Bulletin May 2017 - Issue 40, Volume 5

ISSUE 40 | MAY 2017

THE BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION OF RAILWAY OPERATORS

Non-technical skills: fad or aid?

Dr Stephen Fletcher examines the importance of non-technical skills to the rail industry

ION T A R T N E C N CO SITUATIONAL DEC ISION AWARENESS MAKING TEAMWORK

Interactive online CPD system launched The Institution has launched an interactive system for railway operators

What makes a good leader?

All leaders must have followers, but how do today’s industry leaders work to ensure they gain the support of others?

Members’ Lunch 2017

Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell, announced as Guest Speaker

Scottish Area relaunched in Glasgow Railway professionals gathered in Glasgow for the relaunch of the new Scottish Area

02 | WELCOME

Chief Executive Officer Fiona Tordoff fiona@railwayoperators.co.uk Membership membership@railwayoperators.co.uk Professional Standards Manager (For Membership and Learning) Liz Walker 03333 440523 (ex. 201) liz@railwayoperators.co.uk

Welcome Welcome to the May 2017 edition of Bulletin, the Institution of Railway Operators’ biannual magazine.

Learning and Development learning@railwayoperators.co.uk develop@railwayoperators.co.uk

The Institution is delighted to have launched an online interactive Continuous Professional Development (CPD) system. Created to help railway operators record, monitor and plan their CPD, we hope all members will take advantage of this new membership benefit.

Turn to page 12 to find out more...

Marketing and Communications Simon Rawlings 03333 440523 (ex. 204) simon@railwayoperators.co.uk

In this issue, you will be able to learn about the importance of non-technical skills to the rail industry (pages 6-8) and the value in creating a customer culture in rail businesses (pages 9-10).

The Moat House 133 Newport Road Stafford ST16 2EZ 03333 440523 www.railwayoperators.co.uk Opinions expressed in editorial material do not necessarily represent the views of the IRO or its members.

If you turn to page 15 you can find out more about the upcoming Members’ Lunch in London. We are delighted to be welcoming the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell, as Guest Speaker.

You can also read about the relaunch of the new Scottish Area on page 18 and find out what Barry McLaughlin, Chair of the Scottish Area, has planned for the coming months.

The IRO Stafford Team

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to join our growing online community of rail industry professionals. Find out about upcoming events, industry news and more.

Twitter: @IRO_UK LinkedIn: Search 'Institution of Railway Operators' Picture Credits: Page 7: Flickr '700045 TB411 Sevenoaks to Bedford 1E67 with station dispatch' by Train Photos is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, Page 8: Flickr '700005 Sevenoaks to Westhampstead Thameslink 2E51' by Train Photos is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, Page 11: Copyright Rail Business Awards, Page 15: Flickr 'Chris Grayling' by Number 10 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

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CONTENTS | 03

Issue 40 | May 2017 Features & Interview

What makes a good leader?

All leaders must have followers, but how do today’s industry leaders work to ensure they gain the support of others?

04-05

Non-technical skills: fad or aid?

Dr Stephen Fletcher examines the importance of non-technical skills to the rail industry

06

Bringing the customer into the room Glen Merryman explores the importance of creating a customer culture in rail businesses

09

Membership

Rail Business Awards Discover who took home this year’s Young Professional of the Year award

11

Membership at a glance Find out more about the growth in the Institution’s membership

11

Interactive online CPD system launched The Institution is delighted to have launched this exciting new membership benefit

12

Learning and Development

Congratulations to our latest graduates Operators from across the industry celebrate their graduation success

Events

Members’ Lunch 2017 Join us in London as we welcome the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell, as Guest Speaker

Areas

09

11

14

15

16

Scottish Area relaunched in Glasgow Railway professionals gathered in Glasgow for the relaunch of the new Scottish Area

18

Members go behind the scenes at the 19 Institute of Railway Research (IRR) Professor Simon Iwnicki welcomed members of the North East Area at this specialist facility

www.railwayoperators.co.uk

06

14

Operational Skills Weekend: Sharing the knowledge Elliott Waters reviews this recent South East Area event

Upcoming Events Find out what events are being held in your area

04

20

18

0 4 | I NTERVIEW/FEATURE

What makes a good leader?

All leaders must have followers, but how do today’s industry leaders work to ensure they gain the support of others? The Institution asked a selection of industry leaders to share their number one tip for being a good leader to better understand how they go about this challenge.

'As a railway leader I want to create a world where every journey is taken care of - both the journeys our customers make with us, and the life journeys our colleagues are on. The best leaders I have seen in our industry have achieved that by really getting to know every part of their business, and really getting to know their people. By investing in our people we invest in our business.'

Tom Joyner AIRO, Passenger Services Director, London Midland

'Pay attention to the detail, but don't get bogged down in it. Then always make your decision based on the facts, not on opinion.'

Julian Drury Managing Director, c2c Rail

'Being and becoming the person that others want to follow. I think this comes from creating a vision that people believe in because they understand how to achieve it and because they understand their contribution. I liken it to the quote - 'Build it and they will come' - everyone must be part of that build.'

Will Dunnett Managing Director, Hull Trains

‘A company is nothing without its people; they are your most important and powerful asset. Make sure they understand the corporate strategy and exactly what they need to do to contribute; give them the skills and scope to deliver and empower them to step beyond their comfort zone.’

Dave Penney Managing Director, Chiltern Railways

'Learning to delegate is the most important skill you’ve got to have. Develop what I call a slippy desk because not only is this good for you, because you get home on time, you also develop your successor and find out whether the team of people you’ve got working for you are any good or not. If you ask for a piece of work to be done and it comes back and it’s not right, don’t correct it yourself, send it back – because you’re developing that other person and you’re delegating and that’s empowering.'

'People love the sense of responsibility. Who wants to work for a micro-managing boss who won’t let you make decisions, won’t let you make mistakes? No-one thrives in that environment, and if we’re going to be big and bold in this industry, which we have to be in order to meet the challenges, we’ve got to be prepared to fail, which means you’ve got to give people a bit of latitude to operate.'

Alex Hynes Managing Director, ScotRail Alliance

Call: 03333 440523

I N T E R V I E W / F E AT U R E | 0 5

‘Listen more than you talk.’

Howard Farbrother Lead Programme Manager, RSSB

‘Don't get trapped in meetings and the office. Get out, be visible and go look, see and talk to the staff delivering the operation.

Whether that be a train, station or messroom. Talk to the people working at the sharp end of the business. They will tell you much more about the challenges and opportunities that exist than anything else.’

Warrick Dent Safety & Operations Director, Virgin Trains East Coast

'To be a good leader it is important to follow these six golden rules: • Challenge poor behavior • Deliver on time • Be consistent • Keep it simple

‘Leadership is listening, listening is learning. I have been here 32 years and it’s really important to learn every day.’

Paul Sutherland FIRO Head of Operations and Maintenance, Digital Railway, Network Rail

• Make empowered decisions • Work together' Stuart Player Head of Operations, Great Western Railway

‘Recognise that you can neither do everything nor be everywhere so select people to fit the tasks that need to be done on your behalf. Then, having made a clear decision, inspire your team with confidence and trust them to do their jobs without your meddling’.

Andrew Pennington Head of Planning, South Western Railway Alliance

Have you considered applying for an IRO Mentor?

Our free Mentoring Scheme is open to all members and aims to put you in touch with a Mentor who will share their experience and knowledge to help guide and inspire you. Our Mentors are all full IRO Members and Fellows and are available across the UK. If you would like to find out more please call us on 03333 440523 alternatively, please email: mentoring@railwayoperators.co.uk

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0 6 | I NTERVIEW/FEATURE

Non-technical skills: Fad or aid?

Dr Stephen Fletcher, Occupational Psychologist and Director of The Occupational Psychology Centre (OPC) and OPC Assessment, examines the importance of nontechnical skills (NTS) to the rail industry.

What are non-technical skills?

As the name suggests NTS are all about those personal characteristics employees need to have that will help them to undertake their roles safely, efficiently and effectively. They can include interpersonal and cognitive skills that complement a safety critical employee’s technical ability. They could also include communication skills, situational awareness, decision making, interpersonal skills, team working, alertness etc.

NTS have been used extensively within the aviation industry and likewise in the nuclear, maritime and off shore oil industry. They have also been used in the healthcare and emergency services sectors (1). The UK rail industry has begun to embrace and use NTS too.

However, it is fair to say that we have been using NTS in UK rail industry since the 1990’s, but under a different guise.

The link between NTS and technical skills

NTS and technical skills (TS) are inextricably linked. The outputs of any role are the successful application of an employee’s TS i.e. a train driver drives the train, the train dispatcher dispatches trains, the signaller controls the movement of trains, the track worker maintains the track and the shunter moves trains in a depot. These employees will need to apply the right NTS so that they can apply the correct TS. This in turn will help them perform their job safely, effectively and efficiently.

So NTS can be seen as the inputs and TS as the outputs.

Draw on NTS of checking

Apply to TS

• Employee adopts a strong checking regime to all aspects of his/her work

• Undertake pre-departure checks. Avoids an error or incident

Figure 1: NTS and TS are interlinked

If we capitalise on NTS as our inputs, then it could lead to improvements in our job outputs i.e. improved performance and safety.

However is there any evidence to support this claim?

NTS could bring real improvements to our safety

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests NTS can have a real impact on improving safety and performance. The Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) undertook a review of the potential benefits that NTS could bring to the rail industry (2). For example, research with rail organisations in Canada and Australia has shown some promising results following the introduction of NTS. A Canadian rail company reported a 46% reduction in human caused incidents after the application of NTS. This research suggests that NTS has the potential to bring significant improvement to safety in the rail industry, so it should be a serious consideration for investment of time and money in the rail industry.

So what NTS should we focus on for safety critical roles?

In the UK the RSSB undertook some key work in conjunction with the UK rail industry to identify the NTS that would be associated with safe and effective train drivers. Twenty six NTS were identified.

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These included but were not limited to ‘Motivation’, ‘Maintain Concentration’, ‘Checking’ and ‘Clarity of Communication’. These NTS are generic enough to be appropriate for other safety critical roles too i.e. managers and even psychologists!

Using and applying NTS across the whole employee life cycle

If a rail organisation is to maximise its return on investment and gain the best advantage from NTS then NTS needs to permeate all aspects of the safety critical employee’s life cycle from recruitment through to post incident management.

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Selection

On the Job • Performance Management • Post incident assessment • Development

Training

Figure 2: Incorporating NTS into the whole employee life cycle

We also need to see the implementation of NTS into the whole employee life as a long term change process. We are then likely to reap the maximum benefits of NTS. There is a temptation to see NTS as a quick fix.

This could lead a rail operator to run a short NTS programme for e.g. its train drivers – hoping that it will significantly improve safety performance. In our experience any benefits from this approach are likely to be short-lived and to lead to long term despondency. If NTS are to work and to be sustainable then they need to be applied and integrated to the whole employee life cycle, and to been done so over a prolonged time.

"We need to ensure that employees are using and applying the relevant NTS on a day-to-day basis and new employees need to use and apply NTS from the start of their careers."

So how has the OPC used NTS with UK rail organisations across the employee life cycle?

Using NTS at selection to help recruit safe and effective employees

The OPC psychologists have been using and applying NTS within selection for safety critical roles since 1992. Once the key NTS has been identified for a role then we will identify suitable assessment tools that would assess the relevant NTS at selection. These tools might include an interview, psychological tests, role play or group exercises.

Applying NTS in training

We need to ensure that employees are using and applying the relevant NTS on a day-to-day basis and new employees need to use and apply NTS from the start of their careers. This will involve running appropriate NTS training for new recruits.

NTS development with existing employees

If a rail organisation is looking to seek significant benefits from the application of NTS then it will need to engage its existing employees.

These employees need to be encouraged to use and apply NTS too.

The OPC psychologists have worked with a UK train operator that has adopted a long term, holistic and life cycle approach to introducing NTS amongst its 1000 strong driver function with some very positive results.

Investigation and employee rehabilitation following a safety incident

The OPC psychologists have undertaken hundreds of in-depth post incident assessments with safety critical employees but predominately

train drivers. We discover what NTS may have been lacking at the time of an incident, whether it is a failure in maintaining concentration or not anticipating a risk. We then help many of these employees to return to work with a bespoke NTS development plan.

So are NTS a fad or an aid?

This article has explored the role NTS can have on safety performance for the rail industry.

However, if NTS are to really work then we need to embed them into all stages of the safety critical employee’s life cycle. To ensure NTS are given the best chance of working we also need to play the long game. It will be interesting to see how our industry continues to embrace NTS over the coming

months and years. Watch this space!

Dr Stephen Fletcher is an Occupational Psychologist and Director of The Occupational Psychology Centre and OPC Assessment. He joined the British Railways Board (BRB) in 1992 as an Occuaptional Psychologist. He left the BRB with his colleague Jo Lawrence in 1995 as part of privatisation to set up The Occupational Psychology Centre Ltd. Steve continues to work with the UK rail industry and with rail companies around the world. His particular areas of specialism are selection of safety critical personnel, human error, human factors and Non-Technical Skills. Steve can be contacted at steve.fletcher@theopc.co.uk.

References 1. Jan de Kroes Lecture. ‘The Power of Behaviour: Non-Technical Skills. Professor Rhona Flin 2013.

2. RSSB Research Programme. Operations and Management.

Non-technical skills required in train driver role. Developing an integrated approach to NTS training and investment. 2012.

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I N T E R V I E W / F E AT U R E | 0 9

Bringing the customer into the room Glen Merryman MIRO, Customer Experience Delivery Manager and Chair of the South East Area, explores the importance of creating a customer culture in rail businesses. almost all franchise agreements require In recent years, the government has How do we assess NRPS satisfaction improvements throughout encouraged franchise operators to transfer customer satisfaction? more of the cost of running the railway onto fare payers rather than the traditional funding model where a greater burden is on the tax payer. This shift should logically result in a greater focus on the customer as the need to feel they are receiving value for money becomes increasingly important. Sadly, this is often not the case as the push to reduce costs, combined with huge passenger growth figures across the network, has left many fare payers feeling short-changed.

A key way of assessing how satisfied customers are with your business is the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS).

The survey takes place twice a year and although it has its limitations (it uses a five point scale and the output is far from real time) it provides valuable insight into customers’ needs and wants. This insight should be used as a pulse check on the organisation measuring progress on the journey to become customer centric. As

their term, there are clear business benefits of responding to results by creating action plans to deliver improvements which can be measured at the next survey.

Creating a customer culture within a business is no easy task, it can take many years and cost a great deal of money. In recent years, there has been a growth in businesses adding Customer Experience teams to their organisation charts in line with other customer focused industries. But what role do they play? At their worst they are simply a tick box exercise by franchise bidders who attempt to show that they are focused on the customer. At their best, they are a team dedicated to the customer who focuses on the following:

Creating accountability for customers:

By creating and enforcing a customer governance structure a clear chain of responsibility for the customer is established.

This outlines who is responsible for delivering for the customer at each stage of their journey.

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Ensuring that customers are seen as individuals:

If we consider the variety of needs customers have the service provided to each person can be tailored to deliver the maximum benefit possible.

Recognising those who go above and beyond:

As well as holding people accountable for non-delivery, it is essential to recognise those who are ambassadors for the company. Rewarding those who excel for the customer creates role models who influence both new entrants to the company and their existing colleagues.

Formally signing-off projects that impact upon the customer: By requiring sign-off, consideration of customer needs is guaranteed reducing the chance of own goals and maximising the customer benefit of projects.

Providing a link between departments:

It is important to ensure that customer benefits are tied into improvements in other departments. For example, a performance drive involving platform based announcements has clear business benefits, but the benefits for the customer should also be thoroughly explored and maximised.

"If we consider the variety of needs

customers have the service provided to each person can be tailored to deliver the maximum benefit possible".

Measuring the impact of a customer culture

How can we measure the effect that creating a customer culture has on the experience of customers? NRPS is one way, but a more reliable form of dissatisfaction insight can be gathered from customer complaints.

Customer Experience teams often hold responsibility for customer correspondence which, rather than being seen as a burden, should provide valuable insight into customer focus areas for any business.

It is believed that one complaint represents the view of a further 25 people who have not taken the time to complain but share similar concerns. Evidence also suggests that people share a bad experience with 10 of their friends and family, so there is a clear benefit of targeting the cause of complaints.

Creating a culture focused on the customer is challenging. There are many demands on a business and people often feel that they do not have the time to devote to what many see as the 'fluffy' part of the railway. With customers gaining an ever-increasing choice on how they can travel, along with rising dissatisfaction with fare increases, a focus on the customer needs to be the first priority.

Customer impact should be considered with every decision made, regardless of the department involved. Ultimately, getting customers from A to B and then to C is the reason we are playing trains in the first place.

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Rail Business Awards On Thursday 23rd February 2017 senior executives and industry leaders gathered at the London Hilton on Park Lane for the 19th Rail Business Awards.

Hosted by the Railway Gazette Group and DVV Media UK Ltd, this year’s awards were also presented by former Transport Minister turned railway broadcaster Rt Hon Michael Portillo.

The Institution was proud to continue its sponsorship of the Young Professional of the Year award, a category that recognises the excellence achieved by rail professionals under the age of 35.

Helen Wright, a Project Manager at London Underground, was named as this year’s winner. Helen has a dedicated approach to Continous Professional Development and her drive and ambition leads her to constantly seek new challenges. She also aims to become a Senior Project Manager by the age of 35.

The Institution would like to congratulate

Helen on her success, as well as Tom Perren and Sabrina Ihaddaden who were highly commended in this category.

At the awards Transport for London took the top award for Rail Business of the Year, with the judges noting that 2016 had been a strong year for all its rail operations, including London Underground, London Overground, TfL Rail and the Docklands Light Railway. London Underground was named Train Operator of the Year for the launch of Night Tube services; it also picked up the Digital Technology Award for its Automated Track Monitoring System and the Young Professional award went to LU project manager Helen Wright.

Mark Hopwood, Great Western Railway Managing Director and IRO Board of Directors, was named Industry Leader of

the Year. The judges said that with a strong team behind him, he had demonstrated an ability to innovate at short notice and keep the trains running amidst one of Britain’s biggest infrastructure upgrading projects, while negotiating a new directaward franchise with significant investment commitments.

Membership at a glance The Institution’s membership has continued to grow and is expected to reach 6000 before the end of 2018. The map gives an up-to-date overview of how the membership is formed of operators from all over the world.

Locations Great Britain 4580

Australasia

55

Ireland

531

Europe

Middle East

193

North America 11

South Africa

378

Far East

www.railwayoperators.co.uk

6 23

*All information correct as of 19th April 2017

12 | MEMBERSHIP

Interactive online CPD system launched The Institution is delighted to announce that it has launched an interactive system for railway operators to record, monitor and plan their Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

The new system, which also includes an improved membership upgrade experience, is centred on the Professional Operators’ Development (POD) framework.

This is the professional map for railway operators and captures what successful and effective railway operators know about and deliver across every aspect and specialism of the profession. It covers twelve areas set out in four groups of related disciplines.

The system will allow all members to identify areas for improvement against the POD framework and their own experience. As well as this, the new system will provide users with a personal downloadable report and a series of suggestions for future CPD activity.

What is CPD and why is it important?

By engaging in CPD, you are actively seeking to boost your experience and knowledge.

The benefits of CPD are well recognised in most professions. It can help to boost confidence, provide you with credibility in the workplace and equip you with tools that will assist career progression. CPD also helps you to recognise and achieve career goals and enhance your overall employability by showing that you are committed to your profession.

So, how can you make the most of the new system?

The Institution offers a range of CPD activities that you can use to support your CPD. These include short courses, regional area events, online courses and our internationally recognised qualifications in Railway Operations Management.

If now is not the right time for you to invest in our courses, almost all area events are free to attend and can provide you with valuable knowledge and experience for your CPD! As Nelson Ajube explains below, Area events can not only form part of your CPD, they can also be referenced in a member’s application to upgrade IRO membership.

"The various events organised and delivered by the IRO Area Councils around the UK have given me many opportunities to advance my own CPD. The events have allowed me to improve my technical and non-technical skills to effectively manage incidents and delay in my role at rail stations. Furthermore, I have used my attendance at these events as evidence of my CPD in the recent successful upgrade of my IRO membership.

The broad insight I have gained about the ongoing redevelopments, infrastructure upgrades and innovations on the railway at IRO Area events has been impressive. I will continue to use this experience in my future CPD and I am motivated by the prospect of furthering my knowledge and understanding of the industry."

An improved membership upgrade experience

Nelson Ajube AIRO Customer Service Assistant, Network Rail

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The system will allow all members to identify areas for improvement against the POD framework and their own experience.

We also spoke with Jason Wade to find out how he thinks the new system will benefit members and help those who want to upgrade their membership to gain recognition for their experience and knowledge.

"As Chair of the North East Area Council, one of the most common questions members ask is ‘How do I upgrade my membership level?’, and this fantastic new development on our website will make this so much easier to complete. I am also a Mentor and I think this will really help those who want to develop their careers by making it simple to see where their gaps in knowledge are and enabling plans to be drawn up to gain the required knowledge or experience.

As operators, we are always learning and finding safer, more efficient ways of running our railway and delivering for our customers, and the IRO is proud to be part of that learning experience. The latest website developments allow a more streamlined recording of learning and it’s tailored to each members’ own point in their career and membership level. In our daily lives, we are increasingly using on-line systems to store our personal data and this new system maintains that momentum, and ensures nothing is lost and is accessible at any time, from any device.

I know many members have more experience and knowledge than their grade would suggest so, if you are in this position, why not give this new system a go and upgrade your membership and give your skills the recognition they deserve."

Jason Wade FIRO Head of Loss Prevention, Northern

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We hope you will make the most of the new system and use it to help you define and reach your career goals through CPD. All members have been emailed a detailed instruction pack for using the system, so please get in touch with us if you have not received this email or would like any further guidance.

14 | LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT The Institution is delighted to present the latest graduates from the academic programme in Railway Operations Management that is delivered in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian University.

On 23rd November 2016 graduates gathered at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to mark their achievement with friends and family. The ceremony provides graduates with a well-deserved opportunity to officially mark their achievement and collect their Award Parchment from Professor Pamela Gillies CBE, the University’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor. The Institution would like to wish the graduates listed below every success for the future.

Owing to the growth in its student numbers, the Institution is looking for more experienced railway operators to join the 50 strong tutor body this year.

The work is subject specific and contained within certain months of the year. It can be done in your own time as the students themselves are distance learning and work throughout their studies. To fulfil the requirements of our University partner, applicants must be educated to degree or masters level and to fulfil our requirements we would like you to be currently working in rail or very recently retired.

To express your interest or to find out more please email leaning@railwayoperators.co.uk using ‘EOI Tutoring’ in the subject line.

Certificate of Higher Education in Railway Operations Management:

Diploma of Higher Education in Railway Operations Management:

Natalie Barraclough (Great Western Railway) Emily Clarke (Great Western Railway) Shane Cooney (Irish Rail) Jordan Dunn (Great Western Railway Sarah Eden (Great Western Railway) Edwards (Great Western Railway) Ieuan Farnham (Great Western Railway John Gadd (Great Western Railway) Joanne Gomez (Great Western Railway) Regino Gomez (Great Western Railway) David Griffiths (Great Western Railway) Katie Grimes (Great Western Railway) Christopher Marr (Network Rail) Shannon Noad (Great Western Railway) Michaela O'Gorman (Great Western Railway) Hollie Phelps (Great Western Railway) David Pinder (Great Western Railway) Callum Radford (Great Western Railway) Melanie Ruiz (Great Western Railway) Patrick Sheerin (Irish Rail) Benjamin Shewchuk (Great Western Railway) Andrew Stovold (Great Western Railway) Kieran Tatterton (Great Western Railway) Rosaleen Wallace (Irish Rail) Barry Weldon AIRO (ScotRail) Thomas Whale (Great Western Railway)

Simon Aston AIRO (Network Rail) Garry Blake AIRO (Irish Rail) Janet Camporese AIRO (Translink) Lorien Clarke MIRO (MTR Crossrail) Michael Collins AIRO (Virgin Trains) William Cotter AIRO (Irish Rail) Anne D’Arcy AIRO (Transport for London) Neil Davis AIRO (Irish Rail) Ernest Elsworth-Wilson AIRO (Great Western Railway) Keith Farrelly AIRO (Irish Rail) Roy Galvin AIRO (Irish Rail) Lisa Gillman AIRO (Great Western Railway) Shane Kearns AIRO (Irish Rail) Simon Kelly AIRO (Great Western Railway) Christopher Lanigan AIRO (Translink) Stephen Lloyd AIRO (Network Rail) Ben Merryweather AIRO (CrossCountry) Brian Moore AIRO (Virgin Trains East Coast) Ian Nevin AIRO (Irish Rail) Frank O'Leary AIRO (Irish Rail) Marieek Singh AIRO (Northern) Richard Smith AIRO (Network Rail) Gavin Thomas AIRO (Northern) Thomas Wynne AIRO (Irish Rail)

Applications are now open for the academic programme in Railway Operations Management, so please get in touch if you would like more information about the certificate, diploma or degree courses. The Institution’s scholarship fund is also now being offered for a third year running to support the development of railway operators. In 2016, several students benefited from partial funding which has enabled them to study with us.

For more information please email the learning team at learning@railwayoperators.co.uk or call 03333 440523

Congratulations to our latest graduates

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EVENTS | 15

Members’ Lunch 2017 Join IRO members and guests from across the industry at this year’s Members’ Lunch in London.

The Institution is delighted that this year’s Guest Speaker is the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell.

The event will be held in the Grand Hall at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms and offer members and guests the opportunity to hear Chris give an enlightening speech about the industry. Guests will also enjoy a

glass of Prosecco on arrival and a bespoke three course lunch.

Our Members’ Lunch is an exclusive benefit of membership for our members.

The event is part of our ongoing commitment to provide members with valuable networking opportunities and aims to promote collaboration across the industry.

Schedule: 12:00: Pre-lunch drinks in the Balmoral

Suite 13:00: Welcome speech from Alex

Hynes, IRO Chair and Managing

Director, ScotRail Alliance 13:15: Speech from Rt Hon Chris

Grayling MP 13:45: Lunch 16:00: Event closes

Tickets: £130 per person (including VAT) Tables of 10 are available at £1300 (including VAT) To book please email admin@railwayoperators.co.uk or call 03333 440523

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Operational Skills Weekend: Sharing the Knowledge

BY ELLIOTT WATERS MIRO, SOUTH EAST AREA COUNCIL MEMBER

Over the weekend of 15th and 16th October 2016, the South East Area hosted their Operational Skills Weekend at the Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR). A total of seven members attended from varying roles across the industry, all with an aim of gaining hands-on experience in front line facing roles.

The event was created in collaboration with K&ESR to provide an opportunity for members to gain an insight into the different aspects of operating a railway. This offered a platform for members to learn and develop operational based skills within a live railway environment that would not normally be possible on the national network.

Throughout the weekend members rotated around the railway, working under supervision of K&ESR staff and getting ‘hands-on’ with each of the roles available.

The activities planned over the weekend included a footplate ride, a trip with a Guard, time in both Tenterden and Rolvenden signal boxes, Station Master/Ticket Office and train preparation.

On Saturday morning members spent time preparing a train for the day’s service and then worked a return trip along the line to experience a Guard’s duties. The differences in operation between locomotive and coaches against the diesel multiple unit (DMU) were explained and demonstrated, along with operating trains with the old slam-doors and the challenges this brings.

Members were impressed with the disabled accessibility arrangements in carriage ‘Petros’, and how the vehicle provides a modern accessible solution whilst retaining heritage features. The footplate ride was well received by all, with some spending time on the shovel throughout the journey. An additional experience that was not anticipated was members were given the opportunity on the Saturday evening by K&ESR to drive the railway’s Class 108 unit, once passenger operations had finished.

Over both days, members spent time with the signalling department experiencing Tenterden Town, and the busier Rolvenden signal box.

The Signalmen on duty used their extensive knowledge, explaining the principles behind signalling and answering all questions. Members were then given the opportunity to work each box under supervision, including setting the routes, clearing signals and using the signalling block instruments. Particularly at Rolvenden, some of the more difficult of the levers to pull from the box frame were used, demonstrating just how different working a frame is to working the more modern signalling installations that are on the national network.

Members also visited Tenterden Town station with the Station Master, undertaking train dispatch, general station duties and experiencing front line customer service at K&ESR. It surprised some as to the diversity of a Station Master’s duties, and how the role differs from the Station Manager/Supervisor of today. There are no customer information screens in sight, unlike stations we are now more familiar with, and it was back to the traditional fingerboard changing which provided amusement for some!

This unique and varied event provided a great opportunity for members to learn new skills, gain relevant experience, appreciate what is involved with operating the railway and understand how each discipline within the railway affects one other. Members described the K&ESR as ‘having a friendly and passionate group of volunteers, who made each of the activities enjoyable and were keen to share their knowledge aiding the learning experience.’

Another member explained how useful the event had been for his training as a Driver, particularly as he was able to see Absolute Block signalling in use and operate the frame assisted with understanding the principles behind signalling.

The South East Area Council would like to extend their thanks to K&ESR for their time and efforts in hosting the event, allowing members to gain valuable operational skills and experience.

The South East Area Council will be holding another Operational Skills Weekend on 16th - 17th September 2017. Further information about the event will be published on the website and emailed to members of the South East Area very soon.

Scottish Area relaunched in Glasgow On Wednesday 12th April 2017, railway professionals gathered in Glasgow for the relaunch of the new Scottish Area.

The event, which was held at The Lighthouse, provided an opportunity for attendees to meet the new the Scottish Area Council and provide suggestions for future activities.

Railway professionals from a broad range of organisations attended, as well as Alex Hynes, Chair of the IRO and Managing Director of ScotRail Alliance. Throughout the evening attendees were asked to provide suggestions for future events and many requested depot tours, Driver simulator visits and presentations on the rail environment in Scotland.

‘We met in February 2017 with a real desire to once again reinvigorate the region and deliver events throughout Scotland,’ said Scottish Area Chair, Barry McLaughlin.

‘Throughout 2017 we’ll be bringing regular events, comprising of a mixture of guest lectures and outdoor visits. Feedback is important to us as we welcome your thoughts on how we can continually improve, particularly regarding the location of events.

I am also very keen to make sure that our events are accessible to all members.’

‘There are significant changes coming to the rail industry in Scotland over the next few years and this is an exciting time to become a member and make the most of it,’ added Barry.

The Institution is delighted that the Scottish Area is active and hopes that members will use future events as part of their Continous

Professional Development. The first behind the scenes visit has already been confirmed and will take place on Wednesday 17th May 2017 at the Integrated Control Centre at Springburn, Glasgow.

The Integrated Control Centre is at the heart of railway operations in Scotland and this event will provide members with an opportunity to meet Mark Ilderton, Head of Integrated Control. Mark will discuss managing railway operations and provide a conducted tour of Integrated Control.

Here a team of Controllers responsible for the delivery of every single service in Scotland will provide an insight into what they do on a daily basis.

This ranges from the management of infrastructure failures, such as broken rails and degraded signalling, to managing mainline train failures and extreme weather events.

To find out more about future events please contact Barry McLaughlin using the email address below.

Chair: Barry McLaughlin AIRO Vice Chair: Gordon Sellar

Treasurer: James Stevenson

Secretary: Barry Weldon AIRO Young Operators & Social Media: Ciaran McGilp Council Member: Jim Douglas FIRO Council Member: Andrew Harper

Council Member: Chris Mackenzie

Council Member: Gary MacKenzie Email: scottisharea@railwayoperators.co.uk

AREAS | 19

Members go behind the scenes at the Institute of Railway Research Members of the North East Area recently went behind the scenes at the Institute of Railway Research (IRR) facility based at Huddersfield. Adrian Caffrey, IRO North East Area Young Operators, attended this event and gave the following account: The IRR was formed in July 2012 when Professor Simon Iwnicki and staff from the former Rail Technology Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University moved to the University of Huddersfield. The facility also includes a 4 million pound test rig which is one of a kind in Europe, and will be fully commissioned in the coming months.

Members received a warm welcome from Simon and the team on arrival at the IRR, and were fascinated to see the scale of the research centre and tools available to carry out extensive testing into the daily issues faced within the rail industry. Simon had prepared a short presentation to deliver, detailing the background of both the university and how the IRR ended up in Huddersfield.

We were then invited to don hard hats and hi-visibility vests to go behind the scenes and have an extensive tour around of their multimillion pound test rig, capable of turning wheels up to 140mph, and recreating the conditions faced out on our railways today.

The IRR also enter a team of students into the IMechE Railway Challenge each

www.railwayoperators.co.uk

year. Participants are required to design and manufacture a miniature (10Ÿ� gauge) railway locomotive in accordance with a set of strict rules and a detailed technical specification. The locomotives will be tested live at the competition weekend, which takes place from 29 June to 2 July 2017 at Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire, where several categories of winners and an overall Railway Challenge champion will be crowned. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to see how the team’s locomotive was progressing.

All those who attended thoroughly enjoyed the visit, which provided a true insight into the variety of work the Institute of Railway Research are able to deliver, working alongside the rail industry to develop performance enhancing research.

The engineering skills that the party saw were also a reminder that this sector of our industry is a growing one and one that offers great career opportunities.

The North East Area Council would like to thank Simon and the IRR team for this brilliant event.

If you would like to find out about events in your area please visit www.railwayoperators.co.uk/whats-on.

20 | DIARY OF EVENTS/CONTACTS

Diary of Events Arriva Trains Wales Simulator Experience

Hitachi Depot Visit

Monday 5th June 2017, 13:30 - 16:00 London - South East Area Southeastern and Hitachi will be opening the doors to their Ashford depot to an exclusive group of South East Area members. You will have an opportunity to see how the Class 395 fleet is maintained at the Ashford facility, and what work is undertaken by Hitachi to keep the UK’s only domestic high speed fleet running.

Friday 16th June 2017, 13:30 - 16:00 Chester – North West and Wales Area Ever wanted to know more about the skills and techniques required to drive a train?

The team at Arriva Trains Wales would like to offer members the chance to experience just that. This exciting opportunity will provide members with a chance to see how the Driver simulators are used in driver training and competence management.

There will also be the opportunity for attendees to have a go on the simulators and put their skills to the test.

To get involved with your regional IRO Area or to book a place on any of the events listed please get in touch using the contacts below.

Irish Area:

Hilton Parr i.chairman@railwayoperators.co.uk

Scottish Area:

Barry McLaughlin scottisharea@railwayoperators.co.uk

Irish Study Tour

North East Area:

Sunday 11th – Wednesday 14th June Dublin – North East Area

The North East Area Council is pleased to give advance details of our Irish Study Tour.

The provisional programme will be as follows: • Sunday 11th - Delegates make their own way to Dublin • Monday 12th - All day visit to Inchicore, including the Driver Simulator in the Training School, lunch, and a tour of the Workshops.

• Tuesday 13th- Visit Portlaoise Train Care Depot. On return to Dublin meet Iarnród Éireann CEO, David Franks. Dinner in the evening.

• Wednesday 14th - Visit Central Traffic Control, Connolly. Tour of Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Loco Shed.

Your IRO Area Contacts

David Monk-Steel northeast@railwayoperators.co.uk

Operational Skills Weekend: What does it take to keep the wheels of a heritage railway moving?

Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th September Kent – South East Area Have you ever wondered what it’s like to operate a railway? What it takes to keep the wheels of a heritage railway moving?

Following on from our event in 2016, we again have another unique opportunity to do just that! Our Operational Skills Weekend aims to go behind the scenes of the Kent and East Sussex Railway, giving you a chance to complete the duties of many different roles across the railway throughout the weekend.

North West Area:

Chris Mackenzie nw.chairman@railwayoperators.co.uk

Midlands Area:

Rachel Heath m.events@railwayoperators.co.uk

South West Area:

Chris Prior sw.events@railwayoperators.co.uk

South East Area:

Omar Soares se.comms@railwayoperators.co.uk

and LinkedIn to discover more about future Area and IRO events that are happening near you.

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