RAILWAY F o r S E N I OR R A I L M A N A G E M E N T
Early issue 110
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz S T R A T E G I E S
Winter de-icing challenge See page20
FOCUS ON
Stations
Merging old and new at King’s Cross l Solid foundations in a tough location l The future – customer information systems l
FOCUS ON
Facilities management
Dust control – why vigilance pays l How to repair floors with minimum disruption l
NEWS
MTR to run Crossrail
Reading station opened by the Queen New ROC opens in Manchester
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From the Editor
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When publicity matters
Chairman Andrew Schofield Managing Director Mike Tulloch Editor Gay Sutton editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk
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ike many people across the UK, I was riveted to the TV in July watching the three part BBC documentary on Crossrail. Seeing this triumph of modern engineering made a refreshing change to the usually negative footage that is broadcast about the railway sector.
It wasn’t until I began picking up social media forum comments afterwards
that I realised I was by no means the only one. Among the non-industry
Managing Editor Libbie Hammond
public there was enthusiasm, fascination at the complexity of the challenge,
Editorial Designer Jon Mee
here in the UK – largely unrecognised and unsung. But then, engineering is
Advertisement Designer Jenni Newman Profile Editor Libbie Hammond Advertisement Sales Dave King Head of Research Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Keith Hope Gavin Watson Tarj Kaur-D’Silva Mark Cowles Administration Tracy Chynoweth
and even surprise and pride at the engineering skills and abilities that reside an exciting and challenging environment to work in and the rail industry has a great deal to shout about. We just need to make sure we continue to get our message across. Here is a thought for you. Many industry bodies and companies run excellent schemes aimed at engaging with school children and students. But I wonder how many young people remain interested, when those who influence their decisions – parent and teachers – continue to believe the rail industry is dirty and outdated. Documentaries like this have an enormous role to play in changing the outlook of adults whose inbuilt negative opinion was formed in the past. In this months’ issue, we have two fascinating articles that focus on engineering in station construction. On page 10, we see how engineers solve the problem of building secure foundations in an extremely confined space in a river bed. The second (p6) takes a look at 3D technology and how it enabled engineers to design and build the iconic King’s Cross station concourse, melding it with the Grade 1 listed facade, over a network of subway and service tunnels.
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zzzzzzzzzzzzz Contents 20
Cover story
Features
Legal – Equality in pay 5 Jawaid Rehman Removing the hidden agenda 19 Mark Cowlard The changing face of anti-icing 20 Gary Lydiate
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In control 28 Ian Carr Getting on board with wireless 30 Samuel Buttarelli InnoTrans preview 32
News
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Industry 4 Stations 13 Contracts 17 Conferences & exhibitions 35
Focus on stations The triumph of 3D technology 6 Cliff Green Plucking instability from the Aire 10 Alan Willoner
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A sign of the times 14 Infotec Perfect plastics 18 Jonathan Goss
Focus on facilities management Some disturbing thoughts 23 James Miller Beneath your feet 26 Chris Lloyd
Profiles
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Kone 36 Pod-Trak Ltd 39 Banedanmark 43 Derby Engineering Unit 46 Morris Line Engineering 50 ZECK 52 Fourway Communication 54 Hillmore Fire Protection 57 Delatim Ltd 60 NedTrain 62 Nexus 67 UK Power Network Services 71
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NEWS I Industry
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Dawlish repairs continue
Manchester’s state-of-the-art ROC opens l The new rail operating centre (ROC) for the north west of England has been officially opened in Manchester. Located near Ashburys station in Manchester, the centre is one of 12 which will eventually manage the entire rail network across Britain, replacing more than 800 signal boxes and other operational locations currently used to control trains. The line between Huyton and Roby, near Liverpool, is the first section of railway being controlled from the Manchester ROC following the recent resignalling and upgrade work. The next sections of railway to be controlled from the centre will be parts of central and north Manchester in 2015. Later this year the centre will become home to Network Rail, TransPennine Express and Northern control staff who monitor the operational railway and help to deal with incidents as and when they arise. Working together in the same building as the increasing number of signallers will help the railway industry as a whole react to disruption in a quicker and more efficient way, reducing delays and providing passengers with better, more accurate real time information. Over the next 20 years all the north west of England, from Crewe to the south, Todmorden in the east, Carlisle in the north and the Welsh border to the west, will be controlled from here. And when fully operational, the centre will require a staff of 400 working 24 hours a day.
Government launches study into Crossrail extension l The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin has announced a feasibility study into the possibility of extending Crossrail into Hertfordshire. Such a move would boost ambitious plans to redevelop Euston station for HS2, as passengers would no longer have to change at Euston, making it easier to get on with the job of rebuilding the station. The study will examine how passengers from key commuter towns such as Tring, Hemel Hempstead, Harrow and Watford could save up to 15 minutes on their journey times via a new rail link between Old Oak Common and the West Coast Main Line. Any changes will not affect the timetable or planned service pattern for the existing Crossrail scheme which is scheduled to be fully operational by 2019.
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l Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ is continuing its repair work at Dawlish, and is putting in place measures to protect the area against future extreme weather. Since reopening the railway line on 4 April, engineers have been working to repair the damaged sea wall and walkways. Now that is nearing completion, the focus is switching to stabilising parts of the cliff between Teignmouth and Dawlish. This includes removing slipped material and adding netting and nailing to prevent any movement towards the track. Tom Kirkham, project manager at Network Rail, said: “The reopening of the railway at Dawlish was just the start of a long process, not only to repair the damage caused by the storms but to make the area more weatherproof for the future.”
What makes innovation tick? l FutureRailway has launched a new guide summarising recent research into the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the rail industry. The work focuses on the industry’s vision for a culture of innovation, what this innovative culture would look like, and how we might encourage this to happen. As part of the FutureRailway’s Enabling Innovation Programme it is aimed at bringing the innovation chapter of the Rail Technical Strategy to life, by gaining a better understanding of what can be done to help encourage an environment in which rail innovation can flourish. The project recommendations will help progress the future plans for delivering the RTS. And ultimately, the research will act as a resource for people to explore how they can enhance their organisations’ innovation culture. www.futurerailway.org/innovation/Pages/ Guidance.aspx
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Legal Signals
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Equality in pay Could gender pay differentials lead to derailment? In the light of recent political announcements, Jawaid Rehman from law firm Weightmans LLP examines the case
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nder plans published in the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto last month, employers with more than 250 staff would be legally required to publish the extent of their gender pay gap. Large companies, the party said, would be expected to reveal the difference between the average pay of men and women in their employment or be fined up to £5,000 for non-compliance.
The current situation Jawaid Rehman is a partner and equal pay specialist in the Employment and Pensions team at Weightmans LLP
As things stand at the moment, from 1 October 2014, subject to some exceptions, employment tribunals will be required to order employers in breach of equal pay legislation to undertake and publish the findings of equal pay audits. Compulsory publishing of pay data for all large scale employers as proposed by the Liberal Democrats would take this to a whole new level. One of the biggest hurdles for employees challenging pay differences is the lack of evidence available to them. In the public sector, the implementation of job evaluation schemes has been the main source of evidence used to back up claims and identify comparators. This has led to organisations facing thousands of equal pay claims and crippling liabilities. A requirement for all large organisations to publish pay details across genders is likely to open the floodgates of equal pay claims into the private sector.
Should the rail manufacturing sector be concerned? Bhavisha Mistry
Any industry where there is a predominance of male or female workers carrying out roles of similar value is at risk of equal pay claims. There are undoubtedly roles that fit this profile in the railway industry and it is only a matter of time before it is targeted. Last month the rail union launched a multi-million pound claim against a well known rail operator in respect of large managerial pay differences between its female and male employees. And it has been reported that liability could amount to £10 million per year. However, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. Publishing data setting out gender pay differences would only encourage this trend and provide ammunition for further claims. One only has to look at
some of the local authorities faced with equal pay claims to see the extent of the potential liability.
So what types of equal pay claims might arise? We know that the recent claims brought by the union are for ‘like work’ – that means there is a male comparator who is paid more favourably than a female claimant in the same or similar role. If an organisation has a compliant job evaluation scheme, this could lead to being rated as equivalent claims. If not, there is the scope for costly ‘equal value’ claims. These types of claims can take a significant period of time to conclude and are expensive to defend. With the recent landmark ruling of the Supreme Court involving Birmingham City Council, claimants now have up to six years from leaving employment to bring a claim in the civil courts. Previously, claimants had been restricted to bringing a claim in the tribunals within six months of leaving employment. This has also opened up the floodgates for additional claims.
Can pay differences be justified? The answer to this is, yes they can – if there is a gender neutral reason for the difference in pay. This could, for example, be due to market increments, location or shift allowances. If there is a gender imbalance between the claimants and their comparators, employers will have to objectively justify any differences in pay. As many public sector organisations have found to their detriment, that is not an easy task!
What should you to do next? If you suspect that there may be a gender imbalance and differential in pay between different roles in your organisation then it is strongly advisable to obtain specialist advice to gauge whether you have an underlying equal pay risk. Steps can be taken to mitigate that risk if it does exist. Meanwhile, the potential liability could simply be too large to brush under the carpet. zz
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Design Case Study
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King’s Cross station design
The triumph of 3D technology The redevelopment of King’s Cross station has been a stunning achievement of architecture and engineering. Cliff Green, project technology manager at John McAslan + Partners explains how 3D modelling enabled the original grade 1 listed building to be revealed in all its glory and melded with state-of-the-art design
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uilt in 1852, King’s Cross railway station is one of the main transportation hubs in London. As with the rest of the United Kingdom’s rail network infrastructure, the station has struggled in recent years to manage not only increasing ridership but also providing the space and amenities commuters expect. The £547 million redevelopment of King’s Cross station is at the heart of one of the largest regeneration undertakings in Europe, with 67 acres of brownfield land being redeveloped to create eight million square feet of offices, retail space, and housing. This complex urban regeneration project faced many technical challenges, including the potential impact on the mainline station, a number of underground transport connections, and the nearby St Pancras International railway station. The redevelopment also had to maintain the historic, Grade 1 listed building, which required continual verification from English Heritage and other statutory bodies. John McAslan + Partners project technology manager Cliff Green explained: “King’s Cross station is not just a building; it is a major transportation node in a highly sensitive part of the city. The way the station connects with the city and supports the urban regeneration project is hugely complex.” For a project of this size and complexity, architects John McAslan + Partners needed equally sophisticated models and modelling tools. MicroStation’s federated model
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structure allowed the large design team to easily and rapidly share common files between multiple disciplines. Using Bentley tools they were able to merge and organise numerous elements of the project including heritage and conservation work on current structures, as well as existing services and transportation infrastructure.
The King’s Cross station makeover The King’s Cross redevelopment project is operated by Network Rail and sponsored by the Department for Transport. The project required a new design and construction, reusing existing structures, and restoring historic building elements, including the train shed and the station’s previously obscured historic façade. Given the number of organisations involved in this complex project, from design through fabrication and construction, it was essential to enable efficient collaboration and information sharing. MicroStation’s federated model structure ensured everyone on this large design team had access to highquality, consistent, validated data. The collaborative process enabled the project team to avoid disruption to London Underground passengers and allowed Network Rail to meet its pledge to Transport for London that no mainline train service would be cancelled due to the redevelopment. “The King’s Cross redevelopment has been a key project in John McAslan + Partner’s BIM evolution,”
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The western concourse at King’s Cross station
Green said. “With so much information to share with so many different parties, the speed and effectiveness of information capture and collaboration was a keyaspect of this project.”
3D modelling of the roof and surrounding structures was vital to successful coordination between an international team of architects, structural designers, and fabricators.
3D Modelling enables successful coordination
Because the station is an important historical structure, one of the key challenges for this project was the need for on-going design verification during the extended heritage and conservation negotiations. High-quality, accurate 3D models were vital to the restoration of the historic south facade, and the refurbishment of the vaulted main train shed (including incorporation of photo-voltaic arrays). Using detailed survey data along with MicroStation’s power to handle complex infrastructure project data, the team was able to weave historical structures into a
The western concourse semi-circle diagrid roof, which rises 20m, and spans 150m, involved extreme engineering and coordination challenges. The new concourse, which covers 7,500sq m, is the largest single-span structure in Western Europe, and could only accommodate supports at a limited number of points due to various subway and service tunnels. The roof also had to be constructed in a way that did not touch the historical structures. Accurate
Design verification speeds process
The semi-circular diagrid roof
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Supportive technology enables ambitious development As the project progressed, the company extended its use of Bentley software from 2D and 3D, to building information modeling (BIM) and GenerativeComponents, without the need to step outside the MicroStation interface. “This is a really smart way to work,” noted Green. “We can work in large teams and use 2D, 3D, and BIM to suit the state of the project, the type of project, and the skills of our team. The flexibility of MicroStation offers a real advantage and allows us to work to the best of our ability.” The station remodel has enhanced passenger amenities, rationalised operational activities, and significantly increased retail space. In addition, John McAslan + Partners played a key role in the wider transformation of the King’s Cross area. This included improved infrastructure, social, and commercial changes that now connect the station with the substantial King’s Cross Central scheme to the north, as well as improved interchange links with the London Underground, St. Pancras station, Thameslink services, taxis, and buses. zz
Project Summary Project objective l Redevelopment of King’s Cross station l Retain the historic Grade 1 listed facade l Create an innovative 21st century transportation hub l Integrate with a major urban regeneration project
Fast facts
King’s Cross interior modern project. “We were able to speed up the design process and could accurately predict the outcome of works to the existing historical fabric. It allowed savings during the construction phase through the reduction of errors in documentation, and also at scheme level by allowing rapid communication of the design to the client, consultative organisations and to project collaborators,” Green explained. The firm also used MicroStation to verify design concepts, assessing aspects such as the way new buildings would work with the existing site and how the building’s flow would work for passengers, including everything from concourse layout to signage. In addition, the concourse is now clad with 5.2 million tiny ceramic tiles that had to be laid over a two-way curve with construction joints. MicroStation was used to model each and every tile to assess how they could be best installed – a process that simply could not have been carried out manually.
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l Part of one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe, with 67 acres of brownfield land redeveloped l Revealed the Grade 1 listed façade for the first time in 150 years l Innovative new western concourse single-span roof rises 20m, and spans 150m to cover 7,500sq m
Technology used l MicroStation l GenerativeComponents
ROI l 3D visualisation and prototyping facilitated the innovative roof design l Integrated survey data directly into MicroStation supported the mix of 19th and 21st century design l Effective collaboration during design, fabrication, and construction reduced costs
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NEWS I Industry
Crossrail to be run by MTR Corporation l MTR Corporation (Crossrail), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, has formally signed a concession agreement with Transport for London (TfL) to operate Crossrail for an eight-year period with a two-year extension option. MTR Crossrail will deliver train and passenger services from Reading and Heathrow in the west of London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. When fully operational, Crossrail will deliver approximately 700 timetabled services across 40 stations, with a peak frequency of 24 trains per hour, which amounts to an estimated 11.4 million train service km per year. Services will commence on a section of 15 stations between Liverpool Street station and Shenfield from 31 May 2015, with additional services being phased in up until full services are running in 2019. “We are committed to bringing the very best of MTR to Crossrail, and working hand-inhand with TfL to establish a new standard of operational reliability and customer service for railways in Europe,” said Mr Jay Walder, chief executive officer of MTR Corporation. “The award of this contract also shows how Hong Kong’s expertise and capabilities can contribute to the growth and development of world cities,” he added.
Driverless metros arrive in Singapore l Alstom joint venture, SATCO, has delivered the first two driverless metros to Singapore’s Land Transport Authority. These are part of a total order of 42 placed in February 2012, which represent the company’s largest contract in Asia Pacific to date. It is also the first time SATCO has been involved in the detailed and 3D design of the trains, and production for export. Out of the 42 new trains, which belong to Alstom’s Metropolis range, 18 trains are destined for the North East Line while the Circle Line will receive the other 24 trains. The metros are expected to be in operation by mid 2015, and are predicted to improve fleet capacity by 60 to 70 per cent on both lines. SATCO (Shanghai Alstom Transport Company) is a joint venture between Alstom Transport SA, Alstom Investment (China) and Shanghai Rail Traffic Equipment Development.
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‘Manage increases in rail traffic safely’ warns rail regulator l The Office of Rail Regulation’s (ORR) annual safety report published last month warned the industry of safety challenges in managing record levels of rail traffic, and called for better infrastructure management. Britain’s railways remain among the safest in Europe, however latest data highlights an increase in track workers coming to harm and safety incidents on platforms, such as when passengers get on and off trains. ORR’s director of railway safety, Ian Prosser, said: “Station and platform safety presents a major challenge as the industry faces pressures from rising numbers of passengers and trains, and the large volume of enhancement projects underway to improve the rail network.” The regulator has approved dedicated funding for the next five years to improve safety and performance on the railways. More than £250m has been allocated for better track worker protection and £100m made available to close level crossings.
Tomorrow’s train design comes a step closer Each designer will now receive up to £75,000 to fund the next stage of development. The shortlist will be whittled down to five finalists early in 2015, and each finalist will then receive up to £750,000 per scheme for more in depth development. In alphabetical order those shortlisted are: 42 Technology, Cambridgeshire; Automotive Trim Developments Ltd, Coventry; Creactive Design, Warwick (two designs); Maynard Design Limited, London; Nikken Sekkei, Japan; Priestman Goode, London; Seymour Powell, London; Transport Design International (TDI), Worcestershire; and Andreas Vogler, Germany.
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Network Rail
l At the beginning of August, a shortlist 10 possible innovative designs for the ‘train design of the future’ was unveiled by FutureRailway, working in conjunction with the Department for Transport and the Royal Institute of British Architects. Architects, engineers and designers from around the world had been invited by the rail industry’s FutureRailway to propose new designs for passenger rolling stock for the UK rail network. A judging panel met on 11 June to assess the 48 designs initially submitted. Interviews then took place from a longlist of designers, and a final shortlisted of 10 was announced.
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Construction
Artist’s impression of the new station entrance spanning the river Aire, Leeds
Plucking stability from the Aire Constructing sure foundations for the new southern entrance to Leeds station has been an engineering challenge. Alan Willoner, geotechnical lead at management, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald, explains the problems and solutions
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he new southern entrance currently under construction at Leeds station has been designed to increase overall capacity and enable passengers to directly access the south side of Leeds, including the Granary Wharf residential and leisure centre, adjacent waterfront developments and the east and west banks of the River Aire via open link span bridges. When completed in 2015 it will be an impressive city feature. The design comprises a concourse deck over the River Aire which extends back through the spans of the original brick build Victorian station viaducts, linking with a further bridge. From the concourse, passengers will be able to reach the station by steps, escalators or lift. Above the station a widened bridge over platforms 15, 16 and 17 will create an upper concourse – the roof of which rises some 25m above the new foundations – with customer information screens, ticket vending machines and automated ticket barriers. Delivering this eye catching design, over a river, in an enclosed city centre location has presented the design team with some interesting challenges. Site access and working space are extremely constrained – the River Aire tumbles over a 2m high weir upstream of the new entrance, Granary Wharf is located immediately to the west and Blue
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Apartments to the east. With these constraints, the foundations have had to be constructed with relatively small plant. This in turn has challenged the design team to control what are called deflections, a term that refers to the movements that will take place in the foundations as loads are placed on them.
From the beginning Restricted access influenced decision making right through the project, from site investigation to selection of the design solution and choice of construction equipment. Significant historical ground investigation data already available for the site indicated that the river bed was probably founded on rock comprising weak mudstone and siltstone. “We had to make a decision on whether to go ahead with the detailed pile design based on the historical data, or whether additional targeted ground investigation was needed,” said Mott MacDonald’s geotechnical lead Alan Willoner. “It was decided that over-water ground investigation was required in order to reduce the risk of unforeseen ground conditions impacting on construction, despite being 10 times the cost of land based investigation.” Despite the high mobilisation cost,
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Geotechnical finite element analysis of entire sub structure
Construction work in progress on the river piles the additional ground investigation was completed within five per cent of the piling contract value. Two deep bore holes and eight shallow probe holes were put down adjacent to the new pile positions, and ground investigation results found slightly higher than expected rock levels at the upstream end of the structure where lateral actions were greatest and slightly lower than anticipated rock levels at downstream pile locations. They also indicated the presence of frequent natural joints in one borehole and the need for significant temporary casing in the upper part of the rock socket. The probing focused on identifying the extent of sandstone masonry blocks on the river bed near the existing brick arch structure when removal of obstructions in advance of piling was planned.
Superstructure Hydraulic modelling and details submitted during the planning process restricted the footprint of the new river piers to two narrow zones, to minimise the impact on river flows. Previous outline designs had considered a twin pile solution in each pier section, where lateral actions on the main structure would be resisted by the lever arm between the twin pile couples. Although on closer examination of pile size and position tolerance, along with position tolerances on the surrounding piers, it was concluded that a contiguous piled wall arrangement was required. “Initially a contiguous piled wall to each pier did not present any concerns as an integral deck portal structure was considered, where the portal frame would restrain the piles,” Willoner explained. “However, there was minimal construction depth available at this level and a risk that
movements transferred to an integral deck might be magnified, resulting in significant sways at roof level 25m higher.” The design was progressed with a pinned connection between the substructure and deck to isolate foundation movements from the main building. Due to actions from wind, thermal effects and eccentric loads from footbridge abutments and elevators, very stiff piles were required to limit calculated deflections to a structure tolerance of 24mm. Achieving stiff large diameter piles with restricted access piling presented a significant challenge.
Substructure Initially, permanent continuous hollow steel section piles were considered in order to provide the required stiffness to control deflection. Though concerns were raised about achieving a good bond between the steel tube and rock socket, as grouting the annulus under water was considered to be high-risk and site access restrictions prevented use of a large crawler crane to vibrate casing into a slightly undersized rock socket. It was decided that the best course of action was to form cast in-situ concrete against the rock socket walls, providing the required pile stiffness with heavy steel cages, high strength concrete and closely spaced piles. Martello Piling constructed 900mm diameter rotary bored piles with its bespoke MP5000 rig, to 5m beneath river bed level. Cages with up to 24 steel bars of 40mm thickness, arranged in pairs, were installed. Outline soil structure interaction for target pricing was carried out with WALLAP software using a subgrade reaction model. It was immediately apparent that pile toe level was controlled by toe stability from lateral actions,
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Illustrating ground model prior to over water ground investigation rather than pile settlement under compression. Ultimate limit state design for flexure and shear resulted in typical pile reinforcement requirements. However, serviceability limit state analysis indicated that deflections would be unacceptable. The flexural rigidity of the pile in the model was increased and pile spacing minimised until computed deflections became acceptable. Subsequent reinforced concrete design included analysing a composite pile section, taking into account the long term cracking of concrete and the proportion of short and long term actions. This was in order to ensure that the long-term transformed section had the flexural rigidity required in the geotechnical model. Due to the complexity of the design it was considered necessary to carry out a parallel method of analysis to check the subgrade reaction model. Plaxis finite element analysis (FEA) software was used for this. It was also developed to an additional stage to consider the restraining effect of the concrete pier and pile cap surrounding the contiguous piles above river bed level.
Conclusions Collaborative work between Mott MacDonald structures and geotechnical engineers, as well as with Carillion and its preferred suppliers, enabled risks to be minimised and cost to be reduced through value engineering. Simple soil-structure interaction proved successful for the outline geotechnical design and target costing. It also helped to focus the more advanced FEA and provide a parallel check on design outputs. “FEA predicted slightly higher deflections than the simple subgrade reaction
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model,” said Willoner. “Yet the quantification of the restraining effect of the river piers resulted in final deflection predictions being less than the structural tolerance.” Pile integrity testing and the surveying of pile positions provided sufficient validation of the design, as settlement from maintained load testing under compression was of no concern for piles with modest compression and a 5m rock socket. However the potential sway of the foundations cannot be validated easily by replicating real conditions under a horizontally loaded pile testing regime. Therefore a comprehensive design, with two parallel methods of geotechnical analysis, was deemed necessary to design for deflection control and the form of bridge deck selected so that movements in sub structure will not be magnified higher up in the superstructure. zz
Construction facts Consultant Mott MacDonald is detailed engineering designer, with Carillion acting as contractor under Network Rail’s London North Eastern multi asset framework agreement. Subcontractor Martello Piling has already completed construction of the foundations. Follow-on works to construct pile caps and piers is underway. The new station entrance will be completed in 2015, with funding provided by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Department for Transport, Network Rail and Leeds City Council.
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The Queen opens Reading station
Birmingham New Street atrium roof takes shape l The first strips of material which will cover the roof of the new atrium at Birmingham New Street station and allow the concourse to be filled with natural light, have been fitted into place. The material, which is the same as that used at the Eden Project in Cornwall, will allow daylight to illuminate the station concourse for the first time in its history. Wearing safety harnesses and equipment usually associated with climbers and abseilers, the team working on the new station and Grand Central development have carefully secured the material over the first sections of the steelwork which will form the roof over the impressive atrium below. The translucent material is strong, durable, has a high corrosion resistance, is self-cleaning and recyclable. Chris Montgomery, Network Rail project director, said: “Once the structure is completely waterproofed we will be able to start the demolition of the floors beneath it to create the impressive atrium which will allow natural light to fill the station concourse for the first time.” The Birmingham New Street station and Grand Central development are due to open in 2015.
l Her Majesty the Queen opened the newly completed redevelopment of Reading station last month, and met with key members of the engineering team behind the project. The station was completed a year ahead of schedule and within budget. Facilities now include two entrances, 15 platforms of which five are new, new retail facilities and a new passenger bridge three times the size of the original footbridge. All platforms have new lifts, escalators and canopies making the station more accessible, lighter and brighter, and better able to accommodate the growing number of passengers. Used by nearly 20m passengers a year, a figure that is forecast to rise to 30m by 2030, Reading station is one of the busiest rail hubs in Britain, but lies at the heart of one of the worst remaining bottlenecks on the network. The station redevelopment was one element of a £895m programme to rebuild the railway around Reading. The work, including a new viaduct to the west of the station, is set for completion in spring 2015, and will remove the bottleneck, improving reliability and increasing capacity so more trains can run in the future.
Henry Moore settles in at King’s Cross l Large Spindle Piece, the three-metre bronze sculpture by Henry Moore created in 1974 and said to be one of his most important monumental works, has found a new home at King’s Cross. The sculpture is now on display in the 75,000 sq ft public King’s Cross Square, which was opened in September last year as part of the £550m station redevelopment programme. The piece has been exhibited around the world, and is the first work of public art to be installed at King’s Cross Square.
A new payment scheme for London transport The new vision for Oxford station l A new masterplan for Oxford station, setting out a long-term vision for the station and surrounding area, has been unveiled. Its aim is to create a higher quality public space in and around the station capable of accommodating the expected increase in rail passenger numbers over the next few years. The proposals incorporate a new station building, new rail track and platforms, a transport interchange – including bus station and multi-story car park – development opportunities, better cycle facilities and improvements to Botley Road bridge. The plan was developed by design consultants AHR, working together with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Network Rail, in conjunction with Department for Transport and First Great Western. There will be an architectural competition for the concept design of the new station, bridge and transport interchange. Meanwhile, the partnership is seeking public and private sector funding to take the proposals forward.
l From 16 September, a new contactless payment scheme will come into operation on London’s Tube, Overground, DLR, tram and bus services. The new system has been successfully piloted by around 3,000 customers on the Underground since April this year, and works the same way as Oyster – charging a fare by touching in and out on the readers at the start and end of every journey. The fares, however, are charged directly to payment card accounts, so there will no longer be any need to spend time checking and topping up Oyster balances. A new Monday to Sunday cap will also apply, as TfL’s advanced system will automatically calculate the best value contactless fare over the course of the week. TfL and National Rail plan to expand the system to the suburban rail routes where Oyster is currently accepted.
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n systems o ti a rm fo in r e m o st Cu
Above: Electrical components being replaced in the mainboard at Euston station
A sign of the times
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Customer information systems technology is a fast moving field, but to be really effective, it has to be driven by a genuine need
modern customer information system (CIS) must simultaneously meet the needs of two client groups; firstly those operating the stations and, secondly but no less importantly, passengers using those stations.
Drivers of change These groups have a common demand – each requires up to date and accurate information on legible displays, regardless of the environment. But each then has its own set of desires; some the same but with different motivations, others exclusive to them as a user group. It is these motivations that drive changes in CIS provision. Changes to CIS display design have also been affected by legislation. For example, compliance rules under the Equality Act 2010 demand that LED displays have nine pixel high tiles, permitting upper and lower case characters with full ascenders and descenders. This ensures that the shape of the word is recognised by people with impaired vision. To meet this requirement, Infotec designed replacement nine pixel high tiles with exactly the same footprint as the
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previous non-compliant tiles. This has allowed retroengineering to update existing displays at minimum cost to the train operating companies.
Communication One of the most important building blocks in the development of today’s CIS displays is the way data is derived and sent to them. Eleven years ago Ashby-based Infotec worked with ATOS Worldline to implement the EDF protocol that could be generated generically by their control system. This has become the one of the most common protocols for driving displays in the UK rail industry. The success of the first major concourse display at London Euston using the EDF protocol led to nationwide use of the system, with projects at Charing Cross, Paddington, Edinburgh Waverley and Liverpool Street among those that followed. Over 10,000 displays are now driven using this protocol. There is a variety of differing protocols used on the
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Left:The mainboard in operation at Euston station
Brighton Station is one of a large number to benefit from wireless display technology. Standard cabled displays are fitted with a wireless transmitter, then additional remote displays with can be added. There is no loss of functionality and normal remote diagnostics are unaffected. UK rail network which raised its own challenges. To overcome this and to ensure system independence, heavy investment into new generations of controllers was necessary. Infotec’s range of controllers, for instance, have always been able to automatically recognise UK rail industry standard protocols; communicating via ethernet TCP/IP, RS485, wireless and GPRS/3G.
Innovation A second significant innovation is the way that displays are driven. Prior to the advances in controller technology customers had to source the data they wanted to display and carry out the complex task of formatting it. The new generation of controllers allows users to
send data-only packages to the signs. The display’s on-board controllers then decipher the data – from whatever source – and format it for display. This offers savings in staff resources and reduces the amount of bandwidth required. Beyond these developments in data delivery, further progress has been made in display management that improves display functionality and reduces expensive downtime. Infotec’s AIM (Advanced Information Management) system is a simple but effective webbased content management system which, in addition to ethernet, RS485 can also use GPRS to deliver data to displays. With the AIM system deployed, customers can easily access their displays from any web-connected computer in the world. Once connected, they can view their estate asset register, check a display’s performance, update firmware, carry out diagnostic checks, send messages, receive fault reports via email, view what is being displayed (display mimic) and assign RSS (Rich Site Summary) feeds. AIM is currently deployed by a variety of train operating companies including Southeastern, East Midlands Trains, Northern, Eurostar, First Great Western, Cross Country, London Midland and ScotRail.
Cost-effective use Ensuring systems are cost-effective is a key client consideration and a number of developments have addressed this; some making customer information services an option in locations where in the past the outlay
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Above: Displays created for Alstom Canada for use on Linea 12 in Mexico City provide train running information and full colour advertising. They are designed to interface over a single fibre optic IP link with the train-running and advertising software supplied by Alstom. The PC system controls have been integrated into the diagnostics software which gives operators complete control of the displays
The future of CIS
d Investigation
Above: Displays created for Southeastern for use on the HS1 platforms at St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet and Stratford stations permit additional information to the normal train running details to be presented
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required could not be justified. In smaller stations the lack of communication options has been the main barrier to installing customer information hardware. But now, using GPRS technology, displays can receive data in the way a mobile phone does, using data over the mobile network. This, used in conjunction with AIM, enables displays to be updated, diagnosed and maintained remotely from any internet-connected device. Cabling across the tracks at smaller stations is a very time-consuming and expensive option. This can now be overcome using robust and secure wireless radio technology. Standard cabled displays are fitted with a wireless transmitter, then additional remote displays with receivers – for example in the car park – can be added. There is no loss of functionality and normal remote diagnostics are unaffected. Brighton station has dozens of wireless displays, with other locations including East Midlands Trains stations and Paddington.
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More recent developments in customer information displays are driven by the demands from a modern audience for higher definition screens, capable of displaying a variety of media including audio and video. Infotec’s recently developed Tetrus controller incorporates the latest in software and graphics interfaces to meet the new demands of this information age. This high tech unit can run dedicated applications and display HD playlists of passenger information, video, graphics and advertising as well as providing quality audio. The Linux/Android platform is open for customisation whilst an optional SSP (Software Support Package) allows programmers to use standard languages such as C/C++. Genius scripting can be used for ultra-low bandwidth applications such as used for passenger information displays whilst the HTML5 compliant browser offers numerous possibilities to today’s programmers. The final development to have transformed displays in recent times relates to sound, not vision. The microPA systems have been developed as a viable alternative to other automated PA and Long Line PA (LLPA). Its system uses a sophisticated Text To Speech (TTS) engine as its means of creating announcements, rather than the segmented speech used by the others. The display technology receives textual information from the CIS system central computer and interprets this to produce the visual output. This same textual information is used as the input to the TTS system, allowing the microPA units to create the audio announcements directly. Spoken words are made up of small sound segments called phonemes and these are created for use in the TTS engine using actual recorded voices. Over 2000 UK place names were analysed and optimised for the TTS library with emphasis placed on ensuring place names – including complex Welsh ones – are now pronounced as correctly as possible. Next time you are at a station you will realise there is much more to the displays than meets the eye – and ears. zz
www.infotec.co.uk
NEWS I Contracts
TfL
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Cubic Transportation Systems wins £660m TfL Electra contract l Transport for London (TfL) has awarded the Electra contract, which provides the capital’s ticketing and fare collection services, to Cubic Transportation Systems. Worth around £660m over the next ten years, the contract begins in August 2015 for a term of seven years. Electra covers the provision and maintenance of ticketing and fare collection equipment for all of TfL’s services. This includes 400 Tube, DLR and London Overground stations, 250 National Rail stations in London, and retail network of 4,000 Oyster agents. Oyster was introduced on the London transport network in 2003, but TfL are planning to launch contactless payment card acceptance soon on the Tube and rail network. Roger Crow, managing director at Cubic Transportation Systems, commented: “We are delighted to continue working with Transport for London in the next phase of ticketing and fare collection delivery. The period covered by the Electra contract will see exciting opportunities presented by new technology as well as significant challenges as the population of London continues to grow.”
Colas and URS win £400m switches & crossings alliance contract l Network Rail has appointed Colas Rail and URS to deliver switches and crossings (S&C) renewals across the South of England and Wales, using a new alliance approach. The S&C South Alliance contract is worth up to £400m to the Colas URS team over the next ten years. The new ‘alliance’ approach is designed to combine the skills of URS as designer, Colas Rail as installer and Network Rail. The alliance model means the Colas URS team and Network Rail will work together with aligned goals and objectives to efficiently deliver S&C works. Steve Featherstone, Network Rail track programme director, said: “We look forward to working with Colas URS to help deliver a massive programme of work to maintain, renew and enhance the railway across southern England and Wales over the next five years, with the goal of providing a more reliable railway for passengers and freight.” The work will be carried out on six of Network Rail’s nine routes: Anglia, South East, Western, Wales, Wessex and the London North Western (South) region. The Colas URS team will begin work immediately. The S&C South contract is part of Network Rail’s track renewals programme for the 2014 – 2019 funding period. Over the next five years, Network Rail will renew more than 7,000km of track as part of a £25bn investment programme.
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Thales tolead SGM-R implementation in Morocco l A consortium comprising Thales, Huawei and Imet has won a €30 million contract to provide a global mobile communications system (GSM-R) for Morocco’s national railway, ONCF. It will be the first implementation of GSM-R in the country. Initially, the system will be introduced on five lines totalling some 712 kilometres. This includes Africa’s first high-speed line, which will travel a distance of 185 kilometres between Tangiers and Kenitra. As consortium leader, Thales will oversee the global management of the project, and is also responsible for the system design and system integration. Huawei will provide the GSM-R digital radio system, and Imet the site design, construction, shelters and fibre optic cable. This is the first phase of a programme to install GSM-R across Morocco’s entire rail network over the next nine years.
Merseyrail appoints Gleeds to support rail infrastructure l International management and construction consultancy, Gleeds, has been awarded a two-year professional service framework by train operator, Merseyrail. Gleeds has been selected to provide CDMC, project and commercial management services for work that will support rail transport infrastructure in the Liverpool city region. One of the most intensively used networks in the UK, Merseyrail has over 800 train services daily and approximately 100,000 passenger journeys per weekday. Improvements will help reduce journey time, making the region more accessible for commuters and leisure travellers.
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Furniture
Steel double stacking cycle racks
Perfect plastics Jonathan Goss looks at the materials being selected for station street furniture and how tastes and requirements are promoting innovation
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Jonathan Goss, managing director of Townscape Products
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ownscape has been in street furniture manufacturing for more than 40 years and I have worked on refurbishment schemes at railway stations throughout the UK. As we look through the decades I’ve noticed a trend in how the materials traditionally used for street furniture at stations is changing. Specifiers are now looking to furnish stations with more sustainable, low maintenance and cost effective materials, moving away from traditional materials such as cast-iron. Many of these refurbishment schemes are designed to revive and update the location, while retaining its original historic, heritage look and feel. We’ve been working in partnership with a number of specifiers and procurement teams to replicate these heritage designs in more modern, cost effective materials. The strongest material, which we believe delivers the best value, is Performa-Cast polymer. This is a polymer that looks exactly the same as cast-iron or steel, but essentially is a form of plastic or polyurethane which we use for a wide range of products including seating, cycle racks, barriers and rails and bollards. Products are manufactured by using high quality engineering grade polyurethane cast over a steel core, therefore maintaining the aesthetic and strength benefits of a cast iron equivalent. Because of the properties in polyurethane, PerformaCast has a non-ferrous and non-rusting exterior and a high resistance to corrosive acids. This makes it an ideal option for the furniture, railings or bollards outside stations, especially in high saline environments such as coastal areas. More importantly, day to day surface damage from
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bumps and scrapes will not cause the product to rust, meaning it will last longer. Performa-Cast can also be more resilient to high impact damage. For example bollards made from polymer are designed to be stronger than cast-iron or steel equivalents and therefore on high speed vehicular impact a PerformaCast polymer bollard will resist the collision rather than breaking off or shattering, ideal for the exterior protection of a station. In addition to being stronger, Performa-Cast polymer is surprisingly lighter, and therefore much easier to install than any heavy cast-iron and steel counterpart. With all of the above saving costs, it’s also important to mention that Performa-Cast polymer does not require any on-going maintenance during the first 10 years of a products lifespan, other than the occasional wash with warm water. This makes the products affordable and helps cut time and maintenance costs. In fact, it is estimated that they are five times more cost effective than cast iron bollards which requires painting every two years. Performa-Cast polymer is not just attractive to specifiers and procurement teams because of the cost-savings and durability, it is also possible to design and match existing products for a polymer alternative. Full replication of an existing street furniture design can be achieved which enables a station to keep its heritage feel.
Other popular alternatives We’re also seeing more street furniture being made from steel, stainless steel, aluminium and more eco-friendly materials such as timber. From seats and shelters, to litter bins, cycle racks, barriers and rails. Seats and benches in hardwood are a particularly attractive and eco-friendly way to revamp a station, and litter bins can be designed to match whatever theme you decide to follow. Steel elements are also increasingly in demand in a range of colours and styles, from heritage to modern. Space saving is becoming an important factor for specifiers. With more people cycling to and from stations, we’re seeing steel double stacking cycle racks soaring in popularity as a great space saving option.
In action Peterborough railway station recently installed doubledecker cycle racks to cope with demand. They also wanted to promote public transport and a healthier lifestyle which meant providing cyclists with a safe and secure storage facility for bikes. The facilities managers were requesting cycle racks which could quadruple capacity without occupying additional space at the station. We designed and installed double stack bicycle racks made from galvanised steel, which can hold 144 bikes – four times the number that can be stored on traditional cycle racks. An added bonus that Peterborough particularly liked was a security locking loop feature and the fact that the materials were in a low maintenance finish. zz
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Franchising
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Removing the hidden agenda Mark Cowlard, head of rail, EC Harris considers the process of devolving power, and asks, in spite of the challenges could this signal a new era of rail franchising? The beginning of a new era?
Mark Cowlard is head of rail at EC Harris
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he Localism Act, introduced in 2011, was an early plank in the Coalition Government’s agenda to devolve power. It heralded a new era for local government, promising to agree which decision-making powers would be devolved from central government control to local communities and individuals. The Act dismantled the regional bodies that Labour had created during its tenure, and reallocated powers between local bodies and central Whitehall departments.
Outcomes so far To date, in practice, implementation on the ground has been mixed, with much of the power still remaining with central government, yet failing so far to re-calibrate the balance of power from central to local government. For the rail sector though, the devolution of power has opened up new opportunities for franchising, including the formation of the new Rail Executive within the Department of Transport. The Rail Executive was created in February 2014 to help organise and restructure the Department’s rail functions following the troubled West Coast Main Line franchise bidding process in 2012. Its primary function is to manage rail franchising and implement the recommendations of the Brown Review, which called for a complete overhaul of the rail franchising approach. It looks likely to be a demanding first year for the body. After a hiatus during which the Review and other independent enquiries recommended re-starting the bidding process for rail, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced a new franchisee timetable for the next eight years.
Considering the issues that have plagued the sector before on this, the hope is that the implementation of a re-designed organisational structure will signal a new era for local regions, rail franchising and the sector overall. Franchising is, on the surface, a good idea for the industry, but only when implemented on a large-scale. Indeed, evidence shows so far that in larger cities additional funds which have been made available for bid as part of regionalwide City Deals have been successful. Within this, Local Authorities and, in some cases, Combined Authorities have come together with integrated transport bodies to try and establish a vision for a City Region and beyond. Rail North, where a number of stakeholders came together with a convincing plan for the region, could be easily rolled out for the good of the area. Critically, at this level the devolution of franchising and the devolution of capital funding begin to make sense; there is a sufficient critical mass to make something happen, coming together behind a common goal.
The pitfalls that lie ahead Fundamentally though, for franchising to be successful, appropriate checks and balances must be put into place to prevent overt politicisation of decision-making to the detriment of services that start and end outside of the specific franchisee area. London could be an example of this. Transport for London’s ambitious plans for greater and outer London’s rail network, should they come to fruition, would see TfL take control of the railway lines beyond their current electoral purview. With Boris Johnson at the helm of these plans, some cynics have suggested that decisions are made based on the needs of the electorate, rather than the travelling public along a route as a whole. In addition there is a degree of concern that devolution of franchising would take place alongside the devolution of CAPEX for transport schemes, which would then become so localised there could be no agreement on the strategic transport priorities for the region.
Conclusion What a devolved rail franchising network needs, then, is scale and an agenda-free common purpose across a geographic region. It’s no easy feat and necessitates strong leadership, but I’m hopeful that the Rail Executive and its responsibilities for awarding and managing franchises will ensure that the relevant local governments will be given the opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of local franchising developments for both the sector and the regions overall. zz
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Asset Management
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Deutsche Bahn train de-icing
The changing face of anti-icing New anti-icing processes are changing the way snow and ice are managed on the railways during the winter season. Gary Lydiate, chief executive of Kilfrost, discusses the challenges, and illustrates best practice with an example from Deutsche Bahn Gary Lydiate is chief executive of Kilfrost, the global leader in the supply of de/anti-icing products for the transport industry
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here are a number of safety critical challenges faced by rail operators and those responsible for maintaining the rail network during the winter months. The build up of ice and snow on the underside of trains can add extra weight to a vehicle, affecting its performance. If the ice then detaches itself this presents a danger. Falling ice can dislodge ballast and hit the train, damaging its exterior and even breaking windows. It can also damage the track, increase both vehicle and track maintenance costs, and put trains out of service until components are replaced. All of the above means effective anti-icing of trains is needed to prevent the build up of ice in the first place. This also makes the de-icing process less time consuming and less costly. When a train goes into a depot there are a number of traditional ways to remove ice and snow. Both are time and energy consuming, and can include using blowers, heaters and hot water to melt the ice, or simply leaving the train in
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the depot for a substantial period of time to allow it to deice. New anti-icing systems are shaping the way the rolling stock industry manages winter snow and ice.
Deutsche Bahn – keeping trains operational Deutsche Bahn, one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies, is responsible for approximately 33,723km of train track, transporting around 1.98 billion passengers annually and seven million passengers daily. The company experienced a number of challenges due to ice and snow formation during the 2012/13 winter period, particularly impacting cross-border long-distance travel to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. A number of trains suffered failures and became unavailable due to damage. In order to overcome these challenges, Deutsche Bahn embarked on a unique trial, which involved installing a Nordic GSE anti-icing system incorporating Kilfrost’s
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Nordic de-icing station TDIce Plus fluid to treat the underside of 16 ICE highspeed trains serving routes from Frankfurt to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. The anti-icing fluid comprises propylene glycol mixed with water, which is heated to 40 degrees and applied to the train bogies by the system, protecting the frame from ice formation. The anti-icing facility in use in Frankfurt consists of a 3,000-litre tank beside the track containing the fluid. Spray nozzles connected to the installation are then mounted on the track and work by spraying the train bogies with the anti-icing fluid. During the treatment, the fluid that drips from the trains is collected by a 27 meter long stainless steel collector tray, filtered and re-used in the next treatment, making the process more economical. The anti-icing system reduces the need for trains to take three to four hours to be de-iced for inspections or repair work. Each train goes through the anti-icing fluid installation every 24 hours and the treatment takes just seven minutes. As the treatment happens during the time already allocated for maintenance, this causes no additional waiting time for passengers and means that the railways can remain operational.
Challenges on the track As well as the need to keep trains free from ice and snow, track renewals can be affected in two main ways during the winter season. Firstly, frozen ballast in the ground can significantly slow down the excavation of the old ballast, including the lifting of the old rail sleepers. Secondly, the new ballast arriving to site in the auto-hoppers cannot escape down the funnel chute when frozen. Issues such
as these can lead to possession overruns and disruption on the railways, which mean delays for passengers. As a result, as well as it being necessary to antiand de-ice rolling stock, it is also important to anti- and de-ice ballast. There is also an environmental aspect to consider when treating ballast. As the stones are laid on the ground, it is essential that any fluid used to de-ice the ballast is non-hazardous and does not leave any residue. De/anti-icing fluids prevent ballast from freezing so that it can be successfully transported and distributed onto the railway track. Kilfrost AGT works by being sprayed onto the ballast, removing any moisture from the surface and creating a coating which prevents further moisture from forming. It is also necessary for any de/anti-icing fluid being used on ballast to be resistant to precipitation.
Looking to the future Manufacturers of de/anti-icing fluids are striving to make products greener and more sustainable, as well as improving their resistance to precipitation, more severe weather conditions and higher speeds. As well as considering the impact of ice and snow build-up on rolling stock, it is also important to consider the rail infrastructure itself and the negative effects of frozen ballast on railway operations. Finally, while there will always be a place for de-icing, time efficiencies and cost savings can be made by focusing on the anti-icing procedures in place. Anti-icing systems have been shown to reduce the time needed for de-icing by 50 per cent, meaning that when it comes to ice on the track or train, prevention is better than cure. zz
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MICA’s role continues to expand
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ince its creation in 2006, MICA, the management
control centres can see at a glance which fire alarm has
software system from telent, has been bringing station
been triggered.
systems together into a single interface in order to
“However, what really sets MICA apart from other systems
simplify and streamline the management process.
is how it enables multiple locations to be monitored and
MICA offers both connectivity and control of a growing number
controlled simultaneously; this added connectivity brings a
of station systems - safety announcements, alarms, lifts and
new level of management information and control, bringing
escalators, to name a few. In its mobile, tablet-based form
efficiency improvements to maintenance work. Even groups
MICA offers all this whilst on the move, too.
of devices can be isolated and re-enabled via schedules
As telent continue to expand the functionality of MICA, Paul Dobbins, Chief Technical Officer, explains how the integration
“Maintenance works can create dust and smoke, so the
of fire systems further enhances MICA’s role:
fire detection devices in that zone need to be isolated during
“With MICA, station managers can already control an array
works, then re-enabled prior to the station opening. This
of systems from one software platform. The monitoring of fire
process often delays the start of work, narrowing the window
detection systems is an important addition, bringing further
of opportunity for completion. Now this job can be carried
time and efficiency improvements as well as cost savings.
out via MICA, by programming the isolation and re-enabling
“Now, individual fire detection devices and alarms can be
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preloaded into MICA.
of relevant devices. This means more can be accomplished
monitored and managed via MICA. Individual sensor levels can
during each maintenance shift as the wait for isolation of fire
be observed and station managers or centralised
devices to be carried out is removed.”
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Facilities Management
Dust Control
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Some dusturbing thoughts Dust is an inevitable companion in most railway environments. James Miller looks at the hazards it can pose and why it’s important to be vigilant to protect both workforce and passengers
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James Miller Dustcontrol UK MD
hen it comes to dust and railways, people probably form an impression of a grimy faced workman from yesteryear, shovelling coal into a furnace amid a haze of soot and dust. Thankfully, the railroads have changed and this image is from a bygone age. But dust is still a problem. Whilst coal dust might no longer be much of an issue, dust takes many forms, which means its negative influence is still very much at large. Prolonged exposure to the more harmful forms can have seriously adverse effects on human health, which in the long term can lead to the development of lung conditions that in some cases can even progress into incurable types of cancer. Therefore it pays to be vigilant about the threat it can pose, and the impact it can have on the workforce and passengers.
Controlling dust on the rolling stock Thousands upon thousands of people use the railways on a daily basis. This amount of traffic, with the associated
footfall, means that dust and dirt is transferred onto carriages, generating considerable amounts in a relatively short space of time. With trains and tubes in almost constant service, thoroughly cleaning each carriage is often a logistical nightmare. But it’s a necessary requirement. Paying customers aren’t going to be content travelling in poorly maintained carriages, so certain measures need to be put in place. Some of the dust control systems available for this scenario involve running a high performance semi-mobile vacuum system down the entire length of the train, which can be attached to plug-in points at each carriage. It’s then a simple process of switching on the vacuum extraction system and using long hose lines for effective vacuum cleaning. This is one example of many dust control solutions available, which are often dependent on individual circumstances; so tailored guidance is often required. It’s not just general cleanliness that needs to be taken into account, however. It can also affect wellbeing. The problems of dust are particularly in evidence when it
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comes to underground railway networks. Research by the University of Southampton has highlighted the need for greater awareness of the possible hazards and has called for additional research to be carried out to determine just how much of a threat underground dust is to human health.
Increased dangers on the underground In an underground railway environment there is a high level of mechanical activity, which when combined with very high temperatures (as is often the case underground), creates metal-rich dust. Confined spaces, paired with poor ventilation means that dust is often pervasive in the ambient air. Much of this dust is ultrafine and is capable of reaching the alveoli – the deepest part of the lungs – from where it can cause the growth of malignant tumours if someone is exposed over a prolonged period. Those who work on the underground or commute on a daily basis frequently come into contact with this dust, and this puts them at greater risk. Whilst more research is needed to establish the long-term effects of this, railway corporations need to ensure that levels of dust in the environment are below the current HSE guidelines. Dustcontrol can help to put safeguards in place to make sure that this is the case and that any potential risk is minimised.
Facilities Management
Dust Control
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even cancers. Here at Dustcontrol UK, we provide on-tool dust extraction equipment, which means that any dust that’s created is captured at source and transported to a centralised location and so no longer poses a threat. Hepa filtered air cleaners can also be very helpful in reducing airborne dust levels as a complement to source extraction. Railway management firms need to make sure that the relevant steps are taken if they want to reduce the harmful side effects of dust generated in a railway environment. The biggest problem regarding this is awareness. Many are simply unaware of the risks that are posed. By improving awareness of the damaging impact that dust can have, more will be done to prevent its influence and diminish the negative consequences. zz
www.dustcontroluk.co.uk
Maintenance depots Another area where dust can be an issue is during train maintenance and refurbishment projects. Devices such as hand-held orbital sanders are commonplace during this kind of work. Sanding creates large volumes of dust, which can cause persistent throat and airways irritation in workers. This in turn, as mentioned previously, can lead to permanent respiratory conditions, such as asthma or
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Flooring
of regular Cemprotec E-Floor applied as a hard finishing layer. A silica sand was broadcast into the surface and sealed with Cemprotec Sandseal 75, a tough, clear polyurethane coating, to provide a slip resistant surface. The finished floor has excellent resistance to impact, abrasion, water, chloride ions and aggressive chemicals. The water-based composition of Flexcrete products is a vital consideration in the rail sector as it means they are low hazard, virtually odourless and cure without the release of hazardous solvents, so there is absolutely no disruption during application and no danger to the public.
Long lasting repair and protection at Eaglescliffe Norwich Crown Point maintenance depot
Beneath your feet Flooring surfaces in today’s railways are subject to heavy demands, and many were simply not designed to withstand the current footfall, impact and abrasion. Chris Lloyd demonstrates how innovative solutions for refurbishments and new builds can make all the difference to durability and safety Chris Lloyd, director, Flexcrete Technologies Limited
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here are many signs that a concrete floor could require treatment or repair. The substrate could be uneven or smooth making it a trip or slip hazard, or there could be water leaking into the space below. Flooring is a critical refurbishment area as the railways invest in station upgrades and new construction work, however it has its challenges. Keeping disruption to a minimum is vital in existing stations as they need to remain operational throughout, and with new builds the challenges include meeting the required design specification.
Repairing heavy wear in maintenance depots Many other areas, not visible to the public, also require careful consideration. One such example is Crown Point maintenance depot in Norwich which plays a pivotal role in maintaining a fleet of trains in East Anglia and on the intercity line to London. Due to the extensive use of jacks to lift trains, the platforms had become badly worn and uneven. Specified by Frankham Consultancy Group, Flexcrete products were used to reinstate and provide a durable, hard-wearing and chemically resistant finish. After planing the surface, Fastfill, a rapid setting Portland cement based mortar, was used to fill voids and repair the edges to the platforms. Fastfill sets in as little as 10 minutes at 20°C and is designed to repair areas which cannot be taken out of service for long periods, and for locations subjected to heavy wear such as platforms, decks, floors and footpaths. Cemprotec E-Floor HB, a self-smoothing, water-based, epoxy and polymer modified cementitious flooring system, was applied at a thickness of 3-6mm with a 2mm top coat
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A more recent refurbishment project was undertaken at Eaglescliffe Railway Station in Stockton-on-Tees. Located on the Tees Valley Line at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line, it provides direct intercity services between London and Sunderland. Access onto the island platform is via a ramped footbridge but over the years, the passenger ramp had deteriorated significantly and there were large areas of concrete delamination and spalling. Remedial repairs had been carried out but these
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The repaired footbridge at Eaglescliffe station
were showing signs of disbondment, thus a long-lasting repair and protection system was required, comprising both localised repairs and overall deck protection. Following thorough preparation, Fastfill structural repair mortar was used for localised repairs, including several deep repairs as it can be applied up to 300mm in a single application. The whole ramp area was then sealed with Cemprotec EF Primer before Cemprotec E-Floor HB was poured onto the primed surface and spread to the required thickness of 3-6mm. Cemprotec E-Floor HB is CE marked in accordance with the demands of BS EN 1504, the pan European standard for concrete repair. To enhance the slip and abrasion resistance of the ramped area, Cemprotec EF Grit was immediately broadcast into the Cemprotec E-Floor HB and once the complete system was fully cured, Cemprotec Sandseal 75 clear coating was applied over the whole surface to effectively seal it. The result is an extremely hard-wearing, slip-resistant surface which will
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz provide ultimate protection against foot traffic, wheelchair use, impact from heavy objects and attack from the elements.
A practical solution to low concrete cover Even when new concrete floors are installed, they may need further repair and protection. This was the case at West Ham London Underground, a busy transport hub in East London and one of three transport hotspots feeding the London 2012 Games. As part of plans to strengthen the rail network and upgrade the power supply, a new substation was built at West Ham London Underground.
West Ham Underground The new substation is designed to help power the rail system and facilitate the introduction of new trains, increased capacity and improvements such as air conditioning and electronic signage. During construction of the substation, a new ground floor slab was installed totalling approximately 500m2. However, low cover was detected on the concrete and an economical and practical solution was sought to enhance effective cover and ensure that the design life of the ground floor slab was achieved and extended. Reinforced concrete must have an adequate thickness of concrete covering the steel reinforcement bars; the depth and quality of the cover concrete is vital, as the relatively thin layer of concrete protects the reinforcing steel from corrosion by maintaining an alkali environment and preventing the ingress of chloride ions and all the fuels for corrosion. Cemprotec EF Primer was first used to prime and seal the substrate prior to the application of Cementitious Coating 851, a high performance, two component, waterborne cementitious modified polymer coating which provides reinstatement of effective cover on precast and in-situ reinforced concrete, enhancing durability to achieve specified design life. A 2mm application of Cementitious Coating 851 is equivalent to 100mm of good quality concrete. Being cement based, it chemically reacts with the substrate to form an integral part and has a design life equivalent to that of the concrete to which it is applied. 851 can be applied to green concrete, exhibits minimal hazard during application and is non-toxic when cured. Cementitious Coating 851 is ideal for the structural waterproofing of concrete, resisting positive and negative
pressure under a 100 metre head. It forms a hard, highly alkaline coating which not only protects concrete from the effects of aggressive acid gases, moisture and chlorides, but also has greatly enhanced chemical resistance. It is also compliant with LU Standard 1-085 ‘Fire Safety Performance of Materials’.
A waterproofing challenge at Birmingham New Street One of the UK’s biggest rail redevelopment projects is currently being undertaken at Birmingham New Street station, the busiest station outside London and the busiest interchange in the UK with a train leaving the station every 37 seconds. Over 140,000 passengers use New Street every day, more than double the number it was originally designed to accommodate. The first section of the new station opened in April 2013 and once the project is fully complete in summer 2015, there will be 36 new escalators and 15 new lifts. Situated above New Street station is the Pallasades Shopping Centre which is undergoing a major transformation and will be known as Grand Central Birmingham when it opens in 2015. The centre will provide 200,000 sq ft of retail space for over 40 new premium fashion and lifestyle shops and more than 20 new concept cafes and restaurants. It will be anchored by the 250,000 sq ft John Lewis department store, the biggest outside London. Artist’s impression of the Grand Central Birmingham shopping centre, being built above Birmingham New Street
During the construction phase, it was necessary to waterproof the floor areas in the retail outlets to ensure there was no water damage to the underlying railway station and no inherent health and safety risks. Once again, a system based on Cemprotec E-Floor HB was specified for its ability to offer low permeability to water, even at 10 bar positive and negative pressure. It can be applied without risk of osmotic blistering to ‘green’ concrete, wet substrates or floors with no effective waterproofing membrane.
Conclusion These case studies demonstrate that innovative and durable flooring solutions can be designed for specific refurbishment and new build projects. In all cases there was no disruption to passengers, no health and safety risks during or post application, and the projects were completed to programme and to budget. zz
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Communications
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In control
As rail infrastructure across the UK is updated and upgraded, digital mobile radio is becoming the backbone of communications. Ian Carr, CEO of Simoco Group, discusses how it is joining all the links in the operational chain
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Ian Carr, CEO of Simoco Group
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ailways play a crucial role in Britain’s transport network. As the oldest in the world and one of the busiest in Europe, the British railways dominate public transport across the country’s major cities. According to the latest statistics from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), passengers travelled a record level of 59.7 billion kilometres between 2012 and 2013 and 22.7 billon net tonne kilometres of freight were moved by rail. And we expect these figures to continue climbing. As demand for rail services soars, both in the UK and worldwide, radio communication has never been as critical in ensuring the safe and successful management of every rail network. With trains often passing through several regions, it is important that they can regularly communicate with the different control centres for each area. Without this contact, the control centres are unable to oversee train movements, and operations and safety would therefore be in jeopardy. The most common challenge faced by rail operators is how to maintain availability of service, ensuring that the radio system is working at all times. While many technologies
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have come to the global market to address this challenge, some are adding complexity and cost without necessarily addressing the underlying requirement, which is to achieve 100 per cent service availability. A rail communication network must have complete radio coverage along the operational rail corridor. As well as providing reliable voice communications to train controllers and other rail users, the radio network should support both voice and data. Today’s railway operators are therefore now investing in customised communications programmes that go beyond the traditional voice services to provide advanced location tracking, data transmission and integration between the on-board systems and control rooms. Furthermore, they are choosing a radio communications system that can interface with an existing infrastructure, which is designed to deliver secure communication between drivers and signallers across the entire rail network – even when trains are travelling through cuttings and tunnels. Some train operators are adopting technology that offers enhanced capabilities such as using radio to
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facilitate paperless office environments, where rotas and regulations are available to access on the radio terminal, and location and messaging applications. In the UK, operators are predominantly using GSMR as the technology of choice and we are now seeing some users adopting Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) to manage the railway stations and thus complement the operator network. This includes King’s Cross and St Pancras where station managers, ticketing officers and shop staff are using the technology to ensure the smooth running of station activities and to keep commuters safe. Interoperable DMR has earned a reputation as a robust and resilient means of communicating in a rail environment including light railways. A typical end-to-end, DMR system is available in both Tier II and Tier III modes of operation. Tier II covers licensed conventional radio systems, mobiles and hand portables for users who need spectral efficiency, advanced voice features and integrated IP data services in licensed bands for high-power communications. Tier III covers a trunked radio network that offers increased call capacity built on an IP backbone, and enables comprehensive and spectrum efficient coverage across wide operational areas – a major requirement in any rail network. The solution also provides dynamic allocation of channels to allow simultaneous calls for multiple user groups thus eliminating queuing. This essentially means that the system has extra capacity for all radio users during busy periods. DMR is also based on open standards, which have been developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). This means that radio communications can perform as part of a unified communications programme and provide the backbone for all data transmission and management. As a result,
an existing radio infrastructure can often be relied upon to bring the benefits of next generation communications solutions such as M2M technologies. Rail communications help to underpin the comprehensive rail transport systems that we see today and, unsurprisingly, freight and passenger rail companies demand the best-in-class communications for strengthening their operational capabilities. Emerging as the most successful low cost digital technology for complex projects, it is evident that DMR is just the ticket. zz
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Communications
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Using Wi-Fi inside ICE train
Getting on board with wireless
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Samuel Buttarelli is vice president distributed coverage and capacity solutions sales, Europe, CommScope
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SAMUEL BUTTARELLI, discusses the challenges of installing ubiquitous wireless coverage on the rail networks of Europe, and how collaboration can help smooth the way
ver the past decade wireless devices have become ubiquitous in almost every area of life. From keeping up-to-date with work on the move to downloading films onto the latest tablet, customers expect their wireless devices to work perfectly no matter where they are or what services they are attempting to access. Yet there are areas of high subscriber traffic where wireless connectivity is still either non-existent or severely limited. National rail networks are one such area and have the potential to generate extremely lucrative revenues. However, ensuring wireless access for commuters on trains is a complex ecosystem to balance, with railway operators clearly seeing the need and demand to improve the user experience for coverage onboard. Meanwhile, it is the responsibility of the wireless operator to drive investment of infrastructure along the track, though operators may not be happy supplying coverage capacity that can then be used by others supplying different services, eg Wi-Fi. So who really benefits from the investment, in a business sense, and how can regulators play a role in appeasing both sides? To date, it has primarily been the wireless operator that has been prepared to make investment to improve coverage by deploying base stations closer to the railway line. Unfortunately, the usual features of urban public transport systems are often the enemy of dependable wireless coverage. Operators face the challenge of providing wireless coverage in what amounts to high-speed Faraday
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cages, sometimes deep underground or running through many kilometres of tunnels. Even for trains above ground, perfect coverage along the track often does not translate to wireless connectivity inside the train. For cellular coverage, the main challenges are related to bringing the available mobile network signal along the track side into the train carriages themselves. Unfortunately, train structures, particularly the metallised windows of high-speed trains, can dramatically reduce wireless signal penetration into carriages. Even if mobile coverage is perfect on the track side, users inside the train often cannot be reached by an outside signal at all.
European railways One country that has taken the lead in developing wireless access on its rail networks is Switzerland. Swisscom, the country’s leading mobile operator, has been focused on driving significant investment in broadband train connectivity in partnership with the national rail provider. Switzerland was one of the first countries to deploy wireless services on board trains, which has, in turn, driven the appetite and usage figures of wireless connections. In Eastern Europe, rail companies are investing in WiMAX – a technology that is different to that used commercially but which has other benefits. In Germany and Italy, investment to date has primarily been on board the train and is driven by both wireless operators and rail
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz operators. Based on rail operators’ requirements, train manufacturers have recently started building new trains already equipped with on-board wireless systems. The track-side investment is still in the hands of the wireless operators. In Denmark, Sweden and Finland, investment is being driven by wireless operators. One project in the Nordics is Öresund-train service, a rail link between Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmo in Sweden. The link travels across the Öresund Bridge and through nearly 20 kilometres of tunnels. The complexity of providing wireless connectivity is heightened when taking into account that the joint inter-country train service is run in cooperation with seven train providers across Veolia Transportation (Sweden’s rail operator) and DSB Öresund (Denmark’s rail operator).
The need for cross-operator cooperation It’s clear that the technological challenges of providing wireless coverage to public transport systems can be overcome with current technology. Yet, despite this, wireless systems on trains are far from widespread. Many major metro systems around the world do not currently support wireless coverage across the whole network – perhaps most notably the London Underground (though the platforms do have Wi-Fi connectivity). While part of the problem has been a question of engineering, deciding who should actually pay for and install the system has been another. This is primarily a problem for underground deployments, since these are more expensive and present the greatest logistic difficulties. It is illogical for railway networks to opt for single operator-owned infrastructure as they must consider the implications of excluding a large number of their customers from being able to use the network. Similarly, host neutral systems deployed by third-parties can prove very expensive for operators and can make future network expansion a very complicated business.
The solution In addition to Wi-Fi connectivity, much of today’s coverage is based on 3G spectrum. However, with the launch of 4G networks, operators are now able to offer long term evolution (LTE), so by using the same amounts of sites along the track you can have significant improvements In capacity. There is also discussion around the growing use of multiple input multiple output (MIMO), which doubles the capacity you can get out of the spectrum. This technique is starting to be used in in-building projects. Early studies are looking to understand if this technology can be used for track side coverage. Trials in Hong Kong are looking at using two radiating cables inside the tunnel, running perpendicular to the train, as a good solution for tunnel coverage. The optimum solution is cooperation between a number
The ICE train of operators and stakeholders, who can share the costs of deployment across the three primary methods of improving coverage and/or capacity, namely improving the sites along the track, upgrading to 4G spectrum, and using new technologies like MIMO. If operators are able to directly cooperate, installations tend to happen more quickly, at lower costs and result in higher service quality at the end of the project. By sharing the network infrastructure deployed on public transport networks, carriers also share the costs, which can substantially reduce CapEx and OpEx. These savings can be then be used to subsidise further network improvements, expansion and next-generation deployments. Such multi-carrier models also mean that commuters can expect ubiquitous connectivity, whatever their network operator. However, this process of cooperation can be complex and require significant negotiation. For example, one operator might take the lead from a technical perspective, another might cover the initial CapEx investment, while still another might take on the burden of on-going OpEx. Nevertheless, the benefits are clear and such joint projects are becoming increasingly common. For example, we have installed in-train repeaters across a high speed rail network in Italy as part of a common project between Trenitalia and the Italian mobile network operators. Despite the hurdles of deploying public transport wireless coverage, the benefits are wide-ranging. Subscribers benefit from the ability to work or play on the move, operators can harness a new lucrative revenue stream and train operators can promote their networks over those of competitors by advertising their wireless connectivity. Given these advantages, there can be little doubt that those deploying wireless coverage are on the right track. zz
The Tung Chung line, Hong Kong
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InnoTrans preview
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz marketing machinery, procurement management, and for establishing and maintaining long-term business relations.
Innovation
InnoTrans 2014 Since its launch in 1996, InnoTrans has established an enviable position as the world’s leading international trade fare for the rail industry. Executive director, Matthias Steckmann, talks to Railway Strategies about this year’s event
Matthias Steckmann, executive director, InnoTrans
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n 23 September, InnoTrans 2014 will be opening in Berlin and celebrating its 10th anniversary, offering a larger than ever portfolio of products, information and services. “The secret of our success,” explained Matthias Steckmann, executive director of InnoTrans, “is that we offer a combination of trade fair, outdoor display, and a large supporting lecture and panel discussion programme – the InnoTrans Convention.” In the space of just four days, the event will mobilise the highest concentration of supply and demand in the entire global railway market, providing excellent opportunities for
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“Above all, the trade fair has always been innovative,” Mr Steckmann said, “continually improving the facilities and services it offers to exhibitors and trade visitors.” Mobility, for example, has become one of the defining aspects of the twenty-first century, and the foundation upon which freedom and wealth, social progress and prospering economies are built. Major global developments, such as climate change, dwindling resources, urbanisation and demographic change are influencing the future of mobility, and present the transport industry with big challenges. InnoTrans has responded to this need. “This year, the Future Mobility Park will be making its debut, providing a platform for presenting trendsetting, creative and visionary transportation concepts. For the first time ever, there will be a special gauge display on the completely bookedout outdoor display area, focusing on broad-gauge and narrow-gauge vehicles. In addition we are actively supporting careers and new talent – something which is of such importance for the industry – by introducing new guided tours for students.” More than 2,700 companies from 51 countries will be displaying products and services to over 100,000 trade visitors. “What is particularly noticeable is that most trade visitors to InnoTrans have decision-making competence,” Mr Steckmann continued. “Two years ago, the ratio of decision-makers relative to the overall number of visitors was around 73 per cent. We are assuming that we shall be welcoming a high proportion of decision-makers again this year too.”
InnoTrans as a partner InnoTrans has evolved and grown consistently through its 20 year history, and this growth trajectory reflects the close relationship it has built with those in the industry. It is a testament to the organisation’s ability to listen to and communicate closely with the organisations and individuals who are dealing with the challenges of a rapidly changing operational, technical and business environment. “The wishes, suggestions and needs of our exhibitors and trade visitors have absolute top priority,” Steckmann said. “We maintain close personal contacts to exhibiting companies, before, during and after the trade fair, pick up important tips and advice and are happy to implement suggestions and proposals. We also enjoy a lively permanent exchange with major industry and trade associations and their members. As a result, the trade fair remains in close touch with current trends in the industry.” This partnership with trade associations and industry bodies includes discussing the concepts, performance and content of the event, and other questions relating to it. “In addition to this, independent surveys and open feedback provide us with important and useful information relating to our exhibitors and visitors.”
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For the visitor l As the leading international trade fair for transportation technology, InnoTrans gives companies an ideal opportunity to position themselves on the market, introduce new products and to gain a foothold in new markets. For the visitor, it is a chance to network, examine and compare new products, and explore all that is new in the industry. And getting there couldn’t be easier, there are taxi ranks at each entrance and shuttle lines that operate between Messe Berlin and the city’s two airports, Tegel and Schönefeld. This year’s event is again organised into three pillars: the exhibition, the outdoor display, and the convention.
Exhibition
The exhibition is truly an international event, spreading over all 40 halls of this enormous venue. In addition to global players such as Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens, the halls will be packed with suppliers and rail companies from around the world, including more than 200 who will be exhibiting for the first time. There will also be 34 industrial associations from 19 countries. Indonesia will be represented for the first time, by PT. Len Railway Systems. Meanwhile exhibitors from Taiwan, Brazil and India will be occupying considerably larger display areas. Japan will again be taking up a hall of its own, and for the first time the German federal State of Saxony has also booked an entire hall. China will feature prominently on a combined stand organised by the China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS). According to Wei Liu, the director of CARS: “Around 20 of China’s leading suppliers will be taking part and are interested in doing successful business with the international rail industry. The main topics on the stand will be energy efficiency and protecting the environment.” The exhibition is organised into five dedicated sections. l Railway technology This broad focus area covers railway technology and encompasses everything from rail bound vehicles, subassemblies and components to services for vehicles. So it will include driving gears, energy/electrical engineering, couplings, brakes and so on.
l Interiors Within the interiors section will be found everything from finishings, lighting and glazing through to air conditioning systems, security, and travel catering and comfort services. l Railway infrastructure The railway infrastructure area will display products and services for everything concerned with infrastructure. This includes construction work, signaling and control systems, planning and monitoring of construction works, overhead line equipment and a whole range of other services. l Tunnel construction Everything for tunnel construction can be found in this section, including construction machinery, parts and components, safety features, finishings, communication, maintenance, consulting and more. l Public transport Finally, the public transport section features communication and information technologies, traffic management and data processing, passenger fare management, passenger information systems, fixed structures, services and consulting, and more.
Outdoor display
A major attraction and unique selling point of InnoTrans is the outdoor rail track display area, showcasing rail transport technology. Occupying 3,500 metres of rail track, this is where trade visitors can take a closer look at more than 100 innovations in rolling stock. These include high-speed trains, locomotives, wagons and road-rail vehicles as well as entire systems for local, regional and mainline railway networks. For the first time the fully booked outdoor display site will feature an additional special gauge display, where the focus is on wide and narrow-gauge rolling stock. Bringing rolling stock to the exhibition is a concept that dates back to the fair’s inception in 1996, when exhibits were displayed at the goods station in Wilmersdorf, eight kilometres away from the grounds. Messe Berlin then invested in its own rail track, so when the second InnoTrans opened in 1998 a railway loop stood ready to accommodate the rolling stock on the exhibition grounds. Since then, the site has grown to the size it occupies today. Chong Qing Chaotianmen Bridge, China
InnoTrans 23 - 26 September 2014 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Location Messe Berlin GmbH Messedamm 22 14055 Berlin
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InnoTrans preview
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The convention l The convention has become established as an international meeting place for top decision makers from business, political and transportation communities, and features high-profile panel discussions and expert talks on current and future mobility issues. l Dialog Forum A mainstay of the conventions is the Dialog Forum, organised by VDV (Association of German Transport Companies), DVF (German Transport Forum), UNIFE (Sssociation of the European Rail Industry) and VDB (German Railway Industry Association).
l The rail leaders’ summit This offers transport ministers and chief executives from international transport companies the opportunity to exchange ideas. The summit is organised by Deutsche Bahn AG and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in cooperation with Messe Berlin GmbH. l The international tunnel forum This forum accompanies the InnoTrans tunnel construction segment and includes a series of informative, international panel discussions. It is organised by STUVA (Research Association for Underground Transportation Facilities). l The public transport forum This focuses on the development of public transport systems – and is interested in your opinion. organised by PBV (Planungsbüro für Verkehr), ETC Transport Consultants GmbH and DVWG (German Association of Transport Sciences). l The PTI hall forum (public transport & interiors hall forum) combines two InnoTrans segments into a single program. While the international design forum focuses on the design-relevant aspects of public transport, the DB Suppliers’ Forum creates a direct dialogue between corporate purchasers of Deutsche Bahn AG, its suppliers and industry experts. l The InnoTrans majlis Named after the traditional form of gathering in the Middle East, the Majlis is where top representatives from the international business, political communities and industrial associations meet with dignitaries from the Gulf Arab States.
Convention Programme:
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Rail Leaders’ Summit 23 Sept 15:00-17:00
Hall 7.3 – Berlin Room Railways in a connected world
Dialog Forum 24 Sept 10:00-12:00 14:00-16:00 25 Sept 10:00 – 12:00 14:00-16:00 26 Sept 10:00-12:00
Palais am Funkturm Authorisation of rail vehicles Reduction of railway noise Services for modern rolling stock What is the value of public transport? ERTMS – Quo Vadis?
Public Transport Forum 25 Sept 10:00-12:30
CityCube Berlin – Level 3 Real-time data in public transport
International Tunnel Forum 24 Sept 14:00-16:00 25 Sept 14:00-16:00
Hall 7.3 – Berlin Room Maintenance and refurbishment Are new tunnels still financially viable?
PTI Hall Forum 24 Sept 10:30-16:30 25 Sept 10:00-16:00
Hall 6.1 International design forum DB Suppliers’ Forum
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.
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 11 September Who will build HS2? Institution of Civil Engineers, London Tel: 0207 036 8574 Email: anna.pett@transporttimes.co.uk Web: www.transporttimesevents.co.uk
29 September – 1 October European Transport Conference Frankfurt Organiser: Association for European Transport Email: http://aetransport.org/contact Web: http://etcproceedings.org/
27-28 November 2014 Annual Polis Conference Madrid Organiser: Polis Email: polispolisnetwork.eu Web: www.polisnetwork.eu
30 September – 2 October Future Transit Systems Summit MIRA Technology Park, Nuneaton Organiser: Future Transit Systems Tel: 01327 304 050 Email: claire@futuretransitsystems.co.uk Web: www.futuretransitsystems.co.uk
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
9 October Interoperability in Practice A workshop for the European railway industry Brussels Organiser: Hit Rail Email: info@hitrail.com Web: www.hitrail.com
21-25 September – 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics Berlin Organiser: International Geosynthetics Society Web: www.10icg-berlin.com
Date: 6 November Supply Chain Forum (Rail Sector) Building Centre, London Organiser: Rail Champions UK Email: victoria@rail-champions.com Web: www.supplychainforum2014. eventbrite.co.uk
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
12-13 November Rail Ticketing Europe, Brussels Organiser: Terrapinn Email: philip.kwok@terrapinn.com Web: www.terrapinn.com/conference/railticketing
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 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.co
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
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 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
6th November Vehicle acceptance and approvals Introduction to acceptance procedures which apply across the rail network
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 www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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KONE
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Elevated profile As a world-leading manufacturer of lifts and bespoke escalators, KONE holds an enviable position in the market place, with its services in continuous high demand, delivering some of the finest people movement solutions to the rail industry
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ONE is a global leader in the lift and escalator industry, committed to understanding the needs of its customers for over 100 years, providing industry-leading lifts, escalators and industrial and automatic building doors, as well as innovative solutions for modernisation and maintenance. With a vision to create the best people flow experience, its strategy is to deliver a performance edge to customers by creating the
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best user experience with innovative solutions. Working in line with its strategy the business continually strives to expand the understanding of its customers and their needs and has been involved in many significant projects across architectural landmarks in the UK. As a group, the business serves more than 400,000 customers across the globe, delivering maintenance contracts to many of these clients. Within the UK, the
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz business works closely with contractors, developers, architects, authorities and consultants who are key parties in the decision-making process regarding lifts and escalators. As urban areas continue to grow, concern for the environment increases and the cost of energy rises, buildings need to be more environmentally efficient to ensure a smooth flow of people. KONE is addressing these challenges through its eco-efficient solutions and services, and by making sure all operations are as environmentally efficient as possible. Lifts and escalators are among the safest modes of travel within buildings and KONE is actively involved in the development of codes and standards that aim to further improve the safety of the equipment, and additionally is active in its participation in industry trade associations, offering additional safety devices that exceed the minimum requirements. To ensure the safety of the KONE products and services is at its highest, rigorous attention is paid to the design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance processes, as well as the promotion of safe practices for employees, subcontractors, customers and the end users. Through its maintenance services, the company provides a solution to maximise the safety of equipment,
which involves much more than just conforming to local regulations. Modernisation programmes and contracts completed by the business keeps lifts, escalators and automatic doors running smoothly throughout the lifetime of the buildings in which they are installed. This effectively ensures that equipment works safely and reliably with minimum disruption. Such programmes of modernisation form a large part of KONE’s work with Transport for London on the London Underground. The order to fully replace 15 lifts and modernise a further four at six busy Underground stations was awarded in the last quarter of 2013 as part of the Tube improvement plan. The customised KONE MiniSpace lifts equipped with the EcoDisc hoisting machines carry up to 50 persons at a time from the street level to the station platform. At Bank station, KONE’s new lifts will carry over 4000 people per hour, meeting the demands imposed at
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peak times. All the lifts will be fitted with the KONE E-Link remote monitoring system to ensure high availability of the equipment. Commenting on the contract, Michael Williams, managing director reportedly said: “We have a longstanding relationship with the London Underground, and we are pleased to continue to improve the commuter
experience in the Tube. Modernising these lifts will increase their reliability and minimise disruption to commuters in one of the world’s busiest metro systems.” The first lift upgrade started at the Gloucester Road station in 2014, with the final lifts due to be installed at Lambeth North in 2017. The contract will also include the preventive maintenance of the equipment until 2034, and modernisation packages when the need for upgrades arise. KONE’s dedicated team currently maintains 150 escalators and 45 lifts, which accounts for a third of the London Underground’s equipment base. Adding to its busy schedule, over the past two years KONE has been actively working on a contract with Crossrail to supply lifts to eight new Crossrail stations under construction in central London. The new Crossrail stations will also provide interchanged connections with other transport services including London Underground, National Rail and Docklands Light Rail. The contract highlights the role the business plays in demanding public transport projects, enabling the smooth and safe people flow of the residents of the London metropolitan area. The lifts at the stations will be installed over a five-year period, which began in 2013 with the new rail line expected to be operational by 2018. The contract also includes maintenance of the lifts up until 2032 and modernisation as required. Most recently in 2014, KONE was chosen to supply and install 24 escalators for the redevelopment of London Bridge railway station, the fourth busiest station in the UK. The company was selected as the supplier for the station that brings in around 50 million passengers to the city each year on the back of its overall design solution which primarily focuses on people flow and eco-efficiency. The plans for modernising London Bridge station were unveiled in 2011 and KONE has been involved in the project from the start. With the goal of catering for more people and increased rail links, KONE’s 24 new TransitMaster 140 escalators will help ensure that all areas of the station can be quickly accessed and keep passengers moving in the station area throughout the day. Discussing the contract Michael added: “Our involvement in improving people flow in public transportation is a significant part of KONE’s offering and we’re immensely proud to be working on such a significant public project. Our team understands the importance of effective people flow in such a busy environment and has worked hard to ensure that our solutions satisfy the demands of the overall rail network.” The project forms part of a wider scheme funded by the ThamesLink programme to upgrade the rail network in the UK. As well as increasing the number of platforms at London Bridge and providing lifts and escalators for step-free access, there will also be improved links between the Tube and bus network, with completion of works expected in 2018. zz
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PoD-Trak
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Shaping up Over the past 12 months, Pod-Trak Ltd has grown substantially and with multiple contracts underway the company is busy shaping its own future
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od-Trak Ltd was first established in 2007 and continues to operate as a privately owned company specialising in the installation and maintenance of electrical systems to rail and tram infrastructure. Since its first day of trading, Pod-Trak has built upon its impressive reputation, and has grown steadily to become recognised as a multidisciplined provider with capabilities in civil engineering and permanent way works. Through is multi-faceted approach to serving the industry, the company has formed many strong and long-term relationships with clients who have come to rely on its enviable skill and knowledge base. “A lot of our new work is repeat business from previous clients which is testament to the high standard of works our team delivers. Over the past year we have made a conscious effort to promote our multi-disciplinary capability instead of focusing on one element of a project. We found a number of our clients were unaware of the range of services we offered and, as we began to push all of our capabilities, we secured more and more business from both existing and new sources,� says Paul
O’Donnell, managing director. The business provides rail engineering solutions, rail electrification, civil engineering and railway telecoms as part of a multi-faceted project or as a single delivery. All of its services are delivered by its expert in-house team of engineers. Driven by its clients needs to provide a one-stop shop solution the company has grown considerably over the last 12 months not just in reputation but also with the purchase of new equipment and employees.
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“In what have been extremely competitive and challenging market conditions the business has performed exceptionally well. We have increased turnover by 20 per cent and we are confident that rise will continue. Our civil engineering and rail electrification works have increased significantly with our involvement on projects at Gravesend, the Manchester Metrolink and maintenance and renewal works on the West Coast Mainline. Our ability to offer a multi-disciplinary service to our clients that is delivered by our in-house team and is flexible, cost-effective, reliable and ultimately completed to the highest possible standard has proved one of our strengths. We have a ‘can-do’ attitude to all the works we undertake and pride ourselves on our outstanding reputation for safety and successful delivery,” Paul points out. Reinvestment into the company forms a large part of its policy, and the past few months have been no exception. “As a business, we are constantly looking
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at ways we can expand and improve. We have invested more than £750,000 on new plant to be able to deliver all of our projects in-house, reducing costs for our clients. Over the last year we have also upgraded our fleet and introduced more eco-friendly vehicles. We have also invested in growing our presence across the country, with new offices in London, upgraded existing offices in Manchester as well as opening a small office in Doncaster,” explains Paul. Through the growing reputation, it has ultimately attracted larger contracts each year, and in recognition, the management has made continuous efforts to attract the right personnel, offering rewards and training schemes for future talent, as Paul explains: “Last year we recruited a new HSQE Manager to identify new training schemes to allow our existing staff and new staff to develop their skills and expertise and have bolstered this position with the recent recruitment of another HSQE Manager who will implement, monitor and improve existing policies
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and initiatives. Over the last 12 months we have made a conscious effort to implement our apprenticeship scheme with several OLE apprentices based in Manchester and the first of five apprentices already placed in our ETE/ETM Department in London. We will continue to expand on this initial scheme by concentrating on training apprentices in all of the services we provide, especially in electrification, engineering and permanent way.” The contracts Pod-Trak has been working on include Heathrow Express Civils, which involved £300k Portal compound improvements, tunnel escape signage upgrade and drainage works at T5. Over 2000 no. signs were installed over 12 weeks of mid-week possessions spanning 24km of Heathrow Express infrastructure. It also worked on the Gravesend P-Way, providing safety critical, civils support & ETE. This £1m+ package consisted of third rail and cabling modifications, hookswitch installations, advance plate connections, flood and side entry ramps as well as providing the engineering and resources required to carry out the remodelling of the P-Way, such as slewing existing track, installing new mainline and a berthing road. Further support to Spencer included full safety critical supply of ES, COSS and crane
controller disciplines and resources to bolster the civils packages of platform re-modelling and lift shaft brickwork. These works were carried out over several months of enabling works, Christmas blockade and follow-up possessions in the New Year. “We are also very busy with contracts such as CP4 OLE works for maintenance and renewal on the West Coast Mainline between Rugby and London Euston, the installation of OLE on the continued expansion of the Manchester Metrolink to Manchester Airport, and civil engineering works across the entire network to enable our client to install their Tram Management System (TMS),” said Paul. The rail industry is at present undergoing a period of electrification, expected to continue over the next five to ten years. In 2014 the company was approved by Network Rail to deliver OLE Competence (OLEC) training, a standard, which is being rolled out throughout the industry for all sites where overhead lines are present. Explaining the importance of this, Paul says: “Being approved by Network Rail has meant we are now at the forefront of the OLE industry. This will hopefully lead to us becoming the go-to company for OLE works. There is a massive shortage of trained linesmen across the country so we have had to be very proactive in our efforts to train and develop our in-house team as well as employ apprentices. We have always held the philosophy of training our existing team and employing new staff to follow in their footsteps and we are now in an extremely strong position to be able to offer experienced linesmen to deliver our works.” Through the growth of rail electrification and the development of rail depots, over the last three months the business has delivered a number of depot projects and expects associated works to continue to expand with existing clients as their own business continues to grow. Looking towards the future, Paul concludes: “Our goal for the company over the next five years is to continue to grow steadily while maintaining our core values. We want to become the go-to second tier supplier in the industry and we are confident our work to grow our presence across the country will help us achieve that. While having a vision for the overall business, we are also determined to expand and promote our apprenticeship scheme to ensure we maintain the resources needed to deliver our works.” zz
www.pod-trak.com
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Banedanmark
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A collaborative approach As the infrastructure owner of almost all railways in Denmark, state-owned firm Banedanmark is midway through a 2.5 billion euro signalling renewal programme that is due for completion in 2021
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ocused on control and communication, the highly ambitious modernisation programme aims to completely overhaul and replace the signalling system across the entire Danish rail network, while also providing the opportunity for the Danish signalling system to adhere with European Union directives through the implementation of European Rail Traffic Management System (ECTS) for in-cab control and GSM-R mobile communication. Since the announcement of the programme by the Danish parliament in 2009, the major overhaul and replacement project has progressed rapidly, with four main contracts for four main packages. Speaking to Railway Strategies magazine in February 2013, Morten Søndergaard, signalling programme
director at Banedanmark discussed the contracts: “We signed a contract with Siemens for the roll out of a full communications based train control (CBTC) signalling system on the 170-kilometre S-bane. Then in January 2012 we agreed a contract with Alstom to fit an ERTMS/ ETCS solution as well as all other signalling components to the mainline infrastructure of east Denmark, and a second contract with the Thales and Balfour Beatty Rail consortium to do the same thing in the west of the country. Finally, we signed another contract with Alstom for delivery of all the onboard equipment for the mainline trains. In addition, there are a number of other supporting contracts in place including provision of the GSM-R network, which was awarded to Nokia/Siemens.�
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Since then, the company has strived to successfully develop a synergetic approach to working with its suppliers, which has resulted in collaboration agreement that outlines how each organisation wants to work together. Despite being a wholly new approach to taking on projects, the agreement has enabled both companies involved in each area of the programme to fully comprehend the exact requirements at all times. Furthermore, the co-ordination with its four preferred partners has led to the establishment of a shared facility, which includes representatives from Siemens, Alstom,
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Thales and Banedanmark’s own project staff. With all tracks on the entire system now replaced, Banedanmark is impressed with the works that have been carried out thus far; discussing recent developments Morten notes: “The project is continuing as planned with Siemens renewing a full Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system; all of the signalling equipment has been installed on the first part of the line, which has resulted in a few teething problems as the new system meets the old. The trains have been fitted with CBTC equipment, while the old equipment has also been kept onboard, so when the driver is on the old system he operates as normal, but once at the new system there is a cut-over at the station where there is a ten second switch over to the new system as it goes from idle to live at the press of a button. Siemens have been ingenious with utilising a modern LCD screen that can mimic the old screen while also operating as a new screen. Approximately 50 trains have been fitted with the system and we are now training the trainers of the drivers as a new set of rules have been approved by authorities in line with these developments. We now need to go through a phase of correcting the safety approvals and complete all tests with the aim of opening by the end of 2014.� With all signalling on the Copenhagen S-bane with CBTC due for completion by 2018, the next plan to come to fruition is the complete electrification of the whole network. So far five pre-qualified suppliers have been shortlisted and the winning bidder is due to be announced in the first quarter of 2015. The nine non-electrified railway
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sections to be covered in the contract include EsbjergLunderskov, Fredericia – Fredrikshavn, and Ringsted - Fermern Belt. Covering 1330 km of railway, these sections will almost double the amount of km of railway with a catenary system in Denmark. Meanwhile, Alstom has been busy developing a unique new traffic scheduler – a Nationwide Traffic Management Central Control System – that will optimise the whole network at the same time, as Morten highlights: “The state-of-the-art system will be able calculate the total timetable in the country, so if a train is delayed it calculates what this means for the network and comes up with options on how to handle these delays. It can recalculate the whole timetable and is a completely new system to be introduced to the railway industry.” Moving forward, Banedanmark will remain focused on its mission to continually enhance the country’s infrastructure over the next six years, as Morten concludes: “We have no doubt we will get there; technology wise this project can be done, but because of the many interfaces involved there are challenges ahead.” zz
www.uk.bane.dk
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Derby Engineering Unit
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Making connections For close to a decade the Derby Engineering Unit has worked to develop a first-class reputation for delivering engineering solutions and has grown from a small start-up business to a £10 million venture
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ollowing the closure of the Engineering Development Unit (EDU) during 1996, the board of what would become the Derby Engineering Unit (DEU) realised that the EDU had been comprised of engineers and staff with highly valued engineering knowledge. Rather than see this highly valuable experience lost, the decision was taken to seize the opportunity to start a new venture that would retain the former EDU staff and continue to serve the rail industry. Based in the Midlands, DEU currently serves clients throughout the UK and has delivered services to clients from Laira in Plymouth through to customers in Craigentinny in Edinburgh.
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Throughout its history DEU has specialised in the refurbishment and updating of rolling stock. The company operates exclusively within the rail industry but has provided services to light rail and trams, which it considers to be rolling stock and therefore part of the wider rail network. With a firm base of experience and a core of highly knowledgeable engineering staff, DEU is proud to consider itself as a ‘problem solver’ and is on hand to provide bespoke solutions that address the challenges of maintaining the UK’s varied fleet of rolling stock. Often it can be a challenge to provide a solution that can be readily deployed an entire fleet of vehicles due to slight variations in design. To combat this DEU delivers
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz fully tailored services for everything from furnishings to electronics and provides clients with a fixed point price package to safeguard against hidden costs, as mechanical director Peter Albon explained when DEU was last featured in Railway Strategies during December 2013: “A lot of other companies will survey a vehicle and develop a design based on that one vehicle. What can happen is that when it comes to fitting the design to the fleet there are variations that end up costing the client money. We look at the problem to start with and offer a single quote and that’s what it is. It’s fixed price work.” While the bespoke solutions implemented by DEU are driven by its comprehensive in-house design and engineering capabilities, the company is also able to call on close relationships with independent engineering, design and consultancy firms such as dg8, Interfleet and Atkins, as well as the in-house design teams of its clients. With such a breadth of engineering capability at its disposal, DEU is able to offer a prototype service where innovative design solutions are required to service the customer’s needs. “On occasion we deal with customers who have problems but don’t know the best solution,” says Peter. “We will give them a solution, sometimes several, and let them try it. So we make a one-off kit for
customers to trial and test and if one is selected they will come back to us. Part of this is that we do not pick and choose and say that if we provide the prototype that we must do the whole fleet or supply all of the components. We can just offer the prototype and design service if that is what the customer requires. I think the business is generally very customer focused.” Furthermore the company works with trusted subcontractors to deliver services that are not executed in-house, such as painting and metal finishing to ensure that a full service-package
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Derby Engineering Unit can be offered to clients at all times. As well as working with many of the UK’s leading rail operators such as Network Rail, Scotrail and East Midlands Trains, DEU is also currently engaged in a cab reface service for Eurostar. “This work is being done across the water in France and what we are supplying are cab refurbishment kits,” Peter says. “These are produced on site at our facility and boxed up before being sent to France for engineers to install. “We probably expect this project to last for around two years. We are working closely with Unipart Rail on this project as they are supplying some further materials for the project. They are taking care of shipping the finished kit, so we are shipping to Unipart and they are enhancing our kits with further materials before sending them on.” Since 2013 DEU has continued to embark on expanding its services package by moving into the installation of Wi-Fi packages for several clients around the UK as the demand for this service becomes greatly increased. “Recently for the first time customer surveys have put Wi-Fi as their primary concern, over anything else on a vehicle,” Peter elaborates. Surveys carried out in January showed that Wi-Fi was more important to
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz passengers than a seat or being on time. This tends to be more important to business passengers who can use the time on the train to work rather than travel by car and essentially lose the time as dead time.” To date DEU has completed an extensive Wi-Fi install programme for Scotrail, including installations across its full 170, 380 and 158 fleet of vehicles. Following the success of this project DEU has recently embarked on a similar undertaking for Great Western, which has benefited from specialist design experience utilised
Pugh & Sanders Pugh & Sanders specialises in ultra-efficient stock replenishment systems, offering a complete range of over 15,000 industrial fasteners and fixings. The company has a wealth of experience in the rail industry, particularly the support of maintenance repair overhaul facilities, across of a variety of usages in rolling stock, power train, and track refurbishment. With its own fleet of vehicles, and providing same and next-day delivery nationwide, its relationship with Derby Engineering has gone from strength-to-strength. It now makes multiple deliveries to them on a weekly basis, supplying them over 1,600 types of industrial fasteners.
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www.derbyengineeringunit.co.uk by DEU. “What is interesting about the Great Western project is that they have combined the Wi-Fi jumper with the central door locking jumpers, so we have removed the old central door locking (CDL) central connection box from underneath the vehicle and what they now use is a single jumper that has Ethernet and CDL running through it,” Peter details. “Over the years Great Western has had a number of issues with water ingress into the CDL terminal box that is mounted beneath the underside of the vehicle. So what we hope to achieve through intricate design and development with LPA is to remove that element of risk.” Furthermore, in addition to successful Scotrail Wi-Fi installations and the commencement of installations on First Great Western’s sleeper and HST Fleet, The Derby Engineering Unit has completed upgrade work for Heathrow Express and East Midlands Trains and is close to completing the fleet installation to South West Trains Class 444 units, which has consisted of a total of 45 fivecar units and is scheduled to finish mid-September. The project has taken approximately 16 weeks and has been undertaken at the Fratton Depot in Portsmouth. Derby Engineering Unit has continued to progress strongly in recent times despite increased competition from companies entering into the railway sector and the complexities of entering the relatively uncertain Wi-Fi installation market. As the company transitions through the rest of 2014 it will seek to ensure that it continues to champion its market-leading expertise and also make plans to enter the European Wi-Fi installation market in the future as the UK continues to pioneer the use of a stable internet connection aboard its trains. zz
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Morris Line Engineering
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Bright sparks As the influx of rail electrification projects continues, industry leader Morris Line Engineering is staying ahead of the competition by taking on new employees and launching new products
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ince its establishment in 1976, Morris Line Engineering (MLE) has been one of the pioneers of electrical equipment provision for railway systems, developing its range of manual and motorised high voltage and current isolators over the years. These products can be fitted with porcelain or polymeric insulators, as well as a silicone rubber insulators and a multitude of auxiliary equipment. Considered by many to be unrivalled when it comes to isolators for railway electrification, the designer and manufacturer of high voltage connectors and switches has also seen its equipment installed in the electricity and oil & gas industries. Active in the UK and Ireland, the company also exports extensively to Africa, the Far East and the Middle East, where it opened a manufacturing facility in September 2012. Based in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (JAFZA), in close proximity to Dubai, the assembly plant has proven to be an invaluable investment for MLE, as it enables the firm to assemble high voltage disconnectors and switches for railway electrification, petrochemical and electricity distribution companies that are spread across the Gulf Co-operation Council region. “The factory has allowed business in the region to grow further due to reduced lead times and easier transport links to the local markets,” explains sales director Nigel Jones. Committed to an ongoing improvement plan, MLE has continued its focus on quality since it was last featured in Railway Strategies magazine in July 2013, as Nigel discusses: “Over the last 12 months, Morris Line Engineering’s Dubai facility has achieved the international
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quality standard ISO 9001:2008 following in-depth assessment of its quality management processes and procedures. Staff from both the Dubai and Bridgend teams at MLE worked tirelessly to ensure that the new factory’s quality management system complies with the standard that has been held by our UK manufacturing premises for several years.” Generating a multi-million pound turnover year-onyear, the market-leading firm highlighted the significant increase in the size of orders from customers when last featured in Railway Strategies. To meet this continued demand throughout 2014, MLE has not only resourced new manpower, but also made plans to increase the size of its factory to accommodate further growth. “Since the introduction of MLE’s redesigned 25kV, 1250A isolator for trackside applications in 2001 it has seen a dramatic increase in demand for its equipment by rail contractors. Now, with the large-scale electrification of Britain’s railways underway, demand has never been higher and the company is seeing an ever-growing portion of its business coming from rail customers. As well as growth in employment, the increased demand for MLE’s high quality equipment has provided the impetus to extend the company’s South Wales manufacturing facility as well as opening an assembly plant in Dubai. The manufacturing capacity has never been greater,” enthuses Nigel. With the R&D department operating at full capacity in 2013, the company has continued its tradition for innovation by adding to its product portfolio with new technologies and solutions. More recent products include a new fixed earthing device (FED) and a vacuum bottle
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load break switch. “In 2012 The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) issued new guidelines for isolating & earthing of the 25kV network, they have also issued a directive on the use of FEDs, or Fixed Earthing Devices. These are switches that can be operated to earth the overhead line once the traction power has been disconnected and isolated. This allows the overhead line to be easily earthed for safety and maintenance purposes from convenient locations along the route, the spacing of these units may vary due to the ergonomics of each project and is at present not fixed. “In addition to the safety factor there is a dedicated drive to reduce maintenance periods, especially at night, as a motorised FED can be operated in seconds by simply pressing a button and waiting for an indication lamp. A FED can also be manually operated using an operating handle at the location of the FED; again this operation is far quicker and easier than using portable earth leads,” explains Nigel. Qualified as a registered supplier to Network Rail, the company has supplied 25kV isolators to the British rail network for more than 30 years and has delivered its equipment to Balfour Beatty Rail Projects, Keltbray Aspire, VolkerRail and SPL Powerlines UK in recent years. Upcoming projects for the highly productive firm include the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), the Rutherglen and Coatbridge Extension (RaCE) project and Crossrail. “The projects will be supplied with a range of manual and motorised 2-position, 3-position and twin 3-position isolators and also with the newly developed FED, complete with motor operated mechanisms,” says Nigel. MLE’s profile and reputation within the rail sector is destined to soar across the globe as contractors electrifying the UK rail networks use an increased amount of equipment and the GCC region also introduces
electrification to its railways. To keep up with demand, MLE aims to launch a number of new and innovative products, while also developing its services as a a provider of turnkey solutions, as Nigel concludes: “Over the last two years we have been researching and designing a number of new and innovative products of which FED’s are only the first to be used. We are also working with a number of engineers on bespoke projects and turnkey services where we design, manufacture, install, test and commission complete packages from HV switchgear to LV control panels all manufactured in-house.” zz
www.morrisline.co.uk
One brand, many industries
H-SERIES Helical gear reducers
B-SERIES Bevel helical gear reducers
MOTOVARIO LTD. Rushock Trading Estate, Droitwich, Worc’s, WR9 0NR, UK Tel: +44 1299 250859 Fax: +44 1299 251493 uk@motovario-group.com www.motovario-group.com
S-SERIES Shaft mounted gear reducers
We are proud to support Morris Line and wish them continued success for the future
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ZECK
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Pioneering approach ZECK is a German pioneer among the manufacturers of high-quality special purpose machines for line construction
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ow being run by the third generation of the family that founded it, ZECK today develops and produces machines and accessories for the construction and maintenance of overhead transmission lines, catenaries, antennas and underground cables. The company was established in 1918, when it specialised in the manufacture, repair & trade of agricultural machines. The development of special purpose machines for overhead line construction began in 1966, and a real technical breakthrough occurred in 1973, with the development of the world’s first puller-tensioner combination machine. Today the company is the market leader in this market segment. The start of machine manufacturing for catenary construction in 1996 was another pioneering step that positively influenced the history of the company, and finally, 2005 marked a further high point for ZECK, when its line car LF923 was awarded the Bavarian State Prize. This prize is only awarded to Bavarian companies that show extensive, organisationally broadening, quality assurance concepts and innovative solutions. The prize also represents a high standard of success, giving winners a competitive advantage and a unique selling point as well. Thanks to the business principles that enabled it to win this prize and also a tireless drive to improve details through close collaboration with its customers worldwide, ZECK has established an unrivalled reputation in the market. As a result of continuous innovations and a technological lead in the development process, ZECK’s machines enjoy an international leading position in terms of reliability, technology, efficiency and safety. But it is not just the machines that have an exceptional lifespan. ZECK also prides itself on creating long-term business relationships, and these are enhanced by every successful implementation of a machine, the overall reliability of the technology, and the fulfilment of each individual customer’s wishes.
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The international element of ZECK’s business is one area of which it is very proud. Currently ZECK is in action in 87 countries all over the world with more than 5000 machines and pieces of equipment. ZECK special purpose machines and are implemented by nearly all overhead line and antenna construction companies and a multitude of power supply companies. The company’s tireless drive to improve details in close contact with these global customers has also helped ZECK establish a good reputation with all other manufacturers of special purpose machines. The areas in which ZECK today specialises are: overhead transmission line construction, antenna construction, accessories, special purpose machines and the design, manufacture, and operation of specialist vehicles for the installation and repair of rail track power supplies (catenary installation units and machines). These last products have been very successful for ZECK and thanks to the flexibility of its modular construction system it is able design machines according to customer requirements. The working relationships that were referred to previously are also of value here, as the company’s close co-operation with renowned catenary installation companies and contact wire manufacturers helps to continuously improve the units and increase their efficiency, as well as helping to adapt the technology to new requirements. By working together with co-operation partners, ZECK is in a position to offer complete units – including traction unit (rail vehicles, rail-road-trucks), wagon units, loading cranes, working platforms and so forth. These units can be adapted to a customer’s needs, so for example, on a catenary unit, different installation forces can be pre-set on the contact wire and the suspension wire. Then the proven ZECK electronic control system guarantees that the desired forces are maintained with a high precision
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during the entire installation process. Simultaneously with the installation of the new catenary one or several old wires can be wound on special dismountable reels, and individually controllable guiding units for the contact wire and suspension wire permit safe and efficient work. An optional loading crane can be used to load and unload the drums, and it is this overall combination of innovative technological solutions that has enabled ZECK units to be involved in the construction of impressive large-scale projects worldwide, such as ICE projects in Spain, China and the Netherlands, and a high speed project in Taiwan. Having now been in business for almost a century, ZECK has learned to adapt to changing markets and customer requirements, acquired the knowledge required to stay ahead of the market, and the insight to know what might be approaching in the future. As the last months of 2014 approach, the business is focusing on new developments in Europe & the UK, Saudi Arabia and in Canada, where it sees great potential for its catenary machines.
Indeed, in order to focus on major catenary installation projects the company has entirely restructured its sales and marketing activities. It is currently involved in large tenders in the UK, Germany, India and other countries, and this will be the basis for the future development of catenary installation units by ZECK. zz
www.zeck-gmbh.com
SEMPERIT AG Semperit relies on over 80 years of experience in manufacturing rubber products for ropeways where it holds the absolute top position for rubber linings in cableway applications worldwide. The company provides profiles with high quality long lasting compounds, manufactured with perfectly uniform material structures and precise profile dimensions. Semperit offers rubber profiles in any shape possible, large and small formats, tailored to the customer design and needs. For the demanding application on company ZECK’s bull wheels Semperit developed a specific compound in co-operation with ZECK GmbH precisely meeting the high standards for the application as lining profile on their machinery.
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Fourway Communication
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Open networking Fourway has been an established brand since 1949 and today represents a leading name in the provision of turnkey telecoms and associated projects within the rail industry King’s Cross Southern Square
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ith a long established history of operating within the railway industry, Fourway Communication has grown from a division of the Fourway Group, which originally developed special purpose automated machinery for the manufacturing industry. Today communication and telecom systems represent the core of the brand’s business, which has led to Fourway Communication becoming the primary interest of the business. Although telecoms remains a relatively niche sector within the rail industry, Fourway Communication counts some of the UK’s leading businesses amongst its customers including, Network Rail and Transport for London. Furthermore, the firm maintains contracts with train operating companies and a host of contractors from building, signalling and mechanical to electrical disciplines. When the company was last featured in Railway
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Strategies magazine (RS), Fourway Communication’s operations director, Charles Codrington commented on how the firm’s broad service portfolio had enabled it to earn its place as a buoyant and trusted partner within the railway industry. Indeed, the company has gradually expanded its service offering to cover all telecoms disciplines from retail SSIS communications to trackside operational infrastructure. Within this Fourway Communication is able to deliver a full spectrum of systems including voice alarm/public address, CCTV, customer information, passenger help points, lineside telephony and radio. Further to this core business, Fourway Communication has continued to expand in other support areas, which has helped the company remain successful in the present market, as Charles elaborates: “We have been more fortunate than others around us in that we have a
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New Stratford Upon Avon Parkway Station
Silwood Sidings lit up
relatively buoyant order book, which is enabling us to continue to expand, all be it cautiously. We are well aware of the perils of a slow down in demand and what that can bring, but at the moment things are looking positive. “This is largely down to our expanding range of services,” he continues. “We have always carried out some mechanical and electrical works next to our core business, which is focused on telecoms but we have built on that and now offer a mechanical and electrical facility that can take on much larger projects. I would say that this has opened up a lot of new opportunities for us, so from that side of things the market hasn’t been too bad to us.” Although its broad service portfolio is technically impressive, it is the company’s ability to offer turnkey solutions running from consultancy and development through to construction and installation that differentiate Fourway Communication from other businesses in the market. “We offer a full design, build and commissioning service but unusually, compared to other businesses, we offer this from the early concept stage of the project and we will get involved directly with the client to help them understand how best deliver the work,” Charles explains. “That doesn’t happen often, most other companies will come to a project and simply ask what needs to be built, but as we have the consultancy side as well we like to get involved and help the customer understand what could perhaps be better and more efficient ways to deliver a project. This covers our services now from mechanical, electrical, public health, fire and communications. Also at the consultancy side we offer a project management division that will co-ordinate all of the
services on a project.” Through its delivery of a comprehensive package of telecoms systems and turnkey solutions throughout the rail sector, Fourway Communication has placed itself at the forefront of the development of the industry’s networking infrastructure and in the development of several innovative components. Firsts that it has delivered to the industry include specialist DOO CCTV modelling software, the championing of intelligent speakers for stations and IP cameras. However while technical innovations naturally
London Bridge
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Fourway Communication
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New Pudding Mill Lane Station
benefit the end user by increasing the quality of the system and ultimately bringing prices down, increasingly the greatest innovation comes from managing how projects are undertaken as Charles reiterates: “Today innovation is focused more on how we deliver a project and looking at different ways of doing things. This could
be by doing projects in a different sequence, for example and we certainly look at this when we are involved in the migration of old infrastructure into updated infrastructure. During a major station redevelopment, work may involve knocking half of the old station down and this will naturally have an impact on all of the station’s systems including its telecoms. An important part of the project is deciding how to keep the old station running, this could be achieved through moving the communications equipment around and protecting it while work goes ahead, but there are perhaps smarter ways of doing this. One way is by installing all of the new control equipment early on and running the old station off it, which is essentially doing it the wrong way round – normally you would expect to bring in new equipment at the last minute. It is a new way of doing things and we make sure that this type of planning is done far ahead of commencing the project.” Although the rail industry is currently buoyant, it is also by nature highly critical and volatile in the face of changing franchises and government initiatives. Although this can make the market difficult to predict, Fourway Communication has forged a strong position from where it can deliver a highly specialised and unique service offering that will make it a vital partner for many years to come. zz
www.fourway.co.uk Electroustic Specialising in providing industrial connectivity solutions, Electroustic have been working with Fourway Communication for the past year. Electroustic is currently involved in their London Overground project to improve capacity. Part of the project is the integration of the existing security and communication systems into the existing set-up. A number of Hirschmann network switches, transceivers and power supplies are being used to ensure the smooth transition of this integration and to ensure total reliability.
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Hillmoore Fire Protection
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Cannon Street project, for which Hillmoore won the Fire Excellence Award in 2011
Burning ambition Hillmoore Fire Protection Ltd is a specialist in the design, supply and installation of all passive fire protection systems
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ts range of expertise covers fire stopping, structural steel fire protection, fire doors (new and refurbishment of existing), fire rated hoardings, fire-smoke and acoustic barriers and fire surveys, and as Keith Hillier, managing director, stated, the company also specialises in solving problems. “These can be technical or logistical,” he said, “and as we are approved contractors for all of the major manufacturers and offer the most technically and economically viable products for each specific installation, we can find a solution to any challenge.” He added: “Size of project also isn’t an issue – for example our current projects range from £500 up to £600k. The largest contract we have successfully undertaken was £1.25m, carried out within a three month programme period.” Cliff Spruce is the sales director at Hillmoore and he highlighted that the company can also draw on years of
experience in the market: “The two principle technical based directors have been involved within the fire protection industry for an accumulated 60 years and have seen major changes in the considerations given to differing elements of fire protection,” he said. “There have been some key changes in that time, so for example 30 to 40 years ago, structural steel fire protection was the major element of the industry whereas now, more emphasis is given to the compartmentation of buildings, be it fire walls, doors and general fire stopping. “Nowadays our clients are increasingly requiring us to provide documentation and photographic evidence of the work we have undertaken, and as a result our site procedures ensure that all work is recorded, using technological solutions where possible.” Another change in the market is the necessity for the right certifications. As Keith noted, Hillmoore is one of
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Intumescent painting to steel beams (A&B)
A Royal Berks Hospital - General Fire stopping
London Underground’s (LU) principle contractors, but the right accreditation to work with LU is essential. “Over the years we have built a reputation with LU of always carrying out our work to the highest quality, within programme, and within agreed budgets,” he said. “But it is still very much a requirement for all fire protection works on LU to be carried out by a third party certified company. We are accredited by a very well respected independent third party certifier scheme for passive fire protection installation in the United Kingdom, called FIRAS. FIRAS was originally developed between Warrington Fire Research Station and the Association of Specialist Fire Protection – ASFP - of which Hillmoore are an active Council member.” It is thanks to this overall dedication to quality that Hillmoore is continually awarded high value contracts. For example, it has recently been announced in the press that Hillmoore Fire Protection has been awarded a contract under London Underground’s Station Stabilisation Programme (SSP) following an extensive pre-qualification and tendering exercise.
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These works cover the upgrade of over 70 stations and introduces a major change to the delivery method of such projects, by contracting directly with contractors who supply the craftsmen at the workface. Through forward planning, previously agreed contracts, design and trade liaison and a ‘One Team’ alliance protocol, London Underground are hoping to reduce costs through improved efficiency on site and a ‘right first time’ approach. The STAKE delivery model used on SSP entails engaging with the SME contractors who actually do the work on-site; Simplified contract arrangements with LU taking the majority of the risk; Having competent and capable resources; Giving a long-term commitment to suppliers; Creating a ‘one team’ approach; and ‘Production leads, everything else enables’. The first stations on SSP are underway, along with the contracts to support the Programme over the next six years. Added Cliff: “Hillmoore are very excited to be a part of this project, and hope that it may demonstrate a forward
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thinking change for the construction industry - highlighting the importance of using qualified and experienced specialist contractors and driving efficiency through early involvement.” All of the projects underway at Hillmoore will greatly benefit from the company’s approach to staff – it is one of the very few companies in this industry that directly employs its workforce. “This means we have far more control over the quality of work carried out, and we are able to place operatives with the right skills in the right place for each specific project,” explained Cliff. Having established itself as a leading player in the passive fire protection systems market, Hillmoore is keen
Ace Sections Ltd Ace Sections Ltd is a section rolling company specialising in the supply of steel framing equipment to the fire protection industry and is pleased to support Hillmoore Fire Protection Ltd on their many projects. With a large stock of standard components Ace Sections Ltd can usually deliver into stores or site the next day. Working with the Hillmoore engineers nonstandard items can be designed and made in the Ace Sections factory for rapid installation.
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to maintain sensible, steady growth. Keith concluded with some thoughts on how the future may develop for the organisation: “The intention is to grow at a reasonable pace without over stretching the company’s capabilities or resources, ensuring we provide a quality service within budget and ‘on time’,” he stated. “Being a ‘Link Up’ qualified installer, we would like to generate more business from the ‘above ground’ opportunities with Network Rail, and we are also looking to expand our work in the areas of the power industry and the protection of tunnels.” zz
www.hillmoorefire.co.uk
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Delatim
Design, construction, M&E and communication contractors Delatim Ltd has used its 16 years of experience within the rail industry to become a trusted service provider to customers such as Network Rail and TFL
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ounded in 1998, London based Delatim has developed its construction and building services over the years to become one of the leading design, build and maintenance companies in the South East. Striving for optimum client satisfaction through the best value design, construction, M&E and communication solutions, the company is committed to delivering a workforce that goes above and beyond, as managing director James Delahunt discusses: “We have a competent and dedicated workforce of around 40 office staff and 150 engineers; from our designers to our engineers, all employees believe client satisfaction is paramount when completing a job. We work with our clients to ensure that any operations completed by our engineers fully meet or exceed their expectations. With a motivated workforce such as ours, the standard we deliver ensures we continue to lead the way.” Indeed, this commitment to quality and customer satisfaction can easily be proven with a look at Delatim’s impressive portfolio of completed projects and broad range of customers such as Atkins Rail, Skanska, DLR, London Underground, TFL, Serco and Tube Lines. Elaborating further on the ISO 9001:2008, ISO14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 HSQE accredited company’s strengths, James states: “Delatim strives to create a positive and safe workplace to maximise safety, motivation, happiness and productivity in its workers. This is why we launched a safety behaviour campaign, which is aimed at eliminating injuries in the workplace. Key to the campaign is encouraging staff to think differently about the actions they take in the interest of our workers and the client.”
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With experience of carrying out works within stations, tunnels and depots, the company’s vast skill set means it can provide services such as design works, including 3D modelling, telecoms and security, such as CCTV, PA, PHP and Radio; M&E, which includes LV lighting, small power, UPS, heating, ventilation and plumbing, as well as construction work and surveys for trackside gauging, testing and inspections. “As a multi-disciplined company we see plenty of opportunity to partner up with our clients and offer turnkey solutions that will result in cost benefits,” says James. Proving its reputation as an innovative and collaborative solutions provider, Delatim was among 20 contractors and three multi-discipline design firms selected by London Underground to work together on the upgrade and modernisation of 70 stations. The £330 million project will include the enhancement of flooring, walls and ceilings, as well as energy-efficient lighting and the instalment of CCTV systems on stations such as Embankment, Paddington, South Kensington, Earls Court and Charing Cross. Other notable contracts that the company has been awarded include the Tube Lines Mechanical, Electrical and Fire 5 Year Framework Agreement (MEF), which involves the installation of new mechanical, fire and electrical equipment on the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Northern Line Infrastructure. It has also been appointed as principle contractor at Tower Hill Station for the First Phase of the Step Free Access Project, as M&E director Nigel Marron highlights: “We have been carrying out design, premises, electrical, fire and mechanical activities in order to enable the station systems to be relocated for the installation of a new lift facility. Delatim also designed and installed
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a specialist 60 minute fire rating hoardings to allow the developer to commence with the construction of the hotel above the station without interfacing with the LU station.” The construction side of Delatim is headed up by Director Dan Spratling who has recently worked with London Underground to install retail units at Kings Cross, Stratford, North Greenwich, Cannon Street, Waterloo and Blackfriars. As well as the retail units the construction side has been involved in delivering multi-million pound design and build projects which have been delivered efficiently and to high standards giving the client value of money. Aware that diversity is key to ongoing success in a demanding and technologically challenging market, the company regularly works with AMS Acoustics, a specialist consultant, on acoustic modelling projects for public address systems, as security and communications director Greg Moore notes: “We have a strong communications design team that have the diverse skill set to work on a range of different systems in-house. We are competent in communications design so the only sub-contractor we use is AMS Acoustics, which helps with designs on these kinds of systems to ensure we are wholly compliant with all LUL and industry standards. We work closely with AMS on all PA projects as not only do we need to provide a compliant useable system will also have to ensure we do not cause noise issues with local residents and business, this an area AMS specialises in.” This is just one area that has witnessed growth over recent years, as the need for complex communications systems continues to increase in demand as passenger numbers multiply. “There seems to be a high demand for the services we offer, as our turnover continues to increase and more opportunities for projects arise in line
increase passenger flows. It is our job to make sure the passenger facing communications assets such as PA and CIS systems are designed and installed to maximise the customer experience while travelling on the network, while also ensuring safety and security for all passengers. “On top of this, customer expectations are so much higher than they were five to ten years ago; people want constant communication with the outside world so London Underground is now providing the very latest services they can with WiFi, while all CCTV cameras are being upgraded to the latest IP based technology systems to meet the higher level of passengers now being realised across the network.” With a number of high profile contracts beginning, the future looks positive for Delatim as it remains focused on continued improvement of its services to ensure complete customer satisfaction through optimum productivity and maximum cost efficiency, as Greg concludes: “Working during Engineering Hours for LU, there is a limited window of opportunity of three to four hours a night you can work; we aim to be innovative with designs and the products we use to minimise time spent on site and to boost productivity.” zz
www.delatim.co.uk
AMS Acoustics provides the Rail Industry with coherent, intelligible PA/VA system designs throughout the underground and overground networks. Q System Performance Benchmarking Q Electro Acoustic Modelling & System Optimisation Q STI Performance Predictions Q System Set Up & Equalisation Q Performance Verification Surveys Q EN54 Compliant Systems Q BS 5839 Certifications
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NEDTRAIN
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A unique service With roots dating back to 1839, NedTrain has a long history as the locomotive and rolling stock maintenance, repair and upgrade arm of the Dutch Railways company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen
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edTrain is a unique entity within the rail industry in that although the company represents the maintenance arm of Nederlandse Spoorwegan (NS) it remains an independent commercial venture in its own right, rather than taking on role as a necessary non-profit part of the NS group. The result is that NedTrain is able to serve a number of companies operating outside of the NS group while simultaneously offering an impressively rapid service to stock operating as part of its parent company, as business development director Dirk Jan Brakel explains: “We are not a typical in-house maintenance division in that we are run as a fully commercial and independent company, but we are also able to respond very quickly to any urgent situations and act in the sole interest of the passengers. The financial and legal details we manage later on. For example, during the cooler months there was a need to service the trains for extreme winter conditions and we
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were able to do this without having to settle contractual details first.” The synergy between NedTrain and NS is further emphasised by the fact that the company’s CEO, Michiel van Roozendaal is part of the executive committee responsible for the running of the NS group. This coupled with 30 strategic locations across the Dutch railway network is the basis for the unique service offering that NedTrain is able to provide. The company’s flexibility and expertise has enabled NedTrain to develop a trusted and highly respected reputation that has seen it work with train operators throughout the Netherlands and beyond including Arriva, Syntus, Veolia and the Norwegian state rail company - Norges Statsbaner AS. The operational competence of NedTrain and its employees naturally plays a vital role in ensuring that NedTrain is able to maintain a leading position in the upkeep of industry’s locomotives and rolling stock. The
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz company has an expert knowledge of the trains that it services and as such has dedicated procedures in place to ensure that the highest attention to detail is observed when undertaking maintenance and upgrade projects. “We work in fleet teams, meaning that for each series of train there is a separate team that is run by a rolling stock type manager,” Dirk elaborates. “This is the asset manager who oversees the cost and the quality of the work and in each team there are guys from the engineering and the production side of the business. In all there are around ten types of train and we also cover some special areas; the Royal Train is one such example, as well as Thalys and ICE trains which run in a joint pool with French SNCF and Belgian NMBS resp. Deutsche Bahn from Germany. “When it comes to modernisation projects and modifications, these are a little bit different. For example we have a facility in Haarlem where we carry out modernisation and each project has its own project team. Obviously there are members from engineering and production, so all of these groups exist in the company and they are all contributing to project groups, which is how we are able to tackle several projects at the same time.”
The company’s varied projects are managed by highly efficient workflows and planning procedures that are supported by market-leading technology and innovation, often derived from other industries such as the assembly. Everything from the company’s workshop facilities down to the equipment used by NedTrain mechanics to monitor their assigned work programmes is designed to meet the increasing technical requirements of modern rolling stock. “When it comes to fabrication our factory is very flexible and for every project we completely adapt the production line,” Dirk observes. “We are very unique in this respect and we actually transport the trains around the factory using hovercraft, rather than placing the trains on rails. Every morning between five’o clock and seven’o clock we move the trains to the required destination – it is quite a
Strukton Rolling Stock Strukton Rolling Stock provides technological solutions for rolling stock and has a unique position in the world market for delivering traction converters, auxiliary converters and train control management systems. The company specialises in refurbishment and new production of traction installations and other electro-technical systems for all types of rolling stock. The main focus is to improve reliability, availability and maintainability. Strukton was recently commissioned to deliver the traction systems of the Siemens Cityval vehicles for the Rennes metro Line b. Strukton also performs supporting activities for companies like NedTrain, both during the engineering phase and during the assembly and test phases.
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spectacle. Our visitors – from schoolkids to international rolling stock executives, are always very impressed when the see how our staff moves the railcars gently but quickly and precisely though the factory from workstation to workstation. The mechanics report to the same place in the factory everyday and we move the trains to the mechanics.” It is not just the trains themselves that are brought directly to the mechanics tasked with repairing them; likewise a daily work programme is delivered via a personal iPad along with technical drawings and specifications. Furthermore parts are also made ready and available before work commences, leaving the mechanics free to focus on the task at hand. This is vital in allowing NedTrain mechanics to operate in a much more situational way rather than performing maintenance operations in the traditional way of replacing parts after a predetermined amount of time. “We are on the edge of introducing new technologies and we are very far ahead with modular maintenance,”Dirk elaborates. “Traditionally when you buy a train you get a maintenance manual, which tells you when to change components or carry out maintenance by a set time period. We try to work in a much more situational way, which requires a lot of flexibility and sophisticated ERP tools such as the IBM Maximo system. Using this system we are able to minimise the time that trains are in the workshop while making sure our mechanics have the maximum amount of time to work on the trains. Further we intensively apply the LEANprinciples to continuously improve our processes.”
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As the company transitions into the future it is aware of the challenges faced by a decrease in students applying to technical schools and obtaining mechanical skills throughout Europe. To ensure that the Dutch fleet of trains keeps rolling NedTrain provides in-depth training to its personnel. All technical staff went through a thorough training programme, including Level Three training in mechatronics to keep mechanical and electrical engineering skills in-house. Furthermore NedTrain has established the TechniekFabriek – translated as EngineeringFactory - to nuture the skills of tomorrow, as Dirk concludes: “‘TechniekFabriek’ was established for new employees, because we found that were was a challenge in attracting technical talents so we set up a programme with two large technical schools in Holland, one in Amsterdam and another in Zwolle. The students follow the normal curriculum in these schools, but with a specialisation in trains and during the first year students do one day a week work experience and four days of theoretical training and in the fourth year it is the other way around. As the students pass they are guaranteed a job offer from NedTrain. “It is fairly unique and we have had several Secretaries of State and MPs visit us as an example how education and business join forces. In Europe there is a fierce competition for those who opt for technical training and, we are able to show them how challenging and interesting it is to work on trains.” zz
www.nedtrain.nl
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NEXUS
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Global solutions provider Scheidt & Bachmann have led the installation of new ticket machines, station gates and validators as Metro leads the way in the roll-out of new smart travel in the UK
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ticket Most Metro passengers can now tap in and out of stations with the Pop card or other smart products
Currently in the midst of an 11 year £389 million programme to replace and renew the Metro infrastructure, Nexus is the trading name for the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE)
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s the owner and manager of the Tyne and Wear Metro, servicing 38 million passengers each year, Nexus continues to move forward on the modernisation programme according to plan and budget. In 2013 the UK Department for Transport awarded Nexus the maximum possible funding for the programme up to 2016, in recognition of the efficient record of delivery. “We are now focused on securing
maximum funding for the works we have planned from 2016 to 2021. “Having invested just over £150 million from 2010 to March 2014, we will continue to invest record amounts of up to £40 million a year for the next seven years,” says director general Bernard Garner. The Tyne and Wear Metro remains the biggest and busiest light rail system in the UK outside London and has a huge economic impact on the conurbation it serves, including the cities of Sunderland and Newcastle and surrounding communities. “We estimate the economic benefit of the current programme to be more than £2.5 billion for North East England, compared to the impact of allowing Metro to decline and fail,” points out Bernard, adding: “This is a fundamental message as we look to the future – investment in Metro delivers high returns. We are planning now for the period after 2021, when our current investment in fixed assets will be complete. It is essential that the current train fleet, in daily use since 1980 and among the oldest in Britain, is replaced in the early 2020s.” The £30 million project to refurbish the existing train fleet for up to ten years’ more service will be completed next year with most trains now promoting a cleaner and brighter environment. “We are also investing £105 million in station
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refurbishments focused largely on access improvements. Metro was the first rail system in the UK to be fully wheelchair accessible. Through detailed engagement with our disabled passengers, we have concentrated on providing the appropriate static station infrastructure,” highlights Bernard. One of the biggest improvements for passengers has been the move to smart ticket technology, to which Bernard comments: “Within just two years we have moved from original coin operated ticket machines to
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smart tickets and activated validators and gates at key stations. In spring 2014 we began piloting Pay As You Go smart products on our ITSO-compliant Pop smart card, and we aim to extend this to all passengers later this year.” ITSO is the UK Government mandated open specification, which ensures public transport operators throughout the UK can develop compatible smart ticketing systems. Most Metro passengers now use smart tickets for travel, and the introduction of smart ticketing machines across the network is a major ongoing project with a total of 13 key stations earmarked for automatic ticket gates, and 11 so far installed. Automatic ticket gates are an essential part of any modern revenue management system, providing secure entry and exit control. These stand-alone devices are fixed to station platforms allowing passengers to effectively ‘tap’ in and out at the start and end of each journey with their smart card tickets. The German-owned global solutions provider Scheidt & Bachmann (S&B) won the contract to supply this technology and 227 smart ticket vending machines. Energised by the contract, Bernard explains: “Working with Ecebs, which provided the ITSO compliant back office, card management and online ticketing solutions, S&B is responsible for the ongoing support and management of the maintenance of the new system, and has also been commissioned to provide the required infrastructure at each of the 60 stations, involving major civil engineering.”
Nexus has overcome the challenge of renewing Victorian infrastructure running through the dense urban communities it serves
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz There has been significant investment in access improvements at stations across the system, including this one at Meadow Well benefitting from tactile surfaces, better seating and better passenger information
When it comes to making the Metro run smoothly Nexus has established key projects to replace the train management systems and the system radio used by drivers and the control centre. The business recently awarded the major £7.7m contract for a complete new digital radio network to Kapsch following a stringent international procurement process. “This is among the most important single projects within the whole ‘Metro: all change’ modernisation programme and we are very pleased to be working with a company with the global track record of Kapsch,” says Bernard. Although the system has its own control centre in Newcastle, its drivers pass over to communication with Network Rail’s East Coast control centre when moving onto the infrastructure Metro shares with national rail companies. Kapsch are delivering an upgrade from analogue to digital technology that will harness the very latest digital technology to vastly improve Metro’s communication system. “The current analogue system is reliable but we will get much better performance from more modern telecommunications technology. Kapsch understand that the biggest challenge is to introduce the digital trunked radio technology during the next 18 months without impairing ongoing operations. We will also be working closely with Kapsch to ensure that during the migration phase staff are fully versed in both technologies,” highlights Bernard. The ‘Metro: all change’ modernisation programme has presented two major challenges for Nexus, firstly in delivering unprecedented investment to maintain a
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high-quality passenger service and secondly contending with the unexpected challenges from renewing very old infrastructure. Explaining the solution, Bernard says: “We have been able to maintain efficient project delivery by building very detailed asset knowledge and by working with framework contractors developing an understanding of the system. The heavy engineering work also has an impact on passengers, our neighbours in residential areas, and businesses and service providers in the region.” Delivery of industry best practices in terms of engagement around works was recognised at the 2014 UK Rail Business Awards where Nexus won best PR Campaign. The engagement process with the community ranges from big decisions such as timing line closures to avoid major events to very local ones. “I think almost everyone in our region understands we are carrying out once-in-a-generation strategic modernisation of Metro. Really good engagement costs very little compared to the expense and delays associated with making even small last minute changes to major projects,” points out Bernard. Additionally, Nexus won the first national ‘Training and Development’ award. Working towards the future Bernard concludes: “We are taking on 30 apprentices over three years as we revitalise an ageing workforce, providing opportunities for talented individuals to reach the top. The development we offer to our staff throughout their career must be one of the largest investments by size of any company in today’s rail industry.” zz
www.nexus.org.uk
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UK Power Networks Services
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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
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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 – 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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www.railwaystrategies.co.uk
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RAILWAY FOR SENIOR RAIL MANAGEMENT
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz S T R A T E G I E S Schofield Publishing 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU
T: +44 (0) 1603 274130 F: +44 (0) 1603 274131
Editor Gay Sutton
editor@railwaystrategies.co.uk Sales Manager Rob Wagner
rwagner@schofieldpublishing.co.uk
www.railwaystrategies.co.uk