Railway Strategies Issue 109 Early Edition by Finelight Media Group

RAILWAY

Early Edition 109

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

A tantalising taster of 4G See page 16

FOCUS ON

Signalling l Cyber attack â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

protecting the network FOCUS ON

Communication

l How Swiss Rail is utilising big data

l Dawlish â&#x20AC;&#x201C; keeping the public onside

NEWS Crossrail tunnelling enters final stages Scotrail scoops business excellence award Technology and teamwork break records

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From the Editor

Is this a paradigm shift?

Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Mike Tulloch Editor Gay Sutton editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Managing Editor Libbie Hammond Editorial Designer Jon Mee

hen Network Rail published its full-year results last month, it was able to confirm that almost £7 billion was invested into the rail network over the last 12 months, making 2013-2014 a record year for new construction and infrastructure improvements.

Keeping pace with this, however, has been the continued rise in passenger journeys across the network. This might be great news in its own right, but it has led to further congestion in the system and contributed to the failure to reach the regulatory target of 92.5 per cent of train services running to time. It’s a target that Network Rail is determined to meet or exceed next year. Another contributory factor to this below-target performance, though, was

Advertisement Designer Jenni Newman

the extreme weather conditions that hit services during the winter. Industry’s

Profile Editor Libbie Hammond

significant operational changes. For example, when stretches of Isambard

Advertisement Sales Dave King Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Gavin Watson Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Administration Tracy Chynoweth

response to these difficulties has been impressive, perhaps heralding some Kingdom Brunel’s historic line at Dawlish were washed away by freak storm conditions in February, it took just eight weeks of collaborative effort to repair the damage and resume services. Having experienced the effectiveness of such close collaboration, are we likely to see this becoming the new paradigm in the future? In addition to this marathon of reconstruction, enormous effort went into communicating with the public, updating them on progress and providing up-to-the minute travel information. In our communications focus this month, we report on how First Great Western managed this process by commissioning and operating a unique digital travel advice hub. As a result, passenger loyalty and satisfaction have increased significantly, an achievement that has been mirrored in many regions around the country.

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zzzzzzzzzzzzz Contents Features

Obituary: Colour light signals (1920-2014) 10 Tammy Samuel and Darren Fodey Future of Rail 2050 18 Arup report

News

Industry 4 Rail Alliance 8 Conferences & exhibitions 9

Focus on signalling Cyber security 12 Peter Armstrong

Focus on communications Digital travel advice hub 14 Case Study at Dawlish

The future of connectivity 16 Nigel Chadwick and Alan Wood On time with real-time fast data 17 Maurizio Canton

16 Cover story

Profiles Keyline 20 UK Power Network Services 25 Telent 29 London & North Western Railway Co Ltd 33

25 29

NEWS I Industry

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Crossrail Tunneling enters final stages l Crossrail tunnel boring machine Ellie broke through into a cavern 40m beneath Stepney Green, in the East End of London on 16 June, marking the structural completion of tunnels for the north east spur, between Whitechapel and Pudding Mill Lane. It has taken Ellie just over three months to complete the 2.7km journey, travelling as much as 72m in a 24 hour period. Crossrail has now completed over 80 per cent of rail tunnels. Ellie is now being lifted out of the cavern and taken by road to Limmo Peninsula at Canning Town where she will be re-assembled ready to recommence creating a second tunnel towards Victoria Dock Portal. Meanwhile, Crossrail started its shortest tunnel drive from Limmo Peninsula to the Victoria Dock Portal in east London on 3 June. The giant tunnelling machine Jessica will create a 900m tunnel forming part of the south-east spur of London’s new rail line. The tunnel begins from a 35m deep access shaft alongside the mouth of the River Lea, and will run to Victoria Dock portal, where the Crossrail tracks reach the surface at Custom House station. Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail chief executive said: “The end is now in sight for Crossrail’s tunnelling marathon. This is our shortest tunnel drive, but it forms an important part of Crossrail’s south-east spur, which will bring tremendous benefits to Docklands and south east London.”

Record investment but performance fails to reach target l Almost £7 billion has been invested in improving and expanding Britain’s rail network over the last 12 months, Network Rail revealed in its full-year results for 2013-14. This equates to almost £20 million a day providing new stations and platforms, lifts, information systems, concourses, footbridges and track. Only 90 per cent of train services ran to time, however, 2.5 percentage points below the regulatory target. Some of the shortfall was caused by congestion as the passenger journeys increased by 5.7 per cent, but extreme weather and slower improvements in asset reliability also played a part. Chief executive Mark Carne said: “With a million more trains on the network than 10 years ago, there are inevitable challenges. We are determined to do more to improve train reliability in the face of these challenges. We will increase the reliability of the network and make it more resilient to climate change. Continued investment in our railway will also be key if we are to grow our economy and deliver a better, improving, expanding rail network for millions of daily users.” During this period, the number of people travelling by rail grew by 86 million, double the growth rate forecast in 2009. Passenger numbers have now doubled since 1995 and a further 30 per cent growth is predicted for the next ten years.

Cornwall to receive £146.6m rail boost l In a move to boost tourism in Cornwall, lift the local economy and create new jobs, the Prime Minister has announced a £146.6m package of rail improvements for the region. A major programme of signalling improvements is to start five years earlier than planned, providing faster journeys between Penzance and Totnes and paving the way for the potential introduction of half-hourly services on the Cornish mainline. The Night Riviera Sleeper trains which run between Penzance and London – one of only two sleeper services in the UK – are to be completely overhauled, while the Long Rock train maintenance site at Penzance is to be expanded to maintain the sleeper trains.

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NEWS I Industry

New high speed service comes a step closer l Great North Western Railway Company (GNWR) has reached an agreement with Network Rail to operate two new direct, high speed rail services from the North of England to London using the West Coast Main Line. The target dates for operation are set to coincide with the full electrification of the two routes. The service will include six return trains a day between London and Blackpool starting in 2017, and six return trains a day between London and Huddersfield via Manchester Victoria and then continuing on to Leeds, starting in 2018. The period of industry consultation ends in early July and GNWR will only need final approval from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) before new trains can be ordered, and the recruitment process can begin. A fleet of eight new Alstom Pendolino trains are to be acquired for the service, which will create more than 200 new jobs.

Scotrail scoops business excellence award l ScotRail has been awarded 5 Star accreditation from Quality Scotland for its achievements in leadership, team work, performance, economic influence and environmental impact. The award was made at the Scottish Awards for Business Excellence. ScotRail has adopted the European Foundation for Quality Management model, which focuses on continually improving business practices in order to benefit staff and customers. More than 350 staff were interviewed during the assessment, to establish how effectively they communicate and work with each other at all levels.

New resource for exporters to Brazil

Changes to supplier pre-qualification service l The rail industry’s supplier qualification scheme Link-up, which is used by 110 buying organisations and 3,800 suppliers, is now re-structuring. From autumn it will be known as RISQS – Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme. The core functionality will remain the same. Companies carrying out potentially medium or high risk services can continue to use a single questionnaire to qualify for work with a host of rail businesses while Achilles will provide the qualification system and audit service for companies deemed to be high risk. Changes include streamlining of the product code hierarchy, changes to assurance in line with industry requirements, rationalisation of supplier qualification questions, streamlining the audit activity, enhancing qualification arrangements to include sustainable development, and improving the IT platform to support more effective operation of the scheme. Further information: www.risqs.org

l Brazil is pledging huge investment to meet demand for a rapidly expanding rail network. For companies looking to expand into this area, a new report published by Mack Brooks provides essential market information. This includes the political, funding and regulatory environment for main line and urban rail in Brazil; an overview of the major development projects in Brazil’s railway infrastructure including the proposed high-speed line and new freight links; details of the freight, suburban and main line passenger operators, ownership, activities and plans; and a review of urban rail transport systems, developments and projects in 18 major cities and conurbations. Order your copy from: www.mackbrooks.com

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NEWS I Industry

Volunteers search historical records l A team of Crossrail archaeologists is scheduled to begin excavating up to 3,000 skeletons next year as part of construction of the new Liverpool Street Crossrail station. About 400 skeletons have already been removed during preliminary works at the site. Ahead of these main excavations, team of volunteers have begun searching historical records across London to uncover evidence of the people buried at the infamous Bedlam burial ground during the 16th and 17th Century. Those believed to be buried at Bedlam include Robert Lockyer who was a soldier executed under the orders of Oliver Cromwell for leading the Bishopgate mutiny, and John Lilburne, an English political Leveller before, during and after the English Civil Wars of 1642 -1650. The burial ground, located near the notorious Bethlem Hospital, was opened to cope with the plague crisis which swept across Europe during the 16th Century.

North Doncaster Chord opens for business l GB Railfreight was the first operating company to use the newly-constructed £45 million North Doncaster Chord, a 3.2km twin track railway between the Skellow line and Askern Line which enables freight trains to travel up and over the East Coast Main Line rather than have to connect to the high-speed rail link. The Chord removes a major pinch point on both lines, and will be a significant benefit for both rail freight and rail passenger services in the North East. As part of a wider programme of investment in the ECML, it should improve reliability and capacity for passenger services and will also improve the speed and frequency of freight trains travelling between Humber ports and the Aire Valley power stations

Technology and teamwork help break records l The team renewing the railway in Hampshire broke all records on 11 June when they improved more than a kilometre of ballast in less than eight hours. The High Output Ballast Cleaner used to achieve the new record is one of the longest trains on the network, consisting of the cleaner itself and a string of conveyor ballast wagons. The cleaner scoops up the ballast the track sits on, before then sieving out any small, broken pieces and replacing them with the same weight in fresh stone, creating a safe, well-drained and quiet track bed. The new record was set by good teamwork. More than 1,000 tonnes of new stone was laid from 21 wagons in just under three hours. Tim Shoveller, chief executive of the South West Trains – Network Rail Alliance, said: “This is a perfect example of how work that would once have required a weekend closure can now be done overnight. Because we work as an Alliance we were able to work with the high-output team to maximise the benefits of their skills, giving them longer on the track, while rerouting and retiming trains to keep disruption to passengers to a minimum.”

Balfour Beatty delivers £7 million Crewe exchange

Network Rail

l Balfour Beatty has handed over the new £7 million Crewe Railway Exchange to Cheshire East Council. The exchange includes a new 244 space car park with taxi rank and cycling facilities, and new access to the platforms through covered subways with lifts to the parking facilities. The complex project located on the West Coast Main Line, Britain’s busiest mixed-traffic railway route, involved maintaining the service access route while demolishing two buildings: the Royal Mail building, which was connected to the fabric of the station, and Weston House. The WW1 memorial displayed at Weston House was carefully relocated by the project team to the station’s new entrance building. A sustainable approach was taken to the project. All the materials from the demolition were reprocessed and converted into usable construction materials, and 75 per cent of those employed on the project were from within a 30 mile radius of Crewe. Edward Timpson MP and Andy Ward, Balfour Beatty operations director, at Crewe Railway Exchange

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Rail Alliance

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Recent new members of the Rail Alliance Altro Transflor

Link By Lighting

Tecforce Ltd

UK manufacturer and worldwide supplier of anti-slip flooring engineered and designed to meet high intensity foot traffic in transport environments. Tel: 01462 489 516 Email: enquiries@altro.com Web: www.altro.co.uk/transport-flooring

Sole UK partner and supplier of HELLA LED lighting products for all types of application. Tel: 01952 217 924 Email: sales@linkbylighting.co.uk Web: www.linkbylighting.co.uk

Core skills in materials technology, welding technology, non-destructive testing and rolling stock engineering for maintenance and overhaul services to rolling stock, their components and the supply chain. Tel: 01332 268 000 Email: sales@tecforce.co.uk Web: www.tecforce.co.uk

Concrete Canvas Ltd Producer of a flexible, concrete impregnated fabric that hardens when hydrated to form a thin, durable, water proof and fire resistant concrete layer allowing concrete construction without the need for plant or mixing equipment. Tel: 0845 680 190 Email: info@concretecanvas.com Web: www.concretecanvas.com

Erlau Outdoor Furniture Manufacturer and supplier of high quality outdoor furniture including a wide range of seating systems, benches, litter bins, cycle stands and planters with a 10 year anticorrosion guarantee and the option of antigraffiti coating. Tel: +49 7361 595 3340 Email: isolde.erhardt@erlau.com Web: www.erlau.com

Graybar Ltd Manufacturer of self-regulating track heating systems and the processing of heat shrink cable accessories for the rail industry. Tel: 01933 676 700 Email: sales@graybar.co.uk Web: www.graybar.co.uk

Guidance Navigation Ltd World class expert in microwave and laser sensor technology used for navigation, measurement and positioning applications. Tel: 0116 229 2600 Email: info@guidance.eu.com Web: www.guidance.eu.com

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May & Scofield Ltd Collaboration with customers to help improve performance and reliability in the design, development and manufacturing of electronic control units and systems, using knowledge, expertise and best practice from across rail, automotive, aerospace and defense industries. Tel: 01256 306 800 Email: info@may-scofield.co.uk Web: www.may-scofield.co.uk

For further information, please contact: The Rail Alliance Tel: 01789 720 026 Email: info@railalliance.co.uk Web: www.railalliance.co.uk

zzzzzzzzzzz NEWS I Conferences & Exhibitions zz 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. 14-16 April World Travel Catering & Onboard Services EXPO Hamburg Messe, Germany Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Tel: 0208 910 7132 Email: daniel.kazimierczak@reedexpo.co.uk Web: www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com 10-11 September Low Carbon Vehicle Event LCV2014 Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedford Organiser: Cenex Tel: 01509 635 750 Web: www.cenex-lcv.co.uk 11 September The British Rail Conference Dentons, London Organiser: Waterfront Conference Company Tel: 0207 067 1597 Web: www.waterfrontconferencecompany.com/ conferences/rail/events/british-rail 21-25 September – 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics Berlin Organiser: International Geosynthetics Society Web: www.10icg-berlin.com

23-26 September InnoTrans 2014 Berlin Organiser: 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 Organiser: Association for European Transport Email: http://aetransport.org/contact Web: http://etcproceedings.org/ 9 October Interoperability in Practice A workshop for the European railway industry Brussels Organiser: Hit Rail Email: info@hitrail.com Web: www.hitrail.com 12-13 November Rail Ticketing Europe Brussels Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: 0207 092 1125 Email: philip.kwok@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/conference/ railticketing

27-28 November 2014 Annual Polis Conference Madrid An opportunity for cities, metropolitan areas and regions to showcase their transport achievements. Organiser: Polis Email: polispolisnetwork.eu Web: www.polisnetwork.eu First call for speakers Online submission: www.polisnetwork.eu/ events2/polisconference/2014-conference/2014abstracts Deadline: 11 July 17-18 March 2015 Middle East Rail Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Organiser: Terrapinn Tel: +971 4440 2500 Email: enquiry.me@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ middle-east-rail 17-19 March 2015 Rail-Tech 2015 Utrecht Organiser: 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) 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

www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/learningand-professional-development-documents/l_ d_railway_training_web.pdf?sfvrsn=2

23rd October Optimising fleet maintenance efficiency Understand the issues affecting rail vehicle performance and cost of maintenance 28th October Train communication and auxiliary systems New and existing systems in use on today’s rolling stock fleet

4th November Train structural integrity Structural integrity, fire and crashworthiness systems found on today’s rail fleets 5th November Fleet maintenance Improve your processes and fleet maintenance

A downloadable brochure is available at:

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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Legal Signals

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Obituary:

Colour light signals (1920 –2014)

TAMMY SAMUEL and DARREN FODEY of law firm Stephenson Harwood discuss the legal aspects of ERTMS

Tammy Samuel

Tammy Samuel is a partner and Darren Fodey is an associate in the rail team at law firm Stephenson Harwood

Darren Fodey

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ot long ago, railway enthusiasts lamented the removal of semaphore signalling from alongside Britain’s railways – with colour-light signals replacing this much-loved signalling method. With technology advancing at a rapid rate, in the not-too-distant future we will also be saying farewell to the familiar colour light signals from our railways. The reason for this is the introduction of the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS) to the majority of the UK rail network, which will involve the rollout of on-board cab signalling across the entire rolling stock fleet over the next 25 years. The introduction of ERTMS will eventually see the removal of lineside signals, meaning that all trains will need to be fitted with the on-train European train control system (ETCS). Ultimately, the introduction of ERTMS will increase capacity on the network, with moving block signalling enabling trains to run safely closer together. Network Rail’s cost of maintaining line-side signals should also be reduced. This is a huge project, which will see a fundamental shift in signalling away from the infrastructure and onto the train – and one which Network Rail intends to implement in phases, with lineside signals remaining to start with. During CP5, it is intended to install ERTMS/ETCS on routes from King’s Cross to Welwyn Garden City/Peterborough (and thereafter to Doncaster), as well as on the Great Western mainline. In CP6, the Midland Mainline from London to Leicester will be upgraded, following which ERTMS will be extended into Scotland from 2021. The project will involve installing a series of balises along the entire length of the track, with the train communicating with each balise and being tracked by GPS. Each balise will feed information to the signalling control centre – and to the driver through the in-cab systems. Instead of lineside signals being in place, the driver will look to the in-cab display (driver machine interface) for movement authorities rather than for a green signal, which will ultimately make lineside signals redundant.

This is happening now Readers may think that this is something which will not affect them for some time to come. They would be wrong. This is something which is happening now and will have a number of important implications for rail businesses. First-in-class fitment of ETCS is in the process of being procured by Network Rail and the ROSCOs, and fleet rollout is expected to be procured and financed as part of upcoming franchise competitions. Thameslink, Great Northern and East Coast are coming first and Greater Western, West Midlands and Greater Anglia will be following thereafter.

Procurement ETCS technology must be fitted on all trains running on ERTMS-fitted routes: train owners will therefore be keen to ensure it is fitted to their trains – but without adverse impact on the asset. ETCS will become an integral part of the train operations system, forming part of the train asset. It will be important for the freight and heritage fleets to be fitted early on in the programme as they can go anywhere on the network and so could be impacted by the changes sooner than certain other operators. Network Rail is procuring and funding the installation of ETCS on these fleets, with ROSCOs leading first-in-class procurement of the ETCS systems for passenger fleets.

Franchise Operators Each franchise operator will be required by its franchise agreement to ensure the equipment is fitted to the full fleet – the cost of this will need to be factored into franchise bid submissions. The franchise operator will also have to take into account the management of a reduced fleet as vehicles are taken out of service for equipment fitment, as well as needing resources to take drivers away from their duties for training. It is expected that two weeks will be needed to fully train drivers – with all drivers needing to be trained before the go-live date. One option may be to link installation with scheduled

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maintenance cycles to ensure vehicle down-time is reduced. Following installation, it will be important to ensure that train and on-train signalling maintenance can be carried out effectively together – so that vehicle availability remains sufficient to satisfy commercial and operational franchise commitments and to avoid the cost of additional rolling stock. The franchise operator will need to work closely with the ROSCO and the supplier, as the operator will have the operational experience the supplier is going to need. So there will be interdependencies and reliances by all parties.

Supplier exclusivity? Practically, it seems likely that once a supplier has been selected to provide the first-in-class technology, they will also provide it for the rest of that class, ensuring consistency of technology. This will be good for the successful supplier and may mean it has a strong negotiating position – although steps are being taken at the procurement stage to ensure that best value for money is obtained for the whole fleet (and not just firstin-class). The relationship between the supplier, ROSCO and operator will be vital because whilst the ROSCO may have already selected the supplier, it will be the passenger operator who has financial (through increased rental payments) and contractual (in the franchise agreement) responsibility for installation across the entire fleet. Similarly, with the freight and heritage fleet, there will be no choice of supplier for the operator as Network Rail will have procured the installation. A direct relationship between supplier and operator is even more important for these latter fleets as there will be no equivalent rolling stock leasing relationship with Network Rail.

Signalling supplier, ROSCO and operator Network Rail and ROSCOs will have a direct relationship with the signalling supplier, while the train operators will be expected to manage the signalling on a day-to-day basis. Interfaces with the supplier will

be required for maintenance of this vital system. This may require a series of bilateral contracts or a tripartite arrangement. The operator will need some influence over the fit-out and maintenance arrangements, necessitating an agreement between the operator/ supplier. With Network Rail/ROSCO entering into the system supply contract, the rolling stock lease (or other arrangement) will need to flow-down certain obligations from the supply contract to the operator.

Potential liabilities Signalling will become a joint endeavour between Network Rail, the train operator and the equipment supplier. In future, a signal failure may not mean a fault with the colour-light signal: it may involve, for example, an issue with the on-train technology communicating with the on-track balises. This means there will be additional possible liabilities for the train operator as signalling responsibility starts to fall within the scope of its operations. Network Rail’s exposure may reduce and operator liability may increase. At present, in most cases a signal failure will be attributable to Network Rail. This may not be the case in future if in-cab signalling equipment causes the signal failure – a number of parties could be responsible: Network Rail, the signalling supplier, the in-cab signalling supplier, the ROSCO or the train operator. Who should be responsible for delays caused? Delay attribution principles and other contractual arrangements will need to be revisited to ensure that liability is allocated fairly. Insurance arrangements may also need to be extended to cover what was previously an infrastructure-related issue. There will be a number of interested parties – with diverging commercial interests – who will need to work together for the ERTMS project to be successful. While privatisation saw the separation of train operations from infrastructure management, the ERTMS project will necessarily bring all parties much closer together. We wonder whether railway enthusiasts will lament the demise of the colour light signal. Only time will tell. zz

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Signalling

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Cyber security PETER ARMSTRONG discusses the rail network’s growing vulnerability to cyber attack and how the threat can be countered

PETER ARMSTRONG, director of cyber security, Thales UK

Darren Fodey

ith the UK rail network relying ever more on its digital network architecture, the threat from cyber crime to rail infrastructure is real and growing. With over £8 billion in turnover and around 35,500 employees working the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, Network Rail is one of Britain’s largest and most dispersed organisations. It’s essential that this central part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) remains protected. But to ensure this, all organisations within the sector will need to understand the current threats and risks that they face, and the ways in which the industry can assist them in meeting these security requirements. Criminal activity is increasingly moving toward the world of the internet. The E-Crime Home Affairs report issued in the UK last year revealed that cyber-crime is now considered one of the most serious threats facing the UK, a statement that was supported by the findings in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which identified terrorism and cyber security as the highest priority of threats (Tier 1) to the UK’s critical national infrastructure. The pressing need to protect British infrastructure against the cyber threat has led to the proliferation of standards and guidelines designed to strengthen an organisation’s security posture. However, working through these documents can be a daunting prospect for companies that may not have the appropriately qualified and trained employees. What’s more, in addition to attacks from external sources, rail companies also face complex threats to their systems and data from within. So protecting confidentiality, integrity and availability of their assets has to be paramount.

Targeting the threat – where is it and how can it be addressed? Cyber Crime comes in a multitude of different threats, risks and vulnerabilities. The geographical spread of the rail network naturally poses a serious problem, and the use of legacy systems means that different locations are likely to have different risks to identify and address. A train station in a country village using a legacy IT system might have a different

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security requirement than a newer station using more automated systems. As a result, there is not a one-size-fits-all way to combat the threat facing railway organisations up and down the country. Even before an effective security strategy can be implemented, companies must wade through a plethora of frameworks, standards and best practices, before understanding where and how they can apply them to their organisation. From the extensive work that Thales conducts in the rail sector on a daily basis, we strongly recommend that all British rail companies abide by the below main frameworks, standards and best practice guides: l Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) This is one of the main frameworks for the rail network that gives guidance and information on how station designs can help enhance security. l Security Policy Framework (SPF) This framework defines the standards, best practice guidelines and approaches that are mandated to protect UK government assets (people, information and infrastructure). l National Technical Authority for Information Assurance (CESG) CESG has 35 good practice guidelines on technical security and how secure information communications systems (ICS) can provide support to the business. l Transport Security Policy Framework (TRANSEC) This framework is responsible for developing and

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enforcing the security standards required of transport operators. l SO/IEC 27001:2005 Information Security Management System (ISMS) Although not mandated in the rail sector, ISO/ IEC 27001:2005 does follow best practice and as such could be adopted in conjunction with CESG good practice guidelines, ensuring that a baseline in ISMS security is achieved.

Knowledge is power While standards and frameworks are clearly fundamental, an organisation would not be in a position to identify and address their main risks without a security risk assessment (SRA). A quality SRA will be able to identify the vulnerabilities and risks and highlight these to management. Only then will management be able to take the right control measures using a cost benefit analysis approach, to either mitigate or accept the risk. If done properly – with long term goals in mind – it will not only reduce risk, but ensure public confidence in the service. In a distributed system, more governance at the local level is required. This means more leadership and better training. Companies that do not have the budget, experience or time to address many of the problems should work closely with an outside cyber security agency that provides such advice and guidance. In addition to ensuring that you complete a comprehensive RSA, there are a number of practical steps that all senior managers can take to address

some of the top security issues identified as most prevalently facing the UK rail sector today: 1. Standardisation of security in the rail network Different parts of the network require different security measures. Frameworks should be used to set a foundation, and guidance issued to local management to conduct their own assessments on the geographical nature of their locations. For example, what might be a vulnerability in one location, might not be a vulnerability in another. Once the SRA is conducted, it is vital that a standard approach is implemented across the network. 2. Lack of a physical boundary (perimeter control) Due to the geographical spread of the rail network, securing its entire perimeter would be inherently difficult and costly. To protect the network from physical intrusion, a layered approach to security should be adopted which should work hand in hand with the SRA. Where there is a need for added security, compensating control measures should be adopted. This could be the implementation of CCTV, intrusion detection systems, fences, access controls (site and buildings) and security guards. Trying to mitigate all risk is challenging, but adding these compensating control measures will reduce overall risk to acceptable levels. 3. Vulnerabilities of malware on critical systems Malware can come in many different forms, such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or logic bombs. If unguarded, these could cause catastrophic consequences on the rail network – particularly to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems at the heart of the network. Effective management of malware comes in the form of antivirus software, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, patch management (updating anti-virus software), system separation and personnel training. Ultimately, the threat facing the UK’s rail system is real, and it’s up to rail companies, security specialists, consultants and government to join forces to tighten the defences. By implementing a holistic approach that centres around continuous policy evaluation and adaptation, networks can be protected against the latest evolution of vulnerabilities and attack vectors – ensuring the rail system continues to stay one step ahead as the threat landscape evolves. zz

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Communications

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Digital travel advice hub When the sea wall on the Dawlish line was badly breached, First Great Western experienced unprecedented disruption to its services. An agile digital marketing strategy powered by a digital travel advice hub from ORM, formed the backbone to customer engagement during the rebuild process

t was on Wednesday 5th February 2014 that Dawlish grabbed all of the headlines when the extreme weather conditions washed the track foundations of the Dawlish sea wall away causing widespread disruptions to its services due to flooding and signalling failure. Network Rail tasked itself to complete the rebuild within an eight week window in a bid to keep disruption to a minimum for its users including South West businesses, who have collectively suffered losses of between £5 million and £10 million per day from the line closure. In one of the most challenging times for the network, First Great Western’s digital team was tasked with creating a reactive and engaging travel hub with agile content to ensure that users of the Dawlish line were kept updated with important travel information. First Great Western aimed to deliver a seamless and positive customer experience for both web and mobile users. First Great Western is one of the country’s largest train operators, running over 9,000 services a week and covering a network of over 250 stations. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was commissioned to build the Dawlish line in 1843 which is regarded as one of the world’s most iconic stretches of railway as it hugs its way along the South Devon coastline.

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‘‘

The most telling customer service statistic following the Dawlish digital campaign was the 28 per cent increase in retained current customers, showing the appreciation for real-time updates and loyalty to the First Great Western brand

Strategy With the sea wall breached and almost 150ft of track destroyed, digital strategy and design agency, ORM, partnered with First Great Western’s digital marketing manager – Jason Ali and his team to create a go to point for customers. Jason and his team collaborated to deploy an agile content delivery approach where customers could receive instant updates on the line’s rebuilding progress. First Great Western saw it as an opportunity to boost positivity with rapid, relevant updates to the South West.

Execution The digital hub delivered real-time travel updates with news and images of track reparations. ORM was tasked with providing user experience and design expertise, transforming First Great Western’s digital engagement with customers during the storms. To develop a deeper engagement during severe disruption, ORM aggregated relevant content from around the web about the disruption, making First Great Western the most engaging source of information in one central location. This content was mobileoptimised via an application to enable passengers to access updates on the move. Network Rail provided key information for the travel hub, with content taken from its website and edited by ORM to create a customer-friendly link roll that included input from national news sources. The site also included more social content to visually tell the story of rebuilding the railways affected. An agile approach was taken to publishing content with relevant and timely updates uploaded and changes made instantly to aid customer travel plans. The hub served as the most up-to-date source of reliable information for First Great Western customers. Social media also formed an important part of distributing important updates and encouraging engagement with passengers in the area. Through First Great Western’s Facebook page, customers could receive the latest news on the line’s progress with alerts and advice through Twitter that might influence the customer’s journey. To celebrate the reopening of the line and following tireless work to get the area rebuilt, First Great Western gave away two first class tickets to anywhere on its

network, every hour of the reopening day. ORM worked with First Great Western to run a Facebook campaign where users could ‘Like’ to enter.

Result First Great Western experienced a 45 per cent increase in web traffic having created the travel hub during the rebuild process. Concerned passengers also contributed to a 31 per cent increase in app sessions as rail engineers worked to get the line back on track. Customer service through social media was also a key indicator of the First Great Western’s success in elevating its digital presence during the Dawlish rebuild. After the incident, there was an initial 166 per cent increase in tweets due to customer enquiries. Thanks to the travel hub and proactive social media updates, these customer support tweets were cut by 59 per cent as passengers were kept informed throughout the rebuild process. However, the most telling customer service statistic following the Dawlish digital campaign was the 28 per cent increase in retained current customers, showing the appreciation for real-time updates and loyalty to the First Great Western brand. Jason Ali, digital marketing manager concludes: “At First Great Western, customers are at the heart of everything we do. With ORM’s user experience expertise and the dedication and commitment of First Great Western’s digital team, we were able to provide a seamless and user friendly experience on both the website and smartphones to provide the right information at the right time throughout the months of unprecedented disruptions.” zz

www.railwaystrategies.co.uk

Communications

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The future of connectivity Stream Communications CEO NIGEL CHADWICK and ALAN WOOD, founder of Wood & Douglas, discuss new innovations in communication that could significantly improve mobile phone coverage on the rail network

Alan Wood, managing director, Wood & Douglas

oday, the rail network is unfortunately one of the worst serviced areas in the UK for mobile phone coverage, and a number of factors contribute to that situation. Firstly, mobile network operators are required to achieve a minimum Onboard WiFi level of coverage based on proportion of population. Hence built up areas are prioritised for investment. Secondly it is difficult to provide a consistent service along railway lines with tunnels and cuttings interfering with radio signals. The development of ultra-fast 4G mobile networks provides the opportunity to better serve the railway networks. These networks are best when used for video streaming and data heavy applications, which make commuters an attractive potential audience.

Opportunities with 4G Nigel Chadwick, CEO Stream Communications

Nigel Chadwick, CEO of machine to machine specialist mobile network, Stream Communications, believes that faster and more reliable mobile networks offer opportunities to railway operators. “4G enables train operators to provide a reliable business link for passengers to continue working aboard. To monetise this, rail operators need to provide a more effective service than consumer mobile networks. Machine to machine specialists can help deliver an ‘always on’ service by smartly manipulating the network to manage coverage outages,” commented Chadwick. “This means connectivity for the duration of a journey, providing rail operators with the ability to monetise specific businessonly carriages with always on connectivity.” The improvement provided by 4G networks is noticeable. It is possible to stream video from London Waterloo to Fleet in north Hampshire, with built in buffering to smooth the ride over service interruptions. This delivers revenue opportunities for rail companies wishing to provide live in-carriage entertainment.

Safety An alternative to the cellular mobile networks can also enhance safety and security on railways. Short range wireless is an extremely effective way to deliver data communications – either via licence free spectrum or on allocated spectrum for critical health & safety applications. Wood & Douglas, a company that has already deployed wireless CCTV solutions at railway stations, envisages this technology enhancing staff and passenger safety. Alan Wood, founder of Wood & Douglas outlined the potential. “Short range wireless is already used by the bus network in London to prioritise public transport at traffic lights. A transmitter on the bus communicates with a receiver on the traffic light; the light goes green and ensures the faster passage of public transport. But wireless connections can also transport video data. For a train driver this could mean knowing any issues before pulling into a station, enabling them to make safety decisions such as how many people to let onto the train or whether to open the doors at all.”

Other applications Other applications include using wireless communications to advise passengers on the platform which carriages have available seating. “This technology is proven right across the rail network and is being actively deployed for CCTV, passenger information boards and infrastructure asset security,” continued Wood. “The next deployment will help ensure safety and security of staff and commuters.” Mobile communications has the potential to enhance the passenger experience, both for business and leisure travellers, as well as improving safety and security. The development of faster mobile networks combined with the flexibility and reliability of short range wireless communications offers railway operators the opportunity to improve passenger comfort, communications and safety while providing additional revenue opportunities. zz

Delivering information Commuters have become accustomed to up to date information about their onward journey provided by guards. Access to a reliable mobile signal means this information, as well as advice on the most effective ways to transit a city or connect to other services can be delivered in carriage via screens. From here it is a small step to cross promoting taxi and bus services from the train with additional revenue share model.

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In carriage digital signage

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Communications

On time with real-time fast data The effective use of Big Data in the railway industry is really coming into its own. MAURIZIO CANTON, examines how the Swiss Federal Railway is leading the way, not only using Big Data to increase efficiency and capacity but also to make cost savings

Maurizio Canton is European CTO for TIBCO Software

ig Data is very much at the top of the IT agenda at present. In fact, mobile computing aside, it’s hard to think of another area of IT creating as much hype. This isn’t surprising because the effective use of Big Data analysis is clear: Improved insight gained by identifying trends and synergies in data can deliver a much more complete view of a business and its customers and that, in turn, empowers companies to do things better. Identifying these trends and synergies more quickly can also deliver immediate benefits, giving railway operators the ability to react to changes in demand and rapidly tailor services to cope. To unlock and exploit Big Data in real-time, however, requires a lot more than tools to simply search and analyse the information being collected. It also calls for a robust and scalable communication infrastructure that is able to collect, interpret and act upon huge amounts of unstructured information in as little time as possible. If you like, Big Data needs Fast Data. An example will help put this into context, illustrating how one company – the Swiss Federal Railway – is using Fast Data to both improve customer satisfaction and do even more with its already highly efficient, railway network.

The challenge in Switzerland Known locally as Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) the company moves 350 million passengers and almost 50 million tons of freight every year on a rail network that packs 80 miles of track into every 600 square miles of land. Expansion is severely restricted due to topographical and financial constraints, so for some years now, the

only way for SBB to increase capacity has been through improved efficiency. Simply put – to get better, SBB has to run more trains closer together on the same track. To achieve that goal the company turned to the vast amount of data it captured every day and found ways to use that data to its advantage. The company created a low-latency messaging system able to relay huge amounts of information back to its rail control system (RCS) for processing and action in realtime. Up to 1.7 terabytes of data are routed by the system every day, pulled from stations, passengers, trains and the network itself, enabling SBB to react in seconds as stock moves around the rail network to significantly enhance scheduling and improve punctuality.

The benefits For SBB, its passengers and customers whose freight is carried by the Swiss rail network, the benefits are compelling. Dispatchers are able to detect conflicts and reroute trains more quickly, which means timetables can be denser and traffic forecasts more accurate. The network is used more efficiently. More passengers and freight can be carried and customer satisfaction is rising. There’s a cost advantage to be had from this use of Fast Data too. Better and more effective staff utilisation is set to deliver annual savings of $3-4 million. In addition to which, by analysing usage patterns and training drivers to operate their trains more efficiently, the rail operator expects to make energy savings of $10 million per year.

Conclusion What this example shows is that while Big Data is all the rage at the moment, it’s not just the amount of data that matters. Businesses across all industries need to collect, analyse and act on the context of the data quickly which, in the case of SBB, means in real-time using messaging technology capable of processing large amounts of complex information with minimal latency and delay. SBB is a unique example, but other operators can also benefit from this 21st Century technology and, by looking to continuously process and analyse Big Data in real-time, gain instant awareness and take instant action when needed. SBB’s example proves that other operators can be equally empowered to do things better and, just like the Swiss Federal Railway, be on time with real-time Fast Data. zz

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Infrastructure

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Future of Rail 2050 – Arup report Robot drones performing predictive rail line maintenance, driverless trains travelling safely at high speed, freight delivered automatically to its destination, and smart technology able to interface with mobile and wearable devices. Is this the future of rail travel? Hufton + Crow

I Guangzhou Rail station

n the past, we have witnessed rail’s power to stimulate and drive economic growth. In some parts of the world it’s seen as essential for economic diversification and supporting policy, and can be a catalyst for regeneration. The Future of Rail 2050 is a thought piece created by Arup Rail and Foresight + Research + Innovation, with input from contributors from across the world. Its aim is to challenge current thinking, to move beyond the dayto-day focus on challenges and opportunities facing the industry today, and consider the forces shaping rail’s future. By the year 2050, 75 per cent of people are expected to live in cities and the world’s population may well stand at over 9.5 billion and a highly efficient public transport system is going to be a necessity. So what are the megatrends that will influence the way people live, work, travel and consume information in the future? How will infrastructure and rail systems cope with the rising demand for passenger and freight capacity and how will rail fare in a world experiencing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events?

The drivers for change

Oliver Petrie

Changes are likely to be driven by the evolving needs and expectations of future rail users. Passengers will expect a service that includes level access, no waiting, smart ticketing, personal security, and effortless planning. Stations of the future will be destinations in their own right, with extensive business and leisure facilities. Rail services will focus on the total journey, as passengers seek out the trip that offers the most efficient means of getting from A to B. For freight rail, improved transit times and consistent

Ticketing of the future

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reliability are key to the viability of the rail industry in the long term. Automated and driverless trains will increasingly provide efficient and reliable solutions to freight and passenger transport. To get a glimpse of what this new rail system might look like, Future of Rail 2050 takes a user’s perspective and explores the technology and changes that might characterise life for passengers and freight in the future.

Convenience: a reliable network With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, the report looks at future construction and maintenance techniques to reduce travel delays and shape railway resilience. It predicts intelligent robots building new, and retrofitting old rail infrastructure. Swarm robotics, a theory based on swarm behaviour amongst ant and bee colonies, could see small robots working collaboratively on major railway repair and structural testing. Monitoring drones would enable rail operators to perform advanced maintenance on tracks, eradicating lengthy journey delays and line closures. To further increase efficiency and speed of travel, Future of Rail 2050 suggests that automated systems will optimise the running time of passenger trains and increase the reliability and safety of the network. Driverless trains, for example, would be in constant communication with one another with the sensors embedded in rail infrastructure, travelling in close succession and responding in real time to their location on a given track. According to the International Transport Forum, freight activity is due to increase globally by up to 250 per cent by 2050, so improved transit times and reliability are key to increase efficiency and minimise congestion. The report foresees dedicated elevated platforms and underground pipelines to transport goods, freeing up rail and highway infrastructure for passenger travel. Freight pipelines would use intelligent, aerodynamic pods and embedded sensors, to provide an energy efficient and low maintenance method of delivering goods in heavily populated urban areas. Supporting the above are ongoing developments in nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive sciences, which will see new materials that are lighter, stronger, smarter and greener. Graphene, for example, is revolutionary in its flexibility, strength and conductivity and brings the potential for completely new, reliable rail structures and design.

Conurbations: integrated transport systems To truly deliver a smooth, convenient passenger experience, rail needs to be fully integrated with other modes of transport – a possibility enabled, in part, by big data and the Internet of Things. Greater internet connectivity will provide passengers with accurate, real-time updates on train times and connections to other transport modes, complete with optimum pricing. Ticketless technology will remove gate-lines in stations. Authorisation to travel will be universal and payment processed automatically when the journey is taken, allowing a seamless connection between various modes of transport. This could be through interoperable electronic passes (valid for trains, businesses, car sharing schemes and bicycles) or through personal accounts which would authorise travel and automatically process payment – removing congestion at ticket barriers and eliminating unauthorised travel. Personal rapid transport systems, powered by clean energy, could also provide the crucial last mile link in urban areas. These systems could, for example, use magnetic levitation to connect vehicles to a high-speed guideway, eliminating vibration, pollution, noise and the usual wear caused by moving parts. These automated systems would allow passengers to check emails or read the news while travelling to their final destination.

Connectivity: plugging into journeys

Left: New Delhi Railway station redevelopment

The report imagines a future where train passengers can contact friends, family and colleagues via ‘HoloCalls’ (holographic image displays) and train windows will adjust automatically to prevent external glare. Virtual shopping walls will be located in train stations and even carriages themselves, enabling products from the wall displays to be purchased via mobile devices. “The global urban population is growing rapidly and by 2050, around 75 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities,” said Colin Stewart, global rail leader, Arup. “This places huge pressure on transport infrastructure and resources, but also creates a significant opportunity for rail, which relies on passenger density to function most effectively. The challenge will lie in juggling the responsibility of providing reliable travel for millions while simultaneously tailoring each journey for the individual. “However, by rapidly developing technology and taking bold steps to overcome capacity and cost challenges through maximising efficiencies, the rail renaissance can deliver a future where rail is the backbone of our travel system, linking major urban hubs and feeding into multi-modal transport networks for the benefit of the passenger.” zz The full report can be downloaded from:

Arup has been involved in many of the world’s high speed rail, metro and driverless train projects including HS1 and Heathrow PRT in the UK and Cityringen Metro in Copenhagen, as well as the creation of Beijing South Railway Station and the redevelopment of St Pancras International station.

www.arup.com/for

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The convergence of mobile devices, wearable and location-aware technology and big data are at the heart of improving passenger experience. As well as providing accurate, real-time travel information, high-performance networks will grant uninterrupted access to work and entertainment systems on the move.

Ministry of Railways / TFP Farrells

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KEYLINE

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Strong supply With a dedicated network of depots across the UK, Keyline is the single point of contact for expert rail construction solutions throughout England, Scotland and Wales

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perating as a subsidiary of Travis Perkins plc since 1999, civils merchant Keyline maintains a network of 74 sites that enable the company to focus on the core disciplines of convenience, product quality and availability, competitive prices, service and delivery with an aim to be the first choice supplier to all of its customers. Its network of branches is complimented with thousands of product lines with core products that are never out of stock, which allows Keyline to act as an essential link with the supply chain for customers across the construction industry. “We are the UK’s largest supplier of specialist rail, HBM, civils and drainage solutions,” says UK rail sector manager Richard Wade. Keyline services the railway industry through its dedicated National Rail Division, which specialises in the supply of construction materials related to platform, tunnelling, track and station works. The company has vast reserves of knowledge and experience in delivering expert merchant services to its clients, which are on hand in a moments notice as Richard elaborates: “We have

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz always supplied an out-of-hours service to support rail contractors for planned work. However, due to the needs of the industry we now also offer a service for unplanned emergency work, whereby Keyline has the capacity to open a depot on a 24/7 basis, 365 days a year. Thirty five Keyline depots across the country are geared up to offer this service and all 35 depots can be accessed via one telephone number anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales.” As such, Keyline has continued to enjoy strong performance through the years and supply clients throughout some of the UK’s busiest rail networks. “Market conditions have been buoyant over the past 12 months and we continue to grow staff numbers in line with significant year-on-year growth,” outlines Richard. “This ensures that despite the increase in business we continue to give a first-class service to our customers, which include Crossrail contractors, London Underground and its contractors, Multi Asset Framework Agreement (MAFA) contractors, Network Rail Civil and Building contractors and Trackwork contractors.” Indeed between 2012 and 2013 Keyline enjoyed growth within the railway sector and the company has

continued to remain strong since. All work carried out within the rail sector is facilitated through the company’s National Rail Office (NRO) in Northfleet, which acts as a central point of contact for clients regardless of the whereabouts of their projects within the UK. Given the safety critical nature of rail services, quality in terms of both product and delivery are at the forefront of Keyline’s operational culture, therefore the central-point concept of the Keyline NRO allows clients to reduce risk in a number of ways as Richard explains: “The most significant changes in the industry have been

Tensar International Tensar International pioneered the first geogrids in trackbed during the early 1980s to stabilise rail ballast over track with low formation strength. These geogrids were ‘biaxial’, featuring rectangular/ square apertures (openings). Since then, extensive independent full-scale laboratory testing complemented by monitored site installations have been used to develop the product range. This led to the recent launch of Tensar TriAx TX190L geogrid, which comprises ribs forming a series of stable interconnected hexagons with triangular apertures. The large aperture size was chosen for optimum interlock with ballast particles. Also with TriAx geogrid, testing indicated even better performance in preserving track geometry and extending maintenance intervals over low or variable stiffness track formations, than the previously used Tensar biaxial geogrids. Tensar TriAx TX190L has Network Rail product approval and is extensively stocked and supplied by Keyline in GB

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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz TERRAM Being a key supplier of Keyline, TERRAM know all too well the importance of product quality, service and delivery. TERRAM manufacture and deliver quality PADS approved Geosynthetics for extending track-bed life, preventing clay pumping and sub-grade erosion, reinforcing ballasts over weak subgrades as well as reinforcing embankments. On time, in full deliveries are of paramount importance to the Rail sector and the supply chain department at TERRAM work closely with Keyline to ensure all orders adhere to this. In recent months TERRAM has been delivering product to the Borders Rail project where there are many drop-off sites and project work requiring product at various times. We are happy to say that we have been able to support Keyline in its core operational culture of ‘right time, right location and always in full’.

in transport compliance. This is addressed when an enquiry is received at the NRO where an assessment is made whether the level of compliance needs to adhere to Network Rail, Transport for London (TfL) or Crossrail. We also have robust internal structures and processes in place to ensure that where necessary, only PADS approved or Network Rail specified materials are quoted and dispatched.” Commenting on the positive customer reaction to and success of this centralised strategy he adds: “This has been of great benefit to our customers as it gives them peace of mind. The investment in rail is certainly welcome and confirms that Keyline’s continued longterm investment in our sector approach is the correct strategy.” The positive reaction and appreciation of the company’s clients were cemented when Keyline claimed the prestigious ‘Transport Supplier of the Year’ category at the 2014 London Transport Awards following the safe and efficient delivery of materials to the Crossrail infrastructure project. In meeting the demanding requirements of the numerous Crossrail construction sites the leading brands of Keyline comply with the

KEYLINE

strictest regulations while ensuring that deliveries are sourced and delivered at the right time, to the right locations and always in full. The provision of an exceptionally high level of service is essential to guarantee a steady product supply, thus avoiding costly delays to contractors working across the project. “Health and safety is the first consideration of Keyline,” explains Richard. “All Keyline vehicles within London have the highest level Crossrail specification. Furthermore, all new Keyline vehicles off the production line are also designed to the Crossrail specification despite there being no significant call for this level of compliance outside of Crossrail. This really highlights the company’s commitment to the safety of all stakeholders within the rail industry. Keyline is also at the forefront of best practise and are delighted to be the only builders merchant with a FORS Gold accreditation. Drivers operating in London have also recently undertaken TfL SUDS training.” With its commitment to best-in-class service and the acclaim of industry recognition behind it, the future of

LAFARGE TARMAC Lafarge Tarmac is the UK’s leading, sustainable building materials group. Our vision is to be our customers preferred choice for sustainable construction materials and solutions, we are passionate about managing and reducing the carbon footprint of our business. Our ready-to-use, pre-mixed High Strength Concrete (40N) is strong, hardwearing and with a minimum 28 day strength of 40N/ mm2, its suitable for footings and structural applications Because it’s packed in weatherproof, tear resistant plastic packaging, it can be stored anywhere on-site.

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KEYLINE

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Keyline is on track to be very productive for the rest of 2014 and well beyond. During March 2014 Network Rail published its Control Period 5 (CP5) delivery plan, which will spur another round of opportunity and investment for contractors and builders merchants alike. A key strength for Keyline will be its position as the sole distributer of the G-Tech Composite Coper, which is currently the only coper unit to be fully approved by Network Rail. By combining coper and tactile in one, the G-Tech Composite Coper offers a single structure alternative to traditional multi-component platform edging solutions that can be fitted to existing platforms or a part of new projects. Following several years of installation and assessment by

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Network Rail G-Tech recently won a unique patent for the Composite Coperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality and endurance making it a highly desirable platform edging solution for the future. With exclusive authorisation to deliver ground breaking new technologies to key partners from right across the rail industry and the upcoming CP5 projects, Keyline is sure to grow from strength to strength. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the start of CP5, coupled with our service and supply chain capabilities I am confident that the Keyline National Rail Division will continue to grow significantly and further support the rail industry,â&#x20AC;? Richard concludes. zz

www.keyline.co.uk

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UK Power Networks Services

High Speed1 Influencing your energy strategies with integrated solutions High Speed1 Background l ÂŁ150 million project in South East England. l St Pancras, London to Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, Kent. l Providing traction power to 108km track. l Design, construct and commission. l To maintain and operate for 50 years. l 36 non-traction HV substations. l Tunnel and surface cabling 11kV and 25kV.

Challenges l Design reliable, cost-effective and efficient systems. l Provide traction power to the design quality parameters required throughout the route.

l Ensuring electromagnetic compatibility with signalling and communication circuits. l Put in place three independent feeder stations, linked to the National Grid to supply traction power. l Segregate earthing between Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and HS1. l Putting safety precautions in place for potential faults. l Interference and damage to live cables.

Solutions l Constructing three traction supply feeder stations along the route. l 20 auto transformer stations were deployed along the entire railway. l Use Static Volt Ampere Reactive (VAR) Compensators

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UK Power Networks Services

Livis Livis is a multi-disciplinary civil engineering and construction company delivering projects that are time and safety-critical in environments that include transport, water, power, ports and harbours and other challenging sectors. Its recently secured civil engineering works for UKPN Services will be undertaken on the Network Rail Kent PSE, facilitating an increase in carrying capacity. Its directly employed workforce is team oriented, with the skills and appropriate trade qualifications to enable capability and competence to be realised, thus ensuring quality and commitment on all projects.

technology which improves the voltage regulation. l Careful planning and interface meetings. l Installation of isolation transformers and bespoke earthing design solution. l Implementing a design strategy to avoid rise of earth faults. l Formal notification and introduction of working procedures and safety.

Innovation and Ideas l Energy modelling of all existing electrification infrastructre assets. Redesigning helped the project to proceed by lowering total expenditure costs including: l Land Acquisition Costs l Planning Costs l Capital Expenditure Costs

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UK Power Networks Services

l Operations & Maintenance Expenditure l Insurance Costs l The power supply being 25kV overhead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a first in the UK on a High Speed line. l The power being fed directly from National Grid, not the DNO, to increase reliability.

Sustainability Achievements l Training and development programme of staff which increased skills and knowledge. l All materials were carefully selected to be environmentally friendly. l During the construction phase energy efficiency was implemented.

Client Benefits l High Speed train from London St Pancras to Folkestone. l Certainty over maintenance. l Keeping up-to-date with modern technology for at the next 50 years. zz

www.ukpowernetworksservices.co.uk

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telent

Technical transition

With major projects in place with Transport for London (TfL), Network Rail, Train Operating Companies and British Telecom (BT), telent is at the heart of the communications network within the rail industry and beyond

he name telent first appeared during 2006, however the company’s roots can be traced back to 1897 when Guglielmo Marconi founded the business as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company. Today telent exists as a private venture with a long history of industry experience and annual revenues reaching around £310 million. Operationally it has a reputation within the communications industry that is second to none, which it has earned through many years of working with BT including maintaining the United Kingdom’s System X telephone infrastructure. “We still have a very significant role in keeping telephone

infrastructure running and we are currently rolling out the broadband UK project, for BT, in conjunction with Carillion,” explains managing director Stephen Pears. “This is very much the pedigree in operating within the communications environment, however we have a very significant part of our business that is invested in railway communications.” telent is keen to develop cutting-edge technologies and deliver them across several industries, with developments from one project informing another. As such, the company’s experience allows it to deliver solutions to clients operating within the rail, traffic, telecoms,

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emergency services and commercial market segments. “One of the great strengths that we have is the company’s level of capability in complex technical communication,” says Stephen. “We are able to forge ahead with the latest communication technology whilst being able to deal with old and obsolete systems.” Within the railway industry specifically, telent is currently involved in a number of transitional projects facilitating the integration of new technology. One such project is the company’s five-year contract to develop the national electrification supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. SCADA systems utilise a variety of communications systems to provide control of remote equipment. The UK Government is keen to rapidly extend electrification across the UK surface rail network. The telent SCADA control system is being designed to provide a single national control infrastructure, integrating legacy equipment with new systems and allowing greater flexibility of control. “The SCADA project like many others is facilitating the transition of the railway to a modern data communications based infrastructure,” Stephen elaborates. “The SCADA programme is very important because it is amalgamating a number of systems and is providing a unified control network across the country, but it is also significant because it is very much about providing a data communication-based technology, including IP networking, IP telephony and addressing requirements for network security. Furthermore there is naturally the human factors of the systems, which need to be considered. The SCADA project is bringing together technology; the way people interact with it as well as a sophisticated electrical control mechanism.” Another area in which communication driven technology is becoming increasingly important is station management. The telent station management system known as (MICA) (Management Integration and Control of Assets) was released in 2006 and has been deployed by TfL and Network Rail. MICA has proven an invaluable aid to station management through the enhancement of communication,

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SCADA and building management subsystems. Typically this is achieved through the integration of CCTV, public address systems, passenger information displays and help points, but MICA takes this further to include fire and intrusion detection systems and lift and escalator monitoring. The number of stations employing the technology has steadily grown since 2006 and is expected to continue to do so. The deployment of MICA technology is likely to accelerate in line with the transition of frontline staff from ticket offices to platforms, making effective communication and integration all the more important. The latest generation of MICA encompasses Wi-Fi compatibility in order to become a mobile platform that can be used anywhere in the station. “We have developed systems that can be carried and used via iPad, iPod or other tablets and smart phones allowing staff to make announcements via the PA system, to initiate digital announcements, to control CCTV as well as being able to look at train arrival data head codes so there is really good information of which train is coming in. We are also integrating MICA with our remote monitoring capability,” says Stephen. “For some time now we’ve been carrying out remote monitoring of

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CCTV, PA systems and CIS and we have extended that to looking at performance of lifts and escalators and to monitoring equipment rooms to make sure they remain in specification.” Operationally speaking, the implementation and upgrade of technology comes with several associated challenges.

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This was recently highlighted during the transition of the CCTV system at Canary Wharf station from analogue to IP based technology as Stephen outlines: “The main challenge for us in making that transition is that everyday there can not be any equipment down time for the operators. It’s not simply a case of taking out the old and installing the new, it is very much about how do you add in the new but keep the system fully operational. From an operational standpoint it needs to be completely seamless. This requires some clever engineering and a good understanding of the technology and the interfaces. It has gone extremely well for us and we are coming to the end of deploying about 150 new CCTV cameras and a completely new video management system with the same operational interface.” As communication technology and the needs of the UK rail network continue to evolve, telent will be on hand to deliver market-leading solutions and the very latest in communication solutions. Its long history and strong market presence are proof enough that the company has what it takes to deliver the communication systems of today, as well as those of tomorrow. zz

www.telent.com

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London & North Western Railway Co. Ltd.

Collaborative solutions

With a rapid history of growth and expansion, London & North Western Railway Co. Ltd. (LNWR) has continued to impress with its leading reputation for quality overhaul and maintenance services

he company has a lively history dating back to 1993, when the music producer, entrepreneur and rail enthusiast, Pete Waterman first founded the business. By 1996 LNWR had commenced trading by providing locomotive maintenance services to specialist and charter train operators. The company enjoyed early success allowing LNWR to grow impressively and to develop a range of skills and services that would enable it to meet the growing demands of the rail industry. For the following decade and a half LNWR tendered and undertook several successful projects for clients including the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first work on commercial trains for First North Western, Bombardier on Virgin Voyager DEMU trains and Freightliner. During 2007 LNWR constructed a

ÂŁ3 million train servicing facility with the capacity to service 20 vehicles at once. Later during 2008, the company was acquired by its current owner Arriva plc, within which LNWR operates as an independent stand-alone business. Today the business operates from five strategically placed depots across the UK, located in Crewe, Bristol, Eastleigh, Cambridge and Newcastle. The company is headquartered in Crewe where it was originally founded and today delivers the same high quality of service from all five of its locations. Its facilities in Bristol, Eastleigh, Cambridge and Newcastle were acquired from Axiom in 2011 and allowed LNWR to expand rapidly with a minimum of development costs. It is this pace of growth and expansion that has helped identify LNWR as a

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London & North Western Railway Co. Ltd.

dynamic and effective organisation. The main services offered by LNWR are comprised of quality overhaul, maintenance and servicing options for passenger rolling stock, locomotives, freight wagons and track plant. This sees the company working with leading train and freight operating companies, rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) and train manufacturers and the company is continuously looking to expand its horizons as managing director, Sean Forster reflected when LNWR was last featured in Railway Strategies during July 2013: “We are actively looking to develop contracts with all the major rolling stock companies and indeed we already work with a variety of operators to help them in delivering modifications over and above the statutory heavy maintenance that is required.” Following a period of integration across the four depots that were acquired from Axiom, LNWR’s five locations employ around 200 staff and possess combined workshop facilities with space for more than 70 vehicles. All five locations boast extensive servicing facilities as well as overnight servicing and fuelling capabilities. “LNWR offers train presentation services through each of its five depots including light maintenance servicing to approximately 180 vehicles per night to key passenger service customers such as Bombardier, Siemens, ATW and East Midlands Trains,” added Sean in 2014. “Freight vehicle maintenance and servicing, and the company’s wheel lathe capability are based in Crewe, while heavy maintenance services are carried out at both the Crewe and Bristol depots and this is likely to expand to further sites in the near future. “During 2014 we have continued to add to our heavy maintenance order book with contracts secured with Angel Trains for Class 142, Chiltern Railways for Mark Three Overhaul and APU, both of which will be completed at the Bristol facility; and with Porterbrook for Class 170 and ATW for Mark Three Refurbishment, which will be completed at our Crewe depot.” The execution of the various service requirements of LNWR customers depends on the correct application of dedicated equipment, a skilled workforce and the use of the company’s different locations. The strategic spread of depots across the UK means that LNWR can offer its customers greater and more readily available options in terms of fleet locations, while providing the company with an excellent base of potential future growth and diversification opportunities. In terms of workforce LNWR is proud to manage

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London & North Western Railway Co. Ltd.

a dedicated and highly experienced team, as Sean observes: “The LNWR workforce is highly skilled and we have a great depth of industry knowledge and experience. We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service and in providing customers with a professional, collaborative and transparent solution-led approach while maintaining a commercially sensible attitude.” Indeed, the

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professionalism of the LNWR team in delivering the highest quality service while adhering to the company’s solution driven approach is vital in collaborating with customers old and new. “We believe that future business growth will come from developing customer relationships,” Sean adds. “We work with both ROSCOs and train operating companies (TOCs) so the company’s commercial advantage will come from its ability to consistently deliver what its customers require.” Finally, in terms of equipment the company’s depots are equipped to allow LNWR to offer turnkey service and maintenance services to clients operating all over the UK. While heavy maintenance is carried out at Bristol and Crewe, all facilities offer overnight servicing and fuelling options that allow clients to keep fleets moving. Furthermore facilities for overhaul and refurbishment of rolling stock and locomotives can be found at Eastleigh, Bristol and Crewe. The LNWR depot in Crewe is also home to the company’s tandem wheel lathe, which allows it to provide an accurate and efficient wheel re-profiling service. The modern wheel lathe was provided by Sculfort and is installed in its own dedicated facility, which is operated around the clock. As well as inherently offering greater throughput when compared to comparable

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz machines, the flexible hours of operation offered by LNWR mean that clients can choose wheel overhaul times that are convenient to them. This greatly reduces costly downtime and guarantees a highly efficient service. Presently the market is very buoyant, with significant activity taking place in both heavy maintenance and interior refresh projects. As such, LNWR is poised to mobilise for existing contracts due to begin during the second half of 2014 while continuing to seek new opportunities and customers. “During 2014 we will have commenced five to six major new projects and will move from mobilisation to production phase through the rest of the year. On-time delivery to the agreed specification is an imperative and a vital element of the company’s operations over the next 12 months will be ensuring that we meet customer expectations,” says Sean. “We expect the next three to five years to be a very busy time and for customers to be looking for value added solutions from their key suppliers. We are very focused on making sure that we play a major part in helping LNWR customers deliver and we believe that the company’s collaborative, solutions led approach will allow us to provide this,” he concludes. zz

Unipart Rail Unipart Rail currently overhauls over 1,300 bogies per year for TOCs, ROSCOs and train builders such as Siemens, Hitachi, Chiltern, LNWR and East Coast. The range of bogie types overhauled includes specifications dating back to 1932 vehicles and some of the newest fleets operating in the UK. Unipart Rail is able to utilise in-house engineering support to solve ‘real-time’ technical issues and provide specialist support services including welding, NDT and bogie alignment. The company offers a complete “door-to-door” service with flexible overhaul programs to meet customers’ requirements.

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RAILWAY FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT

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