

Two different grey shades were used as well as a highlight colour to indicate areas for luggage or seating layouts. In some areas dots of varying sizes were cut into the product to deliver aesthetic appeal.

A natural floor covering created using a high percentage of natural raw materials, with renewable and recycled content.

Marmoleum FR2 is independently confirmed as a CO2 neutral floor covering in the cradle to gate phase of its product life cycle, without the need for offsetting. In simple terms, the CO2 produced in the extraction, transportation and manufacturing process of Marmoleum FR2 is balanced by the removal of CO2 through the growing of its natural ingredients such as flax, jute and

rosin. As such, Forbo Marmoleum FR2 is the best flooring choice for every sustainable interior. By using durable materials in your rail projects, you can also contribute to a better environment. ɋ Homogeneous durable construction. ɋ A sustainable floor covering. ɋ Low life cycle costs – can be renovated and repaired. ɋ A floor covering that is naturally bacteriostatic. ɋ Reaction to fire EN45545-2: HL3. ɋ Lightweight at 2.9kg/m2. ɋ Wide range of designs and colourways. ɋ Aquajet cut to shape/size service available. ɋ Suitable for use with underfloor heating.

For more information regarding Marmoleum FR2 or any of the other floor and wall covering products from Forbo Flooring Systems portfolio please contact us. R Tel: +44 1773 744121 Email: transport@forbo.com Visit: www.forbo-flooring.com/rail 17

FEATURE

FREIGHT

Freightquip Named as Australian Distributor For Rail Depot System Solutions

FirstClass Safety & Control delivers first order in Australia with new partner Freightquip

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irstClass Safety and Control Ltd (FCSC) and Freightquip announce success in the earliest days of inking a partnership agreement where FCSC named Freightquip as their official Australian distributor for their Rail Depot Protection and Control system solutions.

Freightquip have completed a contract with Laing O’Rourke, one of Australia’s top Tier 1 engineering and construction companies. Laing O’Rourke contracted Freightquip to supply and install a FirstClass Safety & Control built Depot Protection System (DPS) for the South Dynon Locomotive Depot, located in Victoria, Australia.

Freightquip and FCSC were responsible 18

for the design, including shop drawing and schematics, manufacture, and installation of the bespoke DPS on 3 Roads at the depot. The SIL 2 rated PLC Controlled DPS consists of warning beacons and sounders, movement signals, shunter movement request switches, Derailer scissor lock-out boxes and crossroad isolation switches. The DPS design replicates a system installed in the nearby West Melbourne Depot.

Mark Meyrick, Director of FirstClass Safety & Controls said: ‘Delivering our first order in Australia is a significant achievement in such a short period of time, particularly during a global pandemic! It reflects the strength of our partnership with Freightquip. Our ability to offer

bespoke Depot Protection Systems, to meet the exact customer requirements, was a major influence on the award of this contract. Our innovative approach to design and manufacturing not only ensures the customer gets exactly what they want, but it also makes it easier to support and manage international installations, offering future proofed solutions that guarantee protection for depot staff for many years to come.’

Neil McDonell, Freightquip Rail General Manager said: ‘This opportunity sets the scene for Freightquip and FirstClass Safety to cement our partnership within Australia.

It gives us a great opportunity to deliver a first-class product solution into the Australian rail market.’ R December 2021