Railway Strategies Issue 106 Final Edition

RAILWAY Issue 106 Final

F o r S E N I OR R A I L M A N A G E M E N T

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz S T R A T E G I E S

RS Live 2014

Preview page 43 NEWS Higgins Review – proposals for HS2 Crossrail to run to Reading

Sustainably growing Hong Kong’s transport system – the MTR way See Page 28

Interview :

FutureRailway’s David Clarke talks about bridging the innovation funding gap

FOCUS ON

How Network Rail performed this winter Ipswich Chord opens Abellio Greater Anglia action plan Longer trains for Windsor line

Research & Innovation:

NRE keeping people informed

Crisis Management:

Engineering challenges on the Dawlish line

If you don’t have the time to read it all, read what you need Health & Safety Monitor is the newsletter of choice for professionals across all industries because it is: Clear, succinct and brief: With case summaries, indexes and bullet points so you can easily pick out what’s relevant to you Practical, informative and comprehensive: Health and safety news reported and analysed, with full references supplied for your ease of use Unbiased, trusted and critical: Gives you the facts

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Have you details cha r nge Are you re ading som d? eon copy of Ra ilway Stra e else’s tegies?

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Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Mike Tulloch Editors Gay Sutton Martin Collier editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk

From the Editor

Thinking ahead Railways have always provided a stimulating environment for men of vision (and historically it has always been men) – Trevithick, the Stephensons, Brunel, Stanier, Gresley and Bulleid all advanced and refined steam locomotive design until the next big idea came along. In

Managing Editor Libbie Hammond

the modern diesel/electric era we have seen the advent of maglev, the

Art Editor Jon Mee

Dogged determination has led to the introduction of flywheel-powered

Advertisement Designer Jamie Elvin Profile Editor Libbie Hammond Advertisement Sales Dave King Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Gavin Watson Vita Lukauskiene Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Administration Tracy Chynoweth

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bullet train, Pendolino, Javelin and now IEP is on the drawing board. units for use over short distances and the prospect of versatile tram/ trains appearing on the network is not far off. It is therefore heartening to hear from FutureRail director David Clarke that innovation is being enthusiastically embraced throughout the industry and that the mechanism of collaborative competitions and funded prototyping is ‘gaining traction’. We will watch the outcome of these strategically targeted projects with interest and look forward to seeing the trials of the IPEMU battery/electric hybrid train later this year.

And it’s goodbye from him After more than a decade at Railway Strategies, it’s time for me to vacate the editorial ‘hot seat’. My grateful thanks go to everyone who has contributed to the magazine during my tenure and I’m confident that my successor, Gay Sutton, will find a welcome throughout the rail community. I wish her well for the future – one that promises much, with Crossrail, Thameslink, the Northern Hub, CP5 and HS2 all in the

RAILWAY

Early Edition 106

FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

spotlight. Farewell to you all.

❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ S T R A T E G I E S

RS Live 2014 Preview page 4 NEWS Higgins Review – proposals for HS2 Crossrail to run to Reading

Sustainably growing Hong Kong’s transport system – the MTR way See Page 28

Interview :

FutureRailway’s David Clarke talks about bridging the innovation funding gap

FOCUS ON

How Network Rail performed this winter Ipswich Chord opens Abellio Greater Anglia action plan Longer trains for Windsor line

Research & Innovation:

NRE keeping people informed

Crisis Management:

Engineering challenges on the Dawlish line

Issue 106 ISSN 1467-0395 Published by

Railway Strategies by email

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zzzzzzzzzzzzz Contents Features

Interview – David Clarke 14 Gay Sutton Procurement and the railways 27 Fiona Scolding Making property pay 28 Jeremy Long Training smart 30 Matthew Marriott

28 Cover story

Addressing the global rail resource challenge 35 Mark Cowlard

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Liberalising European railways 36 Suzanne Tarplee and Farah Al-Hassani

News

Industry News 11 Franchises 26 Rolling Stock 38 Stations 42 Integrated Transport 57 Products & Services 61 Contracts 65 Conferences & Exhibitions 72 IMechE Training Courses 72

Profiles

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Angel Trains 22 GB Railfreight 32 Cambridge Guided Busway 39 SRS Sjölanders 50 British Transport Police 54 Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) 58 Southern Railway 62 Trackwork Moll 66

Focus on Crisis Management:

Engineering challenges on the Dawlish line 6

Focus on Research & Innovation: National Rail Enquiries 4 Chris Scoggins

Capability Roadmapping 18 Rick Eagar Sound innovation 21 David Berrier and Richard Lord

RS Live! 2014

Preview Page 43

Longer lasting dryers 24 Mark Wrigley Innovating the old to offer something new 25 Danny Reddin

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NEWS I Industry

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CP5 gets under way Network Rail’s five-year £38 billion investment programme will provide more trains, more seats, reduced congestion and bigger, better stations

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oday, more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys are made by rail each year and by 2019 the railway will be carrying more people than at any time in its history. The rail industry’s five-year plan will: l Provide capacity for 170,000 extra seats for commuters at peak time l Shorten journeys and provide for hundreds more daily services between the cities of the north (Northern Hub) l Electrify more than 850 miles of railway and see whole new fleets of electric trains l Transform hundreds of stations around the country including London Bridge, Manchester Victoria, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Queen Street.

Improving passenger, public and workforce safety will also feature prominently throughout control period 5 (2014-19) with plans to close a further 500 level crossings on top of the almost 800 closed since 2010, reducing risk by a further 25 per cent.

Of the £38 billion to be spent on Britain’s railways over the next five years, £13 billion will be invested in capital expenditure projects to relieve overcrowding by building new tracks, uncorking bottlenecks, increasing capacity and upgrading outdated stations: l The Northern Hub programme will deliver a step-change in connectivity across the north of England, providing faster journeys and the capacity to run hundreds more trains per day between key northern cities l The Thameslink programme will be completed, with 24 trains per hour each way through the centre of London, taking much needed pressure off the Tube network and relieving commuters of the aggravation of changing trains during the busiest part of the day. Crossrail trains will also be running, increasing capacity for travel through the capital by a further ten per cent l More than 850 miles of railway will be electrified, including the Great Western Main Line from Maidenhead to Swansea, the Midland Main Line from Sheffield to Bedford and across the north and north west of England, bringing greener, more frequent and more reliable journeys for millions of people l A new, electrified railway linking the Great Western, West Coast and Midland Main Lines will connect Oxford with Bedford and Milton Keynes as part of the East West Rail project

l More than 30 miles of new railway and seven new stations will reconnect the border towns of Scotland with Edinburgh for the first time in 50 years, reversing a Beeching closure of the 1960s and providing a faster, greener alternative to travelling by road l Stations including Birmingham New Street, Manchester Victoria, Glasgow Queen Street and London Bridge will be transformed, as King’s Cross has been, restoring former Victorian glory alongside modern facilities and retail opportunities, bringing investment and jobs into our cities and further income for the railway to invest.

In addition to this capital expenditure, £12 billion will be invested in replacing and renewing older parts of the network. More than 7000km of track and nearly 6000 sets of points will be renewed or refurbished and 7000km of fencing and almost 300,000m2 of platforms at stations will be replaced or renewed. A further £13 billion will be spent on day-to-day maintenance and the costs of operating and running one of the busiest, most intensely used networks in Europe.

Safety improvements at level crossings will continue, with the company pledging to close a further 500 crossings by 2019, investing more than £100 million as part of its ongoing programme of work to improve safety and reduce risk to passengers and the wider public.

The next five years will also see Network Rail committing itself to furthering its environmental sustainability and resilience in the face of extreme weather and changing climate. By September, a series of ten route-based climate change strategies will be published, setting out specific measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of severe weather and improve the railway’s long-term sustainability.

Network Rail is committed to making even more trains run on time. By 2019 it has agreed to deliver punctuality levels of 92.5 per cent across England, Wales and Scotland while running more trains and carrying more people than ever before. The company will also provide even better value for money for the British people, reducing annual Government subsidy from around £4 billion today to £2 billion by 2019. zz For more information, visit

www.betterrailway.co.uk

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Research & Innovation

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz it will assume there is a new speed limit on the track, until it observes trains behaving normally again. From this, it calculates the delays that will be experienced throughout affected rail journeys, based on what it has learned from train behaviours on those lines.”

Getting this vital information to the industry and the public is a major element of NRE’s remit. Information from Darwin feeds directly into most NRE services, and is fed to the industry and the public, alerting them to delays as they happen, and enabling them to make informed journey choices.

Keeping informed An integrated information service is planned for rail customers. Chris Scoggins, CEO of National Rail Enquiries talks to Gay Sutton about the strategy and plan for delivering the service the public requires

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he world increasingly revolves around accurate real-time information, instantly available to industry professionals and the general public, exactly when and where they want it. Delivering this data-gathering, analysis and distribution service for the railway sector is the remit of National Rail Enquiries (NRE), formed on privatisation of the railways in 1996, and owned by the franchised rail operators.

NRE has two clearly defined faces: services for the fare paying public, and services for the rail industry. A key part of both of these is Darwin, so named because it never remains static, but continuously develops, grows and evolves.

The story of evolution Darwin currently operates by taking feeds from numerous systems, some of which monitor train movements while others capture train controllers’ decisions during disruptions, and applies highly sophisticated data processing algorithms to derive an accurate and continuously updating picture of real-time train movements across the UK. It very rapidly recognises disruptions to those services and calculates the effect on subsequent trains, then adjusts those calculations as soon as trains begin returning to normal speeds.

Chris Scoggins, CEO of National Rail Enquiries commented, “It uses heuristics to learn from what it observes, and then makes predictions from that. So for example, if there’s a temporary speed restriction imposed on a section of track, nobody will tell Darwin. It’s highly unlikely they would be fast enough to do so. Darwin recognises the reduction in speed, and predicts the effect it will have on that train journey. When three trains in a row travel through that section of track at reduced speed

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Informing the public For the fare paying public, NRE provides a spectrum of applications that link together to create a cohesive customer service. NRE Ticket Sales works in tandem with the Journey Planner, which delivers real-time information for accurate journey planning. It is the only one of its kind in the world and is continuously being developed and refined.

Today, for example, it can extrapolate the effect of any delays or disruptions fed to it by Darwin, and works out the effect on existing journey plans. It then sends twitter, email or SMS alerts to passengers in transit or about to leave for a journey, specifying the effect on their overall trip and the options available for mitigating this.

The capabilities of the system are continuously expanding to provide the passenger with more detail.

“We have recently put a lot of work into establishing which platforms trains call at each day, and that data is now available through Journey Planner,” Chris continued.

And in the future, that will include information about the configuration of the rolling stock.

The move to online and mobile apps has been fast and pervasive. There was a time when NRE’s call centre was larger even than the old BT directory enquiries. Today, it makes around £300 million worth of ticket sales annually via the web, and downloadable smart phone, iPhone and iPad apps, while less than 1 per cent of the 500 million passenger contacts now take place by phone.

Supporting the industry The role NRE plays in information gathering and dissemination for the railway industry has always been vital, but is now evolving into a leadership and operational role. “The franchised rail operators realised that the difficulties they were individually experiencing with customer information systems, particularly where there is disruption to services, could not be solved on an ad hoc basis,” Chris explained. “So they tasked us with producing a strategy and costings for addressing those problems.” And it’s here that some of the most exciting developments lie for the future of rail customer information.

The Customer Information Strategy (CIS) has identified five core projects, some of which are in progress.

Others are still at the costing stage. Rolling out these

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz improvements across the industry will take considerable time and investment. “Each train operator is at a different current status in terms of customer information, and will have different levels of funding available, and length of franchise remaining,” Chris explained. “Moreover, their customers have different needs. Commuters on a regional railway will have different needs and expectations from long-distance intercity operators and so on. So there will be local rollouts going on over the next five years to make the information that is available visible to passengers.”

As the cornerstone to improvement, CIS has identified that there should be three versions of the timetable at any one time. The long-term Planned Timetable is already in place, providing timetables up to the date of travel.

The Operational Timetable should provide information for the day of travel only, incorporating short-term timetable changes and cancellations etc. This does not exist yet, but Network Rail is currently working on a Traffic Management System that will fulfil that role. The final element is a Customer Timetable, a translation of the operational timetable that is relevant to customers.

Darwin already provides that information.

Improving station information With this cornerstone being put in place, NRE and the train operators are working together to get accurate information from Darwin to the platforms and trains in a way that is meaningful. The first step is to feed information from Darwin to the customer information systems at platform level. “The screens at the UK’s stations are currently run by 66 different systems, all with different assumptions built into them,” he continued.

“What we’re doing now is to roll out one common feed of train predictions into them all.”

For passengers, the improvement will be dramatic.

Many of the existing systems only recognise a train is delayed when it fails to pass their monitoring system a few miles outside the station, so the screens continue to say trains are running on time almost until they are due to arrive.

A pilot scheme has been successfully running on both Virgin and Chiltern stations, including London Marylebone, and has significantly improved passenger satisfaction. “This consistency in information between all customer interfaces builds confidence that the journey will be more secure.” The feed is now being rolled out across the other 2000 stations on the network and will be completed by March 2015.

Improving input data The accuracy of Darwin, and therefore the information being supplied to the customer can only be as good as the data going into it. And CIS has highlighted that this can be improved through the installation of GPS on the trains. “We’ve run a trial of taking GPS data into Darwin, and we have demonstrated that it is accurate

enough and fast enough to be used to improve Darwin’s performance. Currently, however, only around 25 per cent of the fleet have suitable GPS installed,” Chris said. “So we are working to increase the level of GPS equipment on trains, and will be building GPS data into Darwin on a permanent basis.” The first feeds from GPS on the trains will begin this summer.

Future developments Further into the future, the plan is to roll out real-time information feeds to the carriages. “And that will be the big prize,” Chris said. “We’re currently working with the rolling stock providers and screen providers to establish exactly what this will look like. However, it will depend on the rollout of GPS first, as there are still a number of areas on the network where the train information is not granular, and we need that greater accuracy of information first.”

NRE has won serious awards for its innovation and service provision, and its vision for train information delivery is all inclusive. Already, applications and feeds are made available under licence to around 200 third party businesses and software application developers.

Departure boards can, for example, be added to third party websites. “We are encouraging an open market to ensure universal access to the best information we are able to provide,” Chris concluded. “Our aim is that no matter where passengers look they will receive a consistent and accurate answer for rail enquiries.” zz

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Crisis Management

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Kingdom come All photographs in this feature courtesy of Network Rail

On 4 February this year, unprecedented weather conditions inflicted severe damage on the Great Western Mainline through Dawlish. Mike Gallop, director of asset management on the western route, talks to Gay Sutton about the titanic challenges Network Rail faced as it fought get the line operational again by 4 April

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A 100m breach in the seawall was revealed on 5th February

Makin g the

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area safe

to wo rk in

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he section of the Great Western Mainline that runs from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth is one of those iconic stretches of track that holds a special place in public awareness. Built by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel for his experimental Atmospheric Railway, it sits on top of the picturesque seawall that protects the cliff to the east of Teignmouth.

Not only is it an essential public transport link and critical to the economy of the South West, but it’s a much loved tourist attraction in its own right.

Network Rail (NR) knew that vulnerable section of line would be in for a rough pounding on the night of 4th February. The Met Office had been issuing advanced warnings of severe weather. Then the system of marine buoys that had been installed in 2007 to monitor the sea state along the sea wall at Dawlish began giving unprecedented alerts. Normally, the system provides NR with information about wave height and spray problems.

uld Conditions co g, in ng le al be ch even in good weather

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“The system has four states that are regularly seen: red, amber, yellow and green. And we usually get red events three or four times a year,” explained Mike Gallop, Network Rail’s director of asset management on the Western routes.

“On the evening of the 4th February it was predicting a black event, a condition we had never seen before, with massive waves breaking more than six metres high over the sea wall.”

A waiting game

the Army, who between them have enormous expertise in crisis management.

An emergency action plan was put into place to make the site safe and prevent further damage from occurring. The area was cordoned off and boundary controls established on the site. The residents of Riviera Terrace had been evacuated during the night, but their homes were still in jeopardy. “One house in particular was extremely unstable. We worked closely with local building control to assess whether any would have to be demolished.” Luckily that was not necessary. Contorted stretches of track which were hanging dangerously in midair over the hole had to be cut away to make the site safe.

Once the debris was cleared, the team could focus on stabilising the crumbling walls of the enormous hole and to halt the continuing erosion. The situation was unique, and many of the solutions had to be new and imaginative.

All NR could do at that stage was halt all night-time empty stock train movements between Plymouth and Exeter, evacuate everyone to safety and watch and wait. By 2:00 am it was clear to the observing maintenance team that significant damage was being done. A huge hole was developing in the sea wall directly beneath the houses of Riviera Terrace.

At first light a multidisciplinary team gathered under appalling conditions to assess the damage. “At that stage waves were still breaking over the houses at the top of the cliffs. It was absolutely incredible,” Mike continued. On the sea wall, large lengths of coping wall that separated pedestrians from the track had been completely flattened, and both track and ballast had been washed out in numerous localised areas. But the feature that would demand extraordinary feats of collaboration and engineering to rectify was a large 100m breach in the sea wall that was continuing to be scoured out by the sea. “We had lost the track, the signalling systems, and the cabling and telecoms that power all the signals to the west. The waves had also taken the road on Riviera Terrace above it and some of the houses were in an extremely unstable condition.”

Rail-mounted concrete spraying equipment, in use just days before in the Whiteball Tunnel on the Taunton to Tiverton line 30 miles away, was rushed to the site. By 7th February it was again in use, stabilising the crumbling back face of the hole.

Meanwhile, the sea continued crashing into the hole and ripping further material out. A solution for that problem was put forward by one of the contractors. “It was a damn fine idea, and not something we’d ever tried before,” Mike said.

“We put in a temporary breakwater of rail containers filled with ballast. The theory was not to stop water seeping in at high tide, but to take the energy out of the waves and prevent further material being sucked out.”

Initial crisis management

Entering the recovery period

Fast action was needed. Network Rail called upon a massive multidisciplinary team that included its own engineers, contractors, consultants, the Police, Fire Brigade, the local Council and Royal Engineers from

Just days after the storm, the situation had been stabilised and the team could move on to the recovery period. One of the first priorities was to install a temporary cable bridge over the hole so that signalling and services to the west

True creativity

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Crisis Management

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Work progresses behind the temporary breakwater

g the sea

Rebuildin

wall

be installed and the line commissioned and then opened.

It was an ambitious plan within that time scale. However, the weather had a last assault to fling at the line.

Guerrilla warfare against weather and landscape

could be reconnected, enabling trains to resume between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. While this was being done, Mike’s team worked very closely with consultants, designers and contractors to develop a staged plan to bring the railway back into operation. “At that time we were continuously being asked whether we actually intended to reinstate that line. The answer was yes. We had an absolute commitment to reopening the railway. But when that would be completed was the big call,” Mike continued.

“The plan we developed would enable us to achieve that within six weeks.”

Step by step the breach was to be filled with a massed concrete block on top of which there would be L-shaped concrete units for reinstating the upper coping wall that separated pedestrians and trains. Next, the ballast could be put in and track laid. Finally, the signalling system would

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Just as work began on casting a concrete base for the hole, a second and even larger storm struck. “When daylight dawned on 15th February we had lost another 30m of sea wall under Riviera Terrace,” Mike commented. “A second void was also opening up further along and we had some worrying hours thinking we might lose another stretch of wall. But we were able to stabilise that with massed concrete before it was able to develop any further.”

The team resorted to the now tried and tested spray concreting and temporary breakwater to stabilise the additional damage to the existing hole. But the storm had set the recovery schedule back to the beginning again.

Repairs would now take six weeks from 14th February.

The winter of 2013-2014 has certainly been difficult for NR with weather and geology-related problems, and the Dawlish line was about to suffer again. On 4 March, just as the reconstruction was going well, a section of cliff above the railway failed. A landslide occurred on a 50o slope rising some 50m high above the line, and jeopardised the reopening. “It failed and then it stopped. So it was literally hanging above the railway line, too high for us to reach from below and too low to reach from the top,” Mike said.

“We could have done without this,” he admitted “But

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Concrete

pouring

into the

hole

The Great Western Mainline is fully opened, on schedule, on 4th April

we came up with the idea of borrowing technology and expertise from the china clay mining industry.” A team of expert mining engineers and geologists were drafted in with very high pressure water cannons called monitors to literally blast the landslide to bits so it could flow as slurry down onto the track and be removed. The concept had never been tried in the railway sector before. “And the whole mood on site lifted when we turned the cannons on, and it became obvious that it would work.”

area more resilient to nature. Meanwhile, with the future resilience of the UK rail network in mind, it has begun a long-term assessment of the effect of climate change on the rail network, and developing a strategy to make it proof against these changes. zz

le, a landslip

The final hurd

e

above the lin

Collaborative working The entire operation has been an enormous challenge for Network Rail. “It has been worrying and stressful, and at other times extremely energising and exciting. I think we have run the whole gamut of emotions to get to the point where we can commission the railway back to service. But it has illustrated what our industry can do very well, which is respond to a crisis,” Mike said. “It has been humbling to see how much effort people have put in, working under terrible conditions to get the railway open again,” he continued.

UK weather and conclusion This winter the UK rail network has suffered around £150 million of water-related damage while repairs to the Dawlish line alone have come in at £35 million. Preparing for a future that is likely to include far more of these extreme weather conditions, Network Rail has brought forward an initiative to establish how it can make the services to this

This solution

is drawn from

the china clay

industry

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz l On 17th March, the new chairman of HS2 Ltd, Sir David Higgins, published the results of his review of the overall project, encompassing costs, timescale, and risks. He identified two main transport challenges in the UK: the lack of capacity, particularly but not exclusively south of Birmingham; and the poor connectivity in the North, not just between the region and London, but also east-west between Liverpool and Manchester, Manchester and Leeds, Leeds and Hull. He believes that HS2 can be the start of addressing those issues, if it keeps to a number of key principles. It must: l Stand the test of time l Be the right strategic answer l Be integrated with existing and future transport services l Maximise the value added to local and national economies l Be a catalyst for change, both nationally and locally.

Sir David proposes that the Government should look at a more comprehensive redevelopment of Euston – a solution that could truly stand the test of time and allow the station to join St Pancras and King’s Cross as an iconic driver of local regeneration whose beneficial effects will be felt for generations.

He also proposes that the Government should accelerate Phase Two as soon as possible to take the line 43 miles further north than planned in Phase One, to a new transport hub at Crewe which could be completed by 2027, six years earlier than planned. The current proposed HS1-HS2 link is however considered to be sub-optimal and should be reconsidered.

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Staying in the chair at ORR l Anna Walker has been reappointed as the chair of the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) until December 2015, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced. The appointment will provide continuity of leadership for the independent regulator as it oversees the beginning of the industry’s upcoming £38 billion programme of rail investment. The former chief executive of the Healthcare Commission has been in charge of the regulator since 2009, providing oversight on safety, performance and efficiency of the railways.

Network Rail

The Higgins Review of HS2

NEWS I Industry

A tilting track train at work

Reaching Reading l Crossrail will now run to Reading after the joint sponsors, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL), instructed Crossrail Limited to extend the route. The extension will see the east-west rail line serve two additional stations, Twyford and Reading, serving a total of 40 stations along the entire route, when the line fully opens in 2019.

Extending Crossrail to Reading opens up a wider network of destinations across, and beyond, central London and extends the benefits of a direct connection between London’s main employment centres and reduced journey times to even more people.

The extension will also help to meet increases in passenger numbers by providing greater capacity than the previous plans. There will be two trains an hour from Reading and passengers will be able to travel into, and beyond, central London without the need to change at Paddington. It will also provide greater flexibility for future timetabling of services.

TfL and DfT have worked closely with Crossrail Limited and Network Rail to ensure the best use is made of the Great Western Mainline; extending Crossrail to Reading helps passenger and freight services to operate in a more effective way. There will be no change to the planned Great Western services from Reading to London with twice hourly semi-fast services and fast mainline services continuing to operate and call at the same stations as today. Crossrail will serve Maidenhead with four trains per hour.

Engineers ready to start work on Southampton’s railway l Network Rail will shortly be carrying out extensive planned improvement work to the railway in the Southampton area. The £20 million programme will improve the reliability of trains through Southampton and the surrounding areas.

Southampton has seen a huge increase in trains and passenger demand in the last ten years, putting the infrastructure under increasing pressure. Journeys on the South West main line have increased by 22 per cent since 2008. More than six million people use the station each year, up 1.5 million on a decade ago. The new equipment is needed to improve the reliability of train services to and from Southampton.

Almost 40,000 man-hours of round-the-clock work and 32 engineering trains of materials will be required to undertake the project, which will see more than 30 sets of points and associated equipment replaced over five weekends.

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Rail professional opportunity Are you a rail professional open to offers for new business? ITIC, a rail and transport sector specialist insurer, needs a network of rail specialists in the UK and overseas, to advise and consult on claims

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nternational Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) is an insurance association established in 1925, which insures 2000 different businesses throughout the world and is recognised as the leading mutual provider of professional indemnity insurance in its field. ITIC works closely with transport professionals and their insurance brokers to provide specialist guidance and advice on their risks in their working environment, both in the United Kingdom and overseas.

ITIC has concluded that many insurers do not understand the work that professionals in the rail industry undertake. Often, these insurers do not analyse the work of the professional working on a project and, as a result, your premiums are increased unnecessarily.

‘‘

The service that we provide and the width of our professional indemnity insurance has resulted in a significant growth in the number of companies involved in the rail industry insuring with ITIC over recent years,” says Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director. “To help us support this growing rail portfolio we need a bigger network of consultants we can call upon to help with specific claims on a call by call basis.

ITIC’s insurance includes worldwide cover for bodily injury and property damage as standard; this is of paramount importance to those working in the rail industry and differentiates ITIC’s insurance from many traditional underwriters who either exclude, or expect you to pay an additional premium for this important element of cover.

ITIC makes four recommendations to professionals working in the rail industry: 1. Ask your current insurers or brokers if they understand exactly what it is that you do. For example, if you are a signalling systems design engineer, your direct involvement in the day to day operational environment is limited. You design a signalling system on a railway network, but you are not necessarily the party who operates and maintains it. Your liability is substantially less than the operator and, therefore, you require an insurance that is adapted specifically to cover your liabilities if you make an error in

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the design of the system. However, the liabilities resulting from an error in the use of the system you have designed fall under the operator’s liability insurance programme.

2. Enquire about a longer term, non-contract specific, business-wide, professional indemnity policy. It is more expensive to buy insurance for each individual contract or tender than buying an annual policy that covers all your work.

3. Ask your insurance broker or underwriter whether bodily injury or property damage cover is included in your policy at no additional cost.

4. Ascertain whether your policy of insurance provides you with worldwide cover. zz

To express an obligation-free interest please contact Roger Lewis, ITIC’s underwriting director: ITIC Tel: 020 7338 0150 Email: ITIC@thomasmiller.com Web: www.itic-insure.com

Network Rail

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NEWS I Industry

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Winter assessment The completed chord at Ipswich

Rail minister visits Ipswich rail link l Transport minister Stephen Hammond was in Ipswich on Friday 21st March to see the newly completed 1.2km stretch of railway built by Network Rail to increase capacity for freight trains and ease a major bottleneck affecting passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line.

The new chord, which cost £59 million, provides a direct route to the main line for freight traffic from the Port of Felixstowe, avoiding the need to access and reverse in the sidings at Ipswich Yard. This improves efficiency and journey time for freight traffic and will help with performance management for the route.

The chord is a key part of the planned upgrade to the route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton which is vital to support growth from the port. The chord has been funded by the Strategic Freight Network fund, and European Union Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T).

The completion of the so-called ‘Ipswich Chord’ was also welcomed by the Rail Freight Group’s executive director, Maggie Simpson, who said: “The completion of this project is a major milestone in the upgrade of the Felixstowe to Nuneaton route, and a major engineering triumph for Network Rail and their contractors.”

l The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has published its assessment of Network Rail’s performance between October 2013 and January 2014. ORR’s analysis found that Network Rail, working with the rest of the industry, coped well with the wettest winter in almost 250 years. Train punctuality was severely impacted by the weather, and the report highlights that rather than focusing on performance targets during this exceptional period, Network Rail rightly concentrated on working with train operators to keep passengers informed and get them to their destinations safely.

ORR has asked Passenger Focus to research individual passengers’ views on how well information was provided during the storms of January and February 2014.

At the same time, Network Rail successfully delivered a record number of complex engineering projects over the Christmas and New Year period, completing more than 300 projects aimed at improving and expanding the network for the benefit of passengers and customers. The report also identifies longer-term issues affecting rail performance, including timetable planning, elements of Network Rail’s performance improvement plans which need to be delivered to turn around the recent decline in performance.

To read the Network Rail Monitor in full, visit: http://orr.gov.uk/what-and-howwe-regulate/regulation-of-networkrail/monitoring-performance/networkrail-monitor

Vital rail tunnel reopens l Repairs which saw more than 3000 tonnes of concrete used to strengthen a vital rail tunnel in the north west of England have been completed. Holme Tunnel, on the line between Burnley and Hebden Bridge, reopened to passenger services on 24th March after a 20-week closure to carry out essential improvement work.

The 250m tunnel had become increasingly misaligned over time because of local ground movement which had distorted the tunnel walls. Network Rail realigned and strengthened large sections of the tunnel’s walls and re-laid more than two kilometres of track within and on the approach to the tunnel.

To complete the upgrade, the strengthened tunnel required: l Over 400 tonnes of new steelwork l Over 2400 tonnes of fibre reinforced concrete l Over 650 tonnes of precast concrete l Over 2.6km of new rail installed l Over 2000 new sleepers l 2800 tonnes of new ballast.

Inside Holme Tunnel

Eurotunnel celebrates 20 millionth truck in 20 years

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Network Rail

l On 25th March 2014 Eurotunnel celebrated the passage of its 20 millionth truck since services began on 25th July 1994, on board a Freight Shuttle travelling from Coquelles (France) to Folkestone. In 2013, the 15 Eurotunnel Freight Shuttles which operate 24/7, 365 days a year, carried almost 1.5 million trucks.

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INTERVIEW I David Clarke

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FutureRailway is emerging as a powerful venture to bridge the funding gap that dooms so many innovations.

David Clarke, director of the FutureRailway team at RSSB, talks about the first year’s success, and how it has attracted a massive £240 million funding for future innovation in CP5

A boost for innovation David Clarke, director of the FutureRail team

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s with many effective and dynamic game-changers, Future Railway’s roots are surprisingly deep and complex. On the surface, the organisation was set up in November 2012, hosted by RSSB, and called the Enabling Innovation Team (EIT). But the concept was born out of the experiences of the Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG), which has been managing strategic research in the rail sector since 2007.

It became increasingly obvious to TSLG that pure research stood little chance of progressing through to new products within the rail industry without further financial and organisational support. The case for resources and support to bridge the critical and risk laden gap between pure research in new rail technologies and bringing a new product to market was put to Government. EIT was born. “Initial research is relatively inexpensive,” explained FutureRailway director, David Clarke. “But prototyping and demonstrating new technology is expensive and many companies find there is an unacceptable financial risk attached, because at this stage you simply don’t know if the product will work. We call this

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the Valley of Death or the Innovation Gap. And it’s familiar in every industry.”

The challenges facing the rail sector, however, are even greater. Many innovations require collaborative development, funding and decision making across a series of different companies and organisations.

These can include train operators, Network Rail, rolling stock manufacturers and owners and other companies from the supply chain. FutureRailway has its origins in the Enabling Innovation Team formed at the end of 2012 with an initial grant of £30 million, to help bridge this gap.

Remit The remit of the EIT is twofold. Firstly it is tasked with improving UK railways through supporting delivery of the Rail Technical Strategy (RTS), the most recent version of which was published in December 2012 and sets out a 30-year vision for the railways. This can be articulated in just four elements, known as the 4Cs: reduce Costs and

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz A key outcome of this first year of activity is that the majority of projects have at least been match-funded by the companies and organisations taking part explained. “Our investment and strategy manager is tasked with gathering evidence of the technical issues and challenges facing the sector through stakeholder engagement. From this, he designs competitions and initiatives to enable us to identify the best innovative solutions to carry forward.”

The supply chain

A FutureRailway competition is seeking ways of fitting OLE equipment clearing existing bridges while avoiding rebuilding them

Having established clear guidelines as to what the ‘demand side’ of the industry needed, it also became obvious that FutureRailway needed to establish the capability of the UK supply chain to respond to these needs. “At that point, we undertook capability route mapping: ascertaining what suppliers in the rail sector and those in the wider UK supply chain were good at, and what they could become good at,” he explained.

“When we’re looking at any challenge now, it gets ‘bonus marks’ if it’s something the UK could be good at, particularly when there are international market opportunities,” David continued. “The perfect project for us would be one that furthers the RTS, where the UK supply chain has strong capability, and where there are good market opportunities.”

Achievements so far

Innovations are being sought to improve ticketing and gatelines Carbon, and increase Capacity and Customer satisfaction. The second task is to support the UK economy by helping to build a vibrant UK rail supply chain.

The Team Railway engineer and manager David Clarke was appointed to lead the initiative and quickly put together a small team of four direct reports to achieve this task. At the time his choices were groundbreaking for rail research: a commercial manager to focus on commercialising innovations, a change manager to help companies adopt the different thinking patterns required for the risk taking and failures associated with innovation, an investment and strategy manager and finally a programme manager to bring everything together.

The investment strategy manager has a key role to play in analysing the needs of the industry and the capabilities of the UK supply chain, and targeting the team’s efforts to areas that will yield the best results.

“What we didn’t want to be was a solution in search of problems,” David

From these processes, FutureRailway has already funded a number of projects. One good example is building and testing the prototype of the IPEMU, an independently powered Electric Multiple Unit. An East Anglia Class 379 EMU is currently being converted. The first track tests take place in the early summer, and by late summer David expects the train to be running on the network.

If successful, this battery/electric hybrid train will be capable of running normally on electrified lines but can switch to battery power over non-electrified lines, reducing the need for diesels. As electric trains produce fewer carbon emissions, are cheaper to buy and run, and are faster and quieter, the benefit to the customer and the environment could be considerable.

Managed as a collaboration between Bombardier, Abellio, RSSB and Network Rail, it is a project that could well have been considered too costly and risky for any single supplier to undertake, and may never have moved beyond the concept stage.

Other projects such as Remote Condition Monitoring, another collaboration with Network Rail, are just about to make awards, and there are a number of exciting competitions either currently open for submissions, or just about to be launched.

(See box on next page)

Appetite to succeed A key outcome of this first year of activity is that the majority of projects have at least been match-funded by the companies and organisations taking part. David believes this bodes very well for the future of innovation in the UK rail sector and supply chain.

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INTERVIEW I David Clarke

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Above: FutureRailway supported an innovative app for cyclists using National Rail Enquiries Right: Many current innovation challenges are designed to support industry’s appetite for electrification “We have demonstrated that there is a considerable appetite to collaborate on innovation,” David pointed out. “We have turned the £30 million of seed corn Government funding into £60 million worth of innovation activity. And we will begin to see the results of this in the next few months.”

If these projects are successful then everyone benefits. The industry gets the solutions it requires while the intellectual property remains with the innovators and revenues from global sales could be significant.

FutureRailway emerges FutureRailway is evolving quickly, based on this initial success. A further £50 million of funding has been allocated through Control Period 5 and the organisation recently migrated to a new name that better expresses the vision behind its creation: FutureRailway.

“We will also be collaborating to draw together under one banner the strategic research funding of RSSB and Network Rail. In total, we will have access to £125 million for innovation, and we intend to partner and collaborate with industry to increase that. Based on our experience last year, we believe we can turn that £125 million into £240 million of investment in innovation.”

There has, however, been some significant learning from the first year in operation. One criticism had been that the process was complicated. “Our approach now is to make the complexity comparatively invisible to anyone who wants to work with us. So there will be a single programme, with the RSSB/ EIT and Network Rail Teams acting effectively as a single team to manage innovation activities across the industry, including those hosted by RSSB and those owned by Network Rail.”

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Conclusion “We have an ambitious agenda and are doing a significant amount to support the UK economy through improving the railway and developing its supply chain,” David commented. “Our £240 million programme is £210 million more than we have had in the last five years, so we ought to be able to make a difference. I see FutureRailway being a feature of the landscape in the long-term.” zz

Current FutureRailway competitions Launched in February: l Avoidance of Bridge Reconstruction For electrification: methods for increasing the clearance below a bridge without reconstructing it l Pantograph Technologies Improvements to pantograph technologies enabling trains to run faster and in multiple Launched in March: l Tomorrow’s Train Design Today

Innovative design concepts for passenger rolling stock. Either addressing the RTS’s 4Cs of reducing costs and carbon emissions while increasing capacity and customer satisfaction - or designing interiors for flexibility and adaptability l Rail Operator Competition Funding for franchise operators to run pilot schemes to improve operations and passenger or freight service delivery. This may address people, processes or technology l Future Ticket Detection Alternatives to existing gate-line and ticket detection systems. The aim is to increase passenger flows within the same floor space For further information: www.futurerailway.org/eit/Pages/Challenges.aspx www.futurerailway.org/eit/Pages/Funding.aspx

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Avoidance of bridge reconstruction competition l Bridges and tunnels pose a major challenge for an electrification scheme since catenary may not suit the original gauging to fit underneath the bridge. In an effort to counteract this problem and as part of the electrification programme, FutureRailway, Network Rail and the Department for Transport have launched a £3 million competition to help develop technology-enabled solutions which address the avoidance of bridge reconstruction.

Ideas are being supported from a wide range of sectors including transport, civil engineering, electrical engineering, design and construction to develop novel methods of increasing the clearance below the bridge whilst avoiding reconstruction, minimising the cost of the works and disruption to the service beneath and across the bridge.

Ideally, the submissions will set out to prove 100 per cent funding for feasibility studies which support the avoidance of bridge reconstruction.

For further information about the competition and how your organisation could become involved, please visit http://futurerailway.org/eit/Pages/Funding.aspx

Train ticket detection competition l How could we get more passengers through our busiest stations?

Research by RSSB has shown that ticket gate-lines are a major source of congestion at stations. Existing ticket barriers will not be able to clear future, higher passenger loadings quickly enough. People are likely to need to queue for longer to exit platform areas, leading to delays and frustration and potentially presenting new safety risk due to overcrowding.

Could future ticket detection technologies hold the key? Which blueprints for ticket detection are destined to succeed in allowing more people to pass through the same space, while maintaining revenue protection?

In response, FutureRailway has launched a £2m Future Ticket Detection competition. This seeks alternatives to the existing gate-line and ticket detection system in order to cope with increased passenger flows within the same floor space.

The competition is looking for solutions and ideas to meet this challenge, which will include ticket detection systems, revenue protection methods and interfaces with existing systems.

A Competition Guideline document is available for download from the live competitions page on the FutureRailway website (www.futurerailway.org/ Competitions/Pages/default.aspx).

Tomorrow’s Train Design Today design ideas competition l RIBA Competitions have announced the launch of a new ideas competition which asks competitors to propose new design solutions to improve passenger rolling stock across the GB rail network.

The FutureRailway team and the Department for Transport (DfT) in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are inviting architects, engineers and designers worldwide to consider two design challenges: l 4Cs train challenge – longer-term horizon designs for rolling stock that push the envelope of what can be delivered, and l Next-Gen Train interiors – medium-term horizon designs for rolling stock interiors that focus on flexibility and adaptability to meet different service requirements.

The competition is supported by train manufacturers Bombardier, Hitachi, and Siemens.

The competition will follow the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) process (see http://www.innovateuk.org/sbri for more information). Concept designs submitted digitally are required for the initial application stage with up to 15 entries shortlisted. Shortlisted designers will then proceed to the first stage of the SBRI programme and have up to £75,000 each available to fund the next stage of development of their scheme. The final stage of the process will see up to five finalists selected to demonstrate the technical viability of their design and funding of up to £750,000 per finalist will be available.

For further details and to enter please visit the competition website at: www.ribacompetitions.com/ttdt .

Pantograph behaviour competition l A pantograph is used to provide power to a train from an electrified overhead line, but currently pantographs cannot be run too close together and are limited in the speed they can achieve.

Electric trains which can run at faster speeds whilst coupled together in multiple could improve both train performance and network capacity. Improvements in pantograph capability are thought to be needed to realise these benefits.

As part of the electrification programme, FutureRailway is launching a competition to design a Pantograph Dynamic Behaviour Measurement Device for use in Rolling Stock Maintenance Depots. FutureRailway is seeking to test the dynamic performance of the pantograph before being put into service with the overall objective of reducing the variability in pantograph performance as part of a wider programme to improve OLE system performance, and to achieve operation at higher speeds and in multiple.

Innovators, engineers and designers across a wide range of sectors including transport, civil engineer, electrical engineering, and design are invited to develop proposals for this competition.

To find out more about the competition and how your organisation could become involved, please visit http://futurerailway.org/eit/ Pages/Funding.aspx

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Capability roadmapping – developing the means to an end

What capabilities does your company need for the future?

Technology roadmaps can be a powerful tool to align research and technology development activities with business aims. However, they are not so helpful when it comes to defining exactly how a company – or a whole industry – can get there. In this article, using recent work to develop capability route maps for the UK rail supply industry, RICK EAGAR takes the concept of roadmapping one step further

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Rick Eagar is a Partner of Arthur D. Little and head of the UK Technology and Innovation Management practice

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echnology roadmapping is all about defining a clear path towards meeting a set of future objectives or ambitions. This helps to develop a clear view of future technology needs, and to articulate the necessary research and technology development steps to meet them. However, technology roadmaps do have some limitations – usually they are based on a set of sometimes-heroic assumptions about the future, often stretching forward as far as 20-30 years. These are increasingly difficult to make in the face of changes such as accelerating global completion, new customer mindsets and unforeseen technology disruptions.

Technology roadmaps also tend to focus on what needs to be done, rather than how to do it: for example, they usually say little about whether a technology development will be conducted in-house or through collaboration, or outsourced. A technology roadmap may quickly become obsolete if it is too technology specific. For technology roadmapping at the industry sector, sub-sector or cluster level, the most common challenges are realism about what

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can be achieved, commercial viability of the technologies envisaged, sources of development know-how, and capability and capacity of the supply chain to deliver.

Making the plans is the easy part; making them happen in practice is more difficult.

How capability roadmapping can help Capability roadmaps, in contrast, focus on defining what underlying capabilities need to be developed to meet the needs of the future, and how they might be developed.

Typically, capabilities are more generic than technologies, so a particular capability could be relevant for a number of technologies or else be a cross-cutting ‘enabler’.

A capability roadmap often exists as a complement to a technology roadmap. While the technology roadmap defines what needs to be achieved, the capability roadmap describes how to get there, focusing on how the capabilities will be developed, rather than routes by which technological goals will be achieved.

The benefits of employing capability roadmapping,

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Table 1: The ‘Low Energy Railway’ roadmap

whether at the level of a large corporation or an industry sector, are significant. They: l Provide a rational strategy and set of actions for ensuring that capabilities will meet overall technological ambitions and goals l Ensure that gaps in capability are clearly identified, and suitable measures are put in place to address them – eg by partnering, training or acquisition l Help to engage different stakeholders, for example suppliers, R&D providers, customers and support agencies, in a common development strategy l Help to communicate to all stakeholders not just the ‘grand ambitions’ but also the practical measures

needed to achieve them l Provide a clear and transparent link between technology strategy and industrial development strategy.

Example for industry sector capability roadmapping Under the joint sponsorship of the Enabling Innovation Team (now FutureRailway), the Technology Strategy Board and the Railway Industries Association, a set of supply chain Capability Road Maps was developed for the UK rail industry in order to help achieve the UK rail industry‘s technical ambitions for the future railway (Ref. 1). The work included assessing the strategic importance, UK supply

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chain strength, and international market potential of a broad range of capabilities – such as Whole Life System Optimisation, Simulations & Synthetic Environments, Propulsion systems and many more. It also included a survey of current technology development activities throughout the UK’s supply chain to assess potential future as well as current strengths.

Using an approach that emphasised maximum engagement with the stakeholder community, a set of five roadmaps was developed, each comprising Vision, Focus Areas and Enablers over the short, medium and long-term.

Table 1 gives an example of one of these roadmaps.

In this example, which relates to the ‘Low Energy Railway’, the vision is defined in terms of milestones for capabilities that the UK railways will have developed in five, ten and ten+ years. At the next level down, capability development is defined in terms of particular focus areas and priorities – this part of the roadmap is closely related to technology goals, which are intentionally ‘technology agnostic’ in terms of specific solutions. The bottom section of the roadmap sets out the key enablers, which are important actions that need to be taken for progress to be made. Table 2 gives an overview of the sort of enablers that might be relevant for an industry sector-level capability development initiative.

Experience shows that in developing industry supply chain capabilities, attention to enablers is essential. All too often, the root cause of lack of progress in technological innovation is connected with obstacles such as absence of viable business models, unclear market potential or

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market access, restrictions caused by standards and specifications, difficulties in bridging the gap between laboratory and full-scale demonstration, lack of technology transfer from other sectors, and risk aversion and conservatism in accepting new technologies. Enablers are intended to focus on overcoming these barriers.

This approach is already delivering many key benefits, including identifying priority technology areas in which to invest, aligning stakeholders around a series of key measures to overcome barriers to innovation, leveraging cross-sector industry strengths, and improving international competitiveness.

In conclusion Key lessons for policy makers and company executives to take away are to: 1) Understand where your capability gaps are in delivering your strategy; 2) Address business model obstacles and incentives; 3) Build in mechanisms to develop the supply chain; and 4) Keep the roadmap live and continue to engage stakeholders. It may not always be the case that the end justifies the means, but it is usually the case that the end may not be achieved at all unless the means are properly planned. zz

Reference Ref. 1: http://www.futurerailway.org/eit/Pages/StrategicProgrammes.aspx

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Sound innovation

Tackling noise emissions in new and innovative ways is one of the biggest challenges facing Europe’s rail network operators. DAVID BERRIER and RICHARD LORD explain...

A David Berrier is the director of development at IAC Sim Engineering

Richard Lord is acoustic consultancy manager at IAC Acoustics

recent report from the European Environment Agency estimates that rail noise affects around 12 million EU citizens during the day, and nine million at night. Indeed, a recent study from the University of Strasbourg concluded that the noise created by railways is having a detrimental effect on the health of those regularly exposed to it.

Railways have always created a high level of noise, whether it is caused by the rail-wheel interaction of carriages or a trains breaking system. Noise is often cited as an objection by local residents and politicians desperate to do away with plans for railway line extensions in their local area. This is proving to be a major hurdle for much-needed expansion of an ageing and overused European rail network that is now struggling to cope with the ever-increasing commercial demand.

Some work has been done to address the issue, with European Railways agreeing ambitious plans to reduce environmental noise levels from 24 hour passenger and freight trains to a socially and economically acceptable level by 2050. Some quick-fix solutions have been piloted, although all too often noise problems are dealt with inefficiently due to lack of understanding of the issue and its complexity. IAC Sim Engineering (IAC) specialises in predicting the noise levels created by new railway developments, and ensures that all surrounding buildings to new rail lines are treated in the most efficient and innovative way to minimise impact on local residents and businesses.

Noise mapping plays an essential role in measuring the potential noise impact on the surrounding area of a new rail track. It was a measure introduced following the European Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/ EC), which stated noise mapping had to be done for

An example of IAC Sim Engineering’s 3D modelling for a current project in Paris, France large urban areas and important infrastructures. Noise mapping is now required for infrastructures with more than 30,000 trains a year and railway lines circulating inside large urban areas with more than 100,000 people.

Through the latest technology, IAC is able to produce 3D modelling which precisely identifies the noise levels that buildings will be exposed to by a future railway line.

This information allows IAC to treat buildings with the right noise emission solutions and to efficiently reduce the noise emissions from new rail lines.

For a current large rail project in Paris, IAC has provided the initial research on potential noise levels, as well as recommending the most efficient solutions to mitigate the impact of noise that could be caused by rail traffic. By using a sound scale with different decibel (dB) levels, IAC could specifically identify the required noise mitigation solutions that were needed for different parts of the building. For example, the green sections on the graph above illustrate the areas needing little or no protection, whereas the orange areas show parts of the building that require strong protection, such as using high frequency barriers.

In the long term, the EU’s aim is to effectively reduce freight and passenger trains’ noise emissions, while ensuring the competitiveness of the rail sector is not compromised in relation to other modes of transport.

European countries such as Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands have taken a number of steps in a bid to control rail noise which is to be commended. However, without complete understanding of the impact of rail noise on surrounding buildings, a way forward will not be found. Through the latest technology, IAC is able to precisely evaluate noise emissions before any part of a new rail track is built, and the industry is beginning to solve one of its most complex and challenging issues. zz

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ANGEL TRAINS

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317 ed Class refurbish paration for d n a d t in pre ngineere The re-e Ilford train depo e th t a it n U e en voyag its maid

Aclass of its own By refurbishing existing assets, train leasing firm Angel Trains provides significant advantages to train operating companies and passengers alike

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reated in 1994 as one of three rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) in preparation for the rail industry’s privatisation, Angel Trains today is one of Britain’s leading train leasing firms. Unique in its leasing of rolling stock to all 19 franchised operators and open access operators in the UK, the firm today acts as a conduit for private investment in the UK rail industry. Speaking to Railway Strategies magazine, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Tribley begins: “The company was acquired by a consortium of pension fund and infrastructure fund investors from Australia, Canada, Luxembourg and the UK in 2008.”

He continues: “We have invested £3.4 billion in new rolling stock and refurbishment programmes since 1994 and are one of the largest private investors in the industry, owning and maintaining over 4500 rail vehicles and represent approximately 36 per cent of the UK’s rail rolling stock. Our fleet includes high-speed passenger trains, regional and commuter passenger multiple units and freight locomotives.”

Employing approximately 120 professional, technical and support staff at its headquarters in Victoria, London, as well its second office in Derby, Angel Trains

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The Class 350/4 Desiro EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) at its launch event in Preston in December 2013

is committed to the continuous acquisition of new rolling stock and the long-term asset stewardship of its impressive fleet throughout its complete life cycle. “We have assets in all stages of the product lifecycle and the protection of our long-term profitability lies not only in our commercial strategy, but in our structured approach to the stewardship of our rolling stock from cradle to grave,” says Tribley. By ensuring the asset’s value is optimised throughout its lifecycle, the company protects the asset during operations and provides added value to passengers via the provision of a safe, reliable and efficient mode of transport.

Passionate about the financing and delivery of high quality, modern assets to its customers and with a significant number of its 4500 rail vehicles due for rerelease over the next five years, Angel Trains has been keen to demonstrate the benefits of vehicles remaining in continued service operation (CSO) over the next franchise term. Looking for an opportunity to show the market the benefits of investing in existing stock, the company initiated a trial on the Class 317 Stansted fleet when it was returned by Abellio in 2012.

Unveiled in November 2013 at an event held at Bombardier Transportation’s depot in Ilford, London, the Class 317 pre-series vehicle was part of a £7 million refurbishment project between Angel Trains, Bombardier Transportation and Abellio Greater Anglia. Discussing the project further, Tribley explains: “The project included

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz a complete interior redesign to increase capacity and ensure PRM (persons of reduced mobility) compliance and significant engineering work on the doors to increase the ease of maintenance. A major re-tractioning project was also undertaken to move the train from a DC to an AC power unit, which now enables the train to make use of regenerative braking and benefit from faster acceleration as well as significantly reduce power consumption and operational costs. These developments mean the re-engineered vehicle will be able to attain a new train performance with lower operational costs in comparison to original Class 317 units, all without having to build a new train.”

Modernised for use on newly electrified rail networks, the re-tractioning project and additional regenerative braking offers five key benefits: improved acceleration, reduced maintenance, greater reliability, reduced environmental impact and lower costs. “Enhanced performance will provide faster journey times on both existing and newly electrified lines, while AC traction motors remove the need for brush changes so the time between maintenance overhauls can be significantly increased. Another clear advantage is reduced environmental impact, both from the Class 317 using up to 40 per cent less power during optimal conditions and not having to build carriages from scratch, which requires new resources and large amounts of energy,” explains Tribley.

Working with Bombardier Transportation and Abellio Greater Anglia on this major project was an easy choice to make for Angel Trains, as both firms have experience of working with the fleet. “Bombardier has a long association with our Class 317 fleet, having performed the heavy maintenance on it for many years, while Abellio Greater Anglia is already operating a large fleet of Class 317 in its franchise. We are very proud of the work that our team carried out alongside our partners.

As operators increasingly look to reduce operational costs, increase the passenger capacity on their franchise and offer passengers a more comfortable experience, the Class 317 re-engineering project satisfies these demands at approximately half the price of a new train,” says Tribley. With trials commencing in March 2014, the Class 317 unit is currently undergoing approval testing on Network Rail infrastructure and is performing in line with expectations.

Having delivered a highly successful refurbishment project, Angel Trains will continue to prepare its portfolio of fleets for re-leasing by developing options that will extend service life into the 2020s. “Our staff have delivered some excellent work during 2013 and we will look to continue that through 2014 and beyond.

Angel Trains has around 90 per cent of its portfolio to be re-leased as part of the extensive DfT re-franchising timetable over the coming years and we are committed to providing our current and future customers, and ultimately passengers, with cost-effective rolling stock

Above: The refurbished interior of the re-engineered Class 317 Unit before its launch in November 2013 Left: The Class 350/4 Desiro EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) on its maiden voyage between Preston and Manchester in December 2013 Below: The re-engineered Class 317 Unit’s new AC traction which enables the train to make use of regenerative braking and benefit from faster acceleration, saving power consumption and operating costs

solutions. We will also focus on the upgrade and enhancement of many of the existing fleets to provide modern, reliable and lower operating cost options to reflect the increasing demands of passengers and rail vehicle accessibility regulations. We would like to think we know the market and the commercial realities which our customers operate in, we understand the rail industry, and most importantly we have a proven track record of delivery,” says Tribley.

Acutely aware that the UK rail industry is reliant on a small number of suppliers, Angel Trains is collaborating with the supply chain in preparation for a significant increase in projects over the next three to five years.

“Angel Trains is open for business and is committed to adding new assets to its portfolio as opportunities arise to finance new trains. Ultimately our three core elements of focus are meeting the needs of our customers, preparing our fleets for re-leasing and actively bidding for new-build rolling stock opportunities to expand our fleet,” concludes Tribley. zz

www.angeltrains.co.uk

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Longer lasting dryers Air dryer technology for the rail industry is moving on fast. Mark Wrigley, global sector head – rail, Norgren discusses the latest developments

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Mark Wrigley global sector head – rail, at Norgren

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oisture and other contaminants make operating compressed air applications in the rail sector problematic. Air dryers with multi-stage pre-filtration are widely utilised to clean and dry compressed air before it reaches critical downstream applications.

There are two air dryer types currently in use – membrane and desiccant. Membrane dryers use fibre tubes suspended between two columns to form a semi-permeable membrane, allowing water vapour to pass through to the low concentration outside.

To maintain lower moisture concentration on the fibre bundle’s exterior surface, much of the dry air produced is employed to sweep away collected water vapour into a small vent which releases it into the atmosphere. This sweeping action is continual so the membrane selfregenerates with no cycling, pressure changes or maintenance.

Membrane dryers are lightweight, have no external power requirement and create no dust. However, the fibres are susceptible to contamination while if one breaks, others follow, causing catastrophic failure.

With a life cycle up to 24 months, membrane dryers require monitoring and replacement through regular maintenance schedules.

Desiccant dryers adsorb moisture and contaminants using two canister towers or columns filled with beads combining adsorbent material mixed with a clay binder, which is formed into spheres of various diameters. Once the first column’s beads are saturated, the second column engages, with some of the dry air pushed back through the saturated unit to remove moisture, readying it for reuse.

Although tightly packed, train vibration causes the beads to rub together, eroding them and forming dust which can contaminate the air and damage downstream equipment.

An additional downstream filter is usually installed to collect dust near the dryer output, but this is not totally effective.

As the beads erode, they become less tightly packed, allowing more moisture-laden air to pass through gaps in the desiccant bed and flow into downstream equipment.

Some manufacturers use a spring to compress the canister stopping the gaps between the beads – this can restrict air flow and cause a pressure drop, making the dryer work harder to push air through, reducing efficiency.

As the desiccant bed’s size reduces, it can become oversaturated, with the beads irreparably damaged. Depending on the application, desiccant air dryers have a life cycle between six and 36 months. The frequent replacements mean additional costs, extra maintenance (it is usually a two-

An air dryer featuring the new Adsorbent Media Tube technology

person job, sometimes requiring special lifting equipment) and unnecessary downtime.

The latest air dryers feature Adsorbent Media Tube (AMT) technology, housing a desiccant substance within an extruded polymer tube. During manufacture, the desiccant crystals are mixed with the polymer – although the polymer plays no part in the drying process, its molecules are wider than the clay binding molecules found in a regular desiccant dryer, allowing moist air to get to the drying agent and be adsorbed quicker. During regeneration the moisture is removed just as quickly, leading to a reduced purge figure.

The polymer tubes are tightly packed into their housing, but are more uniformly shaped than beads, making them unaffected by vibration. This also means consistent air flow through the tubes while the unit’s performance does not degrade over time. No clay component also means no dust.

The AMT polymer tubes are extruded into a water bath during manufacture so there is no by-product or chemical reaction if they become saturated. The tubes are simply dried, returned to their original state and reused as normal, so no maintenance is required.

These new dryers are lightweight, flexible, and mountable horizontally or vertically. Tests show they collect more moisture per m3 than traditional dryers.

These products last up to six years or 18,000 hours in most applications, changing their status from regularly serviced items to major refurbishment items. With a considerably lower cost of ownership, they dry better to ensure a reliable flow of clean air to downstream applications, keeping the railway network moving. zz

www.norgren.com/uk/rail

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Research & Innovation

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Innovating the old to offer something new

© Länsimetro

The introduction of Bubble Wrap® was a landmark moment that changed customers’ packaging requirements in an instant. However, innovation doesn’t only happen by introducing a new product to the market – it is also defined by re-purposing it for another, sometimes more creative, use as DANNY REDDIN explains

Danny Reddin is European product manager at Sealed Air. He has been with the company for more than 15 years and currently heads up the speciality foam division, boasting a wealth of expertise in foam products.

An impression of a Länsimetro station

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he original purpose of Bubble Wrap® was actually for use as wallpaper, although inventors Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes soon realised their idea needed a bit of ingenuity to be a success. Another product that falls into this category is Ethafoam®, a speciality material that is a high-performance, extruded, closedcell polyethylene which has been responsible for transporting several high-value items, including a mummified, 77-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur and a NASA space shuttle trainer!

From packaging to noise reduction This material had already achieved great success as a packaging product, when a similarly effective function was established, albeit in a completely different industry.

Ethafoam® has been found to be ideally suited as a component material in applications requiring shockabsorbing, vibration/noise-dampening, and insulating properties – making it a perfect solution for large-scale infrastructure projects in densely populated areas.

These properties are the main reasons that Sealed Air was chosen to support the Länsimetro underground project in Finland, where it has provided 57 truckloads of Ethafoam® for use as ballast mats under the rail tracks. Its proven ability to hinder vibration and noise will eliminate the impact made on adjacent buildings, including residential and commercial properties This multi-million pound contract will see the company

support the construction of eight new platforms and two separate 14km-long tunnels in Helsinki’s groundbreaking railway project, expanding west to Espoo city.

Other parts of the Helsinki Metro have successfully used Ethafoam® for more than 25 years and after being impressed by the product and its capabilities, it was chosen again ahead of a number of well-established competitors in this sector.

The final selection came after it was confirmed that Ethafoam® was manufactured to meet the highest quality and environmental standards, and had passed a series of stringent testing requirements.

Ethafoam® clearly demonstrates innovation and is a product that it is hoped will be seen more often in the construction and railway industries throughout Europe; it is a product that can help to prevent problems that were beyond its initial function. It just took a bit of innovation. zz

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Net Northern Rail

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zz NEWS I Franchises zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Action plan investment

New deal for rail in the North l Negotiations with the Department for Transport (DfT) have proved successful for regional train operator Northern Rail as it will continue to operate rail services across the north of England until February 2016, when a new long-term franchise will be let. The deal marks the start of the transformation of rail services across the north, and will help support the Government’s £600 million of investment in the region. This will see a significant amount of the network electrified, delivering cleaner, quicker and more reliable journeys for passengers travelling between key strategic cities including Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.

East Coast franchise lThe invitation to tender (ITT) for the East Coast franchise was released by the Department for Transport at the end of March. This will ask bidders to set out detailed proposals explaining how they will build on the multibillion pound investment planned for the East Coast Main Line, and what improvements in passenger services they will deliver should they win the franchise.

Key features of the ITT include: l Supporting the roll-out of a new fleet of state-of-the-art intercity express trains l Continuation of services to all current destinations l Faster and more frequent services to and from King’s Cross by May 2020 l Faster average journey times to Leeds and Edinburgh from May 2020 l An opportunity for bidders to serve five new routes including Huddersfield, Scarborough, Harrogate (via York), Middlesbrough and Sunderland (via Newcastle) l A fund that will drive innovation and deliver long-term benefits for the franchise and wider rail industry.

The three shortlisted bidders are: l Inter City Railways Limited (Stagecoach Transport Holdings Limited and Virgin Holdings Limited) l Keolis/Eurostar East Coast Limited (Keolis (UK) Limited and Eurostar International Limited) l East Coast Trains Ltd (First Group plc).

It is anticipated the successful bidder will be announced in November.

The new franchise will start in March 2015 and run for eight years with the possibility of a one-year extension.

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l Abellio Greater Anglia is investing in additional resources and implementing a joint performance action plan with Network Rail to raise performance standards.

Although the company has improved punctuality levels since the beginning of the existing short franchise in February 2012, it has faced a number of challenges over the last five months, including the impact of infrastructure problems caused by the severe weather (including flooding, minor landslips, waterlogged equipment, and over 200 trees brought down in the storm on 28th October). In addition, carriage availability has been adversely affected by a range of issues including flood damage, fatalities, wheelset damage and the consequences of cyclical heavy maintenance and refurbishment programmes.

To ensure performance continues to recover and create extra resilience in its fleet the company is investing in a number of actions to increase service reliability including: l A contract with Direct Rail Services to provide locomotives and carriages to support service provision on its local routes and increase intercity service carriage availability up to the current franchise end date in July. l Recruiting additional maintenance staff at its Norwich Crown Point depot l Review of contingency plans to improve recovery times in the event of disruption and minimise the impact of any short carriage formations which do occur. l Further modifications to West Anglia route Class 317 trains to improve door reliability l Work with Network Rail to secure a reduction in speed restrictions and engineering work over-runs, and to ensure a more robust operation of freight services on the Ipswich to Felixstowe line to lessen its impact on passenger services l Additional fleet advisor working with the operations team to provide 24 hours cover to minimise the impact of any in-service faults l Development of further targeted investment schemes to tackle the key causes of delays and disruption. l Work with Network Rail to improve the reliability of the cab-to-signaller communication system on the Class 315 and Class 317 trains used on services between Shenfield and London and on the West Anglia route. l Extension of remote train monitoring systems which help track train systems and identify faults before they cause delays or more serious problems l Review of traincrew deployment and contingency plans to enable the quickest possible recovery from disruptive events.

The combined initiatives amount to an investment of over £1 million in delivering a better service for customers, despite being only four months from the end of the current franchise.

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Legal Signals

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Procurement and the railways FIONA SCOLDING examines some of the complexities of bidding for a rail franchise

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Fiona Scolding is a barrister at Hardwicke chambers

Bhavisha Mistry

he announcement by First Group of a six month extension to their current contract to run the Thameslink service comes in the middle of the Government’s renewed procurement process for the bundled proposal for the operation of train services under the New Thameslink programme which will be worth approximately £6 billion over the lifetime of the contract. This news and the fresh procurement procedure come after the previous Thameslink procurement was halted in the wake of the Virgin Trains/Great Western procurement round.

Procuring railway services is one of the most onerous and complex procurement exercises that the Department for Transport has to undertake, and is also being undertaken in the light of the reviews and criticisms made of the Department following on from the West Coast rail line investigations which followed on from the abandonment of that procurement exercise.

It is often stated that it is impossible to run a perfect procurement. Particularly in a field with the degree of complexity of rail services, which is both a complex matter to run, involving large sums of public money and the unflinching spotlight of the court of public and press opinion, it is perhaps no surprise that there have been several pieces of litigation concerning procurement processes for both rolling stock and train services over the past few years.

The process of operating or running a railway service is subject to the Public Contract (Utilities) Regulations 2006, which have been amended both in 2009 and 2011. The nature of the procurement depends upon the services to be procured by the authority, there being a different applicability of some of the Procurement regime for services depending upon what is being provided – divided into Part A and Part B. Even if the Utilities Regulations do not apply, there are some circumstances where the general public contract regulations may apply to the provision of rail services.

And there are also operators within the UK who do not come within the scope of the Utilities Regulations, for example Eurostar. In Alstom v Eurostar [2012] EWHC 28 where the Court held that Eurostar was not a contracting authority or a utility for the purposes of the EU Directive and the Utilities Regulations. This decision is unlikely to apply to any of the suppliers of the UK, as the franchising operation requires and provides that the Government can specify a network to be provided, which includes direction as to capacity and times and types of service to be provided, unlike Eurostar which has no such provisos within its regime.

There is a wealth of ways in which procurements can fall down legally. These can, however, for the purposes

of the non lawyer, be divided into two categories: (a) Procedural failings of the procurement – these would be failures to issue the correct notice in the OJEU journal: failing to provide the correct information to bidders or failing to provide everyone with the same information at the relevant time, or asking one bidder one question but not asking the same question to the others. (b) Substantive failings of the procurement – these could be a failure to have objective and transparent criteria as part of the bidding process: treating one operator more favourably than another; failing to set out the appropriate technical specifications required; failing to ask the correct questions within the bidding process itself.

In all procurement exercises, time is of the essence.

The Courts have consistently held that bidders must challenge procurement exercises promptly if there is a clear breach of law shown in the published Information Document for such bidders or if such becomes apparent during the bidding process. It is not appropriate to wait and see if you win before identifying that the bid questions were manifestly defective or unfair in some way. It is important for those bidding to ensure and to seek prompt legal advice if they have concerns upon publication of the bid process of some potential illegality, otherwise they run the risk of not being able to challenge later on.

Moreover, once the results are announced, bidders also have to act very quickly. The time limit for challenging a procurement award is 30 days, with an absolute outer limit of three months from the date of knowing why you have won or lost. The courts have been strict recently, not permitting very short extensions of time of a matter of days outside this period. This is because of the view that contracts need to be placed quickly, and uncertainty caused by litigation can be damaging to service provision.

Furthermore, proceedings need to be issued by disappointed bidders quickly if they wish to stop the authority placing the contracts prior to the end of the litigation. Issuing a claim means that an automatic injunction is put in place preventing the authority from entering into any contracts unless it gets set aside.

However, in the vast majority of recent cases, the court has permitted and allowed the authority to set aside that injunction if it can demonstrate an impact on the functioning of future services if such is not the case.

The advice to any potential tenderer is: (a) Seek advice quickly if you think there has been a legal default Don’t wait until you are not successful before seeking such advice. zz

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Finance

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Any growth in the transport system needs to be financially and environmentally sustainable, while maintaining the highest standards in quality and punctuality. In Hong Kong, one of the factors underpinning the success of MTR, which operates the metro and commuter rail network, has been the Rail plus Property model, which MTR believes has the potential to be successfully transferred to other markets around the world.

A model system?

The Rail plus Property model originated forty years ago when work on a new underground railway to support Hong Kong’s rapidly growing population first began. Like many construction projects, building this new network was capital intensive and required considerable funding.

New rail lines are financed over the long-term by providing the rail operator with land development rights along the alignment. As these are rights, not free land, the company still has to pay the government for the value of the land based on what it would have been worth if the railway were not there.

Integrated communities are built along the rail line, such as residential properties and shopping malls. Many properties are high-rise towers above MTR station podiums, although development parameters of Rail plus Property vary depending on Hong Kong’s urban planning and market demands. Valuable land near to transport facilities is used, and the company benefits from the appreciation in land value once the line is built.

This ensures (subject to normal business risks) that the rail line will be well resourced not just for the construction phase, but also for long-term operation and maintenance of the assets.

Making property pay Jeremy Long, Europe CEO at MTR describes how the company has been sustainably expanding the transport system in Hong Kong through what it calls the Rail plus Property model

Jeremy Long, Europe CEO, MTR

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ccording to the World Health Organisation, the number of people living in cities will double in 35 years. To manage this surge in demand, rail operators are constantly challenged to find innovative ways to expand and improve the transport infrastructure.

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

The benefits of the model Under Rail plus Property, a high-quality built environment closely integrates the stations with residential apartments, community facilities and shopping centres. Integrating retail-shopping into station area environments generates significant rental income.

The system is convenient for passengers; living in an MTR building over a railway station means they will likely have a nearby mall and weatherproof access to the railway. Partly due to this integrated model of development, Hong Kong has the highest use of public transportation as a percentage of population anywhere in the world, and the lowest emissions from road transport per capita. Rail plus Property is not only financially sustainable, it’s environmentally sustainable too.

The model encourages long-term investment and operates day-to-day on a self-sustaining basis, as a result there is no need for direct taxpayer subsidy. The railway is able to plan its investment to best meet its long term operational needs, and in order to function at a high level – which contributes towards the ability to operate one of the world’s most heavily used transit systems at 99.9 per cent punctuality.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Examples in Hong Kong Tin Hau Station, Island Line: Completed in 1989, this property development is among MTR’s earliest Rail plus Property projects. High-rise residential towers on small sites, like Tin Hau, are often seen above the Island Line that was built in the 1980s. The site also has ample provisions for car parking and bus connections.

Tung Chung Station, Tung Chung Line: This community, near Hong Kong International Airport, was constructed along with the rail lines in the 1990s. It was built along the lines of a master-planned new town and comprises residential housing mixed with retail shops, offices, and a hotel next to the station. Located several hundred meters from the station is an arc of 30-plus storey residential towers, connected to the town centre and amenity podiums by a network of elevated walkways and footbridges completely separated from car traffic at the ground level.

Kowloon Station, Airport Express: Opened as a key intermediate terminus of the Airport Express in 1998, Kowloon station is located on reclaimed land in West Kowloon. Rail plus Property packages integrate the nearby 118-story International Commerce Centre with residential and retail complexes at the station. The project was built as part of a city-led waterfront redevelopment initiative and contains a public open space and cultural/entertainment facilities as co-ordinated with the government and private developers. Due to its engineering complexity and market conditions, this project was divided into seven different components and completed with 13 third-party developers phase-by-phase from 1998 to 2010.

Wong Chuk Hang Station, South Island Line – East: The latest Rail plus Property concept is part of the ongoing South Island Line–East (SIL-E) project. SIL-E is a new rail corridor running from north to south on Hong Kong Island via the Wong Chuk Hang area. Under the ownership approach, MTR is responsible for the finance, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the new line.

The ambition is for the plan to act as a catalyst for growth in Southern District’s industrial area.

Can the Rail plus Property model be applied worldwide?

Every major city brings a unique challenge, but MTR believes the principles behind Rail plus Property have the potential to bring value to a number of different markets.

Each Rail plus Property model project is different and adaptable to the circumstances and environment – there is no one template.

In mainland China, the State Council has announced plans to reform the way the country finances its railways, which opens the door to new projects and private capital from private operators. MTR is directly involved in two railrelated property developments in China - a development above the Longhua Line Depot in Shenzhen and in Tianjin, a development above the railway station.

In London, Crossrail will be partly funded by profit from developments on mixed-use space above its construction sites, such as Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road.

This is one of the first rail projects in the UK where property development has been utilised as part of its core funding.

Cities around the world will have to embrace new ideas to develop transport infrastructure fit for the 21st century.

There will never be a one-size fits all model, but adopting a Rail plus Property approach may have a significant part to play in the future of railway infrastructure development in many parts of the world. zz

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Supply Chain

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Matthew Marriott, commercial director of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics UK

Training smart Transmanagement has the potential to optimise manufacturing efficiency in the railway sector. Matthew Marriott, commercial director of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics UK explains how

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ith the UK economy reported to be firmly on the up, and set to exceed 2008 pre-recession levels this summer, manufacturing once more has the wind behind its sails. Across many sectors, concerns about quality have led to manufacturing being increasingly re-shored to Britain. Some six per cent of companies are said to be bringing production back to the country within the next three years. While this is really positive news, it does ratchet up the competitive pressure on companies to get production and supply chain operations right – to satisfy customers and deliver on the quality expected.

In the railway sector where this is certainly the case, there is possibly even more of a challenge, considering the scope and complexity of manufacturing large mechanical units that require swift distribution – not to mention a whole panoply of parts and materials. As always, efficiency and accuracy are central to success. This, however, is easier said than done, particularly while simultaneously getting real value in the supply chain. Traditionally, a manufacturer would focus its energies on finding forwarders for each occasion that required transportation services – either to source parts or to distribute finished products, sometimes

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using the same forwarder, sometimes not.

However, an alternative strategy, and one that is gaining prominence, is to look at transmanagement; employing a single company to manage the entirety of the supply chain and warehousing. Initially, it sounds underwhelming and perhaps even slightly off-putting: another potential layer of bureaucracy to contend with.

But if you can put aside those initial impressions, the reality is that transmanagement has huge potential to do the exact opposite – to streamline a business in every meaningful way.

The reason is primarily one of expertise. Having a single company in charge of the entire supply chain will clearly remove a lot of work that would otherwise require significant resource and manpower. But the advantage is not simply one of convenience. Put bluntly, a transmanagement company will manage the process far better than any manufacturer could, simply because it is their forté. Transmanagement will control suppliers, is procurement driven, offers inventory control, and generally brings market knowledge that is virtually unobtainable to any company that doesn’t deal with the supply chain as a central specialism. And when all this is optimised,

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significant money and time savings go far beyond just offsetting the cost of employing a central company.

To offer an example, if a manufacturer requires a quantity of steel in order to produce bogies, that steel, along with all other materials and components, need to be transported to factory. Transit costs, but exactly how much is far from set in stone. A transmanagement company will know the market, understand the job in logistical terms, judge exactly how much it should cost, and can therefore negotiate the best service for the best price. Considering this process takes place every time transit is needed and will cover a variety of freight (tiny screws to completed bogies) the numbers start to add up in an extremely positive way.

Even more fundamental than cost saving is that successful transmanagement consolidates a manufacturer’s ability to deliver upon large, complex contracts with confidence. It effectively minimises the potential variables of the process. The pressures of the supply chain will be absorbed by your chosen company, and problems along the way can be addressed and solved at source by experienced practitioners rather than being allowed to impact upon the timings and costs of the project.

Of course, I’m not claiming transmanagement is the saviour of the rail sector supply chain – it isn’t. But in many ways that is exactly the point. It allows companies to concentrate on what they do best instead of having to make room and resource for the machinations of a tricky rail supply chain. In essence, transmanagement is a simplification, and that can be a very welcome thing. zz

www.hellmann.net www.twitter.com/HellmannUK.

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GB Railfreight

One of GBRf’s six daily intermodal services from Felixstowe

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The 560 staff members are the most important asset for GBRf

Going loco

With a turnover of £110 million in 2013, GBRailfreight (GBRf) has developed core strengths and values since its inception in 1999 to become the principle freight train operating company in the UK

Molten Steel movements in Lackenby

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enowned for a flexible, innovative approach to service, GBRf was founded in 1999 by GB Railways before it was purchased by First Group and rebranded First GBRf in August 2003. After seven years of innovative, reliable service, FirstGroup sold the business to Europorte, a subsidiary of Eurotunnel, in 2010 following this major acquisition, the company reverted to its original name and developed its core values and focus on customer service to become the third largest operator in the UK market.

“GBRf ran its first services in 2001; we are now reasonably established with approximately 550 personnel and around 60 locomotives, with another 20 due for delivery in June 2014. We operate across various commodities and offer a nationwide service such as intermodal, infrastructure work, aggregates trains, coal traffic and of course biomass, which is beginning to

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replace coal in certain UK power stations,” begins John Smith, managing director of GBRf. From the very start GBRf has focused on building a culture based on customer service and reliability; values that have led to the company developing a proven track record for delivering performance improvements and enhancing business operations for customers. “Our staff are our most important asset,” states John. “I am very keen on communicating with everyone; things have changed since the 1970s, the way people are treated, managed and looked after has progressed within companies and I am immensely proud that this is how we operate here.” By constantly challenging traditional thinking and operating in an environment where communication is absolute, hierarchy is minimal, standards are high and reliability is key, GBRf has become one of the UK’s most trusted rail freight operators in the country.

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GBRf supports Network Rail’s renewal programmes Transporting a diverse range of commodities has enabled the company to develop a strong foothold in a wide range of industries, as John highlights: “We work with most of the electricity generators, so that means EDF, Drax and Scottish and Southern, so we deal with most of the generators producers of coal. On top of this, we operate container services out of Felixstowe, our main customer there is MSC, and we take on a lot of infrastructure contracts for Network Rail and London Underground. We do a lot of work that is London based, mainly putting trains on the London Underground to renew infrastructure at weekends and also delivering the new trains that are taking over the Metropolitan, Hammersmith and Circle lines for Bombardier.”

A recent major contract for the firm is with Sibelco Europe to provide freight services for its silica sand product. Announced in January 2014, GBRf will transport silica sand from Sibelco’s quarry in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, to Guardian Industries’ plant in Goole, Yorkshire, as well as Ardagh Group’s UK glass sites in Doncaster and Barnsley. Under the contract, two trains will run three days per week and one train will run two days per week to the locations. Boosting GBRf’s position in the aggregates market, the contract is a prime example of how the rail freight industry supports manufacturing and supply in the UK. Furthermore, to provide the best possible innovative solutions to Sibelco, GBRf will introduce a different mode of train operations. “This contract involves moving sand from East Anglia to the North East for glass production; we also have a number of contracts that involve moving waste away, such as our project to move all of the tunnelling waste from Westbourne Park at Paddington.”

Operating in a market that is steadily growing, the dynamic company has decided to strengthen its existing fleet with a further 21 class 66 locomotives from Chicago based Electro-Motive diesel Inc. (EMD) procured and the purchase of 16 class 92 electric locomotives from its parent company, Europorte. As the largest procurement in the company’s history, GBRf is proving its commitment to improving service quality further and meeting the current and future demand of its customers. Furthermore,

through acquiring this fleet, GBRf will prepare itself for the electrification of parts of the UK’s rail freight system and shows the company is investing in the future of rail freight as a whole.

Anticipating that this investment will dramatically increase turnover over the next three years, the company’s purchase of 21 class 66 diesel locomotives will take its current class 66 fleet to 71. Due for delivery in late 2014, the locomotives have been acquired ahead of EU emission regulations coming into force in January 2014. Meanwhile, the 16 class 92 electric locomotives are specially designed for traction through the Channel Tunnel but, with European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (STI) being applied to the Channel Tunnel, these trains can now be

Unipart Rail Unipart Rail offer an extensive range of wheelset overhaul and supply services to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of the process for the UK’s Freight operating companies. One of the key services is ensuring the engineering integrity of wheelsets to be fully compliant with the relevant technical standards and specifications.

Using the benefits of Unipart Rail’s global supply chain suppliers that are approved to RISAS, the company has provided stock management controls and JIT deliveries to reduce stockholding requirements by the customers.

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GB Railfreight

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Associated British Ports (ABP) ABP is the UK’s largest and leading rail-connected ports group with 16 of the company’s 21 ports connected to the national rail network, and generating approximately 25 per cent of the UK’s railfreight tonnage.

In particular, large volumes of coal and containers are moved by rail to/from its ports and ABP’s extensive experience of working with the UK rail industry ensures it has the level of knowledge to help its customers establish an effective portconnected railfreight operation.

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GBRf carries 30% of the UK’s Coal for power used on other routes.

Elaborating on the purchase, John says: “There is a permanent process of contracts ending and winning new work so you always have to balance your fleet off against the level of work that you have. All freight operators run off a fairly high fixed cost base. This year there is an element of contracted work that we have won, an element of faith in the market going forward and also a bit of risk; we are taking some risk in our ability in selling this equipment but demand is growing and I think there is currently a degree of frustration in the market over the

rail freight sector’s ability to meet this increased demand.”

With a turnover of £110 million in 2013, a 20 per cent increase on the previous year, GBRf intends to maintain this growth over the next three to four years. Furthermore, with the rail freight movement worth £30 billion to the UK economy, the company is also keen to educate the government on the challenges of getting freight off the roads and onto rails. As a growing business at times constrained by issues such as poor rail infrastructure, GBRf is calling for increased awareness and a greater vision, as John concludes: “If politicians really want to get lorries off the road and onto rail then they need to understand the economics of how that works and make adjustments to support the rail sector. Rail freight is all about energy generation, renewing or constructing infrastructure and finding efficient ways to bring all material into London to allow for the massive growth taking place. You can’t build a tower with aggregate and cement and a huge amount of this comes into London by rail freight; the lack of appreciation for the intrinsic role that rail freight plays in the UK economy is something we are trying to correct.” zz

www.gbrailfreight.com

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Asset Management

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Addressing the global rail resource challenge MARK COWLARD notes the substantial growth in rail investment both here and abroad and encourages the industry to avoid a potential resource shortage in the UK through training and technology

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place which represent around 60 per cent of their planned expenditure over the next five years.

Looking ahead, the UK will potentially need to compete for talent and resources with other countries around the world. Whilst the UK offers long-term investment, countries overseas offer short-term high salary packages, often coupled with tax advantages too.

Investing in technology In addition, suppliers should look beyond human resource by investing in innovative technologies that offer new ways of working. Off-site manufacturing is one example, and can often provide better value because, from a workforce perspective, it’s safer, quicker and reduces some of the need for experienced railway people.

Crossrail

Mark Cowlard is head of rail at built asset consultancy, EC Harris

s economies across the globe are in the process of recovery following the economic downturn, the rail sector is now experiencing unparalleled investment. In the UK, rail spend is at its highest, with Network Rail’s CP5 budget at £38 billion and ongoing investment from TfL and Crossrail being just a few examples. This will be bolstered even further once approval is given for HS2. Meanwhile, outside of the UK, the United States is experiencing growth, particularly around asset management of pre-existing stock. The Middle East foresees $150 billion of investment into rail infrastructure over the next ten years – of this, $79 billon is expected in Saudi Arabia, and in Asia there are a huge number of projects planned in either developed or developing cities. Whilst significant global investment is applauded and welcomed, the industry now though faces a global resource challenge to meet demand.

Undoubtedly, the biggest part of this challenge is for project promoters to find and attract resources required for both small and large-scale rail infrastructure projects, some of which are new and niche. Added to this, is the cyclical nature of rail infrastructure investment which means that certain skill sets can be in demand for comparatively short periods of time, therefore retention of these at times of lower demand can be costly to business.

Recruiting new talent New talent initiatives for rail have for a long time not matched up to other sectors, resulting in young people being unaware of the attractive, long-term career opportunities the industry offers. In the UK, Vince Cable is attempting to tackle this, recently announcing a muchneeded rail training academy as part of HS2, which will develop and grow engineers and project leaders of the future.

Preparing the supply chain One of the first steps rail customers should take to address the resource shortage is to plan supply chain strategies far enough in advance to be able to secure commitment from the supply chain to meet project aspirations. A key driver of this will be deciding how far ahead they are able and willing to commit revenues to supply chains, whilst also seeking collaborative ways of working to ensure they are presented with attractive and viable propositions. This will mean the industry will be more prepared and able to respond to resource needs. Network Rail has recently attempted this in response to CP5 and has already put frameworks in

Crossrail’s new Custom House station is being manufactured off-site at Laing O’Rourke’s state-of-the-art factory in Steetley, in the East Midlands These challenges will undoubtedly result in higher than average levels of inflation across the global market place, particularly as supply chains start to have more choice over where they want to work, identifying specific regions and countries that provide a bigger return. We may see new entries into the attractive global rail marketplace; new contractors, suppliers and engineers for instance, which have the potential to weaken quality.

It would be a great shame for the industry to see unprecedented investment and opportunity compromised by a lack of resource to support growth; putting measures in place now will ensure that the industry can match investment with resources, securing development for the foreseeable future and delivering the needed socioeconomic growth that railway development brings. zz

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Legal Signals

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Liberalising European railways SUZANNE TARPLEE and FARAH AL-HASSANI review the European Commission’s Fourth Railway Package and its likely effect on competition within the rail market

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Bhavisha Mistry

he European Commission has long aspired to a single, fully open and integrated European rail network where competition is encouraged and access from and to all Member States is unrestricted. Over the last two decades, the European Commission has introduced a series of reforms (the ‘Railway Packages’) aimed at opening up passenger and freight rail services, both domestically and internationally, in pursuit of this objective.

While this vision is far from realised, a fourth ‘Railway Package’ is currently making its way through the European Parliament and presents a renewed opportunity for realising a single European railway.

Barriers to competition The benefits of opening up domestic passenger services are widely recognised (improvements in quality and availability of services, increased passenger satisfaction and more competitive pricing among others) yet domestic rail passenger services across Europe remain largely in the hands of state-owned operators: the average market share of incumbent operators remains above 90 per cent.

The issue lies at the heart of the legislative framework and industry structure, which inherently creates obstacles that make it undesirable for new entrants to the market: l The close relationship between infrastructure managers

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and incumbent passenger operators distorts competition and leads to unfair and discriminatory market access. l The ability for Member States to directly award public service contracts for rail effectively precludes new entrants. A lack of competitive pressure on incumbents means there is little or no incentive for service improvements and efficiency. l Differing national technical and safety rules and authorisation processes create access barriers and often involve burdensome administrative costs.

A renewed opportunity for liberalisation?

Through the Fourth Railway Package, the Commission was presented with an opportunity to ease the barriers to a fully liberalised market and facilitate a modal shift in rail transport. A set of far-reaching measures aimed at improving quality, opening access to new entrants and encouraging innovation were proposed including a requirement for Member States to competitively tender all public service contracts and a proposal to unbundle infrastructure managers and train operators to secure fair access to infrastructure for all operators.

Such radical reform was not well received by all Member States and objections were mounted, principally

by Germany and France. A set of compromise measures

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz entrants are given frequent opportunity to compete with incumbents. A number of open access operators have also been successful in establishing services.

Spain The Spanish rail market is undergoing a period of marked liberalisation. The freight market was liberalised in 2003, although the incumbent state owned operator, Renfe, still holds a significant position in this market. Passenger rail services are yet to be fully opened to competition but steps are being taken to address this: tourist rail services have been liberalised; regulatory bodies are being adapted to a future open market scenario; Renfe is subject to a strong restructuring process; and some permits have already been granted for future passenger services.

Germany The German rail market has seen a partial opening in recent years, but significant obstacles to full competition remain. While competitors of Deutsche Bahn have acquired a share of the regional rail market, the fragmented character of the market, varying contract models, difficulties obtaining financing and high bidding costs have significantly reduced the number of bidders for franchise awards. There are few privately operated open access services and the infrastructure manager remains a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, a model which Germany has been fighting hard to maintain.

France has now been agreed under which Member States may keep an integrated structure for operators and infrastructure managers and may continue to directly award public service contracts provided certain conditions are met. These revised proposals will go forward to a vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament.

The state of play across Europe The level of market liberalisation varies considerably between Member States as a result of inconsistent approaches in implementing the preceding Railway Packages.

United Kingdom The UK is recognised as one of the most open rail markets in Europe (so much so that a recent select committee found that the UK trailed other EU countries in maximising the positive impact of public spending for the UK economy). Foreign (and in some cases state-owned) train operators successfully compete with domestic operators for franchise awards and the infrastructure manager sits independently of train operators. The rolling stock ownership structure in the UK and the comparatively short duration of most franchises (both of concern to rail operators generally) has ensured that new

France is engaged in a process of market liberalisation for passenger rail services, primarily at a regional level.

Passenger rail services are organised into a national network, under State control, and a regional network, which is regulated by the French Regions. Despite this separation, SNCF continues to control the entire network.

Due to political pressures at a national and European level, new opportunities are to be afforded to all rail operators willing to invest in the development of the market to compete against SNCF for regional services.

Conclusion The diluted measures arguably compromise the central aim of improving competition across Europe. However, the amended Fourth Railway Package is undoubtedly a step in the right direction towards increased competition and the removal of barriers for new entrants. The key to its success will be ensuring the provisions are implemented effectively to realise these goals and the national governments of Member States will play a fundamental role in achieving this.

Suzanne Tarplee is a Partner at law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP

Acknowledgements The authors are pleased to acknowledge the contributions of Noerr LLP and Perez-Llorca to this article. zz

Farah Al-Hassani is an Associate at law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP

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Siemens plc

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The first South West Trains Class 458/5 ten-car train waits in Platform 20 at Waterloo on 7th March

l On March 7th, Rail Minister Stephen Hammond, alongside Tim Shoveller – managing director of South West Trains, unveiled the first Class 458/5 ten-car train to operate on the Waterloo-Windsor line. A total of 108 extra carriages will be introduced over the next 12 months, representing an investment of £65 million and providing capacity for an extra 23,000 peak-time passengers every day. The carriages, which have been funded through the Government’s High Level Output Specification Programme (HLOS) will see a number of the busiest trains extended to run with ten carriages and extra services introduced on some routes. Waterloo’s Platform 20 – dubbed ‘the Windsor Line Platform’ at the event – will be re-opened for full passenger services from Monday 19th May and proposals are being developed to deliver a short-term solution to re-open Platforms 21 and 22 of the former Waterloo International Terminal later this year, whilst a longer-term solution is agreed with the Department for Transport.

Final train delivered to First TransPennine Express

Siemens Rail Systems

l A £60 million investment in new rolling stock for the northwest of England and Scotland, was formally celebrated at the end of March as the tenth new Siemens-built Class 350/4 train was handed over to First TransPennine Express (FTPE). The new four-carriage trains, which have been designed with 110mph capability, will increase capacity between Manchester in the northwest and Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland by 60 per cent. They will also improve space for luggage by 25 per cent and reduce the carbon footprint of the service by over one third.

Nick Donovan (MD First TransPennine Express) and Steve Scrimshaw (MD, Siemens Rail Systems) in front of the newly liveried unit 350 409 at Ardwick depot

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Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

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Trumpington Park & Ride at the far southern end of the busway showing one of dedicated Busway ticket machines

Guiding the way Officially opened to the public in August 2011, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway offers an innovative and reliable transport alternative to millions of passengers previously using the congested A14 corridor

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nitially proposed during the Cambridge-Huntingdon multi-modal study in 2000, which investigated solutions to the congestion issues on the A14 corridor, the construction of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway began in March 2007 before its official launch on 7th August 2011. Eighty per cent of the scheme’s cost met through government grants and the remaining 20 per cent was accumulated from developers constructing in and around the route. Despite unexpected cost issues and delays causing sceptism towards the project, the guided busway today has far exceeded original expectations and has become a wholly reputable and integral part of Cambridge’s public transport.

Elaborating further on the history of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, managing director of Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, quality bus partnerships in Cambridge City Centre and the Cambridge Park and Ride system Andy Campbell begins: “During the multi-modal study way back

in 2000, we looked into freight, road upgrades for the A14 and public transport links, which was when the solution for a guided busway scheme along a disused railway line was suggested. This option provides a safe, busonly segregated route into all parts of Cambridge for the large amounts of residents that live in the more affordable housing areas to the north of the city. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway links many large existing villages and will also link soon-to-be-built towns such as Northstowe, which will have approximately 10,000 homes built within it and will be located five miles northwest of Cambridge.

With these developments the connected villages are all experiencing growth, both in regards to housing and also as employment centres in their own right.”

Currently the longest busway system in the world, ‘the busway’, as it is often described, consists of a network of routes covering the market towns of Huntingdon and St Ives in the North to Cambridge city centre and then onto

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Busway double-decker at St.Ives park & Ride showing branded bus shelter, ticket machines and help points

Cambridge rail station and Addenbrooke’s hospital in the south. Furthermore, services were recently extended to Peterborough. At 16 miles in length, the guided part of the system stretches from St Ives in the North to Trumpington in the South and operates within a bustling corridor parallel to the A14. Since its inception it has developed an excellent reputation as a fast, reliable, frequent and efficient public transport service; a reputation that has only improved with features such as Wi-Fi, leather seats and air conditioning added to the passenger experience.

Previously featured in Railway Strategies in May 2013, the Stagecoach and Whippet Coaches operated busway is now in its third year of operation and reached a significant and regal milestone with its six millionth customer in September 2013, as Joseph Whelan, head of passenger transport services at Cambridgeshire County Council highlights: “Our six millionth passenger would have been the Queen, but she didn’t need a ticket; in all seriousness though, we are proud to have reached this major milestone and it was a great moment because the Royal Party came One of the 300+ spaces for cyclists built at various locations and stops along the busway route

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down to Cambridge on the train, jumped on the guided bus and opened the new building for the medical research council’s (MRC) laboratory of molecular biology (LMB).”

With this major milestone viewed as one of the pinnacles of Cambridgeshire Guided Busway’s history so far, Joseph is certain that numbers will continue to increase over the coming years. “During the first year of operations we were 42 per cent over target, in the next year the number was 18 per cent above target and the third year will be approximately ten per cent or so based on current figures. Over the next six to ten years we anticipate more passengers being brought into the area following housing developments such as Northstowe, that is when we will see real progression.”

Another notable development is the huge expansion underway at Addenbrooke’s hospital on its bio medical campus. With 8000 personnel currently working at the hospital, this number is due to more than double with an anticipated 9000 new jobs being created over the next ten years. “We also have space for around 10,000 new residents in the 4500 new homes being developed in the southern shires, in close proximity to Addenbrooke’s hospital. Having this mass transport medium close to these areas really underpins future economic growth and helps Cambridge to avoid the traffic generation that these developments would otherwise attract,” says Andy.

In line with anticipated growth, there has been a focus not only on ensuring high quality shelters and infrastructure is in place, but also that passengers receive excellent value for money. “We have three million passengers annually and quality is vital to keep numbers growing; one issue that has been improved is visual signs at the bus stops. These have been successfully trialled to help passengers travelling

zzzzzzzzzz Busway central control room showing CCTV array covering every part of the 25km track.

Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

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in mainly rural areas in the evening to know where there bus stop is. The audio announcements have also been trialled and are being refined; these developments are very helpful, particularly for those with sight impairment.

Ultimately we want to keep our premium brand moving forward by delivering an exceptionally good value, high quality, reliable service,” concludes Joseph. zz

Below left: Longstanton Park & Ride waiting room facility.

More than 90% self sufficient for energy use and one of only 4 buildings in East Anglia with a Building Research Establishment excellent rating.

Vix Technology Vix Technology is one of the key technology and infrastructure providers to the Busway; working with Cambridgeshire Busway team we are proud to have delivered against our vision of not just transporting, but transforming.

Commuters headed towards a brighter future; access to be more affordable, reliable and efficient and to see our clients prosper too, helping them to achieve greater operational efficiency and passenger engagement.

It’s all about helping people get where they need to, when they need to, however they need to and the Busway is a great example of what Vix can achieve with our client partners”

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NEWS I Stations

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Waterloo remains Britain’s most heavily used station l London Waterloo remains the most heavily used station in Britain clocking nearly 96 million passenger entries and exits last year – an increase of 1.8 million (or 1.9 per cent) compared to 2011-12, reveals the latest data published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).

The report for station usage across Britain for the period April 2012 - March 2013 also shows that: l The number of people using stations across Britain in 2012-13 increased by over 82 million – a 3.3 per cent rise compared to the year before. l The list of top ten stations has remained unchanged since 2011-12 with eight of the ten stations located in London. l All the top ten stations reported a rise in usage with the largest increase at London Euston, which saw an increase of 1.8 million entries and exits – due to the increasing demand for London Overground services.

Of the top 20 most used stations in Great Britain, the largest growth was seen at Stratford, aided by the London Olympics.

New railway station for Bromsgrove l Work has begun on a £17.4 million new railway interchange in Bromsgrove. The new station will be built about 400m south of the existing one in Aston Fields and is being jointly funded by Worcestershire County Council, Centro, Network Rail and the Department for Transport. It will include a station building, four platforms connected by a footbridge and lifts, and a 350-space car park.

The station project will be accompanied by electrification of the line between Barnt Green and Bromsgrove by Network Rail. The electrification project is due for completion in summer 2016 and will allow increased frequency of trains between Bromsgrove and Birmingham plus provide a link to the Cross City line, allowing three trains per hour to run to both Redditch and Bromsgrove.

Work is scheduled for completion in summer 2015.

Key features of the development are: l A new station building including a staffed ticket office, passenger waiting room, ticket/travel information and toilets l New station car park providing standard parking bays, disabled parking bays, electric vehicle charging stations, car share bays and two bus stops l An external concourse linking to new bus stops, taxi rank, pedestrian footpaths, cycle store, disabled parking bays and car park areas l Fully accessible station concourse capable of handling 800,000 passengers per year. This will include passenger information, automated ticketing, covered cycle storage, vending machines, and covered access to the lift and stairs to platform l A covered bridge link to platforms from concourse with stairs and lifts to all platforms.

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The first train into the new platforms at London Bridge station on 31st March

First new platforms to open at London Bridge l The first phase of the dramatic rebuild of London Bridge railway station finished on schedule on Monday 31st March when the first two new platforms were brought into use and the next two were closed for redevelopment.

The station is being redeveloped as part of the Governmentsponsored £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme, which will transform north-south travel through London. The investment will remove bottlenecks to enable new, more spacious trains to run with Tube-like frequency every 2-3 minutes at peak times through central London by 2018, reducing pressure on the Underground.

Better connections will offer passengers more travel options to new destinations while new track and modern trains will make journeys more reliable.

Birmingham unveils huge HS2 redevelopment plan l Birmingham City Council has unveiled the Birmingham Curzon HS2 Masterplan, which will see 141 hectares of the City Centre transformed. The centre-piece of the plan is a stunning glass rail station for the 250mph HS2 trains designed by award-winning architects Wilkinson Eyre. The ambitious plans form one of the biggest urban regeneration schemes in Britain, and by far the biggest redevelopment so far announced on the back of HS2.

The new developments will be focused around the brand-new City Centre station – Birmingham Curzon – where HS2 terminates on its 49 minute journey from London. The station will place the City at the heart of the new national high speed network.

Network Rail

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Welcome

Hosted in association with

The Eighth Annual Conference from Railway Strategies Just where did the last 12 months go? I have the feeling that someone has stolen a year of my life, but it’s not all bad as once again it is time for Railway Strategies Live at the ever glorious Royal Geographical Society. Our conference this year is very much ‘a game of two halves’ with a morning session that is all about the railway as a system, what it is doing, where it is going, what does it have to offer and aims to produce ideas and stimulate thoughts on where your company fits and what it might do to move your business forward.

After lunch we move on to a more Network Rail centric session and are particularly grateful to Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE, the Chairman of Network Rail for his presence, and are looking forward to when he shares his thoughts and reflections with us. This second session will bring to life the new ethos and structure of the procurement scene inside Network Rail and is a ‘must’ for any company large or small who is seeking to do business with them in the future; this will be the first opportunity for most people to hear all about it!

As always there will be plenty of time for networking and for discussion both inside the auditorium and over refreshments, or while viewing the various exhibits and sponsors’ stands. I look forward to welcoming you on the day to what I believe will be yet another successful and enjoyable conference.

See you there…

Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance

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Agenda 08.00 - 09.00 - Registration, Coffee & Networking, Exhibition viewing 09.00 - 09.15 - Introduction & Welcome, Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance 09.15 - 10.00 - Terence Watson, Chair of RSG + UK Country President & Managing Director, Alstom Transport UK & Ireland 10.00 - 10.15 - Martyn Chymera, Former Chairman, YRP 10.15 - 10.45 - Rob Wallis, Chief Executive, TRL 10.45 - 11.15 - Chris Rolison, Founder, Comply Serve 11.15 - 11.45 - Coffee, Networking & Exhibition Viewing

Martyn Chymera, Former Chairman, Young Rail Professionals

11.45 - 12.15 - David Clarke, Director, FutureRailway Enabling Innovation Team, FutureRailway, hosted by RSSB 12.15 - 12.45 - Richard Holland, Vice President, TBM Consulting Group Europe Inc

l Martyn Chymera is one of the founding members and the former chairman of the Young Railway Professionals (YRP).

Martyn is a Lead Systems Performance Engineer at London Underground and has worked on the development of the New Tube for London Project and has led a number of projects to improve energy efficiency on the Underground.

At last year’s Live event , Martyn, then chairman of the YRP, gave a view of the railway industry from a Young Professionals point of view. The presentation highlighted the lack of positive PR, the need for continuous long-term investment, the need to control debt levels and the need to adopt innovation in the rail industry. The presentation also covered the skills shortage and the need to recruit more people and the need to develop tomorrow’s railway leaders.

2014’s presentation will review the topics discussed last year and look at progress since, identifying some positive press and changes in financial structures that go some way to address concerns of the next generation. During the presentation the shortcomings will also be discussed, particularly rail’s skills shortage. The YRP have made some positive steps to promoting the rail industry, although it is clear, due to the size of the skills shortage, more needs to be done.

12.45 - 13.45 - Lunch, Networking, Exhibition viewing 13.45 - 14.00 - Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance 14.00 - 14.30 - Jim Carter, Head of Contracts & Procurement Operations, Network Rail 14.30 -15.00 - Prof. Richard Parry-Jones, Chairman Network Rail 15.00 - 15.30 - Coffee, Networking & Exhibition Viewing 15.30 - 16.00 - Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance, and Roger Moore, Senior Process & Change Specialist, Network Rail 16.00 - 16.30 - Panel Debate

Rob Wallis, Chief Executive, TRL

16.30 - 16.40 - Colin Flack close conference 16.40 - 17.10 - Final Exhibition viewing & Networking

Terence Watson, Chair of RSG + UK Country President & Managing Director, Alstom Transport UK & Ireland

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l Terence Watson has worked in the rail sector for 20 years.

He oversees the strategic direction and performance of Alstom in the UK and leads 6500 employees across 30 UK locations. He has recently returned to the UK with his family after 14 years working at Alstom’s headquarters in France, where he was the Senior Vice President for Transport’s North Europe business and latterly responsible for developing markets for both Power and Transport Sectors as the Senior Vice President Europe, in Alstom’s international network.

Terence’s speech will focus on the need for the industry to work together as a whole with less complexity to ensure that it maximises the opportunities brought about by new players entering the UK market, massive projects such as HS2 and the potential for re-shoring. He will ask how the industry can become more joined up will call on the industry to put technology and local added-value at the centre of everything industry does. Reflecting on his new role as Chairman of the new Rail Supply Group, he will focus on the need for all industry players, whether multinational or SME, to work together, and align plans and strategy with the RDG, Network Rail and the Government.

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Chris Rolison, Founder, Comply Serve

l Rob Wallis is Chief Executive of TRL and its parent company, the Transport Research Foundation (TRF). Rob has over 30 years of ICT and professional / business services leadership experience, working across private, public and non-profit sectors in the UK and internationally. Industry specialisations include transport, logistics, supply chain and automotive sectors.

Rob will be discussing the topic of ‘evidence-based research & innovation for a growing railway.’ The challenges in the UK rail industry are well understood, but complex to address. The ‘4 C’s’ of Cost, Capacity, Carbon & Customer are commonly used, but insufficient focus rests on the societal impact of change to the traveller’s experience – especially in multi-modal situations. TRL’s view, based on its latest research, is that more needs to be done to evaluate the ‘human factors’ of change.

Specifically, as the population ages, and leverages public transport modes more – so too will newer, technology-savvy travellers get out of their cars (especially in urban scenarios and major interchanges) and be more demanding of their experiences. It is essential that we properly consider, from a user perspective, the needs of all on this ‘journey’.

l Chris is the founder of Comply Serve Limited, a UK based innovator that has developed a unique web-based project compliance system. With a background in electronics engineering, over the past 27 years he has been involved in taking a number of leading edge technologies to market with various organisations, including GEC, Racal Electronics, Zuken Inc., Gemstone Inc. and Telelogic UK (now part of IBM).

Chris will explore the impact of progressive assurance and compliance and how these critical issues often slip through the project management net considering the vast quantity and tiers of project assurance data, and the significant number of contractors and subcontractors in any largescale project supply chain. Chris sets out to share his global experiences, most recently from implementations at Crossrail, Banedanmark, Etihad Rail and others in the Middle East, to name but a few.

He will demonstrate to delegates how the innovative ComplyPro solution can deliver significant cost savings; typically in the order of two to four per cent of the whole life costs of the infrastructure system.

David Clarke, Director, FutureRailway Enabling Innovation Team, FutureRailway, hosted by RSSB

Richard Holland, Vice President, TBM Consulting Group Europe Inc

Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance

l David Clarke was appointed to lead the new rail industry Enabling Innovation Team in October 2012. He reports to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group and has responsibility for managing the innovation fund to de-risk beneficial innovation in the rail industry.

He was previously Deputy Director, Rail Technical at the Department for Transport with responsibility for providing technical advice and challenge on policy and projects, as well as management of the rail research budget and DfT’s input to the Rail Technical Strategy.

David’s speech centres on the idea of ‘Looking Back, Moving Forward’. Looking back, hear about progress since December 2012 when the Rail Technical Strategy set out a 30-year vision for the rail industry and the Enabling Innovation Fund was created to help deliver the strategy and to encourage innovation in the supply chain. Understand how the supply chain capability mapping will help prioritise the programme in future.

Moving forward, learn what is next with the creation of the c£240m FutureRailway Programme which brings together the RSSB and EIT teams with Network Rail.

l A lean practitioner since 1995 and a Six Sigma Black Belt, Richard Holland came to TBM with more than ten years in discrete manufacturing in the automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods industries. He brings expertise in supply chain management - in both inbound and outbound distribution channels - as well as freight management, machining, and assembly.

Richard will discuss the topic of ‘creating a highperformance culture in rail’. He says: “Don’t leave the tools of OpEx process improvement in the hands of a few ‘experts’. Creating a culture of engaged problem solvers in your business is not nearly as difficult as it may sound and is the best way to drive outstanding results from your Operational Excellence programme.”

He will share some key learnings, including: practical, easy to implement ways to engage employees to create a positive, problem solving culture; closing the gap: link strategy to business execution and growth bottom-as well as top-line company performance; and will share case studies of what has worked in rail companies and how you can use techniques with impact.

l Colin Flack is an Army Officer who saw extensive active service including Northern Ireland, UN Peacekeeping, Gulf War and Kosovo. On leaving the Army he successfully set up (and runs) a number of businesses including a railway rolling stock storage (largest in EU) and engineering company. Colin was appointed to the role of CEO Rail Alliance in 2008 and has taken the organisation from concept to the UK’s largest railway trade association in just six years. He currently represents the supply chain on the Rail Supply Group and the UKTI led Rail Sector Advisory Group. He advises Ministers and Government (including devolved assemblies) on matters relating to SMEs and acts as a mentor to a wide variety of companies. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham where he is looking at the relationship between the SME and the Corporate (and why in the UK in particular it is so dysfunctional).

Colin will launch the Ingenuity Hub and the Rail SME Mentoring programme, major new UK wide initiatives in the sector being conducted in partnership with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Manufacturing Advisory Service.

Jim Carter, Head of Contracts & Procurement Operations, Network Rail

Professor Richard Parry-Jones, Chairman, Network Rail

Colin Flack, CEO, Rail Alliance

l Jim Carter leads Network Rail’s Procurement team within their new National Supply Chain function. Since joining the company he’s rolled out new processes and systems across purchase to pay and sourcing, and has overseen dramatic advances in both the efficiency and effectiveness of the function. His remit now extends to categories as diverse as ballast to business consultancy, covering c£3bn of group spend. For his improvement work at Network Rail, Jim won the CIPS Procurement and Supply Chain Management Professional of the Year Award 2013.

Jim’s session will look at the new National Supply Chain (NSC). He will discuss the merger of the two divisions at Network Rail, the Contracts & Procurement operation and the National Delivery Service, into the new NSC headed up by Nick Elliott, who will be the MD of the new operation. Jim will give an introduction in the new organisation and give reasons on why there has been a change to the NSC. He will also give an understanding of the benefits of the service and an insight into what the NSC do to support the running of the railway.

l Professor Richard Parry-Jones has over ten years’ senior executive board experience and nearly 40 years’ global career experience with £100bn revenue Ford Motor Company. A business leader who has a strong track record of creating investor value in both executive and chairman roles by investing in developing and using technological innovation, Richard has shaped, led and motivated high calibre teams of over 30,000 staff from around businesses and influenced top management groups to deliver innovation and excellence.

As chairman of Network Rail, Richard led the submission of a major bid to the UK Government that seeks investment of £37bn over the next five years to grow UK rail capacity by 25 per cent measured in passenger journeys and 30 per cent in freight.

Richard will be looking at future trends in mobility technology. He will look at demand trends in transport and their impact, and outline the opportunities presented by changing technologies where the UK can play a role in rail. He will draw on his experience of the automotive sector and its recent successes in the UK.

Roger Moore, Senior Process Change Specialist, Network Rail

l Question and Answer Introduction to Network Rail’s New Product Acceptance Process Colin and Roger will be describing the background to the changes and the impact on the way in which the Network Rail New Product Acceptance Process will work going forward, and what that means to suppliers large and small. It is anticipated that the key elements of this presentation will take the form of a question and answer session.

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Guest Speakers

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Platinum Sponsor

‘Unreasonable Ambition’ Puts Alstom on the Fast Track for Growth Operational Excellence with clear business objectives should pay back more than just incremental, plant-level improvements.

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

By Richard Holland, Vice President, TBM Consulting Group Europe Inc.

Alstom’s ‘Unreasonable Ambition’ The company’s primary goal: Immediately improve train availability and grow sales within Alstom Transport UK and Ireland operations by 100 per cent over a five-year period.

Company leaders defined two additional goals: maintain the current cost base and provide greater value to the customer.

“We had come quickly to a realisation that we needed to find a new way of working, a new way of operating,” says Tim Bentley, Managing Director of Alstom Transport.

Alstom implemented a policy deployment process to align the organisation on what was required to be completed. At the same time, lean processes were implemented in the business. The focus was to implement a pit stop maintenance approach to treat the trains like Formula One cars in a pit stop and shorten repair times.

By cutting maintenance times, Alstom could complete the work at night when the trains were not needed rather than during the day. This led to significant improvements in train availability.

One of the tools that Alstom leaders used during policy deployment was the ‘catch-ball’ process, during which the management team ‘throws’ goals, objectives and strategies back and forth throughout the entire management chain. This chain begins with the corporate level and cascades down through senior management, operations leader, depots and production management, respectively.

During this process, management assembles a toplevel company strategy deployment matrix, and then each

functional leader works collaboratively with his or her team to establish improvement projects that support the top level.

Targets Met, Future Goals in Progress

By October 2009, Alstom had met its primary objectives.

The company increased availability rate of trains from 72 per cent to approximately 90 per cent and met its five-year goal to grow the business by 100 per cent. This was achieved while keeping headcount essentially flat and therefore doubling productivity. By October 2009, the bar was even set higher to grow the business further, which meant doubling reliability again and extending the customer base by gaining a new maintenance contract outside the Mainline.

Once the strategic objectives become an obsession for business leaders, the next challenge is to make them an almost equal obsession for everyone else by reviewing progress on a monthly and weekly basis. This maintains focus and allows enough leeway for corrective actions if any project or area starts to fall behind. Alstom therefore implemented a daily management system including boards displaying defined key performance measures that are reviewed on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The purpose of this isn’t to assign blame, but to address and resolve issues when they arise. This accelerates both the information-reporting cycle and the problem-resolution cycle. Standardising the oversight elements of the job makes it possible for managers to spend less time fighting fires, and more time focusing on projects that will move the organisation forward.

TBM Consulting Group TBM is a global operations management consulting firm that maximises enterprise value and accelerates growth by working with clients to leverage operational excellence.

It works with clients to immediately improve business performance by leveraging their investments and creatively engaging their human resources.

Its clients achieve growth rates 3-5x their industry average and EBITDA growth at least 2x their top line.

www.tbmcg.co.uk

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lstom introduced a new train to support Virgin in operating the West Coast Mainline in the UK but delivered a train that struggled to perform. The challenge was in ensuring that 46 trains out of the 52 in the fleet were in service each day. During 2006 they were struggling to provide 38 trains. Trains were shut down during the day to complete maintenance work needed to improve train reliability. This performance was affecting the relationship with the customer and, if continued, could affect contract renewal. To turn things around, Alstom used lean techniques—rapid changeover tools and policy deployment to transform its maintenance practices.

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The Middle East is particularly forward thinking in the

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Chris Rolison is the founder of Comply Serve Limited, the market innovator in Progressive Assurance Solutions.

For further information, visit: www.complyserve.com or follow on Twitter @ComplyServe

The Strength of Mentoring Robert Hopkin, the Executive Director of the Rail Alliance, gives his personal recollections of good and bad working environments, and discusses the aims of the Rail Sector Mentor Challenge Fund

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remember when I was a mere craft apprentice trying to file a cube of mild steel to be one inch ‘square’ in all senses of the word … at the time, I wondered about how relevant all this would be when I was, eventually, let loose on the fitting benches. As it happened, half way through my apprenticeship with a glowing ONC in my pocket from my day-release at St Albans’ Tech, the fools in the training section decided that the ‘white collar’ route was a better use of my skills and sent me off to University, despite me protesting against their decision. Within a year I was BEng (failed), sacked and unemployed!

I know where it went wrong. Wherever I went in the factory from (say) the turbine fitting bench to the diesel fitting bench, I was always under the watchful eye of a trained, indentured fitter and they were unanimously good at what they did – not just technically, but also in their approach to us young apprentices. They were avuncular at worst and fatherly at best and this was imbued across the whole company, even when you went out on location or ‘outdoor work’ as it was called, you were supported.

This all changed however when I went to University and studied for a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Production – lectures five days a week and, sometimes, weekend laboratory sessions. There was noone there to help you, cajole you and, importantly, apply the ‘light touch’ that might have been all you needed at that time to survive, or possibly excel, in that environment.

I saw over 30 people from our entry of 100 bright young things leave that University after the Christmas term or with me at the end of that Summer term – worn down by trying to please too many subject heads within the faculty with little or no feedback. Yes, there were tutorial sessions as part of the timetable – but, frankly, they were bordering on useless as there was little by way of care or consideration as to where, or how, we might be struggling (despite us trying to articulate it as best we could!).

The Rail Sector Mentoring Challenge Fund and how it can help you!

Starting in April and running throughout the financial year, the BIS-sponsored Rail Sector Mentor Challenge Fund (RSMCF) is a £305K programme will be looking to work with UK-based companies and individual business development officers and managers to help them better understand the rail sector. The programme will provide help and assistance

in the form of knowledge and encouragement to help you and your companies to better understand the rail sector, its opportunities and its pitfalls. The ultimate aim of the programme is to make more UK companies more competitive in the Rail Sector at home and abroad.

What can the RSMCF do for me?

A mentoring system is in many ways something that is embedded within the culture of an organisation and contributes, just as much to turnover and sales and - by association - profit, as pure sales effort alone. It is anticipated that by the end of the financial year that companies that will have worked with RSMCF will have a mentoring system up and running and that it will be sustainable and part of everyday life. For some companies, we will have administered a ‘light touch’ series of interventions – for others, the assistance may have gone deeper, using products such as Technology Radars to show (by means of diagnostic toolkits) where you are in the market, where your competitors are placed (indeed, ‘who’ your competitors are), and what your options are for ‘next steps’. We also intend to have an on-line mentoring support ‘toolkit’ that can underpin this activity and provide for those new to selling into the rail sector an information repository such that they are better placed at the end of the year than they were at the beginning of the programme to make the most of this vibrant and well-resourced sector.

Collaboration A major feature of the programme will be the notion of collaboration and the Rail Alliance has already seen in excess of 70 people from more than 50 companies benefiting from our BS11000 Awareness Briefings. As part of the RSMCF mentoring programme we will be taking this initiative forward and developing the individual stages of the standard (of which there are eight) to better prepare companies to achieve BS11000 Part 1 accreditation – the logical first step to achieving full BS11000 accreditation (bearing in mind that this standard will ‘morph’ into an ISO standard by the end of 2016). zz

For more details about the Rail Sector Mentoring Challenge Fund Programme, get in touch with the Rail Alliance at info@railalliance.co.uk

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SRS SjÖlanders

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SRS Module vehicle type RB25M with a 12m platform, wire lifter and working cabinet module

Rail roadies Moving between road and rail, the innovative vehicle designs from SRS Sjölanders assist the rail industry in moving from strength to strength

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“W

e have been manufacturing road-rail vehicles for many years since our first production in the 1970’s. One of the main aspects of our concept uses the SRS hydrostatic rail travelling device with a swivelling bogie for easy access to the rail. We actually have a lot of patents for designs making our system unique, but our excellent track record is more important,” says Peter Sundström, managing director of SRS Sjölanders. Road-rail vehicles can operate both on conventional road and rail tracks utilising additional flanged steel wheels for running on rail. The business delivers between 15 and 20 vehicles each year in the niche area of hydrostatic driven road-rail vehicles.

Specialising in the manufacture of vehicles, the company has two plants located in Sweden and is also represented in locations across the world.

“We have a turnover in the region of £12 million depending on contracts. In 2013 our workload was dominated by domestic sales in Sweden with some export to the UK, the Netherlands and the US. The year before however, there was very little domestic movement and normally our sales equate to 75 per cent export. The main market historically is the Nordic area, and our second market is the UK where we have in the region of over

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100 vehicles operating,” says Peter. The company has additional markets in the Netherlands where it has sold approximately 35 vehicles, and in the US and Canada where 30 vehicles are running with Austria, Germany, Poland, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan also featuring in its order books. “We have a lot of agents but in the last couple of years we have also developed service partners in the larger markets in which we operate. We have one in Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and Canada, and most recently we have established one in the UK,” he adds.

The agreement has been drawn up between SRS and Elmec Solutions Ltd, regarding service on road-rail vehicles in the UK. The strategy of establishing service partnerships in the larger markets is to respond quickly to service demands. “We also are expanding our own service department, taking care of the aftermarket and undertaking service requirements and any more complicated work that arises. We have ten engineers operating in this department with service vehicles Service is a significantly increasing part of our business and we see some tendency in the industry for customers to concentrate more and more on their operating work and requiring help with maintenance from outside,” Peter points out.

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SRS standard OHL vehicle type LRB17 equipped with a 12m platform, pantograph and a snow sweeper

SRS Bridge in spection vehi cle type

BRB17

Due to the age of the network, there is an increasing need to upgrade the systems in Sweden. The market in the UK has, through much of the last seven to nine years, been very quiet but now is booming and there are several projects and tenders in place that signify the opportunity for the business to work with old and potentially new customers. Commenting on the market Peter says: “Across all markets, the one that has the clearest tendency to increase is the UK. The Swedish market has also increased and it is likely that a lot of work will be coming up in that area at the end of 2014 and throughout 2015. The Swedish and Nordic markets are generally showing more signs of improvement. We do have competition from other road-rail companies but also from track-bound trolley manufacturers, however,

we have seen a trend that our concept is much more interesting to customers. It is beneficial to be able to get on and off the track, and not be on them continuously, and the cost is also significantly less. The cost of our vehicles with equipment is more or less half the price than a normal track bound operating vehicle.”

Through keeping an ear to the ground the business has pinpointed opportunities to grow in new geographical areas, as well as new technological ones. “We are seeking to expand in Eastern Europe and we have already sold vehicles into Poland and there is potential of business across more of the region. We are also actively expanding into tramways. It is not an area that we are very big in at the moment, but we have already developed some new technical concepts and secured orders. It is an area that we see future expansion,” says Peter.

Design and development plays a major role in the business and has throughout its years trading proved an invaluable aspect of the business. With various vehicles and models, one very popular product has been the OHL vehicle LRB17. The model, which was recently sold to Keltbray Aspire, UK, has been the biggest selling vehicle over the last three years. Although more standardised than the rest of the product range, due to its popularity the business maintains a continuous production to ensure that its clients benefit from a reduced lead in time with manufacture, as Peter explains: “We always have a couple of LRB17’s in production up to a certain stage, after which each one is customised to customer demands. Normally, depending on the vehicle it is about 25-30 weeks from order, but having an amount of vehicles under production we can deliver them in four to five weeks. It has been very popular with customers, because the demand for a quick delivery in large projects is sometimes high, and being able to offer a significant reduction makes it easier for the customer to plan and achieve their own targets.”

The construction process is built upon a solid design engineered by eight design staff in the R&D department.

In the last four years SRS has concentrated on its core business. “We don’t manufacture everything ourselves but we do source a lot of parts locally from specialists.

We don’t produce anything in mass so it helps to have

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SRS SjÖlanders

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SRS OHL vehicle type LRB25, equipped with a crane, 12m platform, wire lifter, height measuring system and a working/social cabinet

A view of asse mbly of the co mplete vehicl e in the SRS plant in local suppliers as this offers greater flexibility,” highlights Peter. To ensure the future of SRS it has established an in-house training programme and actively attracts new talent to the industry. “We haven’t had any problem getting skilled people. It is an attractive business. People want to get into engineering, and this is good part of Sweden for that. We have co-operation with the regular and technical schools around the area and it is working quite well,” he adds.

Through the new contract with Elmec the business is looking to undertake an increased amount of maintenance and servicing in the UK. With an inflated tender list for the upcoming year SRS is hoping for a successful period, as Peter explains: “We will be concentrating almost entirely on the road-rail concept, developing new solutions and making the system userfriendly, encouraging closer co-operation with customers, and developing the service and aftermarket departments.

We already have a heavy focus on education within the service department for our customers, both old and new and it is an aspect we will be further improving.”

Proud of its heritage, Peter explains that the success has derived from the development of its main core products in general: “We recognise that there is always improvement potential and we have been able to take the various vehicles from our portfolio and make them more attractive and user friendly.” Looking ahead, he adds: “We have already had three very successful years despite slow growth in the UK and Nordic markets.

However, should these increase as expected then we will see a significant rise in our business, and with the potential in Eastern Europe the future is very promising.

“Strategically, we are looking to increase within our core business.” In the niche market in which SRS

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operates, its production is already quite large, and any market growth will ultimately position the business at the forefront of the industry. There is a great potential for the domestic market to receive heavy investments. “We will hopefully benefit from this in the future. It is expected that there will be several projects coming up in maintenance and railroad construction in Sweden, and to be able to do that in an efficient way contractors will need to buy our vehicles.

A lot of them,” Peter jokingly insists. zz

www.srsroadrail.se

SRS Flush Butt welding vehicle type SRB25, equipped with a crane, welding head and working cabinet

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British Transport Police

Chief Constable Andrew Trotter

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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

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Safety first Under the capable and dedicated hands of chief constable Andrew Trotter since 2009, the British Transport Police has continued developing successful initiatives to provide safe and efficient travel for passengers across the UK

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s the national police for the railways, British Transport Police (BTP) operates across Great Britain and polices the journeys of more than six million passengers every day. Focused on providing safety and security across Scotland, England and Wales, the organisation also operates on the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Croydon Tramlink, Glasgow Subway and other light rail systems in the Midlands and North East.

To ensure it is providing optimal services to the public, BTP, alongside the British Transport Police Authority, publishes a strategic plan of four key objectives.

Currently consisting of helping to keep rail transport systems running, helping to make the railway safer and secure, delivering value for money through continuous improvement and promoting confidence in the use of the railway, BTP supports these aims with an annual Policing Plan.

Previously in Railway Strategies in February 2013, Andrew Trotter discusses BTP’s annual Policing Plan for 2014: “Our annual Policing Plan shows our specific strategic aims over the next 12 months within the four different divisions we are working on in the railway industry. The targets within our plan include both local and national objectives to ensure we can deliver the best solution to all areas. This is one reason why BTP has gained such a strong reception for the rail industry now; it hasn’t always been this way, but today we are known for delivering what we say through flexibility and innovation.”

An example of this commitment to customer satisfaction is the complete restructure BTP has undertaken to enhance its front line in an ever-expanding industry. “The railway is developing new lines and an ever-increasing footfall,” says Andrew. “It is a booming and successful business to be involved in, which is why we looked at how we were handling this increased demand and realised we had to do something radical to ensure we can cope with the increase in passengers over the next five years. The restructure has resulted in an extra 200 front line police officers and six new police offices, which is all being added on existing money. We have carefully analysed where we anticipate the pressure

will be, such as Manchester, and will put our personnel there to deal with it.”

With a core focus on crime prevention, BTP works closely with organisations such as the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London (TfL) on initiatives to provide a safe and secure environment to its many passengers.

One particularly successful initiative is Project Guardian, a long-term project involving TfL, City of London Police and

Cooneen At Work, a leading Corporate Clothing specialist, is proud to provide the British Transport Police with an integrated ‘end to end’ clothing management solution.

We provide a complete managed warehouse and supply service, handling a diverse range of garments and accessories, including trousers and shirts, epaulettes, batons and handcuffs for all the officers based throughout the UK. We also provide the force with specialist products including high wicking T-shirts with an anti-static and anti-snag construction, and body armour.

Cooneen has recently completed an exercise to individually measure 2000 officers for our range of highly flexible and comfortable bespoke body armour.

Cooneen At Work, based in Salisbury, is part of the Cooneen Group of Companies – one of Europe’s leading providers of design led and highly technical clothing including corporatewear, workwear, military and protective wear.

From initial design concepts to account management, forecasting, stock control and individual wearer delivery, we have the essential skills and expertise to meet the challenges of delivering a completely customer focussed service.

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British Transport Police

zzzzzzzzzz to prevent crime. “It is quite a simple operation; we aim to prevent crime by following up allegations and dealing with the offence. We take all reported issues seriously as evidence helps bring perpetrators to justice. Women should be able to travel safely at any time of day or night, and Project Guardian is very much about ensuring that,” adds Andrew.

With lower crime rates and increased detection rates achieved year-on-year, BTP’s dedication to providing more services and initiatives at a lower cost has proven a highly successful decision as it works with the railway industry to track down offenders. By utilising Britain’s varied CCTV infrastructure at its hub in central London, BTP can enhance images before giving them to officers or using them on social media to appeal to the public for information.

However, with personnel representing 85 per cent of the organisation’s costs, BTP is keen to continue enhancing the services of its front line in every day patrols and special operations to decrease crime such as theft of personal property, as Andrew discusses: “During the London Olympics we saw a predictable influx in pickpockets coming to London to take advantage of the increased crowds. We used different tactics for different issues, but our focus was on the London Underground, which is an area we have a lot of expertise. We not only arrested these pick-pockets, but found out where they were from, who they were working with and also if they had previous convictions in their home country if they were from abroad. It was a real comprehensive approach to the issue.”

As the rail industry continues to grow with new lines as well as increased passenger and freight numbers, BTP will be using its expertise to deliver the same level of high quality service on a wider scale. “Our whole focus is not just about crime, but safety in the broadest sense. There is a wide range of issues for us to deal with, but we have a great team who are prepared to handle any situation that comes up,” concludes Andrew. zz

Metropolitan Police, which aims to reduce sexual assault and unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport in London. “I’m very proud of Project Guardian, we clearly identified that sexual assaults are massively under reported and that the victims are often women who don’t think their allegation will be taken seriously,” highlights Andrew. Indeed, according to the TfL safety and security survey, approximately 15 per cent of females have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on London’s public transport and around 90 per cent of these victims decided not to report the incident because they didn’t think it was serious enough.

Aware of this problem, Project Guardian aims to increase public confidence in reporting sexual offences with 2000 specially trained police officers and PCSOs patrolling the network; in addition the organisation has everyday plain clothes and high visibility officers on patrol

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www.btp.police.uk

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NEWS I Integrated Transport

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l Nexus, which owns, manages and is modernising Metro, has invested £2.3 million in a new state-of-the-art rail maintenance vehicle to ensure Tyne and Wear Metro tracks are kept up to scratch for many decades to come. The vehicle – an on-track tamping machine – will be primarily used by Nexus to look after Metro’s 77km of track. It is used to sustain track geometry levels and alignment in accordance with UK rail industry standards.

Nexus

stop the Rochdale approaching am tr k lin ro et AM

TfGM

Tyne and Wear tamper

Rochdale’s town centre Metrolink line launched

The new Nexus rail maintenance vehicle with (from left to right) the Nexus director of finance and resources John Fenwick, head of maintenance delivery Phil Kirkland, and director of rail and infrastructure, Raymond Johnstone

Minister visits Metro extension l Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has announced a £5 million funding package to upgrade the on-street Midland Metro tram tracks through Wolverhampton. The Minister made the announcement while in Birmingham to see first-hand how construction is progressing on the £128 million Metro extension through the heart of the city. The Government funding will enable transport authority Centro to replace tracks in the Bilston Road area of Wolverhampton which are now 15-years-old and badly worn. The work, due to be carried out during this year’s school summer holidays, will help the Metro maintain its 99 per cent reliability while offering passengers a much quieter, smoother ride.

Baroness Kramer (foreground) with (l-r) Shivdeep Kumar, Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip, Cllr Roger Horton and Jagmohan Singh

l Rochdale’s new town centre Metrolink line opened to passengers on Monday 31st March, following final testing. The opening of the new line goes hand-in-hand with a multimillion pound regeneration of the town centre that will completely re-shape the Rochdale skyline. Metrolink passengers now have direct access to local bus services calling at the new state-of-theart Rochdale Interchange just across the road from the town centre stop, while work to remove the former bus station is already well underway. The new town centre tram stop is directly opposite Number One Riverside – Rochdale’s iconic new library, customer service centre and council offices – and will provide excellent transport links to job and leisure opportunities. The town centre line brings the size of the current Metrolink network to 48.5 miles (78km), serving 77 stops.

Metro milestone l The £30 million modernisation of Tyne and Wear Metro trains has reached the halfway mark, with the project on schedule to be completely finished by May 2015.

Extensive refurbishment work has been completed on a total of 43 Metro cars, which are now back in service, with a further 43 set to be ready by next year. The work has seen the existing Metro fleet undergo numerous updates and improvements, providing passengers with a brighter and more comfortable journey, for many years to come.

The Metro trains, which are more than 30 years old, are being upgraded as part of the £389 million Metro: all change modernisation programme, a Government-funded scheme to provide refurbished trains, new-look Metro stations, new tracks and other essential rail infrastructure.

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Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann)

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Take thetrain

Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) is committed to encouraging the expansion of rail as a mode of transport for passengers and freight

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rish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established in 1987, it operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast.

With Irish Rail continually competing with other modes of transport for customers, it is essential that the operator maintain a modern and reliable fleet. In order to continue to encourage travellers to use the rail option, Irish Rail is continually planning for the medium to long-term development of the railway, and investing in its rail network and services. Investment in recent years has delivered major benefits, including: l Renewed infrastructure, including track, signalling, and other infrastructure l New Intercity, Commuter and DART fleet l New stations, and upgraded existing stations, including improved accessibility l New rail lines, including Cork-Midleton, Ennis-Athenry, Clonsilla-M3 Parkway

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One of the most significant schemes that Irish Rail has undertaken is the City Centre Resignalling Project.

This Project is provided for under the capital investment programme for transport, funded by the National Transport Authority and will meet future demand for rail transport by increasing the capacity and frequency of trains through Dublin City Centre.

The project will provide Irish Rail with the ability to operate 20 trains in both directions through the Howth Junction to Grand Canal Dock line, which caters for Howth DARTs, Malahide DARTs, Northern Commuter trains, Belfast Enterprise services, Sligo Intercity and Maynooth commuter services, as well as other services in the Connolly to Grand Canal Dock area. Signalling on train lines regulate the safe movement of trains, and currently the system’s capacity stands at 12 trains per hour each way.

The Project has also taken in to consideration the need to modernise signalling equipment. Computer based interlocking will be used to replace the existing Relay based signalling systems in Howth/Howth Junction/

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Killester /Connolly and Pearse.

The project is to be executed in three phases. The first phase of the project covers the section between Malahide/ Howth and Killester, the second phase of the project covers the busy Connolly station area, and the third phase will cover the section between Connolly and Sandymount.

The new signalling system will bring major benefits to Irish Rail’s customers. These include an increased number of trains during peak hours, improved performance of level crossings giving longer road opening times, improved punctuality due to the modernisation of signalling and uninterruptible power supplies to ensure higher reliability. The new signalling system will also facilitate the track layout modifications for the DART, as well as the Underground and Maynooth and Northern Line electrification projects. The resignalling project will run between Malahide/Howth station and Sandymount, at a length of 21.6 Kms. The project will cost in the region of 120 million euros.

Alongside infrastructure investments such as this, Irish Rail has also spent considerable sums on its InterCity Railcar Fleet. Since entering service in December 2007, its 400 million euro 183-carriage InterCity Railcar fleet has transformed quality, comfort and frequency levels right

parkbytext parkbytext brought a wealth of experience to Irish Rail to modernise their customer’s parking experience and to solve their car park needs. Using a range of payment options (app, text, online, phone) and tactical marketing, the transition from cash to cashless has been a quick, rewarding and effortless process. Validated by customer uptake surpassing 80 per cent in some locations and an average cashless usage of over 40 per cent across all station car parks. To obtain the case study ‘From Cash to Cashless with Irish Rail’ or find out more visit www.parkbytext.ie.

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Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann)

Quaestor Analytic Quaestor Analytic currently maintain all hardware aspects of Iarnrod Eireann’s Fare Collection System nationwide which includes Ticket Vending Machines, Ticket Vending Machine Enclosures, Entry/Exit Validation Gates, Rotary Stiles, Turnstiles, Smart Card Equipment & Booking Office Equipment.

Quaestor Analytic also provide support & technical assistance to Iarnrod Eireann with all software and tariff downloads.

Quaestor Analytic have been maintaining Iarnrod Eireann’s Fare Collection System for the past 25 years.

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across the national rail network. The fleet was ordered from Mitsui of Japan, in partnership with Rotem of the Republic of Korea and Tokyo Car Corporation of Japan.

In March 2009, Irish Rail placed an order for an additional 51 InterCity Railcars, which brought the fleet up to a total of 234. This fleet expansion, worth 140 million euros benefitted Intercity and longer-distance commuter services.

In May 2011, Irish Rail took delivery of the first 12 new InterCity carriages at Dublin Port of this order, and the new carriages entered service from late 2011 into the first half of 2012. The replacement of the outdated fleet across the network brought a host of benefits to passengers including improved frequency and capacity on all InterCity routes, modern on-board comfort standards and improved accessibility for mobilityimpaired customers.

For Irish Rail, the benefits of the investment included the fact that this is now the greenest diesel train fleet in Europe, meeting Stage 3B EU emission limits for nitrous oxides (2.0g/kWh) and Stage 3A limit for soot particles (0.2g/kWh). In fact, protection of the environment is a topic that Irish Rail keeps at the top of the agenda.

The organisation is committed to operating in an environmentally sound manner, and to encouraging the expansion of rail as a mode of transport for passengers and freight in order to reduce the greenhouse effect and other forms of pollution. It believes that rail transport offers great potential for solving the ‘mobility or environment’ dilemma in view of its recognised environmental advantages over other modes of transport.

While investment increased significantly in the first decade of this century, the economic crisis in Ireland has seen a dramatic reduction in capital funding, and Public Service Obligation payments reduce by 38 per cent.

Costs have been reduced by €73 million since 2008, and staff numbers by 25 per cent, while services have largely been maintained. Further cost reductions are targeted, and passenger numbers resumed growth in the second half of 2013 following decline since 2007.

While some major projects have been deferred, Irish Rail remains ambitious for the future of the network. The DART Expansion Programme, which includes a new 7.6km DART underground tunnel through the heart of the city centre is key to maximising the potential of the rail network in the Greater Dublin area. It includes a rail link to Dublin Airport, currently one of the only capital cities in the EU without a rail connection.

The company is also seeking investment to improve speeds on the Intercity network, with journey times of two hours or less targeted to Cork and all other major cities. This will meet customer demand, and generate economic and environmental benefits for the community as a whole. zz

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First delivery ready for despatch l Chard Company Brecknell Willis has celebrated receiving one of its largest current collector orders last year and, at the end of February, customer Hitachi Rail Europe came to witness a finished pantograph ready for despatch. The pantographs are destined to be fitted to the nine-car electric Class 800 Series trains which will replace the current Intercity 125 and 225 fleets running on the newly electrified Great Western Line and the East Coast Main Line services.

This model of pantograph has been designed to operate at speeds of up to 225km/h. The first units will be shipped from the UK to Japan for installation and testing on the first three pre-series Class 800 series trains.

Gear units for IEP l With the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) Britain is modernizing part of its train fleet by 2017. 122 high-speed trains will systematically replace older trains. The new electric or bi-mode trains are fitted with Voith gear units. The programme is one of the most prestigious high-speed projects in Europe. 122 new trains will run on both electrified and non-electrified routes at speeds of 200km/h. All of the driven units are fitted with the single-stage Voith SE-369 gear unit in aluminum design.

Voith to Retrofit Class 142 Wheelsets for Angel Trains in the UK l Angel Trains has appointed Voith to supply 188 new final drives and cardan shafts to its fleet of Class 142 diesel multiple units. Voith has modified the design of its KE-485 final drive to enable it to be a drop-in replacement with no vehicle modifications and the work will improve the units’ reliability, reducing service and maintenance costs for its operators.

Voith will deliver complete new wheelsets comprising a modified gear unit, axle, wheels and axle bearings. In addition, Voith is supplying a new cardan shaft as part of its bundle offer and the final drive and cardan shaft will not require overhaul for the next million miles of operation. The delivery of the units will take place during 2015. Angel Trains Class 142 units are currently in operation with Arriva Trains Wales and Northern Rail.

An Angel Trains Class 142 in operation with Northern Rail

(L-R): Stuart Rattenbury, sales co-ordinator at Brecknell Willis; David Hartland, engineering director at Brecknell Willis; Matt Atkins, lead pantograph engineer at Brecknell Willis; Richard Whitefield, managing director at Brecknell Willis; Ben Snodin, category manager at Hitachi Rail Europe; Jamie Foster, procurement director at Hitachi Rail Europe; Rt. Hon David Laws MP; Mayor of Chard, Jenny Kenton; Steve Cullingford, technical manager at Brecknell Willis.

Mobile Centre of Excellence l Buck & Hickman has launched its Mobile Centre of Excellence, offering rail sector customers the chance to experience its extensive product and service offering for themselves, wherever in the UK they are based.

The Mobile Centre of Excellence – the only facility of its kind in the UK dedicated to these product areas – will visit customer production facilities small and large, as well as Buck & Hickman’s own nationwide branch network, to showcase the capabilities of the company and its suppliers.

With a focus on innovative products and solutions, the Mobile Centre of Excellence features interactive demonstration rigs for hand and power tools and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Meanwhile, hands-on product displays and video demonstrations from no less than 25 of the company’s supplier partners, including Polyco, Bosch and Honeywell, present ways in which Buck & Hickman can add value through services such as vendor-managed inventory, product and brand rationalisation, and application advice.

For more information, or if you are interested in arranging a visit by the Mobile Centre of Excellence, call 08450 510 510 or visit www.buckandhickmanuk.com.

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Southern Railway

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Fleet ofstrength Southern Rail’s £19 million train refurbishment programme is designed to deliver significant improvements for passengers

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outhern Railway provides train services for commuters, airport users, and business and leisure travellers in south London, between central London and the South coast, through East and West Sussex, Surrey and parts of Kent and Hampshire.

The company operates one of the largest and most diverse fleets in the UK, with around 300 new or refurbished trains running over 2,400 services a day. Over the course of two franchises, it has made substantial improvements to its rolling stock fleet and its stations. Most recently, in collaboration with Network Rail, it has delivered six brand new station buildings, as well as having further major station improvement schemes underway, which will bring the overall investment in new stations and major improvement work to over £16.5 million.

As Gerry McFadden, Fleet Director at Southern Railway explained, a large part of Southern’s responsibility in this current franchise has involved working with Network Rail in developing the expansion of the metro services from eight car to ten car as well as expanding the capacity of the West London lines from four cars to five and eight cars.

“From a fleet perspective there has been no let up in development. We are currently refurbishing our whole fleet

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz week’s downtime. There are even videos of the process on the Southern website, http:// www.southernrailway.com/film – it’s very impressive and has brought major benefits to the company.”

Alongside the rolling stock upgrade programme, Southern has also expanded the capacity of its metro services. Said Gerry: “Effectively this has covered three different programmes of work. First of all there has been a project led by Network Rail to extend platforms from eight cars to ten cars, secondly, there has been a scheme to introduce 170 new vehicles, and finally, there has been an extension of depot facilities and introduction of new sidings.

“In order to be able to create this new ten car fleet, the amount of work required in the background has been quite phenomenal. We have put in place 108 new vehicle berths at six different locations and we have extended the Selhurst depot to ten cars long, as part of a £multi million programme of works.

“We are now getting towards the end of the new fleet

of 700 Class 377 Electrostar carriages, and by Spring 2014, all carriages will be fully refurbished. We’re also overhauling our fleet of Class 455 trains – those you see on our Metro routes. Furthermore, we have recently completed the overhaul of our Class 171 Turbostar diesel fleet – engines rafts and bogies - as well as a full interior refresh – new carpets, seat covers, and grab rails.”

The Electrostar overhaul programme was an enormously challenging undertaking for Southern, and as Gerry explained, it required a radical approach: “The rolling stock of the Electrostar fleet is now over ten years old and the units were beginning to look quite tired inside, and at the same time, they were due an overhaul on the bogies, doors and couplers.

“The level of availability that could be achieved with that fleet meant there wasn’t any spare rolling stock to substitute for units that were taken out of service for three different examination programmes. To solve this problem, the team at the repair shop in Selhurst planned a programme of work and created a process that allowed a unit’s interior to be renewed, for its doors, bogies and coupling gears to come off and be overhauled (in three separate processes) all within a

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Unipart Rail Unipart Rail work extensively with Southern Railway providing consultancy and supply chain management support for their fleet of vehicles.

Recently a joint initiative was undertaken to develop a lean capability in the maintenance regime at Southern focusing on the Class 377 exam. The result of the consultancy work was a 52 per cent reduction in the major exam lead time, a 23 per cent reduction in the number of units out of traffic and a 14 per cent reduction in the man-hours taken for the exam process. introduction - we have a new 5car single voltage (DC) fleet in operation, and in addition we commissioned a new dual voltage fleet, which is due to come into operation in the early summer,” Gerry highlighted.

Bombardier won the order for this new train build and Southern set it a challenge to deliver the first train into passenger service in record time. “Bombardier and the staff at Litchurch Lane are working hard to make sure these trains are reliable,” Gerry added. “When we receive the sixth unit of our dual voltage fleet it will represent 1000 vehicles that Litchurch Lane will has built for Southern, which is not only a significant milestone in itself, but also coincides with 175 years of the rail industry in Derby and which is very important in its own right.”

With Southern’s current franchise running until July 2015, and various bids for the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (‘TSGN’) franchise already with the Department of Transport, Gerry remains positive about the future. He believes that the programme of improvements that he and his team have implemented will continue to bring benefits for the next decade. Going forward, Southern has no intention of slowing down its programme of improvements. “The next ten years are a continuation of what we have already done. It’s also not all about new trains, although we do have two new guaranteed fleets coming into service. We are also highly dedicated to technology, and our new smart card ticketing option, which represents five years of research and development for the company. It has only recently been launched, will continue to see new additions and developments,” he concluded. zz

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NEWS I Contracts

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E&P framework contracts Lanes Group expands LU repair role with contract win l Lanes Group has been awarded a new contract that expands its reactive and planned repair work on the London Underground network. London Underground (LU) has awarded the company’s Rail Division reactive and planned maintenance contracts for bridges and structures, as well as the company’s core drainage works. Lanes Group has held a reactive drainage contract for six years, but this is the first time the company has won a reactive bridges and structures contract with LU. Lanes Group is now LU’s sole provider of reactive repair services for both drainage and bridges and structures.

l Network Rail has awarded McNicholas two Electrification & Plant framework contracts for their Infrastructure Projects Southern Area covering the Wessex, Sussex and Kent routes. The multi-year framework agreements will see McNicholas providing design and build services for general Electrification and Plant assets and HV Feeders during the new five-year Control Period (CP5) which commences on 1st April 2014. l Typically, the general Electrification and Plant framework will encompass enhancement of 750V DC track feeder cables and along-track positive cables, substation rewires, renewal of impedance protection relays, renewal of lighting, earth farms, signalling power, RTUs, UPSs, points heating and a range of other fixed plant asset services. l The HV Feeder framework will provide for the refurbishment and/or replacement of existing HV Feeder cable routes between substations, replacement of existing oil filled cables with new 33kV cabling, renewal of the existing pilot cables and installation of new optical fibre telecommunication cables.

Design and build contract for new London – Oxford route

Finchley Central footbridge

Integrated FM l Mitie has been awarded a renewed contract to provide integrated facilities management (FM) for Network Rail. The contract, with a total base value in excess of £75 million over a five-year period, will see Mitie continue to deliver services across Network Rail’s UK property portfolio. Mitie will work at over 100 Network Rail buildings across Britain, predominately in the corporate office estate, including the main campus at The Quadrant:MK in Milton Keynes. Mitie will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive range of services including fabric and engineering maintenance, energy management, security, cleaning, mailroom & couriers, helpdesk, waste and pest services.

l An £87 million contract to deliver the design and construction of the new Chiltern Railways route between London Marylebone and Oxford and the western section of the East West Rail scheme to Bedford and Milton Keynes has been awarded by Network Rail. A joint venture between Carillion and Buckingham Group Contracting will design and build the new section of line which will provide a new and alternative link between Oxford and London.

The project is overseen by the Bicester to Oxford Collaboration and includes building a new one kilometre section of railway to connect the Bicester Town to Oxford line to the Chiltern main line. It will also involve widening the existing track bed; doubling over 18km of track; increasing line speed to100mph; constructing new overbridges, underbridges and footbridges; closing 37 level crossings; building a new station at Oxford Parkway; upgrading Bicester Town and Islip stations; and installing a new signalling system.

Crossrail contract for Gleeds Crossrail contract for east London & Essex l Network Rail has awarded a £150 million contract to Costain for the majority of Crossrail works planned on the north-east surface section of the Crossrail route, between Stratford in east London and Shenfield in Essex. The contract includes the design and build of major station improvements at Romford and Ilford as well as improvements at stations including Forest Gate, Goodmayes, Harold Wood, Gidea Park, Chadwell Heath and Brentwood.

l Gleeds has been commissioned by Bombardier to project and cost manage the delivery of a new train depot at Old Oak Common in north west London. The award follows the announcement that Bombardier secured a major contract with Transport for London to supply, deliver and maintain 65 new trains for Crossrail with a depot to house them by 2018. Preparatory works are due to start on site at Old Oak Common in April 2014, with construction commencing in August. Bombardier anticipates that the construction works will create 244 new jobs and 16 apprenticeship opportunities.

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Trackwork Moll

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A new journey Trackwork Moll has only been producing high quality prestressed concrete railway sleepers from its new factory since summer 2013 66

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ith Network Rail’s track renewals throughout the UK exceeding 1000 miles each year, the need for a cost-effective, reliable and high capacity supply chain for concrete sleepers is paramount. Trackwork Moll is a brand new venture that will be an invaluable partner in meeting this critical requirement.

Since being formed in 2011, and having won major contracts from Network Rail the following year, Trackwork Moll has established a state-of-the-art production facility in Doncaster, England to meet the high volume requirement for concrete railway sleepers within the

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United Kingdom’s rail network. The company is a joint venture between Trackwork of Doncaster and Leonhard Moll Betonwerke of Munich, in partnership with Network Rail. Both parent companies are well-established rail sector suppliers, with a determination to grow their business.

Peter Heubeck is the general manager of Trackwork Moll. Having previously led the track materials procurement team in Network Rail, Peter was aware of supply constraints and inefficiencies in the existing supply chain for concrete sleepers. “I said to the MD of Trackwork that if we could partner with somebody who

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz had comprehensive concrete products knowledge, we could put in a strong bid for concrete sleeper manufacturing,” Peter explains. “We had meetings with many different concrete sleeper producers from the UK and Europe, whom I knew from my previous position with Network Rail. We decided to partner with the family-owned firm of Leonhard Moll based in Munich, who are a major sleeper manufacturer on the continent, with three factories in Germany, one factory in Poland and a fifth factory in Croatia.”

Between the two organisations, Trackwork and Leonhard Moll Betonwerke bring over 100 years of combined experience in railway infrastructure and concrete production to the Trackwork Moll joint venture. Leonhard Moll was founded in 1929 and has manufactured pre-stressed concrete sleepers since 1937. The company was one of the early pioneers of concrete sleepers and has produced more than 10,000,000 of them, with an excellent quality record.

Trackwork was formed in 1976 and operates as an approved contractor for Network Rail. It also undertakes contracts for materials handling at depots in Crewe and Westbury, the supply and disposal of wooden sleepers and bearers, as well as the manufacture and supply of

switches and crossings.

The combined expertise and resources of the two entities were vital in securing a ten year contract with Network Rail and the construction of a new factory at the Doncaster Wood Yard site for the manufacture of concrete sleepers. Prior to the agreement, the supply of concrete sleepers within the UK was limited to two main suppliers, one of which would leave the market

DESIGNED - FABRICATED - INSTALLED Based in Manchester, we supply GRP grating non slip flooring constructed from fibreglass, as an ideal and cost effective alternative to traditional grating materials like wood, mild steel and stainless steel.

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Contact us to discuss any requirements or projects on: 01942 878 062 Manchester 0207 118 2077 London info@grpgratingsystems.co.uk www.grpgratingsystems.co.uk

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Trackwork Moll

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when Tarmac announced the closure of its precast concrete and flooring division during 2010. In the face of redundancies at Tarmac prior to the announcement, Network Rail decided in 2009 to seek a new build and supply contractor to ensure the reliable supply of sleepers for the UK rail network. Trackwork Moll won the process and the scheme received Board approval in Spring 2011.

The agreement between Network Rail and Trackwork Moll will ensure that the UK rail network is specifically supplied to continue to offer an efficient transport solution. In a 2012 press release concerning the project Martin Elwood, director of Network Rail’s NDS said: “This factory is crucial if we are to deliver better value for money whilst maintaining a safe, reliable railway. We need between 700,000 and 1,000,000 concrete sleepers each year and, once commissioned, this factory will produce AMS60 mobile welding machine around 400,000 of these. It will also directly create around 35 new jobs, with knock-on benefits to the local supply chain.”

“This is a strategic decision by Network Rail to protect the supplies that are vital for the company’s track programme,” he adds. “At the same time we can reduce cost by increasing competition and introducing more modern production methods. Doncaster is the ideal

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz location for this factory, as these sidings are already used as a hub for engineering trains and its central location will make distribution across Britain’s rail network easier and more efficient.”

The construction of the factory building and its associated fixed infrastructure was funded by Network Rail and is situated on Network Rail land. The design and construction of the factory was contracted to Trackwork Moll, who will lease the facility from Network Rail for the ten year term of their sleeper supply contract. “We actually have three contracts with Network Rail,” Peter elaborates.

“We have the ten-year sleeper supply contract, which obviously requires us to supply specification-compliant sleepers at an agreed price. This contract comes into effect as soon as we start supplying to Network Rail.

Nedri Spanstaal Leonhard Moll Betonwerke uses our prestressing steel not only in Germany but also in Poland and now in the technologically advanced plant in Doncaster. The prestressing steel used by Moll varies from 7.0mm wires to 9.5mm bars with thread to 9.3mm indented seven wire strand.

For many years we have been supplying the various plants of Leonhard Moll Betonwerke and together we have built a highly appreciated relationship. We are convinced that Leonhard Moll will be very success full in their new Doncaster Plant and we will work as closely as possible together in order to optimise the service and product quality of the Trackwork Moll railway sleepers.

leaders in prestressed steel technology

Nedri Spanstaal has become one of the European market leaders with a special position in steels for the railway market inside and outside Europe. With an experience of 88 years and after several mergers we are now among the top 3 producers with a very broad program in PC-strands, PC-wires, hairpins and threaded bars for railway sleepers.

Nedri Spanstaal is honoured to be an important supplier to the Leonard Moll Group.

Nedri Spanstaal BV: Groot Egtenrayseweg 13 5928 PA Venlo Netherlands

T: +31 (0)77 3877477 F: +31 (0)77 3873171 E: info@nedri.nl W: www.nedri.nl

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Trackwork Moll

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We were also contracted to design and build the factory for Network Rail, which they will own. This meant that we had to go out and find a suitable design and build contractor for the project. In selecting an experienced local company, and by segregating the site from the surrounding railway activities, we obtained very good value for Network Rail. Under the terms of our lease, we are entitled to install our manufacturing equipment into Network Rail’s building. We have invested around £6 million in production and handling equipment for this venture.We obviously hope to win a follow-on contract in a decade’s time.”

Throughout the design and construction of the factory, Trackwork Moll relied on local expertise and skills to build

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the facility. J F Finnegan of Sheffield were employed as the design and build contractor, while Race Cottam Associates, also of Sheffield, were the project architects.

The Doncaster office of Hannah Reed were the project’s consulting civil engineers. Furthermore, all of the subcontractors associated with the project were located within 50 miles of the site. This gave real benefits in terms of achieving best value and working to a tight programme. The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt. Hon. Patrick McLoughlin MP, officially opened the factory on 9th December 2013.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The opening of the facility, and the development of Trackwork Moll as a cutting edge supplier of concrete sleepers, is an exciting prospect for Network Rail, TWM’s parent companies and the wider UK rail sector. The G44 and EG47 sleepers used in the UK are different to the wide variety of sleeper types which Leonhard Moll has supplied to clients in Europe. The sleeper production and handling equipment that has been installed is a bespoke design to offer high quality, efficient output. The benefit from Network Rail’s perspective is in a cost-effective and reliable partner to aid in meeting its mammoth need for concrete sleepers, as Peter concludes: “As well as achieving reductions in sleeper procurement and distribution costs, there are big wins for Network Rail in terms of supply capability.

As well as adding a 400,000 sleeper supply capability to the supply chain, we have incorporated a massive, (90,000), stocking capacity for new sleepers and excellent train loading arrangements. With a high capacity gantry crane spanning the whole stockyard, complimented by appropriate mobile plant, two long train sidings and no planning limits on working hours, we have a very high peak dispatch capability. This means that Network Rail should never need to do any expensive remote stockpiling and double handling of new concrete sleepers ever again.� zz

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zz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions zzzzzzzzzzz Forthcoming Conferences and Exhibitions This listing represents a selection of the events about which we have been notified. It is strongly recommended that direct contact should be made with the individual organiser responsible for each event before booking places or making travel and accommodation reservations. Cancellations and other last-minute alterations are liable to occur. The editor and publishers of RAILWAY STRATEGIES are not responsible for any loss or inconvenience suffered by readers in connection with this guide to events.

15 May – Railway Strategies Live 2014 London Organisers: Railway Strategies Tel: 01603 274 181 Email: mcawston@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Web: www.railwaystrategies.com 20-22 May – Infrarail 2014 London Organisers: Mack Brooks Tel: 01727 814 400 Web: www.infrarail.com 20-22 May – Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition (CITE) 2014 London Organisers: Mack Brooks Tel: 01727 814 400 Web: www.cite-uk.com 28-29 May – GEO Business 2014 London Organisers: Diversified Business Communications UK Tel: +44 (0)1453 836 363 Web: www.geobusinessshow.com

4 June – The 22nd Annual Rail Freight Group Conference London Organisers: Waterfront Conference Company Tel: 0207 067 1597 Email: conference@thewaterfront.co.uk Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conferences/rail 11-12 June – Train Communications Systems London Organisers: BWCS Tel: 01531 634 326 Email: ross.parsons@bwcs.com Web: www.traincomms2014.com/ 12-13 June – Planning for a Liveable City – Sustainable Urban Mobility Sopot, Poland Organisers: Eltis Web: eltis.org Registration: http://www.polisnetwork.eu/1steuropean-conference-on-sustainable-urbanmobility-plans Language: English 12-13 June – Next Generation Rail – From seed to success MOSI, Manchester Rail Research UK Association Web: rruka.org.uk Email: rruka@rssb.co.uk Registration: rruka.org.uk/next-generation-rail2014-registration

1-2 July – Africa Rail Johannesburg Organisers: Terrapinn Tel: +27 (0) 11 516 4015 Email: enquiry.za@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/africarail/ 21-25 September – 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics Berlin Organisers: International Geosynthetics Society Web: www.10icg-berlin.com 23-26 September – InnoTrans 2014 Berlin Organisers: Messe Berlin GmbH Tel: +49 (0)30 30 38 - 2376 Email: innotrans@messe-berlin.de Web: www.innotrans.com 29 September – 1 October – European Transport Conference Frankfurt Organisers: Association for European Transport Email: http://aetransport.org/contact Web: http://etcproceedings.org/ 17-19 March 2015 – Rail-Tech 2015 Utrecht Organisers: Europoint Conferences & Exhibitions Tel: +31 (0)30 698 1800 Email: info@rail-tech.com Web: www.rail-tech.com

Institute of Mechanical Engineers Training Courses Technical training for the railway industry A listing of courses currently available from the IMechE (Unless stated otherwise, all courses are in London) 12 -16th May Introduction to railway signalling technology An overview of railway control systems, subsystems and technologies used on UK main line and metro railways

28th October Train communication and auxiliary systems New and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock fleet

5th November Fleet maintenance Improve your processes and fleet maintenance processes

21st October Introduction to rolling stock Key design principles affecting the performance of railway systems

29th October Train control and safety systems Learn of the systems used on UK fleets that provide safety and train operational control

6th November Vehicle acceptance and approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network

22nd October Traction and braking Principles of traction and braking for railway engineers

30th October Vehicle dynamics and vehicle track interaction Understand the dynamics of railway vehicles to improve safety, comfort and asset life

23rd October Optimising fleet maintenance efficiency Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance

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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

4th November Train structural integrity Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets

A downloadable brochure is available at: www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/learningand-professional-development-documents/l_ d_railway_training_web.pdf?sfvrsn=2 For more information, please contact Lucy O’Sullivan, learning and development co-ordinator: Tel: +44 (0)20 7304 6907 Email: training@imeche.org Web: www.imeche.org/learning/courses/railway

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