Rail Professional May 2022

MAY 2022 ISSUE 282 £7.95

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THE BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR RAIL

What is sustainable construction?

HS2 and the use of Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats in working towards sustainable construction

Stations Putting the pride back into Sunderland station

Bridges River level monitoring lowers bridge scour risk

Tunneling Florence and Cecilia make progress

WELCOME |

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MAY 2022 ISSUE 282 £7.95

www.railpro.co.uk

THE BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR RAIL

What is sustainable construction?

HS2 and the use of Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats, working towards sustainable construction

Stations Putting the pride back into Sunderland station

Bridges River level monitoring lowers bridge scour risk

editor’s note

Tunneling Florence and Cecilia make progress

PUBLISHER RAIL PROFESSIONAL LTD Hallmark House, Downham Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex CM11 1PU Telephone: +44 (0)1268 711811 EDITORIAL EDITOR SAM SHERWOOD-HALE editor@railpro.co.uk DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEAN SALISBURY ADAM OVERALL JAMIE TREGARTHEN sales@railpro.co.uk RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING recruitment@railpro.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@railpro.co.uk ADMINISTRATION CHERIE NUGENT info@railpro.co.uk LISA ETHERINGTON admin@railpro.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION ALICIA BANNISTER LUKASZ SACZEK production@railpro.co.uk

There’s something about the month of May that always makes me feel rejuvenated and the fresh sunshine the country is experiencing as I’m writing this isn’t the only reason. There’s a sense of renewal in the air – May brings the return of Railtex and Infrarail with the popular exhibition once again bringing the entire rail supply sector together at Olympia London from 10 to 12 May. May is a big month for another reason, the 42 entrants in the National Headquarters Competition for Great British Railways are having their bids assessed with the Great British Railways Transition Team in the process of forming the shortlist, which is set to be announced this month.

Once the shortlist has been announced Government Ministers and GBRTT representatives will visit each of the shortlisted towns and cities to gain a greater understanding of prospective locations’ intentions for the headquarters and to engage local communities ahead of a public vote. Further advice will be given to shortlisted locations in advance of the visits.

This will be followed by a public vote which will take place around the visits to use the positive momentum and information shared during the visits to inform the public for their vote. The result of this vote will be used to measure the level of public support for each location and will be considered as part of final decision making. We’ve taken a look at some of the bids and explore the competition in more detail.

We’re focussing on tunnelling in this issue and we bring you the news of HS2’s longest tunnels completing the first stage of their drive from the Chiltern tunnel’s south portal to the first ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter. Covering bridges, we look at how river level monitoring lowers bridge scour risk with engineers at Transport Scotland.

We also have a very nice piece from historian Sam Mullins OBE who takes us on a tour of a new exhibition at the London Transport Museum.

My interview this month is with Steve Barnes, Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems. We discussed improving air quality, noise pollution, and sustainability.

If you’re going to Railtex/InfraRail come and stop by our stand!

Sam Sherwood-Hale Editor

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CONTENTS / ISSUE 282 / MAY 2022 |

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09 News

31 Safety and Security

£6.5 million railway investment set to begin in Penzance, Green target in sight as more than two-thirds of Network Rail suppliers pledge to limit carbon emissions, Philips LED solution illuminates the Sheffield Tramline with energy efficient lighting, New Tyne and Wear Metro depot gets state-of-the-art new wheel lathe as part of £70 million rebuild, LRSSB helping Midland Metro Alliance to manage risk ahead of extension handover, ScotRail’s £5 million Stirling station upgrade reaches key milestone

In delivering the RAIB report into the Stonehaven rail tragedy, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents Simon French, said: ‘we owe it to everybody who was affected by it to strive to learn safety lessons for the future.’ Yet, reflects Greg Morse, corporate memory can soon fade

17 Rail Professional Interview Sam Sherwood-Hale, Editor of Rail Professional spoke to Steve Barnes Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems about improving air quality, noise pollution, and sustainability

35 Stations Sunderland station’s new southern entrance will be a gateway to the city that rail’s greats would be proud of says the project’s development team

40 Great British Railways

21 The Cheek of it Chris Cheek has been listening to all the calls for cuts in rail fares and suggests several reasons why we should not expect them any time soon

25 Laying down the law While the actions of P&O Ferries earlier this year have brought the policy of ‘fire and rehire’ front and centre of employment issues in recent months, the process itself is a well-recognised one

27 Women in Rail Tuesday 12 April marked the ten year anniversary of Women in Rail

29 Delivering the goods Mags Simpson, Head of Policy Engagement of Logistics UK provides an overview of our response to the plan, focusing on contribution that the IRP will make to rail capacity and connectivity for freight regionally

53 The government unveiled its commitment in the WilliamsShapps Plan for Rail to create a new public body, Great British Railways, which will own the infrastructure, receive the fare revenue, run and plan the network and set most fares and timetables

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CONTENTS / ISSUE 282 / MAY 2022 |

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71 Railtex / Infrarail Following last year’s successful return from the pandemic, it’s now full steam ahead for the spring edition of Railtex / Infrarail, the number one showcase for railway technology and infrastructure in the UK

74 Tunnelling Two enormous Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) excavating HS2’s longest tunnels have completed the first stage of their drive – from the Chiltern tunnel’s south portal to the first ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter

78 Tunnelling What is sustainable construction?

81 Viewpoint As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, Minesh Pandya, Principal – Cybersecurity & Risk at HKA explains why it is more important than ever to maintain cyber resilience

84 Bridges and Tunnels Roxtec Ltd is the British and Irish subsidiary of the Swedishheadquartered Roxtec Group which has a long history of supporting rail infrastructure projects around the world

87 Bridges Engineers at Transport Scotland have investigated the potential for water level monitoring systems to help mitigate risks where transport infrastructure interacts with moving water

90 Bridges Anchor Systems’ Vulcan anchors were used to stabilise bridge abutments on the A339

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92 Bridges From starting out as a small diving contractor more than 45 years ago, Kaymac has evolved into one of the UKs largest commercial diving and marine civil engineering contractors

96 Transport Legacy Historian Sam Mullins OBE takes us on a tour of a new exhibition at the London Transport Museum

100 Rolling Stock Axiomtek’s EN 50155 12.1” and 10.4” Railway Touchscreen Monitors – P712 and P710

103 Rolling Stock World leading design and manufacture of mobile computing platforms

104 Specialist Skills Jo Lawrence, Business Development Director at the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) shares consultancy work that helps rail operators to identify the best talent for either unique specialist roles or large-scale recruitment programmes

108 Business Profiles Pre-Metro Operations, Relec, SBL Rail, RSSB, Zonegreen, Bender, Bolle Safety, Torrent Trackside

126 People Charlotte Pearce, Beth West, Dave Bates, Mark Eastwood, Matt Forst, Mark Tarry, Rob Morton, Tony Plumbley, Brad Ogilvie, Andrew Buisson, Andy Barker, Russell Jackson

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NEWS |

News in brief

£6.5 million railway investment set to begin in Penzance

Railway charities extend free will writing service for a year UK rail charities Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) and Railway Mission have extended their free will writing service for a year after over 1,000 people created a will in March. Their ‘Make a Will Month’ campaign, launched last month, was kindly supported by the Retired Rail Officers Society (RROS).

New Living Wall installed at Portsmouth Harbour station South Western Railway have installed a new, emissions-busting Living Wall at Portsmouth Harbour.

The wall is set to reduce air pollution, boost biodiversity and help to reduce stress levels.

Jubilee Night Tube services to return Jubilee line Night Tube services to return on weekends from the evening of Saturday 21 May, with Northern and Piccadilly lines returning later this summer.

Community projects benefit from £4 million investment Community projects across Scotland’s Railway have benefited from almost £4 million of investment in recent years.

Investment from ScotRail’s Stations Community Regeneration Fund, along with grants and third-party funding, has helped to deliver projects across the country since 2015. The Stations Community Regeneration Fund (SCRF) enables business and community groups to transform redundant station rooms and buildings into facilities to benefit local people.

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802101 Saltash Credit: Antony Christie web

A £6.55 million investment by Network Rail and GWR in the railway in Cornwall will see the construction of three new sidings in Penzance, helping longer trains to run and be maintained in Cornwall.

The new, longer sidings – which are effectively laybys for trains – will mean GWR will be better able to service and run longer, nine-carriage trains between London Paddington and Penzance.

The Ponsandane sidings will be built to the west of Long Rock Depot which is around one mile from Penzance station and mean Penzance will be able to accommodate longer trains by providing a dedicated place for the trains to be stored, cleaned and prepared before re-entering service.

Construction of the new sidings will start later this month and is expected to be completed within a year. Once complete, the new sidings will enable an increase in capacity near the depot better allowing GWR to clean and maintain its fleet, supporting much needed business, tourism and connectivity in Cornwall.

In addition to the sidings, Cornwall Council has submitted plans for a new car park at Ponsandane with a view of creating around an additional 60 parking spaces in Penzance including five accessible spaces, six electric vehicle charging spaces and space for up to 15 motorbikes. Plans also include a new bicycle hub and bicycle hire facilities while providing easy access to the recently upgraded South West Coast path.

This latest funding announcement is evidence of Network Rail’s ongoing investment into the railway in Cornwall, improving rail travel for school children, commuters, and tourists alike. Most recently, a £1.14 million upgrade of the St Ives branch line has enabled platform extensions at St Erth and Lelant stations, which will in the future allow GWR to run longer trains in high summer, providing 2,000 more seats everyday and a total of 10,000 seats to and from St Ives.

Network Rail is also continuing to support plans for the proposed future MidCornwall Metro.

The Ponsandane sidings are being funded by £4.8 million from Network Rail and £1.75 million from GWR. Cornwall Council is seeking to secure funding from the Government’s Town Deal Fund to start the construction of the new car park and cycle hub in 2023.

Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director (South West), said: ‘We are delighted to be continuing our investment into the railway in Cornwall.

Over the last 18 months, we’ve made a number of significant improvements to rail travel in the county including completing the biggest track investment on the St Ives Bay line in 60 years, upgrading to the Newquay branch line and renewing parts of the River Fowey viaduct and track at Lostwithiel station.

‘As the country looks to recover from the Covid pandemic and passengers are increasingly returning to the railway, it has never been a more important time to invest in rail and ensure the railway is an efficient, affordable and reliable green transport option for residents, commuters and tourists alike.’

Matt Barnes, GWR Head of Strategic Service Development, said: ‘This wider investment across the South West has helped GWR to be able to deliver more and better train services, offering passengers more seats on a more resilient and reliable railway.

‘As we seek to build back better, we are always looking at ways to make travelling with GWR a simpler, more accessible experience, allowing passengers to make sustainable transport choices.’

Jonathan How, Mayor of Penzance, said: ‘Anything that can be done to help people arrive in the centre of Penzance by some means other than a private car is going to help. This project at Ponsandane ticks all the boxes. It'll initially make much needed additional train seats available and once Towns Fund investment has been confirmed it will provide a new place to leave a car so that people can walk or cycle into town.’

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NEWS |

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Green target in sight as more than two-thirds of Network Rail suppliers pledge to limit carbon emissions Tremendous progress is being made by Network Rail and its supply chain on making green commitments, with 67 per cent of suppliers now signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce their carbon footprint.

Science Based Targets form a key part of Network Rail’s comprehensive Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which sets out a clear pathway to a better, greener railway for Britain.

These are independently verified plans to reduce carbon emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Network Rail is the first railway infrastructure body in the world to adopt Science Based Targets to this ambitious level.

Around 97 per cent of Network Rail's emissions are within 'scope three', meaning emissions largely come from third parties, including suppliers. To address this, Network Rail’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy includes a target for 75 per cent of suppliers to have their own science-based targets by 2025; a target which Network Rails Commercial & Procurement (C&P) team have announced is already in sight.

The C&P supplier management team has worked alongside transport industry partners to deliver workshops demonstrating the benefits of committing to these targets and sharing industry best practice and ideas for cutting carbon emissions.

Four workshops have been delivered so far, with each one being attended by more than 350 people from the transport sector and supply chain. Further events are being planned for the future.

For Rupa Bhatt, strategic supplier manager for Network Rail, the workshops have been positive in bringing transport partners together to tackle climate change. She said: ‘It’s been great to see our suppliers showing such positive support for this initiative.

‘Achieving the commitment of more than 60 per cent of our suppliers to adopting Science Based Targets is a really important milestone for us to reach. The success of the Science Based

Targets workshops is reflected in the growing number of suppliers committing to reducing carbon emissions. We have more to do to achieve our goal but we're making excellent progress with 67 per cent of suppliers now committed to Science Based Targets by carbon emissions.’

Clive Berrington, Network Rail's group commercial and procurement director, added: ‘As a country, we know that climate change needs to be addressed by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

This will leave a positive legacy for future generations and help make our industry fit for the future.

‘Rail is already a very environmentally friendly way to travel.

However, we can do more and need our suppliers' help to become an industry powered by renewable energy. It's great that our supply chain is rising to this challenge and we look forward to more companies signing up to science-based targets in future.’

Details of Network Rail’s Science Based Targets workshops can be found at: www.networkrail.co.uk/industry-and-commercial/supplychain/working-with-us.

Philips LED solution illuminates the Sheffield Tramline with energy efficient lighting Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) has worked closely with Sheffield Stagecoach to upgrade the lighting for all platforms on the Sheffield Supertram, one of the UK’s busiest tramlines with traffic of 10.5 million passengers every year. The upgrade is a move from energy-intensive SON-T lamps to the new Philips TrueForce Core LED Road 40W lamps, which promise improved white light quality in customer-facing areas for increased safety and enhanced colour rendering for better visibility. In addition, with this replacement, it is estimated over 800,000 kWh energy will be saved each year by using the Trueforce LED lamps, as the lighting installed uses 80 per cent less energy.

After several months of extensive research into the right lighting solutions, Sheffield Stagecoach found the Philips TrueForce Core LED Road LED lamp 40W to be the perfect fit that meets all

necessary specifications and objectives for upgrading the lighting.

This replacement to the new SON lighting dramatically reduces the maintenance costs of lamps and the ageing electromagnetic gear system by reducing the need for frequent replacements and maintenance visits. The Philips TrueForce Core LED Road brings all the energy-efficiency and long-lifetime benefits of LED to HID replacement while providing instant saving with low initial investment, removing the need to replace existing fixtures. Philips TrueForce Core LED Road lamps are a tubular glass envelope LED retro-fit similar to that of SON-T lamps. They will fit in the existing luminaires and importantly work truly with the luminaire’s optic making sure that light is photometrically positioned. Signify was recommended as the lighting provider of choice by CEF Sheffield.

Rail Professional

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| NEWS

News in brief Replanting marks successful completion of West Highland Line vegetation project Network Rail has successfully completed a project to improve safety and performance on the West Highland Line between Craigendoran and Helensburgh.

Trees and encroaching vegetation were removed along more than two kilometres of the line to reduce the impact of dangerous leaf and tree fall. Following the clearance work, native trees and shrubs were re-planted alongside around 1,200 new berry bearing plants in an effort to protect wildlife, the environment and nearby communities. It’s all part of a trial designed to help Network Rail realise its ambition of seeing no net loss of biodiversity by 2024, with an overall net gain by 2035.

GWR welcomes former Prime Minister to independent advisory board The Rt Hon Theresa May MP has joined train operator Great Western Railway’s independent stakeholder advisory board, its external body of experts helping to provide opinion and oversight. Rt Hon Theresa May MP takes the vacancy created when Ranil Jayawardena MP joined the Government. Mrs May will receive no payment and no complimentary travel but will attend up to six meetings a year with the GWR senior team.

Rail Professional

Camira launches Rapido, a highperformance vinyl for contemporary rail interiors Camira has announced the launch of Rapido, a leather-look vinyl, for the European and UK rail markets. A keenly anticipated addition to the company’s product portfolio, Rapido has been engineered to meet stringent technical and safety standards, achieving the highest European flammability standard, EN 45545 (R21) – HL3, and designed to reflect the natural grain and finish of real leather.

A made-to-order product, Rapido can be produced in any colourway for a

truly bespoke upholstery option. With a bleach cleanable surface, the vinyl can be cleaned rapidly and effectively, ensuring it meets the enhanced hygiene levels which are of paramount importance for many rail operators following the Coronavirus pandemic. Rapido has also been developed for optimal ease of upholstery, certified to ISO 7854 400,000 cycles, the knitted cotton backing and pliable composition provide exceptional flexibility.

HellermannTyton to showcase advanced cable management solutions at Infrarail 2022 Cable management specialist HellermannTyton is showcasing how bespoke cable management solutions can help rail operations run safely and profitably at Infrarail 2022. Fully IRIScertified and meeting the RISQS criteria, HellermannTyton has extensive experience working across the rail industry supply chain, and offers a wide range of EN455452 certified products, supplying advanced cable management solutions to support the needs of infrastructure and rolling stock manufacturers.

Experts from HellermannTyton’s OEM team will be on the stand to discuss visitors’ projects and will demonstrate how its new product development division works with customers to create bespoke cable management products and systems to suit the current and future requirements of the rail industry.

From cable ties and fixings to heatshrink, cable protection and identification, the HellermannTyton range covers the full spectrum of cable management requirements for the rail sector. Its proven solutions help manufacturers to reduce costs, comply with current legislation, meet light-weighting targets and reduce installation times.

In addition to bespoke applications, visitors to Infrarail can see many products, including: M-Boss stainless steel tags built for harsh environments; the KR Series cable ties, which offer excellent vibration

resistance; and the FlexTack series for round and angled surfaces.

HellermannTyton will be showcasing its brand-new Heavy-Duty Spiral Binding, a high-performance spiral used to protect and prevent damage to cables and hydraulic hoses. Available in flexible and lightweight, the new product is ideal for cable protection within rail vehicles.

Also on the stand, will be HellermannTyton’s most popular clamping solutions, including its High Voltage Clamps and Ratchet-P Clamps. Made from robust and durable materials, these clamps are ideal for use in rail infrastructure, offering secure and stable wire management inside and outdoors.

For asset management, logistics and traceability, HellermannTyton will be exhibiting its RFID solutions and industrial quality printers. The TT4030 thermal printer delivers robust, high-volume, single-sided printing onto heatshrink tubing, cable markers and labels, while the new M-Boss embossing printer allows for easy-to-use metal plate printing for cable identification in harsh environments.

To find out more about how HellermannTyton can support you with your cable management requirements, visit www.hellermanntyton.co.uk or see the team at Infrarail 2022 on stand D66.

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NEWS |

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LRSSB helping Midland Metro Alliance to manage risk ahead of extension handover A tram undergoes testing in Broad Street, Birmingham ahead of the opening of the West Midlands Metro extension.

Planning for the handover of a multi-million-pound extension to West Midlands Metro looks to have been boosted by a risk assessment process adopted for the light rail sector by the Light Rail Safety Standards Board (LRSSB).

Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), which is constructing the route on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), has utilised LRSSB’s BowTieXP software system to develop a comprehensive database of assessments as it prepares for the opening of extensions to Edgbaston Village and Wolverhampton Railway Station.

Named after the shape of graphics to illustrate its core principles, BowTie contains eight elements: hazard, top event, threats, consequences, preventive barriers, recovery barriers, escalation factors and escalation factor barriers.

LRSSB was invited by TfWM and MMA to conduct a compliance review their processes against the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations (ROGS) to help ensure a safe and smooth handover to the operator, West Midlands Metro.

Mark Ashmore, LRSSB Safety and Assurance Manager, explained: ‘MMA is one of the first light rail constructors to adopt the BowTie approach in this way since its introduction to the sector.

‘Over recent weeks we have organised a series of workshops for the team at the alliance to help them make the most of the approach that draws on best practice from all stakeholders involved in the project to ascertain the maturity and robustness of the MMA, TfWM, and MMLs processes in delivering the expansion projects.’

ScotRail’s £5 million Stirling station upgrade reaches key milestone ScotRail has reached a key milestone in its almost £5million redevelopment of Stirling station and the area around the station with the appointment of Luddon Construction as the contractor for the work.

Work is due to begin in June 2022 and when completed, in April 2023, the project will provide safe pedestrian and cycle friendly areas that deliver better environments for sustainable transport options.

This is in line with the Scottish Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2045, with opportunities for walking, wheeling and cycling for both active travel and recreation aligned with travel by public transport.

The project also ties in with Stirling Council’s ‘Walk, Cycle, Live Stirling’ scheme which aims to achieve an active travel culture that is sustainable and provides better accessibility for all users by walking, cycling and wheeling.

Funding is being provided by the Scottish Government, delivered through Sustrans, and Stirling Council. Network Rail Scotland and Serco Group have also contributed to the funding.

The design includes:

A tram undergoes testing in Broad Street, Birmingham ahead of the opening of the West Midlands Metro extension.

Feedback from the workshops has been overwhelmingly positive in respect of effectiveness of the application of the new bowtie assessment process employed by the LRSSB. The BowTie risk assessment database is one of several projects currently being developed by the LRSSB that aim to build a central resource and comprehensive framework for management and mitigation of risk.

Peter Cushing, Director of the Midland Metro Alliance, who helped to establish the LRSSB in 2019, said: ‘Safety is our core value at the alliance and we are always investing technologies which can help to streamline this crucial part of the tramway development process.’

Mark added: ‘By promoting the adoption of the Bowtie assessment process and providing appropriate support for organisations as they introduce the bowtie principle to their safety management processes, we aim to help drive continuous safety improvements across the light rail sector.’

• The creation of a Cyclepoint with 150 additional cycle parking spaces and a small maintenance area. This will also enhance the e-bike offering on the station forecourt, which is already very popular.

• Improvements to the setting of the station by creating a pedestrianised plaza.

• Refurbishment of the station entrance canopy.

• Improved customer waiting facilities on platforms 2 and 3 and new public toilets.

• Pedestrianisation of the current station forecourt, replacing the roundabout on Goosecroft Road with a T-junction and a new car park entrance created from Burghmuir Road.

• Existing bridge top deck waterproofing works in advance of the forecourt works.

• Taxis being relocated out with the station area to the city centre, also managed by Stirling Council.

• Benefits to customers and the local area will include a reduction of traffic in front of the station and improved active travel links to the city centre and wider Stirling area such as the University campus through proposed new cycle routes.

These active travel links will encourage pedestrian and cyclists to travel by train and the project will build on the City Centre streetscape improvements previously delivered by Stirling Council.

And there will be improved safety with the removal of taxis and general traffic around the station entrance area with better customer facilities in the station building to enhance the experience for passengers.

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RAIL PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW |

17

Interview

Steve Barnes Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems Sam Sherwood-Hale, Editor of Rail Professional spoke to Steve Barnes Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems about improving air quality, noise pollution, and sustainability You’ve been Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems for over five years, how has the company’s technology developed in that time?

Well since I have been with Gramm we’ve gone from noise barriers to some really innovative and sustainable solutions. The sign of a great company is to keep moving with the market.

What are some of the most innovative solutions to rail noise?

Things like our Network Rail Approved WhisWall which is a low level barrier at only one metre high and uses diffraction but gives the same results as a three-metre high barrier. Then there’s SilentRail, a coating which is applied directly to the web of track that reduces noise but also can stop buckling in high temperatures. POLYSoundBlok is a high strength polymer barrier and METASoundBlok a steel barrier both with excellent noise reduction.

CONCRETESoundBlok a concrete panel with wood-crete absorber has a 60-year life span, great performance and excellent fire rating, making it highly suitable for highspeed rail. We are now using low-carbon concrete and manufacturing in UK compared to European imports.

What are the main differences between your Acoustic Barriers and what are the pros and cons of each?

Pros and cons are difficult to establish but for instance, METASoundBlok has an excellent 60-year life span however it

cannot be installed for projects which require non-conductivity.

POLYSoundBlok has a 40-year life but is nonconductive so can’t be used on OLE projects.

That’s why we always work with our clients to meet and manage their expectations.

How important is Acoustic Fencing and what exactly does it do?

It is really important if you live near a rail track or depot. This is where empathy might be lacking as the fencing is there to protect the residents from rail noise which has been proven globally to cause an impact on health.

There are also some legal obligations on the part of the rail maintainer and contractor to make sure that operational noise is at a set limit. For so long in the rail industry the focus has been on doing the minimum whilst now the impact on health and legal requirements are focussing more teams on the fact that a noise barrier is an asset. With more freight now being considered to also aid traffic pollution, this will mean more barrier required across the UK. How do you determine what Acoustic Fencing needs to be installed?

We have acousticians and designers produce

noise reports. I have seen some great reports but also very poor ones. So the solution is only as good as the report and specification behind it. On top of this the client may require solutions which have lower carbon, are easier to maintain, bio-diverse or with a longer life span. So its not always about the noise performance. A noise barrier is a structure and as such has structural needs which many contractors forget about, such as wind loading or fire rating where some solutions are not checked or specified so become a liability for the contractor/ client. It is for these reasons that we are generally seeing a move away from timber and an influx of more man-made materials.

GRAMM have recently repaired noise barriers supplied by other contractors that were only two years old.

Rail Professional

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| RAIL PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW

How passionate are you about sustainability in our sector? How do you go about sourcing the material for your products?

This is a core philosophy and where we differentiate ourselves from just being installers. We work with our supply chain to manage clients’ requirements such as having a long lifespan, lower carbon footprint and being recyclable at the end of life. Systems which are quicker to install and require fewer inspections saving natural resources and labour in a truly sustainable approach.

What about air quality, what can be done to improve air quality?

What is a typical process you would follow with a client, from discovering a site where noise is an issue, for example, all the way up to installation?

We always support with early contractor involvement where we can and then following up in supporting design through to choices of materials which meet the client and contractor’s requirements right through to final installation. This has been our way for over 25 years in rail industry.

Once a specification is written based on the key requirements – noise performance, structural and other sustainability requirements. Several products are then evaluated based on the key areas.

Installation can be straight forward or extreme if on embankments, bridges, tight access areas etc. and so require careful

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planning, coordination, and management.

The installation is then project managed by our teams through to final inspection and ultimate client hand over. Collaboration with the client throughout the entire process is key.

Have you changed the way you’ve approached project programmes over the last two years?

We are now at a point where we’re being asked to support clients with innovation and solutions which meet key objectives at an earlier design stage. Whole Life Cost is one key objective given all clients want less time on site and solutions which can reduce carbon like Project Speed mean quicker installation which then results in less time on site.

GRAMM has solutions which can target air quality and biodiversity. For instance, we have SmogStop our air quality barrier and ECOSoundBlok which is a living barrier which has no post or foundations that can also be planted. Its footprint is so small it can allow much more biodiversity points compared to planting trees.

What is SmogStop and how can it remove up to 50 per cent traffic pollution?

GRAMM are the European Partner for SmogStop which is an air quality barrier which removes NOx from engine emission and VOC which can be found around rail depots, stations and access roads to railway infrastructure. So it’s a perfect tie in with our SmogStop which is what I call a NOW solution that deals with the problem today.

If you have any rail projects you would like to discuss contact Steve via email at info@grammbarriers.com Steve Barnes is Business Development Manager at Gramm Barrier Systems

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VIEWPOINT |

21

The Cheek of it Chris Cheek

Fares fair on the railways?

Chris Cheek has been listening to all the calls for cuts in rail fares and suggests several reasons why we should not expect them any time soon

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s rail franchise number four returned to the public sector last month, it prompted renewed calls from campaigners for cuts in fares. As ScotRail joined LNER, Northern and Southeastern under Government ownership of one sort or another, it was inevitable that there would be an expectation that fares would be cut.

After all, the current level of rail fares was all the fault of privatisation and those greedy train operating companies (TOCs) chasing profits. Once everything’s back under government control, everything in the garden would be lovely, wouldn’t it?

Well, er, no. Actually, that isn’t how it works at all – an such expectations offer further evidence (if it were needed) of the huge misconceptions that have existed about our railways ever since privatisation – especially around finance, ownership and control. Finance, first. The public’s perception of the size of train operator profits has always been wildly inaccurate.

According to ORR figures, TOC operating profits in 2019/20 amounted to £106.5 million on turnover of £11.42 billion – a margin of 0.9 per cent. That works out at 6.2p per passenger journey, or one per cent of the average train fare of £5.90. Not much room for cuts there, then.

The margin for cuts is even narrower when you realise that, even under public control, businesses still need to make an operating profit. This is necessary to pay interest costs on their loans, to repay loans when they fall due and to fund

future investment. It is, too, worthwhile remembering that dividends to shareholders are only paid when the business is doing well and can afford to pay. Interest charges, on the other hand, are a legal obligation and must be paid regardless of performance.

Then there’s the question of who really controls the fares. And the answer is… well, it’s the Government, actually. Ever since privatisation, Ministers have regulated the price of peak tickets, some longer distance off-peak tickets and season tickets. Just before the pandemic, these accounted for around 45 per cent of passenger journeys.

In determining the level of annual fares increases, Ministers must take a view on how much the taxpayers as opposed to the customers can be expected to pay towards the running of the railways.

With the new Great British Railways (GBR) regime in place, all revenue risk – and therefore control of all ticket prices – will transfer to the public sector. This seems attractive to the politicians who love controlling everything. However, in recent years Ministers have enjoyed some degree of cover from the annual row over fares, since many people have assumed that the greedy train operators have been responsible for the increases. With GBR fully in place, this degree of cover for unpopular decisions will disappear.

Prior to the pandemic, the government was contributing £7.4 billion – that’s 36 per cent – of the industry’s £21 billion a year running costs. The balance was coming from industry customers, mainly fare-paying

passengers, who contributed £10.6 billion in 2018/19. Catering, car-parking, property and freight earned another £3.4 billion.

Covid-19 changed all that, and fares income dropped like a stone in 2019/20, to £3.7

According to ORR fi gures, TOC operating profi ts in 2019/20 amounted to £106.5 million on turnover of £11.42 billion – a margin of 0.9 per cent. billion. It has recovered a little since: in the rolling year to December 2021, it reached £4.6 billion. But it is widely accepted that it’s going to take a very long time before it tops

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Catering, car-parking, property and freight earned another £3.4 billion. Covid-19 changed all that, and fares income dropped like a stone in 2019/20, to £3.7 billion.

It has recovered a little since: in the rolling year to December 2021, it reached £4.6 billion. But it is widely accepted that it’s going to take a very long time before it tops £10 billion again.

£10 billion again.

There will have to be some cost-cutting from service reductions to match the lower levels of demand, but fundamentally the bill is going to fall on the Treasury. Given the state of the Government’s finances, this means that the industry is going to be under enormous pressure to get the subsidy bill back down and firmly under control.

In those circumstances, we can expect that the fares envelope will be pushed as far as it electorally safe to do so, and we saw this with the 3.8 per cent average increases imposed in March this year. With inflation now expected to top seven per cent plus in July this year – the base month for setting next year’s increases – commuters can expect some eye-watering increases at the start of 2023.

There is also the demand elasticity issue.

History and extensive research show that the price elasticity of transport demand is almost always less than one. This means that reducing fares will stimulate demand, but the extra revenue generated will never match the revenue lost by the fare cut. Similarly, there is almost always a revenue benefit from fare increases, since the revenue gained from the passengers who stay is greater than revenue lost from passengers switching their journeys elsewhere.

Campaigners will argue, as they always do, that fares should be cheaper, and that this would assist with modal shift and getting more people onto the trains.

However, the snag with that argument is the growth in passenger numbers we’ve seen over the last twenty years. In the context of doubled demand, it is difficult to argue that the UK government’s rail fare policies have been a turn-off. Indeed, there have been times over recent years when parts of the network could barely cope with the existing number of passengers, much less deal with more.

In any case, achieving modal shift from car to public transport is much more

complicated than simply throwing taxpayers’ money at cutting fares. Customer choice between modes is fundamentally about generalised cost: an individual consumer making a decision balancing end-to-end journey time, quality and convenience as much as price. We must face the fact that rebalancing generalised costs between public and private modes needs to be about increasing the cost of motoring, not reducing the cost of transport fares.

There are two other policy issues at stake in this debate as well – one environmental and one social.

Environmental first. The Committee on Climate Change’s targets for Net Zero include reducing the total demand for travel as well as achieving modal switch from private modes to public transport and active modes. The danger with cutting fares across the board is that this stimulates additional demand from existing users. This might be commercially advantageous to the operator, but is not necessarily desirable on environmental grounds – especially where the additional demand requires additional energy consumption.

The other issue is social. Using scare taxpayer funds to increase the already substantial subsidies to cut rail fares is regressive. This is because research in the National Travel Survey suggests that more than 62 per cent of rail users come from the top two income quintiles. This is in sharp contrast to the bus industry, for instance, where 58 per cent of journeys are made by the two lowest income groups. Thus, cutting rail fares would be taking money away from the poorest people in our society and giving it to the wealthier people.

There are many tough decisions ahead about the future of all our public transport modes as we both attempt to recover from Covid and equip for the Net Zero future to come. Just don’t expect that future to feature fare cuts any time soon.

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VIEWPOINT FEATURE | |

Laying down the law

25 25

Martin Fleetwood

Fire and rehire – both the Government and the Courts are paying close attention While the actions of P&O Ferries earlier this year have brought the policy of ‘fire and rehire’ front and centre of employment issues in recent months, the process itself is a well-recognised one

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uch tactics can be used when employers want to change the terms and conditions of their workers' contracts and there are pressing needs for those changes, such as when a company is in financial distress and needs to cut costs to stay in business. Fire and rehire has been one of the various tools that HR teams have used to help keep businesses afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Courts have generally taken a pragmatic view on the use of fire and rehire, ensuring that where it is used it follows certain rules based on Government legislation and guidance. The public reaction to the use of a variant of fire and rehire in which P&O Ferries fired 800 existing staff and hired new staff has led to Government taking action to restrict the use of this tactic. This action and a recent decision on the subject by the High Court are examined this month.

A new statutory code The practice of ‘fire and rehire’ involves an employer dismissing a worker and subsequently rehiring them on new terms and conditions of employment. Currently

such practices are lawful, but they must be conducted in a manner which is fair, and in line with the relevant dismissal provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1998. The current standards of accepted practice are already well developed and set a high bar for procedural fairness.

In November 2021, when Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) published guidance for employers considering making changes to employment contracts, Acas made it clear that fire and rehire should be an option of last resort. The guidance proposed that employers should first have made all reasonable attempts to reach agreement through full consultation.

Following the P&O Ferries incident, where no consultation was attempted, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (‘BEIS’) announced that it would be introducing a new statutory code on the practice of fire and rehire (‘the Code’). It was also stated that the Code would clamp down on the tactics sometimes used by unscrupulous employers who failed to engage in meaningful consultations with their employees.

The intention for the Code is to provide a series of practical steps for employers to

follow in a consultation over changes to terms and conditions of employment. The Code will be taken into account by Courts and Employment Tribunals when making decisions on relevant claims, including unfair dismissal. If an employer does not follow the Code, the Employment Tribunal will have the power to apply a further 25 per cent increase (uplift) on the employee's awarded compensation – in a similar way to the current uplift available for breaches of the Acas codes on discipline and grievance.

The Code has yet to be released, but it is unlikely to make any significant changes to the current standards of accepted practice.

It is highly unlikely that it will introduce an outright ban on the practice of fire and rehire, recognising its use in certain business rescues. BEIS has indicated that employers could still fire and rehire ‘as an absolute last resort if changes to employment contracts are critical and voluntary agreement is not possible’.

Courts stop the withdrawal of a contractual benefit Shortly before the P&O Ferries incident, the High Court granted an injunction to prevent Tesco removing a contractual benefit though

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| VIEWPOINT

using fire and rehire, with the benefit removed from the new contractual terms (USDAW and Others v Tesco Stores Ltd).

In the 1990s, Tesco had expanded its distribution network which included relocating staff to new distribution centres and closing a number of older centres with resulting redundancies. So that it did not lose all of its existing and experienced staff, Tesco negotiated and agreed that affected employees would be entitled to ‘Retained Pay’ as an alternative to redundancy and as an incentive to relocate to the new distribution centres. The contract made it clear that the entitlement to Retained Pay would remain for as long as the individuals were employed in their current role and the benefit could not be negotiated away.

The benefit was said to be ‘guaranteed for life’ and could only be changed by mutual consent or on promotion to a new role.

In 2021, Tesco announced its intention to remove Retained Pay. It offered a lump sum payment equivalent to 18 months Retained Pay in return for the employees giving up their entitlement. If employees did not accept the settlement, they would be dismissed and offered new terms excluding the Retained pay. The claimants requested and were granted an injunction, preventing Tesco from terminating the

affected contracts.

The Court held that there had been a clear intention to preserve the higher pay enjoyed by the affected employees as part of the relocation solution. It acknowledged the unusual facts of the case but concluded that a term should be implied into the affected contracts that Tesco's right to terminate those contracts on notice could not be exercised for the purpose of removing or diminishing the affected employees' right to Retained Pay. The Court did, however, emphasise that Tesco remained free to terminate an affected employee's employment for good cause (e.g. genuine redundancy or gross misconduct), even though the practical effect of doing so would be to bring an end to the entitlement to Retained Pay. Implications for businesses and employees While the Code is not expected to outlaw the ability to dismiss and re-engage employees on new terms, the opportunities are likely to be very limited. The practice will probably become a ‘last resort’ after all attempts at consultation and compromise have failed. In addition, the Code will give the Courts teeth when issuing compensation, which will likely deter noncompliance with its standards.

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Rail Professional

Alongside the Code, the Courts will continue to ensure compliance with relevant contractual requirements and employers will need to consider how contractual benefits are defined, both at the time of negotiation and many years later. Employers may wish to consider setting a long-stop date for the entitlement or making it conditional to prevent a solution becoming permanent.

While the Tesco case is rather unusual, it does show that the Courts are willing to take action where they consider it reasonable to do so.

Martin Fleetwood is a Consultant at Addleshaw Goddard’s Transport practice. The Rail Team has over 30 lawyers who advise clients in both the private and public sectors across a wide range of legal areas.

As well as contractual issues, the team advises on operational matters, franchises, concessions, finance, regulatory, property, employment, environmental and procurement issues.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given.

VIEWPOINT FEATURE | |

Women in Rail

27

Adeline Ginn & Christine Fernandes

Celebrating ten years of Women in Rail

Adeline Ginn – Women in Rail founder

Christine Fernandes

Tuesday 12 April marked the ten year anniversary of Women in Rail

L

aunched in 2012 by its founder Adeline Ginn MBE, the organisation has delivered a step change in the industry by delivering a network platform to stop women feeling isolated in a gender imbalanced industry.

A decade later Women in Rail members continue to support the diversity and inclusion agenda which is key to the rail industry thriving in the future.

Women in Rail gained charity status in 2016 and brings together an army of passionate volunteers and supporters, working to transform the way the rail industry is perceived and offering the support to help carve out a career.

The charity’s team of volunteers deliver over 60 workshops and events each year to include; Professional development workshops covering topical issues including mental health, career guidance, wellbeing, management skills and personal development as well as social events which are free to all.

Christine Fernandes, Chair of Women in Rail said: ‘Today marks ten years since Women in Rail was launched! Our 10th Anniversary is a time to celebrate the

progress that has been made in improving gender balance, equality, diversity and inclusion in the UK rail industry.

‘I would like to extend a huge thank you to our fellow members and supporters - and a special thanks to our founder, Adeline Ginn MBE. ‘Whilst the Women in Rail charity has already delivered significant impact to improve awareness and support there is more work to be done. We need to showcase the industry’s full potential to inspire people to choose a career in rail by embracing diversity and inclusivity and redressing the gender balance to fill our ever-growing pipeline with the best talent.

Here's to the next ten years, as we continue to inspire change and improve the rail industry for all!’

•

• • •

message Gender Diversity – Better for Business, Better for People, Better for Rail.

2017 – The Women in Rail Jobs Board was launched providing vacancies from employers actively seeking to recruit women for full or part time jobs across their workforce.

2018 – The prestigious Women in Rail Awards was launched to reward industry excellence.

2019 – The first cohort was engaged in the incredibly successful cross-company mentoring scheme.

2020 – Women in Rail joined forces with Railway Industry Association to launch the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter which now has 186 companies as Signatories.

Milestones over the last decade • 2016 – Women in Rail Regional Groups launched with Northwest, Yorkshire, East Midlands and West Midlands.

• 2016 – Women in Rail gained charity status.

• 2016 – The inaugural Big Rail Diversity Challenge took place promoting the

To find out about Women in Rail contact wr@womeninrail.org

Rail Professional

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VIEWPOINT FEATURE | |

29

Delivering the goods Mags Simpson

Transport Committee Inquiry strategic plan Mags Simpson, Head of Policy Engagement of Logistics UK provides an overview of our response to the plan, focusing on contribution that the IRP will make to rail capacity and connectivity for freight regionally

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n November 2021, the government set out its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP), its £96 billion strategy to transform the rail network in the North and Midlands. To understand the implications of the IRP on the economy, rail capacity and connectivity, the government launched an inquiry seeking evidence to which Logistics UK submitted its response earlier this year. There are two ways in which the IRP will add to rail freight capacity: the upgrade of the TransPennine route, which will deliver enhanced freight capacity directly; and the construction of HS2, which will indirectly increase capacity through the release of capacity on existing lines.

Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) The IRP commits the government to significant improvements to the TransPennine Main Line – the 76-mile route running along the North of England between York and Manchester, via Leeds and Huddersfield – including electrification of the whole route, digital signalling throughout, significantly longer sections of three and four-tracking, and gauge upgrades to allow intermodal container freight services.

The upgrade to the TransPennine Main Line will enable freight services to be maximised regionally, something that Logistics UK has been campaigning for over many years. This is a landmark development in government thinking on rail freight,

as it recognises the importance of allowing container freight services to use rail. This upgrade will enable containers to move swiftly from ports in the northeast to major northern cities, which will help to support local economic development and ease pressure on the UK’s congested roads.

This should, in turn, help improve the use of northern ports by UK exporters, by providing an additional option to bring goods to the port, competing with direct transport by HGV. And, by removing lorries from the UK’s roads, it supports the UK’s decarbonisation goals; for every tonne of freight transported by rail, the carbon emissions are 76 per cent lower than road freight. We are also pleased to hear of the government’s intention to progress with the electrification of the Transpennine Main Line and Midland Main Line, a vital move in the UK’s mission to decarbonise its economy.

The IRP does not include details on

how much freight is likely to use the Transpennine route following the upgrade; however, increasing capacity for containers is a tremendous benefit for rail and the economy of the north of England, and Logistics UK has argued for many years that it should be done alongside the upgrades targeted at passenger traffic.

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The IRP does not include details on how much freight is likely to use the Transpennine route following the upgrade; however, increasing capacity for containers is a tremendous benefit for rail and the economy of the north of England

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HS2: freeing up capacity The delivery of HS2 should release a certain amount of capacity to freight on existing lines, but detailed work is still underway to establish how much space can be released. Our understanding, based on a Network Rail presentation to the Strategic Freight Network Steering Group, is that an additional two Trains Per Hour (TPH) but that an additional four TPH requires additional strategy development from Department for Transport (DfT).

Logistics UK is urging DfT to find ways and means to boost the additional capacity to four TPH to ensure that the benefits to freight of building HS2 are realised. There is no legal guarantee that freight capacity will be released for freight following the building of HS2; instead, there is only policy commitment which could be changed by future governments. We call on government to provide a much firmer guarantee that HS2 will lead to capacity being released for freight.

Overall, it appears that rail freight is mostly an afterthought in the government’s plan; Logistics UK and its members would have appreciated further measures to facilitate specific investment into rail freight infrastructure. We urge the government to give greater emphasis to a strategic modal

shift from road to rail to support efficient and sustainable supply chains.

With the inquiry now closed (the submission deadline was 27 January 2022), the first evidence session of the inquiry took place in February 2022, where the Transport Committee heard from stakeholders about the likely effect of the IRP on Manchester and the wider north. Logistics UK will continue fighting for the best possible outcome for the rail freight industry and wider economy.

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With Covid-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. For more information about the organisation and its work, including its ground-breaking research into the impacts of Covid-19 on the whole supply chain, please visit logistics.org.uk.

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SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURE | |

31

Remembering to remember In delivering the RAIB report into the Stonehaven rail tragedy, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents Simon French, said ‘we owe it to everybody who was affected by it to strive to learn safety lessons for the future.’ Yet, reflects Greg Morse, corporate memory can soon fade

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magine being in the cab of a train.

Maybe it's a job, maybe it's a dream come true. Either way, you're at a station. Waiting. On the Ilkley branch.

Waiting. At Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Waiting. At last, you get the tip and you power away. Except you don't. There's a problem. It's an elderly lady, whose coat has caught between the closing doors, who’s dragged along for several yards, who will die three weeks later from an infection to the wounds she suffered.

This actually happened – back in 1989.

The problem was that the coat was thin enough to fool the train’s door interlocking system, allowing the blue 'traction interlock light' to illuminate. This meant that the train’s control systems allowed it to be

Storytelling, though part of the history of the human race, is now vaunted anew as a means of managing knowledge, generating emotional connections, keeping the corporate memory alive. moved. The guard also took it as proof that the train was safe to do so. He gave the appropriate signal to the driver without performing a final check of the platform.

This was back in the days of British Rail.

As a result of the accident, the company

made a couple of safety films to highlight the dangers, and saw to it that the instructions relating to power-operated doors were reissued, with an emphasis put on the need for that final check and the unacceptability of relying on the interlock light.

If the above sounds familiar, that's because the assumption that getting the traction interlock light means it's safe to go was a factor not only in a similar incident at West Wickham on 10 April 2015, but also one at Hayes & Harlington the following July.

That’s the trouble with corporate memory: it only exists while we remember it – ‘we’, the people there at the time, not the company as it existed then. So, while ‘we’ learned in 1989 – and did something with that lesson, the fluid nature of our industry – in which people retire, move on, or move in from elsewhere – cannot possibly guarantee that a lesson learned over 30 years ago will remain more than 30 years on.

Yesterday is important. Yesterday is the bedrock of all that comes after. Learning, indeed, has its origins in experience, and experience quickly becomes part of history.

The Clapham accident of 1988 is a case in point – a wiring error, and one which rang bells in the minds of Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) inspectors when they investigated more recent incidents at Cardiff East Junction (2016) and Waterloo (2017). Simon French, RAIB’s Chief Inspector, drew a clear line from Cardiff back to Clapham, pointing out ‘how easy it is to forget the lessons of Clapham and slip back into those habits under the time pressures of a big commissioning’.

Since 1955, the role of helping safety practitioners to remember has been fulfilled

by L. T. C. Rolt’s Red for Danger, which is not only the grand narrative of death by rail, but also the grand narrative of safety’s evolution. At the time, The Listener called it an ‘intensely human story’ and it is this

link to the human condition that makes it such an important work: when we care, we’re more apt to remember. Not that Rolt resorted to ‘gruesome descriptions of charred or mangled corpses’; nor did he put words into the mouths of those involved – in the story of the collision at Norton Fitzwarren in 1890, for example, the fireman – Albert Dowling – warns his driver that there’s ‘a train a-coming on our line and he is never going to stop’. This is Rolt using a phrase from the original inquiry report. His skill is in adding more human colour, his use of language managing to convey fear, terror, appalling weather conditions.

At the opening of his description of the double collision at Abbots Ripton in January 1876, for instance, the reader is asked to ‘imagine a heavy coal train of thirty-seven wagons rumbling slowly southwards from Peterborough’. In its cab, driver and firemen peer for signals ‘through puckered eyes round the cab side sheets for the spectacle glasses were blinded with snow’. You can hear the rhythm of the wagons on the track joints, feel the white-cold of the whiteout as the engine’s fire roars in the firebox.

As The Times wrote in its own review, ‘[m]any who repeat glibly the claim that British railways are the safest in the world have no real idea on what basis this claim is Rail Professional

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| SAFETY AND SECURITY

made’. Red for Danger helped explain that claim, Rolt noting that Abbots Ripton had been caused in part by a signal freezing in the ‘clear’ position, despite the signalman setting it to danger to protect a train on the line ahead. A couple of pages later, he explains how the accident therefore led to changes and improvements in signalling such that henceforth signals were held at ‘danger’ until cleared for a specific train to pass.

Storytelling, though part of the history of the human race, is now vaunted anew as a means of managing knowledge, generating emotional connections, keeping the corporate memory alive. Stories stick, their lessons stick and they are more easily remembered when they need to be. This is why Red for Danger remains vital, but a recommendation to read it is no guarantee that anyone will. So what else can be done?

In Japan, a possible solution came in the form of JR East’s Accident History Exhibition Hall. Opened at the company’s General Education Centre in 2002, it features video footage of past accidents, reports and documents, but also full-size replicas of trains. In Britain, RSSB produces a number of learning presentations and documents relating to the relevance of corporate memory to railway safety. RSSB

also joined with Network Rail to produce Learning from History, a document dealing with corporate memory and published by Rail magazine.

Aware that film can be more evocative than print, RAIB itself is helping preserve the corporate memory visually by commissioning an animated reconstruction of the fatal tram derailment that occurred at Sandilands on 9 November 2016, while RSSB produced an episode in its ‘RED’ staff briefing series (49, Past at Danger), which strove to chart the history of SPAD events and their mitigations. Similarly, Network Rail uses its Safety Central website as a platform for accident reconstruction and analysis shorts made by its own film unit.

These are very much the macro-scale, full industry versions of a solution, although all rely on collaboration, on people ‘being bothered’ to read or watch or listen. On the micro scale, talking (and listening) to those with a longer history in the industry is absolutely vital, although it is not a case of getting the retiring railway person to ‘download their brains’, as some have suggested. As Michael Woods, former BR Dartford Area Manager and later Principal Operational Specialist at RSSB, explains: ‘sometimes I don’t know what I can remember until I remember it; it’s the

conversations about safety that help bring this detail or that back to the front of my mind.’ Sometimes, though, the pride of youth means that youth won’t ask questions of the old; and sometimes the old are too cynical about the willingness and ability of youth to understand.

If any of the lessons we learned in the past are to survive, we’re going to have to keep telling the stories. Whether this be embodied in training, in procedures, in formalised briefings or less formal discussion, the human element will remain.

Technology will doubtless help in a big way.

Technology will doubtless improve our various databases, digital resources and risk analysis tools. But none of it will be much good if we don’t talk about the lessons and keep on sharing them.

Dr Morse, a Member of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators, is the RSSB’s Operational Feedback Lead. He is also a co-opted member of the IOSH Railway Group. The views expressed in this article are his own.

His book on Clapham, its context and lessons, should be published later this year.

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STATIONS FEATURE | |

35

Putting the pride back into Sunderland station Sunderland station’s new southern entrance will be a gateway to the city that rail’s greats would be proud of says the project’s development team

W

hen it comes to Sunderland’s rail history, the architectural merit of Monkwearmouth Station, built in 1848 by railway great George Hudson, stands uncontested.

But times change and, while the city’s former main station, a beautiful Grade II structure just northwest of the city centre, is now a Sunderland football museum, the opportunity has now arisen to give the city another station which will stand as proud as Monkwearmouth.

A £26 million redevelopment lead by Sunderland City Council, Network Rail and train operators Nexus, Grand Central and Northern Rail is now underway to create a new landmark station that benefits Sunderland’s city status. BAM has been appointed as the main contractor for delivering the works, with AECOM undertaking the technical design for the new southern entrance.

The main feature of the new entrance will be a large glass wrap-around design and will include a ticket office and reception,

retail and cafes and a mezzanine level with office space for rail staff. The proposed wider six-year project will also see the northern entrance of the station revamped and platform-level works undertaken to increase the capacity of the station, with four tracks and four platforms to separate Tyne and Wear Metro from mainline services.

This year, the existing southern entrance will be demolished, clearing the way for the construction of a new building overlooking Market Square. The new station design will optimise the use of the existing structure,

Rail Professional

36

| STATIONS

avoiding the need to replace it with a new set of piled concrete retaining walls. By reusing what is already there, the project team can avoid carbon emissions and reduce costs whist working towards 2050 net zero carbon targets.

The current station, known as Sunderland Central until 1969, serves a railway which lies in a cutting running north and south. Over the years it has seen changes including a new roof and buildings at the southern end in 1953.

The new design will provide a 21st Century station fit for the architectural merit of Sunderland’s rail history.

AECOM’s design team reviewed the historic background to the station and assessed earlier designs for the station and new foundations.

As part of understanding the structure, the team undertook a point cloud survey to gather all the necessary geometry information and accurate colour information of a building and its systems. This dramatically reduces the amount of time spent surveying large structures such as stations and eliminates errors and improves accuracy and integration of the new structure.

Working together, BAM and AECOM have balanced both the capital costs associated with construction with the forecast ongoing operating costs, including maintenance, repairs, and renewals. These calculations help to assess affordability and the potential whole life cost of the development. It also allows the development team to make design decisions which can minimise carbon emissions.

While considering the design requirements, the development team has been in close contact with stakeholders, including the train operators using the station. It’s important to work through how the station will be required to operate services and this type of engagement from the start is a key component in informing the design – again producing a design with passengers at heart.

As the design has progressed, the team has identified the key risks, particularly where it makes use of pre-existing support structures.

Extensive previous experience with railway infrastructure has helped the team to create solutions which mitigate these risks. It was particularly important to develop structural and geotechnical design calculations to clearly demonstrate that the existing historic retaining walls can be reused to support the proposed station building.

With the demolition of the old station building about to get underway, anticipation is building for the new station to emerge.

It will be a fairy-tale transformation for one of Britain’s least-loved stations and the development team can’t wait to see the final building constructed. It will, once again, provide a railway station that the people of Sunderland can be proud of.

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| GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS

National Headquarters Competition

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STAGE 1: 16 MARCH 2022 Expression of Interest deadline

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

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for Great British Railways Britain’s railways are embarking on a major, once in a generation reform that will transform the way in which the sector works, bringing together track and train to deliver a customer-focused railway. Great British Railways will be the railway’s new guiding mind, and a Transition Team has been established to drive forward its design and deliver early benefits. The Great British Railways national headquarters selection process is being run by the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT). The competition will seek to recognise places with a rich railway heritage, strong links to the national network and public support for the selected location, creating a great opportunity to promote communities as the proud home for the start of a new era in Britain’s railways.

STAGE 2: MAY 2022 Shortlist announced

STAGE 3: MAY 2022 Ministerial visits to shortlisted

STAGE 4: SUMMER 2022 Headquarters’ location announced

places and a public vote

LIST OF ENTRANTS 1. Barrow in Furness

22. Heywood

2. Birmingham

23. Hull

3. Bishops Stortford

24. Liverpool City Region

4. Bolton

25. Milton Keynes

5. Camborne

26. Motherwell

6. Carlisle

27. Newcastle

7. Carnforth

28. Northampton

8. Coventry

29. Nuneaton

9. Crewe

30. Perth

10. Darlington

31. Peterborough

11. Derby

32. Preston

12. Didcot

33. Southampton

13. Doncaster

34. Stockton on Tees

14. Dundee

35. Swindon

15. Durham City

36. Tamworth

16. Eastleigh

37. Tonbridge

17. Edinburgh

38. Wakefield

18. Fife

39. Wellingborough

19. Gloucester

40. West of England combined authority (including Bristol and Bath)

20. Grantham

41. Worcester

21. Greater Manchester (excluding Bolton and Rochdale)

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The hunt is on

As part of major reforms designed to ensure decisions about the railway are brought closer to the passengers and communities they serve, GBR will require a new national headquarters alongside regional headquarters.

At the end of last year, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that a competition will be run to identify the headquarters for Great British Railways (GBR), the single, accountable public body responsible for running Britain’s railways.

The competition will recognise towns and cities with a rich railway history that are strongly linked to the network ensuring the first headquarters will take pride of place at the heart of a new era for Britain’s railways.

Applications will be measured against six criteria: • • • • • •

Alignment to levelling up objectives.

Connected and easy to get to.

Opportunities for GBR. Railway heritage and links to the network.

Value for money.

Public support.

Here, we meet the people backing each bid and see how they measure up to the above criteria.

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

45

Great British Railways aims and objectives The government unveiled its commitment in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail to create a new public body, Great British Railways, which will own the infrastructure, receive the fare revenue, run and plan the network and set most fares and timetables

N

etwork Rail, the current infrastructure owner, will be absorbed into this new organisation, as will many people and functions from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and the DfT. Great British Railways will own the railways across Great Britain and run them as an integrated system to achieve common outcomes in the public interest.

The new organisation will work closely with partners across the sector, including freight operators and suppliers, to help deliver a customer-focused rail system.

The Secretary of State for Transport has also set out the core goals that will define Great British Railways, including: • Changing the culture of the railways not simply creating a bigger version of Network Rail.

• Thinking like our customers, both passengers and freight, and putting them first.

• Growing the network and getting more people travelling.

• Making the railways easier to use.

• Simplifying the sector to do things quicker, driving down costs and being more accountable.

• Having a can-do, not a can’t do culture.

• Harnessing the best of the private sector.

• Playing a critical role in the national shift to net zero.

Great British Railways will be structured to create a balance between the need to take a whole-system view nationally, particularly for freight and cross-country services, and to meet the needs of local communities and regions. Key network-wide decisions will be taken at national level where necessary, with most strategic and operational matters led by five regional divisions. These will initially be organised in line with the regions established in Network Rail’s recent Putting Passengers First programme, which reflects how passengers and freight move across the network today.

The five regional divisions will be responsive and accountable for the whole system in their areas, including budgets.

Within each division, integrated local teams will bring decision making closer to the people and places that the railways serve. They will be responsible for day-today delivery on routes of the network and will be integrated across track and train, bringing together infrastructure, customer service, station management and train operations into one team, in partnership with operators.

What will the Great British Railways’ national headquarters be like?

Great British Railways will be shaped and run by empowered teams across the country in regional divisions that work together to deliver a single, integrated national network.

As a result, the national team is planned to be a lean business unit, with its staff mainly focused on supporting the regional divisions. Most of Great British Railways’ operational capability will sit in regional rail organisations based across the five regions. This aligns with the Plan for Rail’s commitment to simplifying rail: with clear leadership, accountable decision making and a rail system run closer to the passengers and places it serves.

The national headquarters is expected to be home primarily to corporate functions, a number of network-wide capabilities, and meeting and collaboration spaces that enable people from across the regions and industry to come together. The headquarters is expected to house a modest staff to undertake these activities. The headquarters needs to be in place by the time Great British Railways is established in the coming years.

Assessment criteria The submitted expressions of interest EOIs will be assessed by GBRTT. Six selection criteria will be used to inform, support and complete the selection process. More details of each of these selection criteria and what is expected in the Expressions of Interest are

set out below: • Alignment to Levelling Up objectives – Applicants will need to demonstrate how they are currently and plan in the future to support delivery of the government’s levelling up missions and reducing regional disparities across the UK, as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper.

• Connected and easy to get to – Locations should be easy to get to by rail and other sustainable modes and well connected to the nations and regions of Great Britain.

Applicants should also demonstrate a location’s ability to support social and economic ties between towns and cities across the UK. • Opportunities for Great British Railways – Applicants should demonstrate how the location can effectively enhance engagement with customers, the private sector and the wider rail industry.

This includes proximity to the supply chain and access to the existing sector workforce. Applicants should also demonstrate opportunities for Great British Railways to engage beyond the rail industry, including wider transport, social and economic links.

• Railway heritage and links to the network – The competition will recognise towns and cities with a rich railway history that are strongly linked to the network.

Applicants should demonstrate current and historic importance for railway employment, innovation and heritage.

• Value for Money – Applicants should demonstrate how they can maximise efficiency and affordability, including through use of the existing publicly and/ or railway owned estate, to deliver value for money for taxpayers and customers.

• Public Support – Applicants should demonstrate the importance of the national headquarters to their local communities, identity and values.

This can be shown through existing community links to rail and the current importance of rail as a transport service locally and regionally.

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

47

Carlisle

Image Credit: Network Rail

Alignment to levelling up objectives The £452 million Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal sets out the strategy for Carlisle at the regional level and is focused on supporting business, encouraging innovation and growing the local skills base in order to level up the region.

6

Connected and easy to get to Carlisle Station (Carlisle Citadel) is a main station on the West Coast Main Line. As well as being a main station on one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe it is also the northern terminus of the historic Settle-Carlisle railway line.

Opportunities for GBR Carlisle offers significant opportunities to work with rail, transport and logistics supply chains. Several logistics companies are located in Carlisle including the Stobart Distribution Group, DHL, DPD and Yodel. Story Construction, who have delivered significant projects nationally for Network Rail are also based in the city.

Railway heritage and links to the network The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway company was established in 1825 and the full railway line between Newcastle and Carlisle was officially opened in 1838.

‘Carlisle’s strong, historical links to our nation’s railways make it an ideal location for the new Great British Railways headquarters and I will be backing their bid all the way.

This HQ would bring new highly skilled jobs to the area, and I urge local residents, leaders, and business groups to get behind our bid.’

John Stevenson MP

Value for money In terms of accommodation, rental land values are lower in the city than nationally and are likely to remain so, meaning that overheads will be lower in the short, medium and long-term. Some of the potential locations for the HQ identified form part of the local public sector estate and therefore, there is the opportunity for potential cost savings.

Public support Emma Porter, Managing Director, Story Contracting said: ‘Story Contracting, a major rail infrastructure company based in Carlisle, is one of the top 20 suppliers in terms of spend for Network rail. We offer our support to the project on a number of levels not least the investment in infrastructure and improving UK wide connectivity, and bringing highly skilled roles to the very North of England.’

Jo Lappin, Chief Executive, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership said: ‘In terms of accommodating a new workforce, St Cuthbert’s Garden Village is the largest development of its type in the country, creating 10,000 new homes, when fully complete. The housing needs of those employed at the new headquarters can therefore be readily met.’

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

Bolton

to the local economy, an outcome making Bolton fit for the future, by helping to drive innovation and grow businesses. A further two levelling up bids are expected to be submitted for the second round of Levelling Up Funding.

Connected and easy to get to The proposed site for the National Headquarters is adjacent to Bolton’s Transport Interchange, which has direct access to trains and buses. Bolton has direct routes to Manchester, Preston, Wigan, Southport and Blackburn. A direct train from Bolton to Manchester takes around 20 minutes and Bolton station is the busiest in Greater Manchester outside of the city centre. Bolton is also only around 30 minutes by road and rail to both Manchester Airport (the busiest airport in the UK outside London) and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

4

Alignment to levelling up objectives Bolton is already on track to deliver a multimillion pound regeneration programme, which has started with key town centre sites being transformed into new residential neighbourhoods connected by public parks and improved public realm. The university and the colleges are investing in new facilities and expanding, adapting their curriculum to new business requirements.

Now we want to add to that momentum new elements to our plan – in life sciences, in clean, green energy and sustainable transport facilities. We are working with Greater Manchester on the Five-Year environmental plan to be Carbon neutral by 2038. A successful Levelling Up Fund bid will see £20 million invested into the development of Bolton College of Medical Sciences (BCMS). Work is already underway with the facility planned for completion 2024. BCMS is projected to create over 20,000 apprenticeships over its lifetime and help train 60,000 medical professionals. The project is led by the University of Bolton alongside the council, Bolton College and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. When open, the facility is expected to bring £150 million

Opportunities for GBR There are already fantastic engagement systems set up in Bolton and Greater Manchester. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has responsibility for transport issues across the region, delivered

by TFGM. They also work closely with the Southeast Lancashire Community Rail Partnership, University of Bolton and Bolton Hindu Forum. Bolton is very well placed in relation to rail supply chain, manufacturing hubs and institutes. As well as having a strong manufacturing sector and University in Bolton, it is also within twenty minutes of central Manchester which is home to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Railway heritage and links to the network The Bolton and Leigh Railway, opened in 1828, was the first public railway in Lancashire, and the second public railway in the world after Stockton to Darlington.

The first engine used on the Bolton and Leigh line was called ‘Lancashire Witch’, was manufactured by Robert Stephenson of Newcastle, and was the first engine in world that has steel springs. Bolton has been instrumental in seeking to secure the Scheduling of one of the first railway embankments on the Bolton & Leigh Railway to secure this for the future and in recognition of the past. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway’s Horwich Locomotive Works, opened in 1886 and closed in 1983, was one of the greatest railway engineering factories in the UK and trained outstanding railway engineers including Sir Nigel Gresley, Richard Maunsell and George Hughes. The railway built an entire railway community in Horwich, with hundreds of houses, social and educational centres, health care and sporting facilities.

Much of this ‘railway town’ remains.

Bolton station opened in 1838, when the

49

Manchester and Bolton railway completed its route through to Salford.

Value for money The land is already in the ownership of Network Rail and the proposed building would provide an under one roof facility. A “bespoke” highly sustainable, modern building could therefore be delivered and funded in a number of different ways, to suit network Rail. Locating the GBR headquarters in Bolton will increase Bolton’s Gross Value Added and provide the taxpayer with a high cost-benefit ratio. By investing in Bolton’s town centre, GBR will be supporting an investment lifecycle from design and construction together with the cultural and night-life activity within Bolton town centre and make Bolton an even better place for people to work, live, visit and invest in.

This investment will encourage and support business growth and will position Bolton as one of the best place and most supportive locations in Greater Manchester for growing businesses.

Public support Railways are hugely important to the local community and the North-West region.

The completion of electrification of the Manchester – Bolton – Preston corridor was a major boost to making rail more attractive, and the planned electrification of Bolton – Wigan has been warmly welcomed. Many people in Bolton depend on railway travel to work in Manchester and Preston.

Key people Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Martyn Cox, said: ‘Bolton town centre is the ideal home for an organisation like Great British Railways. The council’s regeneration masterplan is not just about new buildings, but it is also focused on bringing more skilled jobs to Bolton and creating new opportunities for our residents. We have a proven record of working with partners to deliver projects like this and I am positive the people of Bolton would welcome GBR with open arms. Our borough has a proud railway history and basing this new transport body in the town centre would be a fitting tribute to this industrial heritage.’

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51

St Helens (Liverpool City Region)

Image Credit: Network Rail

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‘The Liverpool City Region is proud to be the birthplace of countless national and global firsts, including the development of Britain’s modern railways. St Helens has been at the vanguard of rail innovation for almost two centuries, which has not only been a massive driver for investment into our region but has helped to create thousands of highly-skilled jobs and opportunities for our local workforce.’

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram

Alignment to levelling up objectives The bid strongly aligns with the government's levelling-up agenda because it will contribute to regeneration of the Parkside area, as well as restoring community pride and sense of place by reviving and celebrating our region's unique, globally significant and living railway heritage. Parkside is located on the historic Liverpool & Manchester Railway, which will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2030. This anniversary can help celebrate the past and inspire the next generation of railway workers, engineers and innovators.

This joint bid with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) will also help cement the region's important role in the rail industry, with a number of major rail industry companies already being based here and backing the bid. It also already has experience of bringing together different rail groups to work together and can replicate LCRCA success on a national scale.

Parkside is also a part of the Freeport Status bid by LCRCA, which will bring huge benefits for businesses to the region and will support the wider industry development.

Connected and easy to get to Parkside has great connectivity: it's located directly on the M6 Growth Corridor, on the West Coast Mainline and Trans-Pennine railway, is connected to major cities across the country, and has a nationally significant Strategic Rail Freight Interchange planned for Parkside East.

Railway heritage and links to the network As well as St Helens, the Liverpool City Region also has a strong claim to many historic firsts in railway developments. It is home to the world's oldest continuously used station at Edge Hill, the world's oldest continuously used terminus station at Liverpool Lime Street and also saw the last passenger steam train locomotive service run by then British Rail, among many other firsts.

Key people ‘While many places claim to be the home of the railway, there can be no denying our borough really does hold that title. It was the birthplace of Stephenson’s Rocket, saw the very first modern passenger railway with the opening of the Liverpool Manchester Railway in 1830 and the first railway viaduct in the world at Sankey Valley.’ – St Helens council leader David Baines.

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Doncaster Image Credit: Ben Harrison Photography

Alignment to levelling up objectives Doncaster and SY are key target areas for Levelling-up in the Government’s White Paper, which notes that just a quarter of adults have a qualification at level 4 and above in Doncaster, compared to nearly half in York. Doncaster is designated as an Education Investment Area and GBRHQ will create the opportunities for high skill and well-paid jobs that will make this a success and retain well qualified people in the area.

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Connected and easy to get to Doncaster is home to an international airport, providing connections worldwide and has one of the busiest rail stations on the East Coast Main line is situated in Doncaster, sitting at the confluence of several others and providing fast rail links across the UK. Trains from Doncaster to London are fast and frequent. The journey takes around 88 minutes, with an average of 60 trains a day.

Doncaster is also located at the centre of the country’s motorway network, making it a Connected City at the heart of the UK, with easy access to and from the M18, M1, A1(M), M62 and the M180.

Eighty-seven per cent of the UK population is reachable in four hour’s drive time from Doncaster. Today, Doncaster is an important town for connectivity with the second largest representation of transport and storage jobs in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Opportunities for GBR Doncaster’s local businesses have an active rail working group and national/international sector influence. Local firms are signed up to the Women in Rail /RIA EDI charter and the Rail Supply Group’s work visibility pipeline, providing a platform from which GBR can easily consult on current issues and future plans. These firms are at the forefront of collaborative working with Rail Infrastructure Maintainers and Operators, Office of Rail and Road, Rail Sector Organisations and across their industry peers. For example, VolkerRail’s local team have roles on several sector bodies including the Board of the RIA.

‘I have never known such enthusiasm for a project among the local businesses and in our workforce. It’s a real opportunity for the sector and for our community. But it’s also a real opportunity for GBR. The controlling mind suggested by Williams-Shapps, has to be built on railway foundations and there’s nowhere better for that than Doncaster.’

Michael Hird of Hird Rail Services and Chair of the Team Doncaster Working Group for GBRHQ

Railway heritage and links to the network Back in the 18th century, Doncaster Town Centre was a significant stop over point between London and Edinburgh, which created an industry in coach building and horse breeding. It is fitting that the oldest horse racing classic in the world is hosted in Doncaster, the St Leger Stakes that was first held in 1776, with Doncaster Racecourse holding the first aviation meeting in the UK in 1909. Towards the end of the 19th century ‘the Plant’ railway works were established in Hexthorpe where the Stirling Single, Flying Scotsman and Mallard were designed and built.

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The VfM from a location outside London and the South East, and indeed other more expensive tenure in the North, is therefore a considerable and on-going feature. Of the sites presented, several are in public sector ownership and subject to details, there may be further savings/discount on rental costs. Team Doncaster is committed to economic and social regeneration and to protecting the environment, including the goal for Doncaster to be carbon neutral by 2040; ten years ahead of the national target.

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York

Alignment to levelling up objectives Nearly 700 of the country’s most deprived communities are within an hour of York. A globally competitive York hub can be a key driver in transforming their futures. The City of York will partner with academic, research and industry expertise across the north to innovate, improve delivery and transform the rail industry, providing well-paid jobs not just in York, but across the north.

The York hub will inspire the next generation of northern-based rail professionals, with school trips and programmes supported by the Railway Museum and the surrounding rail industry.

There is no better place to achieve the government’s Levelling Up ambitions, helping to lift Yorkshire’s strongest economy into the top 25 per cent of UK cities, providing opportunities to millions of people, businesses and communities across Yorkshire and the north east.

York Central presents a unique opportunity to create Britain’s biggest rail cluster. It is the largest city centre brownfield site in England and already has Enterprise Zone Status and outline planning permission for 2,500 homes and 1 million square feet of 'Grade A' offices. Network Rail are already a key landowner in the site, which also includes the £60 million expansion of the Railway Museum.

Ten per cent of the most deprived areas in the UK are within only an hour's train travel of York, with our travel-to-work area encompassing West, South, North and East Yorkshire, Teesside and the north east. Placing GBR in York, immediately next to the railway station unlocks huge private sector investment and economic opportunity across the north east.

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‘The York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership has worked collaboratively with the City of York, with industry and business partners in setting out the proposition. The proposal for York is a true private and public sector submission and builds on the Enterprise Zone status and existing investment into the York Central site.’

Helen Simpson OBE, Chair of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership

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Connected and easy to get to York is at the very heart of the UK and its rail network – an equal distance between London and Edinburgh with excellent connectivity east and west, north and south. The Tees Valley, County Durham, the Yorkshire Coast, West, North and South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester are all within touching distance. That provides unrivalled scope for GBR and the rail industry to create opportunities for the people, businesses and universities of the north. Equidistant from London and Edinburgh, locating GBR in York would help to strengthen the ties between England and Scotland, as highlighted by the Union Connectivity Review.

Opportunities for GBR York is ready now for GBR HQ. The proposed main location is on a city centre brownfield site where Network Rail is already a major partner and landowner. Other possible sites include the Hudson Quarter, George Stephenson House, and West Offices (built in 1841 as one of the first railway stations within a city) and all are available to provide flexible office accommodation immediately.

The existing rail workforce is young, highly skilled and diverse, with expertise across rolling stock, operations, management, engineering, planning and the digital future for rail. This, as well as local and regional academic research, will provide GBR with current and future, northern talent and innovation.

Regularly topping best place to live polls with outstanding childcare and education, people want to come to York, whether to work, to study or for leisure.

Railway heritage and links to the network York is home to the Railway Museum, and to 100 rail companies and 5,500 rail jobs focussed on the operation and development of the network, with a significant private sector cluster providing services key to GBR’s mission.

Key people Helen Simpson OBE, Chair of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership said: ‘The York Central site presents an opportunity for GBR to have impact as an anchor for a world leading rail cluster, driving growth and new opportunities, not just in York, but across the whole of the North.

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Derby

Image credit: AvIt Media

Connected and easy to get to As the UK’s most central city, Derby is well connected by car, train or plane with over 6 million people living within one hour’s travel time.

Located on the River Derwent Derby is the gateway to the beautiful Peak District National Park and part of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Opportunities for GBR From an ideal central location to a talented workforce Derby has a lot to offer GBR and the country. In return, GBR can level up Derby and the Midlands. Derby currently has a low proportion of strategic Government operations – becoming home to the GBR headquarters would directly help deliver on the Derby and Midlands Levelling Up agenda. It will diversify and strengthen the local economy.

Railway heritage and links to the network The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway company was established in 1825 and the full railway line between Newcastle and Carlisle was officially opened in 1838.

Value for money Derby is the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the site of the world’s first factory, a leader of the English enlightenment, a city of innovation and industry. A place with a highly skilled and talented workforce, home to world-leading businesses Rolls-Royce, Alstom, Toyota and many others.

‘The East Midlands has the greatest concentration of rail engineering businesses in the world, and Derby is the perfect choice to be the home of Great British Railways.’

Former Shadow Minister for Rail Lillian Greenwood, Member of Parliament for Nottingham South

Key people The business and national strategic case for locating Great British Railways in the city is very strong indeed and we are delighted that Derby is putting itself forward. Alstom is the UK’s leading train builder and maintainer and is proud to call Derby home. The city has been building trains for Britain and the world since 1839 and its still doing so today.’ – Will Tanner, Communications Director at Alstom.

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Nuneaton

Image Credit: London Northwestern Railway

Alignment to levelling up objectives The HQ development will form a key part of the Transforming Nuneaton Programme (TNP), a vision for Nuneaton to create a vibrant, attractive and prosperous town centre that offers a range of opportunities for everyone.

The TN programme brings together a number of key projects that, together, will provide Nuneaton with the economic boost it needs and help it become a strong hub for its community. Investment in the town centre will see improved leisure and business opportunities, education and skills, unlock housing development and improve rail, highway and cycle infrastructure to support economic growth within the Borough and wider area whilst ensuring that the town helps reduce its impact on climate change.

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‘It is my firm belief that for Great British Railways to succeed, it needs to be mindful of its pedigree without being constrained in any way by its past. The opportunity to look to the future from a location that is not in any way impinged by its history is one that is not to be dismissed lightly. Nuneaton is such a location. Warwickshire is a great County with a dynamic and forward-looking approach to business, innovation and skills and all of these qualities are exemplified in the town of Nuneaton.’

Industry leader and entrepreneur Colin Flack OBE

Connected and easy to get to Nuneaton is the largest town in Warwickshire, and one of the largest mainline stations in the Midlands outside of Birmingham New Street. It is a short drive to East Midlands and Birmingham International Airports, and within the logistics ‘golden triangle’ it has unrivalled access to the motorway network. For staff relocating to the Nuneaton area, the surrounding countryside and market towns, and vibrant cities of Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester, provide staff with a range of options.

Opportunities for GBR The relocation of this major HQ facility will provide Nuneaton with a transformational opportunity to regenerate and level up the town.

In return, this growing Midlands town will provide Great British Railways with the perfect launching point to revolutionise and repurpose our national railways, located at a central point on the rail network, to access the rail industry operating and design and manufacturing eco-system.

Railway heritage and links to the network Nuneaton Station was established in 1847, and the railways were a major motor for the local coal industry, which was a major local employer in the 19th and 20th century in and around Nuneaton.

Nuneaton’s excellent links at the centre of the East and West Midlands rail supply chain, access to local and regional talent with six million people within one hour, and it's transport design and manufacturing heritage, make this the perfect location for Great British Railways to relocate and reinvent itself.

As the birthplace of the Victorian novelist George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), the town is famous as the setting of novels like Middlemarch. It can also look back with pride on a heritage of raillinked collieries; the skilled craftspeople who hand-built bodies for the Jaguar E-Type and Ford GT40 on Bayton Road; the engineers who in more recent times created the innovative vehicles at Gibbs Amphibians.

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Eastleigh

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Image Credit: GB Railfreight

Connected and easy to get to Eastleigh’s excellent communications as a major transport hub, with two motorways, an international airport and one the UK’s busiest ports within easy reach of the new headquarters. London is little more than an hour away by train.

Railway heritage and links to the network Eastleigh’s heritage is founded in the development of the railways, with train-building and operating a mainstay of the local economy for much of the 19th and 20th centuries; this is reflected in the continued presence of track and rail maintenance works, and the thriving communities of terraced railway cottages in the grid pattern of town centre streets.

Key people Eastleigh Borough Council Leader, Councillor Keith House, said: ‘Eastleigh has a proud railway heritage that is still very evident in the town. It is also a superbly located business hub, offering the perfect location for the new headquarters of this important new body overseeing the country’s train services. Securing the headquarters of Great British Railways will provide an excellent and much-needed economic boost to the town - and to the wider region. I believe Ministers will be impressed by our bid and we look forward to hearing the result.’

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Image credit: GWR

Worcester Alignment to levelling up objectives Worcestershire’s bid focusses heavily on the plans to completely transform the historic Shrub Hill Quarter which has the 1850-built railway station at its heart. The works at Shrub Hill will see the rebirth of one of the largest Midlands brownfield sites, bringing new homes and jobs.

Connected and easy to get to The county is rail-connected to London, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, Birmingham, the South West, Wales and the East Midlands, with GB-wide Cross Country services capable of calling at £22million+ Worcestershire Parkway Station which opened in 2020.

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Value for money The County Council owns historic, rail industry Grade-II buildings next to Shrub Hill Station and these would offer GBR modern, bespoke, attractive, sustainable and flexible choices for its HQ making it a special setting for the headquarters.

Public support Worcestershire’s bid has been backed by all 6 MPs in the county, Lord Faulkner of Worcester who is Chair of the North Cotswold Line Task Force, Worcestershire Rail User Group Association and Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership.

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Milton Keynes

Image Credit: Santander

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Alignment to levelling up objectives MK’s location, large skilled labour pool, young population, readily available land, and deep bench of supporting knowledge industries make it an exciting prospect for large organisations looking to move and expand. Santander is currently developing a £150 million state of the art campus in MK as its UK technology hub.

Connected and easy to get to The centre of the future East-West rail, with fast links to London (30 minutes), Birmingham (47 minutes) and Manchester (1 hour 13 minutes).

‘Milton Keynes is absolutely the perfect place to be the new headquarters for Great British Railways. Not only have we got that historical link with rail through Wolverton Works where generations of families have worked, but we’ve also got the present with the fantastic Network Rail building and we will of course be at the heart of East-West Rail in the not-toodistant future.’

Ben Everitt MP

Opportunities for GBR The Quadrant: MK is home to Network Rail’s 5,000 national operations employees, purpose built in 2012 at the cost of £107 million, with capacity for more teams. In addition, East West Rail has its headquarters in MK, and EFKB and Gemini Rail are also based here.

Railway heritage and links to the network Wolverton became the country’s ‘first railway town’ when its Works were established in 1838. Royal Saloons have been built in MK for 150 years; still the home of The Royal Train. The varsity line running connecting Bletchley with Oxford and Cambridge aided the work of the brilliant WWII codebreakers at Bletchley Park.

Key people ‘Milton Keynes is an obvious contender to be the home of Britain’s railways. As well as our rich railway heritage, we have so much to offer a modern organisation – as evidenced by the sheer number of successful firms who have made their home here, and who continue to invest in their future here. We hope to welcome Great British Railway as they explore their options, to show them the talent and skills they can access in Milton Keynes as well as our brilliant urban and green spaces.’ – Council Leader Cllr Pete Marland.

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

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9. Crewe

12. Didcot

Key people Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Crewe and Nantwich, said: ‘I’d like to thank everyone involved in preparing this fantastic bid for Crewe to be the new home of Great British Railways. Few places in the country are more closely linked with the railway than Crewe and bringing the headquarters here will continue this proud tradition.

‘As our rail industry continues to thrive, including our freight rail sector, here in Crewe. It’s important this essential sector can work closely with the Government and the headquarters being right here would ensure just that.

‘We have direct rail links here to the likes of Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Carlisle, London, Manchester and so many more – right at the heart of our rail network – so bringing GBR here would ensure it is at the heart as well.’

Railway heritage and links to the network The first Didcot station was erected in 1844 as part of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway.

35. Swindon Railway heritage and links to the network In the mid 19th century, the Great Western Railway transformed Swindon from a small, hilltop market town into an industrial giant. At its height, the Great Western Railway works was one of the largest railway engineering complexes in the world.

Public support Endorsements have come in from businesses, community groups and organisations in the Swindon area and beyond. These include the Cotswold District Council, Federation of Small Businesses (Somerset & Wiltshire) and the University of Bath.

33. Southampton

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Railway heritage and links to the network The city’s historical connection to the railways dates back to 1831 with Southampton Central railway station opening in 1895.

Key people ‘We, and our partners across the city, are working hard to get Southampton moving and create new opportunities to improve our local economy. Having the first national headquarters of Great British Railways in Southampton will not only be an asset to our bid to become the UK City of Culture 2025, it will also level-up our communities by boosting employment, upskilling our workforce and supporting business growth.’ – Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry, Leader of Southampton City Council.

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GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS FEATURE | |

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The five ‘tests’ for Great British Railways The Railway Industry Association (RIA), the voice of the UK rail supply community, has set out five ‘tests’ to ensure the establishment of Great British Railways, the new railway structure, will be a success

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n May 2021, the Government published the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, its strategy for establishing a new rail industry structure to ‘bring the railways back together, delivering more punctual and reliable services.’

The Plan set out some 62 recommendations, including the creation of a new Great British Railways (GBR) organisation, bringing track and train under one body. Work has already begun to establish GBR, with the creation of a Transition Team and progress beginning on the Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP), a 30-year strategy for the sector.

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) welcomed the Williams-Shapps Plan, which reflected a number of key asks for the rail supply community as set out in RIA’s Rail 2050 Manifesto. These included the need for long term thinking, smoothing out work profiles for the sector and providing visibility of upcoming work.

As GBR is established and the WISP developed, RIA has set out five key ‘tests’ for the successful creation of GBR. By ensuring GBR achieves these objectives, the rail supply industry will best be able to support continued rail investment, delivering for the economy as we build back from the pandemic. RIA will monitor these five tests over the coming year to assess if they are being met.

The five tests provide clear criteria for the new railway body to ensure it is best able to harness the value and expertise of the rail supply industry.

The tests are: 1. No hiatus in current work: More than 70 per cent of Network Rail's spend is with the private sector - and there cannot be a pause in this work.

2. Transparency: Be clear and transparent with rail suppliers, to allow them to deliver.

3. Partnership: Be an open and accessible client, and partner with the private sector for the best results.

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will ensure rail delivers for UK plc.

5. Ambition: Leave a positive legacy, including in safety, decarbonisation, exports and the economy.

RIA’s briefing stated: ‘The Government’s programme of investment over the current funding cycle ending in 2024 (Control Period 6) includes £18.8 billion in renewals to sustain the network and £9.5 billion in enhancements planned, alongside a number of rolling stock orders. There is however no clarity about what is planned beyond 2024.

It is therefore particularly important that timely decisions on the renewals and enhancements for CP7 (202429) are made and procurement mechanisms put in place ready for when CP7 starts, so there is no hiatus from 2024.’

Going on to say: ‘The process to establish GBR needs to be an open one, with suppliers in the discussions at all stages of its development.’ Concluding with: ‘Rail travel is one of the safest modes of transport and the UK rail industry has a proud history of taking safety seriously. Whilst the rail sector transitions to the new structure, there simply can be no let-up in the focus on rail safety for those that use the network and those that work on it.’

Chief Executive comment Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: ‘The railway industry is currently undergoing a major restructure which could change the

way we work both now and in the future.

So, it’s important that we get Great British Railways right, ensuring that we can all continue to deliver for passengers, freight users and the economy.

‘The Railway Industry Association’s five tests – informed and developed by RIA

members – sets out what rail suppliers need to make the new structure a success.

The tests include a need to avoid any hiatus in current work, for the new GBR body to be open and transparent, for suppliers to work more in partnership with clients on rail projects, to ensure the rail industry is sustainable and has the environment to thrive, and finally, for our railways to leave a positive safety, decarbonised, economic and exports-led legacy for the UK. ‘As GBR is set up - with the Transition Team already well established and legislation due before Parliament soon - RIA and our members will continue to engage with and support the process. We look forward to working with the Government, the Transition Team, Network Rail, and all partners to ensure we continue to deliver for the UK, supporting a thriving railway alongside generating future investment, jobs and economic growth for the country.’

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Rail supply sector to meet at Railtex / Infrarail 2022, setting out roadmap for progress Following last year’s successful return from the pandemic, it’s now full steam ahead for the spring edition of Railtex / Infrarail

T

aking place from 10 to 12 May 2022 at Olympia London, the popular exhibition will once again bring the entire rail supply sector together, presenting the latest developments in sustainable and smart rail operations. Plenty of products and services, impressive on-track displays and a highprofile conference programme will help attendees to find, assess, and source the best suppliers and technical solutions for their specific railway needs.

Next stop: Olympia London – after a successful restart last September, the coming spring edition is met with much anticipation. Railtex / Infrarail was one of the industry’s first live events to return after the pandemic in 2021, with 5,000 industry professionals in attendance, over the three days and a packed conference programme featuring 50 expert sessions.

‘Last September was all about restoring opportunities for the rail sector to finally reconnect and meet in person’ says Olaf Freier, Railtex / Infrarail Portfolio Director on behalf of event organiser Mack-Brooks Exhibitions. ‘For the upcoming show in May, we will intensify our efforts to further promote and support the rail industry’s progress in the post-pandemic world which will very much depend on the successful delivery of technology across the network.’

Build back better: promising industry with significant need for technical innovation The rail sector is widely considered to lead the way in sustainable travel and to play an essential role in rebooting Europe’s economy. With supply chains looking for new solutions to tackle capacity issues, lorry driver shortages and other challenges, rail can present a more efficient alternative.

At the same time, industry experts see a significant need for digitalisation and modernisation in all areas of rail operations to further enhance the passenger travel experience, freight logistics services and

overall efficiency.

‘The railway industry wants to build back better but also in a greener, more environmentally friendly way and is prepared to maximise investment’ explains Olaf Freier.

‘Railtex and Infrarail visitors come from railway management, engineering, planning and technical design backgrounds, with real purchasing decision powers and investment plans. Meeting suppliers from the entire railway supply chain will help them identify the right technologies that hold the most potential for their railway operations.’

Wide range of displays reflecting the dynamic developments in the sector With Railtex and Infrarail, under one roof again, visitors can expect an impressive array of technologies and innovations on display. Exhibits cover rolling stock technology, track and infrastructure, signalling and communications, vehicle maintenance equipment, fare collection systems, rolling stock leasing, electronics for rail applications, cable technology, and many other specialised products for the efficient and safe operation of rail and public transport systems.

The popular On-Track Display Area features one length of track within the exhibition hall. Buyers will have the unique opportunity to see track-related equipment in an authentic rail setting, offering firsthand insights on how products sit and operate on track. The On-Track Display Area is sponsored by our longstanding show partner British Steel one of the world’s leading track products suppliers.

Supporting programme and matchmaking to boost business connections ‘Railtex / Infrarail 2022 is a showcase for innovation, with a strong programme of events including the Future Focus Conference and Unlocking Innovation which is the Railway Industry Association’s

(RIA) flagship and multi-award-winning innovation accelerator programme’ explains Olaf Freier. The two-stream Conference Programme features a broad range of topics and sessions to address key challenges and opportunities facing the rail industry in the coming years. The conference programme is organised by the main show partner RIA, the Railway Industry Association for railway suppliers in the UK. All sessions are free to attend and CPD certified. Programme and speakers will be announced on the official event website closer to the show.

In addition to the comprehensive conference programme, the Recruitment Wall will provide opportunities to discuss career options within this exciting industry.

Venue, tickets, and opening times Railtex / Infrarail 2022 will take place from 10 to 12 May 2022 at Olympia London, the only central London venue with its own dedicated rail station, Kensington (Olympia). Opening times are from 10 am to 5 pm on 10 and 11 May and 10 am to 4 pm on 12 May. Visitors can now register in advance via the show website and benefit from FREE entry tickets and fast-track admission to the event. Entry tickets are valid on all three days of the exhibition and include free access to all conferences and associated events.

About Mack-Brooks Exhibitions Organised by Mack-Brooks Exhibitions, Railtex and Infrarail are part of a series of targeted trade events for the railway industry, including SIFER in France and EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy, all dedicated to support the recovery of the European rail market. Altogether, the exhibitions form a network of 25,000 visitors, 40 industry partners and 1,300 exhibiting companies promoting innovation in rail-bound mobility. www.railtex.co.uk Rail Professional

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| RAILTEX / INFRARAIL 2022

SCHEDULE Tuesday 10th May – Day One

Correct at time of going to press

Time

Name of Seminar

Speaker

Stand No.

11:00 – 11:30

Opening Ceremony

Nicola Hamann and Darren Caplan

A86

11:30 – 12:00

Minister Speech and Q&A

12:00 – 12:30

Keynote and Q&A

Rufus Boyd

A86

12:15 – 12:45

Designing a Flexible Future

Kirsty Dias

F95

13:15 – 13:45

Aluminium transition – Reliable jointing for signalling power cables

Jonathan Rawlinson

F95

14:00 – 15:00

Panel Discussion and Q&A: Procuring to deliver a greener railway – Rolling stock & Infrastructure

Lara Young, Justin Moss, Mike Muldoon, Jennifer Elevique, David Clarke

A86

14:15 – 14:45

Improving Cyber Security in Legacy Rolling Stock: Challenges & Opportunities

Daniel Jaeggi

F95

15:00 – 15:30

Presentation and Q&A

Enekom Turkey

F95

15:00 – 15:30

Presentation and Q&A: HS2 Update

Robin Lapish

A86

A86

Wednesday 11th May – Day Two Time

Name of Seminar

Speaker

Stand No.

10:30 – 11:00

Presentation and Q&A

Lauren Hill

F95

11:00 – 12:00

Panel Discussion and Q&A: International Opportunities for the UK supply chain

Doruk Günay, Matt Clark, Joshua Strub, Andy Billington, Stephen McLean, Neil Walker

A86

11:45 – 12:15

Minimising the pain: Innovative approaches for the transition to low carbon propulsion

Jonathan Brown

F95

12:00 – 12:45

Panel Discussion and Q&A: The power of data in the future of rail

Jamie Brown, Fergus Harradence, Matthew Maher, Phil Robinson, David Clarke

A86

12:30 – 13:00

Performance Based Maintenance: Delivering operational improvements through maintenance innovation

Matthew Brough, Chris Pike

F95

14:00 – 14:30

Keynote and Q&A

14:15 – 14:45

Supply Chain Optimisation and Project Execution

Dan Lynch

F95

15:00 – 15:30

Leadership and skills – Unlock your potential in a changed world

Fuel Integrated

F95

Speaker

Stand No.

A86

Thursday 12th May – Day Three Time

Name of Seminar

10:00 – 10:45

Trailblazers Breakfast

10:15 – 10:45

Keynote and Q&A

Bill Esterson MP

A86

10:45 – 11:30

Panel and Q&A: Opportunities in Rail

Neil Robertson, Emma Porter, Jo Binstead, Fi Westcough, Kate Jennings

A86

11:00 – 11:30

London Essex Thameside – Digital Railway with the ERTMS (ETCS) L2 – HD Technology

Pierangelo Rivoli

F95

11:45 – 12:15

Enhance existing railway technology by using intelligent solutions

Carlos Johnson

F95

11:45 – 12:15

Going beyond Access for All

Gary Seed

F95

Rail Professional

A86

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Florence and Cecilia make progress Two enormous Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) excavating HS2’s longest tunnels have completed the first stage of their drive – from the Chiltern tunnel’s south portal to the first ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter

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| TUNNELLING

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n mid-March HS2 confirmed that the two enormous 2,000 tonne tunnelling machines digging the high-speed rail project’s tunnels under the Chilterns have completed the first stage, up to the ventilation shaft at Chalfont St Peter.

This major achievement means that a combined total of over 3.6 miles has now been dug by the two machines – named Florence and Cecilia – since they launched from the southern end of the tunnels last summer.

The 78-metre deep shaft at Chalfont St Peter is the first of five that will provide ventilation and emergency access to the ten-mile-long twin tunnels – which are the longest on the project. Once complete, the shaft will be covered by a headhouse designed to resemble local farm buildings.

Designed specifically for the geology of the Chilterns, each TBM is a 170-metre long self-contained underground factory, digging the tunnel, lining it with concrete wall segments and grouting them into place as it moves forward.

The TBMs named ‘Florence’ and ‘Cecilia’ by local school children launched in May and June last year and are expected to break out at the north portal in around two and a half years.

Welcoming the progress, HS2 Ltd Project Client David Emms said: ‘The Chiltern tunnel will take HS2 underneath the hills and safeguard the woodlands and wildlife habits above ground as well as significantly reducing disruption to communities during construction and operation of the new railway.

‘It’s great to see how much progress has been made by Florence and Cecilia – and the teams excavating the five ventilation shafts – and I’d like to thank everyone involved in getting us this far.’

These first two TBMs on the HS2 project Rail Professional

are operated by, Align – a joint venture formed of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick.

A crew of 17 people on board each machine keep them running, working in shifts and supported by over 100 people on the surface, managing the logistics and maintaining the smooth progress of the tunnelling operation.

Align Project Director, Daniel Altier commented: ‘Florence and Cecilia reaching our first shaft at Chalfont St Peter is a great achievement for not only the tunnelling team but also construction team involved in excavating and preparing the shaft. In particular I would like to pay credit to KVJV and Keltbray our supply chain partners, who have been working tirelessly over the last few months to ensure the shaft is ready for the arrival of Florence and Cecilia.’

Each of the separate northbound and southbound tunnels will require 56,000 precision engineered, fibre-reinforced concrete wall segments – which are all being made in purpose build factories on site at the south portal, located just inside the M25. During their first 3.6 miles, Florence and Cecilia have installed more than 20,000 separate segments combined, each weighing around 8.5 tonnes.

Approximately 2.7 million cubic metres of material will be excavated during the construction of the tunnels and used for landscaping on the south portal site. Once construction is complete, this will help create around 90 hectares of wildlife-rich chalk grassland habitats. Chalk grassland used to be widespread across the hills of south east England and are considered habitat of international conservation significance with just 700ha left across the Chilterns.

In total there will be ten TBMs on the HS2 project – working to create 64 miles

of tunnel between London and the West Midlands including major tunnels on the approach to London and Birmingham.

Three machines have been launched so far.

Chiltern Tunnel north portal At the end of March HS2 revealed the designs for the north portal of the Chiltern Tunnel, which has been specially designed to cut noise from trains entering and exiting the project's longest tunnel at speeds of up to 320 kph.

Two perforated concrete hoods will cover the track, extending the ten-milelong tunnel into the open air. These ‘porous portals’ will avoid sudden changes in air pressure – and resulting noise – caused by trains entering and exiting the tunnels.

Set low into the landscape between Great Missenden and South Heath in Buckinghamshire, the portals will only be visible from a footbridge over the railway to the north.

To allow for the different levels of air pressure, the portal for trains entering the tunnel will be 220 metres long, while the one for those exiting will be just 135 metres. Both will have smooth concrete on top and textured concrete to a low level, to reduce staining and maintenance.

Alongside the portals, there will also be a simple single-storey ancillary building to house mechanical and electrical equipment. HS2 are currently seeking views from the community about the final design, with options including a green roof, split louvred or anodised aluminium façade.

The structures have been designed and will be built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor Align JV – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick.

Work is well underway, with two enormous 2,000 tonnes tunnel boring

| 77 TUNNELLING FEATURE| 77

machines heading north from the south portal to excavate the twin-bore tunnels.

They reached Chalfont St Peter last week and are expected to breakthrough at the north portal in two years’ time.

To the north of the tunnel, the new high-speed line will be set into a cutting for 1.8 miles on its approach to the Wendover Dean Viaduct, with more than 20 hectares of new woodland, shrubs and

wildflowers planted to help blend the railway into the surrounding countryside.

The species chosen will be typical to the Chilterns including Beech, Oak, Yew, Holly and Dog Rose.

Across this stretch of the line, six new bridges will cross the railway cutting, linking country lanes and historic footpaths to the east and west. New planting will also link existing ancient

HS2 Minister – Andrew Stephenson Speaking to Parliament at the end of March, HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson said: ‘Good progress has also been made on tunnelling activities. Additionally, HS2 Ltd has advanced its earthworks. Maintaining construction progress depends on the detailed design and consents needed to support a further very significant increase in civil works on earthworks and structures in 2022.

‘The main areas of schedule focus remain in the southern section of the line-of-route and tunnels leading into Old Oak Common Station from outer London, which form the critical path for initial services. Any delays in these sectors could delay the whole project. Other key watch areas include Bromford Tunnel, Birmingham Curzon Street

woodlands alongside of the line, boosting biodiversity and connecting and enhancing existing wildlife habitats.

The surface route to the north of the tunnels, is being built by another of HS2’s main works contracts, EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and Bam Nuttall.

Station and the route into Birmingham where the urban environment generates significant logistical challenges.

‘Over the next six months we will continue the rampup of construction work, launch the fourth TBM on the programme to start excavation of the London tunnels and we will see HS2 Ltd award a contract for the construction of Interchange Station.

‘At Old Oak Common Station, significant progress has been made in constructing the 750,000 metres-cubed box structure that will facilitate the six subterranean high-speed line platforms, as well as the works required to facilitate the start of tunnel boring to Euston in the east and Northolt in the west.’

Rail Professional

HS2 and the use of Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats, working towards sustainable construction

T

he theme of sustainability and carbon reduction is currently a huge driver for change across multiple sectors. Here in Britain, the Government has legally committed the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

It is estimated that the construction industry accounts for around 45 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. As a result, the construction industry must find ways of improving its practices for more sustainable operations. HS2 Ltd is taking significant steps to reduce the impact of their construction work on the environment.

GCCMs (Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats) for the rail sector The cement industry is one of the two largest producers of CO₂. It is estimated that around 4.1 billion tonnes of cement were produced in 2020, along with a resulting 1.5 billion tonnes of CO₂.

Concrete Canvas Ltd’s Technical Manager, Lee Church says: ‘Concrete has been around for thousands of years. We’re aware that it produces carbon but you can’t just stop using concrete; it’s an essential building material, so we just need to be a bit more selective and creative in how we use it.

That’s where GCCMs come in.’

GCCMs are used for erosion control and weed suppression applications across multiple sectors worldwide. One of the Rail Professional

largest markets for GCCMs in the UK is the Rail sector. For HS2, GCCMs were specified over ST4 poured concrete to line crest perimeter drainage channels – the material’s biggest use for the rail network in the UK over the last ten years.

Crest drainage is typically required to prevent saturation of embankments and potential slip onto a track below as a result. On Compound 1 the application was required to prevent flooding of the site.

GCCMs have been specified for numerous projects within the HS2 scheme as a temporary solution, replacing ST4 poured concrete with the channels designed to be removed when the compounds are no longer required.

Broadly, use of the environmentally friendly, lower carbon alternative to traditional concrete for HS2 is contributing to reduction of the scheme’s carbon footprint. In simple figures, a lifecycle report from Ricardo Energy and Environment (Ricardo) compared the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of lining a channel in an 8mm Type II GCCM (as specified by ASTM D8364) versus using 150mm of ST4 poured concrete and found that the GCCM has a GWP 45 per cent less than that of the ST4 poured concrete.

More specifically, GCCMs assist in protecting the scheme’s construction environments, as well as reducing waste and carbon emissions through transportation.

A bulk roll of a Type II GCCM is the equivalent of two 6m³ ready-mix concrete trucks.

What is sustainable construction?

Environment HS2 Ltd are working to deliver Britain’s biggest environmental project through ‘miles of ecological and landscape investments’ in England.

To date, 60 new habitats have been created along the route, including grasslands, ponds and plantings to wildlife.

In addition, 350,000 trees have been planted as part of the objective to plant a total of seven million trees and shrubs along the route over the course of the project.

GCCMs are a fantastic, environmentally friendly, lower carbon solution for durable concrete applications, without the mess associated with the installation of poured and sprayed concretes due to rebound or potential environmental damage as a result of the cement content.

Materials and waste HS2 plans to use the chalk that will be excavated during boring of the Chiltern tunnels to create and plant a new habitat at such a scale – drastically reducing waste associated with the tunnel boring.

Further waste reduction on the site was provided by the unique properties of a GCCM. Lee Church explains: ‘One bulk roll of our CC8™ material is the equivalent of two 6m³ ready-mix concrete trucks. Our material is supplied dry, so, you’re not premixing it then transporting it to site and it’s a lot lighter, quicker and easier to install,

TUNNELLING |

79

A bulk roll of a Type II GCCM being installed.

One of the largest markets for GCCMs in the UK is the Rail sector.

and then you just use the available water sources that you have nearby to hydrate the material.’

Why use Type II GCCMs for HS2?

Invented and manufactured with the environment in mind, GCCMs have a low washout rate, low alkaline reserve and phthalate free PVC to minimise

environmental impact. Furthermore, the top surface promotes growth of carbon neutralising organisms. The installation process itself is capable of entirely eliminating material waste.

In assisting the journey to carbon neutrality on Britain’s biggest infrastructure project, Concrete Canvas is simultaneously helping to work towards the UK’s aim to

The fibrous top surface layer of Concrete Canvas is the perfect surface for the growth of moss and algae, particularly in channel lining applications in the UK climate.

achieve net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 by providing a solution capable of contributing to a more sustainable construction industry.

For further information, get in touch via the contact information below.

Tel: 0345 680 1908 Visit: www.concretecanvas.com Rail Professional

VIEWPOINT FEATURE | |

81

Cyber resilience for rail during heighted threat levels As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, Minesh Pandya, Principal – Cybersecurity & Risk at HKA explains why it is more important than ever to maintain cyber resilience

S

afety is the priority in the rail industry and the importance of ensuring cyber resilience to help secure control centres, stations, trains and data centres is amplified during elevated threat levels.

Cyberattacks have continued to rise as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. During these times of increased cyber warfare, global governments have issued notices advising their citizens and organisations to remain vigilant and take steps to improve cyber resilience.

Critical infrastructure is under threat.

Russian threat actors have a history of launching cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure. In March this year, the USA revealed a previously sealed indictment from August 2021 that brought criminal charges against four Russian government officials. Between 2012 and 2018, the USA have alleged that the attackers engaged in two major hacking campaigns that targeted critical infrastructure and affected thousands of computers across 135 countries.

More recently, in February 2022, hacktivists (a group that launches cyberattack on systems for social or political purposes) claim to have allegedly breached rail traffic controls systems in Belarus, claiming that this was an attempt to disrupt Russian soldiers moving into Ukraine.

Hackers were able to render critical systems used for routing and switching inoperable by encrypting the data stored on them (ransomware), causing some trains to be stopped in the cities of Minsk and Orsha.

Several Belarus rail websites were also inaccessible as a result of the cyber-attack.

The rail cyber-attack threat is noteworthy because it may represent an advancement in the methods and motivations associated with hacktivists in the past. Hacktivists have previously been seen using basic, widely available tools to launch cyber-attacks using the tactics such as of doxing (leaking confidential information), disruption and defacement. This latest attack represents a higher level of sophistication in tools and a greater effort in intelligence gathering in

order to launch the ransomware in a more targeted fashion. The rail industry is on high alert as a result of recent more sophisticated cyber-attacks and a long history of statesponsored attacks on critical infrastructure.

Addressing cyber risks in the rail industry While there are immediate tactical actions that can be taken during heightened threat levels, which we will discuss in the next section, it is prudent to take the opportunity to review overall risk registers to ensure identified risks are treated appropriately.

For example, the externally facing business service that hasn’t been security patched, or areas of the business with ingress points that aren’t strictly access controlled, monitored, and logged. Now is the time to reassess and properly treat these risks in order to reduce the risk of cyber-attack.

From a strategic standpoint, effective risk management and governance, like in other industries, is essential to mitigate cyber security risk. It is critical to escalate cyber security risks that cannot be adequately treated to gain visibility and sponsorship at the appropriate senior level. The following are some areas that should be reviewed from a risk management perspective for rail in a high-threat situation: • Interfaces and connected systems.

• Legacy systems.

• Third parties.

Interfaces and connected systems As a result of digitisation control centres, trains, stations, signalling, power systems control, trackside monitoring and back-end data centres are becoming more connected.

Large control centres, for example, now provide an efficient single location for rail network management and monitoring, but system segregation in these locations is vital to protect against external threats from access to the rail network.

These advancements in technology increase the attack surface and, as a result, the points of entry for a potential attacker.

To reduce the risk of unauthorised access, it is important to ensure all entry points are

strictly controlled, and strong two-factor authentication is used for remote access into the network.

Legacy systems Legacy systems were traditionally seen as a support function to safety and ticketing systems, they were not refreshed as frequently when compared to other industries, posing real risk to the rail industry. Robust asset management will help identify these systems and ensure they are adequately protected.

Third parties Rail companies typically outsource their IT capabilities to a third party, it’s critical to not only review your contractual agreements to ensure the third party complies with your security policies for protecting systems and data, but also to manage the risk posed by the third party.

Immediate actions to take to improve cyber resilience The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published guidance on what organisations should do when the cyber threat level is heightened, which can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ guidance/actions-to-take-when-the-cyberthreat-is-heightened.

It is recommended these items are used Rail Professional

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| VIEWPOINT

as a foundation for a tactical action list, with a goal to immediately address them and ensure that priority is given to resolve these items over other business activities.

Five key considerations and practical tactical measures include: • • • • •

Review and remediate exposure.

Protect systems and access.

Tune up defences.

Prepare to respond.

Communicate and keep up to date.

Review and remediate exposure Vulnerability scan internet facing systems and resolve identified vulnerabilities and unnecessary information disclosure. Ensure all domains and sub-domains that belong to your organisation are identified and secured, including domain registry data.

Protect systems and access Check all systems and devices for the latest vendor patches and firmware. Review legacy rail systems and disable services that are not necessary. Ensure unique passwords from staff that are not shared across other non-business systems. Review and remove unused and old user and service accounts and ensure the principle of least privilege

is maintained. Ensure strong multi-factor authentication for remote access to all business applications.

Tune up defences Review logging, monitoring and alerting arrangement to ensure all critical applications and systems are included. Use threat hunting to actively protect networks against applicable rail specific advanced threats that evade existing security solutions. Ensure anti-virus is installed, up-to-date and installed on all systems.

Check firewall rules are as strong as possible only allowing necessary port and service specific traffic between only those systems necessary.

Prepare to respond Review backup arrangements and ensure offline copies are recent enough to recover from a cyber-attack. Check your incident response plan is up to date, practiced and has all the necessary contact information and escalation points.

Communicate and keep up to date Brief your wider organisation and ensure that the heightened threat level is understood so that buy in can be achieved

to help undertake the tactical and strategic actions required. Ensure all staff are aware of the threat of phishing emails and how to report them. Keep up to date on the latest cyber threat information as threats will rapidly evolve their tactics and techniques during a heighted threat level.

As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated, it is more important than ever to maintain cyber resilience in order to prevent the disruption of safety critical systems.

These tactical items, combined with the previous strategic risk management themes for rail, will help to ensure cyber resilience and, ultimately, customer and employee safety during times of increased threat levels.

Minesh Pandya is an experienced senior executive and trusted industry advisor with over 15 years industry experience leading high-performing technical and non-technical teams, with global responsibility for all system security and data, protecting corporate intellectual property and personal information. Minesh has successfully delivered large-scale Cyber and IT transformation programmes, adding significant business value and reducing cyber risk.

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| BRIDGES AND TUNNELS

Innovative sealing solutions for the rail industry Roxtec Ltd is the British and Irish subsidiary of the Swedish-headquartered Roxtec Group which has a long history of supporting rail infrastructure projects around the world

F

ounded in the garage of entrepreneur Mikael Blomqvist in the Swedish city of Karlskrona in 1990, the business has grown to become the world leader within sealing solutions for cable and pipe transits.

Today the group has in excess of 250 registered product certificates and more than 500 registered tests and approvals and is active in more than 80 markets around the globe. With a team of 20, based in Bury, Greater Manchester, the UK operation’s turnover is more than £7 million and it is on the track for continued growth.

Within the rail industry, Roxtec products can be found everywhere from London Underground to Sydney’s metropolitan rail network. Its seals are used to protect people and assets wherever pipes, cables or conduits need to pass through walls, floors, foundations and bulkheads, as well as into cabinets, enclosures and junction boxes.

Flexible sealing products are used on board rolling stock and as part of rail infrastructure projects, protecting life and assets against multiple hazards, and ensuring operational reliability.

In the UK, the manufacturer is preparing to ramp up production this year after landing multiple orders from train maker Alstom.

It is now supplying Alstom on several high-profile rail projects including multimillion-pound upgrades to train fleets for the West Midlands, South Western Railway and Greater Anglia.

The business has also won new orders from Alstom to supply its £100 millionplus deal to deliver new trains for c2c, which operates across south Essex and east London.

The relationship with Alstom is longstanding and the firm also supplied Bombardier Transportation, the rolling stock business that Alstom acquired in 2021.

The bespoke designed parts Roxtec is supplying Alstom include seals for the Rail Professional

carriage-to-carriage power cables and rooftop pantograph terminal boxes. The seals serve as a barrier against water, fire, dust, moisture and oil. Its seals are also being used for general environmental sealing and strain relief and retention on board the trains.

David Chalmers, Divisional Manager, Infrastructure and Industry, Roxtec Ltd, explains the company is working closely with Alstom to create cost effective designs, including using aluminium to reduce weight.

He says: ‘We will see acceleration in these rail projects in 2022 and that’s going to have a positive impact on our business as we look towards the next twelve months. It is going to be a very busy time for us, and we are ready to step up to meet the demands from our clients.’

He adds: ‘Alstom chose us because of the quality we deliver. Our products have exceptional durability, over 15 years to seal the cables over their lifespan, plus they are easy to install and maintain.’

Last year it was announced that Roxtec was undertaking an extensive sixfigure deal to help upgrade the London Underground.

The £5 billion Four Lines Modernisation project (4LM), which launched in 2016, aims to update the Tube network’s Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines with hi-tech signalling equipment capable of boosting the frequency of trains and cutting down on delays.

That project has seen 51 new signalling rooms created, as well as equipment to house signalling cabinets along the 161 kilometres of track, with Roxtec products sealing cables going into and out of these buildings and cabinets.

David Chalmers says: ‘Each station’s signal equipment room or removable electrical building is individually designed, and twelve variants of our rectangular and round frames were chosen to cover all station requirements.’

The 4LM project will enable the introduction of 192 longer S-stock trains

which will run closer together. With 32 trains an hour, it is estimated that this will result in a 33 per cent increase in peakhour capacity by 2023.

Other recent key UK projects the business has been involved in include delivering heavy-duty cable seal solutions for Network Rail’s London Bridge Station. The firm has also played a part in pioneering schemes such as Crossrail’s new Elizabeth line for London and the South East, and through the supply of cable and pipe seals for use within tunnels, substations, flood defences and signalling infrastructure as part of the UK’s HS2 project.

It has also supported several highprofile rail infrastructure projects across Europe.

Commissioned in late 2020, the Ceneri Base Tunnel is part of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), created to allow more passenger and freight trains to run through the Alps, with shorter travel times.

The company’s cable transits were chosen to seal the pressure-tight control cabinets in the tunnel’s cross passages and technical niches.

Strict safety standards combined with the particularly demanding tunnel environment mean all components must be capable of handling considerable

BRIDGES AND TUNNELS FEATURE | |

temperature differences, high humidity and extreme dust loads.

Since passenger and freight trains pass through the Ceneri tunnel at speeds of up to 250 kph, components must also be able to withstand enormous pressure

and suction loads. The 16 kilometre-long Øresund Link is a combined bridge and tunnel connection, providing a road and rail link between Malmö in Sweden and the Danish capital Copenhagen.

The Roxtec sealing system was chosen

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to support the routing of cables and pipes along the link and seal the many openings.

Its products also feature on board trains using the link. David Chalmers says: ‘The company is proud to be playing a role in so many high-profile rail sector projects across the world.

‘It is incredibly rewarding to know that our seals are helping to keep people safe and vital transport infrastructure operational in what are often highly demanding environments.’

He adds: ‘We have seen sustained growth in the rail sector, with increased demand for our solutions across the infrastructure and rolling stock markets.

We are looking at further opportunities in the sector, utilising all our rail industry experience and knowledge. We believe there are strong opportunities out there.’

Roxtec has a Triple-A credit rating and is actively expanding into new areas offering innovative and safe sealing solutions to a variety of industries.

Tel: 0161 761 5280 Email: info@uk.roxtec.com Visit: www.roxtec.com/uk UK Address: Waterfold Business Park, Bury

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Roxtec cable, pipe and conduit seals protect your rail assets from water damage, fire, smoke, rodents, vibration and electromagnetic interference. o Certified and engineered solutions o Simple to design, specify, install and maintain o Built-in spare capacity for the future

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| 87 BRIDGES FEATURE| 87

River level monitoring lowers bridge scour risk Engineers at Transport Scotland have investigated the potential for water level monitoring systems to help mitigate risks where transport infrastructure interacts with moving water

T

he trial was conducted at a bridge over Vales Burn near Hawick in Scotland, and the monitoring equipment was provided by OTT HydroMet. OTT’s Wendy Strain says: ‘The system was set to deliver alarms at pre-set water levels, which enhanced the timing and efficiency of site inspections.’

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as storms and floods. This presents a growing threat to structures that could be susceptible to scour during periods

of high water flow. The trial was therefore established to determine whether access to remote water level measurements could enhance the protection of critical transport infrastructure.

Background The stability and integrity of structures such as bridges, culverts and walls can be compromised by ‘bridge scour’ which is caused by fast-flowing water that removes material from around the footings of bridge abutments or piers.

There are three main types of scour. Local scour is caused by the faster water flow that occurs around piers and abutments.

Constriction scour is created by water accelerating through a narrow opening, and degradation scour can lower a river bed over a longer period, both upstream and downstream of a structure.

The effects of bridge scour can be disastrous. For example, during a flood in 1987, the Glanrhyd Bridge in Carmarthenshire partially collapsed, causing a train to plunge into the River Towy, killing

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| 89 BRIDGES FEATURE| 89

The OTT HydroMet Group The OTT HydroMet Group manufactures products that enable water professionals to monitor the planet's most precious resource. Through the delivery of accurate reliable data, OTT's instruments and services provide essential tools to help protect the environment.

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the driver and three of the passengers. In 2009, failure of the Malahide Viaduct in Dublin, Ireland was caused by foundation scour. Two commuter trains packed with hundreds of passengers were just seconds away from disaster when a 20-metre section of the viaduct collapsed after they passed over it. Nobody was killed, but travel chaos ensued.

Today, highways and rail authorities conduct regular inspections in order to asses scour risk.

Bridge scour in Scotland Transport Scotland is split into four operational regions, and Jim Brown is South East Unit Bridge Manager. Prior to this position, Jim spent 42 years as a civil engineer with Network Rail, 13 years of which he headed the geotechnical discipline in Scotland – so it is fair to say that Jim knows a thing or two about bridge scour.

‘The most important objective is the early detection of increased risk’ Jim explains.

‘Once we have established which structures are more vulnerable during flooding, we are able to implement different levels of mitigation.

‘Much research has been undertaken in an attempt to be able to monitor scour, but this is obviously problematic because potential scour takes place at times when it is not possible to see the riverbed and certainly not possible to deploy divers’ Jim adds. ‘For this reason, the continuous monitoring of water level is not the perfect solution, but may be the best and most practicable.’

Water level is already used as a risk factor by the inspection teams where the 1 in 200 flood level is shown on structures by a fixed marker. However, Transport Scotland have to monitor 700 structures which are over or adjacent to water, and site inspections are costly; both financially and in resources. The inspection system could therefore be more efficient if it could be informed by remotely available water level data, especially if the data enables faster, more efficient implementation of mitigation measures.

If a structure is determined to be high risk, a hydrological assessment is undertaken. This may prompt a requirement for strengthening of the structure itself, as well as measures to protect or fill potential scour zones, and/or to alter water flow and disrupt vortices. In extreme cases, when a potentially vulnerable structure is exposed to high water, it may be necessary to close highways or rail lines until the level of risk can be lowered.

Vales Burn trial In light of the potential for live water level data to inform the bridge inspection process, OTT HydroMet was invited to propose a monitoring system that could be evaluated at a culvert on the Vales Burn. ‘Our solution was comprised of an OTT ecoLog 1000 water level logger in a stilling well, with cellular data connection to Hydromet Cloud; a webenabled platform for processing, displaying and storing hydrometeorological data’ explains Wendy Strain. ‘Data were set to be transmitted routinely every 6 hours, but two alarm levels were set to prompt SMS alerts,

when necessary.’

The monitoring system was installed in September 2021, and Jim Brown says: ‘The trial is a great success; we utilise the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) flood alert warnings to monitor flooding and it has been our experience that the highest water levels generally occur about one or two days after a storm, so one of the main objectives of the trial was to determine the best time to despatch inspection staff.

‘The monitors did issue alerts during the trial, but these were when levels met the lower alarm level, and in these cases, further interventions were not required. With the benefit of water level data, we will therefore be able to optimise the deployment of the inspection teams and mitigate risk’ Jim adds.

Summary Bridge scour is a long-standing problem for transport infrastructure, so the deployment of remote water level monitors/ alarms that can be accessed via PCs or a mobile App offers rail and highway authorities an opportunity to optimise their scour assessment activities, prioritise countermeasures, improve transport resilience and protect safety.

Reflecting on the trial Jim said: ‘This project has shown that a network of water level monitors could inform bridge engineers of potentially affected structures.

I understand that the Hydromet Cloud platform is able to connect with an almost infinite number of water level monitors, so we may be able to roll this out on a larger scale in the future.’

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Butts Bridge Enhancement Anchor Systems’ Vulcan anchors were used to stabilise bridge abutments on the A339

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nchor Systems (International) Ltd were called in to help with a large project as part of the South Alton Masterplan in Hampshire. The Butts Bridge Scheme included road, railway and bridge improvements required to facilitate the delivery of essential new housing in Alton. This included the replacement of Butts Bridge which carries the Mid Hants Railway, known as the Watercress Line, over the A339. The original Victorian brick arched railway bridge was demolished and replaced with a new wide span steel bridge to allow the road to be widened, removing a notorious traffic bottleneck.

The replacement bridge, which was designed by Jubb Consulting Engineers Ltd, incorporated steep sloped embankments on the approaches to the abutments which needed to be reinforced and stabilised.

Contractor Knights Brown approached Anchor Systems for advice to determine the correct anchor to meet the load requirements specified, while also meeting a 120 year design life. To ensure the factor of safety was within acceptable limits over the long term, geotechnical engineers specified a system of mechanical ground anchors combined with a suitable geotextile covering. It was determined that 120 no.

Vulcan AS-30 316 stainless steel anchor

Rail Professional

systems would be suitable. These were fitted with 4m of 12mm stainless steel tendon installed to a depth of 4m, with the specified Greenax revegetation and erosion control mesh placed over the slope. This was then held in place with Vulcan AS-10 stainless steel anchors driven through the integral steel mesh.

Mechanical ground anchors, such as Anchor Systems’ Vulcan range, are routinely used to stabilise slopes, either in made ground like railway and bridge embankments or in natural ground in cuttings or in foundation excavations.

Site restrictions meant that part of the installation works, carried out by Hartmann Construction for Anchor Systems, had to be achieved using a handheld hydraulic breaker operated from an access platform.

The simple installation process meant high production rates were achieved by a twoperson team. The anchors were then proof loaded to the specified 10kN and locked off at 6kN using a battery powered pump and hollow hydraulic cylinder.

Full and final testing deemed the design was within the agreed safety limits and the project was concluded successfully. Once the entire scheme was completed, the Flying Scotsman marked the official re-opening of the bridge.

The Vulcan Earth Anchor range was

designed by Anchor Systems (International) Ltd as a simple, reliable and cost-effective ground anchoring solution with the ability to provide immediate loading capacities from 1 - 450kN, in displaceable ground conditions and can be used in an extensive range of applications. The concept involves a specially designed earth anchor with a larger surface area, attached to high yield tie bars or tendons to suit a variety of conditions, being driven into the ground where it is locked in position. The tensile load is applied, and the exposed end locked off and terminated. With their ease of use and speed of installation, Vulcan Earth Anchors provide a time and cost saving alternative to more traditional means of anchoring, particularly where tight programme schedules are involved. This, combined with the wide range of sizes available means that the Vulcan Earth Anchor has gained recognition across a vast array of applications internationally. Anchor Systems believes it is the only manufacturer which can provide complete stainless steel anchors and claims to have the largest range of anchors in the world.

Tel: 01342 719 362 Email: info@anchorsystems.co.uk Visit: www.anchorsystems.co.uk

| 91 BRIDGES FEATURE| 91

Project specifications • Location: Alton, Hampshire • End Client: Homes England • Principle Contractor: Knights Brown • Principal designer: Jubb Consulting Engineers Ltd • Specialist Installer: Hartmann Construction • Product: 120 no. Vulcan AS-30 316 stainless steel anchor systems fitted with four metres of 12mm stainless steel tendon, with Greenax revegetation and erosion control mesh held in place with Vulcan AS10 stainless steel anchors.

Testimonials Rob Harrhy – Managing Director, Jubb: ‘The bridge to be replaced sat close to a second bridge structure on the same track which was to be retained and this interface complicated the scheme design. Connecting these two structures was a curved façade retaining wall supporting the railway embankment on the south side and this also needed replacement as part of the scheme.

This was made difficult by the presence of a public sewer at depth beneath the wall and also the adjacent bridge structure which necessitated a creative ground engineering solution to avoid deep foundations.

‘Existing land take was limited leading to the need for a steep (45 degrees) north facing embankment adjacent to Butts Green between the new and retained bridges.

Global stability analysis was undertaken using Plaxis which determined the need to re-construct the embankment using imported Class 6I structural fill material reinforced with a 5.5-metre long geogrid at 0.9-metre horizontal spacing. Geocell facing material was used over the slope face in order to control surface erosion and aid the re-establishment of vegetation.

‘Due to the sensitivity of the existing bridge being retained, we were keen to minimise excavation of the North facing embankment slope to maintain as much support to the existing abutment as possible. This created an interface between the retained, in situ, embankment and the newly imported Class 6I fill which had to be treated. We had concerns over the integrity of the retained slope so chose to stabilise this as part of the works using driven dead man anchors to provide additional support. A reinforced wire netting was used to transfer the anchor forces into the slope and the geo-cell facing used across the entire embankment slope area to establish a uniform and stable slope’ Paul Day – Managing Director, Hartmann Construction: ‘We were able to install 120no.

AS-30 Vulcan earth anchors with a twoman team over a two working week period, using a combination of 8t excavator and handheld equipment. The handheld was used where we couldn’t reach with the excavator with the use of handheld installation and loading plant. A cherry picker was used to allow access to each anchor location for installation via hydraulic breaker and loading/setting of anchor via a hydraulic ram and calibrated test gauge to the designed load of 10kN (locked off at 6kN). A mechanical earth anchor system eradicated the need for any wet trades and curing times meaning the anchors were instantly active. Handheld equipment reduced the requirement for any heavy machinery/plant needed on site which helped with limited space on site as well as environmental factors such as transporting large plant.’

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From a single team of specialist divers to nationwide civil engineering From starting out as a small diving contractor more than 45 years ago, Kaymac has evolved into one of the UKs largest commercial diving and marine civil engineering contractors

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| 93 BRIDGES FEATURE| 93

K

aymac was founded in 1976, and is currently led by Managing Director, Gareth Crees. Mr Crees returned from Saudi Arabia where he worked as a diver on the oil rigs, and then as a sub-contract specialist diver in the UK, before buying the ownership of Kaymac Diving in 1988. The company started out primarily supplying underwater engineering services and diving inspections for British Rail, and this experience proved pivotal in his new role as MD of Kaymac during the late 1980s because he was able to secure fixed-term contracts with Network Rail that would prove crucial to the business at that time. Later, with increasing demands from clients for work other than diving and marine operations, the decision was made to enter into a new field: land-based civil engineering. The introduction was a direct result of experience gained in the marine engineering sector, and in 1994 the company was registered as Kaymac Marine & Civil Engineering Ltd. to encompass all business attributes. As Kaymac's reputation grew, especially for its knowledge and expertise in water, so did the business and the projects it was approached for.

The first critical project awarded to Kaymac The first pivotal project delivered under Gareth's leadership was the diving contract for constructing the Second Severn Crossing, which is now known as The Prince of Wales Bridge. Kaymac were commissioned by Joint Venture Lang GTM to assist in the caisson preparation prior to concrete pours for the construction of the piers in 1992. Kaymac was the sole diving contractor on the project, navigating a twelve-metre tidal range and short bottom times for divers during slack water. Following the successful delivery of this project, Kaymac was then awarded work at the Cardiff Bay Barrage during the mid-1990s.

Multi-disciplined team Over the years Kaymac has grown significantly and now delivers multidisciplined schemes across waterway infrastructure and the UK rail network.

Due to their experience and expertise in controlling water flow, Kaymac can deliver unique turnkey solutions to construction challenges within watercourses.

This has enabled Kaymac to integrate its offering, and work as a specialist subcontractor on larger schemes to Network Rail Tier 1 delivery partners as well as Principal Contractors. Some notable rail projects that Kaymac have been involved with include the following: Lllanbrynmair Railway Bridge, Powys, mid-Wales Kaymac carried out essential masonry repairs, abutment strengthening and improved scour protection works to ensure the safety of the bridge, without disrupting services; eliminating downtime for rail users.

Edenbridge, Kent An emergency project where Kaymac were commissioned to devise a solution to strengthen the structure without closing the track. The solution was to install a HDPE liner though the structure and fill the annulus with micro concrete.

St Julian’s Viaduct, Newport, Gwent Kaymac designed and installed a working platform for preparatory works and repairs to be carried out safely by various contractors on the treacherous tidal River Usk. Spey Viaduct, near Inverness, Scotland Installation of fabric formwork scour protection system underwater to the abutment of this historic bridge by a team of inhouse divers which was the only feasible option due to the depth of the river and time constraints.

Redbridge Viaduct in Galashiels, Scotland Here the team undertook a complex scour protection project that involved removal of riverbed material between the piers and the installation of a scour mattress to protect the structure from the fast-flowing River Tweed. You may have seen this on television last year because it featured in episode three of Britain’s Scenic Railways on Channel 4.

Kiachnish Bridge, near Fort William, Scotland in 2022 This was the most recent scour protection project and groundbreaking because the work was carried out during the winter.

Undertaking such perilous work in the winter is usually unheard of but even the harshest weather Scotland had to offer couldn’t stop the Kaymac team from succeeding in this impressive feat.

Going off track and winning awards Kaymac are not just rail engineering specialists and have an equally impressive portfolio of work and clients in civil engineering, coastal and inland waterways, confined space services and diving operations. To give an indication of how diverse and specialised their areas of expertise are here are a couple of examples of award-winning projects outside of rail engineering: On the coastal engineering front and energy sector, Kaymac were contracted to install a fish deterrent system at Pembroke Power Station in West Wales, which is the biggest gas-powered power station in Europe, they received an award for ‘Excellence’ and a plaque to commemorate the inauguration of the power station in 2012.

The Swansea Tawe Barrage project comprised of scour protection for the quay wall above and below the waterline, refurbishing the main barrage lock gates and installation of new post and rail fencing.

The work was undertaken with a mutidisciplined approach and was completed on schedule and within budget, which resulted in Kaymac winning a prestigious ‘Best Project’ award at the Marine & Coastal Civils Exhibition in 2019.

Most recently, following the unprecedented flood conditions experienced in early 2020, structures across the UK’s watercourses had been left in dilapidated states, with asset owners determining whether repairs can be undertaken safely, or in some cases whether a full structural demolition is required. The Grade II listed structure at Escob West was such a structure earmarked for demolition before Kaymac were given another great Rail Professional

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opportunity to showcase their innovative approach to solving complex in-water engineering problems. Kaymac saved the bridge with a creative temporary works and repair solution that saw them win the National Bridges Awards 2021 Category: The Bridges Award for New Life – Project Below £5 million.

Managing Director Gareth Crees is understandably proud of the team’s achievements and says: ‘Kaymac has evolved from a diving contractor to a multi-disciplined civil and marine contractor due to this demand; with our experience in controlling water, coupled with our accreditations and highly trained professionals, we have proudly become leaders in our field.’

Gareth has seen numerous changes to the industry since the 1980s, although the high standards that the rail industry holds with regards to health and safety has been one constant. One of the big differences is the effect of global warming, as Gareth explains: ‘We have noticed more frequent extreme weather conditions and seasonal changes.

Climate change appears to have put a strain on infrastructure around watercourses, and in recent years more remedial works have been needed to keep the rail network running safely.’

Minimising environmental impacts Protecting the natural environment is at the heart of everything Kaymac does.

From carrying out environmental impact assessments, as in the case of the Cardiff Barrage development to protect wading birds, to installing an aeration system to pump oxygen to protect algae and other aquatic plants to ensure healthy fish stock levels. Kaymac has also been instrumental in protecting the habitat of other wildlife such as in the creation of otter runs and fish passes.

Investing in staff Gareth had the ambition and vision to grow the business from the early days and explains what was key in achieving that: ‘People must be aware that diving is only a means to get to the job. From the beginning, Rail Professional

Kaymac’s specialist services include: • Commercial diving operations • Scour protection • Culvert repairs and re-lining • Confined space engineering • Repair of timber structures • Concrete repairs and bridge strengthening • Design and installation of floating access systems • Flood alleviation • Design and installation of temporary works within watercourses • Inspections and surveys I realised that because we are predominantly marine contractors, the diver or confined space operative must have the appropriate skills to repair the structure underwater or in a challenging environment.

‘It was always my intention to ensure that my employees have the best training and career progression opportunities to allow our people to grow with the company. Investing in our people is Kaymac’s core value; we endeavour to have multi-skilled homegrown talent, which has proved successful as we have very low staff turnover.’

The training that Gareth refers to above ensures staff have all the necessary qualifications in an ever-changing industry and they have been providing apprenticeship opportunities for the past 20 years. In fact, Kaymac are the only company in the UK that provides a Commercial Diving Apprenticeship scheme and the apprentices are given positions within Kaymac upon qualifying. One of their recent apprentices was Highly Commended at the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Wales annual awards.

The future is bright Kaymac will continue to provide a safe and reliable service for the rail industry, working with Network Rail’s delivery partners to repair and maintain assets while minimising downtime for rail users and ensuring a safe route. The team will look to grow the

business in other industry sectors including water utilities, marine ports and harbours and environmental sectors. Their aim is to diversify their workforce and continue to provide an innovative and collaborative work environment.

‘In five years, we will celebrate 50 years of trading as a significant specialist player in the UK. We will continue to deliver specialist services throughout the whole of the UK, not only delivering planned capital schemes but continuing to deliver high-quality emergency and call-out responses.

‘I am incredibly proud of the workforce we have developed over the last 35 years and our contribution to the industry, and I am pleased to still have traditional family values.’

The business recently underwent restructuring to optimise growth opportunities and prepare for succession planning. Jeff Lippiett has been made Operations Director, Rhys Colcombe, Projects Director and Rhiannon CreesMoore, Marketing & Business Development Director. The total number of employees working across its three sites is now 52.

With Gareth at the helm, supported by an experienced senior leadership team and a highly-skilled and dedicated workforce driving the business forward, who knows how far Kaymac can go.

Tel: 01792 301818 Email: Rhiannon.Crees-Moore@kaymacltd.co.uk Visit: www.kaymacmarine.co.uk

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London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce Historian Sam Mullins OBE takes us on a tour of a new exhibition at the London Transport Museum

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he Museum at Covent Garden is not only a great day out but the base for the educational and heritage charity’s learning programmes across every London borough, the Acton Depot collections centre, road and rail heritage operations and Hidden London tours of disused Tube stations.

These activities contribute 80 per cent of LTM’s budget from self-generated income, building on the foundation of an annual grant from parent company Transport for London (TfL). With LTM’s operations closed down or limited by Covid restrictions

Rail Professional

and our parent company TfL on sporadic and grudging financial life support from government, the past two years have proved to be an existential challenge.

Our recovery strategy was to make the best of the hand we held to convince supporters and funders to stick with us.

During the initial lockdown, our educational programmes to schools promoting safety and citizenship were switched to digital delivery, our Hidden London tours went virtual and online, we developed fresh content for our YouTube channel and website and saw business in our web

shop develop very fast. Digital activity demanded new skills but enabled us to fly the flag from the Museum while most were working from home.

Planning for reopening was a welcome distraction during three lockdowns. We recognised that our visitors would be keen to return to real experiences and that while the Museum itself would need to be visibly sanitised, that experience would need to be normal, and above all fresh and engaging.

We were determined to bounce back better; the London’s Transport at War gallery was rebuilt for the September 2020 reopening,

| 97 TRANSPORT LEGACY FEATURE| 97

while the popular Hidden London exhibition was extended.

For 2022, a major documentary and collecting project, Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce, has been realised in an exhibition that opened in February. This has been an opportunity to revisit the histories of the men and women who were recruited directly from the Caribbean to keep the Capital moving in the 1950s and 60s.

In 1948, Britain had granted the status of British Subject to citizens of the UK and Colonies. Britain benefited greatly from those making the difficult 7,000-kilometres journey to London, which had started with the docking of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury in 1948. The former deep shelter at Clapham South had become a shortlived hostel after the war, and over two hundred of the men on the Windrush were accommodated temporarily for a week or two while they secured jobs and homes.

From 1956 to 1970 LT recruited about 6,000 employees directly from the Caribbean to the UK. The experiences of new recruits are explored in a re-edited short film by Jefferson Bannis called Arrival which revisits interviews with direct recruits from the Caribbean shot for the Museum in 1994, along with some of the original advertising posters created to drum up interest for vacancies back in London.

London Transport had found it increasingly difficult since the war to recruit

operational staff; recruitment in Ireland and Malta had not filled the gap. So, in 1956, Charles Gomm was despatched to Barbados to recruit men and women as drivers, conductors and canteen staff, at the invitation of the Barbadian government.

Many new recruits answered the call to help the ‘mother country’ and found themselves translated from sunshine and limited job opportunities in the Caribbean to regular work in the cold and wet of 1950s London.

The new Caribbean recruits arrived with high hopes of life in Britain but were shocked to be faced with hostility and racism and struggled to find places to live.

The voices of early Caribbean arrivals are captured in evocative quotes that form part of the display; Ruel Moseley, a bus conductor recruited from Barbados in 1959, recalls: ‘You were not used to sharing five to a room.

However poor you were in Barbados you were not used to sharing a room… I cried like a baby the first week I was here.’

New recruits worked as bus conductors, station staff and canteen assistants and in track maintenance and building work.

Though most were skilled and well-educated, they were obliged to take basic, low-paid work and often found promotion difficult due to pervasive racism. Homesickness and the cold weather also made the lives of new arrivals difficult. Yet despite these great challenges, many enjoyed their work and thrived. New social and sports clubs were set up, such as the London Transport Caribbean

Association, which helped with everything from holidays to assistance with funerals in the Caribbean.

A new short film entitled Bite your tongue by Comfort Adeneye and Emmanuel Adeneye, 2022, commissioned by London Transport Museum, draws upon a real account of passenger hostility experienced by a Caribbean recruit working for London Transport. Framed as a conversation between two colleagues, it highlights the challenges of adjusting to a new city on the job and the expectation of self-restraint dealing with passengers.

Most of the initial Caribbean recruits were men, but women also took up jobs at LT, especially in the numerous canteens that in 1956 helped to feed 87,000 staff.

Historical images of Caribbean women working in the canteens illustrate life in these staff restaurants and a Syllabus of Training for Cooks manual shows a typical day, with its mix of lectures and practical work. These new cooks soon introduced new Caribbean flavours and recipes to the traditional British food.

Such an important story with such influence on London demanded an approach that gave a formative voice to the lived experience of three generations of Londoners with a Caribbean background.

An Advisory Board with Caribbean heritage was recruited, many of whom work for TfL, to open up collaboration with a range of communities across London. The Advisory Rail Professional

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Board also advised exhibition curators on the narrative, object selection, language and tone, and design, as well as the wider Museum team on promotion of the exhibition, events and the development of sessions for schools. Members loaned heirlooms and photographs, and contributed new oral histories to the exhibition. The enthusiasm, ideas and feedback of the Advisory Board members were vital to the project - it would not have been possible or credible without them.

The Museum also worked with Museum and, The National Caribbean Heritage Museum, for advice on language and culture and the TfL Raising Awareness of Culture and Ethnicity (RACE) Staff Network Group, who generously shared their resources and expertise. Up-and-coming filmmakers were commissioned to create new short films for the exhibition and Hannah Stevens, our Khadija Saye Photography Fellow, was commissioned to take portrait photographs of the new oral history interviewees.

LTM’s mission is to inspire curiosity in how London has been and continues to be shaped by its transport network. We take this to mean not only innovations in vehicles and services, but also the social and economic impact of mobility on the Capital.

The direct recruitment from the Caribbean from 1956 to 1970 kept the Capital moving and brought new food, great music and Carnival to London.

We saw the benefits of this new approach brilliantly demonstrated at the exhibition preview. The many groups and individuals who had created the exhibition with us were invited and they brought friends and parents to celebrate their story. I have never seen such a diverse party for an opening, with Caribbean food, a steel band and a great playlist. As our guests streamed into the exhibition, I overheard someone say; ‘who would have thought twenty years ago we would see our story up in this Museum’.

We are very proud to have been trusted with telling this history and that our collaborators see it as their story.

There are still so many stories yet to be told, and as the exhibition is open for more than two years, we look forward to adding new material over time. We’re also building on our work with the Advisory Board and deepening our relations with Caribbean communities and TfL colleagues.

Sam Mullins OBE is a historian with a passion for museums, their narratives and their potential as spaces for education, engagement and entertainment. Since witnessing the last days of steam in 1960s Salisbury, he has led the creation and development of museums in Shropshire, Leicestershire and St Albans. As director of London Transport Museum (LTM) since 1994, Sam has led the continuous development of the world’s leading museum of urban transport, for which he was honoured in 2019.

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Railway Touchscreen Monitors Axiomtek’s EN 50155 12.1” and 10.4” Railway Touchscreen Monitors – P712 and P710

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xiomtek – a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacturing of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency – is pleased to introduce its P712 and P710, the 12.1-inch and 10.4-inch EN 50155 and EN 45545 certified touchscreen monitors designed specifically for railway applications. These durable railway touchscreen monitors support a wide operating temperature range of -25°C to +55°C and have an IP65-rated aluminum front bezel for water and dust resistance.

The P712 and P710 have an XGA display with a resistive touchscreen, 600/500 nits of high brightness and a wide viewing angle.

With their rugged yet user-friendly design, these railway displays provide customers

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with multiple video inputs including VGA, DVI-D and HDMI. The exceptional P712 and P710 offer an optimal user experience for rolling stock applications under harsh ambient conditions.

Axiomtek’s P712 and P710 are specifically designed to serve the complex needs of the railway sector, which have to work stably and reliably at all times even under extreme conditions such as temperature fluctuations and rail vibrations. Vibration resistance in accordance with EN 61373 Category 1, Class B and interference immunity in accordance with EN 50121-3-2 Table 1, the robust railway touchscreen monitors can work perfectly while trains are rolling.

The P712 and P710 also offer onscreen display (OSD) control on the front bezel, which allows users to easily adjust on-screen images. It also comes with a

sunlight-readable high brightness display and light sensor for auto-dimming, capable of performing well in any sunlight changes or semi-outdoor environment. With its wide viewing angle feature, train drivers can easily read and never miss any information.

The P712 and P710 both support fullrange DC power input from 24V DC to 110V DC for railway applications. These touch displays offer flexible mounting options including VESA and panel mounting. Other I/O connectivity includes one M12 A-coded male 5-pin DC in, one multi-function of T/S and remote control, and one Line-in.

For more product information or customization services, please visit the global website at www.axiomtek.com or contact a sales representative at info@axiomtek.com.tw.

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Advanced Features of P712 and P710 • • • •

12.1” and 10.4" XGA TFT LCD EN 50155 and EN 45545 certified rail-grade touchscreen monitor Wide viewing angle and high brightness of 600/500 nits Support VGA, DVI-D, and HDMI

• Light sensor for auto-dimming • Typical 24 to 110 VDC wide power input range • -25°C to +55°C wide temperature range • Support 5 OSD keys on the front bezel

Tel: 0161 209 3680 Email: info@axiomtek.co.uk Visit: www.axiomtek.com Rail Professional

rail mancHe finance

RMF is a leading provider of railway reservation based international settlement and clearing services, providing sophisticated revenue and cost allocation, including business critical management information

6th Floor (part), Kings Place, 90 York Way London N1 9AG, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7042 9961 david.hiscock@rmf.co.uk

www.rmf.co.uk Rail Professional

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Rail Edge Computing World leading design and manufacture of mobile computing platforms

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UGGED MOBILE Systems are a long standing partner and UK distributor for NEXCOM Inc – a world leader in the design and manufacture of mobile computing platforms that include an extensive range of solutions specifically developed and certified for use on rolling stock.

The NEXCOM range is continually extended to keep abreast of the latest technical advances in computer technology, ensuring these advances are available for the benefit of on-train applications including: train security; safety and operational management; train telematics and asset monitoring; passenger information and entertainment; driver cab information support and train communication infrastructure etc.

These computing platforms meet strict criteria for EMC (electro-magnetic compatibility), operating temperature ranges, shock, vibration, and power input

performance that the rail industry has defined for any electronic equipment installed on rolling stock. They meet Rail Standards, including general standard EN50155, fire safety standard EN-45545-2, plus rail power standards.

The nROK systems range from the entry level nROK 1020-A with Intel Atom cpu’s to nROK7251 and nROK7252 Series with powerful Intel® i7 9th Generation and Xeon cpu’s, with up to 64GB RAM. The nROK systems all have -40oC to +70oC (OT4) operating temperature ranges, and some are sealed to IP65 or IP67.

The AI edge accelerator aROK systems are specifically for rail artificial intelligence applications, employing artificial neural networks, machine vision and machine learning.

Delivering ‘Inference At The Edge’ is NEXCOM’s goal to help developers to deal with mass computational-intensive processes efficiently and accurately and

avoid the need to do it centrally in the cloud.

The aROK 5510 19-inch 2U Rackmount AI Intelligent Railway Computer supports high powered NVIDIA® AI GPU’s modules closely coupled with Intel® i7 9th Generation and Xeon cpu’s, providing up to 128GB RAM. The aROK 8110 Scalable Expansion AI Intelligent Railway Computer has similar performance to the aROK 5510 with alternative form factor and more PCIe module support.

With this wealth of rail focussed computing products and experience, along-side a proven configuration and customisation service, RUGGED MOBILE Systems and NEXCOM are ideal partners for any on-train computing project.

Visit us at Railtex/Infrarail 2022 on Stand E71.

Tel: +44 (0) 1691 900222 Email: sales@rm-systems.co.uk Visit: www.ruggedmobilesystems.co.uk

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Recruiting the best: consultancy skills for recruiting specialist roles Jo Lawrence, Business Development Director at the Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) shares consultancy work that helps rail operators to identify the best talent for either unique specialist roles or large-scale recruitment programmes

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he OPC has been working in the rail industry for 30 years, bringing insights, fair and robust assessment processes and a wide array of assessment tools to both UK and international rail and transport organisations. They are specialists in safetycritical performance and role selection, and Rail Professional

human factors work. They work alongside clients to deliver successful and costeffective talent acquisition solutions that are unique and tailored to rail and transport organisation’s needs.

Over the years the OPC has supported high volume recruitment programmes for many generic, standard safety-critical

roles, such as Train Drivers, Conductors, and/or Shunters etc. Some of these highvolume campaigns can involve recruiting from a global applicant pool. However, the OPC is increasingly being asked to assist in the development and delivery of bespoke selection for some very unique, specialist roles. These might include roles that are

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recruited less frequently e.g., part time Tram Drivers, Heritage rail roles or one-off highlevel appointments such as Directors, or Operational Standards Managers etc So, what are some of the important factors to consider for each of these types of recruitment?

Large scale recruitment drives In the OPC’s experience, some important factors that can be considered are: • • • •

Fair international recruitment standards.

Setting realistic selection standards.

Determining the pool.

Maximising the candidate experience.

Fair international recruitment standards Achieving commonality across geographical regions can be a challenge. For example, some operators may run large scale recruitment programmes for Train Drivers as an example, where they will advertise and look to recruit experienced drivers from a global talent pool. The challenge can be assembling a common recruitment standard for a fair comparison of all candidates. This is important when candidates may have been recruited using different operational standards in their own locality.

Setting realistic selection standards When recruiting from a global talent pool, it’s important that applicant screening allows quality candidates to get through each stage. However, crucially this needs to be balanced with a recruiter’s safety-critical performance standards still being met and maintained. The aim is always to recruit the very best, bearing in mind that some applicants may have been selected using differing standards elsewhere. Ensuring a wide and even global applicant pool allows existing drivers to work and flourish in overseas train companies.

Determining the pool The size, diversity and quality of an applicant pool is an important consideration. This will determine the attraction strategy. The OPC may advise on an attraction strategy that encourages an applicant pool that is as diverse as possible – it is important to ensure breadth across gender, ethnicity, age, social economic status, and sexual orientation as well as encouraging social mobility, etc. This is particularly important for organisations that believe the diversity of their existing employee profile may be too narrow.

Pipeline fill is also important when considering the size of the applicant pool.

It’s important to ensure there are enough successful candidates through each of the selection stages to deliver a high-quality short list from which to choose the final and best candidates. Ideally the OPC like their clients to be spoilt for choice, rather than them feeling there are only a handful of good candidates to choose from – risking selection decisions ‘just to fill’ a post.

Maximising the candidate experience In large scale recruitment drives, it’s easy to lose the individuality of candidates.

They may feel like just a number; it can be very impersonal with a lengthy process that has little or no results feedback.

Often candidates can be left not knowing the outcome, potentially leading to them having a poor perception of the recruiting organisation. If a candidate has invested time and effort in an application, then it’s important to provide them with timely and valuable feedback on their progress – whether successful or otherwise. This can be achieved by setting ‘time targets’ at each stage of the process, for when candidates receive a response. Wherever possible feedback should be personal and bespoke to their performance. This helps them journey through the selection process with confidence. If a candidate is unsuccessful, feedback helps provide advice and guidance for future applications; either for the same or similar roles within that organisation or for a different transport provider.

Recruiting for unique, specialist roles As the OPC specialises in safety critical performance, clients often approach them for help to recruit some roles that have special skills or unique qualities about them. For example, Operations Standards Managers, or Safety Directors. The OPC will spend a lot of time listening and discussing with a client before landing on the best process. The OPC’s aim is to adopt the best process that will help select the best employee who will perform the role to the highest safety standards.

Exploring the requirements of the role It’s really important to explore the requirements of the role, the number to select – whether one or more, timescales for

recruitment and whether there are internal or external opportunities. We need to understand the key characteristics that an excellent employee will need to have in order to do the job to the highest safety standard.

Thorough job analysis, observation, questionnaires or interview techniques or reviewing existing role profiles can help uncover the key characteristics of a role.

If the role is unique and new, OPC Psychologists and expert Assessors can pull experience from other organisations and roles they’ve worked with where there has been a similar function or activity to create an initial job profile. Discussions with the client’s managers and other team members can help to inform and refine it further.

Once the key competencies are identified, deciding on an assessment tool matrix for the selection process can follow.

Identifying candidate aptitude for a new role with little or no experience of it What do we do when a role is totally unique or candidates applying have no previous experience or expertise? In this case it is very important to choose the correct set of assessment tools that will assess for potential and aptitude rather than exploring existing experience and expertise. For example, if we are recruiting for Train Driver managers then we could have a talent pool of applicants who know how to drive a train but have no experience of leading a team of drivers, encouraging, nurturing and training them. So, we need a robust set of assessment tools that can identify leadership and managerial potential, even if the individual has never displayed those in their existing role. The same can apply for a post that is new and novel.

Drawing up an assessment tool matrix Whether or not we are working on a mass Rail Professional

Discover potential.

Drive performance.

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recruitment process recruiting hundreds of employees to fill a specific role or we are recruiting for one unique appointment, the assessment tool selection process is the same.

We want to pick ‘winner’ assessment tools that will really tap into the key qualities and personal competencies required for safe and effective performance.

Once a clear job profile with key characteristics and personal competencies has been decided upon, the assessment tool matrix can be put together. This will match each of the required personal characteristics, behaviours, and Non-Technical skills (NTS) with corresponding appropriate assessment tools. A matrix may include a range of tools e.g., psychometrics, such as ability tests, personality questionnaires, situational judgement tests (SJT), role plays and/ or work sample exercises. So, for example

way in delivering excellent customer experience. They were in start-up mode but were expected to expand their services dramatically over the next few years. Their desire was to recruit and retain the best people who could deliver excellent customer service. They also aspired to ‘grow their own’ people, promoting from within, for a new senior post of Operations Trainer drawing on a selection pool from frontline roles.

OPC Assessment Psychologist, Emily Wong, reviewed the job profile provided and recommended a shortlist of possible online assessment tools that could be used to help select the best Operations Trainer. The opportunity to trial and experience some of the proposed assessment tools online helped inform the rail managers’ decisions about what to use.

The following short list of assessment tools were decided on.

by OPC Business Psychologist and bureau expert Rebecca Holmes. She provided results for each candidate and their assessment tool scores, ranking them in an easy-touse and understand A-D grading system.

An OPC Psychologist then talked through the assessment results in detail with the recruiters via a ‘Teams’ session. The client used and applied the assessment results to help inform their final interviews and enrich their selection decision. The feedback from the client was really positive. From receipt of the client’s Operations Trainer role profile, it took just 14 working days to provide the assessment results back to the client.

How much can be achieved remotely in a short timescale despite a difference of 9,000 miles and very different time zones!

Jo Lawrence, Business Development Director at the OPC concluded by saying:

AN ASSESSMENT TOOL MATRIX Selection Assessment Tool

Skills Assessed

The Rules Acquisition Aptitude Test (RAAT)

Helps identify the ability to understand, reason with and follow written rules, regulations and procedures.

The Customer Service Numerical Test (CSNT)

Assesses the ability to understand and reason with customer service related numerical information.

The Customer Service Situations Test (CSS)

A situational judgement exercise that helps to identifying the potential to deliver excellent customer service.

The Core Abstract Reasoning Test (CoreA)

Assesses general intellectual ability and the ability to reason with abstract information to find solutions.

The Railway Situational Judgement Test (RSJT)

Helps determine the potential to follow rules, undertake key checks and demonstrate safety awareness in a rail environment.

© Copyright 2020 The Occupational Psychology Centre Ltd

if we need an employee to have excellent customer focus skills, we might pick a role play exercise assessing for customer service aptitude. If we are recruiting for a Safety Director, role that requires the ability to motivate and inspire others, we might use an SJT that measures people management and leadership potential.

Case study Recently, the OPC worked with a new rail company operating in Australasia supporting them with the recruitment of key and specialised personnel. The company was a private enterprise operating in a predominately public transport environment. As an organisation they were keen to ‘stand out’ and lead the

Emily said: ‘The client believed the assessment tool matrix really enhanced their selection process. It helped reinforce and affirm the recruiters’ perceptions about each candidate’s existing work performance.

In addition, it helped inform future development needs. Not only for those candidates who were successful through the process, but also for those candidates who were unsuccessful, this time. The process was also valuable for those who might apply again in the future.’

In this case, the assessment tools were delivered online, in a supervised environment to a small number of internal candidates – at their workplace, which was some distance from the UK! The candidates’ assessment tools were scored immediately

‘The OPC’s in-house bureau service can provide a team of Psychologists and trained Assessors who will work alongside global clients to oversee any sized project – whether large scale recruitment or specialist bespoke roles. We aim to ease the strain! We can support our talent acquisition clients through the entire selection process, helping provide a top-quality short-list of candidates to get the best and safest employees into a role. Time and distance are not limiting factors for us!’

Tel: +44 (0)1923 23 46 46 Email: admin@theopc.co.uk Visit www.theopc.co.uk Rail Professional

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Developing VLR Further plans for very light rail connections in Stourbridge

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he Class 139 Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicles have proven themselves to be an incredibly reliable and suitable solution to enable local connectivity within.

The Stourbridge Shuttle operation utilises the Branch line between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction, acting as a short feeder route into the wider UK network.

Since Pre Metro launched operations on this line in 2009, patronage and reliability have risen year after year.

Before Covid restrictions, the short route carried 650,000 passengers per year and operated with an annual Public Performance Measure of 99.6 per cent, making it the most reliable service on Network Rail. At up to 50 per cent of the standard operating cost of conventional rail services and with cheaper infrastructure and maintenance costs, creating connectivity with the wider railway network through VLR can now be an effective and sustainable way to expand

public transport availability.

Pre Metro Operations is now planning to further establish a foundation for VLR in Dudley by repurposing one of the two existing freight rail lines between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill, Pre Metro has designed a cost-effective passenger service to provide much-needed access to Amblecote, Brettell Lane, Merry Hill and Brierley Hill town centre. The so-call ‘Dudley Dasher’ would provide excellent mainline and light rail connectivity with the future West Midlands Metro link to Brierley Hill.

This scheme is just one of the many building blocks needed to meet the continuing demand for new quality homes, services, and jobs in the area, and could also support the reintroduction of the Pensnett branch line. The local train operator is determined to push forward with the feasibility studies and is hopeful that the West Midland Combined Authority will assist. Local support from Stourbridge MP

Suzanne Webb and Dudley South MP Mike Wood has also been reaffirmed.

Mr Wood said: ‘Work on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension is now firmly underway, so I think it’s only sensible that we work with partners such as Pre Metro to identify ways of further expanding the local light rail network to better connect our towns. Connecting Brierley Hill and Stourbridge using the Dasher would help people get around the local area – relieving pressure on our busy roads and potentially offering a further boost to our towns. This would be good for local people, and good for the local economy.’

The Pre Metro team is already engaging with vehicle manufacturers, the West Midlands Rail Executive and Network Rail, believing this to be a ‘quick win’ for the region and with the ambition of being able to launch services within a two-year timeframe.

Working with leading UK transport companies and investors to provide low-cost light rail solutions.

• Specialists in VLR and LRT establishment • Consultation, and operation services

• Targeting carbon zero 16 years of operations • Over experience

Pre Metro Operations Ltd, Regent House, 56 Hagley Road, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 1QD

Tel: 01384 441325 Email: info@premetro.org Website: www.premetro.co.uk pre-metro-operations-limited

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Improving the odds with 10:1 input DC-DC converters A single solution for use in every situation is extremely attractive, but there are always compromises; in terms of the cost, size, and performance of the device, advises John Stone, Marketing Director at Relec Electronics

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oday’s switching power supplies can easily cope with a 4:1 input range which means that a single unit can operate at 80per cent of the 110Vac range (88V) and 120per cent of the 230V limit (264V).

DC inputs tend to focus around standard battery voltages (12V, 24V, 48V, 72V, and 110Vdc, with 72V and 110Vdc). Designers will be familiar with 4:1 input products, covering either 12V and 24V, or 24V and 48V, but products are being introduced that can, in theory, cope with all of these supply voltages in a single range.

Elements to consider Designers need to consider several factors in their choice of DC-DC converter. The first is size – how much larger is single unit solution compared to discreet solutions for different input voltages?

Secondly, will the lower efficiency impact the reliability of a system though higher component temperatures?

Finally, does the simplified bill of materials (BoM) lead to lower costs given the higher costs of the converter?

Let us take a 100W converter with an input range of 16.8V to 154V as an example.

It covers 24V input systems down to 70per cent of the nominal (16.8V) and 110V input systems, incorporating a 140per cent surge (154Vdc).

The input current could range from 1.01A to 6.6A, yet the switching transistors must be able to accommodate the system’s peak voltages and peak currents. Losses in a MOSFET are dominated by the resistance of the transistor when it is in its ‘On’ state (RDSon). RDSon tends to be lower for devices with lower working voltages but with an ultra-wide input product, the transistor dimensions should be considered for the highest possible input. Bear in mind that losses in the main switching transistors could be 40 times higher than at the lowest input range.

For the filter components, especially

common-mode and differential inductors, chokes with higher inductance at lower voltages are typically needed but they should be designed for a worst-case scenario at both minimum and maximum voltages, which could result in much larger chokes.

Designing in protection The input fuse/breaker needs to be able to cope with the high nominal currents at low input voltages, but a high dc voltage rating limits choices. The output fuse might be considered with a reverse-biased diode or transorb, as part of a reverse polarity protection system. Given the high nominal currents at low input voltages, there is a possibility that the fuse simply won’t blow if the input is connected incorrectly.

If active polarity protection is preferred, a series diode may suffice but the requirement for a high voltage as well as a high current rating means the devices could be large, expensive, and inefficient.

For a 100W converter, input capacitors need to work continuously at 154V, therefore 200V ratings should be considered a minimum. For the system to keep running for 20mS if the input supply disappears, the input capacitors must be able to power the DC-DC from a nominal 24V down to 16.8V, which equates to a minimum of 15000uF. Rating the capacitors for a 24V system at 200V will take up considerable real estate.

Many, but not all, wide input converters incorporate a boost stage that has a higher voltage intermediate bus which helps to mitigate this problem but users should be aware that many don’t.

Power dissipation / losses Most ultra-wide input converters suffer at lower input voltages due to the inefficiency of the switching transistors. A typical unit might have an efficiency of 90per cent at 110V in but this can drop to 85per cent at 24V or as low as 82per cent at 16.8V, which is the bottom end of the continuous range for 24V. The heat dissipated in the system

A 100W 40V - 160V input converter (left) and a 50W 16.8 - 160V converter (right).

A typical custom assembly of a 10:1 input DC-DC converter.

dictates larger heatsinks, occupying more real estate.

In summary, covering all inputs is possible, but the unit may be more expensive or exhibit more heat dissipation. Relec can bring its 40+ years of experience in power design to reduce costs by going for bespoke input ranges and can provide solutions offering more power without increasing the space required. It can provide guidance on the pros and cons of alternative options to maximise reliability and optimise cost.

Relec Electronics Relec Electronics is a specialist in power conversion and display products, representing leading brand names including Mornsun in power conversion alongside Bel Power, Chinfa, Cotek and Premium with key display partners, Digiwise and RockTouch.

For over 40 years, Relec Electronics has worked closely with key suppliers and specialises in a wide range of industry sectors, including automotive, industrial, transportation, instrumentation and defence.

A team of dedicated engineers is ready to support customers throughout the design process. The company carries stock of all standard modules and accessories for next day delivery. Relec’s team of specialist advisers can refine an initial specification for a given application to include bespoke features to meet the needs of a particular design or project.

In December 2020, Relec Electroics became been a UK subsidiary of Gresham Worldwide.

Tel: 01929 555700 Email: sales@relec.co.uk Visit: www.relec.co.uk Rail Professional

SBL-Rail Delivering repowering feasibility studies to railway operators worldwide • Powertrain modelling • Route simulations • Packaging studies • CAD modelling

Contact us: info@sbl-rail.co.uk|www.sbl-rail.co.uk

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Dual fuel locomotive concepts unveiled G-volution and SBL-Rail present dual fuel evolution concepts of the Class 37, Class 59 and Class 66 locomotives, representative of Type 3 and Type 5 locomotives respectively and their operations

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opportunity to use advanced combustion control strategies and compliance with the latest emission standards.

The original diesel tank/s of the locomotives are replaced with a smaller diesel tank and cylinders for biomethane or biopropane or hydrogen are installed in place of part of the original diesel tank. A range of fuel tank solutions were developed for each fuel, including using a number of smaller cylinders or instead using fewer larger cylinders. An example solution is shown in the figures below for each locomotive type.

Biomethane can be manufactured by anaerobic digestion of organic waste streams e.g. food, farm and sewage waste and there are currently 670 such biomethane production plants in the UK. It is a renewable fuel replacement for natural gas. Biopropane can be manufactured through a number of different routes from biomass or through biological routes and is a renewable fuel replacement for LPG

(Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

The diesel component used in dual fuelling could too be replaced in due course by renewable biodiesel. Whilst biodiesel could be used alone in place of fossil fuel diesel fuel this does little to lower tailpipe emissions other than carbon dioxide – biodiesel also being a net zero carbon emission fuel. Dual fuelling lowers particulate emissions as well. If a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is fitted, the engine thus spends less time working against an increased back pressure as the DPF fills, fewer DPF regenerations are then needed thus improving engine efficiency and further lowering fuel consumption.

Route simulations were completed using OTMR provided by operators of these locomotives and in combination with dual fuel engine models based on G-volution’s dual fuel combustion research to date. Results are shown in the table below. Hydrogen results assume green hydrogen is used.

Carbon savings percentage (%)

Operating cost savings percentage (%)

Diesel-biomethane

67

58

Diesel-biopropane

64

55

Diesel-hydrogen

66

44

Diesel-biomethane

51

29

Diesel-biopropane

42

21

Diesel-hydrogen

49

7

Diesel-biomethane

81

39

Diesel-biopropane

71

26

Diesel-hydrogen

79

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ual fuel engines use compression ignition and combust two fuels simultaneously. This work shows how diesel fuel can be displaced by renewable net zero carbon emission fuels. G-volution has been developing dual fuel engines since 2008 and now shows how this technology can benefit UK freight locomotives.

The concepts presented use diesel with biomethane, diesel with biopropane and diesel with hydrogen. The Class 37’s English Electric 12CSVT and the Class 66’s EMD 12-710 engines are replaced by new dual fuel engines developed by G-volution and meeting the Stage V emission standard. A twin engine concept Class 59 and Class 66 using two smaller new dual fuel engines has also been developed as well as a dual fuel evolution of the Class 66’s original EMD 12710 engine. Whilst the locomotives’ original engines could also be evolved to dual fuel, modern engines offer higher efficiency, the Class 37 – New dual fuel engine

Class 66 – New dual fuel engine

Class 66 – EMD dual fuel evolution

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+44 (0)1332 343 585 enquiries@signet-solutions.com www.signet-solutions.com

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-For the Class 66, the new four stroke dual fuel engine offers a ten per cent improvement in fuel consumption versus the original two stroke EMD engine. For the Class 37, the new dual fuel engine offers a 13 per cent improvement in fuel consumption versus the original English Electric 12CSVT. Whilst the dual fuel evolution of the EMD engine offers higher replacement rates of diesel, this two stroke engine is less efficient than the new four stroke dual fuel engines and also doesn’t meet the latest Stage V emission standards.

On an energy equivalent basis, biomethane is 0.47 times the price of diesel,

biopropane is 0.58 times the price of diesel and hydrogen is currently 1.3 times (using natural gas) to 6 times (using electrolysis) the price of diesel. Hence the negative cost savings for the EMD hydrogen dual fuel evolution. The new dual fuel hydrogen engines offer positive cost savings primarily due to these engines’ improved efficiency over the original engine thus overall lowered operating costs. Biomethane and biopropane dual fuel engines offer significant carbon and cost savings versus diesel. Hydrogen also has the potential to do this once produced from renewable sources and once it is much cheaper than it is today.

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Please note that this report is based on 2020 fuel prices. Whilst diesel prices are expected to rise in the future, biomethane and biopropane are disconnected from the crude oil price and their prices are expected to fall as production volumes continue to ramp up. Green hydrogen made through electrolysis relies on renewable electricity and requires electricity prices to fall (or diesel prices to rise even further) for it to offer operating costs savings over diesel.

Email: info@sbl-rail.co.uk Visit: www.g-volution.co.uk, www.sbl-rail.co.uk

Figure 1 – Class 37 dual fuel concept by G-volution and SBL-Rail

Figure 2 – Class 66 dual fuel concept by G-volution and SBL-Rail

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Sector reform is opportunity to adapt safely and sustainably Rail body RSSB is helping the government and industry to reform the rail sector and realise its full potential

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t’s a mixed metaphor, but Britain’s railways really are at the crossroads.

Do they embrace the challenges ahead and adapt to help re-grow the UK economy, or do they recoil and shrink their influence in the nation’s transport system?

In 2021, the Government published its White Paper – the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. It was originally designed to help industry and government re-align and optimise performance in the face of higher demand. Then the Covid pandemic added an extra challenge, bringing profound impacts on when and why people choose to travel. Sector reform is certainly needed, and maybe now is exactly the right time to press the reset button.

A key component of the Williams-Shapps Plan is the introduction of a new organisation, Great British Railways, which will be the guiding mind for public policy and the delivery of the railway to its customers. The effect will be a unified, coherent face of rail that is more easily understood, and combines the relevant responsibilities for implementing public policy, infrastructure management and service design. The complexity, which has perhaps baffled the media and travelling public alike, will still be there, but will be better ordered behindthe-scenes, encouraging private sector innovation and supply chain collaboration.

Influencing all this will be the first key output of the Williams-Shapps Plan, the Whole Industry Strategic Plan (WISP), due to be published later in 2022.

That’s the theory. Naturally there is still a lot of uncertainty about the scale and pace of the changes, but things are starting to take shape. RSSB as the rail industry’s collaboration hub and its independent safety, standards, and research body, is

Safety, standards, research and crossindustry collaboration need to stay at the heart of the way sector enables change and improvements. So, RSSB is working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team, as well as other key influencers on the

helping galvanise the debate and inform, support and deliver the right changes. The design of the new rail structure is being developed via the DfT Rail Transformation Programme which is supported by the sector through a Design Authority. This includes RSSB’s Director of Sector Strategy, Vaibhav Puri. The Design Authority is essentially a group of industry experts representing different parts of the sector and reports to the Rail Transformation Programme Board, which in turn reports to the Secretary of State.

changes, including the Design Authority, Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

In the years since RSSB was set up, Britain’s railway has become one of the safest in the world. But only because of a constant mantra to avoid complacency and retain vigilance using the right data, research and foresight. This focuses interventions on the right risks at the right time. As a result, while undeniably safe, there are many long-standing and emerging risks which have the potential to cause harm Rail Professional

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and dent rail’s ability to perform for its customers, to which policy makers, funders and leaders must be alert. They need to be informed, engaged and active.

To address this RSSB has been busy providing its own independent insights to help manage the risks associated with large-scale structural change, and support the DfT, ORR and the sector in validating what is changing and how it can directly or indirectly impact safety and what to do about it. The result should mean that the overall balance of power, and the design of roles, responsibilities and relationships are set at the right levels. That means industry can have faith in the approach and increase trust and buy-in.

There’s also a need for the rail industry to continue pursuing its operational and strategic objectives – to get on with the job – even while change is happening. So RSSB is continuing to help its members get the best out of key services and resources. These include (for example) its data insights and tools to manage signals passed at danger (SPADs). The Red Aspect Approaches To Signals (RAATS) toolkit allows companies to understand the SPAD risk of individual signals and target intervention where it’s most needed.

Standards continue to be a staple part of RSSB’s offer. By codifying and documenting good practice, reviewed authentically and authoritatively by industry peers, rail has access to ready-made solutions to aid reliability, safety and performance.

Technical experts are on hand to assist with implementation. They unpack the intricacy of the various levels of law, regulation and standards to help GB rail avoid unnecessary cost and delay, while still becoming safer and more sustainable.

Research is also still relied on as a means of solving shared problems where no one organisation owns the whole risk nor has the commercial inclination to solve on its own. RSSB’s R&D programme continues to inform the content and shape of new standards, but as the work is all governed by the same hub of industry collaboration, results can be published and made available to organisations more quickly, allowing early adopters to get the benefits even before a new standard is published.

All this work comes with the added benefit of being rooted in independent analysis, avoiding any unconscious bias or conflict of interest, be it political or commercial, that simply cannot be avoided, no matter how honest the

intention, if led by one particular element within the industry.

The process is also helping to ensure RSSB itself can adapt to the new structure.

The body has worked hard to examine its own efficiency as a business, and ensure it remains focussed on the goals of its paying members. This has included developing more capacity for training and consultancy services for organisations in the UK and overseas who have a stake in rail or simply want access to the learning and resources that RSSB has to offer. The revenue provides additional funding for RSSB’s work, reducing the cost for the core membership.

It's clear that rail will need to continued access to an independent and authoritative source of data, research and good practice, ensuring it does not lose sight of standards, safety, efficiency and sustainability.

For more information get in touch via the contact information below.

Visit: www.rssb.co.uk

T: 02030 316 511 info@rcusolutions.co.uk www.rcusolutions.co.uk

A HELPING HAND TO PUT YOUR PROJECT ON THE RIGHT TRACK. We offer a fresh approach to the rail, construction and utilities sectors without compromising on quality or safety.

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The Smart DPPS™: Renowned as the global market leading depot protection system, the SMART DPPS™ delivers physical protection from vehicle movements to rail depot staff whilst providing visual and audible warnings.

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• Protects staff and equipment • Ensures safe and controlled movement of rail vehicles into and out of the depot • Allows train maintenance operations to be conducted without endangering the safety of staff or damaging infrastructure

Tel: +44 (0)114 230 0822

It is: • Fully configurable, flexible and functional • Proven in use and installed globally • Capable of interfacing with third party equipment including signalling systems.

• Adaptable to the safe requirements of the depot info@zonegreen.co.uk

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Assessing rail depots risks The risks that face rail maintenance staff during their day-to-day work are undeniable; high speed vehicles, high voltage electricity and powerful machinery combine to make modern depots potentially deadly places to work

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his is further compounded by the growing number of vehicles on the network, leading, mounting pressure on operators and a desire to achieve ‘pitstop style’ servicing. Concerningly, RSSB data shows there has been no notable reduction in workforce harm at rail depots in the last five years.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is because the risks are already low. The safety board’s latest Annual Health and Safety Report showed depots accounted for 20 per cent of all workforce harm in 2020/21 and a third of all fatalities in the last five years.

So why do depots continue to expose workers to such high levels of risk and why is the industry not placing greater emphasis on reducing potential threats to worker safety?

Technology has an important role to play It is often the case that accidents are caused by human actions, and unfortunately given the circumstances and surroundings, a mistake in a depot is more likely to have a serious impact than it would in a different environment.

Modern technology is an important part of the answer for Britain’s depots.

Innovative systems such as Zonegreen’s SMART Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) offer solutions that provide added safety controls and communications which help ensure that any human errors do not end in disaster.

DPPS allows the safe and effective control of vehicles in depots, using intuitive technology to automate safety and remove the human element. It physically eliminates the risks posed by SPADs, overhead lines and high-powered equipment, making it easy to set up safe areas in which to work, where it is impossible for staff to be harmed by decision errors or lapses in communication.

RFID tags identify when an individual is working on a maintenance road, whilst Network Rail approved powered derailers protect them from unexpected train movements. The system also incorporates klaxons and beacons to provide audible and visual warnings of moving vehicles.

Analysis of depot safety In order to achieve the operational throughput required by the network, whilst keeping

the risk to staff as low as is reasonably possible, the safety requirements of maintenance depots must be fully evaluated.

A reliability assessment is a statistical process for applying historical failure data to the proposed design and configuration of safety systems. The result is known as the Safety Integrity Level (SIL) and is defined as the relative risk reduction provided by the technology. In simple terms, SIL is a measurement of the performance required for a safety instrumented function to be appropriate.

An impartial assessment determined that for a depot protection system to allow safe vehicle movements around maintenance facilities, it should meet the demands of SIL 2. In order to demonstrate compliance, the system needs to be assessed in full and both hardware and software must be developed in line with recommended techniques and measures from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Sheffield-based rail safety specialists, Zonegreen, work tirelessly to develop ways to reduce risk in maintenance facilities. To this end, their flagship Depot Personnel Protection System (DPPS) has been SIL 2 certified.

The functional assessment carried out covered the whole system and the results were conclusive. Its hardware and software has been independently assessed as satisfying the clauses of IEC61508 to the rigour and content required by a SIL2 integrity requirement.

DPPS has been specifically designed to mitigate the risks faced by maintenance staff and because it is an off the shelf product that is configured to each depot layout,

every installation now comes with the reassurance of SIL 2.

Safety Workshops at Railtex Zonegreen will be showcasing its marketleading DPPS at Railtex this year, on stand D17 at Olympia in London, from May 10-12. Throughout the event, the firm’s technical director and global expert in depot protection, Christian Fletcher, will be delivering informative and educational workshops about the risks to staff in maintenance depots.

To register your interest in attending Zonegreen’s Railtex workshops or for more information about its suite of safety systems, get in touch via the contact information below.

Tel: 0114 230 0822 Email: info@zonegreen.co.uk Visit: www.zonegreen.co.uk Twitter: @zonegreen Rail Professional

KEEP ON TRACK Bender is a leading authority in electrical safety, with proven experience in the rail industry.

An approved Network Rail supplier, Bender UK has worked in the industry for over two decades to ensure maximum availability, prevent downtime, maintain uptime and to ensure operational efficiency. Bender continuous insulation monitoring and earth fault location solutions measure system status and pinpoint the location of failure and degradation and issue warnings and alarms, to improve rail safety, and ensure timely rail services for passengers.

Bender’s rail capability includes monitoring of signal power, points heating, rail crossings, underground networks and rolling stock, supported with predictive maintenance and software solutions.

www.bender-uk.com

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Keeping electrical railways safe Ensuring safety in rolling stock systems while maintaining the highest possible availability of equipment depends on identifying and dealing with faults at the earliest opportunity

O

perational equipment that cannot tolerate shutdown or failure is often designed as an ungrounded electrical network. This allows systems to continue running even if an insulation fault occurs, as eliminating an earth connection ensures the first fault current is typically not at a dangerous level, so it doesn’t trip the circuit breaker. Instead, the system delivers an alarm that ensures the fault is addressed before it escalates and causes problems.

A second fault on the same system changes the situation, because the fault current may reach a level where it could prove harmful or pose a fire threat.

That makes it crucial to identify and rectify a first fault while the system can continue to operate.

Many critical ‘no fail’ industrial applications employ ungrounded systems, where unplanned shutdowns or failures can jeopardize safety and incur financial penalties and reputational damage.

Real-time monitoring The latest trends in propulsion systems in rolling stock have increased the complexity and the potential for earth faults. It is therefore essential to have a realtime overview of the condition and identify threats quickly, maintaining availability and enabling proactive maintenance.

Continuous monitoring with an insulation monitoring device (IMD) indicates critical values and the development of issues even before an alarm is sounded, providing a real-time check on system health.

These values forewarn of developing

failure, provide system information, and allow corrective action. This reduces unplanned downtime and maintains asset availability.

However, keeping the system running after an insulation fault comes with a downside.

In a grounded electrical network, a fault normally results in tripping a circuit breaker, clearly identifying the branch where the fault has occurred. This is not the case in ungrounded networks. Typically, on an ungrounded circuit maintenance personnel must try to identify the fault by disconnecting parts of the network and checking the reaction of the resistance value shown on the IMD. Depending on size, the time and effort taken to identify the fault can be huge because, in addition to disconnecting parts of the network, the maintenance team must wait for the measurement cycle of the connected IMDs. Depending on the capacity in the network this could add up to several minutes per feeder. Separation and reconnection of cables comes with the risk of touching a live working system. On a train, these procedures may also impact other maintenance processes due to an interruption of the power supply for lighting or power sockets.

Fast fault identification First faults can be identified using an insulation fault location system (IFLS) to technically locate earth faults during

normal operation without interrupting any power supplies. Once a train is equipped with an IFLS the location process can start immediately after a fault occurs. The system feeds a current between phase and ground into the network which is equipped with current transformers and the location device. The locating current can be detected in the faulty feeder by the transformer, which then communicates to the detection unit.

As an alternative to an installed IFLS, a mobile pulse generator can be used in combination with a handheld device. This reduces the time taken to identify faults, increasing the availability of the train.

It is rare to find a completely fault-free electrical system in any location, especially rolling stock subject to high operational demands. An effective system design with fault identification and location systems is the next best thing – reducing downtime and maintaining the availability of vital equipment and rail services.

Tel: 01229 480123 Email: industrialsales@bender-uk.com Visit: www.bender-uk.com

Rail Professional

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bolle-safety.com

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The damage caused by exposure to screens And with this usage comes an increased exposure to blue light, which can be emitted by LED computer screens, tablets, smartphones, and other digital devices, at higher levels than naturally emitted by the sun

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his has become a growing concern for health and sight, across all sectors and at every age, since blue light exposure now starts earlier than before. To combat the negative impacts of blue light and reduce the risk of these various health concerns, Bollé Safety’s new Blue Light line was developed with the goal to make wearers’ eyes feel more comfortable and less strained.

Global brand with a heritage of over 130 years, Bollé Safety’s first series of glasses and goggles for industrial and tactical protection were launched in 1950. Bollé Safety has been built on a genuine desire to use the best available technology and innovation to create sustainable and quality products that people love to wear over the years. The company has earned a reputation with those who know its products for high quality, because Bollé Safety constantly refine its trademark combination of performance, fit, and comfort.

Bollé Safety’s new product range was

created with the most advanced embedded blue blocker lens technology within the mass of polycarbonate lenses, ProBlu 420, combined with a blue anti-reflective coating applied onto the inside of the lens. This filtering technology absorbs 82 per cent of harmful blue light up to 445nm and 100 per cent of harmful blue light up to 420nm.

The ProBlu technology is available in plano, readers and soon in prescription glasses to improve both visual comfort and optical clarity. The Blue light product range currently consists of 19 different pairs of glasses for different types of

wearers, (with prescription glasses set to be available in May 2022).

As screen time is part of everyone’s daily routines, Blue Light by Bollé Safety is for all of us playing interconnection between professionals and private lives. We know that PPE is no longer an option, that’s why we are providing protective glasses tailored to everyone’s needs.

At Bollé Safety, we believe that beyond safety concerns, blue light protective glasses are about improved physical and mental wellbeing, sharpening skills and allowing for accelerated decision-making. It’s not just something that covers your eyes, it’s what happens behind them. It’s not a headset, it’s a mindset.

Blue light lenses guarantee a better product service life and prevent workers, screeners and kids’ vision from being damaged by harmful blue light. Which is precisely why we make our products; so that anyone, adults or kids, can carry on being great at what they do.

Tel: 0208 391 3194 Email: rebecca.francis@bolle-safety.com Visit: www.bolle-safety.com Rail Professional

Don’t let rising fuel prices put you in the red Make the switch to solar At the flick of a switch you will benefit from emission free, powerful, fuel free, LED lighting which clearly illuminates up to 550m2 from the 7.5m hydraulic mast. The ProRXM solar towerlight is compact and specifically designed for rail, providing silent lighting even during the longest nights.

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On track for a greener future

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Tools that make a big impact on rail, not the environment Torrent Trackside’s Carl Abraitis introduces some of the latest innovations in impact and torque wrench technology

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olts and screws are an integral part of UK rail construction.

Bolting is not a ‘one-off ’ job, rail track is a dynamic product under intense stresses and rail joints require periodic inspection and track bolts require tightening to maintain the correct torque.

Traditionally these would be fitted and adjusted using manual tools, but these are hard work and time consuming. It can also be tricky to get accurate torque settings that are vital for the integrity of rail joints. Too tight and the tension can create cracks and fractures, too loose and the joint can work apart resulting in catastrophic failure.

Bolting became quicker and easier with the advent of petrol driven impact wrenches, these powerful tools can tighten and loosen bolts and screws in seconds. But they have their downsides, the tools are noisy and exert considerable vibrations. Their petrol motors also emit unpleasant exhaust near the operator and are a source of pollutants and carbon dioxide.

Recently there has been a leap in technology that has seen the development of battery powered impact and torque wrenches. The new battery powered tools have even more power than the petrol powered tools they will replace. The power comes at the flick of a switch without the need for troublesome pull chords and waiting for cold motors to warm up. Fuel spillages and mixing errors are a thing of the past and the tools switch off when not in use rather than be left idling creating emissions and wasting fuel.

As well as being better for the environment the new tools are better for the operators. The tools are quieter and vibration levels have been considerably reduced, by as much as 70 per cent in some cases. The tools have been designed with user comfort in mind with improved centres of gravity and ergonomics. Battery life is also impressive with one charge generally getting through a shift and recharge times from as low as 90 minutes.

Torrent Trackside is the leading rail plant hire company in the UK, we have always

been at the forefront of providing the most innovative tools and equipment to the rail industry. These new tools are a game changer, with the power of fossil fuelled equipment but with much lower HAVs and harm to the environment.

Torrent Trackside has recently introduced two new battery powered impact wrenches from Robel impact wrench, Robel and Cembre and ergonomically designed to be a battery torque tool Cembre impact wrench, provides operated standing up for both from Hytorc. The Robel a powerful 2,700Nm of torque. vertical and horizontal work. tool has a unique stand up operating position, the head can be easily adjusted through 90° to switch between vertical and horizontal operation. The tool can be adjusted through three power settings up to an impressive 1800Nm and HAVs are less than 5.0m/ s2. The battery can be recharged in four hours Hytorc torque tool, for precise final torque applications. and up to 700 bolts can be tightened/loosened on correct torque, something which impact one battery. Head rotation can be changed wrenches cannot do. This is where the at the flick of a switch and this compact tool Hytorc tool is used. The Hytorc is a preweighs less than 20kg. calibrated tool that can be set to a specific The Cembre battery tool can screw/ torque setting up to 1,500Nm. The tool unscrew 100 AS screws into hardwood timber from one battery charge. The unit can prevents over-tightening and thus keeps be used for vertical and horizontal operation the joint at the optimum strength. The tool is lightweight, low HAV, easy to use and can and is powered by two 36v batteries that run for over an hour on one charge. For easy can recharge from a dual charger in a rapid record keeping the torque applied to each 90 minutes. A simple instrument panel can bolt can be downloaded after each shift. program torque direction and five torque These new tools have proved very settings up to 2,700Nm. The wrench is popular, not only do they get the job done IP44 rated, weighs less than 19kg and has quicker and more accurately they also help a 4.1m/s2 vibration rating. There are also the operator and the environment. two LED lights to illuminate the immediate work area.

Impact wrenches take a lot of effort out of the work but to ensure the integrity of Carl Abraitis is Operations Director, Torrent Trackside, the joints bolts need to be tightened to the get in touch via email at carl.abraitis@vpplc.com.

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| PEOPLE

MTMS gets on track for the Great British Railways revolution Rail depot maintenance firm MTMS has appointed Matt Forst to the post of Managing Director to lead its ambitious growth plans and preparations for the Great British Railways era.

East West Railway Company appoints Chief Executive Officer East West Railway Company has appointed Beth West as Chief Executive Officer. Beth succeeded Simon Blanchflower who retired on 31 March.

New Heathrow Express Commercial Strategy Lead appointed Heathrow Express – the fastest route between Paddington and Heathrow Airport – has announced that Mark Eastwood will become Commercial Strategy Lead from 1 March 2022.

SLC announces two new board members SLC Rail, the new rail station specialist, has welcomed two new members to its board – Andy Barker and Russell Jackson – following AECOM's minority investment in the company.

Rail Professional

Northern appoints new Head of Engineering Northern has appointed Tony Plumbley as its new Head of Engineering.

HIMA appoints New Director of Global Accounts Brad Ogilvie has been named the new Director of Global Accounts and Large Project Pursuit at HIMA Group.

Network Rail appoints Supply Chain Operations Director Network Rail is pleased to confirm that Mark Tarry has been appointed Supply Chain Operations Director, succeeding Rob Morton, who recently became Managing Director for Route Services.

Norton Rose Fulbright appoints Global Head of Rail Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has announced that Andrew Buisson, a transport infrastructure partner, will lead the firm’s global rail practice.

CWE appoints Commercial Director CWE Ltd – the independent supply, maintenance and logistics partner for the rail industry – has announced the appointment of Dave Bates as Commercial Director.

Appointment of new Head of UK Rail at Zipabout Transport tech company Zipabout has announced that Charlotte Pearce will be joining the company as Head of UK Rail. In her new role, Charlotte will take responsibility for Zipabout’s commercial partnerships within rail in the UK.

FirstGroup Appointment of Chief Executive Officer FirstGroup has appointed Graham Sutherland as Chief Executive Officer following a comprehensive search process led by the Nomination Committee of the Board.

Graham will join the Board as an Executive Director and take up the role of Chief Executive Officer with effect from 16 May 2022.

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